KAPUSKASING – When the Kap Paper mill announced it was idling operations, Jessica Lallier had to do more than just follow the news.
On Wednesday (Oct. 1), she closed the doors of Namaste Studio, her downtown Kapuskasing shop, and joined hundreds of others at a community rally.
For her, the decision wasn’t just about showing up. It was about honouring a history that has defined her family and her community for generations.
“Kapuskasing is a very close-knit community, and I think it’s important that all businesses stick together and support our mill,” she said. “Our mill is like the lifeline of the community.”
Lallier remembers a similar day when she was just 10 years old. In 1991, the town rallied in the same way, filling the circle in Kapuskasing as families braced for the mill’s two-year shutdown. She went with her parents then, and today she brought her daughter to witness the show of solidarity.
“I remember when we rallied in 1991. I was there, so I said to my daughter, ‘OK, you have to come and see this. It’s important to show support,’” she said. “It was really an amazing moment, actually, to be doing this again. Full circle.”
The 1990s shutdown left scars that never fully healed, Lallier said. Her father, who had worked at the mill since his late teens, was forced to go back to school during the layoff. When he returned to the mill after struggling to find other work, he had lost his pension and seniority.
“He said, ‘I should never have taken that program.’ It was hard on the family. It was hard on the children. And we weren’t the only family affected,” she said.
Those memories weigh heavily on Lallier as she considers what this latest shutdown could mean. Small businesses are already struggling in the aftermath of COVID-19 and other challenges like rising shipping costs and postal disruptions, she said. Lallier worries the ripple effect could be devastating.
“Oh, it’s going to be huge. I remember in 1991 it was really difficult for small businesses. A lot of businesses closed down back then. So I’m really afraid of what’s going to happen now to our community. We don’t want to be another ghost town,” she said.
She’s already seen signs of the impact.
The day before the rally, a customer stopped by looking for a gift to lift the spirits of mill workers. Lallier offered a steep discount, her way of contributing a little light in a heavy moment.
Her worries stretch beyond Kapuskasing. With sawmills in Hearst and Cochrane already reducing operations because of the shutdown, she knows the whole northern corridor could be hit. Truck drivers, contractors, and suppliers are all tied to the mill’s future.
Mayor Dave Plourde shares those concerns. He estimates that 475 direct jobs are on the line in Kapuskasing alone, with about 2,500 more affected across the region.
“We’ve been down this road before,” Plourde said. “The initial reaction is for the workers and their families … But listen, I’m not going to stop fighting.”
For Jeffrey Doyle, the mill’s struggles are no surprise.
Doyle is a longtime Kapuskasing resident who has previously done contract work at the mill. He said he’s watched inefficiencies pile up over the years.
Though he doesn’t believe the mill’s future is hopeless. He pointed to examples in Englehart and other northern communities where forestry byproducts are put to use, rather than left behind.
“Make it make something that makes money,” he said.
“We could change it into another kind of mill because it’s already a mill. Instead of leaving waste behind, we could use all those byproducts — birch, tamarack, poplar — and turn them into something viable.”
Doyle said the issue isn’t just about jobs today, but about creating a sustainable model that could keep Kapuskasing’s forestry industry alive for generations.
Plourde said he’s in constant contact with Kap Paper and both levels of government, pushing for solutions.
“I have a duty to my residents and the region to step up and be a leader here,” he said. “Quite literally, you’ll have to dig a hole and put me in it to stop me from going down that road.”
Kapuskasing-Timmins-Mushkegowuk MP Gaétan Malette’s office said in an email to TimminsToday Wednesday afternoon that senior Kap Paper officials are in Ottawa meeting to “discuss a path forward.”
“MP Malette understands the vital role Kap Paper plays in Northern communities and is committed to securing a resolution that protects jobs and supports the region’s future,” they wrote.
