Témiscaming residents seek to save town’s mill after tariff-hit shutdown
Témiscaming’s paper mill, the Quebec town’s main employer and economic anchor for more than a century, has been shut indefinitely after trade talks stalled and US tariffs hit Canadian industries. Most of its 360 employees are out of work, putting local livelihoods and the town’s future at risk.
The mill’s American owner, RYAM, announced the shutdown in early October; workers are receiving partial government support for now. Residents report falling property values and fear essential services could be affected, while forestry businesses are also feeling the impact: one contractor has laid off 13 people. Workers and residents are forming a coalition to buy the mill, as they did in 1973, but say they need support from the Canadian and Quebec governments.
In short
- Témiscaming’s paper mill has closed indefinitely.
- Most of its 360 workers are out of work.
- Residents are seeking support to buy the mill.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Residents and workers can argue that the mill is essential infrastructure for Témiscaming: its closure threatens jobs, local businesses, property values and the tax base that supports services. Public support for a community purchase could preserve livelihoods and give the town a chance to shape the mill’s future, as residents did in 1973.
The case against
Governments can argue that public money should not be used to take on the risks of a mill whose long-term commercial prospects are uncertain, particularly when tariffs and stalled trade talks are outside local control. Support could be costly, benefit one town and industry over others, and delay workers and the regional economy from adapting to more viable opportunities.
Explained simply
Témiscaming is a small town in western Quebec, in a region where forestry and paper-making have long provided jobs. Its paper mill has operated for more than a century and is the town’s main employer, supporting not only mill workers but also local businesses and forestry contractors.
The mill is owned by RYAM, a US-based company. Residents and workers are now exploring whether they can buy it themselves; a community-led purchase also took place in 1973. The mill’s future matters to the town because its jobs and related work help sustain households, businesses and local services.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by BBC World as “Trump’s tariffs could shutter this Canadian town – its residents are fighting to save it”.