Domtar to temporarily idle its Dryden, Ontario pulp mill and Ear Falls, Ontario sawmill
Submitted by Brett H
Monday Apr 06, 2009
By The Working Forest staff
Domtar Corporation announced today that it will idle its Dryden, Ontario pulp making facility for approximately ten weeks, effective April 25, 2009. This decision was taken in response to continued weak global demand for pulp and the need to manage inventory levels. Domtar will also idle its Ear Falls, Ontario sawmill for approximately seven weeks, effective April 10, 2009. North American lumber market conditions require that this temporary curtailment be taken at this time. These temporary measures will affect approximately 500 people employed at the pulp mill, sawmill and related forestland operations. The Dryden mill has an annual softwood pulp production capacity of 319,000 air dry metric tons. The Ear Falls sawmill has an annual production capacity of 190 million board feet of dimensional lumber.
2005-2006
Mill Closures
Since 2002, the forest industy has shed over 8,800 direct jobs. Most of these jobs were lost in the last 18 months and more jobs are at risk every day.
Since June 2005
Columbia Forest Products- temporary shutdowns July 4th, to July 25th.
Bowater- temporary shutdown June 05' due to high energy costs.
Sawmill Closures (Temporary and Permanent)
Tembec- Kapuskasing Sawmill, 120 temporary lay-offs (15-Jan-05 to 01- Feb-05). As announced by Tembec, the 120 laid off employees resumed work on February 1st, 2005.
Tembec- Excel Forest Products- Opasatika sawmill, 28 permanent jobs lost March 4, 2005.
Temagami Forest Products- 30 permanent jobs lost (09-Apr-05 to 16-May-05) as the mill is now operating on one shift only. Due to wood supply problems the mill is now closed and in receivership/restructuring.
Devlin Timber- Kenora Sawmill 30 jobs lost on April 1st, 2005 as a result of a poor operating environment including high energy costs.
Tembec- Kirkland Lake Sawmill- 43 lost jobs on March 4th, 2006. Mill to be transformed to produce finger-jointed lumber. As part of Tembec/Domtar restructuring mill was closed permanently in June 2005.
Elk Lake Planing Mill- Elk Lake Sawmill, 15 jobs lost (17-Mar-05 to17-Sept-05) as the planing operations moved to the recently closed Domtar Chapleau sawmill. Fire destroyed the planing portion of the mill.
Domtar- Chapleau Sawmill, 37 jobs lost (06-Mar-05 to 11-Apr-05) as 30 of the 67 permanently laid-off employees return for 6 months. Due to fire in Elk Lake's facility the Chapleau mill will close at the end of 2005.
Thunder Bay Sawmill- 55 full-time permanent employees have lost their jobs at the mill since 2002.
Great West Timber- Thunder Bay Sawmill- Log delivery problems resulted in 115 affected employees from (01-Apr-05 to 12-Jun-05). Resumed work on Monday June 13th, 2005. However, a 16' line was shut down due to lack of logs.
Northern Sawmills- Thunder Bay Sawmill- 200 temporarily laid-off (07-Apr-05 to 30-May-05). Laid-off for 7 weeks as half load restrictions have impacted log hauling activities.
McKenzie Forest Products- Hudson Sawmill, 340 temporaily laid off (31-May-05 to 03-Jun-05). Lay-offs were for 4 days, and the mill re-opened when a sufficient quantity of logs could be delivered to the mill.
Specialty Mills
Uniboard- Temiskaming Shores Particleboard Plant- 55 jobs lost indefinitely on June 30th, 2005.
Pulp and Paper Mills
Domtar- Cornwall Pulp and Paper lost 390 jobs indefinitely on March 8th, 2005.
Neenah Papers Inc. (formerly Kimberly Clark)- Terrace Bay Pulp Mill 130 jobs lost on March 1st, 2005 with the closure of the smaller No.1 pulp mill as operating costs were too high and the facility was deemed too small to invest in upgrades. (Restart under Buchanan Wood Products - September/06)
