Together for 60 years

 

Together

Sixty years ago, the bold idea of giving materials a second life led to the creation of a company that respects nature: Cascades. 

Thousands of Cascaders and their partners have since shaped the company’s history and developed it to its full potential. Together. Looking beyond the risks. Forging our own path. Showcasing Cascades as an immense source of possibilities. 

Together, we remember. 
Together, we celebrate. 
Together, we innovate. 
Together, we shine with pride. 
Together, we excel. 
Together, we create. 
Together, we are committed.
Together, we respect.

Together

Sixty years ago, the bold idea of giving materials a second life led to the creation of a company that respects nature: Cascades. 

Thousands of Cascaders and their partners have since shaped the company’s history and developed it to its full potential. Together. Looking beyond the risks. Forging our own path. Showcasing Cascades as an immense source of possibilities. 

Together, we remember. 
Together, we celebrate. 
Together, we innovate. 
Together, we shine with pride. 
Together, we excel. 
Together, we create. 
Together, we are committed.
Together, we respect.

notre histoire 60e anniversaire cascades

Our History

Our story is also the story of 10,000 talents. Thanks to the combination of three brothers' vision and the exceptional work of thousands of Cascaders, the Lemaire family's daring gamble has turned into a great adventure that has now lasted for 60 years.

Learn more about Cascades' exceptional history 
 

Together, we remember.

The Together, we remember series, where the past meets the present, is giving rise to authentic exchanges that allow us to recognize the men and women who have devoted years, often entire careers, to building this project bigger than all of us: Cascades. Together, they have carried on the tradition and passed on their know-how from generation to generation.  

Our beginnings at the “Old Mill”: Bringing a dream to life together


In 1964, Bernard and Laurent Lemaire brought an old paper mill in Kingsey Falls back to life. In those days, they only needed a handful of dedicated employees who joined them in embarking on their wildest dreams. 

Six decades later, the “Old Mill” is one of 75 Cascades sites across North America. Despite its age, it’s still a high-performance plant, thanks to the efforts of committed and determined Cascaders.

 

 


 

Cabano, our first experience outside Kingsey Falls: Deploying our know-how together


In the ’70s, Cascades began its first wave of expansion across Québec. It established a presence in Cabano in 1976, which gave the company its first opportunity to apply its expertise outside Kingsey Falls. 

If there’s one family of Cascaders that has left its mark on the Cabano plant, it’s the Pelletiers. Both father and son were managers of this plant. Martin Pelletier was the first engineer hired by the company. His son Luc, also an engineer, headed the team responsible for carrying out one of the biggest projects in Cascades’ history, converting the Bear Island plant.
 

Our expansion in the United States: Together towards new possibilities


The company’s unbridled expansion continued in the 1980s. In 1983, Cascades went public and put down roots in the United States, setting up its first plant on American soil: the Rockingham plant in North Carolina. The Cascaders began to feel like anything was possible. The values and philosophy of Cascades had been exported outside Canada for the first time. 

Suzanne Blanchet, one of the pioneers and architects of this expansion into the United States, was President and Chief Operating Officer of Cascades Tissue Group from 1997 to 2014. Our current president, Jean-David Tardif, is building on this momentum to continue development in this area.

Beyond sales: Together for our customers' success


Although the values of respect for nature, people and communities have remained the same since the very beginning, some things have changed. That’s the case with our customer relationships. In the past, we tried to sell our customers what our machines produced, whereas, today, we work in true partnership with them to ensure that our machines produce what they need, in collaboration with our marketing and innovation teams, as well as our sustainable development teams.
 

60 years of presidency: Together to pave the way


“I, personally, am a product of Cascades and its development. I’m the humble successor to a line of presidents whose strengths and synergy are now legendary: Bernard, the visionary, Laurent, the manager, Alain, the operator. I’m honoured to have had the privilege to have worked alongside them for all these years, to have learned so much from them, and to have been part of this wonderful synergy. They have passed me the torch, and I’m proud to be able to carry it so high.” — Mario Plourde, President and CEO

A place for women: Realizing their full potential together


The papermaking industry has been long dominated by men, but the women working there now have more space to stand out and leave their mark. Whether it’s through their confidence, their passion for the people around them, or their willingness to push back barriers, they’re forcing us to reconsider the status quo in favour of a more humane and inclusive industry.

