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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 16, 2007

Registration No. 333-146322


UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

FORM S-4

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 


DOMTAR CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Delaware   2621   20-5901152
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)   (Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number)  

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

Domtar Corporation

395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West

Montreal, QC

Canada H3A 1L6

(514) 848-5555

(Address, including ZIP Code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

Domtar Paper Company, LLC

(Exact name of co- registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware   2621   20-5915351
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)   (Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number)  

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

100 Kingsley Park Drive

Fort Mill, South Carolina 29715-6476

(803) 802-7500

(Address, including ZIP Code, and telephone number, including area code, of co-registrant’s principal executive offices)

 


Gilles Pharand

Senior Vice-President, Law and Corporate Affairs

395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West

Montreal, QC

Canada H3A 1L6

(514) 848-5555

(Name, address, including ZIP Code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 


With a copy to:

 

Alan H. Paley   Walter A. Looney
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP   Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
919 Third Avenue   425 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10022   New York, New York 10017
(212) 909-6694   (212) 455-2000

 


Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

 


If the securities being registered on this Form are being offered in connection with the formation of a holding company and there is compliance with General Instruction G, check the following box.   ¨

If this Form is filed to register additional securities of an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.   ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.   ¨

 



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Explanatory note

This registration statement relates to concurrent but separate offerings by Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation, of its debt securities and contains two forms of prospectuses. One form of prospectus will be used in connection with exchange offers and related consent solicitations to be made by Domtar Corporation for the outstanding U.S. dollar denominated debt securities of Domtar Inc., a subsidiary of Domtar Corporation organized under the laws of Canada. The U.S. dollar denominated debt securities of Domtar Inc. are primarily held by residents of the United States. The second form of prospectus will be used in connection with the solicitation of proxies by Domtar Inc. from holders of its outstanding Canadian dollar denominated debentures, primarily held by residents of Canada, for use at a meeting of holders of each series of such debentures, at which Domtar Inc. will seek the approval of such holders to amend the indenture pursuant to which such series of debentures were issued to provide Domtar Corporation with the right to acquire, at any time, all outstanding debentures of such series in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of newly issued Domtar Corporation notes.

 


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Prospectus and consent solicitation statement

DOMTAR CORPORATION

Offers to Exchange Debt Securities Issued by Domtar Inc.

and

Solicitation of Consents to Amend the Related Indentures

 

Outstanding Principal Amount   Description of Domtar Inc. Debt
Securities
  CUSIP No.
 

$600,000,000

  7.875% Notes due 2011   257561AU4

$350,000,000

  5.375% Notes due 2013   257561AV2

$400,000,000

  7  1 / 8 % Notes due 2015   257561AW0

$125,000,000

  9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2016   257561AT7

 

Each exchange offer will expire at 12 midnight, New York City time, on November 14, 2007, unless extended or earlier terminated (such date and time, as they may be extended, the “expiration date”). In order to be eligible to receive the early consent payment, holders of the Domtar Inc. debt securities must validly tender and not withdraw their Domtar Inc. debt securities on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 30, 2007, unless, with respect to a particular series of Domtar Inc. debt securities, extended by us with respect to the exchange offer for such series (such date and time, as they may be extended the “early consent date”).

The exchange offers

We are offering to holders of Domtar Inc.’s outstanding U.S. dollar denominated 7.875% Notes due 2011, 5.375% Notes due 2013, 7  1 / 8 % Notes due 2015 and 9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2016, which we refer to collectively as the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, an opportunity to exchange their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for an equal principal amount of Domtar Corporation’s newly issued notes of the corresponding series, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered in exchange, which we refer to collectively as the Domtar Corp. notes. The Domtar Corp. notes have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

We will pay to holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes on or prior to the applicable early consent date an early consent payment in cash of $2.50 for each $1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered. Holders who validly tender their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes after the applicable early consent date will not receive the early consent payment. In addition, holders whose Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are accepted for exchange will receive a cash payment representing accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the settlement date.

Domtar Inc. is concurrently soliciting proxies from holders of its outstanding Canadian dollar denominated 10% Debentures due 2011 and 10.85% Debentures due 2017, which we refer to together as the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures and collectively with the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes as the Domtar Inc. debt securities, for use at a meeting of holders of each series of such debentures, at which Domtar Inc. will seek the approval of such holders to amend the indenture pursuant to which such series of debentures were issued (together, the “Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures”) to provide Domtar Corporation with the right to acquire, at any time, all outstanding debentures of such series in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of Domtar Corporation’s newly issued debt securities of the corresponding series, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures which are acquired. We refer to this as the Canadian proxy solicitations. We refer to such Domtar Corporation securities, together with the Domtar Corp. notes, as the Domtar Corp. debt securities. If such amendment is approved by the holders of a series of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures, Domtar Corporation intends to acquire all of the outstanding Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures of such series in exchange for newly issued Domtar Corporation securities concurrently with the consummation of the exchange offers for the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes.

(Continued on following page)

As you review this prospectus and consent solicitation statement, you should carefully consider the matters described in “ Risk factors ” beginning on page 26.

 


Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities regulator has approved or disapproved these securities, or determined if this prospectus and consent solicitation statement is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

None of Domtar Corporation, Domtar Inc., Domtar Paper Company, LLC, the exchange and information agent, the trustee under the Domtar Corporation indenture, the trustee under the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures or the dealer managers and solicitation agents makes any recommendation as to whether or not holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes should exchange their securities in the exchange offers or consent to the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures.

The dealer managers for the exchange offers and solicitation agents for the consent solicitations are:

 

JPMorgan   Deutsche Bank Securities

The date of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement is October 17, 2007.

 


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The consent solicitations

In conjunction with the exchange offers, we are soliciting consents from holders of each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes to certain proposed amendments to, as applicable, (a) the Indenture, dated as of November 18, 2003 (the “2003 Indenture”), between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation (“The Bank of New York”), as successor trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 7   1 / 8 % notes due 2015 and 5.375% notes due 2013, (b) the Indenture, dated as of October 16, 2001 (the “2001 Indenture”), between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, as successor trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 7.875% Notes due 2011 and (c) the Indenture, dated as of July 31, 1996 (the “1996 Indenture” and, collectively with the 2003 Indenture and the 2001 Indenture, the “Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures”), between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2016. The proposed amendments, among other things, will (i) eliminate or modify certain restrictive covenants, (ii) permit the transfer by Domtar Inc. of all or substantially all of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corporation or one of its subsidiaries, (iii) eliminate the obligation of Domtar Inc. to file reports with the Securities Exchange Commission or otherwise provide reports to holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes absent a requirement to file such reports under applicable law (the “contractual reporting obligation”) and (iv) eliminate certain events of default. The proposed amendments constitute a single proposal and a consenting holder must consent to the proposed amendments applicable to the related Domtar Inc. U.S. notes as an entirety and may not consent selectively with respect to certain of the proposed amendments. The proposed amendments require the approval of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the applicable series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes (the “requisite consents”).

If the requisite consents are received with respect to a series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, Domtar Inc. and the applicable trustee will enter into a supplemental indenture with respect to such series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that will, subject to the successful completion of the exchange offer for such series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, effectuate the proposed amendments as to such series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes.

As a holder of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, you may give your consent to the proposed amendments to the applicable Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture only by tendering your notes in the exchange offer. By so tendering, you will be deemed to consent to the proposed amendments to the applicable Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture.

Conditions and other information

Each exchange offer made pursuant to this prospectus and consent solicitation statement is subject to certain conditions, including, among others, the condition that there shall have been validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the exchange offers an aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that, together with the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures that Domtar Corp. has the right to acquire as a result of the Canadian proxy solicitations, is at least equal to 75% of the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures (the “minimum amount condition”). We retain the discretion to waive this and any other conditions to the exchange offers. See “The exchange offers—Conditions to the exchange offers and consent solicitations.”.

Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered before the applicable early consent date and the related consents may be withdrawn at any time on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the applicable early consent date. After the applicable early consent date, Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered before or after such date may not be withdrawn, even if we extend the expiration date.

If you would like to tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in the exchange offers, you may do so through the Depository Trust Company’s (“DTC”) Automated Tender Offer Program (“ATOP”) or by following the instructions that appear later in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement and in the related Letter of Transmittal and Consent. If you tender through ATOP, you do not need to complete the Letter of Transmittal and Consent. If you hold your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes through a broker or other nominee, only that broker or nominee can tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. In that case, you must instruct your broker or nominee if you want to tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes.


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Table of contents

 

     Page

About this prospectus and consent solicitation statement

   ii

Notice to Canadian investors

   ii

Helpful information

   iii

Industry data information

   iv

Forward-looking statements

   v

Summary

   1

Note regarding the Predecessor Company

   19

Summary selected financial and pro forma data

   20

Risk factors

   26

The exchange offers

   50

The consent solicitations

   62

Use of proceeds

   69

Capitalization

   70

Unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company

   72

Selected historical financial data of the Company

   80

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges

   82

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of the Company for the period ended July 1, 2007

   83

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of the Predecessor Company for the year ended December 31, 2006

   118

Selected historical financial data of Domtar Inc .

   138
     Page

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of Domtar Inc. for the period ended June 30, 2007 and for the year ended December 31, 2006

   141

Business of the Company

   204

Business of the Predecessor Company

   225

Business of Domtar Inc.

   234

Description of other indebtedness

   247

Board of directors and management of the Company

   249

Ownership of Company common stock

   259

The Company’s relationship with Weyerhaeuser after the distribution

   261

Certain relationships and related transactions

   267

Description of the Domtar Corp. notes

   268

Description of differences between the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and Domtar Corp. notes

   294

Certain material United States federal income tax consequences

   310

Certain benefit plan investor considerations

   318

Legal matters

   320

Experts

   320

Independent registered public accounting firms

   320

Where you can find additional information

   321

 

The Company’s Head Office and Domtar Inc.’s principal executive office is located at 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Québec, Canada H3A 1L6 and their telephone number is (514) 848-5555. Domtar Paper Company, LLC’s principal executive office is located at 100 Kingsley Park Drive, Fort Mill, South Carolina 29715-6476 and its telephone number is (803) 802-7500. The Company’s website is www.domtar.com . The information contained on the Company’s website is not, and should in no way be construed as, a part of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

 

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About this prospectus and consent solicitation statement

This prospectus and consent solicitation statement is part of a registration statement on Form S-4 that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). We are submitting this prospectus and consent solicitation statement to holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes so they can consider exchanging their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for Domtar Corporation notes. We may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement through one or more supplements to this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. Any statement that we make in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement will be modified or superseded by any inconsistent statement we make in a supplement. You should read both this prospectus and consent solicitation statement and any supplements together with the additional information described under the heading “Where you can find additional information.”

No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement or any supplements hereto and, if given or made, such information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by Domtar Corporation or any dealer manager or solicitation agent or any of their agents. Neither the delivery of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement nor any sale made hereunder shall under any circumstances create any implication that there has been no change in the affairs of Domtar Corporation since the date hereof or that the information contained herein is correct as of any time subsequent to the date of such information.

We are not making the exchange offers to, and we will not accept surrenders for exchange from, holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in any jurisdiction in which the exchange offers or the acceptance of the exchange offers would violate the securities or other laws of that jurisdiction.

Notice to Canadian investors

The Domtar Corporation notes have not been and will not be qualified for sale under the securities laws of any province or territory of Canada and may not be offered, sold or resold, directly or indirectly, in Canada or to any resident of Canada, except in certain circumstances exempt from the registration and prospectus requirements of the applicable securities laws of Canada.

 

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Helpful information

In this Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement:

 

 

“Acquisition Closing Date” means March 7, 2007, the date of the closing of the Acquisition Transactions;

 

 

“Acquisition Transactions” means the series of transactions whereby the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was transferred to the Company and the Company acquired Domtar Inc., including the Contribution, the Distribution and the Arrangement;

 

 

“Arrangement” means the arrangement in accordance with Section 192 of the Canada Business Corporation Act that resulted in the Company indirectly owning all of the outstanding Domtar Inc. common shares;

 

 

“Canadian Dealer Managers” means Scotia Capital Inc. and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. as Dealer Managers for the Canadian proxy solicitations;

 

 

“Canadian GAAP” means accounting principles generally accepted in Canada;

 

 

“CDN$” means Canadian dollar;

 

 

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

 

 

“Contribution” means the transfer by Weyerhaeuser of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business to the Company in exchange for a number of shares of Company common stock and $1.35 billion in cash;

 

 

“Credit Agreement” means the Credit Agreement, dated as of the Acquisition Closing Date, among the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc., as borrowers, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., as syndication agent, Bank of America, N.A., Royal Bank of Canada and The Bank of Nova Scotia, as co-documentation agents, and the lenders from time to time parties thereto;

 

 

“Dealer Managers” means the U.S. Dealer Managers and the Canadian Dealer Managers;

 

 

“Distribution” means the distribution by Weyerhaeuser of its shares of Company common stock to the holders of Weyerhaeuser common shares and Weyerhaeuser exchangeable shares pursuant to an exchange offer;

 

 

“Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc.” means Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc., a British Columbia corporation and a subsidiary of the Company;

 

 

“Domtar Corporation”, “Domtar Corp.”, “Domtar”, “Company”, “we”, “us” and “our” or similar terms means Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, its subsidiaries;

 

 

“Domtar Inc.” means Domtar Inc., a Canadian corporation, and, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, its subsidiaries;

 

 

“Domtar Paper Company, LLC” means Domtar Paper Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and the guarantor of the Domtar Corp. debt securities offered hereby;

 

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“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;

 

 

“Predecessor Company” means the predecessor of the Company for accounting and financial disclosure purposes, which is the Company, prior to the Acquisition Closing Date, as if it owned the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, but not Domtar Inc. Because prior to the Acquisition Closing Date the Company was a shell company with no operations and substantially no assets, the operations and financial results of the Predecessor Company presented in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement are those of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business;

 

 

“pro forma basis” means on a pro forma basis after giving effect to the Acquisition Transactions;

 

 

“tons” means short tons when used with respect to fine paper and metric tons when used with respect to pulp;

 

 

“Transfer” means the sale, in one or more transactions, by Domtar Inc. of up to 100% of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries for the fair market value of such shares or interests, as determined by the board of directors of Domtar Inc., in return for consideration consisting of Domtar Inc. debt securities or a note of Domtar Corp. or any combination thereof;

 

 

“unit shipments” means short tons when used with respect to fine paper and metric tons when used with respect to pulp;

 

 

“U.S.” means United States;

 

 

“U.S. Dealer Managers” means J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. as Dealer Managers for the exchange offers and Solicitation Agents for the consent solicitations;

 

 

“U.S. GAAP” means accounting principles generally accepted in the United States;

 

 

“Weyerhaeuser” means Weyerhaeuser Company and, unless the context otherwise requires, its subsidiaries;

 

 

“Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business” means the fine paper and related businesses that were transferred by Weyerhaeuser to the Company as part of the Contribution; and

 

 

“$” or “dollar” means U.S. dollar.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, all amounts listed in Canadian dollars herein are converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of CDN $1.0634, the noon buying rate of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on June 30, 2007.

Industry data information

Unless otherwise specifically indicated, all statements regarding sales and market data for the Company, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. are based solely on statistical data obtained from independent market research firms that make this data available to the public at prescribed rates. The Company has not independently verified this information.

Except where otherwise noted, information with respect to “capacity” or “production capacity” assumes production 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, less days allotted for certain planned maintenance and other downtime. The method used for calculating days for maintenance and downtime may vary from company to company.

 

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Forward-looking statements

This prospectus and consent solicitation statement and other materials the Company has filed or will file with the SEC (as well as information included in the Company’s other written or oral statements) contain, or will contain, disclosures which are “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts, and can generally be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “believe,” “will,” “expect,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “continue” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements address, among other things, certain anticipated effects of the Acquisition Transactions and the Transfer. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur, or if any of them occurs, what effect they will have on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition. These factors include, but are not limited to:

 

 

the effect of general economic conditions, particularly in the United States and Canada;

 

 

market demand for the Company’s products, which may be tied to the relative strength of various U.S. and/or Canadian business segments;

 

 

product selling prices;

 

 

energy prices;

 

 

raw material prices;

 

 

chemical prices;

 

 

performance of the Company’s manufacturing operations including unexpected maintenance requirements;

 

 

the successful integration of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. and ability to realize anticipated cost savings;

 

 

the level of competition from domestic and foreign producers;

 

 

the effect of forestry, land use, environmental and other governmental regulations, and changes in accounting regulations;

 

 

the effect of weather and the risk of loss from fires, floods, windstorms, hurricanes and other natural disasters;

 

 

transportation costs;

 

 

the loss of current customers or the inability to obtain new customers;

 

 

legal proceedings;

 

 

changes in asset valuations, including writedowns of property, plant and equipment, inventory, accounts receivable or other assets for impairment or other reasons;

 

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changes in currency exchange rates, particularly the relative value of the U.S. dollar to the Canadian dollar;

 

 

the effect of timing of retirements and changes in the market price of Company common stock on charges for stock-based compensation;

 

 

performance of pension fund investments and related derivatives; and

 

 

the other factors described under “Risk factors.”

You are cautioned not to unduly rely on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, when evaluating the information presented in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. Unless specifically required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new events or circumstances.

You should review carefully the section captioned “Risk factors” in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement for a more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties of an investment in the Domtar Corp. notes.

 

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Summary

The following summary highlights selected information contained in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement and does not contain all the information that may be important to you in making a decision whether to participate in the exchange offers. For a more complete understanding of the exchange offers, our company, and the Domtar Corp. notes, we encourage you to read this entire prospectus and consent solicitation statement carefully, including the risk factors and the financial data and related notes, before making a decision to participate in the exchange offers.

The Company

The Company is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity and is also a manufacturer of papergrade pulp. Through the Company’s subsidiaries, the Company designs, manufactures, markets and distributes a wide range of fine paper products for a variety of consumers, including merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters and end-users. The Company has three business segments: Papers (paper and pulp), Paper Merchants and Wood.

The Company had pro forma revenues of $6.7 billion in 2006, of which approximately 78% was from the Papers segment, approximately 14% was from the Paper Merchants segment and approximately 8% was from the Wood segment. The Company had pro forma revenues of $3.2 billion in the first six months of 2007, of which approximately 81% was from the Papers segment, approximately 14% was from the Paper Merchants segment and approximately 5% was from the Wood segment.

The Company was incorporated as a Delaware corporation in August 2006 for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, which was then owned by Weyerhaeuser. The Company had no operations prior to March 7, 2007. Upon the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company acquired Domtar Inc. and became an independent public holding company, with shares traded on The New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Company directly or indirectly owns the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc.

Business segments

Papers

The Company operates 13 paper mills (ten in the United States and three in Canada) with an annual paper production capacity of approximately 4.8 million tons of uncoated freesheet paper. In addition, the Company has an annual production capacity of approximately 235,000 tons of coated groundwood at one paper mill in the U.S. The paper facilities are complemented by strategically located warehouses and sales offices. The Company has recently announced a series of actions, including mill and machine closures, as part of its review of its overall production capacity and adjustment of its production to match customer demand. See “—Recent developments—Restructuring.”

The Company manufactures papergrade pulp, which it sells to the extent it produces more pulp than is required for internal use in its paper mills. It also manufactures and sells fluff pulp and

 

 

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specialty pulp. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Company’s Prince Albert facility, which is expected to have an annual production capacity of approximately 328,000 tonnes of pulp. See “—Recent developments—Potential redevelopment of Prince Albert facility.”

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, the Company’s Papers segment generated pro forma sales of $5.3 billion, representing 78% of total pro forma sales.

Paper Merchants

In connection with its Papers business, the Company engages in the paper merchants business, which involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various paper products made by the Company and by other manufacturers. The Company operates its merchants business through the Domtar Distribution Group with 26 locations throughout the United States and Canada.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, the Company’s Paper Merchants segment generated pro forma sales of $920 million, representing 14% of total pro forma sales.

Wood

The Company manufactures, markets and distributes lumber and wood-based value-added products and manages forest resources. The Company operates four sawmills and one remanufacturing facility with an annual production capacity of approximately 495 million board feet of lumber. In addition, the Company owns five sawmills that are currently not in operation but have an annual aggregate production capacity of approximately 730 million board feet of lumber. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, the Company’s Wood segment generated pro forma sales of $523 million, representing 8% of total pro forma sales.

In June 2007, the Company entered into an agreement for the sale of substantially all of its Wood business to Conifex Inc. The Company intends to use the net cash proceeds from the sale of its Wood business to reduce its outstanding debt. For a discussion of recent developments related to the sale, see “—Recent developments—Sale of Wood business.”

Competitive strengths

The Company believes that its competitive strengths will provide a solid foundation for the execution of its business strategy:

Leading market position .     The Company is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity. This leading market position provides the Company with key competitive advantages, including economies of scale, wider sales and marketing coverage and broad product offerings, such as business, printing and publishing and technical and specialty grade paper.

Efficient and cost-competitive assets .     The Company’s fine paper business encompasses a mix of assets allowing it to be a low-cost producer of high volume papers and an efficient producer of

 

 

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value-added specialty papers. The Company’s six largest mills focus on production of high volume copy and offset papers while the other mills focus on the production of value-added paper products for which quality, flexibility and service are key determinants. Most of the Company’s paper production is at mills with integrated pulp production and cogeneration facilities, reducing exposure to price volatility for purchased pulp and energy.

Proximity to customers .     The Company has a broad geographic coverage with a strong manufacturing presence in eastern North America complemented by service locations throughout North America. This proximity to customers provides opportunities for enhanced customer service and minimization of freight distance, response time and delivery cost, which constitute key competitive advantages, particularly in the high volume copy and offset paper grades market segment. Customer proximity also allows just-in-time delivery of high demand paper products in less than 48 hours to most major North American cities.

Strong franchise with unique service solutions .     The Company sells paper to multiple market segments through a variety of channels, including paper merchants, converters, retail companies and publishers throughout North America. In addition, the Company maintains a strong market presence through its ownership of both the Domtar Distribution Group and the Enterprise Group. Both groups have developed strong positions as reliable and responsive suppliers to their markets. The Company believes it will build on those positions by maximizing its strengths in centralized planning capability and supply-chain management solutions.

Focus on stakeholder value.      The Company believes that it has the ability to build value for its stakeholders. The Company’s large base of cost-competitive and efficient assets should allow it to realize cost savings through economies of scale, enhanced buying power and synergies, which should result in higher margins.

High quality products with strong brand recognition .     The Company enjoys a strong reputation for producing high quality fine paper products and markets some of the most recognized and preferred papers in North America, including a wide range of business and commercial printing paper brands, such as Windsor Offset ® , Plainfield Digital ® , Plainfield Plus ® , Titanium ® , Microprint ® , Bobcat ® , Cougar ® , Husky ® , Jaguar ® , Lynx ® , Clarion ® , Sonora ® , Choctaw ® , First Choice ® and EarthChoice ® . The Company believes that it is a supplier of choice in the fine paper market.

Experienced management team with proven integration expertise .     The Company’s management team has significant experience and a record of success in the North American paper industry, including with respect to business integration issues. For example, Raymond Royer, the Company’s president and chief executive officer, was the president and chief executive officer of Domtar Inc. for ten years and Marvin Cooper, the Company’s chief operating officer, has more than 25 years of experience in the pulp and paper industry, including 22 years at Willamette Industries, Inc. (“Willamette”) and four years at Weyerhaeuser. Mr. Royer led Domtar Inc.’s integration of four U.S. mills acquired from Georgia Pacific in 2001 while Mr. Cooper worked on the integration of Willamette’s pulp and fine paper business after it was acquired by Weyerhaeuser in 2002. To support the management team, the Company believes its employees’ expertise and know-how should help create operational efficiencies and better enable the Company to deliver improved profitability from its manufacturing operations.

 

 

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Business strategies

The Company’s goal is to be recognized as the supplier of choice of branded and private branded paper products for consumer channels, stationers, merchants, printers and converters in North America. The Company has implemented the following business strategies in order to enhance cash flow and generate stakeholder value:

 

 

successfully integrating the combined businesses and optimizing paper production to improve operating efficiency and reduce costs;

 

 

leveraging existing customer relationships;

 

 

increasing depth of product offerings including the Company’s offering of environmentally and ethically responsible line of papers;

 

 

maintaining financial discipline to create stakeholder value; and

 

 

conducting operations in a sustainable way.

Successfully integrating the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. and optimizing paper production to improve operating efficiency and reduce costs.      The Company believes that the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. represents a strategic fit because of the similarity of both their fine paper offerings in uncoated freesheet grades and their geographic presence. The Company’s integration efforts have been focused on providing a single face to the Company’s customers, utilizing its greater sales and marketing coverage to enhance customer service and achieving synergies. The combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. provides an opportunity to combine the operational strengths and best practices of two of the industry’s leading manufacturers. The Company is implementing plans to improve the Company’s operating efficiency and cost structure and to achieve certain synergies within two years through a combination of process optimization resulting in lower operating costs, reductions in transportation, logistics and purchasing costs, implementation of best-in-class business practices and reductions in sales and administrative costs. The Company is also optimizing the Company’s distribution network and reviewing its organizational structure, consolidating its regional centers and back-office functions where appropriate.

Leveraging existing customer relationships.      The Company is building on the successful relationships that the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. have developed with key customers to support their businesses and to provide inventory reduction solutions through just-in-time delivery for most-demanded products. The Company believes that it is among the suppliers of choice for customers who seek competitively-priced paper products and services.

Increasing depth of product offerings including the company’s offering of environmentally and ethically responsible line of papers.      The Company believes that it is delivering improved service to customers through increased depth of product offerings and greater access to volume. The Company believes the development of EarthChoice ® , the Company’s line of environmentally and ethically responsible papers, is providing a platform upon which to expand its offerings to customers. The EarthChoice ® line of papers, a product line endorsed and supported by leading environmental groups, offers customers solutions and peace of mind through the use of a combination of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) virgin fiber and recycled fiber. FSC is the certification recognized by environmental groups as the most stringent and is third-party audited.

 

 

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Maintaining financial discipline to create stakeholder value.      The Company believes that value creation will initially be better achieved by de-leveraging. The Company intends to manage the Company’s capital expenditures effectively and minimize its working capital requirements.

Conducting operations in a sustainable way.      Customers and end-users as well as all stakeholders in communities where the Company operates seek assurances from the pulp and paper industry that resources are managed in a sustainable manner. The Company strives to provide these assurances by certifying the Company’s forest, manufacturing and distribution operations and the Company intends to subscribe to internationally recognized environmental management systems, namely ISO 14001.

Recent developments

Sale of Wood business

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex Inc. (“Conifex”) for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of 10 sawmills in Québec and Ontario having an annual production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights, which represent the majority of Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights. Domtar Inc.’s remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec and its interests in several wood product joint ventures are also included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license rights transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

On October 11, 2007, the Company announced that Domtar Inc. received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife (the “Minister”) for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

The Company and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend Domtar Inc.’s rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Québec Superior Court to enforce its rights. The Company and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement

 

 

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on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continues to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

The Company intends to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce its outstanding debt. At July 1, 2007, the Company and Domtar Inc. accounted for the assets and liabilities of the Wood business as held and used in accordance with SFAS 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets , due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly related to obtaining government approvals and financing. The Company and Domtar Inc. do not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

Restructuring

The Company regularly reviews its overall production capacity with a view to adjusting its production capacity to anticipated long-term demand. In July 2007, the Company announced the permanent closure of its paper mill in Gatineau, Québec and its converting center in Ottawa, Ontario as well as the permanent closure of two paper machines, one located at its Woodland paper mill in Baileyville, Maine and the other at its Port Edwards, Wisconsin paper mill. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees. The Company continues to evaluate potential adjustments to its production capacity, which may include additional closures of machines or entire mills, and the Company could recognize cash and/or non-cash charges relating to any such closures in future periods.

Potential redevelopment of Prince Albert facility

On September 12, 2007, the Company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan that could result in the redevelopment of the Prince Albert facility into a Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp mill producing 100% FSC certified softwood pulp for the North American and offshore markets. The redevelopment of the pulp mill is subject to a number of critical conditions, the most important of which is that the business case demonstrates that the mill will be a first quartile low-cost producer at foreign exchange rates between Canada and the U.S. of 1:1. Other conditions include the completion of various engineering and feasibility analyses and studies, the development of a modern and competitive operational design for the pulp mill, consultations with First Nations and the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements, as well as the approval of the Company’s board of directors and various regulatory bodies. The annual production capacity of the redeveloped mill is expected to be approximately 328,000 tonnes. The memorandum of understanding is a statement of intent only and does not create legally binding obligations.

 

 

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Overview and purpose of the exchange offers and consent solicitations

The purpose of the exchange offers is to exchange the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for an equal principal amount of newly issued notes of the Company bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered in exchange, with certain changes that are described in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. The purpose of the consent solicitation is to eliminate or amend certain provisions in the indentures pursuant to which the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes were issued, which as amended, will continue to govern any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes not tendered and exchanged. The purpose of the Canadian proxy solicitations is to obtain approval from holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures at a meeting of holders of each series of such debentures to amend the indentures pursuant to which such series of debentures were issued to provide Domtar Corp. with the right to acquire, at any time, all of the outstanding debentures of such series in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of newly issued Domtar Corp. debt securities.

The Company’s objectives in making the exchange offers and soliciting the consents and making the Canadian proxy solicitations include the following:

 

 

Working toward a simplified capital structure;

 

 

Working toward consolidating public financial reporting at the Company level, rather than maintain separate reporting obligations at the Company and at the Domtar Inc. levels; and

 

 

Providing the Company with greater flexibility to achieve cost savings opportunities and to transfer assets among its subsidiaries, thereby enhancing operational, financial and tax efficiencies.

The Company believes holders of the Domtar Inc. debt securities may benefit from participating in the proposed exchange offers and consent solicitations and the Canadian proxy solicitations for the following reasons:

 

 

The combined cash flow of the Company’s entire business, not just the business of Domtar Inc., will support the new Domtar Corp. debt securities;

 

 

Increased enterprise and asset value will support the new Domtar Corp. debt securities;

 

 

Stronger credit profile of Domtar Corp. compared to Domtar Inc. as demonstrated by improved credit statistics. See “Summary selected financial and pro forma data—Certain financial metrics;”

 

 

Increased protection from the addition of a 101% change-of-control put and upstream senior unsecured guarantees from the same subsidiaries that guarantee the Company’s obligations under the Credit Agreement;

 

 

Moody’s Investor Service has rated the Domtar Corp. notes at B1, compared to the existing rating for the Domtar Inc. debt securities of B2; and

 

 

The exchange offers and Transfer are intended to enable holders of Domtar Inc. debt securities who hold credit default swap (“CDS”) contracts with respect to Domtar Inc. debt securities to treat the Transfer as a succession event and Domtar Corp. as the reference entity under such contracts.

 

 

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In conjunction with the exchange offers and consent solicitations and the Canadian proxy solicitations, Domtar Inc. intends to sell some or all of the shares of capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corp. or its subsidiaries:

 

 

If the requisite consents with respect to each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are obtained, and the requisite votes of the holders of each series of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures to approve the amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures are obtained, Domtar Inc. intends to sell, in one or more transactions, 100% of the shares of capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries, which together own the Ashdown, Nekoosa, Port Edwards, Port Huron and Woodland mills and the U.S. paper merchants business to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries. The subsidiaries that would be sold to Domtar Corp. accounted for approximately 67% of Domtar Inc.’s sales for the six months ended June 30, 2007, excluding sales by such subsidiaries of products manufactured by the Canadian operations to be retained by Domtar Inc. The subsidiaries that would be sold to Domtar Corp. accounted for approximately 54% of depreciation and amortization and 308% of operating income (due to operating losses sustained by Domtar Inc.’s Canadian subsidiaries) of Domtar Inc. for the six months ended June 30, 2007 and approximately 43% of Domtar Inc.’s total assets as of June 30, 2007. Upon being sold, these subsidiaries would become guarantors of Domtar Corp.’s and Domtar Paper Company, LLC’s borrowings under the Credit Agreement as well as the Domtar Corp. notes offered hereby. These subsidiaries will continue to guarantee borrowings of Domtar Inc. under the Credit Agreement.

 

 

If the exchange offer for any series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes is consummated or either series of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures is exchanged for newly issued Domtar Corp. debt securities pursuant to the Canadian proxy solicitations but the requisite consents with respect to each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes or the requisite votes of the holders of each series of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures to approve the amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures are not obtained, Domtar Inc. intends to sell, in one or more transactions, up to 49% of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of Domtar Inc.’s U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries. In this case, the results of those subsidiaries would continue to be consolidated by Domtar Inc. for financial reporting purposes. However, Domtar Corp. will be entitled to its proportionate share of any dividends or other distributions declared or made by such subsidiaries. These subsidiaries would continue to guarantee borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the Credit Agreement, but would not become guarantors of borrowings by Domtar Corp. or Domtar Paper Company, LLC under the Credit Agreement, and would not become guarantors of the Domtar Corp. notes offered hereby.

The Domtar Corp. debt securities issued to holders of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures in connection with the Canadian proxy solicitations will bear interest at the same rates and have the same interest payment and maturity dates, as the corresponding series of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures acquired. Such Domtar Corp. debt securities will have the same guarantors, and will be subject to the same covenants and change of control provisions, as the Domtar Corp. notes offered hereby.

 

 

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Our corporate organization and debt structure

The chart below sets forth our current corporate organization and debt structure and shows (i) the exchange of all outstanding Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for newly issued Domtar Corp. notes in these exchange offers, (ii) the acquisition by us of all outstanding Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures in connection with the Canadian proxy solicitations and (iii) the sale by Domtar Inc. of 100% of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of Domtar Inc.’s U.S. subsidiaries to the Company or one of its subsidiaries in exchange for Domtar Inc. debt securities acquired by Domtar Corp. For purposes of this chart, we have assumed all of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of Domtar Inc.’s U.S. subsidiaries are sold to Domtar Paper Company, LLC.

LOGO

Risk factors

You should carefully consider the matters described in the section “Risk factors” beginning on page 26, as well as other information included in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

 

 

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Summary of the exchange offers

 

Domtar Inc. Securities Subject to the Exchange Offers

$600 million aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc.’s 7.875% Notes due 2011 (“7.875% Domtar Inc. notes”).

 

 

$350 million aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc.’s 5.375% Notes due 2013 (“5.375% Domtar Inc. notes”).

 

 

$400 million aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc.’s 7  1 / 8 % Notes due 2015 (“7  1 / 8 % Domtar Inc. notes”).

 

 

$125 million aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc.’s 9  1 / 2 % debentures due 2016 (“9  1 / 2 % Domtar Inc. debentures”).

 

The Exchange Offers

We are offering to holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes the opportunity to exchange their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for an equal principal amount of newly issued Domtar Corp. notes, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered in exchange.

 

 

You will receive a cash payment representing accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the settlement date on any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes we accept for exchange.

 

 

Certain terms of the Domtar Corp. notes will be substantially the same as those of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered in exchange, before giving effect to the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures. The interest rate, interest payment dates, redemption provisions and maturity date will be the same as the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered in exchange. For a description of the differences between the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the Domtar Corp. notes, see “Description of differences between the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the Domtar Corp. notes.”

 

 

Holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes must tender the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in integral multiples of $1,000. Domtar Corp. notes will be issued in minimum denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

 

 

Each exchange offer made pursuant to this prospectus and consent solicitation statement and our obligation to exchange Domtar Corp. notes for Domtar Inc. U.S. notes is subject to certain conditions. See “Conditions to the exchange offers and consent solicitations” below.

 

Consent Solicitations; Early Consent Payments

In conjunction with the exchange offers we are soliciting consents from the holders of each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes to certain

 

 

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proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. indenture pursuant to which such series of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes was issued, which we refer to as the “proposed amendments”. The proposed amendments, among other things, will (i) eliminate or modify certain restrictive covenants, (ii) permit Domtar Inc. to effect the Transfer, (iii) eliminate Domtar Inc.’s contractual reporting obligation and (iv) eliminate certain events of default. As a holder of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, you may give your consent to the proposed amendments only by tendering your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in the exchange offers. By tendering such notes, you will be deemed to have given consent to the applicable proposed amendments. The proposed amendments constitute a single proposal and a consenting holder must consent to the proposed amendments applicable to the related Domtar Inc. U.S. notes as an entirety, and may not consent selectively with respect to certain of the proposed amendments. We must receive consents from holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount outstanding of a series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes to amend the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture with respect to such series as described in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. The receipt of the requisite consents is not a condition of the exchange offers. However, if the requisite consents are obtained, the effectiveness of these proposed amendments with respect to a particular series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes will be subject to the consummation of the exchange offer with respect to that series. See “The exchange offers.”

 

 

Holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes who validly tender and do not validly withdraw their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes on or prior to the applicable early consent date will be paid in cash an early consent payment of $2.50 for each $1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered. Holders who validly tender their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes after the applicable early consent date will not receive the early consent payment.

 

Expiration Dates

In order to be eligible to receive the early consent payment, holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes must validly tender and not validly withdraw their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 30, 2007, unless, with respect to a particular series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, extended by us with respect to the exchange offer for such series. We refer to this date and time, as it may be extended with respect to any exchange offer as the “early consent date.”

 

 

Each of the exchange offers will expire at midnight, New York City time, on November 14, 2007, unless extended or earlier terminated. We refer to this date and time, as it may be extended with respect to any exchange offer, as the “expiration date.”

 

 

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Withdrawal Rights

You may withdraw tendered Domtar Inc. U.S. notes at any time prior to the applicable early consent date, but not thereafter. A valid withdrawal of tendered Domtar Inc. U.S. notes will also constitute the revocation of the related consent to the proposed amendments to the applicable Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture. You may only revoke your consent by validly withdrawing the tendered Domtar Inc. U.S. notes prior to the applicable early consent date. You may not withdraw tendered Domtar Inc. U.S. notes or revoke consents with respect thereto after the applicable early consent date, even if we extend the expiration of the exchange offers. If for any reason tendered notes are not accepted for exchange, they will be returned promptly after the expiration or termination of the exchange offers.

 

Conditions to the Exchange Offers

Each exchange offer made pursuant to this prospectus and consent solicitation statement is subject to certain conditions, including, among others, the condition that there shall have been validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the exchange offers an aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that, together with the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures that Domtar Corp. has the right to acquire as a result of the Canadian proxy solicitations, is at least equal to 75% of the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures (the “minimum amount condition”).

 

 

The minimum amount condition is intended to enable holders of Domtar Inc. debt securities who hold credit default swap contracts with respect to Domtar Inc. debt securities to treat the asset transfer as a succession event and Domtar Corp. as the reference entity under all such contracts.

 

 

If any condition is not satisfied, we have no obligation to complete the exchange offers. There is no guarantee that these conditions will be satisfied, and we have the option to waive the minimum amount condition and any other condition at our discretion. For additional information about the conditions to our obligation to complete the exchange offers, see “The exchange offers—Conditions to the exchange offers and consent solicitations.”

 

Certain Material United States Federal Income Tax Consequences

The exchange of Domtar Corp. notes for Domtar Inc. U.S. notes will be a taxable transaction for United States federal income tax purposes. See “Certain material United States federal income tax consequences.”

 

 

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Dealer Managers and Solicitation Agents

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

 

Exchange Agent

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

 

Information Agent

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

 

Procedures for Tendering and Delivering Outstanding Notes

If you wish to accept the exchange offers and consent solicitation and your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are held by a custodial entity such as a bank, broker, dealer, trust company or other nominee, then only that custodial entity can tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. In that case, you must instruct the custodial entity to tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes on your behalf pursuant to the procedures of the custodial entity.

 

 

Custodial entities that are DTC participants must tender Domtar Inc. U.S. notes through the Automated Tender Offer Program, known as ATOP, maintained by DTC.

 

 

A Letter of Transmittal and Consent need not accompany tenders effected through ATOP.

 

 

The delivery of an agent’s message through ATOP will constitute the giving of consent to the proposed amendment with respect to the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes so tendered and the agreement by the custodial entity and the beneficial holder to be bound by the Letter of Transmittal and Consent.

 

Consequences of Not Tendering Your Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes

Any of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that are not tendered to us or are not accepted for exchange will remain outstanding and will continue to accrue interest in accordance with, and will otherwise be entitled to all the rights and privileges under, the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture pursuant to which they were issued. However, if the exchange offer for any series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes is consummated and the proposed amendments are effected with respect to the applicable Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture, the proposed amendments will apply to all Domtar Inc. U.S. notes of such series not exchanged in the exchange offers, and those notes will no longer have the benefit of the protection of the provisions amended or eliminated by the proposed amendments. In addition, in conjunction with the exchange offers and consent solicitations and the Canadian proxy solicitations, Domtar Inc. intends to sell to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries, in one or more transactions, all or a portion of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries. See “—Overview and purpose of the exchange offers and consent solicitations”. In addition, Domtar

 

 

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Inc. may in the future redeem or tender for any Domtar Inc. debt securities that remain outstanding or repurchase such debt securities pursuant to open market purchases from time to time. Also, the trading market for each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes not exchanged in the exchange offers may be more limited than it is at present and could for all practical purposes cease to exist, which could adversely affect the liquidity, market price and price volatility of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes of that series. See “Risk factors—Risk factors relating to the exchange offers”.

 

Key Dates and Times

All times referred to in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement are New York City Time and all dates assume that we do not extend the exchange offers or the early consent date:

 

  Early consent date    5:00 p.m., on October 30, 2007
  Expiration date    12 midnight, on November 14, 2007
  Settlement date    November 19, 2007
 

 

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Summary description of the Company’s notes

 

Issuer

Domtar Corporation

 

Securities Offered

Up to $600 million aggregate principal amount of our 7.875% Notes due 2011.

 

 

Up to $350 million aggregate principal amount of our 5.375% Notes due 2013.

 

 

Up to $400 million aggregate principal amount of our 7.125% Notes due 2015.

 

 

Up to $125 million aggregate principal amount of our 9.5% Notes due 2016.

 

Maturity

The Domtar Corp. notes will mature on the following dates:

 

Notes          Maturity Date
 

7.875% Notes

     October 15, 2011

5.375% Notes

     December 1, 2013

7.125% Notes

     August 15, 2015

  9.5% Notes

     August 1, 2016
 

 

Interest

The Domtar Corp. notes will bear interest at the rates per annum and we will pay interest to the record holders at the close of business on the relevant record date semi-annually in arrears on the interest payment dates set forth below:

 

Notes   Rate Per Annum    Record Dates   Interest Payment Dates
              

7.875% Notes

  7.875%    April 1 and
October 1
  April 15 and October 15

5.375% Notes

  5.375%    November 15
and May 15
  December 1 and June 1

7.125% Notes

  7.125%    February 1
and August 1
  February 15 and August 15

  9.5% Notes

  9.5%    January 15
and July 15
  February 1 and August 1
              

 

 

Interest on the Domtar Corp. notes will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months and will accrue from the settlement date under the exchange offers.

 

Minimum Denominations

The Domtar Corp. notes will be issued in minimum denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

 

Subsidiary Guarantees

The Domtar Corp. notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on an unsecured senior basis by Domtar Paper Company, LLC, which is the only U.S. subsidiary of Domtar Corp. that currently guarantees the indebtedness of Domtar Corp. under the Credit Agreement. Any

 

 

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U.S. subsidiary that in the future guarantees indebtedness of Domtar Corp. or any of Domtar Corp.’s subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement, or any other indebtedness of Domtar Corp. (other than U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Corp.’s non-U.S. subsidiaries), will also fully and unconditionally, jointly and severally, guarantee the Domtar Corp. notes. Each guarantor will be released upon the release of such guarantor from its guarantee under the Credit Agreement and all other indebtedness of Domtar Corp. (except in each case a discharge or release by or as a result of payment under such guarantee). If Domtar Corp. fails to make payments on the Domtar Corp. notes, its guarantors must make them instead. If the requisite consents with respect to each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the requisite votes of the holders of each series of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures are obtained and Domtar Inc. sells more than 50% of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries, the subsidiaries that are sold will become guarantors of borrowings by Domtar Corp. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC under the Credit Agreement and will also become guarantors of the Domtar Corp. notes offered hereby. These subsidiaries will continue to guarantee borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the Credit Agreement.

 

Ranking

The Domtar Corp. notes will be our general unsecured senior obligations and will rank equally with all of our other unsecured, senior indebtedness from time to time outstanding. The Domtar Corp. notes will be effectively subordinated to our existing and future secured debt, including our indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt.

 

 

A guarantee of the Domtar Corp. notes will be an unsecured senior obligation of the applicable subsidiary guarantor and will rank equally with all of the other unsecured, senior obligations of the applicable subsidiary guarantor. A guarantee will be effectively subordinated to all of the secured indebtedness of the applicable subsidiary guarantor, including its guarantees in respect of indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such secured indebtedness.

 

 

At July 1, 2007, assuming that Domtar Corp. had completed the exchange offers and all the outstanding Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures had been acquired pursuant to the Canadian proxy solicitations in each case in return for Domtar Corp.’s debt securities and assuming that Domtar Paper Company, LLC is the only guarantor:

 

 

•   Domtar Corp. and the subsidiary guarantor, Domtar Paper Company, LLC, would have had outstanding approximately $2,422 million of indebtedness, $720 million of which would have been secured senior indebtedness, consisting of borrowings under our

 

 

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Credit Agreement, $38 million of which would have been owing under capital leases and $1,664 million of which would have been unsecured senior indebtedness, consisting of Domtar Corp. debt securities; and

 

 
 

•   Domtar Corp.’s non-guarantor subsidiaries would have had approximately $22 million of indebtedness, $12 million of which would have been outstanding to third parties, and $10 million outstanding under capital leases.

 

 

In addition, as of July 1, 2007, we had an additional $701 million (after giving effect to approximately $49 million of outstanding letters of credit) of unutilized capacity under our senior secured revolving credit facility.

 

 

All of Domtar Corp.’s operations are conducted through its subsidiaries. Unless a subsidiary is a subsidiary guarantor, claims of creditors of such subsidiary, including trade creditors, generally will have priority with respect to the assets and earnings of such subsidiary over the claims of Domtar Corp.’s creditors, including holders of the Domtar Corp. notes. The Domtar Corp. notes, therefore, will be structurally subordinated to creditors (including trade creditors) of Domtar Corp.’s subsidiaries that are not guarantors.

 

 

At issuance, the only guarantor of the Domtar Corp. notes will be Domtar Paper Company, LLC. For the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007, our non-guarantor subsidiaries collectively represented approximately 67% of our sales, 6% of our operating income and 17% of our cash flows from operating activities. At July 1, 2007, our non-guarantor subsidiaries collectively represented approximately 62% of our total assets and 61% of our outstanding total liabilities, including trade payables but excluding intercompany liabilities, all of which would have been structurally senior to the Domtar Corp. notes.

In the event that more than 50% of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of one or more of Domtar Inc.’s U.S. subsidiaries is sold to Domtar Corp. or its subsidiaries, such U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc. will become guarantors of the Domtar Corp. notes. See “Subsidiary Guarantees.”

 

Optional Redemption

We may redeem the Domtar Corp. notes of any series at our option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price equal to the greater of

 

 

•   100% of the principal amount of such series, and

 

   

the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Domtar Corp. notes of that series to be redeemed (exclusive of interest accrued to the date of redemption) discounted to the date of redemption on a semi-annual

 

 

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basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at a discount rate equal to the sum of the then current Adjusted Treasury Rate (as defined in the Domtar Corp. indenture) plus, in each case, the applicable spread (in basis points) set forth below:

 

Series of Notes    Applicable Spread
(bps)
 

7.875%

   35

5.375%

   20

7.125%

   50

9.5%

   62.5
 

 

 

plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption.

 

 

The optional redemption provisions for each series of the Domtar Corp. notes are identical to the provisions contained in the indenture for the corresponding series of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. See “Description of notes—Optional redemption”.

 

Change of Control

If we experience a change of control, we will be required to make an offer to purchase all outstanding Domtar Corp. notes at a purchase price of 101% of their principal amount plus accrued interest to, but excluding, the date of repurchase. See “Description of notes—Change of control”.

 

Certain Covenants

The indenture governing the Domtar Corp. notes will contain certain covenants that, among other things, (i) limit our ability to consolidate with or merge with or into any other person or convey, transfer or lease our properties and assets substantially as an entity to any person; (ii) limit our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to create, incur, assume or permit to exist any indebtedness that is secured by any lien on principal facilities and timberlands of the Company or its restricted subsidiaries or on any shares of capital stock or debt of the Company or any of its restricted subsidiaries without equally and ratably securing the Domtar Corp. debt securities or subsidiary guarantee, as applicable, and (iii) limit our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to enter into certain sale and leaseback transactions. See “Description of the notes—Certain covenants”.

 

Trustee for the Notes

The Bank of New York

 

Listing

The Domtar Corp. notes have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

Governing Law

The Domtar Corp. indenture will be governed by New York law.

 

Voting

Each series of the Domtar Corp. notes will vote as a separate class with respect to all matters affecting such series.

 

 

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Table of Contents

Note regarding the Predecessor Company

The Company was organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 16, 2006, and was, until March 7, 2007, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser. The Company is a holding company organized for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and consummating the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. The Company had no operations prior to March 7, 2007. On March 7, 2007, the following were completed:

 

 

a series of transfers and other transactions resulting in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business becoming wholly-owned by the Company;

 

 

the distribution of shares of the Company to certain Weyerhaeuser shareholders;

 

 

the acquisition of Domtar Inc. by the Company; and

 

 

the entry by the Company, Domtar Inc. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC into $1.5 billion senior secured credit facilities, consisting of an $800 million senior secured tranche B term loan facility and a $750 million senior secured revolving credit facility.

