Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper in Ontario, Canada, has a single-line softwood kraft pulp mill and a single machine newsprint mill.
Jan. 22, 2026 - Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper in Ontario, Canada, today announced that it will file notices with the Ontario Ministry of Labour to cease newsprint operations at the mill in the first quarter of 2026. The company cited a significant decline in demand for newsprint over the past several years, compounded by significant increases in input costs.
Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper will, however, continue to operate as a single-line softwood kraft pulp mill and generate renewable energy for sale to the grid.
Up to 150 people will be directly impacted by the closure of the paper machine at the mill.
"North American newsprint demand has declined by 40% since 2022 when Atlas Holdings purchased the company," explained Norm Bush, CEO of Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper. "Demand for newsprint in North America declined 18% in 2025 alone. Demand decline is the most insurmountable factor in the decision to cease newsprint production in Thunder Bay.
"This was a very difficult decision, and we know how deeply it affects our employees and their families. After more than 100 years of operating in the Thunder Bay community, we also understand that the impacts extend beyond the mill, affecting local businesses, Indigenous partners, and the broader region," Bush said.
The company said that it is working closely with the local unions and all levels of government to ensure affected employees have access to employment transition supports, retraining programs, and other necessary resources.
The company noted that it will work with the federal and provincial governments in the months ahead to refine plans for new investments in the pulp mill.
The mill's paper machine will be safely shuttered in a condition that could enable future conversion, Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper added.
SOURCE: Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper
PaperAge editor's note: The Thunder Bay mill's former owner, Resolute Forest Products, first put the pulp and paper mill up for sale in October of 2022. At the end of May 2023, Resolute struck a deal to sell the operation to an affiliate of Atlas Holdings — Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper Inc. The sale was finalized on August 1, 2023.