Across the street from the front entrance of the Stellantis Assemble Plant in Brampton, Ont. is a Caribbean restaurant – Molly’s Roti Shop – which used to be a staple for the plant workers. That meant it was busy not just during lunch hour, but because the employees work on rotating shifts the restaurant was almost always packed, owner Afzal Mohammad says. “Different times of the day, this place would be full,” Mohammad told CTV News Saturday, adding that he knew many of his customers on a first name basis. “They felt like family. They would call my restaurant and say ‘hey, it’s Greg’ or whoever and put their order in. They all knew me, they would come in and they would hug me.” A stark contrast from what it has looked like these past couple of years: the dozen or so chairs sitting empty, no plates on the tables and few customers walking through the door. All of it happening after the Stellantis plant temporarily closed nearly three years ago for what was meant to be a short-term retooling that has now turned into what could be a permanent shutdown. “If you get one person at one table, maybe two tables, that’s basically it. So, a lot more empty seats,” said Mohammad. “Our business has dropped about 50 per cent,” he added. “I’m now thinking about closing my store. I put it up for sale… and right now it’s still on the market for sale but I can’t get anybody to buy it.” Almost as if on cue, during the interview with Mohammad, a customer strolls in. It’s not just any customer, but one of his regulars, an employee at the plant. “I’ve been thinking about this roti all day,” said Dave Sears, an employee at Stellantis for over three decades. Even though he doesn’t work across the street anymore, he still makes the drive to see his friend and get his roti fix. “I thought for sure we would be going back,” Sears told CTV News Saturday. “I’m still hopeful but I’m surprised… I’m confused… (I’m) a little bit mad... A lot of people need to work. A lot of people are relying on this.” Uncertainty surrounding the Stellantis plant Uncertainty surrounding the Stellantis Brampton Assembly Plant deepened Friday, after Unifor said the automaker is seriously considering closing and selling the facility. At a news conference, Unifor National president Lana Payne said Stellantis informed the union Wednesday that it intended to open discussions with another firm about a potential sale. The union stressed that Stellantis has not issued formal written notice of a closure, and no buyer, sale agreement or transaction timeline has been publicly announced. Under the terms of its collective agreement, Unifor says Stellantis must provide at least one year’s notice of any closure or sale. The union’s current contract with the automaker expires in September, with the future of the Brampton plant expected to be a major issue during the upcoming negotiations. More than 2,200 Unifor Local 1285 members have been on layoff since vehicle production stopped at the plant in December 2023. The facility was supposed to undergo retooling and reopen to build the next-generation Jeep Compass. Stellantis paused the retooling work in February 2025, before announcing in October that planned Compass production would instead be assigned to its Belvidere, Ill. plant. That left the Brampton facility indefinitely idle, and without a publicly assigned vehicle. Unifor maintains that moving the Compass violated both its collective agreement, and commitments Stellantis made in exchange for significant federal and provincial government funding. The union said it plans to meet with company executives and all levels of government in the coming days and weeks, while using the upcoming contract talks to press for protections for workers’ jobs and incomes. Stellantis did not directly confirm Unifor’s account of a potential closure or sale. In a statement to CTV News via email, the automaker said it was preparing to enter the collective-bargaining process and had “nothing to announce at this time.” “Our focus remains on finding a sustainable manufacturing solution for Brampton Assembly,” the company said. ‘We’re dealing with speculation’ A spokesperson for federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said Ottawa has been working to protect workers and keep the Brampton plant operating. The spokesperson said the government remains actively engaged with Stellantis, Unifor and the Ontario government. “We passed a motion at Brampton city council to prohibit any other use than auto use. So, if the company thought they could sell it for a quick buck, it will be worthless because the company will not be able to sell for any other purpose than automotive,” said Brampton mayor Patrick Brown in an interview with CP24 on Saturday. “The potential sale has not been verified from Minister [Mélanie] Joly’s office; it has not been verified from the company. So, right now we’re dealing with speculation,” added Brown. “The union has heard rumours they maybe want to sell it to a defence contractor, but my understanding is that the federal government would not support the sale of the property to any other use that is not automated.” But that hasn’t stopped other nearby business owners from worrying about the future of their investments. Shelly Lewis, who owns Shelley’s Kitchen, also located across the street from the Stellantis plant, says she was shocked to learn of the potential of a permanent closure and sell-off of the plant. “I was really affected by it so badly,” Lewis told CTV New Saturday, adding that her customer base has dried up. “Especially on a day like today, it’s so dry. Normally it would be very busy, especially breakfast morning. But no, it’s very dry.” Mohammad questions how much longer he can keep his restaurant afloat at 72-years-old. “We were very dependent on them,” he said. “The bills went up and they keep going up. I have had to dip into my reserve money to keep on going. But this is all I have and if I close up, I don’t really have anything at this age.” For now, the plant remains owned by Stellantis and idle. No permanent closure completed for sale or replacement production program has been formally announced.
