Though you may not have heard of the small Northern Ontario town called Kapuskasing, named after the bordering river, there’s a good chance that your car is familiar with the area – if it’s a GM. Located about a nine-hour drive from Toronto, this community with a population of less than 9,000 also happens to be the home of General Motors’ Kapuskasing Proving Grounds: a full-scale permanent cold weather testing facility first opening its doors in 1941 catering to military vehicles, before switching over to production models in 1973. Just how cold? Between December and February, temperatures have been known to drop as low as -40°C, which is perfect for the type of work being done on the 272-acre property housing the facility. About 95 per cent of the automaker’s North American-bound portfolio is scrutinized here for sub-zero performance – more than 250 automobiles annually – for durability in extreme …