Food for the Faithful: What the loss of our manufacturing sector means to the Canadian economy

What the loss of our manufacturing sector means to the Canadian economy

Today’s Sunday Sermon is intended to help you understand precisely why our government is deliberately implementing the socioeconomic ruin of Canada. Ayn Rand saw laissez-faire capitalism as the only moral social system because it is based on individual rights, including property rights, and requires a government that acts as a "purely" protective force. She defined it as a system with no government intervention in the economy and viewed it as a "separation of state and economics," similar to the separation of church and state. Rand argued that in this system, all relationships are voluntary, and the government's sole role is to protect individual rights by banning the use of physical force, fraud, and theft.

So, when a country loses much of its manufacturing base to become primarily a hub for warehousing and office-based services, it will face a range of economic, social, and strategic consequences. Here's a breakdown of what Canada is losing due to its bonkers bargain with a banker:

1. Economic Resilience and Self-Sufficiency

Loss of Industrial Base: Manufacturing provides the backbone for many other sectors. Without it, a country becomes dependent on imports for essential goods, including critical items like medical supplies, electronics, and machinery.
Trade Deficits: Importing more than exporting can lead to persistent trade imbalances, weakening the national currency and increasing debt.
Vulnerability to Supply Chain Disruptions: Global crises (like pandemics or geopolitical tensions) can severely impact countries that rely heavily on foreign manufacturing.

2. Middle-Class Jobs and Upward Mobility

Job Polarization: Manufacturing traditionally offers well-paying jobs for people without college degrees. Losing these jobs can hollow out the middle class, leaving only high-skill office jobs and low-wage service work.
Regional Decline: Industrial towns and regions may suffer long-term economic decline, leading to unemployment, poverty, and social unrest.

3. Innovation and Technological Capability

Loss of “Learning by Doing”: Manufacturing drives innovation through hands-on problem-solving and iterative improvements. Without it, “Research & Development” can become disconnected from practical application.
Weakened Ecosystem: Advanced manufacturing often supports high-tech sectors like aerospace, robotics, and clean energy. Losing it can erode national competitiveness.

4. National Security Risks

Strategic Dependence: Relying on other countries for critical goods (e.g., semiconductors, defense components) can be dangerous in times of conflict or political tension.
Reduced Defense Readiness: A strong manufacturing base is essential for producing military equipment and maintaining defense infrastructure.

5. Cultural and Social Identity

Loss of Industrial Heritage: Manufacturing often shapes national identity and pride. Its decline can lead to a sense of cultural loss and disconnection.
Community Fragmentation: Factory closures can devastate communities, leading to population decline, mental health issues, and social fragmentation.

What Remains?

Service Economy Growth: Finance, tech, logistics, and design may thrive, but they often benefit a narrower segment of the population.
Global Integration: Countries may become hubs for global coordination, logistics, and innovation—but at the cost of local production capacity.

Canada’s loss of its auto manufacturing sector—especially the recent decline accelerated by trade tensions and corporate shifts—has had profound economic, social, and strategic consequences. Here's a detailed look at what Canada is losing:

🇨🇦 Key Impacts of the Auto Sector Decline in Canada

1. Massive Job Losses

Direct job losses: Stellantis' decision to move Jeep Compass production from Brampton to Illinois will cost 3,000 direct jobs at the Brampton Assembly Plant[1].
Ripple effects: Up to 12,000 jobs in the auto parts supply chain are at risk due to plant idlings and production cuts in Windsor and Ingersoll[1].
Regional unemployment: Ontario’s unemployment rate has risen to 7.9%, higher than the national average of 7.1%, largely due to manufacturing losses[2].

2. Economic Vulnerability

Production collapse: Canada’s share of North American vehicle production fell to 7.6%, the lowest in over 30 years[3].
Trade imbalance: With 85–90% of Canadian-made vehicles exported to the U.S., tariffs have severely disrupted this flow, threatening billions in revenue[4].
Investment flight: Stellantis is investing \$13 billion in U.S. operations, creating 5,000 American jobs while pulling back from Canadian commitments[5].

3. Community and Social Fallout

Ghost plants: Cities like Brampton and Ingersoll face the prospect of shuttered factories and economic decline[1].
Generational disruption: Families with multiple generations in auto work are seeing their livelihoods vanish, with few alternatives offering similar pay or stability[6].

4. Strategic and Industrial Weakening

Loss of innovation hubs: Auto manufacturing supports R&D, engineering, and advanced manufacturing. Its decline weakens Canada’s industrial ecosystem.
Supply chain unraveling: Canada’s integrated supply chains with the U.S. are being reshaped by protectionist policies, making Canadian suppliers less competitive[2].

