Vancouver Island paper mill to close indefinitely, at least 150 jobs affected
B.C.-based company Paper Excellence says it is indefinitely ceasing its paper operations at one of its Vancouver Island facilities in two months.
In an announcement Thursday, the company said its Catalyst Crofton facility, south of Nanaimo, B.C., will stop producing paper in early December, a move that's expected to affect at least 150 workers.
"Paper markets in China served by the mill have significantly weakened while there have been substantial cost escalations for chemicals, energy and wood fibre used at Crofton," said the company in a statement.
Paper Excellence says the 'indefinite curtailment' will affect about 80 Unifor employees and 70 Public and Private Workers of Canada union workers at the mill.
Pulp operations at the mill are expected to continue, according to Paper Excellence.
"We recognize the hardship this will have on both our employees and the Cowichan Valley," said the company.
"We hope to minimize these impacts through union discussions that will consider secondments, utilization of earned time off and employment insurance."
OTHER CLOSURES AND GRANTS
This is the second Paper Excellence mill to indefinitely cease operations in B.C. within the last year.
In December, the company shut down its Catalyst Paper tiskwat mill in Powell River, B.C.
The closure affected around 200 mill workers.
In June, the federal government provided a $4.5-million grant to Paper Excellence to begin producing food grade papers at its mill in Port Alberni, B.C.
The company says it will try to provide customers with products from the Port Alberni mill "where possible" as the Crofton facility winds down.
"Paper Excellence is working with both Provincial and Federal Governments while it conducts studies at the Crofton facility to consider accelerating its conversion into natural food and packaging grades," said the company Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hamas says latest ceasefire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in 'very near future'
The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after "in-depth and serious discussions,"{ the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
B.C. man wants homes for thousands of books he soon won't be able to read
In the 10 years since John William started to lose his vision, he's been finding new ways to enjoy his vast personal library.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc insists
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
Bombarded with spam texts? Stats show the problem is getting worse in Canada
In particular, messages that involve phishing — an attack where a scammer tries to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware or sharing sensitive information — are on the rise.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
opinion You don't need to be an influencer to earn income from social media
How legitimate are claims by some content creators that the average person can earn passive income from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram? Personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says it's quite possible, if you're willing to put in the initial time and effort.
William Shatner says he would consider 'Star Trek' return: 'Here comes Captain Kirk!'
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.