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
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.