For Todd Forbes, Oshawa has always been home. Born and raised in the city’s south-central industrial core, where generations of families have worked the General Motors assembly line since 1918, he built his life surrounded by his children, grandchildren, and the community he loves. But come January 30, when GM Canada cuts the midnight shift at its Oshawa plant, the 48-year-old will be among some 2,000 workers without a job — and likely without a future in the city he has never left.
“It’s definitely gut-wrenching … I’ve lived in this area my whole life,” Forbes said. With Oshawa’s unemployment hovering around nine per cent and a national downturn made worse by U.S. auto tariffs, he doesn’t see much hope locally. Despite years of experience in manufacturing, maintenance, retail, and sales, Forbes is now weighing a move to Nova Scotia with his wife and their dog, Gizmo, in search of steadier work. “I’m looking at, ‘Is there a job possibility where I’m making the same kind of money or a little bit less?’” he said. “The prospects look better in the Maritimes.”
Forbes’s story is part of a larger crisis. GM’s decision to cut a shift will cost about 750 assembly line jobs directly, while rippling through the supply chain, eliminating an additional 1,500 positions at supplier companies. Union leaders warn that the layoffs are devastating for families who have relied on steady plant work for generations. “It’s all we know, to tell you the truth,” said Jeff Gray, president of Unifor Local 222. “It would be devastating if we lost that way of life.”
Mayor Dan Carter acknowledges the pain families are experiencing — some selling homes and vehicles ahead of looming layoffs — but insists Oshawa is “too stubborn to give up.” He points to ongoing talks with GM and international firms, as well as opportunities in research and technology that could keep the city’s auto sector relevant. Still, he admits the uncertainty is crushing for residents.
Forbes, who only recently returned to steady employment after cancer treatment, said he isn’t convinced retraining is realistic at his age. “By the time I complete an apprenticeship, I’ll nearly be at retirement,” he said. For now, his biggest concern is leaving behind the family he’s always been close to — the children and grandchildren who live within a short drive of his apartment.
Recently, he took as many grandkids as he could fit into his van to the Peterborough Zoo. Soon, that same van may carry his belongings eastward. “It’s not just the community that I’d have to give up,” Forbes said quietly. “It’s the family being close.”