It was originally formed as the St. Maurice Lumber Company in 1919 but was renamed in 1925.
It was sold to Canadian Pacific Forest Products in the early 1980s, which became Avenor Inc. in 1994; this company was then bought by Bowater in 1998.
The company operated plants in Gatineau, Trois-Rivières, Témiscaming, La Tuque, Matane, Hawkesbury, Grand Falls and Corner Brook and Dalhousie, New Brunswick .
The mill in Témiscaming was originally built by the Riordon Pulp and Paper Company, later bought by CIP.
When CIP wanted to close its mill in this one-industry town, the employees formed Tembec to take over the operation.