Kap Paper grateful for financial help from the province and feds

Kap Paper officials publicly thanked the provincial and federal governments this week for helping save its operations and for keeping 300 people employed.

Kap Paper officials publicly thanked the provincial and federal governments this week for financial help for its operations and for keeping 300 people employed.

In October, the future for the pulp and paper mill was bleak, but community leaders fought to save it.

“We pull together when times are tough,” said Kapuskasing Mayor Dave Plourde.

“I credit our whole region for coming together -- but that’s just the kind of people we are.”

Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Pauline Rochefort said Kap Paper is at the heart of the community.

“So (it’s) very important that it be a company that continues to thrive for years to come,” Rochefort said.

She said $10 million from FedNor will help Kap Paper respond to shifting market conditions in the forestry industry.

“The purpose of the funding here is to assist with planning and repurposing the markets of this particular company and so that’s the work that is now underway,” said Rochefort.

Kap Paper CEO Terry Skiffington said the province has been supporting the operation for the past year and appreciates the federal government coming on board.

“First, you can and expect us to keep operating,” said Skiffington.

Long-term success

“We have a ton of work in front of us. It’s going to take many, many months. It’s going to take us well into the spring of next year to get to the level where we can start talking about what it is we’re actually going to do.”

“We have some really good ideas,” he continued.

“We’ve engaged some very, very high-powered global engineering and forest products companies to help us. So I would say, I mean, stay tuned.”

Skiffington also thanked Kapuskasing-Timmins-Mushkegowuk MP Gaetan Malette for working with Rochefort to bring about federal support.

“There was a vision 100 years ago, and now it’s time to have the vision of another 100 years,” said Malette.

“It must be an investment for 50 to 100 years, not just an investment for a few months, so now it’s time to look at that vision.”

Skiffington said the federal government has made it clear that Canada needs to pivot and that means Kap Paper also needs to pivot into new markets, new technologies and produce new products.

And, he said, that gives him hope that the company is not only going to make it, but also grow.