By Preston Haskell
We have now witnessed a foreign corporation ‘being allowed’ to buy up a Canadian Corporation for the sole purpose of eliminating a Canadian Competitor. And to think that our Canadian Government paved the way for this despicable act with our tax dollars!
This flag few over a rally this January of close to 15,000 Ontario residents supporting workers at the now-closed Caterpillar plant in London, Ontario. Photo courtesy of Tori Criispo.
Caterpillar has now proven itself to be a looter and as such should be barred from doing any further business in Canada. We are a sovereign nation. It’s time to start acting like one!
No wonder Canadians have become skeptical and suspicious of government.
I would like to reiterate my comments made earlier on Niagara At Large under title: ‘Canada Doesn’t Need Corporations Like Caterpillar To Survive and Prosper’.
I clearly asked: What would happen if our upper management bluntly told corporations, both domestic and foreign, that if they wanted to relocate offshore they could sell their goods offshore?
Would we not be able to buy (better and cheaper) products from competitors of Caterpillar?
Would that mean we would be forced to design and build our own goods? Oh My God, what a disaster!
Caterpillar is leaving with our Canadian Corporation in TOW but unfortunately, without taking with them the Canadian Government team that allowed this travesty to happen.
Preston Haskell is a resident of Niagara, Ontario and past contributor of posts to Niagara At Large.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post in the comment boxes below. NAL only posts comments by people who are willing to share their names with their views)
Niagara At Large 
A boycott of Caterpillar products would also be in order.
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General Electric makes fine locomotives and with free trade there apparently is no duty but it sure doesn’t help our Canadian boys and the historical London plant now in ruin…shame shame shame
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Great thought Mr. Taliano, but any successful boycott of Caterpillar products would require the same government that sold us out to join the boycott. Discouraging isn’t it?
That’s right Mr. O’Brien… shame shame shame
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Since they are closing the plant. why dont we (the Government) start up our own plant and give them competition. what are your comments Mr Draper?
Bill Augustine
Its about time started take ownership of our own country!!!!
Well, if you don’t mind, Mr. Draper will answer your question right here Bill. I am not so sure I would want the same government that was stupid enough to give Caterpillar millions of dollars of our tax money without a signed agreement that they would either create jobs here in our country or give the tax subsidies back if they close the plant and take off actually running a company with our money. – Doug Draper
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The Investment Review Agency has no teeth, it is just wallpaper, remember Can-Gro in St, Davids got government cash took the brand names and flew the coop, tomatoes from Red China anybody? wan’t lead with that? Canada is dying by a thousand cuts,.Free trade is great is’nt it.
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Another example of this Reform government’s selling out of Canada. Let’s not forget previous decisions like “free Trade!”. We used to have governments that protected Canadian workers and jobs, not ones that “freely” hand over the future of Canadians to foreign interests. Look at what is happenning to the Stelco workers in Hamilton – no market for steel? excuse me but we’ve got to protect those workers in Philadelphia and Pittsburg. That’s where the millions our illustrious government gave them is being invested!
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Governments rarely run successful businesses – preventing Cat from selling in Canada means other foreign Governments would impose like conditions onto any competing Startup Canadian Manufacturer and that means no sales to the largest users of this type of product and any sane businessman would not start up a massive operation like Caterpillar with only the Canadian market to serve You are pipe dreaming people !!! By the way GE has closed plants in Canada in the past so you can’t buy from them !!! It’s not pretty but it’s reality and as long as we keep electing these idiots ——- I’m getting sick of saying this – you figure it out.
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Bick’s Pickles in Dunnville is gone south thanks to Smuckers buying them out and then pulling the rug out from underneath our Canadian workers and local growers…it’s a sad slow slippery slope for us canadians…better brush up on our Chinese…
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George is right. Local independent farmers can’t compete with product from China. The farmers are not at fault. The trade deals are at fault.
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General Electric used to have a huge locomotive plant in Erie Pennsylvania I wonder if they are still in business?does anybody know?
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General Electric Co said on Sunday its GE Transportation unit will invest about $200 million in a Fort Worth, Texas, locomotive plant and to upgrade its operations in Erie, Pennsylvania. ( Reuters) Sept 18,2011
GE Transportation will create more than 500 new manufacturing jobs in Texas by 2012 with the potential for up to 275 additional jobs in subsequent years, the company said.
The Texas facility will start production in the third quarter of 2012.
GE also said it will invest in technology upgrades at its more than 100-year-old manufacturing facility in Erie, Pennsylvania, to meet accelerating domestic and global demand.
This year, GE Transportation has announced more than 1,900 new U.S. jobs, including nearly 1,000 at its Erie site.
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All these tax breaks should be tied directly to job creation, including number of jobs, quality of jobs, as well as tenure in the country in which they were given. If the company fails in this, then they should be required to pay back every penny of benefit before they can go out of the country, even if it means the government liens its equipment, etc,. and sells them before they go. People are tired of hearing profitable companies picking up stakes to take their jobs to some low paying designation just to turn up their noses at Canadian workers and its governments who, in my opinion, treated them way more than fair.
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