Transcontinental closing Montreal newsprint plant as industry struggles
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
The Métropolitain plant was built in 2003, primarily to print the daily La Presse newspaper, which plans to go digital-only starting next year
MONTREAL—Transcontinental Inc. is shutting down operations at one of its Montreal newsprint plants by early next year.
The Quebec-based printing and media firm, which has also been moving into the packaging market over the past several years, said the decision is a response to industry-wide newspaper sales declines.
It also pointed to the upcoming end of printing of La Presse newspaper as a specific catalyst for the decision. La Presse ceased printing its daily edition this year and will go digital-only starting in 2018.
The Transcontinental Métropolitain plant on the north end of Montreal will wrap up operations by late January 2018.
About 60 employees currently work at the plant. Transcontinental conceded that there would be some job losses as a result of the closure, but said it will be able to offer positions to “the majority” of Métropolitain workers at its other faciltiies.
While the Montreal site was built in 2003, primarily to print La Presse, it has since picked up contracts from a number of other newspapers and independent publishers. The company will shift the plant’s production to its three other Quebec printing plants, mainly its Transmag plant, which is also in Montreal.
