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AURORA, ON - Canadian auto parts giant Magna International Inc. is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department on an antitrust matter in the auto tooling industry.

The company said early Thursday that it was co-operating in the investigation, which centres on tooling contract bids by its Cosma International unit, which produces vehicle body and chassis systems as well as offering vehicle engineering services.

No other details were released.

On the Toronto Stock Exchange, Magna shares were down $1.10 or 2.82 per cent at $37.86 in morning trading Thursday.

"In connection with such investigation, the DOJ has requested documents related to various tooling bids, including a tooling program for which a subsidiary within our Cosma International operating unit acted as Tier 1 tooling supplier," Magna said in a release before stock markets opened.

A Tier 1 supplier is a company that sells directly to an original equipment manufacturer.

"Magna's policy is to comply with all applicable laws, including antitrust and competition laws, and we are fully co-operating with the DOJ," the company said.

Magna is Canada's largest auto parts maker, with 104,000 employees in 26 countries.

The Toronto-area company and its subsidiary manufacture advance systems, assemblies, modules and components, and engineer and assemble complete vehicles.

Toyota Canada was part of hockey history Sunday by sponsoring the Winnipeg Jets‘ opening night game against the Montreal Canadiens.

In addition, as part of a comprehensive sponsorship agreement with the Jets, Toyota Canada will also have a major presence throughout the team’s season. The sponsorship includes prominent brand placement on the Jets’ website, as well as the following at MTS Centre:
■ A Toyota in-ice logo
■ A Toyota camera visible rink board
■ A Toyota logo featured on the backdrop behind the visitor’s bench and a club’s media backdrop
■ A 30-second promotional spot for Toyota to run on the arena’s scoreclock

“The debut…of the Jets is very special not just for Winnipeg but for all of Canada because NHL hockey – which is loved so passionately in this country – is returning to a major Canadian city where it belongs,” said Stephen Beatty, managing director at Toyota Canada, in a statement. “Toyota and its western dealers are proud and thrilled to be part of this important moment.”

Beatty added that Toyota will take advantage of the exposure the Jets sponsorship provides to promote something else making its debut this fall – the all-new 2012 Camry.

“We’re excited to be bringing together two Canadian passions – great hockey on the ice with the Jets and a great car on the open roads with the all-new 2012 Camry, which has long been a car Canadians trust and respect with design and performance they love,” explained Beatty in a statement.

Winter driving program encourages drivers to explorethe extremes of Porsche sports cars – and the Canadian climate

MISSISSAUGA, ON --- Late this coming January, a fleet of over 20 Porsche Caymans and 911 Carrera models will again descend on the Mecaglisse snow- and ice-driving facility, marking the return of Porsche’s thrilling Camp4 Canada driving program to the Mont-Tremblant region. Defying the conventional wisdom that says sports cars should be garaged for the winter, Camp4 Canada will in fact be the first opportunity for North American customers to experience the next-generation Porsche 911 from behind the wheel.

Behind the wheel of powerful rear- and all-wheel drive sports cars, including the all-new “991” generation 911 Carrera S, Camp4 Canada participants will learn valuable winter driving skills and explore multiple specialized snow-bound tracks at Mecaglisse, a dedicated snow- and ice-driving facility outside of Montreal. Two road courses are complimented by an enormous winter skidpad, all of which allow drivers to explore the Porsches’ limits in safe and controlled situations.

“We are very excited to be hosting a Camp4 for the second time in Canada,” said Joe Lawrence, President and CEO of Porsche Canada. “Porsche has long provided drivers the skills to drive with precision, performance and mastery in all kinds of adverse conditions. This year, on top of the three-day Camp4 program, we are upping the ante. Drivers who have previously completed Camp4 or another Precision-level Porsche Sport Driving School course can step up to Camp4S, which incorporates an additional snow-and-ice track, even higher speeds and more challenging exercises.”

