Minister’s Statement on the Status of Northern Pulp’s Feasibility Study

NOTE: The following is a statement from Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources.

A new-era pulp mill in Nova Scotia would be a game-changer, creating long-term export-focused good-paying jobs in the forestry sector and throughout the economy. That’s why, over the past nine months, our team has worked with Northern Pulp as they assess the business case to build and operate a new mill in Liverpool.

Today, the company announced that it has not reached the financial threshold to support a project, as defined by the settlement agreement, and is looking for a five-week extension to review the financial model. The Province agrees to this extension and would welcome news of a change in circumstances that would positively affect the outcome.

Our interest all along has been finding new opportunities for our forestry sector, using our incredible fibre resource in safe and sustainable ways and supporting the hard-working families who have worked in the forestry industry for generations. A mill, in the southern end of the province, could fill a necessary and currently missing part of sustainable forestry in this province.

If not this project, then yes, we will be greatly disappointed, but our doors are always open for other interesting projects that put our natural resources to work. Some of those projects are underway already, like those involving Simply Blue and Vyterra Renewables. And we would continue to work alongside the forestry sector to find new ones.

This file is not closed – it’s very much open and active.

I’m also pleased that last year, through the settlement agreement, our government secured funding to protect Northern Pulp pensioners, settled long-standing loans and significant lawsuits, and considered a new future for the Pictou mill site. That work is done.