Trump's tariffs could shutter this Canadian town - its residents are fighting to save it
A century-old paper mill in Témiscaming, Quebec is indefinitely closed after the US imposed 50% tariffs on its products, putting hundreds out of work.
Key points
- The Témiscaming paper mill shut down indefinitely in early October after US tariffs halted trade talks.
- Most of the mill's 360 employees are out of work and supported by partial government tariff-relief pay.
- Residents hope to buy the mill back from owner RYAM, as the town did in 1973.
The paper mill in Témiscaming, Quebec, sits idle after trade talks between Canada and the US broke down and President Donald Trump imposed more tariffs, the BBC reports. In early October, American owner RYAM carried out an "economic shutdown" of the plant for an indefinite period. Most of the mill's 360 employees are out of work, kept afloat for now with partial pay from government tariff-relief.
The mill has been the town's main employer and economic anchor for over a century. Property values fell almost overnight, and "For Sale" signs now dot the yards of the town's modest homes. Residents also fear that essential workers, from grocery clerks to local doctors, could leave.
Residents describe the impact
Nadine Suley said the tariffs feel like "a personal attack" and that the mill is more than a job. Ronnie Raymond, whose family has worked at the mill, warned the town could become a ghost town with no work left for anyone.
Union leader Stéphane Lefebvre said 10% job loss in a major city would dominate the news and pressure governments to act. A local contractor told the BBC he has already laid off 13 people.
If the mill goes down, it'll turn into a ghost town
— Ronnie Raymond
Push for local ownership
In 1973, when the mill's then-American owner threatened to shut it down, workers and managers bought it and turned it into Tembec. Residents now hope to repeat that by buying the plant back from RYAM, which purchased it in 2017. Lefebvre said they cannot do so without help from Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Quebec government.
Mayor Alain Gauthier wants Ottawa to impose duties on US board products entering Canada. He said that while politicians speak of an economic war, "in reality we see absolutely no evidence of war measures being taken". A spokesperson for Minister Mélanie Joly said the government is working with all parties to find a viable solution.
