Exhbit 99.1

                                                        Media Contact:
                                                        Gordon R. Manuel
                                                        864-282-9448

                                                        Analyst Contact:
                                                        William G. Harvey
                                                        864-282-9413

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2003


                    BOWATER ANNOUNCES TEMPORARY SHUTDOWN OF
                            THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO MILL

GREENVILLE, SC- Bowater Incorporated (NYSE: BOW) today announced that it will
curtail newsprint and market pulp production at its Thunder Bay mill due to
temporary wood fiber shortages in northwest Ontario. Production will cease on
June 28th for approximately 9 days. The shutdown will eliminate 17,000 metric
tons of newsprint and 21,000 metric tons of market pulp production. These
curtailments and the additional cost of wood fiber will reduce the company's
pretax operating results by approximately US$10 million.

         The combination of depressed lumber prices, countervailing and
anti-dumping duties imposed by the U.S. government and a stronger Canadian
dollar has caused production curtailments at several sawmills, thereby creating
a shortage of wood chips for the Thunder Bay mill. The company is taking actions
to mitigate the disruption at its Thunder Bay mill and expects normal wood fiber
flows to resume after this curtailment.

         Additionally, the stronger Canadian dollar has increased Bowater's
manufacturing costs. Based on the current level of the Canadian dollar,
Bowater's manufacturing costs will increase in the second quarter by
approximately $9 million over first quarter levels.

         Also, on May 27, 2003, Bowater completed the previously announced sale
of 82,000 acres of U.S. timberlands for proceeds of $122 million.

         Bowater Incorporated, headquartered in Greenville, SC, is a leading
producer of newsprint and coated groundwood papers. In addition, the company
makes uncoated groundwood papers, bleached kraft pulp and lumber products. The
company has 12 pulp and paper mills in the United States, Canada and South Korea
and 13 North American sawmills that produce softwood and hardwood lumber.
Bowater also operates two facilities that convert a groundwood base sheet to
coated products. Bowater's operations are supported by approximately 1.4 million
acres of timberlands owned or leased in the United States and Canada and 32
million acres of timber cutting rights in Canada. Bowater is one of the world's
largest consumers of recycled newspapers and magazines. Bowater common stock is
listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the Pacific Exchange and the London Stock
Exchange. A special class of stock exchangeable into Bowater common stock is
listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE: BWX).

                                     (more)







         All amounts are in U.S. dollars.

         Statements in this news release that are not reported financial results
or other historical information are "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. They include,
for example, statements about our business outlook, assessment of market
conditions, strategies, future plans, future sales, prices for our major
products, inventory levels, capital spending and tax rates. These
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They are
based on management's expectations that involve a number of business risks and
uncertainties, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from
those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. The risks and
uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements in this news release
include those described under the caption "Cautionary Statement Regarding
Forward-Looking Information" in Bowater's annual report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2002, and from time to time, in Bowater's other filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.



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