CANADA (From news reports) -- Corner Brook Pulp and Paper will temporarily pause newsprint production starting Monday due to low water levels impacting the ability of Deer Lake Power to supply sufficient energy to operate the mill.

Darren Pelley, vice-president of special projects with Kruger Inc., the company that owns the mill, said on Thursday that water levels at the Grand Lake reservoir have hit critical, historically low levels.

The mill had been closed earlier this week for maintenance on a boiler, he said, but won't be able to operate without the water it needs.

"We've reached a point where our levels are so low that we need significant, major rainfall in order to get back to a, you know, a viable operation," Pelley said.

"We've missed a couple months of major rain, so it would take significant rain events for an extended period."

Workers will be assigned to other activities during the shutdown. The mill employs about 400 people, and marked a century of operation in Corner Brook this summer.

"The complicating factor is it is connected to rainfall and weather and the extent and duration of that is unknown. So we'll have to, you know, evolve and adapt as we see how this extends into the future," Pelley said.

Kruger said the shutdown will last until water levels are restored.

It's not the first time this year the mill was forced to halt some operations.

Just months ago, the mill shut down during a raging provincewide wildfire season. The company cited safety risks and a fiber shortage.

The mill also closed for periods in 2023 and 2024. The 2023 closure was a business decision as the newsprint landscape was changing, while an April 2024 closure was the result of the mill failing to comply with safety regulations.

This summer, Kruger announced a $700-million investment plan to bring the mill into the future -- changing gears to focus on lumber production to provide the product to sawmills in the province, and replacing the log-filled wood yard with chips.

"Of course, we need to bridge through the next, you know, few years while we're making that transition," Pelley said. "And that's critical discussions that certainly we're optimistic [about.]"