The pending idling of the AV Nackawic mill in New Brunswick is already being felt at the province’s largest port, according to Port Saint John president and CEO Craig Bell Estabrooks.
Bell Estabrooks said the mill accounts for roughly eight to 10 per cent of the port’s containerized traffic and as much as 15 to 20 per cent of its export containers. He called the mill a historically important source of volume, noting it helped anchor the port’s early container business before modernization.
The mill’s containers arrive at the port already packed with forestry products destined for overseas markets and South America. With up to a fifth of the port’s container business potentially disappearing, Bell Estabrooks said staff have been reaching out to container lines and other New Brunswick businesses to find ways to fill the gap. He said there will be no layoffs at the port as a result of the closure.
Other Business Lines Offsetting the Loss
Bell Estabrooks said that while container volumes are down slightly after five years of growth, other parts of the port’s business are performing well. Break bulk business is up, bulk business is up on the strength of potash exports, private liquid bulk facilities are up five per cent, and cruise business remains steady heading into what he described as strong years ahead. He said overall, the port’s business remains solid.
Bell Estabrooks also said he hopes to see the port grow alongside Canada’s defence sector, and planned to learn more about Saint John’s potential role at the DEFSEC Atlantic 2026 meetings in Halifax.
Union Awaits Word on Mill’s Future
It has been nearly three weeks since AV Group NB Inc. announced the Nackawic mill would be “temporarily idling” by the end of the month. The mill employs about 350 people, roughly half of whom belong to Unifor Local 219.
Unifor 219 president Grant Charlton, also a chemical plant operator at the mill, said the union has not received further information from the company about future opportunities or ongoing discussions since the announcement in mid-September. He said the union has asked the company to keep the mill heated through the winter to protect the asset from cold-weather damage but said the company has not been receptive to that request.
Charlton said the union has been working to advocate for affected workers, including organizing a job fair in Nackawic from Oct. 19 to 21, which he said has drawn interest from several employers. While he said employment insurance offers short-term help, he said the best outcome for workers is finding new jobs quickly. He noted skilled tradespeople have already been receiving recruitment calls, while workers without trades training feel less optimistic about their prospects.
Calls for Investment to Keep Mill Viable
The union continues to work with the provincial government on next steps following the mill’s pending closure. Charlton acknowledged the mill needs repairs before it could reopen under new ownership but said he believes it is too soon to write off the facility. He said he believes there is potential for the mill to continue operating with the right investor working in partnership with government, though he said that outcome is not likely in the near term.
Charlton said a number of union members plan to take part in a national Forestry Day of Action on Oct. 16, with a march and rally planned in Nackawic beginning at the public library and ending at the Big Axe.
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