OPG announces its Corporate Headquarters will be located at former GM office in Oshawa

DOUGLAS ELLIS,

Executive Assistant, Office of Todd McCarthy, MPP - Durham

DURHAM: Ontario Power Generation (OPG) announced this week, it will continue its development and investment in the Region of Durham with the purchase and renovation of the former General Motors (GM) Headquarters in Oshawa, to accommodate the consolidation of its offices in Durham, the GTA, and Niagara Region.

This decision will bring more than 2000 highly skilled corporate staff to Oshawa, who will occupy the nearly 284,522 square feet of office space at the existing building, at 1908 Colonel Sam Drive in Oshawa. This occupancy will be in addition to OPG operations at the existing OPG complex in the Clarington Energy Park, the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Bowmanville and the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station in Pickering.

“This is exciting news, as OPG continues to make long-term investments in Durham Region,” said Todd McCarthy, MPP for Durham. “With the future construction of the Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and the refurbishment of the Darlington Generating Station, OPG is demonstrating a long-term commitment and investment in the vitality and growth within the Municipality of Clarington and the Region of Durham. Our Government supports the investments made in Durham and the partnership we have with OPG.”

News of this announcement was well received within the local municipal government of Oshawa and the Region of Durham.

Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer, John Henry, said, “This positive news will leave an economic impact for the region as a whole: and that will be felt for decades. It’s a testament to the opportunities here in Durham Region. It’s a great place to invest, offering innovative thinkers, growth opportunities, and partnerships driving business.”

OPG had previously announced plans to construct a new headquarters in the Clarington Energy Park, adjacent to its Darlington Energy Complex. These plans were revisited when an economical, sustainable option of repurposing an existing building became available.

“I can assure the residents of Durham, no jobs are being lost with this announcement and the $12.8 billion OPG has invested, with the refurbishment of Darlington, is on time and on budget,” said Todd McCarthy, MPP for Durham. “The current 10-year refurbishment project currently has over one thousand skilled trade workers on site, and once the refurbishment of Darlington, the re-envisioned Darlington Energy Complex, into an innovative centre of excellence and the expected completion of the SMRs, Darlington will continue to provide clean, safe, and reliable energy to millions of Ontarians.”

Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is a large nuclear facility, comprising four CANDU nuclear reactors, with a total output of 3,512 Mwe (capacity net) when all units are online. It is Canada’s second-largest nuclear power plant and provides about 20 percent of Ontario’s electricity needs, enough to serve a city of two million people.

The expected occupancy of the office space is sometime in late 2024.