A pulp and paper mill on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast that had been set to close indefinitely will instead reopen, after the provincial government agreed to provide support to its owner, Domtar.
Hundreds of workers at Domtar’s Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Mill in Port Mellon had been told they would lose their jobs. The company said in a statement that with provincial government support now in place, the mill will reopen following a shutdown that had been scheduled for maintenance. Domtar said it welcomed the government’s decision to work collaboratively with the mill “at a time when British Columbia’s forest sector is facing extraordinary pressures.”
The reversal comes after Domtar announced in August that the mill would close indefinitely, a move that threatened 400 direct jobs.
Community Reaction
Gibsons Mayor Silas White called the news “immense relief for our community, not only in the short term, but the long term.” He said the uncertainty caused by the planned closure had already upended people’s lives. White said the mill is targeted to reopen around mid-October and is expected to be in full production by Nov. 1.
Gavin McGarrigle, western regional director for Unifor, said keeping facilities like the Port Mellon mill running is preferable to seeing “ghost towns pop up all over the province,” adding that he was glad to see a positive outcome in this case.
Details Of The Support Deal Remain Unclear
McGarrigle said the arrangement between Domtar and the provincial government included rebates and adjusted energy pricing, though he did not have specific figures to share. CTV News said it contacted the province for details on the deal and its costs but had not received a response by deadline.
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