Témiscaming residents aim to buy back paper mill from RYAM

The Témiscaming paper mill in Quebec produced paperboard for frozen food packaging and scratch-off lottery tickets, but it now sits idle after American owner RYAM initiated an economic shutdown in early October. The facility, which employs 360 people, sends roughly 75% of its production to the United States.

The halt in operations follows a breakdown in trade talks between Canada and the United States. In August, the US imposed 50% duties on approximately C$28 billion of Canadian goods, including wood and paper products. Canada responded with dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs. The mill’s owner cited these economic pressures as the reason for the indefinite closure.

Most of the 360 employees are currently out of work, receiving partial pay from a government tariff-relief program. Nadine Suley, a local resident, described the situation as a personal attack on the community. She noted that the town was built over a century ago around the mill and the surrounding forests of pine, birch, spruce, and fir.

Property values in Témiscaming have dropped sharply, and signs for sale now appear on the yards of many modest homes. Ronnie Raymond, whose family has worked in the mill for generations, warned that the town risks becoming a ghost town if the plant does not reopen. He stated that there is currently no work for anyone in the area.

A coalition of locals is forming to buy the plant back from RYAM. This mirrors a move made in 1973, when workers and managers purchased the mill to prevent a similar shutdown. That purchase created Tembec, a Quebec-owned international company. Stéphane Lefebvre, a union leader and employee, said the group hopes to replicate that success but acknowledges they need financial support from Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Quebec government.

Frank Dottori, a retired engineer who helped organize the 1970s buyout, said the current group needs a bold leader. He described the earlier effort as a collective decision to take a 10% pay cut to secure the purchase. Dottori emphasized that lifting US tariffs is essential to restore the mill's long-term viability.

The national unemployment rate in Canada has remained steady at about 6.5% since the tariffs began, but the forestry sector faces deep pain. One local contractor has already laid off 13 people. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly threatened the steelmaker Stelco with financial penalties if it proceeds with planned layoffs of 500 workers. Last week, the federal government announced nearly C$9 billion to support Ontario's steel and auto sectors.

A spokesperson for Minister Joly said the government has made $400 million available to support forestry in rural areas and launched a program to help businesses access cash flow. The government is actively working with all parties to find a viable solution for the Témiscaming mill. Mayor Alain Gauthier criticized the federal response, comparing Canada's trade defense to fighting with kids' water guns.

Sébastien Lemire, the Bloc Québécois MP for Témiscaming, expressed concern about the government's inaction. Many workers hope the upcoming US midterm elections will pressure President Trump to ease tariffs. Some duties on Canadian goods were lifted last week following lobbying from Senator Susan Collins, though those changes did not apply to the products made in Témiscaming.

Lefebvre remains committed to the buyout effort. He compared the situation to a Game Seven scenario, stating that the group intends to play until the last whistle. Suley and other residents hope for a resolution before winter, when sub-zero temperatures could freeze equipment at the idle plant.