If you’re having a bad start to the work day, at least be grateful you don’t have to deal with Molotov cocktails at the workplace.
What happened: Work at the to-be-built Northvolt electric vehicle battery plant outside Montréal was briefly paused after staff found devices designed to start fires. It’s suspected to be the latest action in an ongoing sabotage campaign against the plant.
Catch-up: The $7 billion plant is slated to open mid-2026 and pump out batteries for a million EVs a year. The region’s Mohawk Council and activists have argued it was approved without a proper environmental study, though a judge rejected an injunction to stop construction.
- Protestors have since laid out spiked mats and stuck nails and metal bars into trees to try and damage deforestation vehicles and equipment.
Why it matters: Slow construction permit approval times contribute to infrastructure delays in Canada, but at a time when environmental concerns and Indigenous rights are more potent than ever, skimping on due diligence can generate its own backlash.
What’s next: Environmental regulations haven’t been entirely ignored. The plant is still awaiting several approvals and permits before builders can exit the prep stage and begin building the actual plant.—QH