Category Archives: Mill Closures & Layoffs

Boise Inc. is idling 2 production lines at its mill in International Falls, Minnesota, just over the border from Fort Frances, Ontario.

265 workers will be permanently laid off by October 1.  580 employees will remain at the mill. The mill’s timber consumption will also be slightly reduced, impacting local loggers.

By closing 2 of the mill’s 4 paper machines and an off-machine coater, Boise aims to improve the cost competitiveness of its paper business.

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Resolute Forest Products is shutting down its newsprint mill in Thunder Bay, Ontario for 2 weeks.

110 workers will be affected by the downtime that starts on Wednesday.

The shut down is being blamed on market conditions and high costs.

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Domtar‘s A-line pulp machine will be shutting down by the end of the work day today.

30 jobs have already been cut. The final number of jobs lost will be 125 once the phase-out concludes this spring.

The unionized workers rejected the company’s transition and layoff plan in a vote on January 31. Although both sides continue to meet regularly, a transition plan has not been agreed upon.

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Resolute Forest Products has announced the indefinite idling of a paper machine at its Calhoun mill in Tennessee, USA.

The idling comes as a result of a decrease in demand for newsprint, coupled with high operating costs for the machine, which produced 215,000 metric tons per year.

The decision follows Resolute’s March 11 acquisition of the 49% interest in Calhoun Newsprint Company owned by The Herald Publishing Company, LLC, its joint-venture partner.

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CBC‘s Land and Sea television program aired an episode today titled “Maritime Forestry“.

The episode shows how many rural maritime communities with deep roots in the forest are struggling to survive.

The show highlights:

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The unionized workers at the Domtar pulp mill in Kamloops, British Columbia will be voting today on the company’s layoff plan.

Domtar says the plan will minimize the impact of the previously announced closure of the A-line mill that produces sawdust pulp.  The proposed plan includes a severance package.

When that line is shut down in March, 125 will be laid off (107 of which are  members of CEP Local 10B).

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The unionized employees of the Springer Creek Forest Products sawmill in Slocan, British Columbia have accepted a reduced settlement package.

The settlement is conditional on Springer Creek selling its timber holdings to Interfor.

Springer Creek plans to operate the sawmill again, but in fairness to its employees, and after some negotiation, the company offered the unionized workers 75% of the settlement that would have been required if the mill was permanently closed.

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Kruger workers who were laid off over the Christmas holidays in Corner Brook, Newfoundland returned to work today.

One of the paper machines was shut down on December 23.  The 15 day shutdown reduced Corner Brook Pulp & Paper’s newsprint output by 4,000 metric tonnes.

110 employees were affected by the downtime.

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Resolute Forest Products is shutting down its remaining operating paper machine at its mill in Fort Frances, Ontario briefly over Christmas.

The No. 7 paper machine will be shut down on December 24 and 25.

The downtime is being blamed on market conditions.

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CKBW, of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, is reporting that Resolute Forest Products is planning to dismantle the Oakhill sawmill that was not included in the land and asset sale to the province of Nova Scotia.

Resolute will dismantle the sawmill and move the equipment out of the province to serve other operations within the company.

The Oakhill sawmill has been idled since Bowater Mersey was shut down in June.

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