Resolute unlikely to sell Iroquois Falls paper mill: union

The union that represents workers with Resolute Forest Products in Iroquois Falls says the outlook is grim for workers who will lose their jobs.

Last week, the company announced it's closing the newsprint mill—the town's largest employer. That will put about 180 people out of a job. 

• Iroquois Falls struggles to cope with Resolute paper mill closure
• Resolute shuts Iroquois Falls mill, affecting 180 workers

A spokesperson with Unifor, the union representing the employees, said that once Resolute turns the lights off at the end of the month, it's unlikely they'll ever be turned back on. 

"We are certainly trying to see if there's any potential purchasers for the mill. Unlike the Fort Frances mill, this mill doesn't have the same kind of opportunities," Scott Doherty said. 

'It's been Resolute's mantra from the get-go: they're not going to allow any competitors to take over that mill."

The mill is scheduled to close three days before Christmas.

As for a possible "Christmas miracle," Doherty said Resolute only plans to heat the mill until February, which further sinks hopes that a potential buyer could step in. 

"'Because as everybody knows up there it's not going to be thawed out in Februrary," Doherty said.  

"So, it will still be minus temperatures, and to secure the mill, you need to make sure that mill would be heated past the February date."

The company said a decline in the demand for newsprint, as well as attacks from environmental groups, is behind the closure.