OAKVILLE, ON, April 6, 2020 – Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd. has begun production of face shields at its Windsor Site operations to help protect Canadian medical personnel and first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ford of Canada is working closely with the Ontario and federal governments to distribute face shields throughout the province, and across Canada. Shipments are scheduled to start this week.

“Ford of Canada has a long history of supporting Canada and its communities in times of need,” said Dean Stoneley, president and CEO, Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd. “By repurposing our production facilities in Windsor to meet the urgent demand for face shields, we can help protect the lives of our heroic healthcare professionals and first responders as they continue to treat the most vulnerable among us.”

Following the advice of government and health officials, Unifor and Ford of Canada remain in continuous communication at the national and plant level to ensure all safety actions and precautions are taken to help keep workers and their families protected.

“I am incredibly grateful to our members at Ford in Windsor for doing a tremendous service for their community and their country during this national emergency,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “I commend Ford for working with Unifor to ensure that strict health and safety protocols are in place that will ensure our members can manufacture badly needed medical supplies and return home safely to their homes and families.”

Ford of Canada is committed to the health and safety of its workforce, customers, dealers, suppliers and communities. With dedicated teams closely monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ford of Canada continues to explore creative solutions, bringing them forward in ongoing discussions with the Canadian government.

Ford of Canada will provide additional updates as these special projects progress. 

Additional contribution of essential equipment made by Ford of Canada and its employees include the donation of 2,900 pairs of Nitrile gloves to the Brampton Civic Hospital by Ford of Canada’s Bramalea Parts Distribution Centre in Brampton, Ontario, and the donation of 80 N95 masks to the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital by Ford of Canada’s national headquarters.