HALIFAX - A Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge has granted the shuttered NewPage Port Hawkesbury paper mill in Cape Breton an extension of its creditor protection until Aug. 31.
That deadline coincides with a proposed closing date to finalize the sale of the operation to Pacific West Commercial.
The mill in Point Tupper, N.S., closed last September, throwing some 600 employees out of work and affecting another 400 forestry contractors.
Pacific West Commercial has indicated it wants to restart one of two machines at the plant, which remains in a so-called hot idle mode.
An affidavit filed earlier this month says the Vancouver-based company is prepared to spend $33 million to buy the mill.
But a number of hurdles remain, including a deal on power rates between Pacific West Commercial and Nova Scotia Power as well as a creditors' vote to accept a proposal on what they're owed.
