General Motors Canada has announced that it has begun notifying its dealer body that it will be culling its sales networks by some 42 percent. The massive cut means that GM’s 709 dealers will be trimmed by around 245 stores. The cuts will come as the restructuring automaker will elect to not renew its sales and service contracts come October 2010.

It is not immediately clear how many of those stores are from marques that GM is looking to divest or fold (Hummer, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn), but it is estimated by the Canada Automobile Dealers Association that some 10,000 jobs related may be affected by the cuts. Official press release after the jump.

[Sources: CBCNews; General Motors]