Further layoffs expected in future as company tries to boost profit
Camille Bains, The Canadian Press
Catalyst Paper support employees facing layoffs are devastated that a restructuring move to boost profits has put them out of a job, says a union representative who was at a meeting Wednesday when the company announced the cuts.

“It was very sombre,” Don Boucher, of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union said about the 130 job losses.

Catalyst plans to cut costs by laying off 130 workers at its Port Alberni paper mill
Photograph by : Times Colonist

“We’re very disappointed,” Boucher said. “We know that the industry is in major problems right across the country.

Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Catalyst Paper has called a meeting today with union leaders from its four pulp and paper operations in what is widely believed to be an announcement that it intends to shut down capacity.

"I would say things are not looking too bright at Catalyst," said investment analyst Paul Quinn of Salman Partners. "It's really difficult right now for Canadian producers with the Canadian dollar where it is and fibre costs going up.

"I wouldn't rule out temporarily shutting down some capacity."

Catalyst has mills at Port Alberni, Powell River, Crofton and Campbell River. It could close one entire mill or several machines at a number of mills. The company lost $25 million in the first quarter of 2007.

Catalyst is the coastal region's prinicipal pulp and paper company, with 3,800 employees. Besides the four paper mills, it runs the province's only plant producing recycled paper.

On Monday May 28th, 2,722 petition signatures gathered to date were handed over to Nicolas Simons MLA, for presentation at the BC legislature.  We will continue to collect signatures of both the paper petition and the e-petition, and will present them on an ongoing basis.

Thank you for signing the petition and showing your support for a non-toxic legacy, and if you’d like to do more, you can always send an Action Letter.  Please click here for details.

The Golder and Associates report, page 29, paragraph 4.2 Dustfall states that monitoring at the Phase 1 landfill was carried out between August 15 – 21, 2006, and again from September 7 -  October 3, 2006.

Green Party of Canada, BC Campaign Co-chair, Silvaine Zimmerman, M.Sc. is interviewed by Shaw Cable at the Powell River Legacy Rally, May 26th 2007. Speaking about Catalyst Paper Company’s proposed landfill expansion in Powell River BC, sustainable business practices, dioxin poisoning, health and the environment.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JFyGcWZ4zY

RE: Landfill permit amendment application—a ticking time bomb?

Dear Dr. Barkowski,

I am sorry that neither you nor any official of your company was present to meet the more than 350 people who yesterday walked to the gates of the Wildwood landfill to express their concerns about the Catalyst Paper-Powell River Division proposal to expand this site. As you know, when both you and Mr. Brian Baarda, Vice president Operations- Powell River Division, Catalyst Paper attended the Wildwood Ratepayers meeting of May 16, 2007, you both promised that you would be at the landfill gates to meet the citizens. Since neither of you were there, this is just another indication of a broken promise on the part of Catalyst Paper—only this time we didn’t have long to wait for this to be displayed.