The plant will be shutting down for one week starting Monday and again from Dec. 15 to Jan. 12.

The shut downs, with the exception of the week of Dec. 29, which is the company’s traditional holiday period, are being undertaken so the plant can adjust its production to meet the new market demand. They affect 3,500 employees.

“In Canada, auto sales are up slightly, but the majority of production from Oakville goes to the U. S., about 80 per cent of the production, and the U. S. market has declined and so we’re adjusting production to that,” said Lauren More, vice president of communications for the Oakville plant.

The news comes as Ford announced a loss of $129 million during the third quarter and the need to cut 10 per cent of its North American white-collar jobs.

How the Oakville Ford Plant will be affected remains a mystery at this time.

“It’s really too early to know any specifics about that in terms of a local impact,” said More.