The predecessor to the Company for accounting and financial reporting purposes is the Company as though it owned only the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and not Domtar Inc. In this prospectus and consent solicitation statement, we refer to this predecessor as the Predecessor Company. The Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was owned and operated by Weyerhaeuser prior to the Acquisition Closing Date and was not a stand-alone business, subsidiary or separately reported segment of Weyerhaeuser. The information about the Predecessor Company contained in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement is information about the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business which was prepared on a carve-out basis, and reflects certain significant assumptions about the business and results of operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business. As a result, the results of operations and financial condition of the Company as of and from the Acquisition Closing Date are not comparable with the results of operations and financial condition of the Predecessor Company.

 

 

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Summary selected financial and pro forma data

The Company

The following table sets forth summary selected financial data for the Company as of and for the fiscal years ended December 26, 2004, December 25, 2005 and December 31, 2006, and as of and for the 26-week periods ended June 25, 2006 and July 1, 2007. The Company’s fiscal year ends on the last Sunday of the calendar year. Fiscal years 2004 and 2005 each consisted of 52 weeks and fiscal year 2006 consisted of 53 weeks. The summary selected financial information of the Company as of December 26, 2004, December 25, 2005 and December 31, 2006 and for the fiscal years ended December 26, 2004, December 25, 2005 and December 31, 2006 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company. The summary selected financial information of the Company as of and for the 26 weeks ended June 25, 2006 and as of and for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007 reflects results of Domtar Inc. only from March 7, 2007, and has been derived from the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company, which, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The audited consolidated financial statements as of December 25, 2005 and December 31, 2006 and for the three years in the period ended December 31, 2006 and the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements as of July 1, 2007 and for the 13 and 26 weeks ended June 25, 2006 and July 1, 2007 are included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. Results for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year.

 

U.S. GAAP/U.S. dollar

(Dollars in millions)

   Year Ended     Twenty six weeks
ended
   December 26,
2004
    December 25,
2005
    December 31,
2006
    June 25,
2006
    July 1,
2007(1)
 

Statement of Income Data:

          

Sales

   $3,026     $3,267     $3,306     $1,638     $2,671

Charges for restructuring, closure of facilities, and goodwill impairment

   17     538     764     749     6

Operating income (loss) before depreciation, depletion and amortization

   307     (221 )   (245 )   (616 )   349

Operating income (loss)

   (41 )   (578 )   (556 )   (768 )   140

Net income (loss)

   (17 )   (478 )   (609 )   (759 )   60

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

          

Cash and cash equivalents

   $       2     $       1     $       1     $        2     $     80

Property, plant & equipment, net

   3,923     3,270     3,065     3,229     5,894

Total assets

   5,565     4,970     3,998     4,129     7,889

Other liabilities

   37     24     37     43     2,458

Total shareholders’ equity

   4,261     3,773     2,915     2,924     3,094
 

 

(1)   Reflects results of Domtar Inc. only from March 7, 2007, the Acquisition Closing Date.

 

 

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Table of Contents

Summary unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company

The following table sets forth summary unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial data of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 and for the 26-week period ended July 1, 2007. The pro forma financial data reflects the pro forma effects of the Acquisition Transactions as if they had occurred on December 26, 2005, the first day of the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. The pro forma adjustments are described in the notes to the Unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company contained elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. The summary unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is for illustrative informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would have been achieved had the Acquisition Transactions actually taken place on December 26, 2005 and does not purport to be indicative of future operating results. Actual adjustments may differ from the pro forma adjustments. Future operating results may differ materially from the unaudited pro forma financial information presented below due to various factors including those described under “Risk factors”, “Forward-looking statements” and elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. The following should be read in conjunction with “Unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company.”

 

U.S. GAAP/U.S. dollar

(Dollars in millions)

  

52 weeks
ended

December 31,

2006

   

26 weeks
ended

July 1,

2007

 

Sales

   $ 6,750     $ 3,244

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations

   (574 )   27
 

 

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

The following table sets forth summary selected financial data of Domtar Inc. for the years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006 and the six-month period ended June 30, 2006 and for the periods from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007. The summary selected financial information of Domtar Inc. as of December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006 and for the years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc. The summary selected financial information of Domtar Inc. as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2006 and for the periods from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007, have been derived from the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc., which, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of Domtar Inc.’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The audited consolidated financial statements and unaudited interim consolidated financial statements are included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. Results are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year. For a discussion of the differences between U.S. GAAP and Canadian GAAP, see note 23 to the audited consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc. contained elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

 

U.S. GAAP/U.S. dollar(2)

(Dollars in millions)

  Year ended  

Jan. 1,
2007 to

March 6,
2007

         

March 7,
2007 to

June 30,
2007(1)

 

Six months
ended

June 30,
2006

 
  December 31,
2004
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2006
           
   
 

Statement of Operations Data:

               

Sales

  3,373     3,498     3,492   582         1,041   1,773  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations before depreciation, depletion and amortization

  264     (27 )   435   25         100   105  

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  (64 )   (329 )   27   (31 )       2   (48 )

Net earnings (loss)

  (58 )   (414 )   226   (31 )       1   (31 )
 

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

               

Cash and cash equivalents

  37     58     551         35   81  

Property, plant and equipment, net

  3,236     2,834     2,639         2,931   3,116  

Total assets

  4,554     4,152     4,082         4,551   4,401  

Total long-term debt (Including current portion, excluding capital leases)

  1,534     1,721     1,590         1,666   1,917  

Total shareholders’ equity

  1,849     1,348     1,496         1,742   1,406  
   

 

 

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Table of Contents
                                                        
Canadian GAAP/CDN dollar
(Dollars in millions)
  Year ended   

Jan. 1,
2007 to
March 6,
2007

           March 7,
2007 to
June 30,
2007(1)
   Six
months
ended
June 30,
2006
 
  December 31,
2004
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2006
              
        
 

Statement of Operations Data:

                  

Sales

  4,403     4,247     3,989    684          1,178    2,037  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations before depreciation, depletion and amortization

  348     (20 )   521    35          121    134  

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  (63 )   (310 )   63    (32 )        12    (50 )

Net earnings (loss)

  (42 )   (388 )   328    (33 )        12    (33 )
 

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

                  

Cash and cash equivalents

  52     83     649           43    94  

Property, plant and equipment, net

  4,215     3,634     3,044           3,131    3,426  

Total assets

  5,681     5,192     4,955           4,855    4,923  

Total long-term debt (Including current portion, excluding capital leases)

  2,023     2,248     1,880           1,773    2,165  

Total shareholders’ equity

  2,046     1,609     1,941           1,864    1,556  
        

 

(1)   As a result of the application of fresh start reporting (push down accounting under U.S GAAP) that started on March 7, 2007, the financial condition and results of operations and the financial position following that date are not comparable to those prior to that date. The financial condition and results of operations for the period from January 1, 2007, to March 6, 2007, and the financial condition and results of operations for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007, should not be viewed as a continuum since they were prepared using different bases of accounting and different accounting policies and, therefore, are not comparable.

 

(2)   The following table sets forth, for each period indicated, for one U.S. dollar expressed in Canadian dollars, the exchange rate at the end of the period and the average of the monthly average rates during the period, based on the Bank of Canada noon rate for fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006, as well as the six months ended June 30, 2006, and based on the United States Federal Reserve noon rate for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007.

 

                   

January 1,

   March 7,    Six months
                    2007 to    2007 to    ended
       Year ended December 31,    March 6,    June 30,    June 30,
    

2004

  

2005

   2006   

2007

  

2007

   2006
                                           

Period end

   $ 1.2036    $ 1.1659    $ 1.1653    $ 1.0634    $    $ 1.1138

Average

   $ 1.3013    $ 1.2114    $ 1.1344    $ 1.1158    $ 1.1733    $ 1.1384
 

 

 

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Certain financial metrics

The following table sets forth certain financial metrics for the Company on a pro forma basis and for Domtar Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2006 and 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007. The Company believes that the financial metrics presented are frequently used by investors to evaluate the credit profile of companies and would be useful to investors in connection with the transaction described in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement, as they provide a meaningful comparison between Domtar Inc. and Domtar Corp. The financial metrics utilize the concept of Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP measure used in the Credit Agreement as a key component in the determination of the Company’s compliance with certain financial covenants under the Credit Agreement.

Adjusted EBITDA has no standardized meaning prescribed by U.S. GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and therefore should not be considered in isolation. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income, or any other income statement data prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. It is important for readers to understand that certain items may be presented in different lines by different companies on their financial statements thereby leading to different measures for different companies. We compensate for this limitation by clearly identifying all items included in or excluded from this non-GAAP measure and explaining the items removed or added back to the most comparable GAAP measure. The table in note (a) below provides a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net income (loss) from continuing operations, the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

 

U.S. GAAP/U.S. dollar

(Dollars in millions)

   Year ended December 31, 2006    26 Weeks ended July 1, 2007  
   Domtar Corp.
(pro forma)
    Contribution of
Domtar Inc.(b)
   Domtar Corp.
(pro forma)
    Contribution of
Domtar Inc.(b)
 
   

Adjusted EBITDA(a)

   $   803     $   333    $   407     $   142  

Interest expense

   188     138    89     46  

Total debt (including current portion) as at July 1, 2007

   2,444 (c)   1,676    2,444 (c)  

1,676


 

Ratio of Adjusted EBITDA to interest expense

   4.3x     2.4x    4.6x     3.1x  

Ratio of total debt to Adjusted EBITDA

   3.0x     5.0x    3.0x (d)   5.9x (d)
   

 

(a)   Adjusted EBITDA (referred to in the Credit Agreement as “Consolidated EBITDA”) is a non-GAAP measure and is defined in the Credit Agreement as net income of the Company, on a consolidated basis, before depreciation, amortization and other non-cash charges, interest and other financing expenses and income taxes and excludes: restructuring charges not to exceed $100 million; certain costs related to synergies and integration in connection with the Acquisition Transactions not to exceed $150 million; any cost of sales impact due to any write up or down of inventory as a result of the fair value of Domtar Inc.’s inventory in connection with the Acquisition Transactions; non-cash derivative gains and losses; and non-cash gains and losses on disposals of property, plant and equipment as well as transaction expenses related to the Acquisition Transactions. The following table provides a reconciliation of the Company’s Adjusted EBITDA to Net income (loss) from continuing operations, the most directly comparable GAAP measure. We reconcile Adjusted EBITDA to Net income (loss) from continuing operations instead of to net income as the Credit Agreement excludes items included in discontinued operations, such as the gain on the disposition of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac Inc. in December 2006.

 

 

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Table of Contents

U.S. GAAP / U.S. dollars

(Dollars in millions)

   Year ended December 31, 2006     26 Weeks ended July 1, 2007  
   Domtar Corp.
(pro forma)
    Contribution of
Domtar Inc.(b)
    Domtar Corp.
(pro forma)
    Contribution of
Domtar Inc.(b)(e)
 
                          

Net income (loss) from continuing operations

   $(574 )   $  27     $  27     $(29 )

Interest expense

   188     138     89     46  

Depreciation and amortization

   495     266     248     99  

Income tax expense

   89     (4 )   15     10  

Impairment of goodwill

   749              

Net gains on disposal of property, plant and equipment

   (11 )   (11 )        

Closure and restructuring costs

   46     31     3     3  

Antidumping and countervailing duties refund

   (210 )   (145 )        

Derivative instrument (gain)

   9     9     (13 )   (13 )

Transaction expenses

   22     22     29     29  

Inventory adjustment for transaction

           (3 )   (3 )

Costs related to synergies and integration

           12      
      

Adjusted EBITDA

   $ 803     $333     $407     $142  
   

 

(b)   The amounts contributed by Domtar Inc. to the Company’s Adjusted EBITDA, interest expense and total debt have been calculated on the basis of Domtar Inc.’s actual amounts converted to U.S. dollars, using the foreign exchange rates in effect for the periods presented.

 

(c)   On September 28, 2007, the Company made a $2 million mandatory quarterly amortization payment and a $73 million optional prepayment, in each case in respect of the senior secured tranche B term loan facility, which is not reflected in the table above.

 

(d)   For purposes of calculating the ratio of total debt to Adjusted EBITDA as of July 1, 2007 (calculated on an annualized basis), Adjusted EBITDA for the 26 week period ended July 1, 2007 was doubled.

 

(e)   Domtar Inc.’s Net income (loss) from continuing operations for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007, represents the combination of the net loss from continuing operations from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 of $31 million (period prior to the Acquisition Transactions), and Net income of $2 million from March 7, 2007 to July 1, 2007 (period that reflects the application of purchase accounting). The combined information for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007 is non-GAAP and is for illustrative purposes. This information is provided for the convenience of the reader only in conjunction with the calculation of the above financial metrics. As a result of the application of purchase accounting that started on March 7, 2007, the results of operations and the financial position following that date are not comparable to results for periods prior to that date. The results of operations for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007, and the results of operations for the period from March 7, 2007 to July 1, 2007 should not be viewed as a continuum since they were prepared using different bases of accounting and different accounting policies and, therefore, are not comparable. The other components of the reconciliation were derived by combining the related amounts for the periods January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and March 7, 2007 to July 1, 2007, which are also non-GAAP amounts.

 

 

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Risk factors

Before agreeing to accept the Domtar Corp. notes in exchange for the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes you currently hold, you should carefully consider the risks described below in addition to the other information presented in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. Because the Company’s business comprises the operations of both the Predecessor Company and Domtar Inc., unless the context requires otherwise, the current and forward-looking statements included in this section continue to apply to the Company following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, without regard to whether such statement refers to the Company or the Predecessor Company.

Risk factors relating to the exchange offers

The trading market for each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes not exchanged in the exchange offers may become more limited than it is at present and could for all practical purposes cease to exist, which could adversely affect the liquidity, market price and price volatility of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes of that series.

We are offering to exchange any and all outstanding notes of each series of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for newly issued Domtar Corp. notes of a corresponding series. It is a condition of the exchange offers that we receive valid tenders pursuant to the exchange offers, which are not withdrawn, of an aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that, together with the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures that Domtar Corp. has the right to acquire as a result of the Canadian proxy solicitations, is at least equal to 75% of the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures. We have the option to waive this and any other condition to the exchange offers at our discretion. Consequently, the aggregate principal amount of each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes is likely to decrease substantially upon consummation of the exchange offers. A debt security with a smaller outstanding aggregate principal amount available for trading (a smaller “float”) may command a lower price and have less trading liquidity than would a comparable debt security with a larger float. Therefore, the market price for the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that are not tendered and accepted for exchange pursuant to the exchange offers may be affected adversely to the extent that the principal amount of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes exchanged pursuant to the exchange offers reduces the float. A reduced float may also make the trading price of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that are not exchanged in the exchange offers more volatile. The extent of the public market for the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes following the consummation of the exchange offers will depend upon the number of holders remaining at such time, the interest in maintaining a market in such notes on the part of securities firms and other factors. In addition, if the exchange offer for any series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes is consummated but not all such notes are tendered and therefore notes of such series remain outstanding thereafter, or if we do not consummate the exchange offers with respect to any series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, Domtar Inc. may in the future redeem or tender for any of such Domtar Inc. U.S. notes or repurchase such Domtar Inc. U.S. notes pursuant to open market purchases from time to time.

 

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If we receive consents sufficient to amend the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures as proposed, the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that are not exchanged will remain outstanding under the applicable Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture, as amended, which will afford reduced protection to remaining holders and could adversely affect the liquidity, market price and price volatility of such Domtar Inc. U.S. notes.

In connection with the exchange offers, we are soliciting consents from the holders of each series of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes to amend, with respect to each such series, the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture pursuant to which such series of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes was issued.

If the proposed amendments to a Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture are adopted, the provisions of that Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture will be less restrictive and will afford reduced protection to holders of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes issued pursuant to such indenture. The proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures would, among other things:

 

 

eliminate or modify certain restrictive covenants;

 

 

permit Domtar Inc. to effect the Transfer;

 

 

eliminate Domtar Inc.’s contractual reporting obligations; and

 

 

eliminate certain events of default.

If the proposed amendments to a Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture are adopted with respect to a series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, each non-exchanging holder of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes of such series will be bound by the proposed amendments even though that holder did not consent to them. The elimination or modification of the covenants and other provisions in the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures contemplated by the proposed amendments would, among other things, permit Domtar Inc. to take actions that would not have previously been permitted by the relevant indenture and which could increase the credit risk associated with the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and adversely affect the liquidity or marketability of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes not tendered in the exchange offers or otherwise be adverse to the interests of the holders of such notes. See “The consent solicitation—The proposed amendments.”

If the exchange offers are completed, your ability to obtain financial and other information about Domtar Inc. could be adversely affected.

The indentures under which the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes were issued currently require Domtar Inc. to file reports under the Exchange Act, or otherwise provide financial and other information to the trustee or the holders of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes even if it is not required to do so under applicable law. If the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures are adopted, this obligation will be eliminated.

Domtar Inc. intends, to the extent permitted by applicable law, to deregister all of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes under the Exchange Act upon completion of the exchange offers. As Domtar Inc. previously deregistered its common shares under the Exchange Act upon completion of the Acquisition Transactions, upon such deregistration of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, Domtar Inc. will no longer have an obligation with respect to those notes or any of its other securities to file reports with the SEC. In addition, if the requisite votes of the holders of each series of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures to approve the amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures are obtained, Domtar Corp. intends to exchange newly issued Domtar Corp. debt securities for the outstanding Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures, which would terminate

 

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Domtar Inc.’s public reporting obligations under Canadian securities laws with respect to such debentures. If Domtar Inc. in the future redeems its outstanding preferred shares, it will cease to have any public reporting obligations under Canadian securities laws. As a result, remaining investors in Domtar Inc. U.S. notes after the completion of the exchange offers may not be able to obtain information regarding Domtar Inc.’s business, results and financial condition and investor interest in the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes could be substantially reduced, which could affect liquidity and trading prices for the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes.

If you do not follow the procedures for exchanging your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, your exchange may not be valid.

We will only issue Domtar Corp. notes in exchange for Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that are timely and properly tendered. Therefore, you should carefully follow the instructions on how to tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and you should allow sufficient time to ensure timely delivery of your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes to the exchange agent. If your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are held by a custodial entity such as a bank, broker, dealer, trust company or other nominee, then only that custodial entity can tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. In such case, you should follow the instructions sent to you separately by that institution. Neither we nor the exchange agent are required to inform you of any defects or irregularities with respect to tenders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. See “The exchange offers.”

If you do not validly tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes on or prior to the early consent date, you will not receive the early consent payment.

There is no assurance that Domtar Corp. will be deemed a successor entity to Domtar Inc. and be regarded as the new reference entity for purposes of credit default swaps related to the Domtar Inc. debt securities.

Certain holders of the Domtar Inc. debt securities may be parties to credit default swap (CDS) contracts relating to the Domtar Inc. debt securities. Under these CDS contracts, a Domtar Inc. debtholder has contracted for the right to recoup the economic value of a decline in the value of such Domtar Inc. debt security if a credit event occurs with regard to Domtar Inc., as the reference entity. This economic value is realized by delivery of such Domtar Inc. debt security to the counterparty to the CDS contract in return for the previously agreed payment. We believe that the consummation of the exchange offers, assuming that the minimum amount condition has been satisfied and the Transfer has been effected, would establish a “succession event” from Domtar Inc. to Domtar Corp. The minimum amount condition and the Transfer are intended to facilitate Domtar Corp. being a successor entity to Domtar Inc. for purposes of these CDS contracts by virtue of succeeding to obligations of Domtar Inc. “by way of” a succession event. We believe that Domtar Corp. should be deemed to be the sole reference entity for purposes of determining whether a credit event has occurred if more than 75% of the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures are exchanged for Domtar Corp. debt securities “by way of” a succession event. However, no assurance can be given as to the existence of a succession event or that Domtar Corp. will be deemed a successor entity to Domtar Inc. for purposes of these CDS contracts, or that Domtar Corp. will be deemed the reference entity for purposes of determination of a credit event. If such result is not achieved, holders of these CDS contracts may not be able to realize the economic values of these agreements.

 

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Some or all of the Domtar Corp. notes may bear original issue discount for United States federal income tax purposes.

Some or all of the Domtar Corp. notes issued in the exchange offers will likely bear original issue discount if the trading value of such Domtar Corp. notes on the date they are issued is less than the stated principal amount of such notes by more than a statutorily defined de minimis amount. In any such case, a holder of an affected Domtar Corp. note will be required to include the original issue discount in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes over the life of such Domtar Corp. note on a constant yield basis even though corresponding amounts of cash are not received currently. See “Certain material United States federal income tax consequences.”

Risk factors relating to the Domtar Corp. notes

The Company’s substantial indebtedness, which is approximately $2.4 billion as of July 1, 2007, could adversely affect its financial condition and impair its ability to operate its business.

The Company is highly leveraged. As of July 1, 2007, the Company had approximately $2.4 billion of outstanding indebtedness, including $720.0 million of indebtedness under the term loan portion of its senior secured credit facilities, $48 million of capital leases and $1.7 billion of indebtedness under the Domtar Inc. debt securities.

The Company’s substantial degree of indebtedness could have important consequences to the Company’s financial condition, operating results and business, including the following:

 

 

it may limit the Company’s ability to obtain additional debt or equity financing for working capital, capital expenditures, product development, debt service requirements, acquisitions and general corporate or other purposes;

 

 

a substantial portion of the Company’s cash flows from operations will be dedicated to payments on its indebtedness and will not be available for other purposes, including operations, capital expenditures and future business opportunities;

 

 

the debt service requirements of the Company’s indebtedness could make it more difficult for the Company to satisfy its other obligations;

 

 

the Company’s borrowings under the senior secured credit facilities are at variable rates of interest, exposing the Company to increased debt service obligations in the event of increased interest rates;

 

 

it may limit the Company’s ability to adjust to changing market conditions and place it at a competitive disadvantage compared to its competitors that have less debt; and

 

 

it may increase the Company’s vulnerability to a downturn in general economic conditions or in its business, and may make the Company unable to carry out capital spending that is important to its growth.

Despite current indebtedness levels, we and our subsidiaries may incur substantially more debt. this could further exacerbate the risks associated with our substantial leverage.

We and our subsidiaries may incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future. Although the Credit Agreement contains restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, including secured indebtedness, these restrictions are subject to a number of qualifications and

 

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exceptions, and the indebtedness incurred in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial. For example, as of July 1, 2007, we had no amounts drawn under our senior secured revolving credit facility and $49 million of letters of credit outstanding, resulting in $701 million of availability for future drawings. Any additional borrowings under the senior secured revolving credit facility would be effectively senior to the Domtar Corp. notes and the related guarantees to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness. Moreover, the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities will not impose any limitation on our or our subsidiaries’ incurrence of indebtedness, other than a limitation with respect to secured indebtedness (subject to a number of qualifications and exceptions). If we incur additional debt, the risks associated with our substantial leverage would increase.

Our ability to generate the significant amount of cash needed to pay interest and principal on the Domtar Corp. notes and service our other debt and financial obligations and our ability to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness or obtain additional financing depends on many factors beyond our control.

The Company has considerable debt service obligations. On a pro forma basis after giving effect to the Acquisition Transactions, as of December 31, 2006, the Company had approximately $200 million of annual interest payments and its aggregate debt service obligations are approximately $210 million each year from 2007 through 2010. Our ability to make payments on and refinance our debt, including the Domtar Corp. debt securities, amounts borrowed under our senior secured credit facilities and other financial obligations, including the Domtar Inc. debt securities that remain outstanding following the completion of the exchange offers and the Canadian proxy solicitations, if any, and to fund our operations will depend on our ability to generate substantial operating cash flow. Our cash flow generation will depend on our future performance, which will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and to financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.

Our business may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations and future borrowings may not be available to us under our senior secured credit facilities or otherwise in amounts sufficient to enable us to service our indebtedness, including the Domtar Corp. notes, and borrowings under our senior secured credit facilities or to fund our other liquidity needs. If we cannot service our debt, we will have to take actions such as reducing or delaying capital investments, selling assets, restructuring or refinancing our debt or seeking additional equity capital. Any of these remedies may not be effected on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, and may impede the implementation of our business strategy. Further, the Credit Agreement may restrict us from adopting any of these alternatives. In addition, the restrictions on the Company’s ability to issue equity securities or convertible debt securities during the two year period following the Acquisition Closing Date without jeopardizing the intended tax consequences of the Acquisition Transactions may make it difficult for the Company to raise equity capital if needed to service its indebtedness. Because of these and other factors that may be beyond our control, we may be unable to pay the principal, premium, if any, interest or other amounts on the Domtar Corp. notes. See “Risks related to the Acquisition Transactions—The Company may be affected by significant restrictions following the Acquisition Transactions in order to avoid significant tax-related liabilities.”

 

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Your right to receive payments on the Domtar Corp. notes is junior to that of lenders who have a security interest in our and our subsidiaries’ assets.

Our obligations under the Domtar Corp. notes and the guarantor’s obligations under its guarantee of the Domtar Corp. notes are unsecured, but our obligations under our senior secured credit facilities and the guarantor’s obligations under its guarantee of the Credit Agreement are secured by a security interest in substantially all of our and our guarantor’s assets, including pledges of all or a portion of the capital stock of our and the guarantor’s subsidiaries, including Domtar Inc. If we are declared bankrupt or insolvent, or if we default under the Credit Agreement, the lenders could declare all of the funds borrowed thereunder, together with any accrued and unpaid interest, immediately due and payable. If we are unable to repay such indebtedness, the lenders could foreclose on or otherwise enforce their security interest in the pledged assets to the exclusion of holders of the Domtar Corp. notes and the guarantee on the Domtar Corp. notes, even if an event of default exists under the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. notes at such time. Furthermore, if the lenders foreclose on and sell or otherwise enforce their security interest in the pledged equity interests in any existing or future guarantor, then such guarantor will be released from its guarantee of the Domtar Corp. notes automatically upon such sale if the guarantor is no longer a subsidiary of ours, provided that such sale is made in compliance with the provisions of the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. notes.

In any such event, because the Domtar Corp. notes and the guarantee of the Domtar Corp. notes will not be secured by any of our or the guarantor’s assets, it is possible that there would be no assets remaining from which claims of the holders of the Domtar Corp. notes could be satisfied or, if any assets remained, that they would be insufficient to satisfy such claims fully. See “Description of other indebtedness—Senior secured credit facilities.”

As of July 1, 2007, we had $768 million of secured indebtedness, comprised in part of $720 million under our senior secured term facility and $48 million of capital leases. In addition, $701 million was available under our senior secured revolving credit facility, after giving effect to $49 million of outstanding letters of credit.

The notes will be structurally subordinated to all indebtedness of our subsidiaries that do not guarantee the Domtar Corp. notes.

You will not have any claim as a creditor against any of our existing and future subsidiaries that do not guarantee the Domtar Corp. notes. Indebtedness and other liabilities, including trade payables, whether secured or unsecured, of those subsidiaries will be structurally senior to your claims against those subsidiaries. At the date of issuance of the Domtar Corp. notes, the only guarantor will be Domtar Paper Company, LLC.

For the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 our non-guarantor subsidiaries collectively represented approximately 67% of our sales, 6% of our operating income and 17% of our cash flows from operating activities. At July 1, 2007, our non-guarantor subsidiaries collectively represented approximately 62% of our total assets and 61% of our outstanding total liabilities, including trade payables, but excluding intercompany liabilities, all of which would have been structurally senior to the Domtar Corp. notes.

In addition, the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities will not contain any limitation on the amount of additional indebtedness that can be incurred by our restricted

 

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subsidiaries, other than secured indebtedness, and will not contain any limitation on the amount of other liabilities, such as trade payables, that may be incurred by these subsidiaries.

If we default on our obligations to pay our other indebtedness, we may not be able to make payments on the Domtar Corp. notes.

Any default under the agreements governing our indebtedness, including a default under the Credit Agreement, could prevent us from making any payments on the Domtar Corp. notes and substantially decrease the market value of the Domtar Corp. notes. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow and are otherwise unable to obtain funds necessary to meet required payments on our indebtedness, or if we otherwise fail to comply with the various covenants, including financial and operating covenants of our indebtedness, we could be in default under such indebtedness. In the event of such default:

 

 

the holders of such indebtedness may be able to cause all of our available cash to be used to pay such indebtedness and, in any event, could elect to declare all amounts thereunder to be due and payable;

 

 

the lenders under our senior secured credit facilities could elect to terminate their commitments thereunder, cease making further loans and institute foreclosure proceedings against our assets; and

 

 

we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.

We may not be able to repurchase the Domtar Corp. notes upon a change of control.

Upon the occurrence of specific kinds of change of control events, we will be required to offer to repurchase all outstanding Domtar Corp. notes at 101% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest. The source of funds for any such purchase of the Domtar Corp. notes will be our available cash or cash generated from our subsidiaries’ operations or other sources, including borrowings, sales of assets or sales of equity. We may not be able to repurchase the Domtar Corp. notes upon a change of control because we may not have sufficient financial resources to purchase all of the notes that are tendered upon a change of control. Further, we may be contractually restricted under the terms of our senior secured credit facilities from repurchasing all of the Domtar Corp. notes tendered by holders upon a change of control. Accordingly, we may not be able to satisfy our obligations to purchase the Domtar Corp. notes. Our failure to repurchase any series of the Domtar Corp. notes upon a change of control would cause a default under the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. notes and a cross-default under the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement also provides that a change of control will be a default that permits lenders to accelerate the maturity of borrowings thereunder. Any of our future debt agreements may contain similar provisions.

An active market may not develop for the Domtar Corp. notes, which may hinder your ability to liquidate your investment.

Each series of the Domtar Corp. notes is a new issue of securities with no established trading market. The U.S. Dealer Managers have informed us that they intend to make a market in the Domtar Corp. notes after the completion of this exchange offer; however, they are not obligated to do so and may discontinue such market making at any time. As a result, we cannot assure you that an active trading market will develop for any series of the Domtar Corp. notes.

 

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Historically, the market for non-investment grade debt has been subject to disruptions that have caused substantial volatility in the prices of securities similar to the Domtar Corp. notes offered hereby. The market for the Domtar Corp. notes, if any, may be subject to similar disruptions. Any such disruptions may adversely affect the value of the Domtar Corp. notes. In addition, subsequent to their initial issuance, trading prices of the Domtar Corp. notes may vary, depending upon prevailing interest rates, the market for similar notes and the interest of securities dealers in making a market in the Domtar Corp. notes offered hereby, our operating performance and financial condition, our prospects or the prospects for companies in our industry generally and other factors, including those described herein.

The Domtar Corp. notes are obligations of a holding company that has substantially no independent operations and is dependent on its subsidiaries for cash.

As a holding company, our investments in our operating subsidiaries constitute substantially all of our operating assets. Our subsidiaries conduct all of our consolidated operations and own substantially all of our consolidated assets. As a result, we must rely on dividends and other advances and transfers of funds from our subsidiaries to meet our debt service and other obligations. The ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other advances and transfers of funds will depend on their respective results of operations and may be restricted by, among other things, applicable laws limiting the amount of funds available for payment of dividends and agreements of those subsidiaries.

Restrictive covenants in the credit agreement may restrict our ability to pursue our business strategies.

The Credit Agreement contains a number of restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and may limit our ability to engage in acts that may be in our long term best interests. These covenants restrict, among other things, our and our subsidiaries’ ability to:

 

 

incur or guarantee additional debt or issue certain preferred stock;

 

 

pay dividends or make distributions on our capital stock or redeem, repurchase or retire our capital stock or subordinated and certain other debt;

 

 

make certain investments or capital expenditures;

 

 

create liens on our or our subsidiary guarantor’s assets to secure debt or enter into certain sale and leaseback transactions;

 

 

pay dividends or other amounts or make other distributions by us or our subsidiaries;

 

 

enter into transactions with affiliates;

 

 

merge or consolidate with another person or sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets;

 

 

sell assets, including capital stock of our subsidiaries; and

 

 

alter the business that we conduct.

 

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The indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities will also include limitations on our ability to create liens on our or our subsidiaries’ assets to secure debt, our ability to engage in certain sale and leaseback transactions and our ability to merge or consolidate with another person or sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets.

A breach of any covenant contained in either the Credit Agreement or the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities could result in a default under those agreements. If any such default occurs, the lenders under the Credit Agreement or the holders of the Domtar Corp. debt securities, as the case may be, may elect (after the expiration of any applicable notice or grace periods) to declare all outstanding borrowings, together with accrued and unpaid interest and other amounts payable thereunder, to be immediately due and payable. In addition, a default under the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities with respect to any series of the Domtar Corp. debt securities would cause a default under the Credit Agreement and a default with respect to the other series of Domtar Corp. debt securities, and the acceleration of debt under the Credit Agreement or the failure to pay that debt when due or an unstayed judgment against us would cause a default under the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities (assuming the amount of that debt or judgment is in excess of $80 million or the equivalent thereof in any foreign currency). The lenders under the Credit Agreement also have the right upon an event of default thereunder to terminate any commitments they have to provide further revolving borrowings. Further, following an event of default under the Credit Agreement, the lenders thereunder will have the right to proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure that debt, which includes the available cash of our subsidiaries that guarantee the senior secured credit facilities. If the debt under the Credit Agreement or the Domtar Corp. debt securities becomes due and payable, our assets may not be sufficient to repay in full that debt or any other debt that may become due as a result of that acceleration.

Risks related to the industries and businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.

Unless otherwise noted or the context requires otherwise, the following risk factors apply to both the Company and Domtar Inc.

The pulp, paper and wood product industries are highly cyclical. fluctuations in the prices of and the demand for the Company’s products could result in smaller profit margins and lower sales volumes.

The pulp, paper and wood product industries are highly cyclical. Historically, economic and market shifts, fluctuations in capacity and changes in foreign currency exchange rates have created cyclical changes in prices, sales volume and margins for the Company’s products. The length and magnitude of industry cycles have varied over time and by product, but generally reflect changes in macroeconomic conditions and levels of industry capacity. Most of the Company’s paper products are commodities that are widely available from other producers. Even the Company’s non-commodity products, such as value-added papers, are susceptible to commodity dynamics. Because commodity products have few distinguishing qualities from producer to producer, competition for these products is based primarily on price, which is determined by supply relative to demand.

The overall levels of demand for the products the Company manufactures and distributes, and consequently its sales and profitability, reflect fluctuations in levels of end-user demand, which depend in part on general macroeconomic conditions in North America and worldwide, as well as competition from electronic substitution. See “Some of the Company’s products are vulnerable to

 

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long-term declines in demand due to competing technologies or materials.” For example, demand for cut-size office paper may fluctuate with levels of white-collar employment. Demand for many of such products was materially and negatively impacted by the global economic downturn, among other things, in the early part of this decade, and the Company expects that the Company will be sensitive to such downturns in the future.

Industry supply of pulp, paper and wood products is also subject to fluctuation, as changing industry conditions can influence producers to idle or permanently close individual machines or entire mills. Such closures can result in significant cash and/or non-cash charges. In addition, to avoid substantial cash costs in connection with idling or closing a mill, some producers will choose to continue to operate at a loss, sometimes even a cash loss, which could prolong weak pricing environments due to oversupply. Oversupply can also result from producers introducing new capacity in response to favorable short-term pricing trends.

Industry supply of pulp, paper and wood products is also influenced by overseas production capacity, which has grown in recent years and is expected to continue to grow. While the weakness of the U.S. dollar has mitigated the levels of imports in recent years, imports of pulp, paper and wood products from overseas may increase, putting downward pressure on prices.

As a result, prices for all of the Company’s products are driven by many factors outside of its control, and it has little influence over the timing and extent of price changes, which are often volatile. Because market conditions beyond the Company’s control determine the prices for its commodity products, the price for any one or more of these products may fall below its cash production costs, requiring the Company to either incur cash losses on product sales or cease production at one or more of its manufacturing facilities. The Company continues to evaluate potential adjustments to its production capacity, which may include additional closures of machines or entire mills, and the Company could recognize significant cash and/or non-cash charges relating to any such closures in future periods. Therefore, the Company’s profitability with respect to these products depends on managing its cost structure, particularly wood fiber, chemical and energy costs, which represent the largest components of its operating costs and can fluctuate based upon factors beyond its control, as described below. If the prices of or demand for its products decline, or if its wood fiber, chemical or energy costs increase, or both, its sales and profitability could be materially and adversely affected.

Some of the Company’s products are vulnerable to long-term declines in demand due to competing technologies or materials.

The Company’s business competes with electronic transmission and document storage alternatives, as well as with paper grades it does not produce, such as uncoated groundwood. As a result of such competition, both the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. previously experienced decreased demand for some of their existing pulp and paper products. As the use of these alternatives grows, demand for pulp and paper products is likely to further decline. Moreover, demand for some of the Company’s wood products may decline if customers purchase alternatives from other sources.

The Company faces intense competition in its markets, and the failure to compete effectively would have a material adverse effect on its business and results of operations.

The Company competes with both U.S. and Canadian paper producers and, for many of its product lines, global producers, some of which may have greater financial resources and lower production costs than the Company. The principal basis for competition is selling price. The

 

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Company’s ability to maintain satisfactory margins depends in large part on its ability to control its costs. The Company cannot assure you that it can compete effectively and maintain current levels of sales and profitability. If the Company cannot compete effectively, such failure will have a material adverse effect on its business and results of operations.

The Company’s and Domtar Inc.’s intellectual property rights are valuable, and any inability to protect them could reduce the value of its products and its brands.

The Company and Domtar Inc. rely on patent, trademark, and other intellectual property laws of the United States and other countries to protect its intellectual property rights. However, the Company and Domtar Inc. may be unable to prevent third parties from using their respective intellectual property without its authorization, which may reduce any competitive advantage it has developed. If the Company or Domtar Inc. had to litigate to protect these rights, any proceedings could be costly, and it may not prevail. The Company and Domtar Inc. cannot guarantee that any U.S. or foreign patents, issued or pending, will provide it with any competitive advantage or will not be challenged by third parties. Additionally, the Company and Domtar Inc. have obtained and applied for U.S. and foreign trademark registrations, and will continue to evaluate the registration of additional service marks and trademarks, as appropriate. Neither the Company or Domtar Inc. can guarantee that any of its pending patent or trademark applications will be approved by the applicable governmental authorities and, even if the applications are approved, third parties may seek to oppose or otherwise challenge these registrations. The failure to secure any pending patent or trademark applications may limit the Company’s and Domtar Inc.’s ability to protect the intellectual property rights that these applications were intended to cover.

The Company’s manufacturing businesses may have difficulty obtaining wood fiber at favorable prices, or at all.

Wood fiber is the principal raw material used by the Company, comprising, on a pro forma basis, approximately 22% of the aggregate amount of materials, labor and other operating expenses and fiber costs for its business during 2006. Wood fiber is a commodity, and prices historically have been cyclical. The primary source for wood fiber is timber. Environmental litigation and regulatory developments have caused, and may cause in the future, significant reductions in the amount of timber available for commercial harvest in the United States and Canada. In addition, future domestic or foreign legislation and litigation concerning the use of timberlands, the protection of endangered species, the promotion of forest health and the response to and prevention of catastrophic wildfires could also affect timber supplies. Availability of harvested timber may further be limited by fire, insect infestation, disease, ice storms, wind storms, flooding and other natural and man made causes, thereby reducing supply and increasing prices. Wood fiber pricing is subject to regional market influences, and the Company’s cost of wood fiber may increase in particular regions due to market shifts in those regions. Any sustained increase in wood fiber prices would increase the Company’s operating costs, and the Company may be unable to increase prices for its products in response to increased wood fiber costs due to additional factors affecting the demand or supply of these products.

The Province of Québec adopted legislation, which became effective April 1, 2005, that reduced allowable wood-harvesting volumes by an average of 20% on public lands and 25% on territories covered by an agreement between the Government of Québec and the Cree First Nations. As a result, the amount of fiber, primarily softwood fiber, the Company is permitted to harvest annually, under its existing licenses from the Québec government, was reduced by approximately

 

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500,000 cubic meters to approximately 2.0 million cubic meters, reflecting a 21% reduction. The Chief Forester of Québec has proposed a further reduction of 60,000 cubic meters, or 3%, of the total softwood annual allowable cut of forests managed by the Company. This would significantly affect the supply of fiber for the Company’s Northern Québec softwood sawmill and market pulp operations. The reduction in harvest volume would also result in a corresponding increase in the unit cost of wood delivered to the sawmills. As a result of the impact of the strength of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar, low lumber prices and other factors, most of the Company’s wood fiber harvesting operations in Québec have been shut down and all but one of the facilities relating to such operations have been closed indefinitely. As a result of the reduced availability, the Company may face increased costs in purchasing, and have difficulty locating wood fiber sufficient to satisfy its requirements.

On October 1, 2007, Domtar Inc. received a written notice from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to its Grand-Remous and Malarctic sawmills. The Company and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend Domtar Inc.’s rights. As a result of this notice, Conifex has delivered a notice purporting to terminate its agreement to purchase Domtar Inc.’s Wood business. The Company and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. However, if Domtar Inc. is not successful in reinstating these license rights and obtaining the consent of the Minister to transfer the license rights to Conifex on or before December 31, 2007, Conifex would have the right to terminate the agreement and, if it exercised its right to do so, the pending sale would not be completed.

Historically, Weyerhaeuser provided, on average, approximately 45% of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business’ wood fiber requirements, which is approximately 19% of the Company’s wood fiber requirements. The Company currently obtains its wood fiber requirements in part by harvesting timber pursuant to its forest licenses and forest management agreements, in part by purchasing wood fiber from Weyerhaeuser pursuant to the fiber and pulp supply agreements entered into in connection with the Acquisition Transactions, which expire between 2007 and 2027, and in part by purchasing wood fiber from third parties. If the Company’s cutting rights pursuant to its forest licenses or forest management agreements are reduced or if Weyerhaeuser or any third-party supplier of wood fiber stops selling or is unable to sell wood fiber to the Company, its financial condition and operating results would suffer.

An increase in the cost of the Company’s purchased energy or chemicals would lead to higher manufacturing costs, thereby reducing its margins.

The Company’s operations consume substantial amounts of energy such as electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel (wood waste). Energy comprised, on a pro forma basis, approximately 8% of the aggregate amount of materials, labor and other operating expenses and fiber costs for the Company’s business during 2006. Energy prices, particularly for electricity, natural gas and fuel oil, have been volatile in recent years and currently exceed historical averages. As a result, fluctuations in energy prices will impact the Company’s manufacturing costs and contribute to earnings volatility. While the Company purchases substantial portions of its energy under supply contracts, many of these contracts are based on market pricing.

Other raw materials the Company uses include various chemical compounds, such as precipitated calcium carbonate, sodium chlorate and sodium hydroxide, dyes, resins and adhesives. Purchases

 

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of chemicals comprised, on a pro forma basis, approximately 12% of the aggregate amount of materials, labor and other operating costs and fiber costs for the Company’s business during 2006. The costs of these chemicals have been volatile historically, and are influenced by capacity utilization, energy prices and other factors beyond the Company’s control. In the second quarter of 2007, for example, we incurred higher costs for chemical purchases than in the first quarter of 2007. Certain of our material chemical supply agreements will expire between December 31, 2007, and June 30, 2008.

For the Company’s commodity products, the relationship between industry supply and demand for these products, rather than changes in the cost of raw materials, will determine its ability to increase prices. Consequently, the Company may be unable to pass on increases in its operating costs to its customers. Any sustained increase in chemical or energy prices without any corresponding increase in product pricing would reduce the Company’s operating margins and potentially require it to limit or cease operations of one or more of its machines.

The Company could experience disruptions in operations and/or increased labor costs due to labor disputes.

Employees at 44 of the Company’s facilities, a majority of the Company’s 14,000 employees, are represented by unions through collective bargaining agreements, generally on a facility-by-facility basis, which will expire between 2007 and 2012. Currently six collective bargaining agreements are up for renegotiation. The Company may not be able to negotiate acceptable new collective bargaining agreements, which could result in strikes or work stoppages or other labor disputes by affected workers. Renewal of collective bargaining agreements could also result in higher wages or benefits paid to union members. In addition, labor organizing activities could occur at any of the Company’s facilities. Therefore, the Company could experience a disruption of its operations or higher ongoing labor costs, which could have a material adverse effect on its business and financial condition.

In connection with the Company’s restructuring efforts, the Company has suspended operations at, or closed or announced its intention to close, various facilities and may incur liability with respect to affected employees, which could have a material adverse effect on its business or financial condition. In addition, the Company continues to evaluate potential adjustments to its production capacity, which may include additional closures of machines or entire mills, and the Company could recognize significant cash and/or non-cash charges relating to any such closures in future periods.

In the early part of 2006, Weyerhaeuser closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which the Company acquired in the Acquisition Transactions, and which remains closed. Certain unionized parties filed a grievance against Weyerhaeuser following the shut down, alleging that certain post-closure actions taken by Weyerhaeuser violated their collective bargaining agreement. In particular, the union disputed Weyerhaeuser’s post-closure contracting with a third-party vendor to oversee on-site security at Prince Albert. In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company has assumed any liability with respect to this grievance. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Prince Albert facility. However, the consummation of this plan is subject to several critical conditions. In a separate grievance relating to the closure of the Prince Albert facility, which could result in liability in excess of $20 million, the union is claiming that it is entitled to the accumulated pension benefits during the actual

 

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layoff period because, according to the union, a majority of employees retained still had recall rights during the layoff. The Company is currently evaluating its positions with respect to these grievances and cannot be certain that it will not incur liability, which could be material, with respect to these grievances.

The Company relies heavily on a small number of significant customers, including one customer that represented approximately 10% of the Company’s pro forma fiscal 2006 sales revenues. A loss of any of these significant customers could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.

The Company heavily relies on a small number of significant customers. The Company’s largest customer, Unisource Worldwide, Inc. (“Unisource”), an independent marketer and distributor of commercial printing and business imaging papers in North America, represented approximately 10% of the Company’s pro forma sales revenues in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.

Unisource was historically a customer of both the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. Following the Acquisition Transactions, Unisource reduced its paper purchases from the Company. A significant reduction in sales to any of the Company’s key customers, including Unisource (which could be due to factors outside its control, such as purchasing diversification) or financial difficulties experienced by these customers, could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.

A material disruption at one of the Company’s manufacturing facilities could prevent it from meeting customer demand, reduce its sales and/or negatively impact its net income.

Any of the Company’s paper or pulp manufacturing facilities, or any of its machines within an otherwise operational facility, could cease operations unexpectedly due to a number of events, including:

 

 

unscheduled maintenance outages;

 

 

prolonged power failures;

 

 

an equipment failure;

 

 

a chemical spill or release;

 

 

explosion of a boiler;

 

 

the effect of a drought or reduced rainfall on its water supply;

 

 

labor difficulties;

 

 

disruptions in the transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, railroad tracks and tunnels;

 

 

fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes or other catastrophes;

 

 

terrorism or threats of terrorism; or

 

 

other operational problems, including those resulting from the risks described in this Risk Factors section.

 

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Events such as those listed above have resulted in operating losses in the past. In the second quarter of 2002, for example, a recovery boiler at the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business facilities in Plymouth, North Carolina exploded, causing operations at these facilities to be shut down for repairs for a period of 107 days from May 8, 2002 to August 23, 2002. The Company estimates that the repair costs, business disruption and increased operating costs associated with the recovery boiler explosion negatively impacted its operating income by approximately $70 million (before insurance recovery) during the second and third quarters of 2002. Also, in May 2006, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business facilities in Plymouth, North Carolina experienced a disruption in their power supply, causing damage to a turbine generator necessary to convert high pressure steam to medium and low pressure steam used by the various mill processes. As a result of this damage, various mill operations at the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business’s Plymouth, North Carolina facilities were shut down for repairs for up to eleven days. The Company estimates the total financial impact of this incident on its operating income was $11 million including repair costs, the opportunity value of lost production and increased operating costs. Future events may cause similar shutdowns, which may result in additional downtime and/or cause additional damage to the Company’s facilities. Any such downtime or facility damage could prevent the Company from meeting customer demand for its products and/or require it to make unplanned capital expenditures. If one of these machines or facilities were to incur significant downtime, the Company’s ability to meet its production targets and satisfy customer requirements would be impaired, resulting in lower sales and income.

The Company’s operations require substantial capital, and it may not have adequate capital resources to provide for all of its capital requirements.

The Company’s businesses are capital intensive and require that it regularly incur capital expenditures in order to maintain its equipment, increase its operating efficiency and comply with environmental laws. The total capital expenditures related to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business were approximately $113 million in 2005, including approximately $109 million for maintenance capital and approximately $4 million for environmental expenditures, and $64 million during 2006, including approximately $62 million for maintenance capital and approximately $2 million for environmental expenditures. The Domtar Inc. business had total capital expenditures of approximately $108 million in 2005, including approximately $59 million for maintenance capital and approximately $14 million for environmental expenditures, and $95 million during 2006, including approximately $60 million for maintenance capital and approximately $8 million for environmental expenditures. The Company anticipates total capital expenditures of approximately $132 million (including approximately $67 million for maintenance capital and $14 million for environmental expenditures) for 2007, of which $46 million was incurred during the first two quarters of 2007 (including $1 million attributable to the Wood business).

The Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business incurred approximately $2 million and Domtar Inc. incurred approximately $8 million in capital expenditures in connection with environmental compliance and remediation during 2006. The Company anticipates spending approximately $3 million in 2007 to meet the Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) Rule obligations. However, a decision for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the Boiler MACT Rule on July 30, 2007 and discussions are ongoing for alternative regulations. The Company is unable to estimate the total amount of capital expenditures that may be required beyond 2007 for environmental compliance. If the Company’s available cash resources and cash generated from operations are not sufficient to fund its operating needs and

 

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capital expenditures, the Company would have to obtain additional funds from borrowings or other available sources or reduce or delay its capital expenditures. The Company may not be able to obtain additional funds on favorable terms, or at all. In addition, the Company’s debt service obligations will reduce its available cash flows. If the Company cannot maintain or upgrade its equipment as it requires or allocate funds to ensure environmental compliance, it could be required to curtail or cease some of its manufacturing operations, or it may become unable to manufacture products that compete effectively in one or more of its product lines. For example, the Company’s air permit for its Kamloops, British Columbia pulp manufacturing facility requires that the facility reduce air emissions of particulate matter by December 31, 2007. Compliance with the permit requirements is likely to require significant capital expenditures. The Company is currently evaluating its options and is in discussions with the Province of British Columbia to extend the deadline for compliance. If the deadline is not extended or if the Company does not have sufficient resources to make necessary capital expenditures, the facility may not be able to operate after 2007 without significantly curtailing output, which would increase the Company’s production costs.

The Company could incur substantial costs as a result of compliance with, violations of or liabilities under applicable environmental laws and regulations. The Company could also incur costs as a result of asbestos-related personal injury litigation.

The Company is subject, in both the United States and Canada, to a wide range of general and industry-specific laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment and natural resources, including those governing air emissions, wastewater discharges, harvesting, silvicultural activities, the storage, management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, the cleanup of contaminated sites, landfill operation and closure obligations, forestry operations and endangered species habitat, and health and safety matters. In particular, the pulp and paper industry in the United States is subject to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (the “EPA”) Cluster Rule and was until recently subject to the EPA’s Boiler MACT Rule (the Boiler MACT Rule has been vacated, however, alternative U.S. federal and state regulations are being discussed) that further regulate effluent and air emissions. These laws and regulations require the Company to obtain authorizations from and comply with the requirements of the appropriate governmental authorities, which have considerable discretion over the terms and timing of permits.

Weyerhaeuser and Domtar Inc. have incurred, and the Company expects that it will continue to incur, significant capital, operating and other expenditures complying with applicable environmental laws and regulations and as a result of remedial obligations. The Company incurred approximately $38 million of operating expenses and $5 million of capital expenditures in connection with environmental compliance and remediation for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007. As of July 1, 2007, the Company had a provision of $82 million for environmental expenditures, including certain asset retirement obligations (such as for land fill capping and asbestos removal). In addition, during the first half of 2006, Weyerhaeuser closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the Big River Sawmill in Saskatchewan. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Prince Albert facility. However, the consummation of this plan is subject to several critical conditions, and the Company has not determined whether either of these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event the facilities are permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at one or both facilities, which would likely include

 

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investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts. The Province of Saskatchewan has required certain facilities located in the Province to submit preliminary decommissioning and reclamation plans and to include in such plans estimates of costs associated with decommissioning and reclamation activities. Weyerhaeuser submitted such a plan for its pulp and paper facility in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. In its preliminary decommissioning and reclamation plan, Weyerhaeuser included a preliminary, generalized estimate of costs ranging from CDN$20 to CDN$25 million (approximately $19 to 24 million). Weyerhaeuser advised the Province of Saskatchewan that it was not providing a detailed delineation of costs at this time because such costs will depend on site specific factors, the professional judgments of environmental specialists and experts, further detailed environmental site assessments and, most fundamentally, a decision about the future use or closure of the site. The estimate referred to above does not take into account the equipment resale value or scrap material value which is considered to be significant, nor does it include the cost of completing a phase II environmental site assessment (which could involve sampling and analysis of building materials and environmental media), or the cost of any remediation required based on such assessment. The Company has not undertaken any review of Weyerhaeuser’s estimate and the actual decommissioning and reclamation costs could materially exceed Weyerhaeuser’s estimate.

The Company also could incur substantial costs, such as civil or criminal fines, sanctions and enforcement actions (including orders limiting its operations or requiring corrective measures, installation of pollution control equipment or other remedial actions), cleanup and closure costs, and third-party claims for property damage and personal injury as a result of violations of, or liabilities under, environmental laws and regulations. The Company’s ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with its past and present properties will lead to future environmental investigations. Those efforts will likely result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

As the owner and operator of real estate, the Company may be liable under environmental laws for cleanup, closure and other damages resulting from the presence and release of hazardous substances, including asbestos, on or from its properties or operations. The amount and timing of environmental expenditures is difficult to predict, and, in some cases, the Company’s liability may be imposed without regard to contribution or to whether we knew of, or caused, the release of hazardous substances and may exceed forecasted amounts or the value of the property itself. The discovery of additional contamination or the imposition of additional cleanup obligations at the Company’s or third-party sites may result in significant additional costs. Any material liability the Company incurs could adversely impact its financial condition or preclude it from making capital expenditures that would otherwise benefit its business.

In addition, the Company may be subject to asbestos-related personal injury litigation arising out of exposure to asbestos on or from its properties or operations, and may incur substantial costs as a result of any defense, settlement, or adverse judgment in such litigation. The Company may not have access to insurance proceeds to cover costs associated with asbestos-related personal injury litigation.

Enactment of new environmental laws or regulations or changes in existing laws or regulations, or interpretation thereof, might require significant expenditures.

The Company may be unable to generate funds or other sources of liquidity and capital to fund environmental liabilities or expenditures.

 

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The Company is affected by changes in currency exchange rates.

The Company manufactures a significant amount of pulp and paper in Canada. Sales of pulp and paper products by the Company’s Canadian mills will be invoiced in U.S. dollars or in Canadian dollars linked to U.S. pricing but most of the costs relating to these products will be incurred in Canadian dollars. As a result, any decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the Canadian dollar will reduce the Company’s profitability. In addition, the Company has CDN$157 (approximately $148 million) of Canadian dollar-denominated debt outstanding as of July 1, 2007 (reflecting the total outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures) and any increase in the value of the Canadian dollar will result in an increase in the cost of servicing such debt.

Exchange rate fluctuations are beyond the Company’s control. Since January 1, 2002, the Canadian dollar has appreciated more than 45% relative to the U.S. dollar. This has had a material adverse effect on the sales and profitability of the Canadian operations of both the Predecessor Company and Domtar Inc. and is continuing to have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial results and financial condition.

The Company may be required to pay significant lumber export taxes and/or countervailing and antidumping duties.

The Company may experience reduced revenues and margins on its softwood lumber business as a result of lumber export taxes and/or countervailing and antidumping duty applications.

In April 2001, the Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports (the “Coalition”) filed two petitions with the U.S. Department of Commerce (the “Department”) and the International Trade Commission (the “ITC”) claiming that production of softwood lumber in Canada was being subsidized by Canada and that imports from Canada were being “dumped” into the U.S. market (sold at less than fair value). The Coalition asked that countervailing duty (“CVD”) and antidumping (“AD”) tariffs be imposed on softwood lumber imported from Canada.

In 2006, the Canadian and U.S. governments reached a final settlement to this long-standing dispute. The provisions of the settlement included repayment of approximately 81% of the deposits, imposition of export measures in Canada, and measures to address long-term policy reform.

It is possible that the CVD and AD tariffs or tariffs similar to the CVD and AD tariffs may again be imposed on the Company, in the future.

Under the settlement agreement, Canadian softwood lumber exporters will pay an export tax when the price of lumber is at or below a threshold price. Under present market conditions, the Company’s softwood lumber exports are subject to a 5% export charge.

The Predecessor Company and Domtar Inc. experienced and the Company and Domtar Inc. may continue to experience reduced revenues and margins in the softwood lumber business as a result of the application of the settlement agreement. The settlement agreement could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial results and financial condition, including, but not limited to, facility closures or impairment of assets.

The Company depends on third parties for transportation services.

The Company relies primarily on third parties for transportation of the products it manufactures and/or distributes, as well as delivery of its raw materials. In particular, a significant portion of

 

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the goods it manufactures and raw materials it uses are transported by railroad or trucks, which are highly regulated. If any of its third-party transportation providers were to fail to deliver the goods the Company manufactures or distributes in a timely manner, the Company may be unable to sell those products at full value, or at all. Similarly, if any of these providers were to fail to deliver raw materials to the Company in a timely manner, it may be unable to manufacture its products in response to customer demand. In addition, if any of these third parties were to cease operations or cease doing business with the Company, it may be unable to replace them at reasonable cost. Any failure of a third-party transportation provider to deliver raw materials or finished products in a timely manner could harm the Company’s reputation, negatively impact its customer relationships and have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and operating results.

The transition services provided by Weyerhaeuser may be difficult for the Company to replace without operational problems and additional costs.

The Company entered into a transition services agreement with Weyerhaeuser pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser agreed to provide the Company certain transition services for a period of time following the Acquisition Closing Date. These services include, among others, certain services relating to finance and administration, human resources, payroll and information technology. If, after the expiration of the agreement, the Company is unable to perform these services or replace them in a timely manner or on terms and conditions as favorable as those the Company receives from Weyerhaeuser, the Company may experience operational problems and an increase in its costs. In addition, the costs for such services may be higher than the costs for such services when the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was operated as part of Weyerhaeuser. See “The Company’s relationship with Weyerhaeuser after the distribution—Transition services agreement,” and “—Risks related to the acquisition transactions—The historical financial information of the Predecessor Company may not be representative of its results if the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business had been operated independently of Weyerhaeuser and, as a result, may not be a reliable indicator of its future results.”

As a result of the separation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business from Weyerhaeuser, the Company may experience increased costs resulting from decreased purchasing power, which could decrease its overall profitability.

Prior to its separation from Weyerhaeuser, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was able to take advantage of Weyerhaeuser’s size and reputation in procuring raw materials and other goods and services used both for the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Weyerhaeuser’s other businesses. As an independent public company, the Company may be unable to obtain similar goods, services and technology at prices or on terms as favorable as those obtained by the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business prior to its separation from Weyerhaeuser.

The Company has liabilities with respect to its pension plans and the actual cost of its pension plan obligations could exceed current provisions. As of December 31, 2006, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business’s defined benefit plans had a surplus of $17 million on certain plans and a deficit of $1 million on others. Domtar Inc.’s defined benefit plans had a surplus of $14 million on certain plans and a deficit of $171 million on others, in each case on a going concern basis.

The Company’s future funding obligations for the defined benefit pension plans depend upon changes to the level of benefits provided by the plans, the future performance of assets set aside in trusts for these plans, the level of interest rates used to determine minimum funding levels,

 

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actuarial data and experience, and any changes in government laws and regulations. As of July 1, 2007, the Company’s Canadian pension funds had approximately CDN$420 million (approximately $395 million), of which approximately CDN$308 million (approximately $290 million) is held by Domtar Inc.’s Canadian pension funds, invested in multiple third party asset-backed commercial paper (“ABCP”) conduits, which are currently subject to the interim arrangement of the “Montreal Proposal” pursuant to which banks and major investors are negotiating restructuring proposals with respect to such ABCP conduits; however, these discussions are at a preliminary stage, and the outcome and the effect it would have on the value of the Company’s Canadian pension fund assets has yet to be determined.

Losses in the pension fund investments, if any, would result in future increased contributions by the Company or its Canadian subsidiaries. Additional contributions to these pension funds would be required to be paid over a 5-year period. Losses, if any, would also impact operating earnings over a longer period of time and immediately increase liabilities and reduce equity.

Risks related to the Acquisition Transactions

The Company may not realize the anticipated synergies, cost savings and growth opportunities from the Acquisition Transactions.

The success of the Acquisition Transactions depends, in part, on the Company’s ability to realize the anticipated synergies, cost savings and growth opportunities from integrating the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with the Domtar Inc. business. The Company’s success in realizing these synergies, cost savings and growth opportunities, and the timing of this realization, depends on the successful integration of such businesses and operations. Even if the Company is able to integrate such businesses and operations successfully, there can be no assurance that this integration will result in the realization of the full benefits of synergies, cost savings and growth opportunities that the Company expects from this integration or that these benefits will be achieved within the anticipated time frame. For example, the elimination of duplicative costs may not be possible or may take longer than anticipated, or the benefits from the Acquisition Transactions may be offset by the loss of Weyerhaeuser’s purchasing power or the costs incurred in integrating the businesses and operations.

The integration of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and the Domtar Inc. business following the Acquisition Transactions may present significant challenges to the Company’s management which could cause Company management to fail to respond effectively to the increasing forms of competition facing the Company’s business.

There is a significant degree of difficulty and management distraction inherent in the process of integrating the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. business. These difficulties include:

 

 

carrying on the ongoing business operations while integrating the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc.;

 

 

preserving customer, distribution, supplier and other important relationships of the Company;

 

 

consolidating an organization with its executive head office located in Montréal, Canada and its operational headquarters located in Fort Mill, South Carolina;

 

 

integrating the business cultures of Weyerhaeuser and Domtar Inc.;

 

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integrating information, purchasing, accounting, finance, sales, billing, payroll and regulatory compliance systems;

 

 

expanding the scope of the Company’s operational and financial systems, which will increase its operating complexity;

 

 

incurring obligations that were unforeseen; and

 

 

retaining key officers and personnel and successfully implementing succession planning.

The process of integrating operations could cause an interruption of, or loss of momentum in, the activities of the Company’s business. The Company’s senior management team may be required to devote considerable amounts of time to this integration process, which will decrease the time they will have to manage the business of the Company, service existing customers, attract new customers and develop new products or strategies. One potential consequence of such distractions could be the failure of management to realize opportunities to respond to the increasing sources and forms of competition that the Company’s business will face. If the Company’s senior management is not able to manage the integration process effectively, or if any significant business activities are interrupted as a result of the integration process, the Company’s business could suffer.

The Company cannot assure you that it will successfully or cost-effectively integrate the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and the Domtar Inc. business. The failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations and business.

The Company incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs related to the Acquisition Transactions that could have a material adverse effect on its operating results.

The Company incurred financial, legal and accounting costs and sales and transfer taxes of approximately $88 million in connection with the Acquisition Transactions, of which $28 million was capitalized and $23 million was deferred. In addition, the Company estimates that it will incur costs, such as information technology costs of approximately $87 million, in connection with the separation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business from Weyerhaeuser, of which $24 million has been incurred through July 1, 2007. The Company also anticipates that it will incur significant costs in connection with the integration of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and the Domtar Inc. business, including, among other things, costs relating to information technology integration, severance costs and the potential write-down of assets, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. These costs may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s cash flows and operating results in the periods in which they are recorded.

The historical financial information of the Predecessor Company may not be representative of its results if the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business had been operated independently of Weyerhaeuser and, as a result, may not be a reliable indicator of its future results.

Prior to the Acquisition Closing Date, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was a fully integrated business unit of Weyerhaeuser. Consequently, the financial information of the Predecessor Company included in this document has been derived from the consolidated financial statements and accounting records of Weyerhaeuser and reflects assumptions and allocations made by Weyerhaeuser. The financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Predecessor Company presented may be different from those that would have resulted had the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business been operated independently. For example, in preparing

 

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the Predecessor Company financial statements, Weyerhaeuser has made an appropriate allocation of costs and expenses that are attributable to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business. However, these costs and expenses reflect the costs and expenses attributable to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business operated as part of a larger organization and do not reflect costs and expenses that would be incurred by this business had it been operated independently. As a result, the historical financial information of the Predecessor Company may not be a reliable indicator of future results.

Material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting could result in a material misstatement of our financial condition.

A material weakness is a control deficiency, or combination of control deficiencies, that results in more than a remote likelihood that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected. Management of the Company identified the following material weaknesses as of April 1, 2007 which were not remediated as of July 1, 2007.

The Company did not maintain effective controls over the completeness and accuracy of financial information produced under the transition services agreement with Weyerhaeuser. Specifically, the Company did not have controls designed and in place to ensure that financial data regarding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was complete, accurate, produced on a timely basis and supported with appropriate documentation. Further, the Company did not maintain an appropriate accounting and financial reporting organizational structure, specifically relating to the depth of resources, to be able to ensure that the accounting records being maintained by Weyerhaeuser under the transition services agreement were accurate and complete. The financial data produced under the transition services agreement affects substantially all balance sheet and income statement accounts.

These control deficiencies resulted in adjustments to the April 1, 2007 interim financial statements and a delay in the filing of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for our first quarter of 2007. In addition, and until remediated, these control deficiencies could result in a misstatement of substantially all accounts and disclosures which would result in a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements that would not be prevented or detected.

For a more complete description of the transition services agreement, see “The Company’s relationship with Weyerhaeuser after the distribution—Transition services agreement.”

Aboriginal interests may delay or result in challenges to the transfer of certain forest licenses and forest management agreements.

Under applicable forestry legislation in Saskatchewan, Weyerhaeuser must obtain consent from the government of Saskatchewan in order to complete the transfer of certain timber rights in Saskatchewan to the Company. Pursuant to the agreements governing the Acquisition Transactions, the transfer of these timber rights were delayed until the appropriate approvals are received. Recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions have confirmed that the federal and provincial governments in Canada have a duty to consult with, and in certain circumstances, seek to accommodate aboriginal groups whenever there is a reasonable prospect that a government’s decision may adversely affect an aboriginal group’s interests in relevant land and resources that are the subject of the decision. The Company believes that the government of Saskatchewan has consulted with relevant aboriginal groups in connection with these consent approvals. This consultation process could result in delays, constrain access to the timber or give rise to additional costs. In addition, if the Saskatchewan government does not adequately discharge its

 

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obligation this could result in litigation. It is not possible at present to predict the risks associated with such litigation.

If the distribution did not constitute a tax-free spin-off under section 355 of the code or a tax-free reorganization under section 368 of the code, either as a result of actions taken in connection with the distribution or as a result of subsequent acquisitions of shares of Company common stock, then the Company may be responsible for payment of substantial U.S. federal income taxes under its tax sharing agreement with Weyerhaeuser.

Weyerhaeuser received a private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service on February 5, 2007 to the effect that, based on the facts, assumptions, representations and undertakings set forth in the ruling, the Contribution and Distribution qualified as tax-free to Weyerhaeuser and the holders of Weyerhaeuser common shares for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Sections 355 and 368 and related provisions of the Code.

The Distribution would become taxable to Weyerhaeuser pursuant to Section 355(e) of the Code if 50% or more (by vote or value) of equity securities of the Company were acquired, directly or indirectly, by persons other than Weyerhaeuser shareholders as part of a plan or series of related transactions that included the Distribution. Because Weyerhaeuser shareholders owned more than 50% of Company common stock following the Arrangement, the Arrangement, by itself, would not have caused the Distribution to be taxable to Weyerhaeuser under Section 355(e) of the Code. However, if the IRS were to determine that other acquisitions of Company equity securities, either before or after the Distribution and the Arrangement, were part of a plan or series of related transactions that included the Distribution such determination could result in the recognition of gain by Weyerhaeuser under Section 355(e) of the Code. In such case, the gain recognized by Weyerhaeuser likely would include the entire fair market value of the Company common stock distributed to Weyerhaeuser’s shareholders, and thus would be substantial.

Under the tax sharing agreement among Weyerhaeuser, the Company, and Domtar Inc., the Company generally would be required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser against tax-related losses to Weyerhaeuser and/or its shareholders that arise as a result of certain actions taken or omissions to act by the Company, its subsidiaries or certain affiliates of the Company (“Disqualifying Actions”) after the Acquisition Transactions. See “Risks related to the acquisition transactions—The Company may be affected by significant restrictions following the Acquisition Transactions in order to avoid significant tax-related liabilities.”

The Company may be affected by significant restrictions following the Acquisition Transactions in order to avoid significant tax-related liabilities.

Even if the Distribution otherwise qualified as a tax-free reorganization, the Distribution may not qualify as a transaction that is tax-free to Weyerhaeuser if 50% or more (by vote or value) of the equity securities of the Company are acquired by persons other than Weyerhaeuser shareholders as part of a “plan” that includes the Distribution pursuant to Section 355(e) of the Code.

The tax sharing agreement requires that the Company, its subsidiaries and certain affiliates of the Company, for a two year period following the Acquisition Closing Date, avoid taking certain actions that might cause the Distribution to be treated as part of a plan pursuant to which 50% or more of the Company’s equity securities are acquired. Certain of these Disqualifying Actions subject to restrictions include:

 

 

the redemption, recapitalization, repurchase or acquisition by the Company of its capital stock;

 

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the issuance by the Company of capital stock or convertible debt;

 

 

the liquidation of the Company;

 

 

the discontinuance of the operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business;

 

 

the sale or disposition (other than in the ordinary course of business) of all or a substantial part of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business; or

 

 

the other actions, omissions to act or transactions that could jeopardize the tax-free status of the Distribution.

To the extent that the tax-free status of the Distribution is lost because of a Disqualifying Action after the date of consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company generally will be required to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Weyerhaeuser from and against any and all resulting tax-related losses incurred by Weyerhaeuser and/or Weyerhaeuser shareholders, without regard to whether Weyerhaeuser gave the Company prior written consent to the specific action taken by the Company.

Because of these restrictions, the Company may be limited in its ability to pursue strategic transactions or equity or convertible debt financing or engage in new business or other transactions that may maximize the value of its business.

A third party has demanded an increase in consideration from Domtar Inc. under an existing contract in connection with the Acquisition Transactions.

In 1998, Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc., an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement relating to this acquisition includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of Domtar Inc. in specified circumstances, Domtar Inc. may be required to pay an increase in consideration of up to a maximum of CDN$120 million. This amount gradually declines over a 25-year period and as at March 7, 2007, the Acquisition Closing Date, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was CDN$110 million. No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

On March 14, 2007, Domtar Inc. received a letter from George Weston Limited (the previous owner of E.B. Eddy and a party to the purchase agreement) demanding payment of CDN$110 million as a result of the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions. On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited against Domtar Inc. in the Superior Court of Justice of the province of Ontario, Canada, claiming that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered the purchase price adjustment and seeking a purchase price adjustment of CDN$110 million as well as additional compensatory damages. On August 13, 2007, Domtar Inc. served its statement of defense in response to this claim. Neither the Company nor Domtar Inc. believes that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggers an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and Domtar Inc. intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar Inc. may not be successful in its defense of such claims, and, if it is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s and Domtar Inc.’s liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

 

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The exchange offers

We are offering, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement and the related Letter of Transmittal and Consent, to exchange any and all outstanding Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for an equal principal amount of corresponding Domtar Corp. notes of the corresponding series, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered in exchange. Holders whose Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are accepted for exchange will receive a cash payment representing accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the settlement date, and the Domtar Corp. notes received in exchange will accrue interest from and including the settlement date. In addition, we will pay to holders who validly tender their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and do not validly withdraw their tenders on or prior to the applicable early consent date an early consent payment in cash of $2.50 for each $1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered. Holders who validly tender their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes after the applicable early consent date will not receive the early consent payment.

Domtar Inc. is concurrently seeking proxies, pursuant to the Canadian proxy solicitations, from holders of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures, for use at a meeting of holders of each series of such debentures, at which Domtar Inc. will seek approval of such holders to amend the indenture pursuant to which such series of debentures were issued to provide Domtar Corp. with the right to acquire, at any time, all of the outstanding debentures of such series in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of Domtar Corp.’s newly issued debt securities of the corresponding series, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures for which they are exchanged. If such amendments are approved by the holders of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures, Domtar Corp. intends to exercise its right to acquire all of the outstanding Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures for the newly issued Domtar Corp. debt securities concurrently with the consummation of the exchange offers for the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes.

Holders who tender their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes pursuant to the exchange offers are obligated to deliver consents to certain proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures. Please read “The consent solicitation” for more information. Holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes must tender the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in integral multiples of $1,000. Domtar Corp. notes will be issued in minimum denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

None of Domtar Corp., Domtar Inc., Domtar Paper Company, LLC, the exchange and information agent, the trustee under the Domtar Corp. indenture, the trustee under the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures or any U.S. Dealer Manager makes any recommendation as to whether or not holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes should exchange their securities in the exchange offers or consent to the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures.

Overview and purpose of the exchange offers and consent solicitations

The purpose of the exchange offers is to exchange the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for an equal principal amount of newly issued notes of the Company bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered in exchange, with certain changes that are described in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. The purpose of the consent solicitations is to eliminate or amend certain provisions in the indentures pursuant to which the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes were issued which, as amended, will continue to govern any

 

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Domtar Inc. U.S. notes not tendered and exchanged. The purpose of the Canadian proxy solicitations is to obtain approval from holders of Domtar Inc.’s Canadian debentures at a meeting of holders of each series of such debentures to provide Domtar Corp. with the right to acquire, at any time, all of the outstanding debentures of such series in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of newly issued Domtar Corp. debt securities.

The Company’s objectives in making the exchange offers and soliciting the consents and making the Canadian proxy solicitations include the following:

 

 

Working toward a simplified capital structure;

 

 

Working toward consolidating public financial reporting at the Company level, rather than maintain separate reporting obligations at the Company and at the Domtar Inc. levels; and

 

 

Providing the Company with greater flexibility to achieve cost savings opportunities and to transfer assets among its subsidiaries, thereby enhancing operational, financial and tax efficiencies.

The Company believes holders of the Domtar Inc. debt securities may benefit from participating in the proposed exchange offers and consent solicitations and the Canadian proxy solicitations for the following reasons:

 

 

The combined cash flow of the Company’s entire business, not just the business of Domtar Inc., will support the new Domtar Corp. debt securities;

 

 

Increased enterprise and asset value will support the new Domtar Corp. debt securities;

 

 

Stronger credit profile of Domtar Corp. compared to Domtar Inc. as demonstrated by improved credit statistics. See “Summary—Summary selected financial and pro forma data—Certain financial metrics”;

 

 

Increased protection from the addition of a 101% change-of-control put and upstream senior unsecured guarantees from the same subsidiaries that guarantee its obligations under the Credit Agreement of the Company;

 

 

Moody’s Investor Service has rated the Domtar Corp. notes at B1, compared to the existing rating for the Domtar Inc. debt securities of B2; and

 

 

The exchange offers and Transfer are intended to enable holders of Domtar Inc. debt securities who hold CDS contracts with respect to Domtar Inc. debt securities to treat the Transfer as a succession event and Domtar Corp. as the reference entity under such contracts.

In conjunction with the exchange offers and consent solicitations and the Canadian proxy solicitations, Domtar Inc. intends to transfer some or all of the shares of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corp. If the requisite consents with respect to each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are obtained, and the requisite votes of the holders of each series of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures to approve the amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures are obtained, Domtar Inc. intends to sell, in one or more transactions, 100% of the capital stock or equity interests of the shares of its U.S. subsidiaries, which together own the Ashdown, Nekoosa, Port Edwards, Port Huron and Woodland mills and the U.S. paper merchants business, to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries. The subsidiaries that would be sold to Domtar Corp. accounted for approximately 67% of Domtar Inc.’s sales for the six months ended June 30, 2007, excluding sales by such subsidiaries of products manufactured by the Canadian operations to be retained by Domtar Inc. The subsidiaries that would be sold to Domtar Corp. accounted for approximately

 

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54% of depreciation and amortization and 308% of operating income (due to operating losses sustained by Domtar Inc.’s Canadian subsidiaries) of Domtar Inc. for the six months ended June 30, 2007 and approximately 43% of Domtar Inc.’s total assets as of June 30, 2007. Upon being sold, these subsidiaries would become guarantors of Domtar Corp.’s and Domtar Paper Company, LLC’s borrowings under the Credit Agreement as well as the Domtar Corp. notes offered hereby. These subsidiaries will continue to guarantee borrowings of Domtar Inc. under the Credit Agreement.

If the exchange offer for any series of Domtar Inc. debt securities is consummated but the requisite consents with respect to each series of Domtar Inc. debt securities and/or the requisite votes of the holders of each series of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures to approve the amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures are not obtained, Domtar Inc. intends to sell, in one or more transactions, up to 49% of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of Domtar Inc.’s U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries. In this case, the results of those subsidiaries would continue to be consolidated by Domtar Inc. for financial reporting purposes. However, Domtar Corp. will be entitled to its proportionate share of any dividends or other distributions declared or made by such subsidiaries. These subsidiaries would continue to guarantee borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the Credit Agreement, but would not become guarantors of borrowings by Domtar Corp. or Domtar Paper Company, LLC under the Credit Agreement, and would not become guarantors of the Domtar Corp. notes offered hereby.

The Domtar Corp. debt securities issued to holders of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures in connection with the Canadian proxy solicitations will bear interest at the same rates and have the same interest payment and maturity dates, as the corresponding series of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures acquired. Such Domtar Corp. debt securities will have the same guarantors, and will be subject to the same covenants and change of control provisions, as the Domtar Corp. notes offered hereby.

Expiration, extensions, amendment and termination of exchange offers

Each exchange offer will expire at midnight, New York City time, on November 14, 2007, unless we extend or earlier terminate it. We may extend the expiration date of any of the exchange offers by giving written notice of such extension by means of a press release or other public announcement no later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the next business day after the previously scheduled expiration date.

We expressly reserve the right, at any time, in our absolute discretion, to extend the period of time during which the exchange offers are open, and delay acceptance for exchange of any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes of any series, or to extend the applicable early consent date with respect to the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes of any series, by giving written notice of such extension to the holders thereof as described below. We will extend the duration of the exchange offers as required by applicable law or may choose to extend them in order to provide additional time for holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes to tender their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for exchange. During any such extension, all Domtar Inc. U.S. notes of the relevant series previously tendered will remain subject to the applicable exchange offer and we may accept them for exchange. Holders who have tendered their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes will not, however, be able to withdraw their tendered notes or revoke their consent with respect thereto after the applicable early consent date, even if we extend the exchange offers. Any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes not accepted for exchange for any reason will be returned without expense to the tendering holder promptly after the expiration or termination of the applicable exchange offer. In the event of a material change to the exchange

 

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offers, including the waiver of a material condition to the exchange offers, we will extend the exchange offers, if required by applicable law. In accordance with Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act, if we elect to decrease the amount of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes sought, or change the consideration offered or the U.S. Dealer Managers’ soliciting fees, the exchange offers will remain open for at least ten business days from the date that the notice of such change is first published or sent to holders of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes.

We expressly reserve the right to amend, extend or terminate the exchange offers, and not to accept for exchange any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, upon the occurrence of any of the conditions of the exchange offers specified below under “—Conditions to the exchange offers and consent solicitations.” We will give prompt written notice to the holders of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes of any extension, amendment, non-acceptance or termination. Such notice, in the case of any extension, will be issued by means of a press release or other public announcement no later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the next business day after the previously scheduled expiration date.

Settlement date

We will deliver the Domtar Corp. notes and pay any cash amounts on the settlement date, which will be the third business day following the expiration date or as soon as practicable thereafter. We will not be obligated to deliver Domtar Corp. notes of any series or pay any cash amounts unless the exchange offers with respect to such series are consummated.

Conditions to the exchange offers and consent solicitations

Each exchange offer made pursuant to this prospectus and consent solicitation statement is subject to the condition that there shall have been validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the exchange offers an aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that, together with the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures that Domtar Corp. has the right to acquire as a result of the Canadian proxy solicitations, is at least equal to 75% of the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures shall be determined based on the noon buying rate in New York City for cable transfers in Canadian dollars as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the business day immediately prior to the date on which the exchange offers expire.

Additionally, notwithstanding any other provision of the exchange offers, we are not required to accept for exchange, or to issue the Domtar Corp. notes in exchange for, any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and may terminate or amend the applicable exchange offer, if any of the following events occur prior to our acceptance of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes:

 

(a)   there shall be threatened, instituted or pending any action or proceeding before, or any injunction, order or decree shall have been issued by, any court or governmental agency or other governmental regulatory or administrative agency or commission,

 

  (1)   seeking to restrain or prohibit the making or consummation of any of the exchange offers, the consent solicitations, the Canadian proxy solicitations, the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures or Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures, or any other transaction contemplated by the foregoing, or the Transfer or assessing or seeking any damages as a result of any thereof, or

 

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  (2)   resulting in a material delay in our ability to accept for exchange or exchange some or all of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes pursuant to the exchange offers, acquire the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures following the approval of the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures, or to effect the Transfer, or

 

(b)   any statute, rule, regulation, order or injunction shall be sought, proposed, introduced, enacted, promulgated or deemed applicable to any of the exchange offers, the consent solicitations, the Canadian proxy solicitations, the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures or Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures, or any other transaction contemplated by the foregoing, or the Transfer by any government or governmental authority, domestic or foreign, or any action shall have been taken, proposed or threatened, by any government, governmental authority, agency or court, domestic or foreign, that in our reasonable judgment might, directly or indirectly, result in any of the consequences referred to in clause (a)(1) or (2) above; or

 

(c)   there shall have occurred:

 

  (1)   any general suspension of or general limitation on prices for, or trading in, securities on any national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market,

 

  (2)   any limitation by a governmental agency or authority which may adversely affect our ability to complete the transactions contemplated by the exchange offers, the consent solicitations or the Canadian proxy solicitations,

 

  (3)   a declaration of a banking moratorium or any suspension of payments in respect of banks in the United States or Canada or any limitation by any governmental agency or authority which adversely affects the extension of credit,

 

  (4)   an announcement of a commencement or escalation of a war, armed hostilities or other similar calamity, or a major terrorist attack, directly or indirectly involving the United States or Canada, or, in the case of any of the foregoing existing at the time of the commencement of the exchange offers, a material acceleration or worsening thereof;

 

(d)   any change (or any development involving a prospective change) shall have occurred or be threatened in the business, properties, assets, liabilities, financial condition, operations, results of operations or prospects of Domtar Corp. and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries taken as a whole that, in our reasonable judgment, is or may be adverse to us or Domtar Inc., as the case may be, or we have become aware of facts that, in our reasonable judgment, have or may have a material adverse impact with respect to the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures or Domtar Corp. notes; or

 

(e)   any event or change shall have occurred or may occur, including an increase in prevailing interest rates, that would or might impair us from realizing the anticipated benefits of the exchange offers;

which in our reasonable judgment in any case, and regardless of the circumstances giving rise to any such condition (which cannot be triggered by action or inaction of the Company or Domtar Inc.), makes it inadvisable to proceed with the exchange offers and/or with such acceptance for exchange or with such exchange.

In addition, we will not accept for exchange any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered, and no Domtar Corp. notes will be issued in exchange for any such Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, if at that time any stop order shall be threatened or in effect with respect to the Registration Statement of which

 

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this prospectus and consent solicitation statement constitutes a part or the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

The foregoing conditions are for our sole benefit and may be asserted or waived by us in whole or in part in our reasonable discretion prior to the expiration date. Our failure at any time to exercise any of the foregoing rights shall not be deemed a waiver of any such right and each such right shall be deemed an ongoing right which may be asserted at any time prior to the expiration date.

Although we have no present plans or arrangements to do so, we reserve the right to amend, at any time, the terms of the exchange offers. We will give holders notice of any proposed amendments if required by applicable law.

If our waiver of any of the conditions would constitute a material change in any or all exchange offers, we will disclose that change through a supplement to this prospectus and consent solicitation statement that will be distributed to each registered holder of the affected series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. In addition, we will extend the exchange offers, in accordance with applicable law and depending upon the significance of the waiver and the manner of disclosure to the registered holders of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. See “—Expiration, extensions, amendments and termination of exchange offers” for more information.

Procedures for tendering and delivering consents

Holders will not be entitled to receive the early consent payment unless they tender their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and deliver their consents to the proposed amendments with respect to such notes on or prior to the applicable early consent date. The tender of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes pursuant to an exchange offer and in accordance with the procedures described below will constitute (i) a tender of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and (ii) the delivery of a consent by such holder with respect to such notes. The Company is not soliciting and will not accept consents to the proposed amendments from holders who are not tendering their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes pursuant to an exchange offer, and will not accept tenders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes from holders who do not deliver their consents pursuant to the related consent solicitations. Domtar Inc. U.S. notes may only be tendered, and consents may only be delivered, in denominations of $1,000 principal amounts and integral multiples thereof.

The procedures by which you may tender or cause to be tendered Domtar Inc. U.S. notes will depend on the manner in which you hold the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes.

Domtar Inc. U.S. notes held by custodial entity.     If you wish to accept the exchange offers and give your consent and your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are held by a custodial entity such as a bank, broker, dealer, trust company or other nominee, then only that custodial entity can tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. In that case, you must instruct the custodial entity to tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and deliver consents on your behalf pursuant to the procedures of the custodial entity. You should contact the custodial entity promptly and instruct the custodial entity to tender the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and deliver a consent on your behalf using one of the procedures described below.

If such beneficial owner wishes to tender its Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and deliver related consents itself, such beneficial owner must, prior to completing and executing the Letter of Transmittal and Consent and delivering such Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, make appropriate arrangement to register ownership of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in such beneficial owner’s name. The transfer of

 

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record ownership may take considerable time. Please refer to the procedures described in “—Domtar Inc. U.S. notes not held by a custodial entity.”

Custodial entities that are DTC participants must tender Domtar Inc. U.S. notes through ATOP. A Letter of Transmittal and Consent need not accompany tenders effected through ATOP. The delivery of an agent’s message through ATOP will constitute the giving of consent to the proposed amendments with respect to the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes so tendered, and the agreement by the custodial entity and the beneficial holder to be bound by the Letter of Transmittal and Consent. See “—Tender of Domtar Inc. notes with DTC and book-entry transfer” for more information about ATOP.

Domtar Inc. U.S. notes not held by a custodial entity .    If your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are not held by a custodial entity and you wish to accept the exchange offers and give your consent, then you must either:

 

 

complete, sign and date the Letter of Transmittal and Consent according to the instructions (including guaranteeing the signatures to the Letter of Transmittal and Consent, if required), and deliver the Letter of Transmittal and Consent, together with the certificates representing the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, to the exchange agent at its address on the back cover page of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement for receipt on or before the expiration date, or

 

 

comply with the ATOP procedures for book-entry transfer described below on or before the expiration date.

The exchange agent and DTC have confirmed that the exchange offers are eligible for ATOP. The Letter of Transmittal and Consent (or facsimile copy), with any required signature guarantees or, in the case of book-entry transfer, an agent’s message in lieu of the Letter of Transmittal and Consent, and any other required documents, must be transmitted to and received by the exchange agent on or before the expiration date of the exchange offers at its address set forth on the back cover page of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. Domtar Inc. U.S. notes will not be deemed surrendered until the exchange agent receives the Letter of Transmittal and Consent and signature guarantees, if any, or agent’s message. See “—Tender of Domtar Inc. notes with DTC and book-entry transfer” and “—Proper execution and delivery of the letter of transmittal and consent” for more information.

If you wish to participate in any of the exchange offers and consent solicitations, delivery of your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and other required documents are your responsibility. Delivery is not complete until the required items are actually received by the exchange agent. The method of delivery of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, the Letter of Transmittal and Consent, and all other required documents to the exchange agent is at your election and risk. Instead of delivery by mail, you should use an overnight or hand delivery service, properly insured. In all cases, you should allow sufficient time to assure delivery to and receipt by the exchange agent on or before the expiration date. Send the Letter of Transmittal and Consent or any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes only to the exchange agent.

All Domtar Corp. notes will be delivered only in book-entry form through DTC. Accordingly, if you anticipate tendering other than through DTC, then you are urged to contact promptly a bank, broker, dealer, trust company or similar institution or other intermediary (that has the capability to hold securities custodially through DTC) to arrange for receipt of any Domtar Corp. notes to be delivered to you pursuant to the

 

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exchange offers and to obtain the information necessary to provide the required DTC participant with account information for the Letter of Transmittal and Consent. See “Acceptance of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for exchange; delivery of Domtar Corp. notes” for more information.

Tender of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes with DTC and book-entry transfer

Pursuant to authority granted by DTC, if you are a DTC participant that has Domtar Inc. U.S. notes credited to your DTC account and thereby held of record by DTC’s nominee, you must directly tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and deliver a consent as if you were the holder of record. Accordingly, references herein to record holders include DTC participants with Domtar Inc. U.S. notes credited to their accounts. Within two business days after the date of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement, the exchange agent will establish accounts with respect to the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes at DTC for purposes of the exchange offers. Any DTC participant that has Domtar Inc. U.S. notes credited to its DTC account may, and all custodial entities that are DTC participants must, tender Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and deliver consents to the proposed amendments to the applicable Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture by effecting a book-entry transfer of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes to be tendered in the exchange offers into the account of the exchange agent at DTC and, electronically transmitting its acceptance of the exchange offers through DTC’s ATOP procedures for transfer before the exchange offers expire.

If ATOP procedures are followed, DTC will verify each acceptance transmitted to it, execute a book-entry delivery to the exchange agent’s account at DTC and send an agent’s message to the exchange agent. An “agent’s message” is a message, transmitted by DTC to and received by the exchange agent and forming part of a book-entry confirmation, which states that DTC has received an express acknowledgement from a DTC participant tendering Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that the participant has received and agrees to be bound by the terms of the Letter of Transmittal and Consent and that Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. may enforce the agreement against the participant. DTC participants following this procedure should allow sufficient time for completion of the ATOP procedures prior to the expiration date of the exchange offers.

The Letter of Transmittal and Consent (or facsimile thereof), with any required signature guarantees, or (in the case of book-entry transfer) an agent’s message in lieu of the Letter of Transmittal and Consent, and any other required documents, must be transmitted to and received by the exchange agent prior to the expiration date at its address set forth on the back cover page of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. Delivery of such documents to DTC or us does not constitute delivery to the exchange agent.

Proper execution and delivery of the Letter of Transmittal and Consent

Signatures on the Letter of Transmittal and Consent must be guaranteed by a firm that is a participant in the Security Transfer Agents Medallion Program or the Stock Exchange Medallion Program (generally a member of a registered national securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or a commercial bank or trust company having an office in the United States) (an “Eligible Institution”), unless (i) the Letter of Transmittal and Consent is signed by the registered holder of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered therewith and the Domtar Corp. notes to be issued or any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes not tendered or not accepted for exchange are to be issued directly to such holder or (ii) such Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are tendered for the account of an Eligible Institution.

 

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If tendered notes are registered to a person who did not sign the Letter of Transmittal and Consent, they must be endorsed by, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed by, the registered holder with the signature guaranteed by an Eligible Institution and appropriate powers of attorney, signed exactly as the name of the registered holder appears on the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. All questions of adequacy of the form of the writing will be determined by us in our sole discretion.

If the Letter of Transmittal and Consent or any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes or powers of attorney are signed by trustees, executors, administrators, guardians, attorneys-in-fact, officers of corporations or others acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity, such persons should so indicate when signing, and unless waived by us, submit evidence satisfactory to us of their authority to so act with the Letter of Transmittal and Consent.

Acceptance of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for exchange; delivery of Domtar Corp. notes

Upon satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the exchange offers, we will promptly issue in exchange for all Domtar Inc. U.S. notes properly tendered and not validly withdrawn Domtar Corp. notes bearing interest at the same rate as and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered. We will be deemed to have accepted properly tendered Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for exchange if and when we give oral or written notice of acceptance to the exchange agent, with written confirmation of any oral notice to follow promptly.

The Domtar Corp. notes will be credited in book-entry form to direct registration accounts maintained by our transfer agent for the benefit of the tendering holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes (or, in the case of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered through DTC, to the account of DTC so that DTC can credit the relevant DTC participant and such participant can credit its respective account holders) in exchange for Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered pursuant to the exchange offers. We will also deliver cash for the early consent payment (if applicable).

If any tendered Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are not accepted for any reason or if any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are submitted for a greater principal amount than the holder desired to exchange, the unaccepted or non-exchanged portion of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes will be returned without expense to the tendering holder to the address specified by the holder in the Letter of Transmittal (or, in the case of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered by book-entry transfer into the exchange agent’s account at the book-entry transfer facility pursuant to the book-entry procedures described above, the unaccepted, non-exchanged or unsold Domtar Inc. U.S. notes will be credited to an account maintained with such book-entry transfer facility) promptly after the expiration or termination of the applicable exchange offer.

Withdrawal of tenders and revocation of corresponding consents

Tenders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in connection with any of the exchange offers may be withdrawn at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the applicable early consent date. Tenders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes may not be withdrawn at any time after the applicable early consent date, even if we extend the exchange offers. The valid withdrawal of tendered Domtar Inc. U.S. notes prior to the applicable early consent date will be deemed to be a concurrent revocation of the consent to the proposed amendments to the applicable Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture. You may only revoke a consent by validly withdrawing the related Domtar Inc. U.S. notes prior to the applicable early consent date. Holders who tendered their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes by completing a Letter of Transmittal and Consent who wish to withdraw their notes

 

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should contact the Exchange Agent. Beneficial owners desiring to withdraw Domtar Inc. U.S. notes previously tendered should contact the DTC participant through which they hold their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. In order to withdraw Domtar Inc. U.S. notes previously tendered, a DTC participant may, on or prior to the applicable early consent date, withdraw its instruction previously transmitted through ATOP by delivering to the exchange agent by mail, hand delivery or facsimile transmission, notice of withdrawal of such instruction.

Any such notice of withdrawal must:

 

(i)   specify the name of the depositor having tendered the Domtar Inc. U.S. note to be withdrawn;

 

(ii)   include a statement that the depositor is withdrawing its election to have the Domtar Inc. U.S. note exchanged, and identify the Domtar Inc. U.S. note to be withdrawn (including the principal amount of the Domtar Inc. U.S. note);

 

(iii)   specify the name in which such Domtar Inc. U.S. note is registered, if different from that of the withdrawing holder; and

 

(iv)   state that the consent to amend the indenture under which the note was issued is revoked.

We will determine all questions as to the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for such withdrawal notices. Our determination will be final and binding on all parties. Any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes so withdrawn will be considered not to have been validly tendered for purposes of the exchange offers and no Domtar Corp. notes will be issued with respect thereto. Properly withdrawn Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, however, may be re-tendered by following the procedures described above at any time prior to the expiration of the exchange offers.

Miscellaneous

All questions as to the validity, form, eligibility (including time of receipt) and acceptance for exchange of any tender of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in connection with the exchange offers will be determined by us, in our sole discretion, and our determination will be final and binding. We reserve the absolute right to reject any or all tenders not in proper form or the acceptance for exchange of which may, in the opinion of our counsel, be unlawful.

We also reserve the absolute right to waive any defect or irregularity in the tender of any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in the exchange offers or any conditions to the consummation of the exchange offers, and our interpretation of the terms and conditions of each exchange offer (including the instructions in the Letter of Transmittal and Consent) will be final and binding on all parties. None of Domtar Corp., Domtar Inc., the exchange and information agent, the U.S. Dealer Managers or any other person will be under any duty to give notification of any defects or irregularities in tenders or incur any liability for failure to give any such notification. Tenders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes involving any irregularities will not be deemed to have been made until those irregularities have been cured or waived. Domtar Inc. U.S. notes received by the exchange agent in connection with the exchange offers that are not validly tendered and as to which the irregularities have not been cured or waived will be returned by the exchange agent to the DTC participant who delivered those Domtar Inc. U.S. notes by crediting an account maintained at DTC designated by that DTC participant promptly after the expiration date of the exchange offers or the withdrawal or termination of the exchange offers.

 

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Exchange agent

Global Bondholder Services Corporation has been appointed the exchange agent for the exchange offers and consent solicitations. Letters of Transmittal and Consent and all correspondence in connection with the exchange offers and consent solicitations should be sent or delivered by each holder of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, or the bank, depositary, broker, dealer, trust company or other nominee acting as the beneficial owner’s custodial entity, to the exchange agent at the address and telephone numbers set forth on the back cover page of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. Domtar Corp. will pay the exchange agent reasonable and customary fees for its services and will reimburse it for its reasonable, out-of-pocket expenses in connection therewith.

Information agent

Global Bondholder Services Corporation has been appointed the information agent for the exchange offers and consent solicitations, and will receive customary compensation for its services. Questions concerning tender procedures and requests for additional copies of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement or the Letter of Transmittal and Consent should be directed to the information agent at the address and telephone numbers set forth on the back cover page of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. Holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes may also contact their bank, depositary, broker, dealer, trust company or other nominee acting as their custodial entity for such holder for assistance concerning the exchange offers.

Dealer managers and solicitation agents

Domtar Corp. has engaged J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. to act as lead dealer manager and lead solicitation agent, and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. to act as co-dealer manager and co-solicitation agent (together, the “U.S. Dealer Managers”) in connection with the exchange offers and consent solicitations, and will pay to the U.S. Dealer Managers for soliciting tenders in the exchange offers and consents in the consent solicitations a customary fee based on the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes accepted and exchanged pursuant to the exchange offers. The U.S. Dealer Managers may perform their services through or in conjunction with their affiliates. The obligations of the U.S. Dealer Managers to perform these functions are subject to certain conditions.

Domtar Corp. will also reimburse the U.S. Dealer Managers for certain expenses, including attorneys’ fees and disbursements made in connection with the exchange offers and consent solicitations.

