The fight to save Canadian town threatened by Trump's tariffs
A century-old paper mill in Témiscaming, Quebec is indefinitely closed after the US imposed 50% tariffs on its products, putting hundreds out of work.
As you cross the Ottawa river into Témiscaming, Quebec, the paper mill takes up much of the horizon.
The town itself was built over a century ago, around the mill and the region's forests filled with pine, birch, spruce and fir. Now, the main employer and economic anchor sits idle after trade talks broke down between Canada and the US and President Donald Trump imposed more tariffs on the country.
Most of the mill‘s 360 employees are out of work, kept afloat for the moment with partial pay from government tariff-relief.
Some, like Lefebvre, feel that forestry has taken a back seat in the fight to save other tariffed industries like steel and autos.