Country Activity
Activity in Canada
Activity overview
The Canadian pulp, paper, and packaging sector is actively executing capital improvements, asset restarts, and production upgrades across its regional industrial base. Capital allocations and engineering programs are underway to revitalize and modernize major production sites, including mill modernization funding at Mercer Peace River and Alberta Newsprint Company, as well as engineering efforts funded for the Espanola pulp mill restart. Concurrently, local stakeholder groups are organizing acquisition initiatives to revive idle assets, such as Rayonier Advanced Materials' paperboard facility in Témiscaming.
Downstream converters and mills are equally engaged in operational retooling, machinery commissioning, and material developments. Domtar addressed critical machinery repairs to bring paper machine 5 back online at its Dolbeau facility, while converting operations such as Advance Paper Box and Royal Containers have commissioned new printing and flexo folder gluer equipment. On the product side, Cascades has introduced a 100% recycled paperboard grade, and Nfinite demonstrated high-speed roll-to-roll barrier coating runs.
What changed
Alberta Newsprint Company commits CAD 50 million to modernize Whitecourt mill
Alberta Newsprint Company is investing $50 million CAD, backed by provincial funds, to modernize its Whitecourt mill and expand into multiple paper grades.
Mercer International receives modernization funding for Peace River mill
Mercer International secures C$20 million from the Canadian government to modernize its Peace River pulp mill and mitigate the impact of cross-border tariffs.
Royal Containers upgrades plant with BOBST 924 flexo folder gluer
Royal Containers has upgraded its converting capabilities with a BOBST 924 Flexo Folder Gluer, enabling production speeds of up to 21,000 cartons per hour.
Bioveld North secures provincial backing for Espanola mill engineering study
The Ontario government is investing $5.1 million in Bioveld North to fund the engineering phase for restarting the former Domtar pulp mill in Espanola.
Advance Paper Box commissions seven-color Koenig & Bauer printing press
Advance Paper Box has commissioned a seven-color Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 press, marking the largest capital investment in the Canadian converter's 50-year history.
Domtar restarts PM5 machine at Dolbeau mill following roll retrofit
Domtar successfully restarted its PM5 at the Dolbeau mill months ahead of schedule by retrofitting a used US roll with Canadian engineering partners.
Local coalition bids to acquire Témiscaming paperboard mill
A Canadian coalition of local managers, union workers, and First Nations is pushing to acquire Rayonier Advanced Materials' Témiscaming mill to restore local production.
Companies in motion
Advance Paper Box
Advance Paper Box has commissioned a seven-color Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 press, marking the largest capital investment in the Canadian converter's 50-year history.
Alberta Newsprint Company
Alberta Newsprint Company is investing $50 million CAD, backed by provincial funds, to modernize its Whitecourt mill and expand into multiple paper grades.
BOBST
Royal Containers has upgraded its converting capabilities with a BOBST 924 Flexo Folder Gluer, enabling production speeds of up to 21,000 cartons per hour.
Bioveld North
The Ontario government is investing $5.1 million in Bioveld North to fund the engineering phase for restarting the former Domtar pulp mill in Espanola.
Domtar
The Ontario government is investing $5.1 million in Bioveld North to fund the engineering phase for restarting the former Domtar pulp mill in Espanola.
Koenig & Bauer
Advance Paper Box has commissioned a seven-color Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 press, marking the largest capital investment in the Canadian converter's 50-year history.
Mercer International
Mercer International secures C$20 million from the Canadian government to modernize its Peace River pulp mill and mitigate the impact of cross-border tariffs.
Rayonier Advanced Materials
A Canadian coalition of local managers, union workers, and First Nations is pushing to acquire Rayonier Advanced Materials' Témiscaming mill to restore local production.
Royal Containers
Royal Containers has upgraded its converting capabilities with a BOBST 924 Flexo Folder Gluer, enabling production speeds of up to 21,000 cartons per hour.