Domtar Corp. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC have agreed to indemnify each U.S. Dealer Manager against certain liabilities, including liabilities under applicable federal securities laws. From time to time, the Dealer Managers have provided and may in the future provide various investment banking, commercial banking and financial advisory services to Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. and their affiliates. J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. acted as financial advisor to Domtar Inc. in connection with the Acquisition Transactions. Affiliates of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. may be deemed to beneficially own (as that term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) approximately 6% of the outstanding common stock of Domtar Corp. due to their ability to vote or dispose, or direct the voting or disposition, of the common stock of Domtar Corp. owned by others. J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. acted as the sole Bookrunning Manager or as a Joint Bookrunning Manager in connection with Domtar Inc.’s offering of the 7.875% Notes, 5.375% Notes and 7  1 / 8 % Notes. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (or its predecessor) acted as a

 

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Co-Manager in connection with Domtar Inc.’s offering of its 7.875% Notes, 5.375% Notes and 7  1 / 8 % Notes. In addition, an affiliate of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. is the Administrative Agent and a lender under the Credit Agreement and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. is a Joint Lead Arranger and Joint Bookrunner thereunder. An affiliate of Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. is a lender under the Credit Agreement. Each U.S. Dealer Manager, in the ordinary course of its business, may make markets in our securities and those of Domtar Inc., including the Domtar Corp. debt securities and the Domtar Inc. debt securities. As a result, from time to time, any of the U.S. Dealer Managers may own certain of our securities or those of Domtar Inc., including the Domtar Corp. debt securities and the Domtar Inc. debt securities, and may tender the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in the exchange offers and consent solicitations.

Questions regarding the terms of the exchange offers or the consent solicitations may be directed to the U.S. Dealer Managers at the addresses and telephone numbers set forth on the back cover page of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

Other fees and expenses

We will pay the expenses of soliciting tenders of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. The principal solicitation is being made by mail; however, additional solicitations may be made by facsimile transmission, telephone or in person by the U.S. Dealer Managers and the information agent, as well as by our officers and other employees and those of our affiliates.

Tendering holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes will not be required to pay any fee or commission to the U.S. Dealer Managers. However, if a tendering holder handles the transaction through its broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other institution, that holder may be required to pay brokerage fees or commissions.

Transfer taxes

You will not be obligated to pay any U.S. or Canadian transfer taxes in connection with the exchange offers unless you instruct us to register the Domtar Corp. notes in the name of, or request that the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes not tendered or accepted in the exchange offers be returned to, a person other than the registered tendering holder. In those cases, you will be responsible for the payment of any applicable transfer taxes.

Effect of tender

Any tender by a holder of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that is not withdrawn prior to the expiration of the applicable exchange offer will constitute a binding agreement between the holder and us, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the exchange offers. The acceptance of an exchange offer by a tendering holder of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes will constitute the agreement by that holder to deliver good and marketable title to the tendered Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, free and clear of all liens, charges, claims, encumbrances, interests and restrictions of any kind. The successful completion of any or all exchange offers may adversely affect the liquidity and market price of any remaining Domtar Inc. U.S. notes not tendered in the exchange. See “Risk factors—Risk factors relating to the exchange offers.”

Absence of dissenter’s rights

Holders of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes do not have any appraisal or dissenters’ rights in connection with the exchange offers and consent solicitations.

 

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The consent solicitations

Concurrently with the exchange offers, we are soliciting consents from the holders of each series of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes to amend the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture pursuant to which each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes were issued to, as applicable, (i) eliminate or modify certain restrictive covenants, (ii) permit the Transfer, (iii) eliminate Domtar Inc.’s contractual reporting obligations and (iv) eliminate certain events of default. The proposed amendments are described in more detail below under “—The proposed amendments.”

Required consents

The consent of the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of a series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes outstanding will be required in order to effectuate the proposed amendments to the applicable Domtar Inc. indenture with respect to that series. If the proposed amendments are approved and effected with respect to a series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, they will be binding on all holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes of that series, including those who do not give their consent to the proposed amendments and do not tender their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in the applicable exchange offer. If for any reason the exchange offer with respect to a series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes is not completed, the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. indenture will not become effective with respect to that series and that series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes will be subject to the same terms and conditions as existed before the exchange offers were made.

If you tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in the exchange offers, you will be deemed to consent to the proposed amendments to the applicable Domtar Inc. indenture. If you consent to amend the applicable Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture, you must tender your Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. The proposed amendments constitute a single proposal for the related consent solicitations and a consenting holder must consent to the proposed amendments applicable to the relevant Domtar Inc. U.S. notes as an entirety and may not consent selectively with respect to certain of the proposed amendments. Tendered Domtar Inc. U.S. notes may be withdrawn and consents revoked before the applicable early consent date (see “—Early consent payment”), but Domtar Inc. U.S. notes may not be withdrawn and consents may not be revoked after the applicable early consent date, even if we extend the exchange offers beyond the original expiration date. Consents given in connection with the tender of any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes cannot be revoked without withdrawing the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, and Domtar Inc. U.S. notes cannot be withdrawn without also revoking the consent related to those notes. Our receipt of the requisite consents in advance of the expiration of the relevant exchange offer will not result in any change in the terms of the relevant Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture until consummation of the exchange offers, at which time the proposed amendments contained in the applicable supplement indenture will become operative.

Early consent payment

If you give a valid consent that is not revoked on or before the applicable early consent date, we will pay to you an early consent payment in cash of $2.50 for each $1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes with respect to which you give consent. This early consent payment will be paid upon completion of the exchange offers. If you do not give a valid consent, or you revoke your consent, on or before the applicable early consent date, you will not receive an early consent payment. For purposes of the exchange offers and consent solicitations, the term “early consent date” means 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 30, 2007 or such later date and

 

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time to which we extend the early consent date with respect to any exchange offer. If we extend the early consent date with respect to any or all of the exchange offers, we will announce the new early consent date with respect to such series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes no later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first business day after we make the extension.

The proposed amendments

In connection with the exchange offers, we are soliciting the consent of the holders of each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes to certain proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture pursuant to which such series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes were issued to, as applicable, (i) eliminate or modify certain restrictive covenants, (ii) amend the covenants of the applicable Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture to permit the Transfer, (iii) eliminate Domtar Inc.’s contractual reporting obligation and (iv) eliminate certain events of default.

If the requisite consents with respect to a series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes have been delivered, the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture pursuant to which such series of Domtar Inc. notes were issued will be effected with respect to such series by the execution of a supplemental indenture, each of which is expected to be executed after the applicable early consent date and before the expiration of the exchange offers. Such supplemental indenture will become effective immediately upon execution and delivery, but the proposed amendments will only become operative on the settlement date of the exchange offer with respect to such series.

The description of the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures set forth below does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full and complete terms contained in the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures and proposed supplemental indentures, which are included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus and consent solicitation statement forms a part and are available from the information agent upon request.

 

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The proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures are as follows:

2003 Indenture (5.375% Domtar Inc. notes and 7  1 / 8 % Domtar Inc. notes)

Proposed Amendments—Provisions to be Deleted

If the requisite consents are obtained and the proposed amendments are effected, the following provisions in the 2003 Indenture will be deleted in their entirety:

 

Location in
2003 indenture
   Restrictive covenants and other provisions
      
Section 515    Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws :    This provision restricts Domtar Inc.’s ability to benefit from any stay, extension or usury law that affects the covenants or performance of the indenture.
Section 1006    Maintenance of Properties :      This provision requires Domtar Inc. to maintain all material properties used in its business or the business of its restricted subsidiaries as may be necessary so that Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries may properly and advantageously conduct their respective businesses.
Section 1007    Payment of Taxes :      This provision requires Domtar Inc. to pay or discharge all of its and its restricted subsidiaries’ taxes.
Section 1008    Negative Pledge :      This provision restricts the granting of mortgages upon principal properties of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries or shares of capital stock or debt of the restricted subsidiaries to secure any debt of Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary without also securing the notes issued under the 2003 indenture equally and ratably.
Section 1009    Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions :      This provision restricts the entry into any transaction pursuant to which Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary is to sell any principal property with the intention of directly or indirectly taking back a lease on such property.
      

 

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Proposed Amendments—Provisions to be Amended

If the requisite consents are obtained and the proposed amendments are effected, the following provisions in the 2003 Indenture will be amended as described:

 

Location in
2003 indenture
   Restrictive covenants and other provisions
      
Section 704    Reports by Domtar Inc. :      The amendments to this provision would eliminate Domtar Inc.’s obligation to file with the trustee and the SEC periodic reports and certain other information under the Exchange Act, or otherwise provide information to the trustee or the holders of the 5.375% Domtar Inc. notes and 71/8% Domtar Inc. notes other than as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
Section 801    Domtar Inc. May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms :      This provision sets forth the conditions under which Domtar Inc. may consolidate or merge with, or transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to, another entity, and will be amended to permit the Transfer and to eliminate clause (b) which requires Domtar Inc. to treat debt that becomes an obligation of Domtar Inc. or its subsidiaries as a result of a transaction pursuant to Section 801 as having been incurred by Domtar Inc. or such subsidiary at the time of such transaction.
 

2001 Indenture (7.875% Domtar Inc. notes)

Proposed Amendments—Provisions to be Deleted

If the requisite consents are obtained and the proposed amendments are effected, the following provisions in the 2001 Indenture will be deleted in their entirety:

 

Location in
2001 indenture
   Restrictive covenants and other provisions
      
Section 514    Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws :    This provision restricts Domtar Inc.’s ability to benefit from any stay or extension law that affects the covenants or performance of the indenture.
Section 1006    Negative Pledge :    This provision restricts the granting of mortgages upon principal properties of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries or shares of capital stock or debt of its restricted subsidiaries to secure any debt of Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary without also securing the notes under the 2001 indenture equally and ratably.
Section 1007    Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions :    This provision restricts the entry into any transaction pursuant to which Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary is to sell any principal property with the intention of directly or indirectly taking back a lease on such property.
Section 1011    Payment of Taxes and Other Claims :    This provision requires Domtar Inc. to pay or discharge all material taxes of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries.
Section 1012    Maintenance of Properties :    This provision requires Domtar Inc. to maintain all material properties used in its business as may be necessary so that Domtar Inc. may properly and advantageously conduct its business.
 

 

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Proposed Amendments—Provisions to be Amended

If the requisite consents are obtained and the proposed amendments are effected, the following provisions in the 2001 Indenture will be amended as described:

 

Location in
2001 indenture
   Restrictive covenants and other provisions
      
Section 501    Events of Default :    This provision sets forth the events of default and remedies available to the holders of the 7.875% Domtar Inc. notes upon an event of default under the 2001 Indenture, and will be amended to eliminate clause (4), which provides for a cross-default under the 2001 Indenture in the event Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary defaults under other indebtedness with a principal amount of at least $50 million, and to eliminate clause (5), which provides for an event of default if Domtar Inc. or a restricted subsidiary becomes subject to an unstayed judgment for payment of money in excess of $50 million for a period of 90 days.
Section 705    Reports by Domtar Inc. :    The amendments to this provision would eliminate Domtar Inc.’s obligation to file with the trustee and the SEC periodic reports and certain other information under the Exchange Act, or otherwise provide information to the trustee or the holders of the 7.875% Domtar Inc. notes other than as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
Section 801    Domtar Inc. May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms :    This provision sets forth the conditions under which Domtar Inc. may consolidate or merge with, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its property and assets to, another entity, and will be amended to permit the Transfer and to eliminate clause (b), which requires Domtar Inc. to provide equal and ratable security to the holders of the 7.875% Domtar Inc. notes following any consolidation or merger in which the properties or assets of Domtar Inc. or any of its restricted subsidiaries became subject to a mortgage, unless such mortgage is otherwise permitted by the 2001 Indenture.
 

 

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1996 Indenture (9  1 / 2 % Domtar Inc. debentures)

Proposed Amendments—Provisions to be Deleted

If the requisite consents are obtained and the proposed amendments are effected, the following provisions in the 1996 Indenture will be deleted in their entirety:

 

Location in
1996 indenture
   Restrictive covenants and other provisions
      
Section 3.05    Limitation on Liens :    This provision restricts the granting of any lien by Domtar Inc. or its restricted subsidiaries absent provision of an equal and ratable lien on the 9  1 / 2 % Domtar Inc. debentures.
Section 3.09    Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions :    This provision restricts the entry into any transaction pursuant to which Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary is to sell property with the intention of directly or indirectly taking back a lease on such property.
Section 3.10    Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries :    This provision sets forth the conditions under which Domtar Inc. may designate a subsidiary as an unrestricted subsidiary and the circumstances under which an entity becomes a restricted subsidiary.
Section 10.07    Payment for Consent :    This provision restricts any payment by Domtar Inc. and its affiliates to the holders of the 9  1 / 2 % Domtar Inc. debentures for or as an inducement to a consent, waiver or amendment of the terms or provisions of the 1996 Indenture or the 9  1 / 2 % Domtar Inc. debentures, unless such payment is offered to all holders who so consent or waive.
      

 

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Proposed Amendments—Provisions to be Amended

If the requisite consents are obtained and the proposed amendments are effected, the following provisions in the 1996 Indenture will be amended as described:

 

Location in
1996 indenture
   Restrictive covenants and other provisions
      
Section 1.01   

Definitions :    The amendments to this section would delete the definition of “Restricted Subsidiary” in its entirety and replace it with the following:

“‘Restricted Subsidiary’ means (a) a Subsidiary which, as at the end of the Company’s then most recently completed fiscal quarter, had Consolidated Net Tangible Assets representing 5% or more of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company (including such Subsidiary) and owns or leases any interest in a Principal Property and (b) any other Subsidiary which the Board of Directors shall have determined to be a Restricted Subsidiary. Any determination mentioned in (b) shall be irrevocable provided, however, that the Board of Directors may determine that a Restricted Subsidiary described in (b) shall cease to be a Restricted Subsidiary and shall become an unrestricted Subsidiary if (i) a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary shall hold a minority interest of at least 15% of the common shareholders’ equity of such Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) immediately after such Restricted Subsidiary becomes an unrestricted Subsidiary, no Event of Default or event which, with time or the giving of notice or both, would become an Event of Default, shall exist.”

Section 3.12    SEC Reports; Reports to Holders :    The amendments to this provision would eliminate Domtar Inc.’s obligation to file with the trustee and the SEC periodic reports and certain other information under the Exchange Act, or otherwise provide information to the trustee or the holders of the 9  1 / 2 % Domtar Inc. debentures other than as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
Section 6.01    When Domtar Inc. May Merge, Amalgamate, Consolidate or Sell Assets :    This provision sets forth the conditions under which Domtar Inc. may consolidate, amalgamate or merge with, or convey, transfer, assign, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets to, another entity, and will be amended to permit the Transfer and to eliminate clause (a)(iv), which requires the surviving entity to have a consolidated net worth not less than that of Domtar Inc. in order to consummate such transaction.
Section 7.01    Events of Default :    This provision sets forth the events of the default and remedies available to the holders of the 9  1 / 2 % Domtar Inc. debentures upon an event of default under the 1996 Indenture, and will be amended to eliminate clause (4), which provides for a cross-default under the 1996 Indenture in the event Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary defaults under other indebtedness with a principal amount of $25 million or more, and to eliminate clause (5), which provides for an event of default if Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary becomes subject to an unstayed judgment for the payment of money in excess of $25 million for a period of 60 days.
      

In addition to the foregoing, the proposed amendments will include a waiver with respect to all claims against Domtar Inc. The proposed amendments will also delete defined terms to the extent such terms are no longer used in the applicable Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture, eliminate section references that cease to have meaning by virtue of the changes made by the proposed amendments and effect certain other conforming changes.

 

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Use of proceeds

The Domtar Corp. debt securities issued in connection with the exchange offers and the Canadian proxy solicitations are only being issued in exchange for Domtar Inc. U.S. notes or Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures. Consequently, the Company will not receive any cash proceeds from the issuance of the Domtar Corp. debt securities in connection with the exchange offers and the Canadian proxy solicitations, nor will the Company decrease its consolidated debt. We intend to deliver the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes we accept in the exchange offers and Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures we acquire in connection with the Canadian proxy solicitations to Domtar Inc. as consideration for all or a portion of the purchase price of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of Domtar Inc.’s U.S. subsidiaries that are subject to the Transfer described in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. Any Domtar Inc. debt securities tendered in the exchange offers and acquired in the Canadian proxy solicitations in excess of the purchase price will initially remain outstanding and will be held by Domtar Corp.

 

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Capitalization

The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and our capitalization as of July 1, 2007 and as adjusted to reflect our issuance of $1,475 million aggregate principal amount of Domtar Corp. notes in connection with the exchange offers (assuming all the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are validly tendered and not withdrawn) and our issuance of CDN$157 million aggregate principal amount of Domtar Corp. debt securities to acquire all the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures as a result of the Canadian proxy solicitations. The information presented below should be read in conjunction with “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of the Company” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other information contained in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

 

       As of July 1, 2007
     Actual    As
Adjusted
(In millions of US dollars)    (unaudited)
 

Cash and cash equivalents(a)

   $ 80    $ 49
             

Short-term bank indebtedness

     74      74
             

Long-term debt (including portion due within one year):

     

Credit Agreement:

     

Revolving credit facility due 2012(b)

     0      0

Term loan facility due 2014(c)

     720      720

Domtar Inc. debt securities(d):

     

10% debentures due 2011

     86     

7.875% notes dues 2011

     634     

5.375% notes due 2013

     321     

7  1 / 8 % notes due 2015

     398     

9  1 / 2 % debentures due 2016

     139     

10.85% debentures due 2017

     86     

Domtar Corp. Debt securities(d):

     

10% notes due 2011

          86

7.875% notes dues 2011

          634

5.375% notes due 2013

          321

7.125% notes dues 2015

          398

9.5% notes due 2016

          139

10.85% notes due 2017

          86

Capital lease obligations with maturities between 2007 and 2028

     48      48

Other

     12      12
             

Total long-term debt

     2,444      2,444
             

Shareholders’ equity:

     

Common stock: 2,000,000,000 common stock, par value $0.01 per share, authorized; 461,097,172 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted

     5      5

Exchangeable shares: unlimited number authorized, no par value per share; 54,277,334 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted

     362      362

Additional paid-in capital

     2,478      2,478

Retained earnings

     37      33

Accumulated other comprehensive income

     212      212
             

Total shareholders’ equity

     3,094      3,090
             

Total capitalization

   $ 5,612    $ 5,608
 

 

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(a)   Cash and cash equivalents, as adjusted, reflect the payment of the early consent payment and accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the settlement date in connection with the exchange offers and the Canadian proxy solicitations.

 

(b)   $750 million facility (including up to $150 million available for borrowing by Domtar Inc.), of which $701 million was available at July 1, 2007, after giving effect to $49 million of outstanding letters of credit.

 

(c)   On September 28, 2007, Domtar Corp. made a $2 million mandatory quarterly amortization payment and a $73 million optional prepayment, in each case in respect of the term loan facility, which is not reflected in the table above.

 

(d)   The Domtar Inc. debt securities had the following actual principal amounts as of July 1, 2007:

 

10% debentures due 2011

   CDN$ 82  (US$77)

7.875% notes due 2011

   $ 600   

5.375% notes due 2013

   $ 350   

7  1 / 8 % notes due 2015

   $ 400   

9  1 / 2 % notes due 2016

   $ 125   

10.85% debentures due 2017

   CDN$ 75  (US$71)

The premiums or discounts associated with each series of Domtar Inc. debt securities reflect the fair market value adjustment relating to the Acquisition Transactions as of March 7, 2007. Assuming that 100% of these outstanding Domtar Inc. debt securities are acquired by Domtar Corp. in connection with the exchange offers and Canadian proxy solicitations, Domtar Corp. will issue an equal aggregate principal amount of each corresponding series of new Domtar Corp. debt securities.

 

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Unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company

The following unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of income for the year ended December 31, 2006 and for the 26 week period ended July 1, 2007 give effect to the Acquisition Transactions as if they occurred on December 26, 2005, the first day of the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.

The December 31, 2006 pro forma condensed combined statement of income was prepared based on historical financial information of the Company, Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. On March 7, 2007, the Company acquired Domtar Inc. The July 1, 2007 pro forma condensed combined statement of income was prepared based on the Company’s historical financial information for the 26-week period ended July 1, 2007 as well as the historical financial information for Domtar Inc. for the period prior to March 7, 2007.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information includes adjustments directly attributable to the Acquisition Transactions. The pro forma adjustments are described in the accompanying notes and are based upon available information and assumptions that are factually supportable.

The unaudited pro forma condensed financial information does not include a pro forma balance sheet, because the Company has an actual historical balance sheet as of July 1, 2007, which reflects the Acquisition Transactions, including preliminary purchase price allocation adjustments.

This unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is for illustrative informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would have been achieved had the Acquisition Transactions actually taken place at the dates indicated, and does not purport to be indicative of future operating results. Actual adjustments may differ from the pro forma adjustments. Future operating results may differ materially from the unaudited pro forma financial information presented below due to various factors including those described under “Risk factors”, “Forward-looking statements” and elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information should be read in conjunction with “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial conditions and results of operations of the Predecessor Company,” “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial conditions and results of operations of the Company,” “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial conditions and results of operations of Domtar Inc.” and the historical financial statements of the Company, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

As of the date of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement, the Company has not completed the detailed valuation studies necessary to determine the required estimates of the fair value of the assets and liabilities of Domtar Inc. acquired or assumed by the Company. However, as indicated in note 2 of the notes to the Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information, the Company has made certain adjustments to the historical book values of the assets and liabilities of Domtar Inc. These adjustments reflect certain preliminary estimates of fair value necessary to prepare the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information. The Company is in the process of completing its valuation of certain assets and liabilities. As a result, actual fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as well as the goodwill generated could differ materially from those reflected in the historical consolidated financial statements, and impact the amount of certain expenses presented in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information, such as depreciation and amortization.

 

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Unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company

Statement of Income

For the year ended December 31, 2006

(in millions of U.S. dollars, except for share and per share data)

 

      Domtar
Corporation
year ended
December 31,
2006 US
GAAP
  Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business year
ended
December 31,
2006 US
GAAP
    Domtar Inc.
year ended
December 31,
2006 US
GAAP
    Purchase
price
allocation
pro forma
adjustments
    Other pro
forma
adjustments
    Combined
Company
pro forma
 
   
              (Note 1)     (Note 3)     (Note 3)        

Sales

    3,306     3,492         (48 ) C   6,750  

Operating expenses

           

Cost of sales

    2,649     2,990     (18 ) A   10 B   5,583  
          (48 ) C  

Selling, general and administrative

    203     192     (9 ) A     386  

Depreciation and amortization

    311     266     (82 ) I       495  

Antidumping and countervailing duties refund

    (65 )   (145 )           (210 )

Closure and restructuring costs

    15     31             46  

Net gains on disposals of property, plant and equipment

        (11 )           (11 )

Impairment of goodwill

    749                 749  
     
    3,862     3,323     (109 )   (38 )   7,038  
     

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

    (556 )   169     109     (10 )   (288 )

Financing expenses

        138     (7 ) D   55 E   188  
        2 G   3 F  
        (3 ) H    

Share of joint ventures net earnings

        (1 )           (1 )

Derivative instruments loss

        9             9  
     

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and minority interest

    (556 )   23     117     (68 )   (484 )

Income tax expense (benefit)

    53     (4 )   45 K   (5 ) L   89  

Minority interest

                1 M   1  
     

Net income (loss) from continuing operations

    (609 )   27     72     (64 )   (574 )

Basic income (loss) per share

    (2.14 )   0.11         (1.11 )

Diluted income (loss) per share

    (2.14 )   0.11         (1.11 )
     

Basic Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

    284.1     231.0         515.1  
     

Diluted Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

    284.1     231.0         515.1  
   

 

See accompanying notes to unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information.

 

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Unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company

Statement of Income

For the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007

(in millions of U.S. dollars, except for share and per share data)

 

     

Domtar
Corporation

26 weeks ended

July 1, 2007

US GAAP*

 

Domtar Inc.

period from
January 1, 2007

to March 6, 2007

US GAAP

    Purchase price
allocation pro
forma
adjustments
   

Other

pro forma
adjustments

   

Combined
Company

pro forma

 
        (Note 1)     (Note 3)     (Note 3)      

Sales

  2,671   582         (9 ) C   3,244
   

Operating expenses

         

Cost of sales

  2,172   489     (5 ) A   (9 ) C   2,650
        3 J  

Selling, general and administrative

  150   68     (3 ) A       215

Depreciation and amortization

  209   44     (5 )I       248
   
  2,531   601     (13 )   (6 )   3,113
   

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

  140   (19 )   13     (3 )   131

Financing expenses

  58   20     (1 ) D   1 2 E   89
      (1 ) H     1 F  

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and minority interest

  82   (39 )   15     (16 )   42

Income tax expense (benefit)

  22   (8 )   6 K   (5 ) L   15
   

Net income (loss) from continuing operations

  60   (31 )   9     (11 )   27
   

Basic income (loss) per share

  0.14         0.05
   

Diluted income (loss) per share

  0.14         0.05
   

Basic Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

  431.7         515.1
   

Diluted Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

  432.3         515.1
 

 

*   On March 7, 2007, Domtar Corp. acquired Domtar Inc. The predecessor to Domtar Corp. for accounting and financial purposes is Domtar Corp. as though it owned only the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and not Domtar Inc.

 

See accompanying notes to unaudited pro forma combined financial information.

 

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Notes to unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company

1. Basis of Presentation

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared based upon historical financial information of the Company, Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc., giving effect to the Acquisition Transactions and other related adjustments described in these footnotes. This unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would have been achieved had the Acquisition Transactions actually taken place at the dates indicated, and does not purport to be indicative of future financial position or operating results. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information should be read in conjunction with the historical financial statements of the Company, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. and the notes thereto, which are included in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

The historical financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business were prepared using specific identification of income and expenses and assets and liabilities, where available, and, where not available, include allocations and estimates that management believes are reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances. However, these allocations and estimates may not necessarily reflect the operating results for the periods presented had the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business operated as a separate entity. For a more detailed discussion on the basis of presentation and allocation methodology used in the historical financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, please refer to note 1 and 2 to the financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business for the year ended December 31, 2006 included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. In addition, please refer to “Risk factors—Risks related to the Acquisition Transactions—The historical financial information of the Predecessor Company may not be representative of its results if the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business had operated independently of Weyerhaeuser and, as a result, may not be a reliable indicator of its future results.”

The Company’s and the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business’s financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and are presented in U.S. dollars. Domtar Inc.’s historical consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP and are presented in Canadian dollars. Canadian GAAP differs in certain respects from U.S. GAAP. Domtar Inc.’s historical consolidated financial statements were reconciled to U.S. GAAP and were translated from Canadian dollars to U.S. dollars using the period end rate for the balance sheets and the average rate of the monthly average rates during the period for the statements of earnings, based on the Bank of Canada noon rate.

Unless otherwise stated, all amounts shown in this section are in U.S. dollars and in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In preparing the unaudited pro forma combined financial information, a review was undertaken to identify differences between Domtar Inc.’s accounting policies and financial statements’ presentation and those used by the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business where the impact was potentially material and could be reasonably estimated. The accounting policies and presentation used in the preparation of these unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information are those set out in the historical financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

 

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Notes to unaudited pro forma condensed

combined financial information of the Company (continued)

 

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information was prepared using the purchase method of accounting, with the Company treated as the “acquirer” for accounting purposes. Upon consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company became an independent public holding company that, directly or indirectly through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and the Domtar Inc. business.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information assumes that the acquisition of Domtar Inc. has been accounted for in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Statement No. 141, “Business Combinations,” or SFAS No. 141, and the resulting goodwill and other intangible assets are accounted for under FASB Statement No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangibles Assets,” or SFAS No. 142. The total purchase price is allocated to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the Company’s preliminary estimates of their fair value at March 7, 2007, which are based on information available on that date. The Company is in the process of completing its valuation of certain assets and liabilities. Accordingly, the final allocation of the fair value to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed could differ materially from the amounts presented in the interim consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement, and impact the amount of certain expenses presented in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information, such as depreciation and amortization. The principal significant elements for which the fair value could be modified from current estimates include inventories, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, goodwill, deferred income taxes, pension plans and other employee future benefit plans. The Company has refined its preliminary purchase price allocation in the second quarter of 2007 to reflect, among other things, the impact of the restructuring measures announced on July 31, 2007, and to refine the fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed of its wood business. Obligations for pension and other post-retirement benefits have been determined based upon actuarial estimates.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of earnings does not reflect operational and administrative cost savings or synergies that the Company estimates may be achieved as a result of the Acquisition Transactions, or non-recurring, one-time costs or gains that may be incurred or received as a direct result of the Acquisition Transactions.

2. Business combination and purchase price allocation

For accounting purposes, the purchase price is based upon the estimated fair value of Domtar Inc. plus estimated acquisition costs directly related to the Acquisition Transactions. Since no quoted market price existed for the Company’s common stock on August 23, 2006, the purchase price is based on the fair value of the net assets acquired, or the fair value of Domtar Inc., on August 23, 2006, the date the terms of the Acquisition Transactions were agreed to and announced. The fair value of Domtar Inc. common stock of $6.63 per share used in the calculation of the purchase price is based upon the average closing price of Domtar Inc. common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the five trading days beginning August 21, 2006 and ended August 25, 2006, converted at the average daily foreign exchange rate of the Bank of Canada. The number of outstanding Domtar Inc. common shares used in the calculation of the fair value of Domtar Inc. is based on the same periods.

 

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Notes to unaudited pro forma condensed

combined financial information of the Company (continued)

 

The Company believes that Domtar Inc.’s market capitalization includes the fair value of vested Domtar Inc. equity awards. The Company calculated the fair value of Domtar Inc. equity awards given in exchange for vested Company equity awards as of the announcement date of the Acquisition Transactions, utilizing the Black-Scholes model. The Company recognized fair value of vested Company equity awards as of the consummation date of the Acquisition Transactions in excess of the fair value of the Domtar Inc. equity awards as compensation cost.

The Company measured the fair value of vested Company equity awards issued for former Domtar employees as of the consummation date of the Acquisition Transactions. The fair value of the unvested Company equity awards has been allocated to the post-acquisition period and recognized as compensation expense over the requisite service periods based on the relationship of the post-consummation requisite service periods to the total requisite service periods from the dates of the original Domtar Inc. grants.

The following table summarizes the components of the total purchase price (in millions of U.S. dollars, except for share and per share data):

 

Number of issued and outstanding shares

     231,436,850

Price per share

   $ 6.63
      

Fair value of Domtar Inc.’s net assets

   $ 1,534

Estimated direct acquisition costs to be incurred by the Company

     28
      

Estimated total purchase price, excluding assumed debt

   $ 1,562
 

The Company’s purchase price allocation is based on initial estimates of the fair values of acquired assets and assumed liabilities. The purchase price allocation is preliminary as the Company is awaiting additional information necessary to finalize the purchase price allocation, including completion of detailed valuation studies by an outside valuation firm. The Company expects to complete the purchase price allocation during 2007.

The Company’s preliminary estimate of the purchase price allocation resulted in the creation of goodwill. Finalization of the purchase price allocation could result in a change in the amount of goodwill. If the finalization of the purchase price allocation results in an excess in fair value of the net assets acquired over cost, the difference would be allocated on a pro rata basis to the net assets acquired in accordance with SFAS No. 141. This could significantly change the value allocated to property, plant and equipment and intangible assets as well as the corresponding depreciation and amortization expense. The current estimate for property, plant and equipment as well as depreciation and amortization represents management’s best estimate at this time.

The Company has identified some intangible assets. The finalization of the purchase price allocation could result in a different valuation of intangible assets as well as the identification of further intangible assets such as but not limited to non-contractual customer relationships, patents, trademarks and cutting rights. Any further portion of the purchase price that is allocated to intangible assets will result in a decrease in the preliminary amount allocated to goodwill. The Company is unable at this time to estimate the amount that might be reclassified from goodwill to intangible assets.

 

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Notes to unaudited pro forma condensed

combined financial information of the Company (continued)

 

3. Pro forma adjustments to the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of earnings to reflect the arrangement.

A    Domtar Inc. pension, post-retirement and post-employment benefits

To adjust the pension, post-retirement and post-employment expenses to reflect the impact of the fair value of all plans. The expense reduction has been allocated 67% to cost of sales and

33% to selling, general and administrative expenses representing an estimated split of the costs between these two financial statement captions.

B    Domtar Inc. inventory under Last In First Out (“LIFO”)

To record the impact of conforming Domtar Inc.’s U.S. domestic inventory to the LIFO cost method with the Company’s accounting policies.

C    Intercompany purchases and sales elimination

To eliminate intercompany purchases and sales between the Company and Domtar Inc.

D    Amortization of debt premium

To record the amortization of the premium on long-term debt resulting from recording the assumed Domtar Inc. debt at its estimated fair value.

E    Senior secured term loan facility interest expense and other financing considerations

To record the interest expense on the seven-year senior secured term loan facility as well as incremental interest on the five-year senior secured revolving credit facility at the anticipated rate of interest, plus applicable margins. The anticipated rate of interest used was 6.44% for the year ended December 31, 2006 and 6.73% for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007. Should the interest rate increase or decrease by  1 / 8 %, the impact on the earnings (loss) before income taxes would be $1 million for the year ended December 31, 2006 and nil for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007.

F    Amortization of deferred financing costs

To record the amortization of the deferred financing costs under the seven-year senior secured term loan facility. The financing costs are amortized over the duration of the seven-year senior secured term loan.

G    Deferred gain amortization reversal relating to interest rate swaps

Domtar Inc. amortizes a deferred gain to income related to a previous termination of an interest rate swap contract prior to maturity. This gain was written off as a result of recording deferred credits at fair value. This adjustment reverses the amortization benefit recognized in Domtar Inc.’s historical consolidated financial statements.

H    Deferred financing cost amortization reversal

Represents the reversal of amortization of deferred financing costs recognized in Domtar Inc.’s historical consolidated financial statements resulting from recording acquired other assets at fair value.

 

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Notes to unaudited pro forma condensed

combined financial information of the Company (continued)

 

I    Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

To reflect the reduction of the depreciation expense of property, plant and equipment in light of the preliminary valuation studies and management’s best estimate of current remaining economic useful lives of property, plant and equipment.

J    Reversal of purchase price allocation adjustment for inventories

Represents the reversal of the non recurring impact on net earnings of selling the finished goods that were revalued as a result of recording Domtar Inc.’s inventories at their estimated fair value.

K    Tax effect of purchase price allocation adjustments

To reflect the tax effect the purchase price allocation adjustments using the combined statutory rate in effect in the relevant jurisdictions.

L    Other income tax adjustments

To reflect the tax effect of pro forma adjustments using the combined statutory rates in effect in the relevant jurisdictions. The primary adjustment is the result of additional interest expense as a result of the senior secured term loan facilities.

M    Minority Interest

To reflect the presentation of Domtar Inc. preferred shares as a minority interest in the Company’s financial information.

 

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Selected historical financial data of the Company

The following sets forth selected historical combined financial data of the Company for the periods and as of the dates indicated. The selected combined financial data as of December 25, 2005 and December 31, 2006 and for the fiscal years ended December 26, 2004, December 25, 2005 and December 31, 2006 have been derived from the combined audited financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, which financial statements, and the report of KPMG LLP thereon, are included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. The selected combined financial data as of December 29, 2002, December 28, 2003 and December 26, 2004 and for the fiscal years ended December 29, 2002 and December 28, 2003 have been derived from the combined financial statements for the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, which have not been audited and are not included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. The Company’s fiscal year ends on the last Sunday of the calendar year. Fiscal year 2006 consisted of 53 weeks, all other fiscal years presented consisted of 52 weeks.

The selected historical financial information of the Company as of and for the 26 weeks ended June 25, 2006 and July 1, 2007 reflects results of Domtar Inc. only from March 7, 2007 and has been derived from the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company, which, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements are included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. Results for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year.

The Company acquired Domtar Inc. as of March 7, 2007. Accordingly, the results of operations for Domtar Inc. are reflected in the financial statements only as of and for the period after that date. Prior to March 7, 2007, the financial statements of the Company reflect only the results of operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business.

 

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This information should be read in conjunction with “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of the Company”, “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of the Predecessor Company” and the financial statements of the Company and the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

 

U.S. GAAP/U.S. dollar
(Dollars in millions)
  Year ended    

26 weeks
ended

June 25,

2006

   

26 weeks
ended

July 1,

2007(1)

  December 29,
2002
  December 28,
2003
    December 26,
2004
    December 25,
2005
    December 31,
2006
     
 

Statement of Income Data:

             

Sales

  $2,801   $2,854     $3,026     $3,267     $3,306     $1,638     $2,671

Charges for restructuring, closure of facilities, and goodwill impairment

    24     17     538     764     749     6

Operating income (loss) before depreciation, depletion and amortization

  350   242     307     (221 )   (245 )   (616 )   349

Operating income (loss)

  69   (96 )   (41 )   (578 )   (556 )   (768 )   140

Net income (loss)

  57   (67 )   (17 )   (478 )   (609 )   (759 )   60

Net income (loss) per share-basic and diluted(2)

  0.20   (0.24 )   (0.06 )   (1.68 )   (2.14 )   (2.67 )   0.14

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

             

Cash and cash equivalents

  1   1     2     1     1     2     80

Property, plant and equipment

  4,091   4,113     3,923     3,270     3,065     3,229     5,894

Total assets

  5,590   5,649     5,565     4,970     3,998     4,129     7,889

Other liabilities

  14   59     37     24     37     43     2,458

Total shareholders’ equity

  4,303   4,316     4,261     3,773     2,915     2,924     3,094
 

 

(1)   Reflects results of Domtar Inc. only from March 7, 2007, the Acquisition Closing Date.

 

(2)   Performance-based awards . The calculation of earnings per common share for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 is based on the weighted-average number of Domtar Corp. common stock outstanding during the period. Prior to the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Corp. did not have publicly traded common stock or stock options outstanding. The weighted average number of common stock of Domtar Corp. outstanding for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 assumes that all such common stock outstanding immediately after the Contribution but before the acquisition of Domtar Inc. were outstanding since January 1, 2007. The effect of dilutive securities for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 assumes that stock options of Domtar Corp. were outstanding immediately after the Contribution on March 5, 2007. The weighted average number of shares of Domtar Corp. common stock outstanding for the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006 assumes that all such common stock outstanding immediately after the Contribution, but before the acquisition of Domtar Inc. were outstanding since December 26, 2005. The effect of dilutive securities for the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006 assumes that stock options of Domtar Corp. were outstanding immediately after the Contribution on March 5, 2007.

 

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Ratio of earnings to fixed charges

The following table sets forth the Company’s ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the last five years and for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007.

 

      Year ended    

26 weeks
ended
July 1,

2007

 
U.S GAAP/U.S. dollar
(Dollars in millions)
  December 29,
2002
    December 28,
2003
    December 26,
2004
    December 25,
2005
    December 31,
2006
   
   

Operating Income (loss) before income taxes

  $  69     $(96 )   $(41 )   $(578 )   $(556 )   $  82  

Add Fixed Charges:

           

Interest Expense (excluding capitalized)

  *   *   *   *   *   58  

Amortization of loan costs

                      1  

Interest factor in rents

  6     6     6     7     5     4  
     

Total earnings (loss) as defined

  75     (90 )   (35 )   (571 )   (551 )   145  
     

Fixed Charges:

           

Interest Expense

                      58  

Amortization of loan costs

                      1  

Interest factor in rents

  6     6     6     7     5     4  
     

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

  12.5 x                   2.3 x

Deficiency in the coverage of earnings to fixed charges

      15.0 x   5.8 x   81.6 x   110.2 x    
   

 

*   Interest on capital leases and debt is immaterial and consequently was not included in the calculation of the Company’s ratio of earnings to fixed charges.

For the purpose of computing the ratios of earnings to fixed charges, earnings are divided by fixed charges. Earnings represent the aggregate of income from continuing operations before taxes and fixed charges excluding capitalized interest. Fixed charges represent interest on indebtedness (including capitalized interest), amortization of deferred debt issuance costs and an estimate of the interest portion of fixed rent expense (estimated to be one-third).

 

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Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of the Company

for the period ended July 1, 2007

Throughout this management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A), unless otherwise specified, “Domtar Corp.,” “the Company,” “Domtar,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Domtar Corporation, its subsidiaries, as well as its joint ventures. Domtar Corp.’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange. Except where otherwise indicated, all financial information reflected herein is determined on the basis of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). This MD&A should be read in conjunction with Domtar Corp.’s unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. You should also read this MD&A in conjunction with the other historical financial information contained elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

In accordance with industry practice, in this MD&A, the term “ton” or the symbol “ST” refers to a short ton, an imperial unit of measurement equal to 0.9072 metric tons, the term “tonne” or the symbol “ADMT” refers to an air dry metric ton and the term “MFBM” refers to million foot board measure. In this MD&A, unless otherwise indicated, all dollar amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars, and the term “dollars” and the symbol “$” refers to U.S. dollars. In the following discussion, unless otherwise noted, references to increases or decreases in income and expense items, prices, contribution to net income (loss), and shipment volume are based on the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007, as compared to the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended June 25, 2006. The thirteen week periods are also referred to as the second quarter and the twenty-six week periods are also referred to as the first half or year-to-date.

The MD&A contains forward-looking statements. See “Forward-looking statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.

The Acquisition Transactions

Domtar Corp. was incorporated on August 16, 2006 for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and consummating the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. The Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was operated by Weyerhaeuser prior to the completion of the Acquisition Transactions. The Acquisition Transactions was consummated on March 7, 2007. Domtar Corporation had no operations prior to March 7, 2007 when, upon the completion of the Acquisition Transactions, it became an independent public holding company that, directly or indirectly through its subsidiaries, owns the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. We refer to Domtar Corp. as of the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions as the “Successor.”

Although Weyerhaeuser does not have a continuing proprietary interest in Domtar Corp., we have entered into several agreements with Weyerhaeuser and/or certain of its subsidiaries in connection with the Acquisition Transactions, including a tax sharing agreement, an intellectual property licensing agreement, a transition services agreement, fiber and pulp supply agreements and site services agreements. These agreements enable us to continue to operate the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business efficiently following the completion of the Acquisition Transactions.

 

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The following MD&A of Domtar Corp. covers certain periods prior to the Acquisition Transactions. For accounting and financial reporting purposes, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business is considered to be the “Predecessor” to Domtar Corp. and as a result, its historical financial statements now constitute the historical financial statements of Domtar Corp. Accordingly, the results reported for the second quarter and the first half of 2006 include only the results of operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, on a carve-out basis, for the entire period. The results reported for the second quarter of 2007 include results of the Successor for the entire period and those reported for the first half of fiscal year 2007 include the results of operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, on a carve-out basis, for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and the results of operations of the Successor for the period from March 7, 2007 to July 1, 2007. These historical financial statements may not be indicative of our future performance.

For more information on the Acquisition Transactions, refer to note 1 of the unaudited interim financial statements of the Company.

Second quarter 2007 overview

For the second quarter of 2007, we reported operating income of $69 million, an increase of $90 million compared to an operating loss of $21 million in the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding operating income of $30 million attributable to Domtar Inc., operating income in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $39 million, an increase of $60 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. The increase in operating income in the second quarter of 2007 is mainly attributable to higher average selling prices for paper and pulp and lower freight and energy costs, partially due to mill and sawmill closures. These factors were partially offset by lower shipments for all of our major products, higher costs for purchased fiber and lower average selling prices for our wood products.

In July, 2007, we announced that we will permanently close two paper machines, one at our Woodland paper mill and another at our Port Edwards paper mill, as well as our Gatineau paper mill and our converting center in Ottawa, expected to be effective by the end of October 2007. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees.

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of 10 sawmills in Québec and Ontario having an annual production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet, and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights, which represent the majority of Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights. Domtar Inc.’s remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec and Domtar’s interests in several joint ventures are also included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex in an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex Inc. with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license rights transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

 

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On October 11, 2007, the Company announced that Domtar Inc. received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

The Company and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend Domtar Inc.’s rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Quebec Superior Court to enforce its rights. The Company and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continues to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

We intend to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce our outstanding debt. At July 1, 2007, we and Domtar Inc. accounted for the assets and liabilities of the Wood business as held and used in accordance with SFAS 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets , due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly related to obtaining government approval and financing. We and Domtar Inc. do not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

Outlook

In the second half of the year, fine paper volumes are expected to remain under some pressure compared to last year while price realizations should improve compared to the second quarter as a result of the carry over from the price increases for copy paper and for pulp implemented late in the quarter. In light of the decline in North American demand for fine papers and the resulting excess capacity, notably in commercial printing paper grades, Domtar Corp. will continue to monitor its production and inventories to meet customer demand.

Accounting for the Acquisition Transaction

The Acquisition Transactions was considered, for accounting purposes, as the acquisition of Domtar Inc. by Domtar Corp. and has been accounted for using the purchase method. Accordingly, the purchase price is based upon the estimated fair value of Domtar Corp. common stock issued plus acquisition costs directly related to the Acquisition Transactions. Since no quoted market price existed for the shares of Domtar Corp.’s common stock, the purchase price is based on the fair value of the net assets acquired on August 23, 2006, the date on which the terms of the Acquisition Transactions were agreed to and announced. The fair value of Domtar Inc. common shares of $6.63 per share used in the calculation of the purchase price is based upon the average closing price of Domtar Inc. common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the five trading days beginning August 21, 2006 and ended August 25, 2006, converted at the average daily foreign exchange rate of the Bank of Canada. The number of outstanding Domtar Inc. common shares used in the calculation of the fair value is based on the same periods.

 

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The total purchase price is allocated to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on our preliminary estimates of their fair value, which are based on information currently available. We are in the process of completing the valuation of certain assets and liabilities. Accordingly, the final allocation of the fair value to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed could differ materially from the amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements. The principal significant elements for which the fair value could be modified include inventories, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, goodwill, deferred income taxes, pension plans and other employee future benefit plans.

We have refined our preliminary purchase price allocation presented in our first quarter financial statements to reflect the impact of the restructuring measures announced in July 2007 and the agreement to sell substantially all of our Wood business on the fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. As such, the fair value allocated to inventories was decreased by $7 million, the fair value of property, plant and equipment was increased by $80 million, the fair value of trade and other payables was increased by $18 million, the fair value of other liabilities and deferred credits was increased by $5 million and the fair value of deferred income tax liability—non current was increased by $13 million. This resulted in a $37 million decrease in goodwill.

 

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The following table summarizes the components of the total purchase price and the preliminary purchase price allocation, as adjusted.

 

(In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted)       
 

231,436,850 common shares of Domtar Inc. outstanding at an average closing price of $6.63 per share

   $ 1,534

Direct acquisition costs

     28
      

Estimated total purchase price, net of assumed debt

     1,562
      

The total purchase price of the transaction has been allocated as follows:

  

Fair value of net assets acquired at the date of acquisition

  

Cash and cash equivalents

     573

Receivables

     166

Inventories

     495

Prepaid expenses

     12

Income and other taxes receivable

     7

Deterred income taxes—current

     18

Property, plant and equipment

     2,822

Intangible assets

     29

Deferred income tax assets—non-current

     107

Goodwill

     106

Other assets

     60
      

Total assets

     4,395

Less: Liabilities

  

Bank indebtedness

     67

Trade and other payables

     388

Income and other taxes payable

     15

Long-term debt due within one year

     1

Long-term debt

     1,660

Deferred income tax liability—non-current

     363

Other liabilities and deferred credits

     311

Minority interests

     28

Total liabilities

     2,833
      

Fair value of net assets acquired at the date of acquisition

   $ 1,562
 

The two main components of the preliminary intangible asset amount are $10 million for customer relationships and $19 million for favorable natural gas contracts. The customer relationships have estimated useful lives of 5 years and the natural gas contracts will be amortized over a period of 3 years.

Our business

Domtar Corp.’s reporting segments correspond to the following business activities: Papers, Paper Merchants and Wood.

Papers

We are the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity. We operate 13 paper mills (ten in the United States and three in Canada) with an annual paper production capacity of approximately 4.8 million tons of uncoated freesheet paper. We also have one paper

 

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mill at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan that is currently not in operation but that has an annual paper production capacity of approximately 290,000 tons. In addition, we have an annual paper production capacity of 235,000 tons of coated groundwood at one of our paper mills in the U.S. Our paper facilities are complemented by strategically located warehouses and sales offices. The table below lists all of our paper facilities and their annual production capacity.

 

Paper production facility    Location    Paper
machines
   Principal paper type    Annual
paper
capacity
(millions
of tons)
 

Uncoated freesheet mills

           

Ashdown

   Arkansas    4    Copy and offset    0.9

Windsor

   Québec    2    Copy and offset    0.6

Hawesville

   Kentucky    2    Copy and offset    0.6

Plymouth

   North Carolina    2    Copy and offset    0.5

Kingsport

   Tennessee    1    Copy and offset    0.4

Marlboro

   South Carolina    1    Copy and offset    0.4

Johnsonburg

   Pennsylvania    2    Copy and offset    0.4

Dryden

   Ontario    1    Copy and offset    0.3

Port-Edwards(1)

   Wisconsin    3    Value added    0.2

Nekoosa

   Wisconsin    3    Value added    0.2

Rothschild

   Wisconsin    1    Opaque    0.1

Woodland(1)

   Maine       Opaque   

Gatineau(1)

   Québec       Coated lightweight   

Port Huron

   Michigan    4    Technical and specialty    0.1

Espanola

   Ontario    2    Technical and specialty    0.1
    

Total Uncoated freesheet mills

      29       4.8

Coated groundwood

           

Columbus

   Mississippi    1    Coated groundwood    0.2
    

Total Coated groundwood

      1       0.2
    
      30       5.0
 

 

(1)   On July 31, 2007, we announced the permanent closure of two paper machines, one at our Port Edwards paper mill, and one at our Woodland paper mill as well as our Gatineau paper mill, having a combined production capacity of 284,000 tons. The above table reflects these closures.

