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J.D. Irving pulp and paper mills to see assessment increases in 2023

J.D. Irving will see property assessment increases for each of its New Brunswick pulp and paper mills in 2023. This follows increases in both 2022 and 2021.  In 2023, the company expects to pay approximately $4.9 million in provincial and municipal property taxes on pulp and paper mills located within Saint John alone, an increase of 19 percent in three years.

Details related to these increases are as follows:

• In 2021, J.D. Irving’s four pulp and paper mills saw their assessments increase by over 14.5 percent on average.
• In both 2022 and 2023, assessments increased at each of these mills.
• One of these mills, Irving Paper (Located on Bayside Drive, Saint John) requested a review of its significant property assessment increase in 2021. This appeal sought recognition of the ongoing state of decline in the North American paper markets due to economic conditions including consumers’ growing reliance on screens over paper. This market decline is still being felt by paper companies throughout North America with many mills already closed. Service New Brunswick gave consideration to changes impacting the pulp and paper industry and recently concluded that the assessment increase should be lowered.

New Brunswick pulp and paper mills continue to pay the highest property taxes per tonne in eastern Canada, explains the company in a press statement.