Connected developments
Public co-funding for mill modernization and restart engineering
Government capital was awarded to both Mercer International (C$20 million for Peace River) and Bioveld North ($5.1 million for Espanola engineering), while Alberta Newsprint Company secured provincial backing for its CAD 50 million project. These programs direct public and corporate funds into plant engineering and process equipment to sustain long-term operational viability. However, the evidence does not establish that these separate provincial and federal allocations represent a single coordinated assistance framework, nor does it guarantee final commissioning at Espanola.
Converting equipment installations across domestic packaging converters
Advance Paper Box and Royal Containers both completed major machinery additions to upgrade their manufacturing operations, commissioning a Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 press and a BOBST 924 flexo folder gluer respectively. Both initiatives involved capital equipment installations intended to augment plant productivity and conversion capacity. The evidence does not indicate any operational ties, shared customer base, or collective machinery acquisition strategy between the two independent converters.
Activity analysis
Operational focus across Canadian operations centers on targeted infrastructure updates, asset rehabilitation, and converting automation. Mill operators are focusing capital on mechanical retrofits and grade diversification to maintain continuous output, as evidenced by engineering work at Dolbeau, Whitecourt, and Peace River. Concurrently, regional packaging converters are deploying specialized machinery—such as offset printing presses and high-speed flexo folder gluers—to enhance finishing quality and operational throughput within their existing production footprints.
- Alberta Newsprint Company commits CAD 50 million to modernize Whitecourt mill
- Mercer International receives modernization funding for Peace River mill
- Royal Containers upgrades plant with BOBST 924 flexo folder gluer
- Bioveld North secures provincial backing for Espanola mill engineering study
- Advance Paper Box commissions seven-color Koenig & Bauer printing press
- Domtar restarts PM5 machine at Dolbeau mill following roll retrofit
- Local coalition bids to acquire Témiscaming paperboard mill
Alongside heavy converting and papermaking machinery projects, manufacturers are deploying advancements in packaging substrates. Technical milestones include demonstrated roll-to-roll coating speeds for barrier papers and the release of recycled litho-grade boards for folding cartons and corrugated applications. Together with strategic mill restart projects pursuing engineering studies or ownership transfers, these activities reflect concrete industrial execution across raw pulp, paper, and downstream converting plants.
- Alberta Newsprint Company commits CAD 50 million to modernize Whitecourt mill
- Mercer International receives modernization funding for Peace River mill
- Royal Containers upgrades plant with BOBST 924 flexo folder gluer
- Bioveld North secures provincial backing for Espanola mill engineering study
- Advance Paper Box commissions seven-color Koenig & Bauer printing press
- Domtar restarts PM5 machine at Dolbeau mill following roll retrofit
- Local coalition bids to acquire Témiscaming paperboard mill
Regional context
Original The Paper reports
- · Alberta Newsprint Company commits CAD 50 million to modernize Whitecourt mill
Alberta Newsprint Company is investing $50 million CAD, backed by provincial funds, to modernize its Whitecourt mill and expand into multiple paper grades.
- · Mercer International receives modernization funding for Peace River mill
Mercer International secures C$20 million from the Canadian government to modernize its Peace River pulp mill and mitigate the impact of cross-border tariffs.
- · Royal Containers upgrades plant with BOBST 924 flexo folder gluer
Royal Containers has upgraded its converting capabilities with a BOBST 924 Flexo Folder Gluer, enabling production speeds of up to 21,000 cartons per hour.
- · Bioveld North secures provincial backing for Espanola mill engineering study
The Ontario government is investing $5.1 million in Bioveld North to fund the engineering phase for restarting the former Domtar pulp mill in Espanola.
- · Advance Paper Box commissions seven-color Koenig & Bauer printing press
Advance Paper Box has commissioned a seven-color Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 press, marking the largest capital investment in the Canadian converter's 50-year history.
- · Domtar restarts PM5 machine at Dolbeau mill following roll retrofit
Domtar successfully restarted its PM5 at the Dolbeau mill months ahead of schedule by retrofitting a used US roll with Canadian engineering partners.
- · Local coalition bids to acquire Témiscaming paperboard mill
A Canadian coalition of local managers, union workers, and First Nations is pushing to acquire Rayonier Advanced Materials' Témiscaming mill to restore local production.