Civic is “Canada’s car” but what does that really mean?

Happy New Year.

It’s January and if you’re like me, you were happy to flip the calendar to 2021. While there are challenges ahead, this is a time to embrace a positive outlook. For us, one of those bright spots is the 2022 Honda Civic coming this year and everything we’ve put into creating this iconic vehicle.

Canadians have a special relationship with the Civic that is somewhat unique. For many of us the Civic is engrained in our memories – learning to drive, buying our first car or passing a well loved one down. After 23 years as the top selling passenger car in Canada, the Civic has become “Canada’s car”, but for Honda, Civic means even more than this.

We started manufacturing in Alliston, Ontario more than thirty years ago. Since then, we’ve shared an ambition to always get better at what we do. Generations of Canadians have helped us achieve our status as the top Honda plant in North America and one of the best Honda manufacturing facilities in the world. We have built more than 5.4 million Civics in Canada and the demand for a quality, safe, fun-to-drive vehicle is why it has remained the #1 selling passenger car for so long.

In 2020, the pandemic forced us to suspend production. The safety of every Associate was a top priority and the ripple effect on our supply chain was equally concerning. Every year, we source $3 billion in goods and services from local vendors, so when Civic production was affected, our supply chain was severely impacted. That meant trucks that deliver parts and products weren’t moving, materials and supplies were significantly curtailed, and maintenance and repair partners were asked to stay home.

We realize the importance of the broader impact we make in the communities where we live, work, and play. More than 4,000 people work at Honda of Canada Manufacturing and when we widen our view we see that each one of these automotive jobs supports nine others in the community.

We talk about who builds a Civic is what makes a Civic and we saw many examples of this when our Associates stepped up to help community groups that needed support in 2020. It’s not just about what our vehicles do, it’s about what they mean, the people who build them and the positive differences they strive to make every day.