Region Archives: Canada East

SAGUENAY, Quebec — A coalition of unions is denouncing a lack of consideration for crucial issues facing workers as the Quebec government launches regional consultations on the future of the forestry sector. The consultation process unveiled by the Quebec government is being heavily criticized by a forestry labour coalition…. Quebec labour groups offered their collaboration last November when Quebec’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests announced consultations on the future of the province’s forestry industry and its forests. However, the government has now unveiled priorities and issues to be addressed …and they do not include “crucial issues related to forestry workers,” the union coalition says. …“Quebec needs a vision for its forests and forestry sector, and this must include a recognition of the concerns and the expertise of workers in this sector,” said a statement by Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier, United Steelworkers Quebec Director Dominic Lemieux, CSD President Luc Vachon and FIM-CSN President Louis Bégin.

Graydon Smith

TORONTO — Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, issued the following statement regarding the latest U.S. decision on softwood lumber duties: “The Ontario government is renewing its call that all duties on Canadian softwood lumber exports should immediately be removed by the United States. Our government’s plan to build Ontario depends on the forest sector. It generates close to $21 billion in annual revenue and provides more than 142,000 direct and indirect jobs, supporting families and strong communities across our province. Ontario strongly disagrees with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s recent decision, which signals that duty rates on Canadian softwood lumber exports are likely to increase in the final determination expected later this year – these duties are harmful and unwarranted.

Related coverage in BNN: US-Canada Trade Relations Strained by Softwood Lumber Dispute

MONTREAL — The Paper Excellence Group today announced that it has appointed Richard Tremblay to President of its pulp and tissue business unit. The appointment is effective immediately. Throughout the last year, Mr. Tremblay has served as Senior Vice President, Pulp, Paper, and Tissue Operations within the Paper Excellence Group’s pulp and tissue business unit. Prior to the acquisition of Resolute Forest Products by the Paper Excellence Group, through its subsidiary Domtar Corporation, Mr. Tremblay was a valued Resolute leader, previously serving in numerous positions, including Senior Vice President, Pulp and Paper Operations. …The Pulp & Tissue business unit consists of all legacy Resolute pulp, paper and tissue operations as well as the non-integrated Paper Excellence Canada pulp mills. Mr. Tremblay will report to the Paper Excellence Group management board, chaired by Non-Executive Chairman John Williams.

Rick Doman

TORONTO — GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. announces the retirement of Rick Doman from its Board of Directors, effective immediately. “We all thank Rick for his efforts at GreenFirst and we wish him well. The company would not exist without his early vision as a co-founder.” said Paul Rivett, GreenFirst’s Chair. In the coming weeks, GreenFirst will be planning to announce a number of expense reduction measures, including a reduction in the size of its Board of Directors in keeping with the reduced size and location of its operations. GreenFirst owns four sawmills located in rich wood baskets proudly operating over 6.1 million hectares of FSC® certified public Ontario forestlands.

ABERCROMBIE, Nova Scotia — Northern Pulp, once a major force in Nova Scotia’s forestry sector, has officially terminated its unionized workforce and told those 110 former employees they no longer belong to the company’s pension plan. The union that represents those workers, Unifor, called the decision disappointing and damaging to a group of employees. The mill shut down operations four years ago after failing to convince the provincial government to allow the company to continue to pump its effluent into Boat Harbour. Although the company has formally severed ties with its workforce, mill owners said, “We remain committed to providing our former employees with offers of re-employment should the mill re-open.” “Terminating recall rights does not affect our commitment to re-opening a mill in Nova Scotia.” …Jennifer Murray, Unifor’s Atlantic regional director, called the move “nothing but an opportunity to save money if Northern Pulp restarts operations.”