 
 

A place for youth: Working together for a committed and qualified succession


Looking to the future, Cascades is quick to recognize the vitality of talent ready to take on great challenges, surpass themselves and build their future. Over the past 60 years, the career progression of many young Cascaders has seen them propelled to the heights of team leadership responsibilities and challenges. Indeed, the Company’s focus on involving its employees in its projects and decision-making has always been a source of motivation for young people, to whom Cascades pays particular attention through its scholarships, summer jobs, internships, and its well-established training programs.

A passion for machines: Making paper together


Some would say that the expansion of Cascades is partly thanks to the Lemaires’ passion for machines. Each of them has its own story: for Bear Island, it was the scale of the project it represented; for Greenpac, it was the modernity it injected into our operations. In any case, to the Cascaders who repair, pamper, spoil and polish them, they are much more than mere objects; they are the very heart of the company. However, without the dedicated people who scrupulously care for the equipment, even the most beautiful machines could never run. That is the balance that has kept the passion for papermaking alive at Cascades for 60 years now.

More videos will be released in the coming months. Stay tuned!

 

Together, we shine with pride.

Murals to brighten up our facilities and their neighbourhood


 The creation of murals on some of our plants, whose walls will become canvases on which local artists can express their art, will beautify the location and benefit the whole community. Together, the 10,000 Cascaders across North America will remember their history, which allows them to move confidently into the future.  

This initiative will begin in the spring of 2024. Stay tuned to see the results.

Cascades Papier Kingsey Falls

Artiste XYZ

Inspiration XYZ

Cascades Groupe Tissu – Candiac

Artiste XYZ

Inspiration XYZ

lumieres passerelle cascades kingsey falls

The Builders' Bridge illuminated

In 2014, on Cascades' 50th anniversary festivities, the Company offered the community of Kingsey Falls the Builders' Bridge. For the 60th anniversary, we decided to further embellish this important legacy by illuminating it. Our horticulture and services teams have done a remarkable job to showcase this magnificent work.

statues bronze laurent et alain lemaire cascades

Statues to honour Laurent and Alain Lemaire

In the early 2000s, a bronze statue was built in Kingsey Falls in honour of Bernard Lemaire and the rich legacy he left by founding Cascades. In 2024, it will be Laurent and Alain Lemaire's turn to see their own statue join that of their brother. The impressive result will be unveiled in the coming year.

centre bell patinage libre

Free skating at the Centre Bell

On Sunday, April 21, 2024, some 325 people gathered at the Centre Bell for two free skating sessions reserved for Cascaders and their families as part of the 60th anniversary festivities! Young and old enjoyed the skating rink with Youppi! in the impressive and grandiose setting of the Centre Bell!

 

Together, we are committed.

60 steps to drive positive change


This initiative is an opportunity to carry out our employees' ideas for integrating better environmental or social practices into their workplace. Selected projects receive financial support and coaching from our sustainability team. We have one year to complete 60 of them!

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A workshop on climate change

At the beginning of June, we brought together our 47 new managers for three days of training and integration, during which they had the chance to take part in La Fresque du Climat Québec, a cooperative workshop designed to increase understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change, foster collaboration between colleagues and, above all, inspire them to take action to build a more sustainable world.

from Cascades

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An outdoor clean-up activity

On May 24, accompanied by Lassonde employees, we took part in a clean-up event organized by Mission 1000 tonnes. The event took place in a wooded area near a shopping mall in Longueuil, along a bicycle path. Encouraged by bystanders, our valiant volunteers collected a grand total of 4,678 pounds of garbage, or a little over 2 tonnes!

from Cascades

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Training on human rights protection

On May 29, our group of corporate buyers took part in a training course on how to identify the risks associated with human rights violations, and how to give preference to suppliers who respect these fundamental rights. By raising awareness of this issue, we aim to help protect vulnerable populations from exploitation and human rights violations.

from Cascades

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Tree distribution during Tree and Forest Month

Since forest protection has always been at the heart of Cascades' concerns, it was only natural to mark Tree and Forest Month by organizing a free tree distribution last May. This event resulted in the distribution of 650 trees to Kingsey Falls residents and our employees, courtesy of the Quebec Department of Natural Resources and Forestry, with the participation of the Association for Forestry of Southern Quebec.

