Kapuskasing, Ontario — After 51 years in operation, General Motors has announced that it is closing the Kapuskasing Proving Ground, a facility used to evaluate the durability of vehicles in cold weather.
The Kapuskasing facility is the largest full-scale cold weather development facility in Ontario, with the site covering 272 acres and including a 3.6 kilometre advanced test track with cells capable of reaching -45 Celcius.
In a statement originally made to CTV News, GM Canada commented that testing of its vehicles has “evolved” to the point that the facility is no longer needed.
Specifically, GM communications director Natalie Nankil said in an email to CTV News last week that “our testing and validation processes prioritize continuous improvement, and we have evolved our testing capability to validate our technology at the component, system and vehicle level.”
While in operation, the facility was used to test “every GM North American vehicle for cold weather-durability testing to ensure they can withstand extremely cold weather conditions,” GM Canada outlined on its website.
Vehicles were tested 24 hours a day, seven days a week in sub-zero temperatures for three to four months. The testing represents two years of customer driving in winter.
As of the time of writing, GM has not responded to CTV News’ questions about how many jobs will be affected by the facility’s closure.
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