 

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We design, manufacture, market and distribute a wide range of fine paper products for a variety of consumers, including merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters and end-users.

We manufacture papergrade pulp, which we sell to the extent we produce more pulp than is required for internal use in our paper mills. We also manufacture and sell fluff pulp and specialty pulp. The sale of papergrade pulp to third parties allows optimization of pulp capacity while reducing overall manufacturing costs. In September 2007, we entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Prince Albert facility, which is expected to have an annual production capacity of approximately 328,000 tonnes of pulp. The consummation of this plan is subject to several critical conditions. See “Business of the Company—Recent developments—Potential redevelopment of Prince Albert facility.”

Paper Merchants

Our Paper Merchants business consists of an extensive network of strategically located paper distribution facilities, comprising the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by us and other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products. Our paper merchants operate in the United States and Canada under a single banner and umbrella name, the Domtar Distribution Group. Ris Paper, part of the Domtar Distribution Group, operates throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest areas from 19 locations in the United States, including 16 distribution centers. Domtar Distribution Group, in Canada, operates as Buntin Reid in three locations in Ontario; JBR/La Maison du Papier in two locations in Québec; and The Paper House in two locations in Atlantic Canada.

Wood

Our Wood business comprises the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of lumber and wood-based value-added products, and the management of forest resources. We operate four sawmills and one remanufacturing facility with an annual production capacity of approximately 495 million board feet of lumber. In addition, we own five sawmills that are currently not in operation but have an annual aggregate production capacity of approximately 730 million board feet of lumber. We also have an interest in three joint ventures and an investment in one business, which all produce wood products. We seek to optimize 28 million acres of forestland directly licensed or owned in Canada and the United States through efficient management and the application of certified sustainable forest management practices such that a continuous supply of wood is available for future needs.

In June 2007, we entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of our Wood business to the newly created Conifex Inc. We will retain our sawmills in Saskatchewan and some related forest licenses as well as our owned forestland and forest licenses related to our Espanola and Windsor pulp and paper mills. The transaction is subject to governmental approval for the forest license transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale, see “—Second quarter 2007 overview.”

 

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Consolidated results of operations

The following table includes the consolidated financial results of Domtar Corp. for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007, which consists of the consolidated financial results of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, on a carve-out basis, from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and of the Successor for the period from March 7, 2007 to July 1, 2007, and the consolidated financial results of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, on a carve-out basis, for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended June 25, 2006.

 

Financial highlights

(In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted)

   Thirteen weeks ended     Twenty-six weeks ended  
   July 1,
2007
    June 25,
2006
    July 1,
2007
    June 25,
2006
 
   

Sales

   $1,620     $ 809     $2,671     $1,638  

Operating income (loss)

   69     (21 )   140     (768 )

Net income (loss)

   11     (12 )   60     (759 )

Net income (loss) per common share (in dollars)(1):

        

Basic

   0.02     (0.04 )   0.14     (2.67 )

Diluted

   0.02     (0.04 )   0.14     (2.67 )

Operating income (loss) per segment:

        

Papers

   92     (16 )   163     (764 )

Paper Merchants

   2         6      

Wood

   (20 )   (5 )   (24 )   (4 )

Corporate

   (5 )       (5 )    
      

Total

   69     (21 )   140     (768 )
   

 

       As at July 1,
2007
   As at December 31,
2006
 

Total assets

   7,889    3,998

Total long-term debt, including current portion

   2,444    44
 

 

(1)   Refer to note 5 of the interim consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement for more information on the calculation of net income per common share.

Thirteen week period ended July 1, 2007 compared to thirteen week period ended June 25, 2006 overview

Sales

Sales for the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $1,620 million, an increase of $811 million, or 100%, from sales of $809 million in the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding sales of $801 million attributable to Domtar Inc., sales for the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $819 million, an increase of $10 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. The increase was mainly attributable to higher average selling prices for pulp and paper, partially offset by lower shipments for all of our major products, mostly as a result of mill and sawmill closures (including the indefinite closure of our Prince Albert pulp mill effective in the second quarter of 2006 and the permanent closure of one paper machine at our Dryden, Ontario mill effective in the second quarter of 2006), and lower average selling prices for wood products.

Domtar Inc.’s sales for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $801 million. Domtar Inc.’s sales were also impacted by higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, partially offset by lower shipments for paper, pulp and wood products, and lower average selling prices for lumber.

 

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Cost of sales

Cost of sales increased by $606 million or 85% in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding cost of sales of $664 million attributable to Domtar Inc., cost of sales in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $653 million, a decrease of $58 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. This decrease was mainly attributable to the mill and sawmill closures mentioned above, and lower freight and energy costs, partially offset by higher costs for purchased fiber and the negative impact of a weaker U.S. dollar on our Canadian dollar denominated operating expenses.

Domtar Inc.’s cost of sales for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 was $664 million and reflected lower production and shipments for paper and wood products, lower costs for freight and energy, and to a lesser extent, lower charges on softwood lumber exports, partially offset by higher costs for purchased fiber and chemicals, higher maintenance costs as well as the negative impact of a weaker U.S. dollar on our Canadian dollar denominated operating expenses.

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased by $60 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding SG&A of $60 million attributable to Domtar Inc., SG&A in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $43 million, unchanged from the SG&A expense in the second quarter of 2006.

Domtar Inc.’s SG&A for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $60 million and included mark-to-market gains on financial instruments, transaction and integration costs and reflected higher overall costs.

Operating income

Operating income in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $69 million, an improvement of $90 million compared to an operating loss of $21 million in the second quarter of 2006 in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding operating income of $30 million attributable to Domtar Inc., operating income in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $39 million, an increase of $60 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. The improvement in operating income was mostly attributable to the factors mentioned above.

Domtar Inc.’s operating income for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $30 million and was also impacted by the factors mentioned above.

Interest expense

We incurred $47 million of interest expense mainly relating to interest incurred under the Credit Agreement as well as interest on existing Domtar Inc. debt assumed by us on March 7, 2007.

Income taxes

Income tax expense amounted to $11 million in the second quarter of 2007, which was comprised of current tax expense of $15 million and deferred tax recovery of $4 million. During the second quarter of 2007, the Company has provided current income taxes under APB No. 23, “Accounting for Income Taxes—Special Areas,” (“APB23”) for the presumed repatriation to the United States

 

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of earnings from all non-U.S. subsidiaries and unconsolidated affiliates. As such, the Company has recorded a provision of $4 million for U.S. withholding taxes payable on future distributions from the U.S. subsidiaries to the Company. Our effective tax rate is impacted by the change in the Canadian federal income tax rate in the amount of $1 million, the mix and level of earnings subject to different tax jurisdictions and the differences in tax rates applicable to our foreign subsidiaries.

Net income

Net income amounted to $11 million ($0.02 per common share) in the second quarter of 2007, an improvement of $23 million compared to a net loss of $12 million ($0.04 per common share) in the second quarter of 2006. Excluding a net loss of $1 million attributable to Domtar Inc., net income in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $12 million, an increase of $24 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. This improvement in net income was mainly attributable to the factors mentioned above.

Twenty-six week period ended July 1, 2007 compared to

Twenty-six week period ended June 25, 2006 overview

Sales

First half sales for 2007 amounted to $2,671 million, an increase of $1,033 million, or 63%, from first half sales of $1,638 million in 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding sales of $1,039 million attributable to Domtar Inc., first half sales for 2007 amounted to $1,632 million, a decrease of $6 million compared to the first half sales for 2006. The decrease was mainly attributable to lower shipments for all of our major products, mostly as a result of mill and sawmill closures (including the indefinite closure of our Prince Albert, Saskatchewan paper mill and our Big River and 51% owned Wapawekka, Saskatchewan sawmills, effective in the first quarter of 2006, the indefinite closure of our Prince Albert pulp mill effective in the second quarter of 2006 and the permanent closure of one paper machine at our Dryden, Ontario mill effective in the second quarter of 2006), as well as lower average selling prices for wood products. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for pulp and paper.

Domtar Inc.’s sales for the sixteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $1,039 million. Domtar Inc.’s sales were also impacted by lower shipments for paper, pulp and wood products and lower average selling prices for lumber, partially offset by higher average selling prices for paper and pulp.

Cost of sales

First half cost of sales increased by $754 million, or 53%, in 2007 compared to first half cost of sales in 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding cost of sales of $871 million attributable to Domtar Inc., first half cost of sales in 2007 amounted to $1,301 million, a decrease of $117 million compared to first half cost of sales of 2006. This decrease was mainly attributable to the mill and sawmill closures mentioned above, and lower freight and energy charges, partially offset by higher costs for purchased fiber and chips and an increase in an environmental provision of $5 million recorded in the first quarter of 2007.

Domtar Inc.’s cost of sales for the sixteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $871 million, having benefited from lower production and shipments for paper and wood products, lower

 

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costs for freight and energy and lower charges on its softwood lumber exports, partially offset by higher costs for purchased fiber and chemicals.

Selling, general and administrative expenses

First half SG&A expenses increased by $63 million in 2007 compared to first half SG&A in 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding SG&A of $70 million attributable to Domtar Inc., first half SG&A in 2007 amounted to $80 million, a decrease of $7 million compared to first half SG&A in 2006. This decrease in SG&A is mostly due to the difference between the corporate charges allocated to the Predecessor by Weyerhaeuser and the implementation of transaction service agreement charges as of March 7, 2007.

Domtar Inc.’s SG&A amounted to $70 million for the sixteen weeks ended July 1, 2007, and included transaction and integration costs, mark-to-market gains on financial instruments and reflects higher overall operating costs.

Operating income

First half operating income in 2007 amounted to $140 million, an improvement of $908 million compared to first half operating loss in 2006 of $768 million in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. and a goodwill impairment expense recorded in the first quarter of 2006. Excluding operating income of $44 million attributable to Domtar Inc., first half operating income in 2007 amounted to $96 million, an increase of $864 million compared to 2006. The improvement in operating income was mostly attributable to a $749 million goodwill impairment expense recorded in the first quarter of 2006 based on an evaluation of the goodwill relating to the Papers segment, as well as the factors mentioned above.

Domtar Inc.’s operating income for the sixteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $44 million, and was impacted by the factors mentioned above.

Interest expense

We incurred $58 million of interest expense for the first half of 2007 mainly relating to interest incurred after March 6, 2007 under the Credit Agreement, as well as interest on existing Domtar Inc. debt assumed by us on March 7, 2007.

Income taxes

For the first half of 2007, our income tax expense totaled $22 million, which was comprised of current tax expense of $37 million and deferred tax recovery of $15 million. The current tax expense includes $13 million of expense related to the period prior to the Acquisition Transactions and does not constitute cash taxes for the Company, as well as an out-of-period adjustment of approximately $6 million incurred in the first quarter of 2007 as a result of the omission to account for a change in the Canadian federal tax rate which occurred in the second quarter of 2006.

Net income

First half net income amounted to $60 million ($0.14 per common share) in 2007, an improvement of $819 million compared to a first half net loss of $759 million ($2.67 per common

 

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share) in 2006 in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. and a goodwill impairment expense recorded in the first quarter of 2006. Excluding net income of $6 million attributable to Domtar Inc., first half net income in 2007 amounted to $54 million, an increase of $813 million compared to first half net loss of 2006. This improvement in net income was mainly attributable to the factors mentioned above.

Closure and restructuring costs

In July 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that it will permanently close two paper machines, one at our Woodland paper mill and another at our Port-Edwards paper mill as well as our Gatineau paper mill and its converting center, expected to be effective by the end of October 2007. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees.

The closure and restructuring costs relate to operations and activities of Domtar Inc., which was acquired by Domtar Corp. on March 7, 2007 and was part of a plan that had begun to be assessed and formulated by management at that date. As a result, these costs represent assumed liabilities and costs incurred as of the Acquisition Closing Date and were treated as part of the purchase price allocation in accordance with EITF 95-3, Recognition of Liabilities in Connection with a Purchase Business Combination. These closures also impacted the fair value of certain property, plant and equipment as part of the Domtar Inc. purchase price allocation. At July 1, 2007, the closure and restructuring cost provision related to the announcement was $20 million.

Paper

 

Selected information

(In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise
noted).

   Thirteen weeks ended     Twenty-six weeks ended  
   July 1, 2007     June 25, 2006     July 1, 2007     June 25, 2006  
   

Sales

        

Total sales

   $1,365     $774     $2,320     $1,545  

Intersegment sales to Paper Merchants

   (50 )       (74 )    
      
   1,315     774     2,246     1,545  

Operating income (loss)

   92     (16 )   163     (764 )

Shipments

        

Paper (in thousands of ST)

   1,209     732     2,080     1,545  

Pulp (in thousands of ADMT)

   330     205     579     412  

Benchmark prices(1):

        

Copy 20 lb sheets ($/ton)

   963     890     947     855  

Offset 50 lb rolls ($/ton)

   810     840     810     803  

Coated publication, no. 5, 40 lb Offset, rolls ($/ton)

   748     895     763     897  

Pulp NBSK—U.S. market ($/ADMT)

   810     707     800     680  

Pulp NBHK—Japan market(2)($/ADMT)

   640     572     640     557  
   

 

(1)   Source: Pulp & Paper Week. As such, these prices do not necessarily reflect our transaction prices.

 

(2)   Based on Pulp and Paper Week’s Southern Bleached Hardwood Kraft pulp prices for Japan, increased by an average differential of $15/ADMT between Northern and Southern Bleached Hardwood Kraft pulp prices.

 

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Sales and operating income

Sales

Sales in our Paper business amounted to $1,315 million in the second quarter of 2007, an increase of $541 million or 70% from sales of $774 million in the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding sales of $518 million attributable to Domtar Inc., sales in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $797 million, an increase of $23 million compared to sales in the second quarter of 2006. The increase in sales was mostly attributable to an increase in average selling prices for paper of $46 per ton, or 5%, and for pulp of $52 per tonne, or 9%, compared to the second quarter of 2006. These factors were partially offset by lower shipments for pulp and paper of approximately 5% and 3%, respectively, compared to the second quarter of 2006, mainly as a result of the indefinite closures of our Prince Albert pulp mill effective in the second quarter of 2006, as well as the permanent closure of one paper machine at our Dryden, Ontario mill effective in the second quarter of 2006. For the twenty-six week period ended July 1, 2007, sales in our Papers business increased by $701 million, or 45% compared to the twenty-six week period ended June 25, 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding sales of $661 million attributable to Domtar Inc., sales in 2007 amounted to $1,585 million, an increase of $40 million compared to sales in 2006. The increase is attributable to the same factors explained above.

Domtar Inc.’s sales for the second quarter of 2007 and for the sixteen week period ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $518 million and $661 million, respectively. Sales for Domtar Inc. were also impacted by lower shipments for paper and pulp, partially offset by higher average selling prices for paper and pulp.

Operating income

Operating income in our Paper business totaled $92 million in the second quarter of 2007, an increase of $108 million compared to an operating loss of $16 million in the second quarter of 2006 in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding operating income of $49 million attributable to Domtar Inc., operating income in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $43 million, an increase of $59 million compared to the operating loss in the second quarter of 2006. The increase was mainly attributable to higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, lower costs for energy and chemicals, and lower freight expenses, mostly due to freight optimization efforts. These factors were partially offset by lower shipments for paper mostly due to a lower demand for uncoated freesheet in North America and the mill closures mentioned above, higher costs for purchased fiber and chips and lower shipments for pulp. For the twenty-six week period ended July 1, 2007, operating income in our Papers business increased by $927 million compared to the twenty six week period ended June 25, 2006 in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. and the goodwill impairment expense recorded in the first quarter of 2006. Excluding the operating income of $59 million attributable to Domtar Inc., operating income in 2007 amounted to $104 million, an increase of $868 million compared to an operating loss in 2006. The increase is attributable to a $749 million goodwill impairment expense recorded in the first quarter of 2006 as well as the factors mentioned above.

Domtar Inc.’s operating income totaled $49 million in the second quarter of 2007 and $59 million for the sixteen week period ended July 1, 2007. Domtar Inc.’s operating income benefited from higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, and lower freight and energy charges, partially offset by lower shipments for paper and pulp and higher costs for purchased fiber and chemicals.

 

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Pricing environment

In our Paper business, our average transaction prices increased in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. Our average transaction price for copy 20 lb sheets was higher on average by $100/ton, or 11%, while our average transaction price for offset 50 lb rolls was lower on average by $7/ton, or 1%, in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. The US$60/ton price increase for cut-size announced in the first quarter of 2007 was implemented in the second quarter of 2007.

Our average transaction prices for Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp increased by $67/tonne, or 11%, and our average transaction prices for Northern Bleached Hardwood Kraft (NBHK) pulp increased by $57/tonne, or 11%, in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. A $20/tonne price increase was implemented on softwood pulp in April 2007 and on our hardwood pulp in June 2007. A subsequent $20/tonne price increase has been announced for both softwood and hardwood effective in July 2007 and August 2007, respectively.

Operations

Shipments

Our paper shipments, excluding shipments of Domtar Inc., decreased by 20,000   tons, or 3%, in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. This decrease is mainly due to lower demand, resulting in higher lack-of-order downtime in the second quarter of 2007 and the permanent closure of one paper machine at our Dryden, Ontario facility effective in the second quarter of 2006.

Our pulp trade shipments, excluding shipments of Domtar Inc., decreased by 11,000   tonnes in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006 mostly due to the indefinite closure of our Prince Albert pulp mill effective in the second quarter of 2006.

Labor

A collective agreement expired in April 2004 for Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill (affecting approximately 350 employees). Negotiations have ceased and the mill has been closed for an indefinite period since November 2005.

Other

On July 31, 2007, we announced that we will permanently close two paper machines, one at our Woodland paper mill and another at our Port Edwards paper mill as well as our Gatineau paper mill and its converting center in Ottawa, expected to be effective by the end of October 2007. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000   tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430   employees. At July   1,   2007, the closure and restructuring cost provision related to the announcement was $20 million.

Due to poor market conditions, our pulp and paper mills in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan were indefinitely closed in the first half of 2006, and one of the two paper machines at our Dryden, Ontario paper mill was permanently shut down effective in the second quarter of 2006. As at July   1,   2007, we had not determined whether our Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill will be

 

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reopened, sold or permanently closed. See “Business of the Company—Recent developments—Potential redevelopment of Prince Albert facility.” In the event the facility is permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at the facility, which would likely include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts.

Our Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill was indefinitely closed in the fourth quarter of 2005 due to unfavorable economic conditions. As of July   1,   2007, the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill remains indefinitely idled due to continuing unfavorable economic factors such as high wood fiber, energy and transportation costs, a strong Canadian dollar and uncompetitive labor costs.

On May 9, 2007, we concluded the sale of our Vancouver property for total proceeds of $22 million ($23 million Canadian dollars).

Paper Merchants

 

Selected information    Thirteen weeks ended    Twenty-six weeks ended
(In millions of U.S. dollars)    July 1, 2007    June 25, 2006    July 1, 2007    June 25, 2006
 

Sales

   $225       $301   

Operating income

   2       6   
 

Sales and operating income

Sales

Our Paper Merchants business generated sales of $225 million in the second quarter of 2007, and a total of $301 million for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007. The Predecessor had no Paper Merchants operations.

Operating income

Operating income amounted to $2 million in the second quarter of 2007 and $6 million for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007.

Wood

 

Selected information

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise
noted)

   Thirteen weeks ended     Twenty-six weeks ended  
   July 1, 2007     June 25, 2006     July 1, 2007     June 25, 2006  
   

Sales

   $  90     $  48     $137     $137  

Intersegment sales

   (10 )   (13 )   (13 )   (44 )
      
   80     35     124     93  

Operating income (loss)

   (20 )   (5 )   (24 )   (4 )

Shipments (millions of FBM)

   227     47     315     140  

Benchmark prices(1):

        

Lumber G.L. 2x4x8 stud ($/MFBM)

   335     371     326     381  

Lumber G.L. 2x4 R/L no. 1 & no. 2 ($/MFBM)

   332     386     332     398  
   

 

(1)   Source: Random Lengths. As such, these prices do not necessarily reflect our transaction prices.

 

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Sales and operating loss

Sales

Sales in our Wood business amounted to $80 million in the second quarter of 2007, an increase of $45 million, or 129%, compared to sales of $35 million in the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding sales of $58 million attributable to Domtar Inc., sales in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $22 million, a decrease of $13 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. The decrease was attributable to lower average selling prices, mostly due to the slowdown in the U.S. housing industry. For the twenty-six week period ended July 1, 2007, sales in our Wood business increased by $31 million, or 33%, compared to the twenty-six week period ended June 25, 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding sales of $77 million attributable to Domtar Inc., sales in 2007 amounted to $47 million, a decrease of $46 million compared to sales in 2006. The decrease is attributable to the indefinite closure of our Big River and 51% owned Wapawekka, Saskatchewan sawmills during the first quarter of 2006 as well as the factors explained above.

Domtar Inc. sales amounted to $58 million in the second quarter of 2007 and $77 million in the sixteen week period ended July 1, 2007 and were impacted by lower shipments and lower selling prices.

Operating loss

Operating loss in our Wood business amounted to $20 million in the second quarter of 2007, an increase of $15 million compared to an operating loss of $5 million in the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding an operating loss of $16 million attributable to Domtar Inc., operating loss in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $4 million, a decrease in operating loss of $1 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. The decrease in operating loss was mainly attributable to the realization of savings resulting from the indefinite closure of our Big River and 51% owned Wapawekka, Saskatchewan sawmills during the first quarter of 2006, partially offset by lower average selling prices. For the twenty-six week period ended July 1, 2007, operating loss in our Wood business increased by $20 million compared to the twenty-six week period ended June 25, 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding an operating loss of $16 million attributable to Domtar Inc., the operating loss in 2007 amounted to $8 million, an increase in operating loss of $4 million compared to 2006. The increase in operating loss is attributable to lower average selling prices and shipments, partially offset by lower costs resulting from the sawmill closures mentioned above.

Domtar Inc.’s operating loss totaled $16 million in the second quarter of 2007 and for the sixteen-week period ended July 1, 2007. Factors impacting Domtar Inc.’s operating loss include lower average selling prices and lower shipments for lumber and chips, partially offset by lower costs for energy, and lower charges on softwood lumber exports.

Pricing environment

Our average transaction prices for Great Lakes 2x4 stud decreased by $44/MFBM, or 13%, and our average transaction prices for Great Lakes 2x4 random length decreased by $62/MFBM, or 18%, in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006.

 

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Operations

Shipments

Our lumber and wood product shipments, excluding shipments of Domtar Inc., decreased by 11 MFBM, or 23%, in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006 as a result of sawmill closures mentioned above and the slowdown in the U.S housing industry.

Fiber supply

The Province of Québec adopted legislation, effective April 1, 2005, that reduced allowable wood-harvesting volumes by an average of 20% on public lands and 25% on territories covered by an agreement between the Government of Québec and Cree First Nations. As a result, the amount of fiber we were permitted to harvest annually, under our licenses from the Québec government, was reduced by approximately 500,000 cubic meters to approximately 2.0 million cubic meters, reflecting a 21% reduction. The Chief Forester of Québec has proposed a further reduction of 60,000 cubic meters, or 3%, in the total softwood annual allowable cut of forests managed by Domtar. This would significantly affect the supply of fiber for our Northern Québec softwood sawmills and market pulp operations. The reduction in harvest volume would also result in a corresponding increase in the unit cost of wood delivered to the sawmills. As a result of the impact of the strength of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar, low lumber prices and other factors, most of the Company’s wood fiber harvesting operations in Québec have been shut down and all but one of the facilities relating to such operations have been closed indefinitely. In June 2007, we restarted production at our Val d’Or sawmill, which has an annual capacity of approximately 120 million board feet.

Other

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex Inc. for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of the Ear Falls, Nairn Centre, Timmins and White River sawmills in Ontario and the Grand-Remous, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Malartic, Matagami, Ste-Marie and Val d’Or sawmills in Québec, as well as the remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec. The sawmills have a production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights which represent the majority of our harvesting rights. Domtar Inc.’s interests in the joint ventures of Elk Lake Planing Mill Limited, Gogama Forests Products Inc., Nabakatuk Forest Products Inc., Olav Haavalsrud Timber Company Limited and Anthony-Domtar Inc. are also included in the transaction. The Company’s sawmills in Saskatchewan are not included in the transaction. Domtar Inc.’s has also agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation, in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license rights transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

On October 11, 2007, the Company announced that Domtar Inc. received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written

 

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notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

The Company and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend Domtar Inc.’s rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Quebec Superior Court to enforce its rights. The Company and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continues to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

We intend to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce our outstanding debt.

In the first quarter of 2006, we indefinitely closed our Big River and 51% owned Wapawekka, Saskatchewan sawmills, due to the closure of our Prince Albert, Saskatchewan facility and poor market conditions. These facilities are currently not in operation. As at July 1, 2007, we had not determined whether these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event that our Big River, Saskatchewan sawmill is permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at the facility, which would likely include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts. See “Business of the Company—Recent developments—Potential redevelopment of Prince Albert facility.”

In January 2007, due to the difficult market conditions that have prevailed in the wood sector in recent months, including the slowdown in the U.S. housing market and the new softwood lumber agreement, we announced the indefinite closure of our White River sawmill which became effective prior to the end of the second quarter of 2007. The closure impacted approximately 140 permanent positions and reduced our production capacity by 110 million board feet of lumber.

Stock based compensation expense

Prior to the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, employees of Weyerhaeuser who were being transferred to the Company were given the opportunity to exchange their outstanding Weyerhaeuser equity awards for awards of the Company having the same terms and conditions as their prior Weyerhaeuser awards.

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Corp. exchanged outstanding options held by Domtar Inc. employees for options to purchase, on the same terms and conditions, shares of common stock of Domtar Corp. The number of shares subject to the options granted in exchange was equal to the number of common shares of Domtar Inc. that would have been received or a number of shares of Domtar Corp. common stock that would provide the equivalent value to the Domtar Inc. common shares determined using the Black-Scholes option-

 

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pricing model, depending if the exercise price was higher, equal to or less than the market value at the time of the exchange. Further, each outstanding award of restricted Domtar Inc. common shares and deferred share units was exchanged on a one-for-one basis, and on the same terms and conditions as applied to Domtar Inc. awards, for awards of restricted shares and deferred share units with respect to the Company’s common stock.

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, the total expense recognized in the Company’s results of operations related to these equity awards is not significant. No new awards have been or will be made under any of the replacement equity plans.

In June 2007, a number of new equity awards were granted, consisting of performance conditioned restricted stock units, restricted stock units and non-qualified stock options, which are subject to a variety of service, performance and market conditions. As of July 1, 2007, none of the performance and market conditions were met.

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, compensation expense recognized in the Company’s results of operations related to these awards is not significant. The compensation costs related to non-vested awards not yet recognized amounted to approximately $25 million and will be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 2 years or over the remaining service period depending on the awards.

Liquidity and capital resources

Our principal cash requirements are for working capital and capital expenditures, as well as principal and interest payments on our debt. We expect to fund our liquidity needs primarily with internally generated funds from our operations and, to the extent necessary, through borrowings under our revolving credit facility. We also have the ability to fund liquidity requirements through new financings, subject to satisfactory market conditions and credit ratings.

The Company’s ability to make payments on and to refinance its indebtedness, including debt the Company has incurred under the Credit Agreement, and to fund working capital, capital expenditures, debt service and investments will depend on the Company’s ability to generate cash in the future, which is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond its control. The terms of the debt the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc. incurred under the Credit Agreement, the terms of debt incurred by Domtar Inc. under its existing debt instruments and the terms of future indebtedness may impose various restrictions and covenants on the Company that could limit its ability to respond to market conditions, to provide for unanticipated capital investments or to take advantage of business opportunities.

Operating activities

Cash flows provided from operating activities totaled $189 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to cash flows provided from operating activities of $111 million in the second quarter of 2006 in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding cash flows provided from operating activities of $98 million attributable to Domtar Inc., cash flows provided from operating activities totaled $91 million in the second quarter of 2007, a $20 million decrease compared to the second quarter of 2006. Our operating cash flow requirements are primarily for salaries and benefits, the purchase of wood fiber, energy and raw materials and other expenses

 

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such as property taxes. On a year-to-date basis, cash flows provided from operating activities totaled $280 million in 2007 compared to cash flows provided from operating activities of $182 million in 2006 in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding cash flows provided from operating activities $151 million attributable to Domtar Inc., cash flows provided from operating activities amounted to $129 million in 2007, a $53 million decrease compared to 2006. This decrease in cash flows generated from operations mainly reflects an increase in requirements for working capital.

Investing activities

Cash flows used for investing activities totaled $14 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to cash flows used for investing activities of $20 million in the second quarter of 2006. The $6 million decrease in cash flows used for investing activities was mainly attributable to proceeds on the sale of our Vancouver mill in May 2007, partially offset by higher capital spending in the amount of $12 million in 2007. On a year-to-date basis, cash flows provided from investing activities amounted to $545 million, or cash flows used for investing activities of $28 million, when excluding acquired cash of $573 million, in 2007 compared to cash flows used for investing activities of $41 million in 2006. The $13 million improvement, when excluding cash acquired, is related to the proceeds on the sale of the Vancouver mill partially offset by higher capital spending.

Financing activities

In the second quarter of 2007, cash flows used for financing activities amounted to $198 million compared to cash flows used for financing activities of $90 million in the second quarter of 2006. Excluding cash flows used for financing activities of $34 million attributable to Domtar Inc., cash flows used for financing activities totaled $164 million, a $74 million increase compared to cash flows used for financing activities in the second quarter of 2006. This increase in cash flows used for financing activities of $74 million mainly reflects a repayment of $90 million under our revolving credit facility and a repayment of $80 million on our term loan, partially offset by an increase in bank indebtedness. On a year-to-date basis, cash flows used for financing activities totaled $744 million in 2007 compared to cash flows used for financing activities of $140 million in 2006. Excluding cash flows used for financing activities of $43 million attributable to Domtar Inc., cash flows used for financing activities totaled $701 million in 2007 compared to cash flows used for financing activities in 2006 of $140 million. This $561 million increase in cash flows used for financing activities is mainly attributable to borrowings under our Credit Agreement consisting of an $800 million Term loan B facility associated with the Acquisition Transactions, more than offset by the repayment of our temporary borrowing in the amount of $1,350 million used to finance the Weyerhaeuser distribution and a repayment of our term loan of $80 million.

We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future. In addition, our ability to pay dividends will be restricted by current and future agreements governing the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries’ debt, including our Credit Agreement.

Capital resources

Net indebtedness was $2,438 million as at July 1, 2007 compared to $43 million as at December 31, 2006. The $2,395 million increase in net indebtedness was due to the outstanding

 

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indebtedness of Domtar Inc. at the time of the Acquisition Transactions and borrowings under our credit agreement entered into in connection with the Acquisition Transactions.

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc. entered into the Credit Agreement, which consists of a seven-year senior secured Term Loan B facility of $800 million and a five year senior secured $750 million senior secured revolving loan facility. During the second quarter of 2007, the Term Loan B facility was reduced to $720 million mainly as a result of optional repayments by us. The senior revolving credit facility may be used for working capital needs and for general corporate purposes, and a portion will be available for letters of credit and swingline loans to the Company and Domtar Inc. Borrowings by us and Domtar Paper Company, LLC (the U.S. borrowers) under the senior secured revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars, and borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the senior secured revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars and limited to $150 million (or the Canadian equivalent thereof).

Borrowings under the Term Loan B facility bear annual interest at either a Eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.375%, or at the prime rate plus a margin of 0.375%. Amounts drawn under the revolving loan facility by us bear annual interest at either a Eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%, or at the prime rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Amounts drawn under the revolving credit facility by Domtar Inc. in U.S. dollars bear annual interest at either a Eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%, or a U.S. base rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Amounts drawn under the revolving loan facility by Domtar Inc. in Canadian dollars bear annual interest at the Canadian prime rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Domtar Inc. may also issue bankers’ acceptances denominated in Canadian dollars which are discounted at bankers’ acceptance rates in Canada and are subject to an acceptance fee, payable on the date of acceptance, which is calculated at a rate per annum equal to 1.25% to 2.25%. The interest rate margins and the acceptance fee are subject to adjustments based on our consolidated leverage ratio.

The Credit Agreement contains a number of covenants that, among other things, limit the ability of Domtar Corp. and the ability of its subsidiaries to make capital expenditures and place restrictions on other matters customarily restricted in senior secured credit facilities, including restrictions on indebtedness (including guarantee obligations); liens (including sale and leasebacks), fundamental changes, sales or disposition of property or assets, investments (including loans, advances, guarantees and acquisitions), transactions with affiliates, hedge agreements, dividends and other payments in respect of capital stock, changes in fiscal periods, environmental activity, optional payments and modifications of other material debt instruments, negative pledges and agreements restricting subsidiary distributions, and changes in lines of business. For so long as the revolving credit commitments are outstanding, Domtar Corp. is required to comply with a consolidated EBITDA to interest coverage ratio of greater than 2.5x and a consolidated debt to consolidated EBITDA ratio of less than 4.75x, decreasing to 4.50x on December 31, 2008, in each case, as defined in the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement contains customary events of default, provided that non-compliance with the consolidated cash interest coverage ratio or consolidated leverage ratio will not constitute an event of default under the Term Loan B facility unless it has not been waived or amended by the revolving credit lenders within a period of 45 days after notice. The Term Loan B has restrictions on the amount of new debt that may be borrowed subject to certain exceptions and the Credit Agreement contains customary events of default.

 

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Our U.S. subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, serve as guarantors of the U.S. borrowers obligations under the senior secured credit facilities. We and certain subsidiaries, including Domtar Inc.’s subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, serve as guarantors of Domtar Inc.’s obligations under this facility.

The obligations of both us and Domtar Inc. in respect of the senior secured credit facilities, are secured by our equity interests in our subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and are secured by our U.S. subsidiaries’ tangible and intangible assets (other than those of the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc.). The obligations of Domtar Inc. also are secured by the equity in its subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and by the inventory of Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries, other than its U.S. subsidiaries.

As at July 1, 2007, we had no amounts drawn under our revolving credit facility and $49 million of letters of credit outstanding resulting in $701 million of availability for future drawings under this facility. An additional letter of credit of $2 million was outstanding in connection with an industrial revenue bond.

The indentures related to the 10% and 10.85% Canadian debentures of Domtar Inc. limit the amount of dividends that may be paid to us by Domtar Inc. These indentures also require that no new long-term debt be incurred by Domtar Inc., unless total long-term debt of Domtar Inc. is less than 50% of its consolidated net tangible assets, but do not restrict the incurrence of new long-term debt related to the purchase of property or the replacement of existing long-term debt or the issuance of short-term debt. All indentures of Domtar Inc. related to debt obligations contain restrictions on the amount of secured borrowings Domtar Inc. can incur with other lenders.

Credit rating

 

Rating agency    Security    Rating
 

Moody’s Investors Services

   Secured Credit Facility   

Ba1

  

Unsecured debt obligations

of subsidiary Domtar Inc.

  

B2

Standard & Poor’s

   Secured Credit Facility   

BB+

   Unsecured debt obligations of subsidiary Domtar Inc.   

B+

Dominion Bond Rating Service

   Secured Credit Facility   

BBB (low)

   Unsecured debt obligations of subsidiary Domtar Inc.   

BB (low)

   Preferred shares of subsidiary Domtar Inc.   

Pfd-5 (high)

 

The ratings by Moody’s Investors Services (Moody’s) are the fifth and sixth best ratings in terms of quality within nine rating gradations, with the numerical modifier 1 indicating a ranking at the top end of a rating category and the numerical modifier 2 indicating a ranking in the middle of a rating category. According to Moody’s, a rating of Ba has speculative elements and a rating of B is considered speculative. The ratings by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) are the fifth and sixth best ratings in terms of quality within ten rating gradations, with the “plus” indicating a ranking at the higher end of this category. According to S&P, ratings of BB and B have significant speculative characteristics. The debt ratings by Dominion Bond Ratings (DBRS) are the fourth and

 

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fifth best ratings in terms of quality within ten rating gradations, with the “low” indicating a ranking in the lower end of a rating category. According to DBRS, a rating of BBB has adequate credit quality and a rating of BB is speculative and non-investment grade.

All the agencies have a “stable” outlook in respect to these ratings. Any reductions in our credit ratings would have a negative impact on our access to and cost of capital and financial flexibility. The above ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the above rating agencies.

Common stock

Upon the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Inc. shareholders could either receive common stock of the Company or shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. that are exchangeable for common stock of the Company. As of July 1, 2007, we had 54,277,334 exchangeable shares issued and outstanding. The exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. are intended to be substantially economically equivalent to shares of the Company’s common stock. These shareholders may exchange the exchangeable shares for shares of Domtar Corporation common stock on a one-for-one basis at any time. The exchangeable shares may be redeemed by Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. on a redemption date to be set by the board of directors, which cannot be prior to July 31, 2023, or upon the occurrence of certain specified events.

Off balance sheet arrangements

In the normal course of business, we finance certain of our activities off balance sheet through leases and securitization.

Receivables securitization

In conjunction with the Acquisition Transactions, we retained Domtar Inc.’s receivable securitization program. We sell certain of our trade receivables through a securitization program, which expires in February 2010. We use securitization of our receivables as a source of financing by reducing our working capital requirements. This securitization program consists of the sale of receivables, or the sale of a senior beneficial interest in them, to a special purpose trust managed by a financial institution for multiple sellers of receivables. The agreement governing our receivables securitization program normally allows the daily sale of new receivables to replace those that have been collected. It also limits the cash that can be received from the sale of the senior beneficial interest to a maximum of $190 million. The subordinated interest retained by us is included in “Receivables” and will be collected only after the senior beneficial interest has been settled. The book value of the retained subordinated interest approximates fair value.

As at July 1, 2007, the cash received from the transfer of receivables amounted to $130 million. We expect to continue selling receivables on an ongoing basis, given the attractive discount rates. Should this program be discontinued either by management’s decision or due to termination of the program by the provider, our working capital and bank debt requirements could increase.

Related party transactions

Prior to the Acquisition Transactions, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was engaged in various transactions with Weyerhaeuser that were characteristic of a consolidated group under common control. For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended June 26, 2006, the Weyerhaeuser

 

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Fine Paper Business purchased from Weyerhaeuser pulp, fiber and corrugated boxes for an amount of $44 million and $90 million, respectively, and sold pulp, paper and lumber for an amount of $59 million and $92 million, respectively.

Guarantees

Indemnifications

In the normal course of business, we offer indemnifications relating to the sale of our businesses and real estate. In general, these indemnifications may relate to claims from past business operations, the failure to abide by covenants and the breach of representations and warranties included in the sales agreements. Typically, such representations and warranties relate to taxation, environmental, product and employee matters. The terms of these indemnification agreements are generally for an unlimited period of time. As at July 1, 2007, we are unable to estimate the potential maximum liabilities for these types of indemnification guarantees as the amounts are contingent upon the outcome of future events, the nature and likelihood of which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. Accordingly, no provisions have been recorded. These indemnifications have not yielded significant expenses in the past.

Tax sharing agreement

In conjunction with the Acquisition Transactions, we signed a Tax Sharing Agreement that governs both our and Weyerhaeuser’s rights and obligations after the Acquisition Transactions with respect to taxes for both pre and post-Distribution periods in regards to general ordinary course taxes, and also covers related administrative matters. The Distribution refers to the distribution of our common stock to Weyerhaeuser shareholders.

We will generally be required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser and its shareholders against any tax resulting from the Distribution if that tax results from an act or omission by us after the Distribution. If Weyerhaeuser, however, should recognize a gain on the Distribution for reasons not related to an act or omission to act by us after the Distribution, Weyerhaeuser would be responsible for such taxes and would not be entitled to indemnification by us under the Tax Sharing Agreement. In addition, to preserve the tax-free treatment of the Distribution to Weyerhaeuser, the following actions will be subject to restrictions for a two-year period following the date of the Distribution:

 

 

redemption, recapitalization, repurchase or acquisition of our own capital stock;

 

 

issuance of capital stock or convertible debt;

 

 

liquidation of Domtar Corp.;

 

 

discontinuance of the operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business;

 

 

sale or disposition (other than in the ordinary course of business) of all or a substantial part of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business; or

 

 

other actions, omissions to act or transactions that could jeopardize the tax-free status of the Distribution.

Pension plans

We have indemnified and held harmless the trustees of our pension funds, and the respective officers, directors, employees and agents of such trustees, from any and all costs and expenses arising out of the performance of their obligations under the relevant trust agreements,

 

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including in respect of their reliance on authorized instructions from us or for failing to act in the absence of authorized instructions. These indemnifications survive the termination of such agreements. As at July 1, 2007, we had not recorded a liability associated with these indemnifications, as we do not expect to make any payments pertaining to these indemnifications.

E.B. Eddy acquisition

On July 31, 1998, Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc. (E.B. Eddy), an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of Domtar Inc. in specified circumstances, Domtar Inc. may have had to pay up to a maximum of $113 million (CDN$120 million), an amount which is gradually declining over a 25-year period. As at March 7, 2007, the closing date of the Acquisition Transactions, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was $103 million (CDN$110 million). No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

On March 14, 2007, Domtar Inc. received a letter from George Weston Limited (the previous owner of E.B. Eddy and a party to the purchase agreement) demanding payment of $103 million (CDN$110 million) as a result of the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions. On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited against Domtar Inc. in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada, claiming that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered the purchase price adjustment and seeking a purchase price adjustment of $103 million (CDN$110 million) as well as additional compensatory damages. On August 13, 2007, Domtar Inc. served its statement of defense in response to this claim. Neither we nor Domtar Inc. believes that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggers an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and Domtar Inc. intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar Inc. may not be successful in its defense of such claims, and if it is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on our and Domtar Inc.’s liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Debt agreements

Certain debt agreements of Domtar Inc. require us to indemnify investors in the event of changes in elements such as withholding tax regulations. As the nature and scope of such indemnifications are contingent on future events, none of which can be foreseen as at July 1, 2007, no provisions have been recorded in the consolidated financial statements.

Accounting changes

Accounting for planned major maintenance

In September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued FASB Staff Position AUG AIR-1, “Accounting for Planned Major Maintenance Activities.” This Staff Position prohibits the use of the previously acceptable accrue-in-advance method of accounting for planned major maintenance activities in annual and interim financial reporting periods. The three accounting methods permitted under the Staff Position are: 1) direct expensing method, 2) built-in overhaul method and 3) deferral method. On January 1, 2007, we adopted retroactively with restatement

 

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of prior periods the direct expensing method. We previously used the accrue-in-advance method for interim periods. The adoption of this Staff Position had no significant impact on the annual consolidated financial statements.

Uncertainty in income taxes

In June 2006, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes —An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109” (FIN 48). This interpretation, which we adopted on January 1, 2007, clarifies the accounting for uncertain tax positions recognized in a company’s financial statements in accordance with Statement 109. FIN 48 prescribes a more likely than not recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification of a liability for unrecognized tax benefits, accounting for interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, and expanded income tax disclosures. The adoption of this Interpretation had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Impact of accounting pronouncements not yet implemented

Fair value option

In February 2007, the FASB issued Statement No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (FAS 159). FAS 159 permits an entity to measure certain financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value. Under FAS 159, entities that elect the fair value option will report unrealized gains and losses in earnings at each subsequent reporting date. The fair value option may be elected on an instrument-by-instrument basis, with few exceptions, as long as it is applied to the instrument in its entirety. We are currently evaluating the effect that FAS 159 will have on our financial position and results of operations for fair value measurements incurred after its adoption in fiscal 2008.

Fair value measurements

In September 2006, the FASB issued Statement No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements” (FAS 157). FAS 157 establishes a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. We are currently evaluating the effect that FAS 157 will have on its financial position and results of operations for fair value measurements incurred after its adoption in fiscal 2008.

Critical accounting policies

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect our results of operations and financial position. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations, useful lives, impairment of long-lived assets, goodwill and other intangible assets, pension and other employee future benefit plans and income taxes based upon currently available information. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

These critical accounting policies reflect matters that contain a significant level of management estimates about future events, reflect the most complex and subjective judgments, and are subject to a fair degree of measurement uncertainty.

 

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Environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations

Environmental expenditures for effluent treatment, air emission, landfill operation and closure, asbestos containment and removal, bark pile management, silvicultural activities and site remediation (together referred to as environmental matters) are expensed or capitalized depending on their future economic benefit. In the normal course of business, we incur certain operating costs for environmental matters that are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment that prevent future environmental impacts are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over 10 to 40 years. Provisions for environmental matters are not discounted and are recorded when remediation efforts are likely and can be reasonably determined.

We recognize asset retirement obligations at fair value in the period in which we incur a legal obligation associated with the retirement of an asset. Our asset retirement obligations are principally linked to landfill capping obligations, asbestos removal obligations and demolition of certain abandoned buildings. Conditional asset retirement obligations are recognized, at fair value, when the fair value of the liability can be reasonably estimated. The associated costs are capitalized as part of the carrying value of the related asset and depreciated over its remaining useful life. The liability is accreted using a credit adjusted risk-free interest rate.

The estimate of fair value is based on the results of the expected future cash flow approach, in which multiple cash flow scenarios that reflect a range of possible outcomes are considered. We have established cash flow scenarios for each individual asset retirement obligation. Probabilities are applied to each of the cash flow scenarios to arrive at an expected future cash flow. There is no supplemental risk adjustment made to the expected cash flows. The expected cash flows for each of the asset retirement obligations are discounted using the credit adjusted risk-free interest rate for the corresponding period until the settlement date. The rates used vary, based on the prevailing rate at the moment of recognition of the liability and on its settlement period. The rates used vary between 4.50% and 12.0%.

Cash flow estimates incorporate either assumptions that marketplace participants would use in their estimates of fair value, whenever that information is available without undue cost and effort, or assumptions developed by internal experts.

While we believe that we have determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred, based on known information, our ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with our former and present operations may lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts may result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

Useful lives

Our property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation, including asset impairment write-down. Interest costs are capitalized for capital projects in excess of $5 million or having a duration in excess of two years. For timber limits and timberlands, depreciation is calculated using the unit of production method. For deferred financing fees, amortization is calculated on the interest method. For all other assets, depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets.

On a regular basis, we review the estimated useful lives of our property, plant and equipment. Assessing the reasonableness of the estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment requires judgment and is based on currently available information. During the first quarter of

 

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2007, we reviewed the useful lives of the property, plant and equipment acquired from Domtar Inc. using information obtained from the preliminary fair value and purchase price allocation. The final fair value appraisal and purchase price allocation may have a significant impact on the assigned value to property, plant and equipment and the final estimates of useful lives may have a significant impact on related depreciation expense. Changes in circumstances such as technological advances, changes to our business strategy, changes to our capital strategy or changes in regulation can result in the actual useful lives differing from our estimates. Revisions to the estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment constitute a change in accounting estimate and are dealt with prospectively by amending depreciation rates. A change in the remaining estimated useful life of a group of assets, or their estimated net salvage value, will affect the depreciation rate used to depreciate the group of assets and thus affect depreciation expense as reported in our results of operations.

Impairment of long-lived assets

We review the carrying amount of long-lived assets when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable through future operations. This is accomplished by determining whether projected undiscounted future cash flows from operations exceed the net carrying amount of the assets as of the assessment date (Step I test). Impaired assets are recorded at fair value, determined principally by using discounted future cash flows expected from their use and eventual disposition (Step II test). Estimates of future cash flows and fair value require judgment and may change over time.

Goodwill and other intangibles assets

Goodwill is not amortized and is subject to an annual impairment test, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it might be impaired. Testing for impairment is accomplished mainly by determining whether the fair value of a reporting unit, based upon discounted cash flows, exceeds the net carrying amount of that reporting unit as of the assessment date. If the fair value is greater than the net carrying amount, no impairment is necessary. In the event that the net carrying amount exceeds the sum of the discounted cash flows, a second test must be performed whereby the fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill must be estimated to determine if it is less than its net carrying amount. Fair value of goodwill is estimated in the same way as goodwill was determined at the date of the acquisition in a business combination, that is, the excess of the fair value of the reporting unit over the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the reporting unit. Other intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized, but are also tested for impairment at least annually. The impairment test consists of a comparison of the fair value of the intangible asset to their carrying amount.

Pension and other employee future benefit plans

Domtar Corp. contributes to several defined contribution, multi-employer and 401(k) plans. The pension expense under these plans is equal to Domtar’s contribution.

Domtar Corp. also has several defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all employees. In the United States, this includes pension plans that are qualified under the Code (“qualified”) as well as a plan that provides benefits in addition to those provided under the qualified plans for a select group of employees, which is not qualified under the Code (“unqualified’). In Canada, plans are registered under the Income Tax Act and under their respective provincial pension acts (“registered”), or plans may provide additional benefits to a select group of employees, and not

 

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be registered under the Income Tax Act or provincial pension acts (“non-registered”). The defined benefit plans are generally contributory in Canada and non-contributory in the United States. The pension expense and the obligation related to the defined benefit plans are actuarially determined using management’s most probable assumptions.

