What started as a one-month curtailment back on June 30 is now at eight months and counting for paper operations at the Catalyst Crofton mill.

Parent company Paper Excellence Canada announced Thursday the curtailment of paper operations at the Crofton facility has now been extended to the end of February 2024, with no end in sight, due to challenging market conditions which have not recovered as anticipated.

鈥淯nfortunately, the continued curtailment means that approximately 70 paper operations employees will not return to work in December,鈥� reads a statement from the company. 鈥淧aper Excellence Canada continues to work with our employees to mitigate the impact of the ongoing paper production curtailment.鈥�

The mill鈥檚 pulp operations, which support approximately 400 union and salaried staff employees, will continue production during the extended paper curtailment.

Pulp operations resumed in October after a three-month curtailment.

The company said it will continue to supply customers with products typically made at Crofton from other mills within the Paper Excellence group where possible.

Tanner McQuarrie, president of Unifor Local 1132 whose members are affected, has previously called this an 鈥渋ndefinite curtailment.鈥� He did not offer a comment this time, but said before the union is working to make sure senior members get all the benefits they鈥檙e entitled to under the collective bargaining agreement and from the government for retirement.