On Monday Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) announced it is suspending operations at its Temiscaming High Purity Cellulose plant. The announcement shocked the town, as 275 workers will lose their jobs July 2.
“We are presently absorbing the information,” explained Temiscaming’s mayor, Pierre Gingras, in an e-mail to BayToday. “We are a single industry town,” he emphasized, “and this indefinite closure that will lay off 275 employees will have a major impact on our citizens, our town, and the entire region.”
The Quebec town is just 40 minutes from North Bay.
See: Major layoffs announced at Temiscaming RYAM plant
Mayor Gingras noted that he has been in touch with Daniel Bernard, the MP representing the town’s riding, and Bernard has been reaching out to “various ministries to work on finding options and solutions to mitigate the impact of this closure.”
BayToday reached out to a company spokesperson at RYAM for more information. Stephane Gasse explained that “the company said everything they had to say” about the closure in the company’s press release announcing the closure and the layoffs. In a release, RYAM said "Given current market conditions and high capital and fixed costs associated with the HPC plant, this decision will help mitigate the plant’s ongoing operating losses and improve the Company’s consolidated free cash flow."
“I know that in the coming days, further news will come out,” he added. “But for now, we need to keep it as it is.” He mentioned “there are all kinds of rules and laws that we have to respect” through the process.
Mayor Gingras and many workers will nervously await further information.
“Temiscamingue lives from the forest,” Mayor Gingras emphasized. About two weeks ago, the mayor also learned that the Béarn sawmill located one hour from the town of Témiscaming will also close “for an indefinite period.”
These closures have a massive impact on workers, families, and all suppliers, the mayor added.
“The forestry industry is in peril,” he warned, “and swift action will be necessary.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