We account for pensions in accordance with Statement No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans—an Amendment of FASB Statements No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R)” (FAS 158) which requires employers to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of defined benefit pension plans as an asset or liability in its Consolidated balance sheet. We account for other employee future benefits in accordance with FAS 158 which requires employers to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of postretirement plans as an asset or liability in its Consolidated balance sheet with an offsetting amount in accumulated other comprehensive income.

Pension and other employee future benefit assumptions include the discount rate, the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets, the rate of compensation increase, health care cost trend rates, mortality rates, employee early retirements and terminations or disabilities. Changes in these assumptions result in actuarial gains or losses which we have elected to amortize over the expected average remaining service life of the active employee group covered by the plans only to the extent that the unrecognized net actuarial gains and losses are in excess of 10% of the greater of the accrued benefit obligation and the market-related value of plan assets as at the beginning of the year.

An expected rate of return on plan assets of 6.2% was considered appropriate by our management for the determination of pension expense for 2007.

Effective January 1, 2007, Domtar Inc. will use 6.3% as the expected return on plan assets, which reflects the view of long-term investment returns.

The expected return on plan assets assumption is based on an analysis of the target asset allocation and expected return by asset class. This rate is adjusted for an equity risk premium and by 0.5% to take into consideration the active investment management of the plan assets.

We set our discount rate assumption annually to reflect the rates available on high-quality, fixed income debt instruments, with a duration that is expected to match the timing and amount of expected benefit payments. High-quality debt instruments are corporate bonds with a rating of AA or better.

The assets of the pension plans are held by a number of independent trustees and are accounted for separately in our pension funds. The investment strategy for the assets in the pension plans is to maintain a diversified portfolio of assets, invested in a prudent manner to maintain the security of funds while maximizing returns within the guidelines provided in the investment policy. The Company’s pension funds are not permitted to own any of Domtar’s shares or debt instruments. The target asset allocation is based on the expected duration of the benefit obligation.

Income taxes

We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined according to differences between the carrying amounts and tax bases of the assets and liabilities. The change in the net deferred tax asset or

 

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liability is included in earnings. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates and laws expected to apply in the years in which assets and liabilities are expected to be recovered or settled. For these years, a projection of taxable income and an assumption of the ultimate recovery or settlement period for temporary differences are required. The projection of future taxable income is based on management’s best estimate and may vary from actual taxable income.

On a quarterly basis, we assess the need to establish a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets and, if it is deemed more likely than not that our deferred tax assets will not be realized based on these taxable income projections, a valuation allowance is recorded.

Our deferred tax assets are mainly composed of temporary differences related to accounting provisions for acquisitions, restructuring, environmental matters, as well as net operating loss carry forwards. The majority of these accruals are expected to be utilized or paid out over the next five years. Our deferred tax liabilities are mainly composed of temporary differences pertaining to plant, equipment and others. Estimating the ultimate settlement period, given the depreciation rates in effect are based on information as it develops, requires judgment and our best estimates. The reversal of timing differences is expected at future enacted tax rates, which could change due to changes in income tax laws or the introduction of tax changes through the presentation of annual budgets by different governments. As a result, a change in the timing and the income tax rate at which the components will reverse could materially affect deferred tax expense as recorded in our results of operations.

In addition, Canadian and American tax rules and regulations are subject to interpretation and require judgment that may be challenged by taxation authorities. To the best of our knowledge, we have adequately provided for our future tax consequences based upon current facts and circumstances and current tax law.

Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk

Our income before income taxes can be impacted by the following sensitivities:

 

Sensitivity analysis

(In millions of $, unless otherwise noted)

   Estimated annual impact on
income before depreciation
and amortization and
interest expense
  
  
 

Each $10/unit change in the selling price of the following products:(1)

  

Papers

   $ 52

Pulp—net position

     10

Wood (lumber)

     12

Interest rate (1% change in interest rate on our floating rate debt)

     8

Foreign exchange (US $0.01 change in relative value to the Canadian dollar before hedging)

     11

Energy(2)

  

Natural gas: $0.25/MMBtu change in price before hedging

     4

Crude oil: $1/barrel change in price before hedging

     1
 

 

(1)   Based on estimated 2007 capacity (ST, ADMT or MFBM).

 

(2)   Based on estimated 2007 consumption levels. The allocation between energy sources may vary during the year in order to take advantage of market conditions.

 

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Domtar Corp. may, from time to time, hedge part of its foreign exchange, pulp, interest rate and energy positions, which may therefore impact the above sensitivities.

In the normal course of business, we are exposed to certain financial risks. We do not use derivative instruments for speculative purposes; although all derivative instruments purchased to minimize risk may not qualify for hedge accounting.

Interest rate risk

We are exposed to interest rate risk arising from fluctuations in interest rates on our cash and cash equivalents, bank indebtedness, bank credit facility and long-term debt. We may manage this interest rate exposure by the use of derivative instruments such as interest rate swap contracts.

Credit risk

We are exposed to credit risk on the accounts receivable from our customers. In order to reduce this risk, we review new customers’ credit histories before granting credit and conduct regular reviews of existing customers’ credit performance. In addition, we aim to not rely heavily on a small number of significant customers. We buy credit insurance to mitigate part of our exposure to credit risk.

We are also exposed to credit risk in the event of non-performance by counterparties to our financial instruments. We minimize this exposure by entering into contracts with counterparties that we believe are of high credit quality. We usually do not obtain collateral or other security to support financial instruments subject to credit risk. We regularly monitor the credit standing of counterparties.

Foreign currency risk

In order to reduce the potential negative effects of a fluctuating Canadian dollar, we hedge part of our foreign exchange exposure on anticipated costs denominated in Canadian dollars through the use of options and forward contracts. For hedge contracts meeting the requirement of hedge accounting, resulting gains and losses are recognized when the designated transaction is recognized. If we do not meet the requirements for hedge accounting, we account for these contracts at their fair value with resulting gains and losses being included in our results at each balance sheet date.

Price risk

We are exposed to price risk on purchases and sales. We may hedge a portion of our exposure to price risk associated with purchases of bunker oil or sales of NBSK pulp through the use of derivative cash settled commodity swaps. For hedge contracts meeting the requirement of hedge accounting, resulting gains and losses are recognized when the designated transaction is recognized. If we do not meet the requirements for hedge accounting, we account for these contracts at their fair value with resulting gains and losses being included in our results at each balance sheet date. We may also enter into physical fixed price contracts to fix the price of natural gas for future periods.

 

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Controls and procedures

Transition to new public company

As discussed in detail under the caption “The Acquisition Transactions” in Note 1 of the interim financial statements, on March 7, 2007, we completed a transaction pursuant to which we became an independent holding company that, directly or indirectly through our subsidiaries, owns both the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. We are in the process of integrating the procedures and practices we inherited from Weyerhaeuser (with respect to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business) and from Domtar Inc. (with respect to the Domtar Inc. business). In connection with the Acquisition Transactions we entered into a Transition Services Agreement (TSA) with Weyerhaeuser to provide services to us relating to finance and administration, human resources and payroll, and information technology to enable us to manage an orderly transition in the operation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business. Pursuant to the TSA, certain financial and accounting information used to complete our financial statements for fiscal 2007, including the interim period ended July 1, 2007, and the comparable period of 2006 was, or will be, prepared by Weyerhaeuser based on Weyerhaeuser systems and controls.

There are many complexities arising from the Acquisition Transactions that impacted the preparation of our financial information including the timing of the closing of the Acquisition Transactions late in the first quarter and the related availability of the financial systems and related system conversion, and the allocation of the purchase price of Domtar Inc. to its assets and application of purchase accounting. In addition, in conjunction with the TSA with Weyerhaeuser, additional time was required to obtain certain key information and supporting documentation necessary to complete our review of all financial statement accounts. Our disclosure controls and procedures include extensive management and senior management review of all financial matters and disclosures before any public filing is made.

Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In connection with the preparation of the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 1, 2007, an evaluation was performed, as of July 1, 2007, by members of management, at the direction and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based upon this evaluation and due to the material weaknesses discussed below, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of July 1, 2007, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective at a reasonable assurance level.

Material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting

A material weakness is a control deficiency, or combination of control deficiencies, that results in more than a remote likelihood that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected. Management identified the following material weaknesses as of April 1, 2007 which were not remediated as of July 1, 2007.

 

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The Company did not maintain effective controls over the completeness and accuracy of financial information produced under the TSA with Weyerhaeuser. Specifically, the Company did not have controls designed and in place to ensure that financial data regarding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was complete, accurate, produced on a timely basis and supported with appropriate documentation. Further, the Company did not maintain an appropriate accounting and financial reporting organizational structure, specifically relating to the depth of resources, to be able to ensure that the accounting records being maintained by Weyerhaeuser under the TSA were accurate and complete. The financial data produced under the TSA affects substantially all balance sheet and income statement accounts.

These control deficiencies resulted in adjustments to the April 1, 2007 interim financial statements and a delay in the filing of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for its first quarter of 2007. In addition, and until remediated, these control deficiencies could result in a misstatement of substantially all accounts and disclosures which would result in a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements that would not be prevented or detected.

Plan for remediation of material weaknesses

We are in the process of integrating the procedures and practices we inherited from Weyerhaeuser (with respect to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business) and from Domtar Inc. (with respect to the Domtar Inc. business). We have hired additional professional financial and accounting staff, engaged temporary professional resources to help review the accounting records being prepared under the TSA and are preparing to take over the finance and administration, human resources and payroll, and information technology functions covered by the TSA with Weyerhaeuser. However, while we believe that we have controls designed to be effective, not all have operated for a sufficient period of time to demonstrate operating effectiveness. We will continue to receive services under the TSA for a period of time and, as a result, the circumstances that lead to the untimely filing of our Form 10-Q for the period ended April 1, 2007 may persist for a certain period in 2007 and may have an impact on future filings. We continue to monitor and assess our remediation activities to ensure that the material weaknesses discussed above are remediated as soon as practicable. However, management believes that they will be remediated by September 30, 2007, the date of our next fiscal quarter end.

Legal proceedings

We are involved in various legal proceedings relating to contracts, commercial disputes, taxes, environmental issues, labor and employment and other matters related to former and ongoing operations. We periodically review the status of these proceedings and assess the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes of our legal proceedings, as well as analyze probable losses. While we believe that the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, an adverse outcome in one or more of the following significant legal proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our results of cash flow in a given quarter or year.

In the early part of 2006, Weyerhaeuser closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which the Company acquired in the Acquisition Transactions, and which remains closed. Certain unionized parties filed a grievance against Weyerhaeuser following the shut down, alleging that certain post-closure actions taken by Weyerhaeuser violated their collective

 

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bargaining agreement. In particular, the union disputed Weyerhaeuser’s post-closure contracting with a third-party vendor to oversee on-site security at Prince Albert. In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company has assumed any liability with respect to this grievance. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Prince Albert facility. However, consummation of this plan is subject to several critical conditions, and the Company has not determined whether these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In a separate grievance relating to the closure of the Prince Albert facility, which could result in liability in excess of $20 million, the union is claiming that it is entitled to the accumulated pension benefits during the actual layoff period because, according to the union, a majority of employees retained still had recall rights during the layoff. The Company is currently evaluating its position with respect to these grievances and cannot be certain that it will not incur liability, which could be material, with respect to these grievances.

Domtar Inc. is subject to a motion by Joachim Laferrière Électricien Inc., filed in the Québec Superior Court on January 9, 2006, for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others for alleged damages relating to a conspiracy to fix prices of carbonless sheets during the period of January through December 2000 in the Province of Québec, Canada. The claim seeks estimated compensatory damages in the amount of CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) plus estimated exemplary damages in the amount of CDN$1 million to CDN$4 million (approximately $1 million to $4 million). Domtar Inc. is also subject to a motion by McLay & Company Inc. filed in Ontario Superior Court on January 11, 2006 for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others, for alleged inflated prices of carbonless sheets paper during the period of October 1999 through September 2000 in the Province of Ontario, Canada. These class actions have been settled in principle for an immaterial amount, subject to the finalization of definitive agreements and to court approval. The settlement amount was fully reserved for in a prior period.

On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited in the Superior Court of Justice of the province of Ontario, Canada against Domtar Inc. The claim alleges that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered an obligation of Domtar Inc. to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment contained in the Share Purchase Agreement, dated June 16, 1998 (as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, dated July 31, 1998, the “Agreement”) between Weston, Weston Investments Inc., Domtar Inc. and Domtar Industries Inc. pursuant to which Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc., an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The claim seeks a payment of CDN$110 million (approximately $103 million) under the purchase price adjustment provision of the Agreement and additional compensatory damages. On August 13, 2007, Domtar Inc. served its statement of defense in response to this claim. Neither we nor Domtar Inc. believes that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and Domtar Inc. intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar Inc. may not be successful in its defense of such claims, and if it is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on our and Domtar Inc.’s liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Several asbestos-related personal injury claims have been filed in U.S. state and federal courts against Domtar Industries Inc. and certain other affiliates of the Company in connection with alleged exposure by current and former employees of the Company to asbestos. While the

 

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Company believes that the ultimate disposition of these matters, both individually and on an aggregate basis, will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, there can be no assurance the Company will not incur substantial costs as a result of any such claim.

Environment

The Company is or may be a “potentially responsible party” with respect to various hazardous waste sites that are being addressed pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“Superfund”) or similar laws. The Company continues to take remedial action under its Care and Control Program, as such sites mostly relate to its former wood preserving operating sites, and a number of operating sites due to possible soil, sediment or groundwater contamination. The investigation and remediation process is lengthy and subject to the uncertainties of changes in legal requirements, technological developments and, if and when applicable, the allocation of liability among potentially responsible parties.

An action was commenced by Seaspan International Ltd. (“Seaspan”) in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on March 31, 1999 against Domtar Inc. and others with respect to alleged contamination of Seaspan’s site bordering Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver, British Columbia, including contamination of sediments in Burrard Inlet, due to the presence of creosote. As of July 3, 2002, the parties entered into a partial Settlement Agreement (the ”Settlement Agreement”) which provides that while the agreement is performed in accordance with its terms, the action commenced by Seaspan will be held in abeyance. The Settlement Agreement focused on the sharing of costs between Seaspan and Domtar Inc. for certain remediation of contamination referred to in the plaintiff’s claim. The parties have the contractual right to abandon the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement does not address all of the plaintiff’s claims that cannot be reasonably determined at this time.

Domtar Inc. was issued a Request for Response Action (“RFRA”) by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) for the clean-up of tar seeps and soils at a former coal tar distillation plant located in Duluth, Minnesota. On March 27, 1996, the MPCA issued the RFRA to Domtar Inc., Interlake Corp., Allied-Signal, Inc. and Beazer East, Inc. requiring the investigation and potential remediation of a portion of an industrial site located in Duluth, Minnesota believed to contain contaminated sediments originating from former coke and gas plants and coal tar distillation plants. Domtar Inc. formerly operated one coal tar distillation plant. The total cost of the likely remediation is estimated to be approximately $90 million. Allocation of responsibility among the parties is ongoing under an agreed final and binding arbitration process which we expect will be determined in the third quarter of 2007.

As at July 1, 2007, the Company had a reserve of $82 million for environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, management believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or earnings.

While we believe that we have determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred based on known information, our ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with our past and present properties will lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts will likely result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

 

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Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of the Predecessor Company

for the year ended December 31, 2006

The Company was organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 16, 2006, and was, until March 7, 2007, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser. The Company is a holding company organized for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and consummating the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. The Company had no operations prior to March 7, 2007. On March 7, 2007, the following were completed:

 

 

a series of transfers and other transactions resulting in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business becoming wholly-owned by the Company;

 

 

the distribution of shares of the Company to certain Weyerhaeuser shareholders;

 

 

the combination of Domtar Inc. with the Company; and

 

 

the entry by the Company, Domtar Inc. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC into $1.5 billion senior secured credit facilities, consisting of an $800 million senior secured tranche B term loan facility and a $750 million senior secured revolving credit facility.

The predecessor entity to the Company for accounting and financial reporting purposes is the Company as though it owned only the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and not Domtar Inc. In this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, we refer to this predecessor entity as the Predecessor Company. The Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was owned and operated by Weyerhaeuser prior to the Acquisition Closing Date and was not a stand-alone business, subsidiary or separately reported segment of Weyerhaeuser.

The following discussion and analysis presents the factors that had a material effect on the results of operations of the Predecessor Company during the fiscal years ended the last Sunday of December 2006, 2005 and 2004. You should read this discussion in conjunction with the historical financial statements of the Company and the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and the notes to those statements and the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company and the notes to the pro forma condensed combined financial information included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains forward-looking statements. This discussion should be read in conjunction with “Forward-looking statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.

Introduction

As more fully described in this Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, the results of operations of the Company after the Acquisition Transactions will be significantly different than the results of operations of the Predecessor Company. This difference results from, among other things, the separation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business from Weyerhaeuser and the combination with Domtar Inc.

 

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This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is intended to provide investors with an understanding of the historical performance of the Predecessor Company, its financial condition and its prospects. This discussion and analysis relates to the three fiscal years ended December 31, 2006. As a result, it does not reflect changes to the Predecessor Company’s or the Company’s business that may have occurred during the first half of fiscal 2007. Because the Company’s business comprises the operations of both the Predecessor Company and Domtar Inc., unless the context requires otherwise, the forward-looking statements included in this section continue to apply to the Company following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, without regard to whether such statement refers to the Company or the Predecessor Company. See “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of the Company”.

Overview

The Predecessor Company principally manufactures and sells fine paper, including uncoated freesheet and coated groundwood. The Predecessor Company operates six uncoated freesheet mills in the United States and two in Canada (one of which is currently not in operation) and one coated groundwood mill in the United States. The Predecessor Company also manufactures papergrade pulp at several of its paper mills, fluff pulp at a pulp mill in Plymouth, North Carolina and papergrade pulp and specialty pulp at a pulp mill in Kamloops, British Columbia. Fluff pulp and specialty pulp are sold to third parties. Papergrade pulp is sold to the extent the Predecessor Company has greater capacity for pulp production than is required for internal use at its paper mills. The sale of papergrade pulp to third parties allows for optimization of pulp capacity while reducing overall manufacturing costs on a per unit of product basis. The Predecessor Company operates two sawmills in Canada (one of which is currently not in operation) and holds forest licenses to support its Canadian paper, pulp and lumber operations. Wapawekka Lumber Limited Partnership, in which the Predecessor Company owns a 51% equity interest, also has one sawmill in Canada (which is currently not in operation).

The Predecessor Company’s segments are:

 

 

Papers—represents the aggregation of the manufacturing and distribution of business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty papers, as well as pulp.

 

 

Wood—comprises the manufacturing and marketing of lumber and wood-based value-added products and the management of forest resources.

Separation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business from Weyerhaeuser

The Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was operated by Weyerhaeuser prior to the completion of the Acquisition Transactions.

The Company was organized for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and consummating the combination with Domtar Inc. The Company had no operations prior to March 7, 2007. Upon completion of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company became an independent public holding company that, directly or indirectly through its subsidiaries, owns the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc.

Although Weyerhaeuser does not have a continuing proprietary interest in the Company after the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company has entered into several

 

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agreements with Weyerhaeuser and/or certain of its subsidiaries in connection with the Acquisition Transactions, including a tax sharing agreement, an intellectual property licensing agreement, a transition services agreement, fiber and pulp supply agreements and site services agreements. These agreements enabled the Company to conduct the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business promptly following the completion of the Acquisition Transactions.

Upon consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Inc. became a subsidiary of the Company.

Factors affecting results of operations

The results of operations and cash flows of the Predecessor Company are, and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company will be, affected by several factors, including industry cyclicality affecting market prices for pulp and paper, continued long-term decline in demand, competition from competing technologies and products, intense competition from low-cost suppliers, the impact of facility closures and imports on supply, transportation, energy and raw material costs, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, charges associated with restructurings, closures and the impairment of goodwill, the impact of prices for energy and raw materials (especially those related to fiber, chemical costs, transportation and energy-related costs) on product margins, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and income taxes.

Industry cyclicality

The Predecessor Company’s operating results are, and the Company’s operating results will be, affected by a variety of market conditions that influence demand and pricing for its products. The overall level of demand for paper is affected by, among other things, levels of white-collar employment. Accordingly, the Predecessor Company’s financial results depend in large part on general macroeconomic conditions in North America, as well as on regional economic conditions in the geographic markets in which it operates. These factors, such as the health of the economy and the strength of the U.S. dollar, are cyclical in nature. As a result, revenues in the pulp and paper industry and in the Predecessor Company’s and the Company’s business tend to be cyclical, with periods of shortage and rising market prices, leading to increased production and increased industry investment until supply exceeds demand. Those periods are then typically followed by periods of reduced market prices and excess and idled capacity until the cycle is repeated. The global economy grew at a healthy pace in 2005 and 2006.

The paper products industry is highly cyclical. Fluctuations in the prices of and the demand for the Company’s products could result in smaller profit margins and lower sales volumes.

Long-term decline in demand

Although, historically, demand for uncoated freesheet, like demand for paper products generally, has correlated positively with general economic activity, over the past six years ending on December 31, 2006, demand for some paper grades has decreased as the use of electronic transmission and document storage alternatives has become more widespread. In 2006, demand for uncoated freesheet in North America decreased approximately 0.6% compared to 2005. In part, demand for paper grades that the Predecessor Company produced and the Company produces have been declining as a result of competition from other grades of paper that it did not produce, such as uncoated groundwood.

 

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Some of the Predecessor Company’s and the Company’s products are vulnerable to long-term declines in demand due to competing technologies or materials.

Competition from competing technologies and products

In addition to competition with electronic transmission and document storage alternatives, the Predecessor Company’s paper business competes with paper grades it does not produce. In particular, high brightness uncoated groundwood grade paper is increasingly being substituted for uncoated freesheet paper produced by the Predecessor Company. As a result of such competition, the Predecessor Company has experienced decreased demand for some of its existing commercial printing products. As the use of these alternatives grows, demand for uncoated freesheet produced by the Company is likely to decline further. The Predecessor Company’s wood product businesses also compete with alternative products such as engineered wood products.

See “Risk factors—Risks related to the industries and businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.—Some of the Company’s products are vulnerable to long-term declines in demand due to competing technologies or materials.”

Intense competition from low-cost suppliers

The Predecessor Company competes with North American and, for many of its product lines, global producers, some of which may have greater financial resources and lower production costs than the Predecessor Company has. With the appreciation of the Canadian dollar in recent years, the Predecessor Company’s Canadian operations, in particular, have been unable to compete as effectively with U.S. producers protected, in part, in the case of softwood lumber, by the imposition of countervailing and antidumping duties. In addition, foreign competition increasingly has been putting pressure on prices as new lower-cost producers from South America enter the North American market.

See “Risk factors—Risks related to the industries and businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.—The Company faces intense competition in its markets, and the failure to compete effectively would have a material adverse effect on its business and results of operations.”

Impact of closures and imports on supply

Industry supply of commodity pulp and paper products is affected by the number of operational or idled facilities, the building of new capacity and the shutting down of existing capacity. Capacity also tends to increase gradually over time without significant capital expenditures, as manufacturers implement production efficiencies. Generally, more capacity is added or employed when supply is tight and margins are relatively high, and capacity is idled or eliminated when supply significantly exceeds demand and margins are poor. Margins tend to decrease with lower capacity utilization because of downward price pressure and because fixed costs attributable to a product are spread across lower volumes.

While new capacity additions are constrained by the high capital investment and long lead times required to plan, obtain regulatory approvals for and build a new mill, a favorable pricing environment may prompt manufacturers to initiate expansion projects.

Faced with declining demand, rising costs (especially energy costs) and, in some cases, a rising Canadian dollar, several North American paper producers, including Weyerhaeuser, announced

 

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facility closures that decreased or will decrease supply. In 2005, Weyerhaeuser announced the indefinite closure of the pulp and paper mill at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan together with related vertically-integrated sawmill facilities as well as a paper machine at the Dryden, Ontario mill.

Industry supply of commodity pulp and papers is also influenced by the level of imports and overseas production capacity, which has grown in recent years and is expected to continue to grow. While the weakness of the U.S. dollar has mitigated the level of imports in recent years, a strengthening in the U.S. dollar would likely increase imports of commodity wood products and papers from overseas, thereby offsetting domestic capacity rationalization and putting downward pressure on prices.

Transportation, energy and raw material costs

The Predecessor Company depends on the transportation of a large number of products, both domestically and internationally. The Predecessor Company relies primarily on third parties for transportation of the products it manufactures, as well as delivery of raw materials for its operations. In particular, a significant portion of the goods the Predecessor Company manufactures and the raw materials it uses are transported by railroad or trucks, which are highly regulated. Increases in transportation rates or fuel surcharges adversely affected the Predecessor Company’s profit margins in the past and could continue to affect the Company’s profit margins in the future. In addition, any failure of a third-party transportation provider to deliver raw materials or finished products in a timely manner could harm the Company’s reputation, negatively impact its customer relationships and have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operation.

The Predecessor Company consumes substantial amounts of energy such as electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel (wood waste) and raw materials such as chemicals and fiber. In recent years increases in energy and chemical costs have adversely affected the Predecessor Company’s profit margins. There can be no assurance that there will not be substantial increases in the price, or less availability, of energy and raw materials in the future or that the Company can pass on any such increases through increases in the price of its products.

On average, industry prices for uncoated freesheet increased in 2005 compared to 2004 and continued to rise in 2006. Margins declined from 2004 to 2005 despite the increase in prices as costs increased at a faster pace than prices. In 2006, margins improved as price increases were implemented that exceeded cost escalation.

See “Risk factors—Risks related to the industries and businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.—An increase in the cost of the Company’s purchased energy or chemicals would lead to higher manufacturing costs, thereby reducing its margins.”

Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates

Sales of pulp and paper by the Predecessor Company’s Canadian manufacturing facilities are invoiced in U.S. dollars in accordance with industry practice; therefore, reported net sales for the Predecessor Company’s pulp and paper operations are not affected by changes in foreign currency rates. However, the Predecessor Company is exposed to changes in foreign currency exchange rates because most of the costs relating to its Canadian pulp and paper business are incurred in Canadian dollars. As a result, any decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to

 

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the Canadian dollar reduced the Predecessor Company’s, and will reduce the Company’s, profitability. Through much of the periods presented in this analysis, the value of the U.S. dollar had been declining relative to the Canadian dollar.

See “Risk factors—Risks related to the industries and businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.—The Company is affected by changes in currency exchange rates.”

Lumber export taxes and/or countervailing and antidumping duties

The Predecessor Company paid countervailing and antidumping duties on softwood lumber that it exported from Canada into the United States of $3 million, $7 million, $8 million and $15 million in the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005, December 26, 2004 and December 28, 2003, respectively. The United States and Canada reached a final settlement to this long-standing dispute in 2006. Under the settlement agreement, a Canadian export tax was instituted that requires Canadian softwood lumber exporters to pay the tax when the price of lumber is at or below a threshold and Canadian softwood lumber exporters received refunds of approximately 81% of countervailing and antidumping duties paid between 2002 and 2006. Under present market conditions, the Company’s softwood lumber exports are subject to a 5% export charge. The export charge will be included in costs of products sold in the Company’s statements of income and will reduce the margins earned on sales of softwood lumber. The Predecessor Company received a refund of countervailing and antidumping duties of $65 million and recognized the refund as income in the fourth quarter of 2006.

See “Risk factors—Risks related to the industries and businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.—The Company may be required to pay significant lumber export taxes and/or countervailing and antidumping duties.”

Charges associated with the restructurings, closures and the impairment of goodwill

As more fully described herein, the comparability of the Predecessor Company’s operating results across periods in its Papers segment was affected by certain significant charges associated with restructurings, closures and the impairment of goodwill as follows:

 

       Year ended
(Dollars in millions)    December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
   December 26,
2004
 

Charges for restructuring, closure of facilities and impairment of goodwill:

       

Papers

   $765     $461    $16

Wood

   (1 )   77    1
    

Total charges for restructuring, closure of facilities and impairment of goodwill

   $764     $538    $17
 

The Predecessor Company reviews the carrying value of its long-lived assets and goodwill when events and changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable through future operations. In addition, goodwill is assessed annually in the fourth quarter for impairment.

 

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The Predecessor Company periodically reviews the performance of its facility portfolio. If it appears unlikely that a facility will achieve a desired level of financial performance, the facility may be subject to a “fix, sale or close” assessment. This assessment or any other event that calls into question the future cash generation capability of a facility also triggers a review to determine if there has been an impairment of the carrying value of the facility. In recent years this process has led to the shutdown of one facility and of several paper machines, and the recording of significant asset impairment charges and severance costs. During the fourth quarter of 2005, Weyerhaeuser announced an indefinite closure of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill and one of the two paper machines at the Dryden, Ontario mill due to poor market conditions and recognized charges of $534 million in connection with the closures. It is possible that the Company will incur additional charges and costs in future periods should such triggering events occur.

As of December 25, 2005, the carrying amount of goodwill for Weyerhaeuser’s Papers segment was $760 million, which included $749 million related to the paper operations and $11 million related to pulp operations. Based on an evaluation of the value of assets and liabilities relating to paper operations, Weyerhaeuser believed that the implied value of paper goodwill was zero as of the first quarter of 2006. Weyerhaeuser recognized a charge of $749 million in 2006 for the impairment of goodwill associated with paper operations. Further restructuring activities, protracted economic weakness or poor operating results, among other factors, could trigger an impairment of $11 million of goodwill related to pulp operations at some future date.

Impact of prices for energy and raw materials on product margins

Most of the Predecessor Company’s pulp and paper products are commodity products that are widely available and can be readily produced by its competitors. Because commodity products have few distinguishing qualities from producer to producer, competition for these products is primarily based on price, which is determined by supply relative to demand. Generally, market conditions beyond the Predecessor Company’s control determine the price for its commodity products, and the price for any one or more of these products may fall below its cash production costs. Therefore, the Company’s profitability with respect to these products depends on managing its cost structure, particularly energy and raw material costs, which also exhibit commodity characteristics.

The Predecessor Company consumes substantial amounts of energy such as electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel (wood waste) and raw materials such as chemicals and fiber. There can be no assurance that there will not be substantial increases in the price, or less availability, of energy and raw material sources in the future or that the Company can pass on any such price increases through increases in the price of its products.

On average, industry prices for uncoated freesheet increased in 2006 and 2005 compared to 2004. Margins declined from 2004 to 2005 despite the increase in prices as costs increased at a faster pace than prices. In 2006, margins improved as price increases were implemented that exceeded cost escalation.

See “Risk factors—Risks related to the industries and businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.—An increase in the cost of the Company’s purchased energy or chemicals would lead to higher manufacturing costs, thereby reducing its margins.”

 

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Income taxes

Under current U.S. tax law, the ability to use tax credits from the production of non-conventional fuel is phased out ratably when the average annual domestic wellhead price published by the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) is $53 to $67 per barrel (in 2005 dollars) and is fully phased out if the top end of the price range is reached. Based on domestic wellhead prices at the end of 2006, the Predecessor Company is within the phase out range. The estimated loss of non-conventional fuel credits in 2006 due to phase out is $7 million.

As of December 31, 2006, the Predecessor Company had foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $353 million. The deferred tax asset associated with the foreign net operating loss carryforwards is $118 million, reduced by a valuation allowance of $109 million. As a result of the Acquisition Transactions, the foreign net operating loss carryforwards did not transfer to the Company. Therefore, net operating loss carryforwards will not be available to offset future taxable income of the Company.

The Predecessor Company recognized a deferred tax asset of $145 million related to deductions for asset impairments in 2005. See “— Factors affecting results of operations—Charges associated with the restructurings, closures and the impairment of goodwill.” As a result of the Acquisition Transactions, the historical book-tax difference in Canadian assets did not transfer to the Company. Therefore, this deferred tax asset is not available to offset future income taxes of the Company.

As a result of the Acquisition Transactions, the Canadian depreciable assets have a basis that is determined by reference to the consideration paid for them, and the historical book-tax difference related to these assets no longer generates a deferred tax liability, which was $223 million at December 31, 2006.

 

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Results of operations

Overview

The following table sets forth the Predecessor Company’s operating results for the fiscal years ended the last Sunday of December 2006, 2005 and 2004:

 

       Year ended  
(Dollars in millions)    December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
    December 26,
2004
 
   

Sales:

      

Papers

   $3,143     $3,072     $2,867  

Wood

   163     195     159  
      

Total sales

   3,306     3,267     3,026  
      

Costs and expenses:

      

Cost of products sold

   2,649     2,760     2,485  

Depreciation and amortization

   311     357     348  

Taxes other than payroll and income taxes

   25     24     22  

Selling, general and administrative

   174     174     192  

Charges for restructuring, closure of facilities and impairment of goodwill

   764     538     17  

Refund of countervailing and antidumping duties

   (65 )        

Other operating costs (income)

   4     (8 )   3  
      

Total costs and expenses

   $3,862     $3,845     $3,067  
      

Operating loss

   $  (556 )   $  (578 )   $    (41 )
      

Contribution (charge) to earnings:

      

Papers

   $  (608 )   $  (492 )   $    (39 )

Wood

   52     (86 )   (2 )

Operating loss

   (556 )   (578 )   (41 )

Income tax expense (benefit)

   53     (100 )   (24 )
      

Net loss

   $  (609 )   $  (478 )   $    (17 )
   

Fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 compared to fiscal year ended December 25, 2005

Sales .    Net sales and revenues of $3,306 million in 2006 increased $39 million, or 1.2%, compared to net sales and revenues of $3,267 million in 2005. This increase is mainly attributable to higher sales prices for both paper and pulp products which were largely offset by reduced sales volumes as a result of the closures of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan pulp and paper mill and a Dryden, Ontario paper machine and closures at the Big River and Wapawekka, Saskatchewan sawmills.

Net sales in the Papers segment of $3,143 million in 2006 increased $71 million, or 2.3%, compared to $3,072 million in 2005. Unit shipments of paper in 2006 declined approximately 8% compared to 2005. Average selling prices of paper in 2006 increased approximately $84 per ton, or 11%, compared to 2005. The volume decline is primarily caused by the closures of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill and a paper machine at the Dryden, Ontario mill. The increase in average selling prices is a result of an overall improvement in the uncoated freesheet market. Pulp shipments declined approximately 3% in 2006 compared to 2005 due primarily to the

 

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closure of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill. Average selling prices for pulp products increased approximately $59 per ton or 11% in 2006 compared to 2005 as a result of an overall improvement in the pulp markets. Overall improvement in the pulp and paper markets were largely the result of supply and demand balance improvement and cost push effect on prices due to increasing raw material costs and a weakening of the U.S. dollar.

Net sales in the Wood segment of $163 million in 2006 decreased $32 million, or 16.4%, from $195 million in 2005. This decrease in sales is primarily a result of the closure of the Big River and the Wapawekka sawmills in Saskatchewan.

Costs and expenses .    Costs and expenses of $3,862 million in 2006 increased $17 million, or 0.4%, compared to costs and expenses of $3,845 million in 2005. This increase was primarily due to charges associated with the impairment of goodwill and the closure of facilities, partially offset by a decrease in the cost of goods sold, a decrease in depreciation and amortization expense and a refund of countervailing and antidumping deposits received in 2006.

Cost of goods sold was $2,649 million in 2006, which is a decrease of $111 million, or 4.0%, compared to cost of goods sold of $2,760 million in 2005. This decrease was primarily due to a reduction in the costs incurred in the production process for pulp and paper of approximately $213 million as a result of the closures of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill and a paper machine at the Dryden, Ontario mill. The Papers segment experienced an increase in costs of approximately $127 million associated with a $38 million increase in operating costs at the Canadian facilities as a result of the strengthening of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar, a $34 million increase in chemical costs, a $14 million increase in supplies (primarily packaging materials) and a $41 million increase in other miscellaneous items during 2006, for the facilities that continued to operate. Wood segment cost of products sold declined by approximately $26 million due primarily to the closures of the Big River and Wapawekka sawmills partially offset by an increase in third party sales volume in the forest operations.

Depreciation and amortization expense of $311 million in 2006 decreased $46 million, or 12.9%, compared to depreciation and amortization expense of $357 million in 2005, primarily as a result of facility closures.

An impairment of paper goodwill and charges for closure of facilities were recorded in the amounts of $749 million and $15 million, respectively, in 2006 compared to a charge for closure and restructuring of facilities in the amount of $538 million in 2005.

A pretax refund of $65 million in previously paid countervailing and antidumping deposits resulting from the settlement of the Canadian softwood lumber dispute was received in 2006.

Operating loss .    Operating loss of $556 million in 2006 decreased $22 million compared to operating loss of $578 million in 2005 due to items previously discussed.

Income taxes .    The income taxes of $53 million in 2006 increased $153 million compared to the income tax benefit of $100 million in 2005, primarily due to taxable income in 2006. The impairment of goodwill charge is not deductible for tax purposes.

During 2006, the Predecessor Company recognized a $3 million income tax benefit related to a change in Texas state income tax laws. In 2005, the Predecessor Company recognized a $1 million income tax benefit related to a reduction in a British Columbia provincial income tax rate and a $3 million income tax benefit related to a change in Ohio state income tax laws.

 

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Net loss .    Net loss of $609 million in 2006 increased $131 million compared to a net loss of $478 million in 2005. This increase resulted from the items discussed above.

Fiscal year ended December 25, 2005 compared to fiscal year ended December 26, 2004

Sales .    Net sales and revenues of $3,267 million in 2005 increased $241 million, or 8.0%, compared to net sales and revenues of $3,026 million in 2004. This increase is mainly the result of an increase in average selling prices and shipment volumes for pulp and paper.

Net sales of the Papers segment of $3,072 million in 2005 increased $205 million, or 7.2%, compared to net sales of $2,867 million in 2004 resulting from a general improvement in U.S. economic conditions. In 2005, average selling prices for paper increased approximately $37 per ton, or 5%, compared to average selling prices in 2004. Unit shipments of paper in 2005 increased approximately 3% compared to unit shipments in 2004. In 2005, average selling prices for pulp products increased approximately $6 per ton, or 1%, compared to 2004. Unit shipments of pulp products declined approximately 1% in 2005.

Net sales of the Wood segment of $195 million in 2005 increased $36 million, or 22.6%, compared to net sales of $159 million in 2004, primarily as a result of increased shipment volumes. Average selling prices increased modestly, but shipment volume increased 13% in 2005 compared to 2004. The sawmill operations took five months less market-related downtime at one of its mills in 2005 compared to 2004.

Costs and expenses .    Costs and expenses of $3,845 million in 2005 increased $778 million, or 25.4%, compared to costs and expenses of $3,067 million in 2004. This increase in costs and expenses is primarily caused by charges for closures of facilities and increased cost of goods sold.

Cost of goods sold of $2,760 million in 2005 increased $275 million, or 11.1%, compared to cost of goods sold of $2,485 million in 2004. An increase in paper product shipments resulted in an increase in cost of goods sold of approximately $71 million. In the Papers segment energy and chemical costs increased approximately $46 million in 2005. Transportation costs increased approximately $56 million in 2005, primarily due to fuel related cost increases. The strengthening of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar during 2005 compared to 2004 resulted in a $54 million increase in operating costs of the segment’s Canadian facilities when translated into U.S. dollars. Cost of goods sold for the Wood segment increased $48 million, primarily due to the incremental sales volumes.

Selling, general and administrative expenses (including allocated Weyerhaeuser costs) of $174 million in 2005 decreased $18 million, or 9.4%, compared to $192 million in 2004, primarily as a result of efforts to reduce controllable costs.

Restructuring charges of $3 million in 2005 decreased $14 million, or 82.4%, compared to restructuring charges of $17 million in 2004. The Predecessor Company incurred these restructuring charges in 2004 primarily for restructuring activities associated with the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and Dryden, Ontario mills.

Charges for closure of facilities in the amount of $534 million were recorded in 2005, primarily related to the decision to close the pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan together with its vertically-integrated sawmill facilities as well as a paper machine at the Dryden, Ontario mill.

 

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Operating loss .    Operating loss of $578 million in 2005 increased $537 million compared to an operating loss of $41 million in 2004. Excluding the previously discussed charges for restructuring, closure of facilities and goodwill totaling $538 million in 2005 and $17 million in 2004, there would have been an operating loss of $40 million in 2005, representing an increase of $16 million, or 67%, compared to an operating loss of $24 million in 2004. This increase resulted from the items discussed above.

Income taxes .    The benefit from income taxes of $100 million in 2005 increased $76 million compared to the income tax benefit of $24 million in 2004, primarily due to a higher operating loss, offset in part by an increase of $106 million in the valuation allowance associated with Canadian net operating losses and income tax credits.

During 2005, the Predecessor Company recognized a $1 million income tax benefit related to a reduction in a British Columbia provincial income tax rate and a $3 million income tax benefit related to a change in Ohio state income tax laws.

Net loss .    Net loss of $478 million in 2005 increased $461 million compared to a net loss of $17 million in 2004. This increase resulted from the items discussed above.

Liquidity and capital resources

Historical

Historically, the Predecessor Company’s principal source of liquidity was cash flow generated from operating activities and intercompany financings from Weyerhaeuser.

The following table sets forth a summary of cash flows for the fiscal years ended the last Sunday of December 2006, 2005 and 2004:

 

       Year ended  
(Dollars in millions)    December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
    December 26,
2004
 

Net cash provided by (used for):

      

Operating activities

   $ 357     $ 190     $ 209  

Investing activities

   (63 )   (109 )   (82 )

Financing activities

   (294 )   (82 )   (126 )
      

Net change in cash

   $   —     $    (1 )   $     1  
   

Cash provided by operating activities

Cash provided by operating activities was $357 million in 2006 compared to $190 million in 2005 and $209 million, in 2004.

The increase in the cash provided by operating activities in 2006 compared to the cash provided by operating activities in 2005 was primarily the result of the following:

 

 

Cash received from customers, net of cash paid to employees, suppliers and others, increased $235 million in 2006 as compared to 2005. As discussed in “— Results of operations” above, prices for, and margins earned on, pulp and paper products increased in 2006. Even though the volume of pulp and paper products sold in 2006 declined primarily due to the closures of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan facility and a Dryden, Ontario paper machine, the net cash generated increased.

 

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The amount of cash that the Predecessor Company paid for income taxes to Weyerhaeuser increased $68 million in 2006 as compared to 2005, primarily due to higher taxable earnings in 2006. The Predecessor Company earned $193 million before taxes in 2006, prior to a $749 million goodwill impairment charge, compared to a loss of $578 million before taxes in 2005. The goodwill impairment is not deductible for income tax purposes and represents a permanent book-tax difference. As a result, no tax benefit was recognized for the goodwill impairment charge. The amount of current income taxes due is assumed to be paid by the Predecessor Company to Weyerhaeuser in the period owing in the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business. See notes to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

The decrease in the cash provided by operating activities in 2005, compared to the cash provided by operating activities in 2004, was primarily the result of the following:

 

 

Cash received from customers, net of cash paid to employees, suppliers and others, increased $2 million in 2005 as compared to 2004. As discussed in “—Results of operations,” an increase in sales in 2005 was offset by increases in manufacturing costs.

 

 

The amount of cash that the Predecessor Company paid for income taxes to Weyerhaeuser increased $21 million in 2005 as compared to 2004, primarily due to higher taxable earnings in 2005.

Cash used for investing activities

The following table sets forth a summary of cash flow for investing activities for the fiscal years ended the last Sunday of December 2006, 2005 and 2004:

 

       Year ended
(Dollars in millions)    December 31,
2006
   December 25,
2005
   December 26,
2004
 

Papers

   $63    $104    $77

Wood

      5    5
    
   $63    $109    $82
 

The Predecessor Company’s operations are highly capital intensive and require annual capital investment to improve the efficiency of operations, ensure environmental compliance and replace aging equipment. In 2006 new capital investment totaled $64 million, including approximately $2 million for environmental compliance and the remainder for optimizing facilities, replacing equipment and reducing costs. In 2005, new capital investment totaled $113 million, more than half of which was for optimizing facilities and reducing costs. In 2004, the Predecessor Company incurred capital expenditures totaling $89 million, including $23 million for environmental compliance and the remainder for projects focused on replacement of major equipment and optimization.

The level of capital expenditures could increase or decrease as a consequence of a number of factors, including future economic conditions, weather and the timing of equipment purchases. Historically, internally generated cash flows or capital from Weyerhaeuser provided the cash needed to meet the Predecessor Company’s capital expenditures, investment and other requirements.

 

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Cash used for financing activities

Historically, the Predecessor Company obtained its financing through intercompany borrowings with Weyerhaeuser. The Predecessor Company made net payments of $287 million, $76 million and $121 million to Weyerhaeuser in 2006, 2005 and 2004, respectively. Any outstanding receivables or payables under these intercompany borrowings were not transferred or assumed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries as part of the Acquisition Transactions.

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc. entered into the Credit Agreement, which consists of an $800 million senior secured tranche B term loan facility and a $750 million senior secured revolving credit facility. In connection with the closing of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company borrowed $800 million under the tranche B term loan facility and $60M under the revolving credit facility. The revolving credit facility may be used by the Company and Domtar Inc. for working capital needs and for general corporate purposes, and a portion will be available for letters of credit and swingline loans. Borrowings by the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC under the revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars, and borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars and be limited to $150 million (or the Canadian dollar equivalent thereof).

See “Description of other indebtedness” for more information on the terms of the senior secured credit facilities, including with respect to guarantees and security.

Differences in credit ratings affect the interest rates at which the Company may sell debt securities or borrow funds, as well as the amounts of indebtedness and types of financing structures that may be available to the Company.

The Company’s primary future recurring cash needs are working capital, capital expenditures and debt service. The Company believes that its cash flows from operations, together with the amounts available for borrowings under the senior secured credit facilities discussed above, are sufficient to meet the Company’s recurring cash needs during the 12 month period after the Acquisition Transactions and for the foreseeable future thereafter. There can be no assurance, however, that this will be the case. If the Company’s cash flows from operations are less than is expected, the Company may need to incur additional debt. The Company may from time to time incur additional debt.

The Company’s ability to make payments on and to refinance its indebtedness, including the debt the Company incurred under the senior secured credit facilities, and to fund working capital, capital expenditures, debt service and investments will depend on the Company’s ability to generate cash in the future, which is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond its control. The terms of the debt the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc. incurred under the senior secured credit facilities, the terms of debt incurred by Domtar Inc. under its existing debt instruments and the terms of future indebtedness may impose various restrictions and covenants on the Company that could limit its ability to respond to market conditions, to provide for unanticipated capital investments or to take advantage of business opportunities.

 

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Off balance sheet arrangements

Off-balance sheet arrangements did not have a material effect on the Predecessor’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flow and are not reasonably likely to have a material effect on the Company’s future financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Domtar Inc. historically has had off balance sheet arrangements that will be reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements for fiscal periods following the Acquisition Closing Date. See Domtar Inc.’s consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

We expect that we will finance certain of our activities off balance sheet through leases and accounts receivable securitizations. See “Description of other indebtedness.”

Hedging arrangements

The Predecessor Company purchased natural gas at the prevailing market price at the time of delivery. In order to manage the cash flow risk associated with purchases of natural gas, the Predecessor Company participated in a Weyerhaeuser hedging program whereby Weyerhaeuser utilizes derivative financial instruments to fix the price of up to 30% of forecasted natural gas purchases for periods up to 18 months.

Following the Acquisition Transactions, the Company does not participate in this hedging program. See note 13 to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. See also “Risk factors—Risks related to the industries and businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.— An increase in the cost of the Company’s purchased energy or chemicals would lead to higher manufacturing costs, thereby reducing its margins.” The Company may enter into new hedging arrangements following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions.

Dividends

The Company does not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future. In addition, the Company’s ability to pay dividends will be restricted by current and future agreements governing the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries’ debt, including its senior secured credit facilities.

Contractual obligations and commercial commitments

The following table summarizes the Predecessor Company’s significant contractual obligations as of December 31, 2006:

 

(Dollars in millions)    Total    Less than
1 year
   1-3
Years
   3-5
Years
   More than
5 years
 

Capital lease obligations

   $45    $  9    $16    $8    $12

Operating lease obligations

   8    4    3       1

Purchase obligations(1)

   38    32    6      

Estimated minimum pension funding requirement

   5    5         
    
   $96    $50    $25    $8    $13
 

 

(1)   Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding on the Predecessor Company and that specify all significant terms, including: fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable price provisions; and the approximate timing of the transaction. Purchase obligations exclude arrangements that the Predecessor Company can cancel without penalty.

 

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See notes 12 and 15 to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

Environmental matters, legal proceedings and other contingencies

Legal proceedings

The Predecessor Company is subject to a small number of claims and litigation matters that have arisen in the ordinary course of business. Although the final outcome of any legal proceeding is subject to many variables and cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty, the Company currently believes that the ultimate outcome of these legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s long-term results of operations, cash flows or financial position. See note 15 to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. In addition, see “Business of the Company—Legal proceedings,” for a discussion of litigation related to the Predecessor Company that was assumed by the Company in connection with the Acquisition Transactions.

Environmental matters

During the first quarter of 2006, the Predecessor Company closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the Big River sawmill in Saskatchewan due to poor market conditions. The Company has not determined whether these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event the facilities are permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at one or both facilities. In the event decommissioning and reclamation is required at either facility, the work is likely to include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts.