from Cascades

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Involvement in the No Mow May

Cascades has invited our employees, business units and towns in the communities where we operate to take part in the No Mow May. The goal is to give dandelions time to grow during the month of May, allowing pollinating insects to use their rich source of pollen and nectar at a time of year when they are scarcer.

from Cascades

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Educational kits for Pride Month

For Pride Month, during which we celebrated diversity, inclusion and progress towards a more open and respectful future, our LGBTQ2S+ committee, comprised of passionate and dedicated members, has created educational kits. These include everything you need to promote a safe and inclusive environment.

from Cascades

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Proud partner of the Sommet jeunesse sur les changements climatiques

Cascades is honored and proud to to help train the next generation in the fight against climate change as a partner of the 7th edition of the Sommet jeunesse sur les changements climatiques organized by the Monique Fitz-Back Foundation. This event provides a platform for young people to discuss and find solutions to global climate change through a variety of educational and mobilizing projects.

from Cascades

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Earth Day community clean-ups

In the same vein as our 1000 Gestures for Nature Challenge, in which we collaborate and is aimed at youth across Canada, on Earth Day, April 22, we challenged all our employees to take part in or organize a community clean-up to eliminate the waste that has accumulated in the environment over time. We all - young and old - have an important role to play!

from Cascades

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A commitment to nature

As part of the Cleaning Challenge 1,000 Gestures for Nature, organized by Mission 1000 tonnes and the magazines Les Explorateurs, Les Débrouillards and Curium, which encourages young people to clean up an outdoor space, Cascades has committed to removing one pound of waste from nature for every gesture made! In 2023, the challenge was a dazzling success, with 12,417 actions taken! The final result of the weight of our collected garbage will be known at the end of the year.

from Cascades

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A conference from the David Suzuki Foundation

At Cascades, we believe it's important to inform our employees about actions that can contribute to a more sustainable world. With this in mind, we welcomed Alexandre Huet, responsible for citizen mobilization and public engagement for Quebec at the David Suzuki Foundation, to give advice on how to create a pollinator-friendly garden on our traditional lawns.

from Cascades

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Self-sufficient plant seed library

This spring, our employees will have the chance to cultivate biodiversity at home thanks to two new native plant seed libraries offering a free selection of pollinator-friendly native plant seeds adapted to our climate! At the end of the summer, everyone will be invited to collect the seeds of the flowers grown to replenish our libraries, which will thus become self-sufficient.

from Cascades

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Cascades, proud partner of the Project Gigaton

By offering ecoresponsible solutions, by improving its transportation, by consuming 2.3 times less energy and generating 41% less GHGs than the industry average, Cascades is pleased to have contributed to the achievement, 6 years before the target, of Walmart's ambitious goal of reducing GHG emissions from its supply chain by one billion metric tons.

from Cascades

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A training session on waste management

At the recent Mission 1000 tonnes ambassador bootcamp, we led a training session on waste management, a relevant topic for this organization working to clean up our ecosystems. This is a fine example of how we work with our partners to develop a network of eco-responsible citizens.

from Cascades

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116-hectare peat pog bequeathed to Nature Conservancy Canada

To mark the day of its 60th anniversary, Cascades donated a 116-hectare peat pog, originally acquired by the Lemaire family in the early 1960s, to the Nature Conservancy Canada. Located in St-Sylvère, Centre-du-Québec, this ecologically valuable wetland has been bequeathed to ensure its longevity and the survival of its species and ecosystems for future generations.

from Cascades

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A Hockey Classic in the color of the 60th

Last February, Cascades organized the 39th edition of its Hockey Classic, during which a record number of teams made up of employees from different divisions of the company competed in friendly matches. To imprint the event of Cascades' 60th anniversary festivities, a skills competition and an all-star match opposing Mario Plourde's and Alain Lemaire's teams were exceptionally held.

from Cascades

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Two outdoor days at Mont Gleason

During the month of February, two ski days at Mont Gleason were organized to encourage employees to get active while enjoying the joys of winter. Both Cascades employees and ski amateurs were welcome at our kiosk at the foot of the mountain to enjoy a cozy moment by the fire.

from Cascades

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Cascades, proud partner of Mission 1000 tonnes

