Unions fear job losses at Rouyn-Noranda’s Horne smelter amid operating permit uncertainty

The Horne Smelter, owned by Glencore, is photographed on Oct. 29, 2022, in Rouyn-Noranda, Abitibi-Témiscamingue. (The Canadian Press/Stephane Blais)

Rumours about the operating permit for the Horne smelter in Rouyn-Noranda have unions worried, as they seek assurance that no local jobs are at risk.

The Syndicat des travailleurs de la mine Noranda of the CSN and the Fédération de l’industrie manufacturière raised the issue with Premier François Legault on Sunday morning.

In recent weeks, unions have met with Glencore, the company that owns the smelter in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, said Kevin Gagnon, president of the Fédération de l’industrie manufacturière-CSN.

“We’re at the point where the company is in discussions with the provincial government for ministerial approval related to smelter operations,” he said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

Gagnon said some engineering or technical issues are in question, requiring the company to revise its plans and request extensions beyond the initial deadlines.

But he noted that ministerial approval also means permission to operate the plant.

“When there’s uncertainty around approvals, there’s also a risk of job losses, and people are worried locally,” he said.

The union president said about 3,000 direct and indirect jobs could be affected by such a decision.

He added that the impact could also be significant for Quebec’s economy, since the Horne smelter is Canada’s only copper smelter.

“In a world where we’re talking a lot about vehicle electrification, we’re moving toward an industrial future that is increasingly green. Not only will we still need copper, but we’ll need more and more of it,” he said.

Gagnon is calling on the government to strike a balance between enforcing essential environmental standards and protecting jobs.

“We have to realize that for many months and years, there’s been a lot of talk about Quebec’s energy transition, but a just transition doesn’t happen overnight,” he said.

“We hope things go well and that people don’t get discouraged or start thinking about working elsewhere. That’s what worries us,” he added.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter, that the Anglo-Swiss multinational plans to close the Horne smelter in Rouyn-Noranda and the CCR refinery in Montreal-Est, though no dates have been set.

When contacted, the premier’s office referred to a statement Legault made a few weeks ago.

“I want to reassure the people of Abitibi-Témiscamingue: the Horne smelter is not about to close. The company itself has denied the reports and reaffirmed its commitment to continue operations in Quebec,” he said.

Legault also said the government would continue to closely monitor the situation, with the goal of protecting jobs and the health of residents in the region.

In a statement issued at the time by Glencore Canada’s director of media relations, Fabrice de Dongo, the company said it continues to implement its emissions reduction plan “by advancing studies and other work.”

The company acknowledged that smelters face “enormous pressures globally, financially, regulatory-wise and operationally,” but said the Horne smelter and CCR refinery “play an important role in supplying essential raw materials to the North American and international markets.”

Targets

The smelter has been at the centre of several controversies in recent years, mainly due to its contaminant emissions.

It significantly exceeds the annual arsenic emission limit of three nanograms (ng) per cubic metre (m³) but has special agreements with the Quebec government.

Under the latest ministerial approval granted in 2023, the smelter was required to reach a target of 45 ng/m³ in 2024 and must meet a goal of 15 ng/m³ starting in 2027.

According to company data, the average arsenic concentration in the air in 2024 reached 39.1 ng/m³, down from 73 ng/m³ in 2022.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 23, 2025.

By Audrey Sanikopoulos

-With information from Mathieu Paquette and Stéphane Blais of The Canadian Press