5. Political and Policy Challenges

Government response: Ottawa has reduced import quotas for GM and Stellantis in retaliation, but critics argue more aggressive action is needed[7]. Ottawa and Ontario have deliberately sabotaged our critical relationship with sister plants located in the US ignoring that the auto sector is inextricably linked to other factories in the US, Mexico and beyond. Instead of negotiating with Trump to end tariffs both the federal and provincial government’s lack of diplomacy and common sense have placed our auto sector in a crisis that may well sever over a century of interconnected cooperation between Canada and the US as Canada’s primary trading partner.
Calls for a national strategy: Leaders like Brampton’s mayor are urging a coordinated federal plan to retain jobs and attract future investment but in fact Patrick Brown has foolishly suggested that retaliatory tariffs are the answer to a trade war thereby annoying the American administration further which has prevented achieving a viable trade agreement. No one wins a trade war and someone ought to tell the fools who know nothing about how the economy actually works! [8].

🔄 What Might Replace It?

While Canada is investing in electric vehicle battery production (e.g., Windsor’s NextStar Energy plant), these projects are not yet offsetting the losses in traditional auto manufacturing. The transition is slow and uncertain, basically since electric vehicles hide the pollution at the beginning of the process making its significant impacts on the environment less obvious to the general public. Moreover, especially in the intense cold of Canadian winters and due to the lack of infrastructure electric vehicles face severe limitations operating in Canada’s harsh conditions. Canada simply does not have sufficient supply of electrical generation to power electric vehicles if it continues to refuse to use LP gas, coal, and nuclear to provide power to the grid needed to make electric cars and trucks viable.

Here’s the visualization showing Canada’s auto sector employment vs vehicle production trends (2005–2025):

canada_auto_trends

Key Insights

Employment Decline: From ~17,000 in 2005 to under 9,000 in 2021, before a modest recovery to ~12,700 in 2025.
Production Collapse: From a peak of 3.06M units in 1999 to just 1.11M in 2021, recovering slightly to 1.55M in 2023.
Correlation: Both metrics show steep declines during global crises and trade tensions, with employment lagging behind production recovery.

In Conclusion:

You will note that I have used data accessed from the 4^th Estate in case some of you on the left will attempt to say I have exaggerated how dire our situation is under Mark Carney’s reign of centralizing authoritarian control by taxation, theft, and kleptocracy.

According to the Bible, God condemns ruinous economies and government corruption because they are rooted in injustice, greed, and oppression of the vulnerable. The Scriptures promise divine judgment for those who exploit power for personal gain and offer a vision of a society based on righteousness and justice. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Condemnation of corruption and unjust rulers:

Biblical prophets and writers consistently speak out against corrupt leaders who abuse their power and exploit the poor.

Exploitation and bribery: Prophets like Isaiah and Micah condemn rulers and judges who accept bribes and conspire to oppress the needy and the powerless, such as orphans and widows.
Systemic corruption: The book of Ecclesiastes observes a flawed system of government where every level of authority exploits those below it. The resulting social decay and instability are directly linked to the greed of those in power.
A contrast in leadership: The Proverbs draw a clear distinction: "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan". Justice from a leader brings stability, while greed tears a country down.
Divine wrath: The New Testament warns that earthly rulers are "God's servants" who bring judgment on evildoers. God is not ambivalent toward evil and will not tolerate injustice. [1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

The dangers of greed and materialism

The Bible attributes economic ruin and other societal troubles to the love of money, greed, and the unjust acquisition of wealth.

A root of evil: The New Testament warns, "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith".
Consequences of greed: The greedy are said to bring trouble on their families, while those who refuse bribes will prosper. The book of James condemns the wealthy who hoard their riches and defraud their workers, declaring that their hoarded wealth will be a testimony against them.
Foolishness of hoarding: Jesus's parable of the rich fool warns against the folly of placing trust in material possessions, emphasizing that earthly wealth can be lost at any moment. [12, 13, 14, 15]

God's expectation for a just society

God's word provides a framework for leaders and citizens to act with integrity and compassion, which can help prevent economic and political ruin.

Justice for the vulnerable: Biblical law demands that society provide for the poor, the alien, and the oppressed. Verses in Leviticus and Deuteronomy require gleanings from fields to be left for the poor and that laborers' wages be paid daily.
The path to healing: In Chronicles, God promises to "hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" if his people humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways.
A call to act justly: The prophet Micah offers a clear summary of God's requirements: "To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God". This call is directed at both individual believers and those in positions of authority.
Divine sovereignty: Ultimately, God is portrayed as the supreme ruler who will one day establish his kingdom of perfect justice and righteousness, banishing all injustice forever. [3, 8, 17, 18, 19]