The community of Crofton’s very existence is tied to the Domtar pulp and paper mill. When that facility announced its indefinite closure in December 2025, roughly 350 high‑paying jobs will disappear almost overnight, alongside about $5 million in annual property taxes for the Municipality of North Cowichan. For a town of about 2,000 residents and a region already reeling from other sawmill shutdowns, the impact is hard to overstate. In our video interview (below), North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas explains how the community grew up around the mill. “Each job represents a family with a mortgage, bills and roots in the community,” he says.