Last week Paper Excellence announced an indefinite curtailment of paper production at its Catalyst Crofton Mill impacting around 75 jobs.
The pulp and paper company based in Richmond said the mill’s financial viability has been impacted by many issues, mainly inflation and lack of “domestic fibre”.
North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas said in a statement that the municipality is concerned about the volatility of the industry, adding that the mill contributes around 4.5 million dollars a year to property taxes.
Before the announcement, Mayor Douglas wrote to the Minister of Forests asking for support from the province to help keep the mill operating.
In that letter, Douglas highlighted five areas the province could work on, like supporting the sawmill sector and maintenance of the Coast Fibre Recovery Zone.
According to Mayor Douglas, the municipality has also started talks with the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation to help workers affected by the shutdown transition to new jobs or learn new skills.
