| Regina Plant | |
|---|---|
 The Regina Plant in 1928 | |
 Location of the factory | |
| Built | June 1, 1928 (1928-06-01) |
| Operated | December 11, 1928 (1928-12-11) – 1941 (1941) |
| Location | Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Coordinates | 50°27′27″N104°35′47″W / 50.457592°N 104.596352°W /50.457592; -104.596352 |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Products | Cars, trucks (later munitions) |
| Employees |
|
| Area | 29,845 m2 (321,250 sq ft) |
| Address | 8th Avenue & Winnipeg Street |
| Owners |
|
| Defunct | 1941; 84 years ago (1941) |
TheRegina Plant[2] was anautomotive manufacturing plant owned byGeneral Motors Canada located inRegina, Saskatchewan. The 29,845 m2 (321,250 sq ft) facility began operation on December 11, 1928, six months after it was officially announced on June 1, 1928. Regina was selected because Saskatchewan was centrally located inWestern Canada and was the third most populous province in Canada. The plant had 1,000 jobs. The building was decommissioned in 2020 and as of 2021, a study is planned to be conducted on whether to demolish the building.[3]
The Regina Plant was announced on June 1, 1928, and commenced operations six months after it was announced on December 11, 1928. The plant producedChevrolets,Oldsmobiles, andPontiacs. At the time, it was the largest manufacturing plant in Regina.
In October 1929, theWall Street crash of 1929 occurred causing car sales to decrease sharply. The plant laid off some workers in early 1930. By August 1930, all production at the plant was stopped.[4] In March 1931, the plant reopened, but production once again stopped a few months later.
In 1937, the plant reopened after General Motors spentCA$700,000 (almost half the original cost of the plant,CA$1,500,000) on renovations. The reopened plant had 400 jobs, under half then what it had when it originally opened.[5] The plant also began producingBuicks and Maple Leaf trucks (modified Chevrolet trucks).
In 1941, due toWorld War II, plant was taking over by theGovernment of Canada, making GM no longer the owner, renamedRegina Industries Limited and was converted to the largest munitions plant inSaskatchewan, primarily focusing on gun carriages and anti-tank guns.[6] In 1943, the plant employed 1,596 people. After the war, the plant was no longer used for vehicle manufacturing as production and distribution techniques changed, making it impractical for General Motors to operate the plant.[4][5] The plant was used by theDepartment of National Defence until the mid-1960s. The building was acquired by theGovernment of Saskatchewan in 1967 and was used by various tenants.[7] In 1987 the building was purchased by the City of Regina. It housed several City departments as well as private and public sector tenants.[8]
On May 3, 2017, the Regina Plant caught fire, causing significant damage to the building. The surrounding areas was blocked off and power was cut to prevent further fire.[9][7]
The plant is still standing and was used by several businesses for commercial purposes until 2020, when the building was decommissioned by the City of Regina. As of 2021, a study is planned to be conducted on whether to demolish the building, citing environmental concerns andasbestos in the building. The adjacent office building, the GMC Building, will not be demolished due to its heritage designation, and is still in use.[3]
