Norske Skog: Update on the consent solicitation process

Fire crews from Port Alberni, Cherry Creek, Beaver Creek and Sproat Lake fire departments took hours to put out a fire in the Paper Excellence Catalyst paper mill in Port Alberni on Friday. Just before 3 p.m., 911 dispatch informed the Port Alberni Fire Department that a barge carrying hog fuel — unrefined wood byproduct used in biomass burners and construction — was on fire. Port Alberni Deputy Fire Chief Wes Patterson said that the majority of the fire was initially contained to a conveyor belt system used to unload the barge with hog fuel. “As the wind picked up, as it usually does in the afternoon in the Port Alberni inlet, it started to blow these embers onto the land and started to cause spot fires,” Patterson said..

Catalyst Paper announced that it has entered into a Sales and Purchase Agreement with ND Paper LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Ltd.(“ND Paper”), a Hong Kong Stock Exchange listed company, for the sale of Catalyst’s U.S. operations to ND Paper for US$175 million. Upon the closing of this transaction, ND Paper will acquire Catalyst’s Rumford, Maine and Biron, Wisconsin mills along with the associated staff at the company’s U.S. operations center in Dayton, Ohio. Catalyst has agreed to provide transition support services to ND Paper to assist with the development of certain operational and administrative functions required for the two U.S. mills. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Province of New Brunswick announced its plan regarding sawmills impacted by softwood lumber duties on shipments to the United States. A dedicated effort on this important file is crucial to the survival of New Brunswick’s forest products sector as we know it today. Sawmills are the lifeblood of many rural communities. Hundreds of New Brunswick woodlot owners and wood producers depend on these sawmills. A successful sawmill is the vital source of wood chips to the value chain of products made throughout New Brunswick – from particleboard in St. Stephen to tissue in Dieppe, pulp in Edmundston and paper in Saint John. Thousands of New Brunswick jobs and local suppliers depend on this sector which impacts more communities than any other industry in the province. Maintaining New Brunswick’s historic 35-year exclusion requires the unity and support of all political parties. Click Read More below for additional information.