The Predecessor Company was, and the Company is, party to various proceedings relating to the cleanup of hazardous waste sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as “Superfund,” and similar state laws. The EPA and/or various state agencies notified the Predecessor Company that it may be a potentially responsible party with respect to other hazardous waste sites as to which no proceedings have been instituted against either the Predecessor Company or the Company. At December 31, 2006, the Predecessor Company had established reserves totaling $4 million for estimated remediation costs on the three active sites in its operations. Environmental remediation reserves totaled $9 million at the end of 2005. The decrease in environmental remediation reserves reflects the incorporation of new information on all sites concerning remediation alternatives, updates on prior cost estimates and new sites, and the costs incurred to remediate these sites during this period. In estimating both the Company’s current accruals for environmental remediation and the possible range of additional future costs, the Company has assumed that it will not bear the entire cost of remediation of every site to the exclusion of other known potentially responsible parties who may be jointly and severally liable. The ability of other potentially responsible parties to participate has been taken into account, generally based on each party’s financial condition and probable contribution on a per-site basis. No amounts have been recorded for potential recoveries from insurance carriers.

The Predecessor Company has not recognized a liability under Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 47, Accounting for Conditional Asset Retirement Obligations—an Interpretation of Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 143 (“FIN 47”), for certain

 

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legal obligations, primarily special handling for the removal and disposal of encapsulated asbestos from facilities and equipment. The fair value of such obligations cannot be reasonably estimated because the settlement dates are not reasonably determinable. The Company will establish a liability under FIN 47 at the time the fair value becomes reasonably estimable.

See note 15 to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

Critical accounting policies

The Predecessor Company’s significant accounting policies are described in note 2 to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. The Predecessor Company’s critical accounting policies are those that may involve a higher degree of judgment, estimates and complexity. The Predecessor Company’s most critical accounting policies include those related to the basis of presentation of the combined financial statements, its portion of Weyerhaeuser’s pension and post-retirement benefit plans and potential impairments of long-lived assets and goodwill. While the Predecessor Company based its judgments and estimates on historical experience and other assumptions that the Predecessor Company believed were appropriate and reasonable under the then current circumstances, actual resolution of these matters may differ from recorded estimated amounts.

Basis of presentation of financial statements

Historically, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was operated as an integral part of Weyerhaeuser. Separate stand-alone financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have not historically been prepared for this business unit. The combined financial statements have been derived from historical accounting records of Weyerhaeuser and include many assumptions regarding apportionment of central general and administrative cost for accounting, human resources, purchasing, information systems, transaction services, payroll processing costs, legal fees and other overhead costs. These centralized costs were allocated to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business using a three-part apportionment factor based on relative headcount, assets and certain revenue. Weyerhaeuser pension and post-retirement benefits expense was allocated based on relative salaried headcount. Weyerhaeuser believes the basis for allocation of these costs is reasonable; however, these estimates are highly subjective. The Company has not undertaken any independent analysis of Weyerhaeuser’s estimates.

Certain of the Predecessor Company’s working capital assets, property, plant and equipment and liabilities are common assets and liabilities shared with Weyerhaeuser facilities not subject to the Acquisition Transactions. Weyerhaeuser performed allocations in order to reflect the appropriate portion of each asset and liability in the accounts of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business. These allocations were based on a three-part apportionment factor based on relative headcount, assets and certain revenue. Weyerhaeuser believes the methodologies used for the asset and liability allocations are reasonable. However, these estimates are highly subjective and the Company has not undertaken any independent analysis of Weyerhaeuser’s methodologies.

The results of operations, balance sheet and cash flows are presented under the funding structure prior to the Acquisition Transactions, which was supported by Weyerhaeuser. Significant differences in the funding and operation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

 

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may have existed if it had operated as an independent, stand-alone entity, including the need for debt and the incurrence of interest expense, which could have had a significant impact on the financial position and results of operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business.

Pension and post-retirement benefit accounting

The Predecessor Company participated in several retirement programs for its employees that were sponsored by Weyerhaeuser. In the United States, this included pension plans that are qualified under the Code (qualified) as well as a plan that provides benefits in addition to those provided under the qualified plans for a select group of employees, which is not qualified under the Code (unqualified). In Canada, plans are registered under the Income Tax Act and under their respective provincial pension acts (registered), or plans may provide additional benefits to a select group of employees, and not be registered under the Income Tax Act or provincial pension acts (nonregistered). Weyerhaeuser also provided benefits under a post-retirement healthcare and life insurance plan to eligible salaried employees in both countries. Benefits provided under the post-retirement healthcare and life insurance plan were funded by the general assets of Weyerhaeuser. The measurement date for all plans sponsored by Weyerhaeuser was the end of the fiscal year.

Four Canadian pension plans were transferred to the Company at the Acquisition Closing Date. Except for these four plans, Weyerhaeuser has not allocated a portion of Weyerhaeuser’s pension assets or prepared detailed employee benefit plan disclosures for the stand-alone financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business in a manner that would be consistent with the level of detail provided in Weyerhaeuser’s consolidated financial statements.

As described above in “— Basis of presentation of financial statements,” a portion of the pension costs have been allocated to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business for purposes of presenting the results of operations in the stand-alone financial statements. Not only is the allocation subject to subjective estimates of Weyerhaeuser management, but the key assumptions used to determine the amounts recorded in Weyerhaeuser’s financial statements also include subjective estimates including the discount rate, the expected return on plan assets, anticipated trends in health care costs, assumed increases in salaries, mortality rates, and other factors. These assumptions were reviewed with external advisors at the end of each fiscal year and are updated as appropriate. Actual experience that differs from the assumptions could have a significant effect on the Company’s financial position, results from operations or cash flows. Other factors that affect the level of net periodic benefit income or expense that is recognized in a given year include actual pension fund performance, plan changes and changes in plan participation or coverage.

Impairment of long-lived assets

The Predecessor Company reviews the carrying value of its long-lived assets and goodwill when events and changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable through future operations. In addition, goodwill is assessed annually in the fourth quarter for impairment. In order to determine whether long-lived assets and goodwill are impaired, and the amount and timing of impairment charges, the Predecessor Company was required to estimate future cash flows, residual values and fair values of the related assets. Key assumptions used in those calculations include the probability of alternative outcomes, product pricing, raw material costs, volumes of product to be sold and discount rates. Management of the

 

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Company believes that the estimates of future cash flows and fair values are reasonable; however, changes in estimates of such cash flows, changes in the likelihood of alternative outcomes, and changes in estimates of fair value could affect the evaluations.

The Predecessor Company grew substantially through acquisitions over the last several years. A large portion of the net book value of its property and equipment represents amounts allocated to those assets as part of the allocation of the purchase price of those acquisitions. Due to these allocations, a large portion of the Predecessor Company’s long-term assets are valued at relatively current amounts. Also as a result of acquisitions, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business reported goodwill of approximately $763 million on its balance sheets at the end of 2005, of which $749 million was deemed impaired in the first quarter of 2006.

Prospective accounting pronouncements

See note 2 to combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement for a summary of prospective accounting pronouncements.

Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk

The Predecessor Company is exposed to market risk from changes in commodity prices and foreign currency exchange rates. The Company monitors and manages these risks as an integral part of its overall risk management program.

Commodity risk

The Predecessor Company purchases natural gas at the prevailing market price at the time of delivery. In order to manage the cash flow risk associated with purchases of natural gas, the Predecessor Company participated in a Weyerhaeuser hedging program whereby Weyerhaeuser utilizes derivative financial instruments to fix the price of up to 30% of forecasted natural gas purchases for periods up to 18 months into the future. Weyerhaeuser formally documents the hedge relationships, including identification of the hedging instruments and the hedged items, the risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking the hedge transactions, and the methodologies used to assess effectiveness and measure ineffectiveness. Changes in the fair value of the derivative financial instruments are allocated by Weyerhaeuser to individual facilities based on projected usage of natural gas. The Predecessor Company recognized its allocable share of the gains and losses on Weyerhaeuser’s derivative financial instruments in earnings when the forecasted purchases occurred. A summary of amounts related to the Predecessor Company’s participation in the Weyerhaeuser hedging program follows:

 

(Dollars in millions)    Year ended
December 31,
2006
    Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 

Net gain recognized in cost of products sold

   $ —     $12    $1

Unrealized gains (losses) not yet recognized in the statements of operations at the end of the period

   $ (9 )   $18    $3
 

Following the Acquisition Transactions, the Company does not participate in this hedging program. The Company intends to evaluate new hedging arrangements upon the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions. See “Risk factors—Risks related to the industries and businesses

 

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of the Company and Domtar Inc.—An increase in the cost of the Company’s purchased energy or chemicals would lead to higher manufacturing costs, thereby reducing its margins.”

See note 13 to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

Foreign currency risk

The Predecessor Company’s results of operations and cash flows are affected by changes in the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar. See “Risk factors—Risks related to the industries and businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.—The Company is affected by changes in currency exchange rates.”

The Predecessor Company did not historically actively hedge foreign currency risk, except to the extent that foreign currency liabilities provided a natural hedge.

 

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Selected historical financial data of Domtar Inc.

The following sets forth selected historical consolidated financial data of Domtar Inc. for the periods and as of the dates indicated. The selected consolidated financial data as of December 31, 2005 and 2006 and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006 have been derived from the consolidated audited financial statements of Domtar Inc., which financial statements, and the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP thereon, are included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. The selected consolidated financial data as of December 31, 2002, 2003 and 2004 and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2002 and December 31, 2003 have been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc. which are not included in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

The selected historical financial information of Domtar Inc. as of and for the six-months ended June 30, 2006 and for the periods from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 has been derived from the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc., which, in the opinion of Domtar Inc.’s management, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of Domtar Inc.’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements are included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. Results for the periods from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year.

 

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This information should be read in conjunction with “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of Domtar Inc.” and the financial statements of Domtar Inc. and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. For a discussion of the differences between U.S. GAAP and Canadian GAAP, see note 23 to the audited consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc. contained elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

 

U.S. GAAP/U.S.
dollar(2) (Dollars in
millions, except per
share data)

  Year ended  

Jan. 1,
2007 to
March 6,
2007

   

March 7,
2007 to
June 30,
2007(1)

 

Six months
ended
June 30,
2006

 
  December 31,
2002
    December 31,
2003
    December 31,
2004
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2006
     
                                             
 

Statement of Operations Data:

                 

Sales

  $3,241     $3,129     $3,373     $3,498     $3,492   $582     $1,041   $1,773  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations before depreciation, depletion and amortization

  448     165     264     (27 )   435   25     100   105  

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  (17 )   (144 )   (64 )   (329 )   27   (31 )   2   (48 )

Net earnings (loss)

  20     (167 )   (58 )   (414 )   226   (31 )   1   (31 )

Net earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations-basic and diluted

  (0.08 )   (0.64 )   (0.28 )   (1.44 )   0.11        

Net earnings (loss) per share-basic and diluted

  0.08     (0.74 )   (0.26 )   (1.81 )   0.98        
 

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

                 

Cash and cash equivalents

  15     32     37     58     551       35   81  

Property, plant and equipment, net

  3,215     3,272     3,236     2,834     2,639       2,931   3,116  

Total assets

  4,201     4,383     4,554     4,152     4,082       4,551   4,401  

Total long-term debt (Including current portion, excluding capital leases)

  1,452     1,438     1,534     1,721     1,590       1,666   1,917  

Total shareholders’ equity

  1,690     1,801     1,849     1,348     1,496       1,742   1,406  
                                             

 

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Canadian GAAP/CDN
dollar (Dollars in
millions, except per
share data)

  Year ended  

Jan. 1,
2007 to
March 6,
2007

   

March 7,
2007 to
June 30,
2007(1)

 

Six months
ended
June 30,
2006

 
  December 31,
2002
  December 31,
2003
    December 31,
2004
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2006
     
                                           
 

Statement of Operations Data:

                 

Sales

  $5,146   $4,420     $4,403     $4,247     $3,989   $684     $1,178   $2,037  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations before depreciation, depletion and amortization

  659   251     348     (20 )   521   35     121   134  

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  94   (179 )   (63 )   (310 )   63   (32 )   12   (50 )

Net earnings (loss)

  141   (193 )   (42 )   (388 )   328   (33 )   12   (33 )

Net earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations-basic and diluted

  0.41   (0.79 )   (0.28 )   (1.36 )   0.27        

Net earnings (loss) per share-basic

  0.62   (0.86 )   (0.19 )   (1.69 )   1.42        

Net earnings (loss) per share-diluted

  0.61   (0.86 )   (0.19 )   (1.69 )   1.42        
 

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

                 

Cash and cash equivalents

  38   48     52     83     649       43   94  

Property, plant and equipment, net

  5,387   4,540     4,215     3,634     3,044       3,131   3,426  

Total assets

  6,847   5,855     5,681     5,192     4,955       4,855   4,923  

Total long-term debt (including current portion, excluding capital leases)

  2,503   2,048     2,023     2,248     1,880       1,773   2,165  

Total shareholders’ equity

  2,554   2,171     2,046     1,609     1,941       1,864   1,556  
                                           
(1)   As a result of the application of fresh start reporting that started on March 7, 2007, the financial condition and results of operations and the financial position following that date are not comparable to those prior to that date. The financial condition and results of operations for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007, and the financial condition and results of operations for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 should not be viewed as a continuum since they were prepared using different bases of accounting and different accounting policies and, therefore, are not comparable.

 

(2)   The following table sets forth, for each period indicated, for one U.S. dollar expressed in Canadian dollars, the exchange rate at the end of the period and the average of the monthly average rates during the period, based on the Bank of Canada noon rate for fiscal years ended December 31, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, as well as the six months ended June 30, 2006, and based on the United States Federal Reserve noon rate for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007.

 

      

Year ended December 31,

  

January 1,
2007 to
March 6,
2007

 

  

March 7,
2007 to
June 30,
2007

 

  

Six months
ended
June 30,
2006

 

      

2002

 

  

2003

 

  

2004

 

  

2005

 

  

2006

 

        

Period end

   $ 1.5796    $ 1.2924    $ 1.2036    $ 1.1659    $ 1.1653    $    $ 1.0634    $ 1.1138

Average

   $ 1.5703    $ 1.410    $ 1.3013    $ 1.2114    $ 1.1344    $ 1.1733    $ 1.1158    $ 1.1384
                                                         

 

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Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of Domtar Inc.

for the period ended June 30, 2007

and for the year ended December 31, 2006

Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) relates to the financial condition and results of Domtar Inc.’s operations. Except where otherwise indicated, all financial information reflected herein is unaudited and determined on the basis of Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). This interim MD&A should be read in conjunction with Domtar Inc.’s unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as well as with Domtar Inc.’s most recent annual MD&A and audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

On March 7, 2007, the closing date of the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Inc. adopted fresh start reporting. In accordance with Section 1625 of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) Handbook, Comprehensive Revaluation of Assets and Liabilities (“CICA 1625”), prior period financial information has not been restated to reflect the impact of the fair value adjustments and, accordingly, certain amounts in prior periods are not directly comparable.

Domtar Inc.’s financial condition and results of operations for the second quarter of 2007 reflect the application of fresh start reporting. Domtar Inc.’s combined financial condition and results of operations for the six month period ended June 30, 2007 represents the combination of the financial condition and results of operations prior to the application of fresh start reporting, being the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007, and the financial condition and results of operations for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 which reflect the application of fresh start reporting. Domtar Inc.’s financial condition and results of operations for the second quarter of 2006 and the six month period ended June 30, 2006 represents the financial condition and results of operations for the quarter as previously reported.

This MD&A uses non-GAAP information for the presentation of the combined financial results of the first quarter of 2007 and six month period ended June 30, 2007. Such combined financial results are for illustrative purposes only and are provided for the purpose of allowing a year-to-date over year-to-date comparison of financial condition and results of operations. This non-GAAP combined financial condition and results of operations will be referred to throughout this MD&A as “combined” information. As a result of the application of fresh start reporting that started on March 7, 2007, the financial condition and results of operations following that date are not directly comparable to those prepared for Domtar Inc. prior to that date. The financial condition and results of operations for the period ended March 6, 2007 and the financial condition and results of operations for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 should not be viewed as a continuum since they were prepared using different bases of accounting and different accounting policies and, therefore, are not comparable.

In accordance with industry practice, in this MD&A, the term “ton” or the symbol “ST” refers to a short ton, an imperial unit of measurement equal to 0.9072 metric tons, the term “tonne” or the symbol “MT” refers to a metric ton and the term “MFBM” refers to million foot board measure. In this MD&A, unless otherwise indicated, all dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars, and the term “dollars” and the symbols “$” and “CDN$” refer to Canadian dollars. The term “U.S. dollars” and the symbol “US$” refer to United States dollars and the term “U.S.” refers to the United States.

 

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This MD&A contains forward-looking statements. See “Forward-looking statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.

Second quarter 2007 overview

For the second quarter of 2007, Domtar Inc. reported operating income from continuing operations of $28 million, compared to operating income from continuing operations of $10 million in the second quarter of 2006. Results for the second quarter of 2007 benefited from higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, resulting in part from the permanent and indefinite closures of some of Domtar Inc.’s pulp and paper mills and sawmills, higher mark-to-market gains on financial instruments and lower charges on Domtar Inc.’s softwood lumber exports. These factors were partially offset by lower shipments for paper and pulp, the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar, lower average selling prices for Domtar Inc.’s wood products, and higher maintenance costs.

In July 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that it will permanently close two paper machines, one at the Woodland paper mill and another at the Port Edwards paper mill, as well as the Gatineau paper mill and its converting center in Ottawa, expected to be effective by the end of October 2007. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees.

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of 10 sawmills in Québec and Ontario having a production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet, and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights, which represent the majority of Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights. Domtar Inc.’s remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec and its interests in several joint ventures are also included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license rights transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

On October 11, 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that Domtar Inc. received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend Domtar Inc.’s rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007,

 

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Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Quebec Superior Court to enforce its rights. Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continues to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

Domtar Corp. intends to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce its outstanding debt. At June 30, 2007, Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. accounted for the assets and liabilities of the Wood business owned by Domtar Inc. as held and used in accordance with Section 3475 of the CICA Handbook, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-lived Assets and Discontinued Operations , due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly related to obtaining government approval and financing. Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. do not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

The Acquisition Transactions

Domtar Inc. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar Corp. since March 7, 2007. Domtar Corp. was organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 16, 2006, and was, until March 7, 2007, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser.

Domtar Corp. is a holding company organized for the sole purpose of holding Weyerhaeuser’s Fine Paper Business and consummating the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. Domtar Corp. had no operations prior to March 7, 2007.

In conjunction with the Acquisition Transactions and in accordance with CICA 1625, Domtar Inc. undertook a comprehensive revaluation (or “Push Down”) of its assets and liabilities as at March 7, 2007. In accordance with CICA 1625, prior period financial information has not been restated to reflect the impact of the fair value adjustments, and accordingly, certain amounts in the prior periods are not directly comparable.

Comprehensive revaluation

Domtar Inc. applied fresh start reporting on March 7, 2007. As a result, all assets and liabilities are reported at fair values, except for future income taxes, which are reported in accordance with Section 3465 of the CICA Handbook, Income Taxes.

The fair values of the assets and liabilities have been based on Management’s best estimates at March 7, 2007. Domtar Inc. is in the process of completing Domtar Inc.’s valuation of certain assets and liabilities. Accordingly, the fair value of assets and liabilities could differ materially from the amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements. The principal significant elements for which the fair value could be modified include inventories, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets (including actual depreciation and amortization expense), goodwill and future income taxes.

Domtar Corp. has refined its preliminary purchase price allocation presented in Domtar Inc.’s first quarter financial statement, to reflect the impact of the restructuring measures announced in July 2007 and the agreement to sell substantially all of the Wood business on the fair value of

 

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the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. As a result, Domtar Inc. has revised its valuation of certain assets and liabilities as of the date of the application of push-down accounting. As such, inventory decreased by $8 million, property, plant and equipment increased by $95 million, trade and other payables increased by $22 million, other liabilities and deferred credits increased by $6 million and deferred income tax liability—non current increased by $15 million. This resulted in a $44 million decrease in goodwill.

Discontinued operations

Effective in the second quarter of 2006, as a result of the permanent closure of Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill, the financial information pertaining to Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill was no longer included in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business but presented as a discontinued operation and as assets held for sale. Accordingly, the statement of consolidated earnings and consolidated cash flows for prior periods have been restated to reflect this presentation. Effective December 29, 2006, upon the sale of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac, the financial information pertaining to Norampac is disclosed as a discontinued operation. Accordingly, the statement of consolidated earnings and consolidated cash flows for 2006 and prior periods have been restated to reflect this presentation. In accordance with GAAP, due to the fact that Domtar Inc. continues to sell certain products formerly produced at Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills, those operations remain in Domtar Inc.’s continuing operations.

Domtar Inc.’s business

Domtar Inc.’s reporting segments correspond to the following business activities: Papers (paper and pulp), Paper Merchants and Wood. For a description of these business segments, see “Business of the Company” and “Business of Domtar Inc.”

Summary of financial results

Financial highlights

 

              Three months
ended June 30
    Six months
ended June 30
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)         2007     2006     2007     2006  
   

Sales

      $   892     $   998     $1,862     $2,037  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

      28     10     43     (7 )

Loss from continuing operations

      (5 )   (22 )   (20 )   (50 )

Net loss

      (5 )   (9 )   (21 )   (33 )

Average exchange rates

   CDN$    1.098     1.122     1.135     1.138  
   US$    0.910     0.891     0.881     0.879  
   

Second quarter 2007 vs second quarter 2006 overview

Sales of $892 million

Sales in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $892 million, a decrease of $106 million or 11% from sales of $998 million in the second quarter of 2006. This decrease in sales was primarily attributable to lower shipments for paper and pulp, lower shipments for wood products, mostly resulting from the permanent or indefinite closures of sawmills, lower average selling prices for

 

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lumber, as well as the negative impact of a stronger quarter-over-quarter average value of the Canadian dollar. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for paper and pulp.

Cost of sales of $754 million

Cost of sales decreased by $122 million or 14% in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. This decrease was mainly attributable to lower production and shipments for paper and wood products, lower restructuring costs, the positive impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on Domtar Inc.’s U.S. dollar denominated expenses and the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, resulting in part from the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006 and the permanent or indefinite closures of sawmills. Other factors causing a decrease in cost of sales included lower costs for energy and lower charges on Domtar Inc.’s softwood lumber exports (cessation of the countervailing and antidumping duties collected by the U.S. in October 2006, replaced by the application of an export charge). These factors were partially offset by higher costs for purchased fiber and chemical and higher maintenance costs in the second quarter of 2007.

Selling, general and administrative expenses of $57 million

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased by $14 million or 33% in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. SG&A for the second quarter of 2007 included mark-to-market gains on financial instruments of $11 million and transaction and integration costs of $5 million. The SG&A for the second quarter of 2006 included a $7 million refund received as a result of the Ontario government’s retroactive reduction in Crown stumpage fees related to 2005 and 2006 and an unrealized mark-to-market loss of $1 million. Excluding these items, SG&A expenses increased by $14 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006, mainly due to higher overall costs.

Operating income from continuing operations of $28 million

Operating income from continuing operations in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $28 million, compared to operating income from continuing operations of $10 million for the second quarter of 2006. The $18 million improvement in operating income from continuing operations was principally attributable to the factors mentioned above.

Net loss of $5 million

Net loss amounted to $5 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to a net loss of $9 million in the second quarter of 2006. The $4 million improvement in net loss was mainly attributable to the factors mentioned above, partially offset by a decrease in earnings from discontinued operations in the second quarter of 2007.

Six months ended June 30, 2007 vs

Six months ended June 30, 2006 overview

Sales of $1,862 million

Combined sales for the first six months of 2007 amounted to $1,862 million, a decrease of $175 million or 9% from sales of $2,037 million in the first six months of 2006. This decrease in sales

 

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was primarily attributable to lower shipments for paper, mostly resulting from the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006, lower shipments for pulp, lower shipments for wood products, mostly resulting from the permanent or indefinite closures of sawmills, and lower average selling prices for lumber. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for paper and pulp.

Cost of sales of $1,556 million

Combined cost of sales decreased by $251 million or 14% in the first six months of 2007 compared to the first six months of 2006. This decrease was mainly attributable to lower production and shipments for paper and wood products, lower costs for freight and energy, the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, resulting mostly from the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006 and the permanent or indefinite closures of sawmills and lower charges on Domtar Inc.’s softwood lumber exports (cessation of the countervailing and antidumping duties collected by the U.S. in October 2006, replaced by the application of an export charge). These factors contributing to lower costs of sales between comparable periods were partially offset by higher costs for purchased fiber and chemicals in the second quarter of 2007 and investment tax credits related to research and development expenditures received in the first quarter of 2006.

Selling, general and administrative expenses of $150 million

Combined SG&A expenses increased by $54 million or 56% in the first six months of 2007 compared to the first six months of 2006. SG&A for the first six months of 2007 included transaction and integration costs of $39 million, mark-to-market gains on financial instruments of $17 million and an increase in an environmental provision of $10 million. The SG&A for the first six months of 2006 included income of $7 million for a legal settlement, a $7 million refund received in the second quarter of 2006 as a result of the Ontario government’s retroactive reduction in Crown stumpage fees related to 2005 and 2006 and an unrealized mark-to-market loss of $1 million. Excluding these items, SG&A expenses increased by $9 million in the first six months of 2007 compared to the first six months of 2006, mainly due to higher overall costs.

Operating income from continuing operations of $43 million

Combined operating income from continuing operations in the first six months of 2007 amounted to $43 million, compared to an operating loss from continuing operations of $7 million in the first six months of 2006. The $50 million improvement in operating income from continuing operations was principally attributable to the factors mentioned above.

Net loss of $21 million

Combined net loss amounted to $21 million in the first six months of 2007 compared to a net loss of $33 million in the first six months of 2006. This $12 million improvement in net loss was mainly attributable to the factors mentioned above, and a decrease in financing expense, partially offset by an increase in income tax expense and a decrease in earnings from discontinued operations in 2007.

 

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Papers

 

Selected information    Three months ended
June 30
    Six months ended
June 30
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)    2007     2006     2007     2006  
   
                 (Combined)        

Sales

        

Total sales

   $633     $693     $1,331     $1,405  

Intersegment sales to Paper Merchants

   (61 )   (68 )   (136 )   (151 )
      
   572     625     1,195     1,254  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

   49     17     108     (1 )

Shipments

        

Paper (in thousands of ST)

   508     572     1,042     1,205  

Market pulp (in thousands of ADMT)

   140     154     283     289  
   

Sales and operating income from continuing operations

Sales

Sales in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business amounted to $572 million in the second quarter of 2007, a decrease of $53 million or 8% from sales of $625 million in the second quarter of 2006. This decrease in sales was mainly attributable to lower shipments for paper and pulp, as well as the negative impact of a stronger quarter-over-quarter value of the Canadian dollar. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for paper and pulp. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2007, combined sales in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business decreased by $59 million or 5% compared to the six month period ended June 30, 2006 for the same reasons as noted above.

Operating income

Operating income from continuing operations in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business totaled $49 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to operating income from continuing operations of $17 million in the second quarter of 2006. The $32 million improvement in operating income from continuing operations is largely the result of higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, lower restructuring costs, mark-to-market gains on financial instruments and the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, mostly due to the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective in the first quarter of 2006. These factors were partially offset by lower shipments for paper and pulp, the negative impact of a stronger quarter-over-quarter average value of the Canadian dollar, higher costs for purchased fiber and chemicals and higher costs for maintenance. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2007, combined operating income from continuing operations totaled $108 million in 2007 compared to an operating loss from continuing operations of $1 million for the six-month period ended June 30, 2006. The $109 million improvement in operating income from continuing operations was due to higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, mostly related to the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective in the first quarter of 2006. These factors were partially offset by lower shipments for paper and pulp and higher costs for purchased fiber and chemicals in the second quarter of 2007, as well as income of $7 million from a legal settlement and a $7 million investment tax credit related to research and development expenses, both recorded in the first quarter of 2006.

 

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Pricing environment

In Domtar Inc.’s Papers business, average transaction prices, denominated in U.S. dollars, increased in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. Within Domtar Inc.’s Canadian operations, although the rise of the Canadian dollar negatively impacted Canadian dollar denominated prices, which are derived from U.S. dollar denominated prices, Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices denominated in Canadian dollars increased in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006, with the exception of offset grades.

Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices, denominated in U.S. dollars, for its basket of copy and offset grades, increased on average by approximately 9% in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. Within this basket, Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices for copy 20 lb. sheets and offset 50 lb. rolls, which represented approximately 36% of Domtar Inc.’s paper sales in the second quarter of 2007, were higher on average by US$95/ton and US$1/ton, respectively, in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. A US$60/ton price increase for cut-size announced in the first quarter of 2007 was implemented in the second quarter of 2007.

Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices for Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp increased by US$106/tonne and Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices for Northern Bleached Hardwood Kraft (NBHK) pulp increased by US$31/tonne in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. A US$20/tonne price increase was implemented on softwood pulp in April 2007 and on Domtar Inc.’s hardwood pulp in June 2007. A subsequent $20/tonne price increase has been announced for both softwood and hardwood effective in July and August 2007, respectively.

Operations

Shipments

Domtar Inc.’s paper shipments decreased by 64,000 tons in the second quarter of 2007 when compared to the second quarter of 2006. This decrease is mainly due to the lower demand, resulting in higher lack-of-order downtime in the second quarter of 2007, and the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006.

Domtar Inc.’s pulp trade shipments (the amount of pulp shipments in excess of Domtar Inc.’s internal requirements) decreased by 14,000 tonnes in the second quarter of 2007 when compared to the second quarter of 2006.

Labor

A collective agreement expired in April 2004 for Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill (affecting approximately 350 employees). Negotiations have ceased and the mill has been closed for an indefinite period since November 2005.

Restructuring

In July 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that it will permanently close two paper machines, one at Domtar Inc.’s Woodland paper mill and another at Domtar Inc.’s Port Edwards paper mill, as well as Domtar Inc.’s Gatineau paper mill and its converting center in Ottawa, expected to be effective by the end of October 2007. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees.

 

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In November 2005, Domtar Inc. announced the permanent shut down of its Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills, which became effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006. As a result, the book value of these mills was reduced to their net recoverable value. Domtar Inc. also announced its intention to seek a buyer for its Vancouver paper mill, which was permanently closed as at the end of the second quarter of 2006. Preceding the sale, Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill was presented as assets held for sale. On May 9, 2007, Domtar Inc. concluded the sale of the Vancouver property for total proceeds of $23 million. In September 2006, Domtar Inc. sold its facility and land in Cornwall, for proceeds of $4 million and a corresponding gain of $1 million ($1 million net of income taxes). These closures resulted in a reduction of Domtar Inc.’s production capacity of 145,000 tonnes of pulp and 450,000 tons of paper per annum and impacted approximately 1,380 positions.

Other

In November 2005, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite shut down of its Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill due to unfavorable economic conditions. Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill is still indefinitely idled due to factors such as high wood fiber, energy and transportation costs, a strong Canadian dollar and uncompetitive labor costs.

Paper Merchants

 

Selected information    Three months ended
June 30
   Six months ended
June 30
(In millions of Canadian dollars)    2007    2006    2007    2006
 
               (Combined)     

Sales

   249    256    520    533

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

   3    3    9    7
 

Sales and operating income from continuing operations

Sales

Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business generated sales of $249 million in the second quarter of 2007, a decrease of $7 million or 3% in comparison to the second quarter of 2006. This decrease was mainly attributable to lower shipments and the negative impact of a stronger quarter-over-quarter average value of the Canadian dollar, partially offset by higher average selling prices. On a year-to-date basis, combined sales amounted to $520 million in 2007, reflecting a $13 million or 2% decrease compared to sales of $533 million in 2006. This decrease was attributable to the factors explained above.

Operating income

Operating income from continuing operations amounted to $3 million in the second quarter of 2007, unchanged from the operating income of $3 million recorded in the second quarter of 2006. Combined operating income from continuing operations amounted to $9 million in the first half of 2007 compared to $7 million in the first half of 2006. This $2 million increase is largely due to the impact of a bad debt expense incurred in the first quarter of 2006, partially offset by lower shipments in 2007.

 

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Wood

 

Selected information    Three months ended
June 30
    Six months ended
June 30
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)    2007     2006     2007     2006  
   
                 (Combined)        

Sales

        

Lumber sales

   $  70     $115     $136     $231  

Wood chips and other sales

   13     15     31     47  
      

Sub-total

   83     130     167     278  

Intersegment sales

   (12 )   (13 )   (20 )   (28 )
      
   71     117     147     250  

Operating loss from continuing operations

   (19 )   (10 )   (32 )   (15 )

Shipments (millions of FBM)

   191     270     367     526  
   

Sales and operating loss from continuing operations

Sales

Sales in the Wood business amounted to $71 million in the second quarter of 2007, a decrease of $46 million or 39% compared to sales of $117 million in the second quarter of 2006. This decrease was largely attributable to lower shipments, which is the result of the indefinite shut down of three sawmills (two in Abitibi, Québec, and one in Ontario) at the end of 2006 and the closure of Domtar Inc.’s Grand Remous and Malartic sawmills in June of 2006, lower selling prices for wood products and the negative impact of a stronger quarter-over-quarter average value of the Canadian dollar. On a year-to-date basis, combined sales in the Wood business amounted to $147 million in 2007 compared to $250 million in 2006. The $103 million decrease in sales was attributable to the same factors mentioned above.

Operating loss

Operating loss from continuing operations in the Wood business totaled $19 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to an operating loss from continuing operations of $10 million in the second quarter of 2006. The $9 million increase in operating loss from continuing operations was mainly attributable to lower average selling prices, a $7 million refund received in the second quarter of 2006 as a result of the Ontario government’s retroactive reduction in Crown stumpage fees related to 2005 and 2006, the negative impact of a stronger quarter-over-quarter average value of the Canadian dollar, and lower shipments for lumber and chips mostly resulting from permanent or indefinite closures of sawmills. These factors were partially offset by lower production and energy costs, mostly resulting from the permanent or indefinite closures of sawmills in 2006, lower charges on Domtar Inc.’s softwood lumber exports (cessation of the countervailing and antidumping duties collected by the U.S. in October 2006, replaced by the application of an export charge) and the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities. On a year-to-date basis, combined operating loss in the Wood business amounted to $32 million in 2007, an increase of $17 million over an operating loss from continuing operations of $15 million in 2006 for the same reasons as noted above.

 

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Pricing environment

Domtar Inc.’s average transaction price for Great Lakes 2x4 stud decreased by US$44/MFBM and Domtar Inc.’s average transaction price for Great Lakes 2x4 random length decreased by US$62/MFBM in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006.

Operations

Shipments

Domtar Inc.’s lumber shipments decreased by 79 million board feet of lumber in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006 as a result of sawmills that are indefinitely closed as well as the slowdown in the U.S. housing market.

Labor

In May 2007, a five year agreement was ratified with the union at Domtar Inc.’s Val d’Or sawmill (affecting approximately 88 employees).

Negotiations for a new collective agreement for Domtar Inc.’s Sullivan remanufacturing facility have ceased (affecting approximately 60 employees) and effective during the second quarter of 2007, the sawmill is a non-unionized facility.

A collective agreement expired in June 2007 for Domtar Inc.’s Sainte-Marie sawmill and planer. Negotiations for the renewal of this collective agreement began in August 2007.

A collective agreement expired in August 2005 for Domtar Inc.’s Nairn Center sawmill. Negotiations have been suspended as the mill is shutdown for an indefinite period of time.

Other

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex Inc. for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of the Ear Falls, Nairn Centre, Timmins and White River sawmills in Ontario and the Grand-Remous, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Malartic, Matagami, Ste-Marie and Val d’Or sawmills in Québec, as well as the remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec. The sawmills have a production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights, which represent the majority of Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights. Its interests in the joint ventures of Elk Lake Planing Mill Limited, Gogama Forests Products Inc., Nabakatuk Forest Products Inc., Olav Haavalsrud Timber Company Limited and Anthony-Domtar Inc. are also included in the transaction. Domtar Corp.’s sawmills in Saskatchewan are not included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has also agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license rights transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

 

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On October 11, 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that Domtar Inc. received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend Domtar Inc.’s rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Québec Superior Court to enforce its rights. The Company and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continues to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

Domtar Corp. intends to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce its outstanding debt.

In January 2007, due to the difficult market conditions that have prevailed in the wood sector in recent months, including the slowdown in the U.S. housing market and the new softwood lumber agreement, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite closure of its White River sawmill which became effective by the end of the second quarter of 2007. The closure impacted approximately 140 permanent positions and reduced Domtar Inc.’s production capacity by 110 million board feet of lumber.

In November 2005, the decision to temporarily shut down Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill due to unfavorable economic conditions, caused Domtar Inc. to indefinitely idle its adjacent sawmill. Additionally, in October 2006, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite closures of three other sawmills (two in Abitibi, Québec, and one in Ontario). The closures, which occurred in October 2006, are primarily due to the pressure of higher timber costs and lower selling prices and demand for both lumber and wood chips. These closures impacted approximately 360 permanent positions and reduced production capacity by approximately 400 million board feet of lumber. As of June 30, 2007, with the exception of Domtar Inc.’s Val d’Or sawmill, which restarted in June 2007, these sawmills are still indefinitely closed.

In November 2005, due to reduced softwood fiber allocations, which have increased fiber costs in Québec, Domtar Inc. announced the closures of its Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills, which became effective in the second quarter of 2006. As a result, the book value of these sawmills was reduced to their net recoverable value. These closures impacted approximately 200 permanent positions and reduced production capacity by approximately 160 million board feet of lumber.

Fiber supply

The Province of Québec adopted legislation, effective April 1, 2005, that reduced allowable wood-harvesting volumes by an average of 20% on public lands and 25% on territories covered by an agreement between the Government of Québec and Cree First Nations. As a result, the

 

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amount of fiber Domtar Inc. was permitted to harvest annually, under Domtar Inc.’s licenses from the Québec government, was reduced by approximately 500,000 cubic meters to approximately 2.0 million cubic meters, reflecting a 21% reduction. The Chief Forester of Québec has proposed a further reduction of 60,000 cubic meters, or 3%, in the total softwood annual allowable cut of forests managed by Domtar Inc. This would significantly affect the supply of fiber for Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills and market pulp operations. Also, the reduction in harvest volume has a corresponding increase in the unit cost of wood delivered to the sawmills. As a result of the closure in November 2005 of Domtar Inc.’s pulp mill at Lebel-sur-Quévillon due to unfavorable economic conditions and no alternative markets for chips produced by Domtar Inc.’s sawmills, as well as the reduced allowable wood harvesting volume, Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills, including Val d’Or, Matagami and Lebel-sur-Quévillon, were closed for an indefinite period of time. In June 2007, Domtar Inc. restarted its Val d’Or sawmill, which has an annual capacity of approximately 120 million board feet.

Financing expenses and income taxes

Financing expenses

In the second quarter of 2007, financing expenses amounted to $24 million compared to $40 million in the second quarter of 2006. The $16 million decrease in financing expenses was largely due to lower borrowings, the positive impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on Domtar Inc.’s U.S. dollar interest expense and to interest earned on Domtar Inc.’s long-term advances to related parties. On a year-to-date basis, Domtar Inc.’s financing expense amounted to $52 million in 2007 compared to $75 million in 2006. This $23 million decrease in financing expenses is largely due to the same reason explained above and lower utilization of Domtar Inc.’s securitization program during the first quarter of 2007.

Income taxes

In the second quarter of 2007, Domtar Inc.’s income tax expense was $9 million compared to an income tax recovery of $8 million in the second quarter of 2006. On a year-to-date basis, Domtar Inc.’s income tax expense amounted to $11 million in 2007 compared to a recovery of $32 million in 2006. During the second quarter of 2007, the Company presumed that the undistributed earnings of its U.S. subsidiaries will be distributed to its parent company. As such, the Company has recorded an amount of $4 million for U.S. withholding taxes payable on future distributions from the U.S. subsidiaries to the Canadian parent company. Domtar Inc.’s 2007 income tax expense and effective tax rate are impacted by the mix and level of earnings subject to different tax jurisdictions and the differences in tax rates applicable to Domtar Inc.’s foreign subsidiaries. The change in the Canadian federal income tax rate became enacted in the second quarter of 2007, but did not have a significant impact on the income tax expense.

Liquidity and capital resources

Domtar Inc.’s principal cash requirements are for working capital, capital expenditures, as well as principal and interest payments on Domtar Inc.’s debt. Domtar Inc. expects to fund its liquidity needs primarily with internally generated funds from its operations and, to the extent necessary, through borrowings under its revolving credit facility. Domtar Inc. also has the ability to fund liquidity requirements through new financings, subject to satisfactory market conditions and credit ratings.

 

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Operating activities

Cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations totaled $39 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations of $46 million in the second quarter of 2006. This $7 million decrease in cash flows generated from continuing operations mainly reflects an increase in requirements for working capital, primarily due to inventory fluctuations. Domtar Inc.’s operating cash flow requirements are primarily for salaries and benefits, the purchase of wood fiber, energy and raw materials and other expenses such as property taxes. On a year-to-date basis, combined cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations totaled $125 million in 2007 compared to $25 million in 2006. This $100 million increase in cash flows generated from continuing operations mainly reflects a decrease in requirements for working capital and an increase in profitability.

Investing activities

Cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations totaled $20 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations of $26 million in the second quarter of 2006. The $6 million decrease in cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations was mainly attributable to a decrease in long-term advances to related parties of $6 million. On a year-to-date basis, combined cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations totaled $700 million in 2007 compared to cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations of $46 million. The $654 million increase in cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations was mainly attributable to an increase in long-term advances to related parties of $653 million. Capital expenditures required to maintain existing operations are approximately $90 million annually.

Financing activities

In the second quarter of 2007, cash flows used for financing activities of continuing operations amounted to $32 million compared to $18 million in the second quarter of 2006. This $14 million increase in cash flows used for financing activities of continuing operations is largely attributable to payments made under Domtar Inc.’s old revolving credit facility during the second quarter of 2006, partially offset by a decrease in bank indebtedness of $29 million during the second quarter of 2007. On a year-to-date basis, combined cash flows used for financing activities of continuing operations totaled $28 million in 2007 compared to cash flows provided from financing activities of continuing operations of $41 million in 2006. This $69 million decrease in cash flows provided from financing activities of continuing operations is largely attributable to higher net borrowings under Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit facility in 2006.

Capital resources

Net indebtedness was $1,785 million as at June 30, 2007 compared to $1,304 million as at December 31, 2006. The $481 million increase in net indebtedness was largely due to a decrease in cash and cash equivalents resulting from long-term advances to related parties, which as at June 30, 2007 amounted to $653 million, partially offset by lower borrowings under Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit facility.

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Inc., Domtar Corp. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC entered into a new Credit Agreement, dated March 7, 2007, which consisted of a

 

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seven-year senior secured Term loan B facility of US$800 million and a five year US$750 million secured revolving credit facility. During the second quarter of 2007, the Term Loan B facility was reduced to $720 million mainly as a result of optional repayments by Domtar Corp. This new facility replaced the prior facility of Domtar Inc., which consisted of a US$600 million unsecured revolving credit facility. The revolving credit facility may be used for working capital needs and for general corporate purposes, and a portion will be available for letters of credit and swingline loans to Domtar Inc. and Domtar Corp. Borrowings by Domtar Inc. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC under the revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars and borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars and/or Canadian dollars and be limited to US$150 million (or the Canadian equivalent thereof).

Amounts drawn under the revolving credit facility by Domtar Inc. in U.S. dollars bear annual interest at either a eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%, or a U.S. base rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Amounts drawn under the revolving credit facility by Domtar Inc. in Canadian dollars bear annual interest at the Canadian prime rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Domtar Inc. may also issue bankers’ acceptances denominated in Canadian dollars which are discounted at bankers’ acceptance rates in Canada and are subject to an acceptance fee, payable on the date of acceptance, which is calculated at a rate per annum equal to 1.25% to 2.25%. The interest rate margins and the acceptance fee are subject to adjustments based on Domtar Corp.’s consolidated leverage ratio.

The Credit Agreement contains a number of covenants that, among other things, limit the ability of Domtar Corp. and the ability of its subsidiaries to make capital expenditures and place restrictions on other matters customarily restricted in senior secured credit facilities, including restrictions on indebtedness (including guarantee obligations); liens (including sale and leasebacks), fundamental changes, sales or disposition of property or assets, investments (including loans, advances, guarantees and acquisitions), transactions with affiliates, hedge agreements, dividends and other payments in respect of capital stock, changes in fiscal periods, environmental activity, optional payments and modifications of other material debt instruments, negative pledges and agreements restricting subsidiary distributions, changes in lines of business and the proposed amendments to the transaction documents to the extent that any such amendment would be materially adverse to the interests of the lenders. For so long as the revolving credit commitments are outstanding, Domtar Corp. is required to comply with a consolidated EBITDA to interest coverage ratio of greater than 2.5x and a consolidated debt to consolidated EBITDA ratio of less than 4.75x, decreasing to 4.50x on December 31, 2008, in each case, as defined in the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement contains customary events of default, provided that non-compliance with the consolidated cash interest coverage ratio or consolidated leverage ratio will not constitute an event of default under the Term Loan B facility unless it has not been waived or amended by the revolving credit lenders within a period of 45 days after notice. The Term Loan B has restrictions on the amount of new debt that may be borrowed subject to certain exceptions and the Credit Agreement contains customary events of default.

Domtar Corp. and its subsidiaries serve as guarantors of the senior secured credit facilities for any obligations thereunder of Domtar Inc., subject to agreed exceptions.

The obligations of Domtar Inc. in respect of the senior secured credit facilities are secured by all of the equity interests of Domtar Corp.’s subsidiaries, other than the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc. and 65% of the equity interests of Domtar Corp.’s direct and indirect first-tier foreign subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and a perfected first priority security interest in substantially all of Domtar Corp.’s and its direct and indirect U.S. subsidiaries’ tangible and

 

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intangible assets (other than the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc.). Domtar Inc.’s obligations are secured by all of the equity interests of Domtar Corp.’s direct and indirect subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions and perfected first priority security interest, lien and hypothec in the inventory of Domtar Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, other than its U.S. subsidiaries.

As at June 30, 2007, Domtar Inc. had no letters of credit outstanding and no amounts drawn in the form of a bank overdraft under the revolving credit facility, resulting in US$150 million ($160 million) of availability for Domtar Inc. for future drawings under this facility. In addition, as at June 30, 2007, a separate letter of credit of $2 million was outstanding. Domtar Corp. had US$701 million of availability under this facility, after taking into account US$49 million ($52 million) of outstanding letters of credit. As at December 31, 2006, under the previous credit facility, there were no drawings under the credit facility, US$16 million ($18 million) of letters of credit outstanding and no amounts drawn in the form of bank overdraft and included in “Bank indebtedness.”

The indentures related to the 10% and 10.85% debentures limit the amount of dividends that may be paid and the amount of shares that may be repurchased for cancellation. These indentures also require that no new long-term debt be incurred, unless total long-term debt is less than 50% of consolidated net tangible assets, but do not restrict the incurrence of new long term debt related to the purchase of property or the replacement of existing long-term debt or the issuance of short-term debt. All Domtar Inc.’s borrowing agreements contain restrictions on the amount of secured borrowings Domtar Inc. can incur with other lenders.

Credit ratings

Domtar Inc. is a co-borrower in respect to a revolving credit (for up to US$150 million, guaranteed by Domtar Corp.) under its parent Domtar Corp.’s US$1,550 million secured revolving credit and term loan facility as well as the obligor under six unsecured issues of notes and debentures. The ratings listed below represent a risk assessment of these obligations.

 

Rating agency    Security    Rating
 
Moody’s Investors Services    Secured Credit Facility of Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc.    Ba1
   Unsecured debt obligations of Domtar Inc.    B2
Standard & Poor’s    Secured Credit Facility of Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc.    BB+
   Unsecured debt obligations of Domtar Inc.    B+
Dominion Bond Rating Service    Secured Credit Facility of Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc.    BBB (low)
   Unsecured debt obligations of Domtar Inc.    BB (low)
   Preferred shares of Domtar Inc.    Pfd-5 (high)
 

The ratings by Moody’s Investors Services (Moody’s) are the fifth and sixth best ratings in terms of quality within nine rating gradations, with the numerical modifier 1 indicating a ranking at the top end of a rating category and the numerical modifier 2 indicating a ranking in the middle of a rating category. According to Moody’s, a rating of Ba has speculative elements and a rating of B is considered speculative. The ratings by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) are the fifth and sixth best ratings in terms of quality within ten rating gradations, with the “plus” indicating a ranking at the higher end of this category. According to S&P, ratings of BB and B have significant

 

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speculative characteristics. The debt ratings by Dominion Bond Ratings (DBRS) are the fourth and fifth best ratings in terms of quality within ten rating gradations, with the “low” indicating a ranking in the lower end of a rating category. According to DBRS, a rating of BBB has adequate credit quality and a rating of BB is speculative and non-investment grade.

All the agencies have a “stable” outlook in respect to these ratings. Any reductions in Domtar Inc.’s credit ratings would have a negative impact on Domtar Inc.’s access to and cost of capital and financial flexibility. The above ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the above rating agencies.

Common shares

Since March 7, 2007, the closing date of the Acquisition Transactions, all of Domtar Inc.’s issued and outstanding common shares are held indirectly by Domtar Corp.