The Government of Ontario is investing more than $9.4 million in 14 research, innovation and modernization initiatives to develop the untapped economic potential and environmental benefits of new and emerging uses of underutilized wood and mill by-products:

Modernization funding stream

• Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper Mill (Thunder Bay) – $5,000,000
• Biopower Sustainable Energy Corp. (Atikokan) – $997,500

Innovative Bioproduct Manufacturing funding stream

• Whitesand First Nation (Thunder Bay) – $1,289,573
• FPInnovations (Thunder Bay) – $250,000
• Rutter Urban Forestry (Thunder Bay) – $245,000

Indigenous Bioeconomy Partnerships funding stream

• Cat Lake First Nation (Sioux Lookout) – $250,000
• Jason Mattson 2538745 Ontario Ltd. (Atikokan) – $250,000
• True North Trucking (Thunder Bay) – $250,000
• Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation (Nipigon) – $250,000
• Lac Seul First Nation (Sioux Lookout) – $237,280
• Lake Nipigon Forest Management Inc. (Nipigon) – $200,000

Exploring Biomass Pathways funding stream

• FPInnovations (Thunder Bay) – $100,000
• Greenmantle Forest Inc. (Thunder Bay) – $62,500
• Lakehead University (Thunder Bay) – $32,000

Jean-François Champoux

Sawmills in Quebec have not turned a profit for more than a year due to the drop in demand for lumber, according to industry experts. …The situation pushed some sawmills in the province to temporarily slow down production in 2023 to limit deficits. One sawmill in the Quebec region of Lanaudière, the Scierie Saint-Michel, is back to operating at full capacity — but at a loss, said CEO Jean-François Champoux. “The entire forestry industry has been operating at a loss since the beginning of 2023,” Champoux said. The profitability of sawmills is tied to housing starts, which themselves are influenced by interest rates. Those rates have tripled in the last two years, according to Francis Cortellino, economist for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. …Jean-François Samray, the director of the Quebec Forest Industry Council, said he expects interest rates to drop, which should mean more housing starts on the horizon.

Ottawa – The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) proudly marks its 65th anniversary as a leading force in advancing building codes and standards for wood construction, ensuring market access for Canadian wood products, and accelerating the adoption of sustainable, wood-based construction in the marketplace. “Our vision is to be passionate, credible, agents of change leading and advancing a sustainable wood culture in Canada,” says Rick Jeffery, President and CEO of the CWC. “Since our inception in 1959, we have been at the forefront of the industry ensuring building codes and standards not only keep pace with the new wood products and systems being developed, but also reflect the technological advancements taking place in the design and engineering arenas.” …Over the past six and a half decades, the CWC has played a pivotal role in shaping Canada’s timber industry. 

QUEBEC — Waswanipi Chief Irene Neeposh says she’s devastated by the loss the new $19 million sawmill near her community. The Cree Lumber sawmill, located about 20 minutes drive from the Waswanipi, in northern Quebec, burned to the ground on Jan. 21. “It looks like a total loss,” Neeposh said. …The community sawmill reopened just a little more than a year ago, after more than a decade of effort. The project was a collaboration between the Mishtuk Corporation, which is the forestry arm of the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi, and Chantiers Chibougamau, a non-Indigenous corporation with more than 60 years of experience in the Quebec lumber industry. With 51 percent of the enterprise Cree-owned, the dream was for community members to be masters of their own lumber resources. …and to build up to 2,000 houses in the Cree nation on a yearly basis and employ 30 people. 

Rowan Caseley

The mayor of Kensington is frustrated that a $150-million renewable diesel plant proposed for the town’s industrial park will not happen, and he is blaming the provincial government. Rowan Caseley says SustainAgro Ltd. is now looking at building a plant in Thunder Bay, Ont., or Debert, N.S., instead. “What was wrong with the process here? They were able to accomplish more in three days in Ontario than they could here in a year,” Caseley said, citing “a major unexplained barrier” in the road to provincial approval. …SustainAgro’s chief government and global relations officer, Joachim Stroink, said they decided to abandon plans in Kensington after provincial officials told them last year that a moratorium on new biomass projects was about to be implemented. Stroink said SustainAgro was told about a month later that there would be no such moratorium, but he said it was too late by that time.