Cascades is proud to support the Mission 1000 tonnes ambassador program; a unique network of motivated volunteers based mainly in Canada, but also present elsewhere in the world. These volunteers devote their time to spreading the word about the Mission and conducting chores to keep our rivers, lakes, shores, banks, parks and green spaces free of waste.

from Cascades

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Inauguration of Cascades clothing thrift store

For 36 years now, employees have been able to shop, with an allotted budget, at the Cascaderie, a store selling clothing and promotional items with the company's image. While the exchange of clothing and embroidered items used to take place informally between colleagues, it is now possible on a larger scale thanks to the Cas-Friperie, where employees are encouraged to leave a donation in exchange for their find to finance two of our causes, the Charles-Bruneau Foundation and Centraide.

from Cascades

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Launch of a 5ᵗʰ cohort of The Go Effect

This program, destined for all employees, aims to better integrate physical activity into their lifestyle habits. The volunteers, grouped in teams of seven, will activate themselves for nine weeks with the aim of taking 7,000 steps daily, either by walking or through any other physical activity. This year, over 1,500 people are taking part in The Go Effect - a record number!

from Cascades

Together, we celebrate our successes.

Together, we celebrate on March 26!

On March 26, 2024, thousands of Cascaders came together to celebrate 60 years of Cascades. All our units across North America celebrated this memorable day, thanks to the ambassadors who organized various activities for the occasion.

Challenge 60: Employee families come together for a cause


Cascades has a 60-year history thanks to the loyalty and dedication of the thousands of Cascaders who have poured their hearts and souls into this ambitious project. Cascades is as much a story of three brothers as it is a story of countless other families from near and far who, for generations, have enabled it to thrive. 

Challenge 60: Best of

Challenge 60 is a mini-series in which three employee families complete three 60-second challenges, one related to history and two others related to Cascades products and sustainability. Their goal: work together to raise money for a cause of their choice, reflecting Cascades’ ongoing involvement in the communities in which it operates.

The Scali Family


The Scali family includes Crystal and Nicholas Scali (son), and Crystal Boardwick (daughter). Together, they’re representing the United States. 

Cause supported: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
 
 

The Dion family


The Dion family includes Nicolas, Eric (brother), Pierre-Luc (brother) and Olivier Dion (cousin), as well as Mélanie Lamothe (sister-in-law) and Martin Champagne (uncle). They’re representing Québec, especially the Kingsey Falls area. 

Cause supported: Heart and Stroke Foundation of the Canada

The Darocha family


The Darocha family includes Lucio, Paul (brother) and Christopher Darocha (nephew), as well as Andrew Dicceco (nephew). Representing Ontario, they have nearly 57 years of combined experience with Cascades. 

Cause supported: The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)

Together, we respect your true nature.

For now 60 years, we've been giving our Cascaders the chance to be themselves. Respecting their true nature gives them the opportunity to let their very best shine through. To offer them a place to evolve and be dedicated. To work in a stable environment rich in human experiences.
 

Choose Cascades

Benoit Vallières

Fleet Optimization Analyst

"For me, Cascades is the team spirit and family spirit I have with my colleagues. I'm pushed to give 110%. My efforts are recognized by my peers and management. So I'm more than happy to get involved as an ambassador for the 60th anniversary."

Erin Burt

Production Supervisor

"I started with Cascades more than three years ago and it has been a pleasure. Cascades has a real sense of family which is something that I love about the company. To me, recycling isn’t just a job, but also it’s a way of life. At the Edmonton sorting centre, we're very excited to be celebrating Cascades' 60th anniversary and to be part of this great milestone."

Youssef Abou

Electromechanic

"I'm getting involved as an ambassador for my unit to discover and learn more about Cascades culture, which I'm proud to be part of. It's also an opportunity for me to integrate into the community and put to good use my experience in the associative, cultural and artistic sectors that I lived in Morocco."

Marigrace Almario

HR Manager

"Cascades is more than a workplace. It is a community that nurtures growth, respect, and trust. A community that fosters sense of belonginess, well-being and can still have fun. By getting involved as an ambassador for the 60th anniversary, I want to ensure my plant’s engagement and participation to this Cascades’ milestone celebration."

 

Follow us on our social media channels to stay up-to-date on all the festivities and achievements surrounding our 60th anniversary.