When the Ottawa River is crossed into Témiscaming, Quebec, the silhouette of a paper mill dominates the horizon. For more than a century the mill has been the town’s economic engine, employing roughly 360 workers and anchoring a community built around the surrounding pine, birch, spruce and fir forests. In early October, the American owner RYAM announced an “economic shutdown” of the plant, citing the collapse of trade talks and the imposition of new U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump.
The tariff shock
Trump’s 50% duties on a range of Canadian goods, including wood, pulp and paper, have hit the Témiscaming mill hard. The facility sends about 75% of its paperboard output to the United States for frozen‑food packaging and lottery tickets. With the tariffs in place, the mill’s market vanished almost overnight, prompting the owner to halt production indefinitely. Workers have been kept afloat only by partial government tariff‑relief payments, and property values in the town have plummeted, with many homes now marked “For Sale”.
Community impact
Beyond the loss of wages, the shutdown threatens the town’s very fabric. Residents fear a cascade effect: grocery clerks, doctors and other service providers could soon leave if the mill does not reopen. “If the mill goes down, it’ll turn into a ghost town,” warned local resident Ronnie Raymond, whose family has worked the mill for generations. The sense of loss is personal; as Nadine Suley put it, the tariffs feel like “a personal attack” on her home.
Local response and rally
In response, the community has mobilised. A union‑led rally gathered townspeople to demand that the mill be bought back from RYAM. The last time the plant faced closure—in 1973—workers and managers pooled resources to purchase it, later forming the Quebec‑owned company Tembec. Today, former employees like union leader Stéphane Lefebvre are urging a repeat of that effort, but they stress the need for significant assistance from the federal and provincial governments.
Policy and aid landscape
Federal officials have highlighted a $400 million package aimed at supporting the forestry sector in rural areas, alongside a programme to help tariff‑hit businesses access cash‑flow. Ontario’s recent C$9 billion investment to modernise steel and auto industries underscores the government’s willingness to intervene when political pressure mounts. However, local MP Sébastien Lemire of the Bloc Québécois has expressed “very concerned and worried” sentiments about the perceived inaction toward the forestry sector.
Possible paths forward
- Tariff relief: Lifting or reducing the 50% duties on Canadian wood and paper products would restore the mill’s primary market and improve its long‑term viability.
- Financial support: Direct subsidies or low‑interest loans could enable a local consortium to purchase the plant, echoing the 1973 community buy‑out.
- Strategic diversification: Investing in alternative markets beyond the United States could buffer the mill against future trade disruptions.
Looking ahead
With winter approaching, the town worries that sub‑zero temperatures could damage idle equipment, making a restart even more costly. Yet the resolve remains strong. As Lefebvre declared at the rally, “We’re in Game Seven right now; we’ll play till the last whistle.” The outcome will hinge on whether Ottawa and Quebec can translate rhetoric into concrete measures that protect both the mill and the community that depends on it.