The short version
- The RYAM-owned paper mill in Témiscaming, Quebec, has ceased operations indefinitely following the imposition of US tariffs on Canadian goods.
- Local workers and community members are organizing a coalition to repurchase the facility, echoing a successful buyout that occurred in 1973.
- Critics argue that federal support for affected forestry sectors is insufficient compared to measures taken for other industries like steel and automotive.
The industrial landscape of Témiscaming, Quebec, has shifted dramatically as the town’s primary employer, a large paper mill, sits idle. The facility, which has dominated the horizon for more than a century, was shut down indefinitely in early October by its American owner, RYAM. This closure follows the breakdown of trade negotiations between Canada and the United States and the subsequent imposition of tariffs by President Donald Trump on Canadian exports. For the approximately 360 employees who previously worked at the plant, the shutdown represents an immediate loss of livelihood, with most currently surviving on partial wages provided through government tariff-relief programs.
The economic shock has rippled quickly through this small community, which was built around the forestry industry and its dense stands of pine, birch, spruce, and fir. Property values in Témiscaming have dropped sharply, leading to a visible increase in real estate listings for modest middle-class homes. Residents express deep concern that the mill’s closure could trigger a broader exodus of essential service providers, including grocery clerks and medical staff at the local hospital. Some locals fear the town could devolve into a ghost town if no intervention occurs, given the lack of alternative employment opportunities in the region.
While Canada’s national unemployment rate has remained relatively stable at around 6.5 percent since the tariffs began, the aggregate data masks severe distress in specific sectors. Industries directly targeted by US duties, which can reach up to 50 percent, are experiencing significant strain. These include steel, aluminum, automobiles, and the lumber, pulp, and paper sectors that sustain Témiscaming. The disparity between national stability and local devastation has raised questions about whether the federal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney is providing adequate support to communities disproportionately affected by the trade conflict.
In response to the crisis, residents are drawing parallels to a historic event in 1973, when the mill’s previous American owner threatened closure. At that time, local workers and managers united to purchase the facility, transforming it into Tembec, a Quebec-based international company with operations across North America and France. Today, union leaders and community members are attempting to replicate that success by forming a coalition to buy the plant back from RYAM, which acquired it in 2017. However, they emphasize that such an effort cannot succeed without substantial financial assistance or tariff relief from both the Quebec provincial government and the federal administration.
Union leader Stéphane Lefebvre, whose family has worked at the mill for three generations, argues that the forestry sector has been overlooked in broader efforts to mitigate tariff damage. He notes that job losses in major urban centers like Toronto or Montreal would likely generate intense political pressure, whereas rural industrial struggles receive less attention. Lefebvre and others contend that while politicians describe the situation as an economic war, the measures taken to defend Canadian manufacturing appear inadequate. They view the current federal response as insufficiently robust for the scale of the threat posed by US trade policies.
Local officials share this frustration. Mayor Alain Gauthier has criticized the federal government’s approach, describing US tariffs as a deliberate attempt to dismantle Canadian manufacturing. He advocates for reciprocal duties on American board products entering Canada, which currently enter duty-free. Gauthier argues that despite rhetoric about economic warfare, there is little evidence of aggressive countermeasures being deployed by Ottawa. This sentiment reflects a growing disconnect between national trade strategy and the immediate realities faced by workers in border communities dependent on cross-border commerce.
The ripple effects extend beyond the mill itself to related industries in the region. Local contractors report layoffs, with one firm already dismissing 13 employees due to reduced demand for sawmill and trucking services. The uncertainty surrounding the mill’s future has created a climate of anxiety that affects not just direct employees but the entire local supply chain. As the moose hunting season begins, some residents view outdoor activities as a temporary respite from economic hardship, joking about relying on free meat while their financial security hangs in the balance.
RYAM has declined to comment on potential sales of the plant or any prospective buyers, leaving the community in limbo. The outcome of this standoff will likely influence how other regions respond to similar trade disruptions. If the buyout attempt fails and the mill remains closed permanently, Témiscaming could serve as a cautionary tale for other single-industry towns vulnerable to geopolitical shifts. Conversely, a successful community-led acquisition could demonstrate a viable model for preserving local economic anchors in the face of international trade volatility. The coming months will determine whether this historic precedent can be repeated or if the town must adapt to a post-mill reality.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- BBC News↗Trump's tariffs could shutter this Canadian town - its residents are fighting to save it