Using the new Esterel Suites Spa & Lake as its base, Camp4 Canada is ideally situated in one of the most picturesque parts of the country. Located about one hour from Montreal, the unique resort is surrounded by two lakes and miles of forests and combines fine cuisine and modern décor for participants from Canada, the U.S. and around the world. The Mont-Tremblant location also makes it easy for participants to integrate Camp4 Canada into a more extended holiday that might include skiing in the Laurentian mountains.

Camp4 Canada once again serves as the highlight of a larger winter marketing campaign, which begins today on www.porsche.ca. Designed to convince potential customers that all Porsche vehicles, including the sports cars that form the basis of Camp4 Canada, are all-weather machines, the campaign includes a winter-themed microsite, winter displays at Porsche Centres nationwide and special offers on winter wheels, tires and accessories.

Porsche Canada will offer only two three-day waves of Camp4 Canada and one wave of Camp4S. Wave 1 runs from January 31 to February 3, 2012; wave 2 from February 3-6 and wave 3, Camp4S, from February 7-10; corporate one-day programs are also available. The price of $4,995 for Camp4 (Camp4S pricing TBD) includes accommodations, food and transfers between the hotel and the driving centre. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-PORSCHE or by visiting www.porsche.ca/camp4.

It’s not often that you take a tour of a manufacturer’s headquarters, but when I arrived it was definitely a sight to see.   Honda’s new headquarters or “campus” as they call it is located in Markham, Ontario on 54-acre of land on Honda Boulevard that fronts Highway 404 just north of Elgin Mills.
This was a special time for Honda as it just received LEED® Canada – Gold green building certification from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).  An accomplishment that fulfills a four-year environmental goal for its new facilities dating back to 2007 during the initial planning stages of their new home.  This is the 11th LEED® certified Honda building in North America and the first in Canada, which leads all other car manufacturers.
Honda has always been a leader when it comes to the environment being the first manufacturer in Canada to sell hybrid vehicles and have won numerous ecoEnergy awards for the Civic Hybrid, CR-Z, and the Accord Sedan.  Honda’s goal was for their new campus to environmentally match what they have achieved over the years with their vehicles.  “It’s nice to showcase Honda’s DNA from the office side as well,” said Barry Holt, LEED® Project Leader. 

Honda’s campus consists of three separate buildings that all contribute to human health and the preservation of the environment. Starting with the four-story office building, the parts distribution centre, and the technical centre for research and development, engineering, and training.  All of these buildings have heat reflective white roofs, which reflects the sun’s heat and naturally makes the office or facility cooler.

The four-story, 138,000-sq.-ft. office building consists of a storm water management system to improve the quality of water going off site, as well as for irrigation purposes on-site. Furthermore, Honda utilizes bio filters throughout the parking lot for the natural infiltration of water before being released to the public sewers.  This has reduced potable water consumption in the facility by 44 percent.

One of the most exciting things to check out is their office light structure.  Honda uses occupancy sensors which can lighten, dim, or shut down based on whether any one is there.  This efficient lighting design is a major contributing factor to their 32 percent consumption reduction in energy.

"The campus was designed with extra care to limit the ecological impact, keeping LEED-certification top of mind," said Gordon Stratford, director of design, HOK Canada. "Employee health and comfort were particularly important. Workstations are no more than eight metres from natural light and views. Thermostats throughout the building give tightly-zoned control over airflow and temperature; materials and finishes are low-VOC. All these features are recognized by the LEED® system."

After many long meetings and adjustments especially considering the economic downturn, Honda is more than pleased with their environmental accomplishments and new Markham facilities that house their 500 workers.  “It’s all about being plain, simple, and efficient – that’s the Honda way,” explained Holt. 

It’s not Honda’s motto to be flashy and show off their vehicle line-up like others, but they have stayed true to their image with just those five letters “Honda” standing out off of Highway 404.  Honda has set the standards on the environment and now it’s time to see which other manufacturers follow in their footsteps.