Commonwealth mill to close in Rapides-des-Joachims for indefinite period

Commonwealth mill to close in Rapides-des-Joachims for indefinite period

The Commonwealth Plywood mill in Rapides-des-Joachims will be closing for an indefinite period, starting in mid-December, laying off 23 workers in the process. The mill had been out of operation for more than a decade, but was reopened in late 2022/early 2023.

CHIP 101.9 has contacted Commonwealth for comment on the situation, but they did not respond in time for publication.

Pontiac Warden Jane Toller said the company contacted her about the closure and offered several contributing factors, including the unexpected reduction of their cutting allocation and other economic reasons. She said that they would be ceasing operations on December 19.

Rapides-des-Joachims Mayor Lucie Rivet Paquette said that they heard about the closure through the grapevine in the small island village of roughly 150 residents, and contacted a representative of the company to confirm the news. She said that the closure would have a big impact on the community.

Toller said that she would be raising the issue with the Minister for Forestry, Maïté Blanchette Vézina, as well as later this week during a meeting of the Federation of Quebec Municipalities’ forestry committee, on which she sits. She added that the MRC Pontiac council of mayors would be tabling a resolution in support of the mill at their public meeting on November 27.