HUNTSVILLE, Ontario — Around noon on January 20, fire fighters from the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department responded to a report of a fire at Panolam Industries in Huntsville. Fire fighters discovered debris and damage that indicated that a large two-story industrial dryer used for drying wood dust had suffered an explosion inside of it. This dryer is on the exterior of the plant. The interior of the plant was unaffected. Fire fighters then extinguished the resulting fire with the support of Panolam’s industrial fire brigade. No injuries occurred as a result of the explosion or fire. …The plant’s fire protection systems contributed greatly to minimizing the impact of the fire. [Panolam is a surface systems company for countertops, cabinet, furniture, panels and doors]

Jagmeet Singh

As people in Terrace Bay, Ontario, wait for answers around its shuttered pulp mill, they’re getting support from the provincial and federal NDP leaders who are calling for the mill to re-open. Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh held a Zoom meeting with local officials Friday, adding his voice to calls for answers and accountability from the mill’s owners Aditya Birla. …Singh said he wants the provincial and federal governments to create better incentives for businesses to open and operate in Canada. …Companies that receive government funding but fail to provide stable employment to Canadians need to face severe penalties, he said. …Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry previously said in a statement that it is supporting the forestry sector through multiple funding programs. …Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles, who visited Terrace Bay last week and spoke to local leadership, floated the idea of employee ownership as a way forward.

KINGSEY FALLS, QC – Cascades Inc., a leader in the recovery and manufacturing of environmentally friendly packaging and hygiene products, is proud to announce that for the fifth consecutive year, it has been ranked as one of the world’s 100 most sustainable corporations by Corporate Knights, a media, research and financial information company. Ranking 38th globally, Cascades has maintained its leading industry position, being named first amongst organizations in the Containers and Packaging sector. This recognition highlights the exceptional work of companies such as Cascades that have combined environmental, social and governance considerations with business success. …”We are pleased to start our 60th anniversary year with this recognition. Looking back over the last six decades, we celebrate the rich legacy of our founders, the Lemaire brothers, who inspired a vision and approach that set us apart environmentally and socially,” said Mario Plourde, President and CEO. 

In a historic leap for employment prospects within the pulp and paper industry, J.D. Irving’s pulp and paper division has proudly announced a record-breaking recruitment drive for the year 2023. The company successfully onboarded 80 full-time employees and 100 students, making it the highest recruitment in a single year in the company’s history. The hiring process covered a diverse range of operational areas in Saint John and St. George, New Brunswick, and spanned various roles, including skilled trades, engineers, and business professionals. The remarkable surge in hiring was a result of a blend of multiple factors, including retirements, business expansion, and regular turnover within the workforce. Mark Mosher, the vice president of the pulp and paper division, emphasized the company’s unwavering commitment to investing in its workforce for future growth and sustainability. The company’s dedication to building a diverse talent pool has been a key factor in its successful recruitment drive.

Marit Stiles

NDP leader Marit Stiles is calling for the Ontario government to do more to get the shuttered pulp mill in Terrace Bay to reopen. Stiles visited the community Wednesday to meet with local leaders and speak to media. Stressing the urgency of the situation, Stiles said the government needs to intervene, seek transparency from the company and explore solutions to protect jobs. …”It’s not about the market conditions; it’s about the necessary investments into maintenance,” said Thunder Bay—Superior North MPP Lise Vaugeois. “What we hear from insiders is that the mill is viable and the price of pulp is viable, but the maintenance has not been kept up.” …”Our government will continue to explore all options for reviving operations at the AVTB mill, and support the Terrace Bay community throughout this process,” said Melissa Candelaria, press secretary for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. 

KINGSEY FALLS, QC – Cascades, a leader in the recovery and manufacturing of eco-friendly packaging and hygiene products, is proud to announce that it will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its founding in 2024. Under the theme Together, the organization will be highlighting its history, culture, values and employees throughout the year thanks to a festivity-filled calendar. One of the first projects completed was the illumination of the structure of the Builders’ footbridge, made of old paper mill equipment, which crosses the Nicolet River. This legacy to the Kingsey Falls community, built by Cascades to mark its 50th anniversary, has been illuminated since January 1, 2024. …A pioneer in sustainable development, Cascades has been recognized for its innovative practices in this area since the company’s earliest days. This year, the organization has set itself the challenge of putting forward 60 initiatives that address one or more social, economic or environmental dimensions of sustainable development.