The birthplace of the Chevrolet Camaro: A visit to the GM complex in Oshawa

Several days ago, General Motors invited a group of journalists to the factory where the Camaro is built.

In Oshawa, a city of 150,000 people located an hour east of Toronto, is home to an enormous manufacturing complex operated by General Motors Canada. Active since the 1950s, this city-within-a-city is an integral part of Oshawa’s professional, economic and social fabric. Today, the Chevrolet Impala and Camaro are built there, at a rate of 720 and 440 units per day respectively. In 2009, a recession year, they churned out 133,488 Impalas and 82,188 Camaros.

Next year, the Equinox FWD will be added to the production list. By then, the factory will run two eight-hour shifts every day. The Buick Regal and Camaro Cabriolet will also be assembled in Oshawa.

Naturally, we didn’t get the chance to check out every nook and cranny of the complex (it wasn’t a week-long invitation, after all!), but we did get a first-hand opportunity to note major improvements in their occupational health and safety practices. For example, one of my colleagues, who once worked in a Honda plant, pointed out how quiet the place was, which is pretty impressive given the nature of the work done there.

Check out the photo gallery for a glimpse into the fascinating world of automobile assembly.