Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited
Encyclopedia
The Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited, commonly shortened to Bowater Mersey, operates a thermomechanical pulp (TMP) mill and associated paper mill producing newsprint
located in Brooklyn
, Nova Scotia
. Annual production is approximately 253000 MT (253,000 t) of newsprint.
The mill was built by Mersey Paper Company Limited in 1929, founded by Nova Scotia industrialist Izaak Walton Killam
. It was located on the northern shore of Liverpool Bay, in the estuary of the Mersey River
. The mill had its own shipping and receiving pier to accommodate ocean freighters. To power the mill, the company dammed the Mersey approximately 30 km (18.6 mi) upstream at Indian Gardens, in the process creating a reservoir named Lake Rossignol
.
In 1956 the estate of Izaak Walton Killam sold the company to Bowater
which renamed the company Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited in 1959. At the same time, Killam's estate sold the Mersey River generating stations to the then-provincial Crown corporation Nova Scotia Power
; the mill is still supplied by NSP to this day.
In 1963 the Washington Post Company purchased 49 percent of the common stock of Bowater Mersey Paper Company, with Bowater retaining the controlling 51 percent ownership.
Changes to the corporate structure and ownership of parent company Bowater have seen that company's name evolve to become AbitibiBowater Inc
in 2007 and Resolute Forest Products in November 2011.
In October 2011 it was announced by parent company Resolute Forest Products that the Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited was facing unprecedented production costs and that its operations would be re-evaluated later that fall. The parent company demanded concessions from the union, which were granted in a narrow vote in November 2011. Nova Scotia Power is also offering concessions in the form of discounted power rates and other incentives.
Newsprint
Newsprint is a low-cost, non-archival paper most commonly used to print newspapers, and other publications and advertising material. It usually has an off-white cast and distinctive feel. It is designed for use in printing presses that employ a long web of paper rather than individual sheets of...
located in Brooklyn
Brooklyn, Queens County, Nova Scotia
Brooklyn is a Canadian suburban community in the Region of Queens Municipality in Queens County, Nova Scotia.Located on the east bank of the Mersey River opposite Liverpool, Brooklyn was placed on the map in 1907 when the Halifax and Southwestern Railway opened between Yarmouth and Halifax.In...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. Annual production is approximately 253000 MT (253,000 t) of newsprint.
The mill was built by Mersey Paper Company Limited in 1929, founded by Nova Scotia industrialist Izaak Walton Killam
Izaak Walton Killam
Izaak Walton Killam was one of Canada's most eminent financiers.-Early life:Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Killam rose from paper boy in Yarmouth to become one of Canada's wealthiest individuals.-Business ventures:...
. It was located on the northern shore of Liverpool Bay, in the estuary of the Mersey River
Mersey River (Nova Scotia)
The Mersey River, formerly known as Rivière Rossignol by the Acadians, is a river in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is named after the River Mersey in Liverpool, England...
. The mill had its own shipping and receiving pier to accommodate ocean freighters. To power the mill, the company dammed the Mersey approximately 30 km (18.6 mi) upstream at Indian Gardens, in the process creating a reservoir named Lake Rossignol
Lake Rossignol
Lake Rossignol is the largest freshwater lake in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located in the south-western area of the province.A reservoir, it was created in 1929 when the Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited dammed the Mersey River at Indian Gardens to generate electricity for a pulp mill ...
.
In 1956 the estate of Izaak Walton Killam sold the company to Bowater
Bowater
Bowater was an American pulp and paper company based in Greenville, South Carolina. Bowater had 12 pulp and paper mills in the United States, Canada and South Korea and 13 North American sawmills. It had approximately 10,000 employees...
which renamed the company Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited in 1959. At the same time, Killam's estate sold the Mersey River generating stations to the then-provincial Crown corporation Nova Scotia Power
Nova Scotia Power
Nova Scotia Power Inc. is a power generating and delivery company in Nova Scotia. It is privately owned by Emera and regulated by the provincial government via the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board .-History:...
; the mill is still supplied by NSP to this day.
In 1963 the Washington Post Company purchased 49 percent of the common stock of Bowater Mersey Paper Company, with Bowater retaining the controlling 51 percent ownership.
Changes to the corporate structure and ownership of parent company Bowater have seen that company's name evolve to become AbitibiBowater Inc
AbitibiBowater
Resolute Forest Products , formerly known as AbitibiBowater Inc. is a pulp and paper manufacturer headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, formed by the merger of Bowater and Abitibi-Consolidated, which was announced 29 January 2007...
in 2007 and Resolute Forest Products in November 2011.
In October 2011 it was announced by parent company Resolute Forest Products that the Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited was facing unprecedented production costs and that its operations would be re-evaluated later that fall. The parent company demanded concessions from the union, which were granted in a narrow vote in November 2011. Nova Scotia Power is also offering concessions in the form of discounted power rates and other incentives.