As at June 30, 2007, Domtar Inc. had 231,709,007 common shares, 67,476 Series A Preferred Shares and 1,063,800 Series B Preferred Shares issued and outstanding.

Options granted under the Executive Stock Option Plan, whether vested or unvested, were exchanged on the same terms and conditions for an option to purchase a number of shares of common stock of Domtar Corp. equal to the number of Domtar Inc. common shares or of equivalent value determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, depending if the exercise price was higher, equal or less than the market value at the time of the exchange.

The Employee Share Purchase Plans were terminated in February 2007.

Off balance sheet arrangements

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. finances certain of its activities off balance sheet through leases and securitizations. The description of these arrangements and their impact on Domtar Inc.’s results of operations and financial position for the year ended December 31, 2006 can be found elsewhere in this MD&A. Off balance sheet arrangements have not changed materially since December 31, 2006. As at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, the value of securitized receivables amounted to $138 million (US$130 million) and $23 million (US$20 million), respectively.

Related party transactions

In conjunction with the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, a Canadian subsidiary of Domtar Inc. advanced $589 million (including US$500 million) to a Canadian subsidiary of Domtar Corp. and a U.S. subsidiary of Domtar Inc. advanced $64 million (US$60 million) to a U.S. subsidiary of Domtar Corp. to pay down indebtedness incurred in the Acquisition Transactions. The Canadian advance is for five years, bears interest at a variable rate based on the Canadian prime rate and is repayable at any time. The U.S. advance is for five years, bears interest at a variable rate based on the U.S. prime rate and is repayable at any time.

Domtar Corp.’s Canadian and U.S. subsidiaries have advanced certain funds to Domtar Inc.’s Canadian and U.S. subsidiaries in the normal course of business to finance its short-term liquidity needs. Ris Paper Company, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar Inc., purchases paper from Domtar Corp. under the same commercial terms as any other merchant who purchases paper from Domtar Corp.

 

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Domtar Corp. exchanges fees with Domtar Inc. for management fees related to services rendered such as finance, legal, human resources, etc. The management fee is charged at cost or at cost plus, depending on the nature of the service rendered. The management fee for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 was not significant.

Guarantees

Domtar Inc. has provided certain guarantees with regards to its pension plans, its E.B. Eddy acquisition, its indemnifications related to the sale of its businesses and real estate, its debt agreements and its leases. Except as described below, the description of these guarantees and their impact on Domtar Inc.’s results of operations and financial position for the year ended December 31, 2006 can be found elsewhere in this MD&A and have not changed materially since December 31, 2006 except for the following:

E.B. Eddy acquisition

On July 31, 1998, Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc. (E.B. Eddy), an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of Domtar Inc. in specified circumstances, Domtar Inc. may have had to pay up to a maximum of $120 million, an amount which is gradually declining over a 25-year period. As at March 7, 2007, the closing date of the Acquisition Transactions, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was $110 million. No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment. On March 14, 2007, Domtar Inc. received a letter from George Weston Limited (the previous owner of E.B. Eddy and a party to the purchase agreement) demanding payment of $110 million as a result of the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions. On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited against Domtar Inc. in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada, claiming that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered the purchase price adjustment and seeking a purchase price adjustment of $110 million as well as additional compensatory damages. Neither the Company nor Domtar Inc. believes that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggers an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and Domtar Inc. intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar Inc. may not be successful in its defense of such claims, and if Domtar Inc. is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on Domtar Corp.’s and Domtar Inc.’s liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Contractual obligations and commercial commitments

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. enters into certain contractual obligations and commercial commitments, such as debentures and notes, operating leases, letters of credit and others. The summary of Domtar Inc.’s obligations and commitments as at December 31, 2006 can be found elsewhere in this MD&A and have not materially changed since December 31, 2006.

For the foreseeable future, Domtar Inc. expects cash flows from operations and from various sources of financing to be sufficient to meet Domtar Inc.’s contractual obligations and commercial commitments.

 

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Selected quarterly financial information

Selected quarterly financial information for the eight most recently completed quarters ending June 30, 2007 is disclosed below.

Selected quarterly financial information

 

(In millions of
Canadian
dollars, unless
otherwise
        2005           2006         2007  
noted)   1 st   2 nd   3 rd     4 th     Year         1 st     2 nd     3 rd   4 th   Year       1 st     2 nd  
             
                                                                  (Combined)        

Sales

    $1,078   $1,097   $1,082     $    990     $4,247         $1,039     $    998     $1,013   $    939   $3,989       $    970     $    892  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

    25   26   (34 )   (366 )   (349 )       (17 )   10     66   178   237       15     28  

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

    5     (44 )   (271 )   (310 )       (28 )   (22 )   22   91   63       (15 )   (5 )

Net earnings (loss)

    10   2   (52 )   (348 )   (388 )       (24 )   (9 )   38   323   328       (16 )   (5 )

Average exchange rates

  CDN$   1.227   1.244   1.202     1.173     1.211         1.155     1.122     1.121   1.139   1.134       1.172     1.098  
  US$   0.815   0.804   0.832     0.852     0.826         0.866     0.891     0.892   0.878   0.882       0.854     0.910  
   

The first quarter of 2006 reflected an improvement in all of Domtar Inc.’s businesses over the fourth quarter of 2005. Domtar Inc.’s results from continuing operations benefited from higher average selling prices for the majority of Domtar Inc.’s products and higher shipments for paper. Nonetheless, Domtar Inc.’s results from continuing operations continued to be negatively affected by the strengthening of the Canadian dollar and high costs, especially for freight and energy. In light of this difficult context, Domtar Inc. continued to carry out its announced closure and restructuring initiatives, with the definite closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006. Results from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2006 continued to improve for the majority of Domtar Inc.’s businesses when compared to the first quarter of 2006. Although Domtar Inc.’s earnings from continuing operations were negatively impacted by lower shipments for pulp and paper, lower average selling prices for lumber and the continued strengthening of the Canadian dollar, Domtar Inc. benefited from higher average selling prices for pulp and paper, and the realization of savings stemming from its restructuring initiatives. As of September 30, 2006, Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall pulp and paper mill, Ottawa paper mill, Vancouver paper mill and Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills were shut down. Results from continuing operations for the third quarter of 2006 reflected an improvement in all of Domtar Inc.’s businesses over the second quarter, except for Wood. Domtar Inc.’s results from continuing operations benefited from higher average selling prices for the majority of Domtar Inc.’s products, except for lumber, higher shipments for pulp and higher investment tax credits related to research and development expenditures from prior years. In July 2006, Domtar Inc. settled a sales contract dispute, resulting in a payment to it of $14 million. Overall lower costs, partially resulting from the realization of savings stemming from restructuring initiatives throughout Domtar Inc.’s business segments further improved results in the third quarter of 2006. Results from continuing operations for the fourth quarter of 2006 reflected an improvement over the preceding quarter, due to the receipt of a $178 million refund plus interest of $22 million relating to lumber duties (net of special charge of $36 million), the gain on the sale

 

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of timberlands that amounted to $10 million ($6 million net of taxes), higher selling prices for pulp and paper and lower freight and energy costs. These were partially offset by lower shipments for all of Domtar Inc.’s major products, lower average selling prices for lumber, higher costs for purchased wood fiber and chemicals, offset by the weakening of the Canadian dollar. The wood sector continued to face difficult industry conditions including higher timber costs and lower demand for both lumber and wood chips. In addition, in the fourth quarter of 2006, Domtar Inc. sold its 50% interest in Norampac for a total cash consideration of $560 million, resulting in a gain of $237 million (net of applicable taxes) which is classified, as per GAAP, as discontinued operations.

The first quarter of 2007 included the impact of fresh start reporting (mostly related to amortization and pension costs that impacted periods after March 7, 2007) and costs of $34 million incurred relating to the Acquisition Transactions, while the fourth quarter of 2006 included the refund of softwood lumber duties of $164 million, costs of $25 million incurred relating to the Acquisition Transactions, a gain of $10 million realized on the sale of a parcel of timberlands and a charge of $5 million related to write downs of investments in the Wood business. When excluding these items, Domtar Inc.’s combined results for the Paper and Paper Merchants businesses slightly improved in the first quarter of 2007 compared to the results of Domtar Inc.’s fourth quarter of 2006 while the combined results of the Wood business deteriorated mostly due to the continuing difficult conditions prevailing in the wood sector. Domtar Inc.’s combined results from continuing operations in the first quarter of 2007 benefited from higher shipments of paper and wood products and slightly higher average selling prices for some of Domtar Inc.’s products. These factors were offset by an increase in Domtar Inc.’s environmental provision of $10 million as well as higher overall costs for freight, chemicals, energy and purchased fiber. Results for the second quarter of 2007 reflected a deterioration in all of Domtar Inc.’s businesses over the first quarter of 2007. The factors contributing to the deterioration of operating income from continuing operations include the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar, lower shipments for pulp and paper, lower average selling prices for Domtar Inc.’s wood products and higher maintenance costs. These factors were partially offset by lower manufacturing costs, higher average selling prices for paper and higher mark-to-market gains on financial instruments. During the second quarter of 2007, Domtar Corp. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, with the exception of its sawmills in Saskatchewan and some forestlands. The sale is expected to close prior to December 31, 2007, pending governmental approval for the forest license transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. In addition, in July 2007 Domtar Corp. announced that it will permanently close two paper machines as well as its Gatineau paper mill and its converting center in Ottawa, expected to be effective by the end of October 2007.

Accounting change

Accounting changes

In July, 2006, the Accounting Standards Board (“AcSB”) issued a replacement of Handbook Section 1506 “ Accounting Changes.” The new standard, effective January 1, 2007, allows for voluntary changes in accounting policy only when they result in the financial statements providing reliable and more relevant information and requires changes in accounting policy to be applied retrospectively unless doing so is impracticable. The initial adoption of this section had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements under Canadian GAAP.

 

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Financial instruments

In April 2005, the CICA issued three new Handbook Sections in relation with financial instruments: Section 3855 “Financial Instruments—Recognition and Measurement,” Section 3865 “Hedges” and Section 1530 “Comprehensive Income.” Domtar Inc. adopted the provisions of these sections on January 1, 2007.

Financial instruments—recognition and measurement

Section 3855 expands on Handbook Section 3860 “Financial Instruments—Disclosure and Presentation,” by prescribing when a financial instrument is to be recognized on the balance sheet and at what amount. It also specifies how financial instrument gains and losses are to be presented. Under this new statement:

 

 

All financial assets and liabilities are carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, except loans and receivables, investments held-to-maturity and non-trading financial liabilities, which are carried at amortized cost. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on trading financial assets and liabilities are recognized immediately in the consolidated statement of income while unrealized gains and losses on financial assets that are available for sale are recognized in other comprehensive income until their realization, after which these amounts are recognized in the consolidated statement of income.

 

 

All derivatives financial instruments are carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, including those derivatives that are embedded in other contracts but are not closely related to the host contract.

Hedges

Section 3865 provides alternative accounting treatments to those found in Section 3855 for entities who choose to designate qualifying transactions as hedges for accounting purposes. It replaces and expands on AcG-13 “Hedging Relationships,” and the hedging guidance in Section 1650 “Foreign Currency Translation” by specifying how hedge accounting is applied and what disclosures are necessary when it is applied. Under this new statement:

 

 

In a fair value hedge, hedging activities are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of income. The changes in the fair value of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk is also recorded in consolidated income by way of a corresponding adjustment of the carrying amount of the hedged items recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

 

 

In a cash flow hedge, the changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments is recorded in other comprehensive income. These amounts are reclassified in the consolidated statement of income in the periods in which results are affected by the cash flows of the hedged item.

 

 

Hedges of net investments in self-sustaining foreign operations are treated in a manner similar to cash flow hedges.

 

 

Any hedge ineffectiveness is recorded in the consolidated statement of income.

Comprehensive income

Section 1530 introduced a new requirement to present certain revenues, expenses, gains and losses, that otherwise would not be immediately recorded in income, in a comprehensive income

 

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statement with the same prominence as other statements that constitute a complete set of financial statements.

On January 1, 2007, the initial adoption of this standard resulted in a decrease in other assets of $26 million, an increase in future income tax assets of $2 million, a decrease in other long-term liabilities and deferred credits of $5 million, a decrease in long-term debt of $14 million and an accumulated other comprehensive loss of $5 million.

Uncertainty in income taxes

In June 2006, FASB issued Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109 (FIN 48).” This interpretation, which the Company adopted on January 1, 2007, clarifies the accounting for uncertain tax positions recognized in a company’s financial statements in accordance with Statement 109. FIN 48 prescribes a more likely than not recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification of a liability for unrecognized tax benefits, accounting for interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, and expanded income tax disclosures. Domtar Inc. adopted this Interpretation in conjunction with the fresh start reporting and the adoption of the accounting policies of Domtar Corp. (other than LIFO). Domtar Inc. considers FIN 48 is an appropriate source of Canadian GAAP under Section 1100, “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.” FIN 48 was adopted effective January 1, 2007. The initial adoption of this Interpretation had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Impact of accounting pronouncements not yet implemented

Inventories

In March 2007, the Accounting Standards Board (“AcSB”) approved Handbook Section 3031 “Inventories.” The standard provides guidance on the determination of cost and its subsequent recognition as an expense, including any write-down to net realizable value. The standard also permits the reversal of previous write-downs when there is a subsequent increase in the value of inventories. Finally, the standard provides guidance on the cost formulas that are used to assign costs to inventories and requires the consistent use of inventory policies by type of inventory with similar nature and use. The standard is effective for interim and annual financial statements relating to fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2008, with earlier adoption encouraged. An entity may either apply this standard to the opening inventory for the period and adjust opening retained earnings by the difference in the measurement of opening inventory and prior periods are not restated; or an entity may apply this standard retrospectively and restate prior periods in accordance with Handbook Section 1506 “Accounting Changes.” Domtar Inc. does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Critical accounting policies

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect Domtar Inc.’s results of operations and financial position. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to environmental

 

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matters and other asset retirement obligations, useful lives, impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill, pension and other employee future benefit plans, income taxes and closure and restructuring costs based upon currently available information. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

These critical accounting policies reflect matters that contain a significant level of management estimates about future events, reflect the most complex and subjective judgments, and are subject to a fair degree of measurement uncertainty.

The discussion on the methodology and assumptions underlying these critical accounting estimates, their effect on Domtar Inc.’s results of operations and financial position for the year ended December 31, 2006, as well as the effect of changes to these estimates can be found elsewhere in this MD&A and have not materially changed since December 31, 2006, except for the following.

Fair value adjustments and fresh start reporting

Domtar Inc. applied fresh start reporting on March 7, 2007. As a result, all Domtar Inc.’s assets and liabilities have been reported at fair values, except for future income taxes, which are reported in accordance with the requirements of CICA Handbook Section 3465, Income Taxes.

The fair values of Domtar Inc.’s assets and liabilities have been based on Management’s best estimates at March 7, 2007. Domtar Inc. is in the process of completing the valuation of certain assets and liabilities. Accordingly, the fair value of assets and liabilities could differ materially from the amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements. The principal significant elements for which the fair value could be modified include inventories, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets (including actual depreciation and amortization expense), goodwill and future income taxes.

As a result of the application of fresh start reporting, Domtar Inc.’s financial statements beginning with the financial statements for the first quarter of 2007 are not comparable to Domtar Inc.’s earlier financial statements.

Risks and uncertainties

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. faces risks and uncertainties that in the event of their occurrence could materially adversely affect Domtar Inc.’s business and financial condition. For a summary of these risks and uncertainties, see “Risk factors—Risks related to the industries and businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.”

Legal proceedings

Domtar Inc. is involved in various legal proceedings relating to contracts, commercial disputes, taxes, environmental issues, labor and employment and other matters related to former and ongoing operations. Domtar Inc. periodically reviews the status of these proceedings and assesses the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes of its legal proceedings, and analyzes probable losses. While Domtar Inc. believes that the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, an adverse outcome in one or more of the following significant legal proceedings could have a material adverse effect on Domtar Inc.’s results of cash flow in a given quarter or year.

 

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Domtar Inc. is subject to a motion by Joachim Laferrière Électricien Inc., filed in the Québec Superior Court on January 9, 2006, for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others for alleged damages relating to a conspiracy to fix prices of carbonless sheets during the period of January through December 2000 in the Province of Québec, Canada. The claim seeks estimated compensatory damages in the amount of CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) plus estimated exemplary damages in the amount of CDN$1 million to CDN$4 million (approximately $1 million to $4 million). Domtar Inc. is also subject to a motion by McLay & Company Inc. filed in Ontario Superior Court on January 11, 2006 for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others, for alleged inflated prices of carbonless sheets paper during the period of October 1999 through September 2000 in the Province of Ontario, Canada. These class actions have been settled in principle for an immaterial amount subject to finalization of definitive agreements and court approval. The settlement amount was fully reserved for in a prior period.

On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited (“Weston”) in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada against Domtar Inc. The claim alleges that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered an obligation of Domtar Inc. to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment contained in the Share Purchase Agreement, dated June 16, 1998 (as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, dated July 31, 1998, the “Agreement”) between Weston, Weston Investments Inc., Domtar Inc. and Domtar Industries Inc. pursuant to which Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc., an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The claim seeks a payment of CDN$110 million (approximately $103 million) under the purchase price adjustment provision of the Agreement and additional compensatory damages. On August 13, 2007, Domtar Inc. served its statement of defense in response to this claim. Neither the Company nor Domtar Inc. believes that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and Domtar Inc. intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar Inc. may not be successful in its defense of such claims, and if Domtar Inc. is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on Domtar Corp.’s and Domtar Inc.’s liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Several asbestos-related personal injury claims have been filed in U.S. state and federal courts against Domtar Industries Inc. and certain other affiliates of the Company in connection with alleged exposure by current and former employees of the Company to asbestos. While the Company believes that the ultimate disposition of these matters, both individually and on an aggregate basis, will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, there can be no assurance the Company will not incur substantial costs as a result of any such claim.

Environment

Domtar Inc. is or may be a “potentially responsible party” with respect to various hazardous waste sites that are being addressed pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“Superfund”) or similar laws. Domtar Inc. continues to take remedial action under its Care and Control Program, as such sites mostly relate to its former wood preserving operating sites, and a number of operating sites due to possible soil, sediment or groundwater contamination. The investigation and remediation process is lengthy and subject to the uncertainties of changes in legal requirements, technological developments and, if and when applicable, the allocation of liability among potentially responsible parties.

 

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An action was commenced by Seaspan International Ltd. (“Seaspan”) in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on March 31, 1999 against Domtar Inc. and others with respect to alleged contamination of Seaspan’s site bordering Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver, British Columbia, including contamination of sediments in Burrard Inlet, due to the presence of creosote. As of July 3, 2002, the parties entered into a partial Settlement Agreement (“the Settlement Agreement”) which provides that while the agreement is performed in accordance with its terms, the action commenced by Seaspan will be held in abeyance. The Settlement Agreement focused on the sharing of costs between Seaspan and Domtar Inc. for certain remediation of contamination referred to in the plaintiff’s claim. The parties have the contractual right to abandon the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement does not address all of the plaintiff’s claims that cannot be reasonably determined at this time.

Domtar Inc. was issued a Request for Response Action (“RFRA”) by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) for the clean-up of tar seeps and soils at a former coal tar distillation plant located in Duluth, Minnesota. On March 27, 1996, the MPCA issued the RFRA to Domtar Inc., Interlake Corp., Allied-Signal, Inc. and Beazer East, Inc. requiring the investigation and potential remediation of a portion of an industrial site located in Duluth, Minnesota believed to contain contaminated sediments originating from former coke and gas plants and coal tar distillation plants. Domtar Inc. formerly operated one coal tar distillation plant. The total cost of the likely remediation is estimated to be approximately $90 million. Allocation of responsibility among the parties is ongoing under an agreed final and binding arbitration process which Domtar Inc. expects will be determined in the third quarter of 2007.

Financial instruments and other instruments

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. is exposed to certain financial risks, including interest rate risk, credit risk, foreign currency risk and price risk. Domtar Inc. does not use derivative instruments for speculative purposes. More information on financial instruments is presented elsewhere in this MD&A. Financial risks have not changed materially since December 31, 2006.

Outlook

Going into the second half of the year, fine paper volumes are expected to remain under pressure compared to last year while price realizations should improve compared to the second quarter as a result of the carry over from the price increases for copy paper and for pulp implemented late in the quarter. In light of the decline in North American demand for fine papers and the resulting excess capacity, notably in commercial printing paper grades, Domtar Inc. will continue to monitor its production and inventories to meet customer demand.

Controls and procedures

In the second quarter ended June 30, 2007, the Company did not make any significant changes in, nor take any significant corrective actions regarding its internal controls or other factors that could significantly affect such internal controls. The Company’s CEO and CFO periodically review the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures for effectiveness and conduct an evaluation each quarter. As of the end of the first quarter, the Company’s CEO and CFO were satisfied with the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures.

 

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2006 Overview

Domtar Inc.’s 2006 results reflected a significant improvement when compared to 2005. Domtar Inc. benefited from higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, higher shipments for all of its major products except for wood (excluding the impact of mills that were indefinitely closed) and overall lower costs partially resulting from the realization of savings stemming from restructuring initiatives throughout Domtar Inc.’s business segments. Other factors that contributed to Domtar Inc.’s strengthened financial position were the refund of softwood duties, amounting to $178 million plus interest of $22 million (total of $164 million net of a special charge by the Canadian Government of $36 million), the realization of a gain of $237 million (net of applicable taxes of $62 million) on the sale of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac, the recognition of investment tax credits related to research and development expenditures from prior years and the settlement of a sales contract dispute resulting in a payment to Domtar Inc. of $14 million. These factors were partially offset by the strengthening of the Canadian dollar and lower average selling prices and shipments for wood products due to the continuing difficult conditions prevailing in the wood sector.

As at March 31, 2006, Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall pulp and paper mill and Ottawa paper mill were permanently shut down, and as at June 30, 2006, Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill and Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills were also shut down.

The combination

In August 2006, Domtar Inc. signed a definitive agreement to combine with Weyerhaeuser’s fine paper business and related assets. Under the terms of the transaction, Weyerhaeuser’s fine paper business, consisting of 10 primary pulp and paper mills (seven in the United States and three in Canada), converting, forming and warehousing facilities, sales offices, two sawmills and logging and forest management operations was transferred into a newly formed company for stock and a cash payment of $1.35 billion provided by the new company through borrowings under a temporary credit facility. Weyerhaeuser distributed the shares of the new company to its shareholders through an exchange offer. Domtar Inc. combined with the newly formed company to create “Domtar Corporation.”

Discontinued operations

Effective in the second quarter of 2006, as a result of the permanent closure of Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill, the financial information pertaining to Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill was no longer included in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business but presented as a discontinued operation and as assets held for sale. Accordingly, the statement of consolidated earnings and consolidated cash flows for prior periods have been restated to reflect this presentation. Effective December 29, 2006, the financial information pertaining to Norampac is disclosed as a discontinued operation. Accordingly, the statement of consolidated earnings and consolidated cash flows for 2006 and prior periods have been restated to reflect this presentation. In accordance with GAAP, due to the fact that Domtar Inc. continues to sell certain products formerly produced at the Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills, those operations remain in Domtar Inc.’s continuing operations.

On December 29, 2006, Domtar Inc. sold its packaging segment, which consisted of a 50% interest in Norampac, to Cascades Inc. for a total cash consideration of $560 million, resulting in a

 

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gain of $237 million (net of applicable taxes of $62 million). As a result of this transaction, Domtar Inc. reduced its net debt level by $560 million compared to its third quarter of 2006, improving its balance sheet and liquidity position.

Norampac, Domtar Inc.’s former joint venture in packaging, had 26 corrugated packaging plants strategically located across Canada and the United States prior to its sale. Norampac’s eight containerboard mills, having a combined annual capacity of approximately 1.45 million tons, directly or indirectly supplied essentially all the containerboard requirements of the corrugated packaging plants. In accordance with GAAP, Domtar Inc. accounted for Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac, up to the date of the sale, using the proportionate consolidation method.

Financial results of discontinued operations

 

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations    Year ended  
(In millions of Canadian dollars)    2006     2005  
   

Gain on sale of Norampac (net of applicable taxes)

   $237     $ —  

Net earnings of Norampac

   37     3  

Net loss of Vancouver paper mill

   (9 )   (81 )
      

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations

   265     (78 )
   

Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac’s net earnings from January 1, 2006 to December 29, 2006 amounted to $274 million in 2006, including a gain of $237 million (net of applicable taxes) on the sale of Domtar Inc.’s interest, compared to net earnings of $3 million in 2005. The $34 million increase in net earnings, excluding the $237 million net gain on the sale, was mainly due to higher average selling prices for containerboard and corrugated containers, partially offset by the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar and lower shipments for containerboard and corrugated containers.

Net loss from Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill amounted to $9 million in 2006, an improvement of $72 million compared to a net loss of $81 million in 2005. The improvement in the results was mainly attributable to the $89 million decrease in restructuring costs ($60 million net of applicable taxes) in 2006 compared to 2005 and the closure of the mill in June 2006.

See also Note 4 to the 2006 audited consolidated financial statements.

Domtar Inc.’s business

Domtar Inc.’s reporting segments correspond to the following business activities: Papers, Paper Merchants and Wood.

Papers

Prior to the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Inc. was the third largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America. Domtar Inc. operated five pulp and paper facilities in Canada (reflecting the permanent closures of the Cornwall pulp and paper mill and Ottawa paper mill in the first quarter of 2006 and the permanent closure of the Vancouver paper mill in the second quarter of 2006) and five in the United States, with an annual paper production capacity of approximately 2.3 million tons, complemented by strategically located

 

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warehouses and sales offices. As of June 30, 2007, approximately 65% of Domtar Inc.’s paper production capacity was located in the United States, and approximately 81% of Domtar Inc.’s pulp and paper sales were made to customers in the United States. Uncoated and coated freesheet papers are used for business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty applications. The chart below illustrates the principal paper products Domtar Inc. produces and Domtar Inc.’s annual paper production capacity.

 

   
Category   Business Papers   Commercial Printing and Publication Papers   Technical and
Specialty
Papers
 
Type   Uncoated Freesheet       Coated
Freesheet
  Uncoated and
Coated
Freesheet
 
Grade   Copy   Premium
imaging/
technology
papers
  Offset
Business
converting
  Lightweight
Opaques
Text, cover
and writing
  Lightweight   Flexible
packaging
Abrasive
papers
Decorative
papers
Imaging
papers
Label papers
Medical
disposables
 

Application

  Photocopies Office documents
Presentations
  Pamphlets
Brochures
Direct mail
Commercial
printing
Forms &
envelopes
  Stationery
Brochures
Annual reports
Books
Catalogs
  Brochures
Annual reports
Books
Magazines
Catalogs
  Food & candy
wrappings
Surgical
gowns
Repositionable
note pads
Security check
papers
 
Capacity*   As at February 22, 2007: approximately 2.3 million tons
  0.8 million tons

35%

  0.1 million tons

4%


  0.7 million tons

31%

  0.2 million tons

9%

  0.1 million tons

4%

  0.4 million tons

17%

     

 

*   The allocation of production capacity may vary from period to period in order to take advantage of market conditions. Domtar Inc. permanently closed the Cornwall pulp and paper mill and Ottawa paper mill in the first quarter of 2006, and the Vancouver paper mill in the second quarter of 2006. These permanent closures, impacting 450,000 tons of paper, have been assumed to be effective as at January 1, 2006 and have been reflected in the above capacity.

Domtar Inc. sells paper primarily through a large network of owned and independent merchants that distribute its paper products throughout North America. Domtar Inc. also sells its products to a variety of customers, including business offices, office equipment manufacturers, retail outlets, commercial printers, publishers and converters. In addition, Domtar Inc. sells pulp in excess of its internal requirements. Domtar Inc. also purchases pulp to optimize paper production and reduce freight costs. In 2006, its net market pulp position (the amount of pulp produced in excess of its internal requirements) was approximately 563,000 tonnes.

Domtar Inc.’s Papers business is its most important segment, representing 64% of consolidated sales in 2006, or 70% when including sales of Domtar Inc. paper through its own Paper Merchants business.

 

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Paper Merchants

Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business comprises the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by Domtar Inc. and other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products. Domtar Inc.-owned paper merchants operate in the United States and Canada under a single banner and umbrella name, the Domtar Distribution Group. Ris Paper operates throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest areas from 19 locations in the United States, including 16 distribution centers. The Canadian business operates as Buntin Reid in three locations in Ontario; JBR/La Maison du Papier in two locations in Québec; and The Paper House from two locations in Atlantic Canada. Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business represented 26% of consolidated sales in 2006, or 20% when excluding sales of Domtar Inc. paper.

Wood

The Wood business comprises the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of lumber and wood-based value-added products, and the management of forest resources. Domtar Inc. operates eight sawmills (four in Québec, following the closure of the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills in the second quarter of 2006, and four in Ontario) and one remanufacturing facility (in Québec), for an annual capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet of lumber. Domtar Inc. also has an interest in three joint ventures and an investment in one business, which all produce wood products. Domtar Inc. seeks to optimize 17 million acres of forestland directly licensed or owned by Domtar Inc. in Canada and the United States through efficient management and the application of certified sustainable forest management practices such that a continuous supply of wood is available for future needs. The Wood business represented 10% of consolidated sales in 2006. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had four sawmills and one remanufacturing facility in operation, for an annual capacity of approximately 460 million board feet of lumber.

 

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Summary of financial results

 

              Year ended  

Financial highlights

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

        December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2004
 
   
                         

Sales

      $3,989     $4,247     $4,403  

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

      237     (349 )   23  

Excluding specified items(1)

      139     23     111  

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

      63     (310 )   (63 )

Excluding specified items

      (7 )   (51 )   (4 )

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations per share (in dollars):

         

Basic

      0.27     (1.36 )   (0.28 )

Net Earnings (loss)

      328     (388 )   (42 )

Net earnings (loss) per share (in dollars):

         

Basic

      1.42     (1.69 )   (0.19 )

Diluted

      1.42     (1.69 )   (0.19 )

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations, excluding specified items, per segment:(1)

         

Papers

      140     (51 )   21  

Paper Merchants

      13     16     21  

Wood

      (28 )   51     56  

Corporate

      14     7     13  
         

Total

      139     23     111  

Average exchange rates

   CAN    $1.134     1.211     1.301  
   US    $0.882     0.826     0.769  

Dividends per share (declared) (in dollars):

         

Series A Preferred Shares

      2.25     2.25     2.25  

Series B Preferred Shares

      1.02     0.78     0.73  

Common shares

          0.18     0.24  

Total assets

      4,955     5,192     5,681  

Total long-term debt, including current portion

      1,891     2,259     2,034  
   

 

(1)   See “Specified items affecting results and non-GAAP measures.”

Specified items affecting results and non-GAAP measures

Domtar Inc.’s operating results include specified items that, in its view, do not typify normal operating activities, thus affecting the comparability of Domtar Inc.’s results from period to period. To measure Domtar Inc.’s performance and that of its business segments from period to period without regard to variations caused by these specified items, Domtar Inc. focuses on certain measures excluding specified items. These financial measures excluding specified items are non-GAAP measures. Domtar Inc. defines specified items as items such as the impacts of impairment of assets, facility or machine closures, changes in income tax legislation, debt

 

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restructuring, unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses on hedging contracts not considered as hedges for accounting purposes, foreign exchange impact on long-term debt translation and other items that, in Domtar Inc.’s view, do not typify normal operating activities.

Domtar Inc.’s Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations excluding specified items is a non-GAAP financial measure that is presented as a line item sub total on the face of Domtar Inc.’s GAAP statement of earnings. This non-GAAP measure is also used by management, as well as investors, to evaluate operations. Management believes that Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations excluding specified items , as presented, represents a useful means of assessing the performance of the Company’s ongoing operating activities, as it reflects the Company’s earnings trends without showing the impact of certain charges.

Domtar Inc. believes that it is useful for investors and other users to be aware of the specified items that positively or adversely impacted Domtar Inc.’s GAAP results, and that these non-GAAP measures provide investors and other users with a measure of performance to compare Domtar Inc.’s results between periods without regard to these specified items.

Management uses both GAAP and non-GAAP measures to evaluate results of operations and believes that investors and other readers should be aware of both measures in order to more meaningfully evaluate operations. Some of the key users of Domtar Inc.’s financial information, including analysts and creditors, request that Domtar Inc. make these measures publicly available.

The use of Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations excluding specified items has certain material limitations because it excludes the recurring expenditures of financing expenses and income taxes. Financing expenses is a necessary component of Domtar Inc.’s expenses because Domtar Inc. borrows money to finance its working capital and capital expenditures. Income tax expense is also a necessary component of Domtar Inc.’s expenses because Domtar Inc. is required to pay cash income taxes. Management compensates for these limitations to the use of Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations excluding specified items by using it as only a supplementary measure of profitability.

Domtar Inc. believes that the impact of the key drivers of its business—i.e. price, volume and foreign exchange, on its results are more readily understandable when Domtar Inc. separates out the identified specified items. The specified items are then separately identifiable and discussed in detail so that the impact of those items on Domtar Inc.’s results may be understood. Domtar Inc. believes this gives the reader an easy to follow format where specified items are brought to the forefront immediately allowing the reader to focus on these points separately.

Measures excluding specified items have no standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and are not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies, and therefore should not be considered in isolation. It is important for readers to understand that certain items may be presented in different lines on the financial statements thereby leading to different measures for different companies. Domtar Inc. compensates for this limitation by clearly identifying all items included in or excluded from its non-GAAP measures and explaining the items removed or added back to the most comparable GAAP items. The following tables reconcile these measures excluding specified items to their closest GAAP financial measures.

 

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Specified items   Year ended  
    December 31, 2006     December 31, 2005     December 31, 2004  
(In millions of Canadian
dollars)
  Operating profit
from continuing
operations
    Earnings (loss)
from
continuing
operations
    Operating
profit (loss)
from
continuing
operations
    Loss from
continuing
operations
   

Operating profit
from

continuing
operations

    Loss from
continuing
operations
 
   

As per GAAP

  $237     $63     $(349 )   $(310 )   $23     $(63 )

Specified items

           

Sales of property, plant and equipment(i)

  (10 )   (6 )   (4 )   (3 )   (33 )   (21 )

Closure and restructuring costs(ii)

  35     22     317     209     49     34  

Unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses(iii)

  4     3     (5 )   (3 )   3     5  

Foreign exchange gains or losses on long-term debt(iv)

              (3 )       (5 )

Income tax legislation changes(v)

      (2 )       7          

Legal settlement(vi)

  (7 )   (7 )   13     13          

Refinancing costs(vii)

              5          

Write-down of investments(viii)

  5     3                  

Insurance recoveries(ix)

  (3 )   (2 )   (3 )   (2 )        

Duties(x)

  (147 )   (98 )   54     36     69     46  

Acquisition transactions costs(xi)

  25     17                  
     
  (98 )   (70 )   372     259     88     59  
     

Excluding specified items

  139     (7 )   23     (51 )   111     (4 )
   

 

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Specified items   Three months ended  
    December 31, 2006     December 31, 2005     December 31, 2004  
(In millions of Canadian
dollars)
 

Operating profit
from

continuing
operations

    Earnings
(loss) from
continuing
operations
   

Operating

(loss) from
continuing
operations

    Loss from
continuing
operations
    Operating profit
(loss) from
continuing
operations
    Loss from
continuing
operations
 
   

As per GAAP

  $178     $91     $(366 )   $(271 )   $(23 )   $(36 )

Specified items

           

Sales of property, plant and equipment(i)

  (10 )   (6 )           (29 )   (17 )

Closure and restructuring costs(ii)

  5     3     300     198     40     27  

Unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses(iii)

  3     2             3     2  

Foreign exchange gains or losses on long-term debt(iv)

                      (3 )

Income tax legislation changes(v)

              7          

Legal settlement(vi)

          13     13          

Write-down of investments(viii)

  5     3                  

Insurance recoveries(ix)

  (3 )   (2 )                

Duties(x)

  (164 )   (110 )   11     7     15     10  

Acquisition transactions costs(xi)

  25     17                  
     
  (139 )   (93 )   324     225     29     19  
     

Excluding specified items

  39     (2 )   (42 )   (46 )   6     (17 )
   

 

(i)   Domtar Inc.’s results reflect gains on sales of property, plant and equipment. These gains are presented under “Net gains on disposals of property, plant and equipment” in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(ii)   Domtar Inc.’s results reflect closure and restructuring charges. These charges are presented under “Closure and restructuring costs” in the consolidated financial statements. See “Closure and restructuring costs” for further information.

 

(iii)   Domtar Inc.’s results include unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses on commodity swap contracts and foreign exchange contracts not considered as hedges for accounting purposes. Such gains or losses are presented under “Selling, general and administrative” expenses in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(iv)   Domtar Inc.’s results include foreign exchange gains or losses on the translation of a portion of its long-term debt. Such gains or losses are presented under “Financing expenses” in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(v)   Domtar Inc.’s results include charges related to modifications to the income tax legislation. These charges are presented under “Income tax expense (recovery)” in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(vi)   Domtar Inc.’s results include charges (revenues) related to a legal settlement. These charges (revenues) are presented under “Selling, general and administrative” expenses in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(vii)   Domtar Inc.’s results include refinancing expenses. These refinancing expenses are presented under “Financing expenses” in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(viii)   Domtar Inc.’s results include charges related to write downs of investments. These charges are presented under “Selling, general and administrative” expenses in the consolidated financial statements.

 

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(ix)   Domtar Inc.’s results include insurance recoveries. These recoveries are presented under “Selling, general and administrative” expenses in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(x)   Domtar Inc.’s results include charges or revenues related to countervailing and antidumping duties. These revenues are presented under “Antidumping and countervailing duties refund” and charges are presented under “Cost of sales” in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(xi)   Domtar Inc.’s results include costs related to the Acquisition Transactions. These costs are presented under “Selling, general and administrative” expenses in the consolidated financial statements.

2006 vs. 2005 annual overview

Sales of $4 billion

Sales in 2006 amounted to $3,989 million, a decrease of $258 million or 6% from sales of $4,247 million in 2005. This decrease was mainly attributable to the permanent closure of the Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006 and the indefinite shut down of the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill for the entire year of 2006, the negative impact of a 7% rise in the year over year average value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar (from $0.826 to $0.882) and lower average selling prices and shipments for wood products. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for all of Domtar Inc.’s major products except for wood, higher shipments for pulp and paper (excluding the impact of mills that were indefinitely or permanently closed) and the settlement in July 2006 of a sales contract dispute that resulted in a payment to Domtar Inc. of $14 million.

Operating profit from continuing operations of $237 million

Cost of sales decreased by $328 million or 9% in 2006 compared to 2005 mainly due to the permanent closure of the Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills, effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006 and the indefinite shut down of the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill. Other factors causing a decrease in cost of sales included the positive impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on Domtar Inc.’s U.S. dollar denominated expenses, lower production and shipments for wood products, lower cash deposits for countervailing and antidumping duties due to the decrease in duties rate and prices, the cessation of duties collected by the U.S. as of October 12, 2006, higher investment tax credits related to research and development expenditures from prior years, lower costs for purchased wood fiber and chemicals, as well as the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities. These factors were partially offset by higher shipments for pulp and paper, and higher energy and freight costs (excluding the impact of mills that were indefinitely and permanently closed).

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses decreased by $13 million or 6% in 2006 compared to 2005. SG&A in 2006 included transaction costs of $25 million relating to the Acquisition Transactions, unrealized mark-to-market losses on financial instruments of $4 million and revenue of $7 million related to a legal settlement, while SG&A in 2005 included unrealized mark-to-market gains of $5 million, a charge of $13 million related to a legal settlement with regards to an investigation by the Canadian Competition Bureau and insurance recoveries of $3 million. When excluding these items, SG&A decreased by $30 million or 13% compared to 2005. This decrease was mainly attributable to the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities and the Ontario government’s retroactive reduction in Crown stumpage fees related to 2005 and 2006, partially offset by higher pension expenses.

 

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Operating profit from continuing operations in 2006 amounted to $237 million compared to an operating loss from continuing operations of $349 million in 2005. Excluding specified items, operating profit from continuing operations totaled $139 million in 2006 compared to an operating profit from continuing operations of $23 million in 2005. The $116 million increase in operating profit from continuing operations excluding specified items was largely attributable to higher average selling prices for all of Domtar Inc.’s major products except for wood, higher shipments for pulp and paper (excluding the impact of mills that were indefinitely or permanently closed), higher investment tax credits related to research and development expenditures from prior years, the settlement of a sales contract dispute, as well as the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities. These factors were partially offset by the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar (including the effect of Domtar Inc.’s hedging program), lower average selling prices and shipments for wood products and higher energy and freight costs (excluding the impact of mills and sawmills that were permanently or indefinitely closed).

 

Variance analysis – 2006 vs 2005  
(In millions of Canadian dollars)  
   

2005 operating profit from continuing operations, excluding specified items

   $  23  

Selling prices

   142  

Foreign exchange (net of hedging programs)

   (70 )

Shipments and mix

   1  

Other costs, including savings from mill closures

   43  
      

2006 operating profit from continuing operations, excluding specified items

   $139  
   

Specific cost reduction initiatives

Since 2004, Domtar Inc. has made an ongoing commitment to adjust production to meet its customers’ needs, as well as maintain operational flexibility and a competitive manufacturing base. These efforts have mainly impacted the Papers and Wood segments and have resulted in workforce reductions throughout the organization.

In 2004, Domtar Inc. announced several initiatives aimed at achieving a run-rate of $100 million in annual cost reductions by the end of 2005. As at December 31, 2005, Domtar Inc. had achieved its goal to deliver $100 million of annualized savings stemming from these initiatives.

In November 2005, still faced with a number of economic conditions that adversely impacted its business, such as higher energy prices and the rapid rise of the Canadian dollar, Domtar Inc. announced a series of additional targeted measures aimed at returning Domtar Inc. to profitability. The measures included the following initiatives:

 

 

The permanent closure of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall pulp and paper mill, effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006, which eliminated approximately 910 permanent positions (including the 390 positions already affected by the indefinite shut down of the pulp mill, paper machine and sheeter announced in late 2004). This resulted in the permanent curtailment of 265,000 tons of uncoated and coated printing grades, as well as 145,000 tonnes of pulp (including 85,000 tons of paper and 145,000 tonnes of pulp impacted by the indefinite shut down announced in late 2004);

 

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The permanent closure of Domtar Inc.’s Ottawa mill, effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006, which eliminated approximately 185 permanent positions and resulted in the permanent curtailment of 65,000 tons of paper;

 

 

The permanent closure of Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver coated paper mill, effective at the end of the second quarter of 2006, which eliminated approximately 285 permanent positions and resulted in the permanent curtailment of 120,000 tons of coated paper;

 

 

The closure of Domtar Inc.’s Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills, effective in the second quarter of 2006, which impacted approximately 200 permanent positions;

 

 

Further measures to reduce costs, as follows:

 

   

Reducing SG&A expenses by permanently eliminating approximately 100 corporate and divisional permanent positions, as well as other SG&A expenses;

 

   

Implementing further cost reductions at the mill level by eliminating approximately 200 operational positions;

 

   

Consolidating North American administrative offices in Montreal and Cincinnati.

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had implemented all the announced measures.

Closure and restructuring costs

Closure and restructuring costs for the fourth quarter of 2006 compared to the fourth quarter of 2005, as well as for the year 2006 compared to 2005, were as follows:

 

       Quarter ended
December 31,
   Year ended
December 31,
(In millions of Canadian dollars)    2006    2005    2006    2005
 

Costs, net of reversals of provisions, related to the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall, and Ottawa paper mills (severance, termination, environment and pension costs, as well as $201 million for write-down of property, plant and equipment in 2005)

   $ 2    $ 264    $ 8    $ 270

Costs related to the closure of two sawmills at Malartic and Grand-Remous (severance, termination, environment and pension costs, as well as $23 million for the write-down of property, plant and equipment in 2005)

          30      1      30

Costs related to specific cost reduction initiatives (severance, termination, training and outplacement costs and other)

     3      6      26      17
                           

Total closure and restructuring costs

     5      300      35      317
 

Net earnings of $328 million

Net earnings amounted to $328 million ($1.42 per common share) in 2006 compared to a net loss of $388 million ($1.69 per common share) in 2005. Excluding specified items, loss from continuing operations amounted to $7 million in 2006 compared to a loss from continuing operations of $51 million in 2005. This $44 million improvement was mainly attributable to the factors mentioned above.

 

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Liquidity and capital resources

Cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations in 2006 amounted to $222 million compared to cash flows used for operating activities of continuing operations of $41 million in 2005. Net additions to property, plant and equipment amounted to $91 million in 2006 compared to $129 million in 2005. Domtar Inc. posted positive free cash flow of $131 million in 2006 compared to negative free cash flow of $170 million in 2005. This $301 million improvement mainly reflects the refund of duties collected by the U.S. Government since 2002 as well as improved profitability, partially offset by working capital requirements due to the decrease in receivables securitized in the amount of CDN$140 million ($120 million). See “Free cash flow” table and definition in the “Liquidity & capital resources” section of this 2006 vs. 2005 Overview.

Domtar Inc.’s total long-term debt decreased by $368 million, due to the disposal of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac and the corresponding deconsolidation of its non-recourse debt, the debt repayments made on Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit facility resulting from the duties refund and better cash flow from operations. Domtar Inc.’s net debt-to-total capitalization ratio as at December 31, 2006 stood at 40.2% compared to 57.7% as at December 31, 2005. See “Net debt-to-total capitalization ratio” table and definition contained in the “Liquidity and capital resources” section of this 2006 vs. 2005 Overview.

 

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Papers

 

       Year ended  
Selected information    December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)     
   

Sales

    

Total sales

   $2,796     $2,900  

Intersegment sales to Paper Merchants

   (269 )   (273 )
            
   2,527     2,627  

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

   121     (329 )

Sales of property, plant and equipment(1)

   (10 )   (4 )

Closure and restructuring costs(1)

   34     287  

Unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses(1)

   1     (5 )

Legal settlement(1)

   (6 )    
            

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations, excluding specified items

   140     (51 )

Shipments

    

Paper (in thousands of ST)

   2,273     2,432  

Pulp (in thousands of ADMT)

   631     574  

Paper shipments by product offering (%):

    

Copy and offset grades

   61     56  

Uncoated commercial printing & publication and premium imaging grades

   14     19  

Coated commercial printing & publication grades

   7     9  

Technical and specialty grades

   18     16  
            

Total

   100     100  

Benchmark prices(2):

    

Copy 20 lb sheets ($/ton)

   902     822  

Offset 50 lb rolls ($/ton)

   823     726  

Coated publication, no. 3, 60 lb rolls ($/ton)

   924     902  

Pulp NBSK—U.S. market ($/ADMT)

   722     647  

Pulp NBHK—Japan market3 ($/ADMT)

   592     526  
   

 

(1)   See “Specified items affecting results and non-GAAP measures.”

 

(2)   Source: Pulp & Paper Week. As such, these prices do not necessarily reflect Domtar Inc.’s transaction prices.

 

(3)   Based on Pulp and Paper Week’s Southern Bleached Hardwood Kraft pulp prices for Japan, increased by an average differential of $15/ADMT between Northern and Southern Bleached Hardwood Kraft pulp prices.

Sales and operating profit from continuing operations

Sales in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business amounted to $2,527 million in 2006, a decrease of $100 million or 4% from sales of $2,627 million in 2005. This decrease in sales was mainly attributable to the closure of the Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006, the indefinite shut down of Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill and the negative impact of a 7% rise in the year-over-year average value of the Canadian dollar. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices of pulp and paper, the settlement of a sales contract dispute that resulted in a payment to Domtar Inc. of $14 million and higher shipments of pulp and paper (excluding the impact of mills that were indefinitely or permanently closed).

 

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Operating profit from continuing operations in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business totaled $121 million in 2006 (or $140 million when excluding specified items) compared to an operating loss from continuing operations of $329 million (or $51 million when excluding specified items) in 2005. Excluding specified items, the $191 million improvement in operating profit from continuing operations is largely the result of higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, the settlement of a sales contract dispute resulting in a payment to Domtar Inc. of $14 million, higher shipments of pulp and paper (excluding the impact of mills that were indefinitely or permanently closed), as well as recognition of investment tax credits related to research and development expenditures from prior years. These factors were partially offset by the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar and higher costs for purchased fiber, chemicals and energy as well as freight.

Pricing environment

In Domtar Inc.’s Papers business, average transaction prices, denominated in U.S. dollars, increased in 2006 compared to 2005. Within Domtar Inc.’s Canadian operations, although the rise of the Canadian dollar negatively impacted Domtar Inc.’s Canadian dollar denominated prices, which are derived from U.S. dollar denominated prices, overall Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices denominated in Canadian dollars increased in 2006 compared to 2005.

Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices, denominated in U.S. dollars, for Domtar Inc.’s basket of copy and offset grades, increased on average by approximately 11% in 2006 compared to 2005. Within this basket, Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices for copy 20 lb sheets and offset 50 lb rolls, which represented approximately 35% of Domtar Inc.’s paper sales in 2006, were higher on average by $97/ton and $100/ton, respectively, in 2006 compared to 2005.

Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices for Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp increased by $38/tonne and Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices for Northern Bleached Hardwood Kraft (NBHK) pulp increased by $45/tonne in 2006 compared to 2005.

Operations

Shipments

Domtar Inc.’s paper shipments to capacity ratio was 96.0% in 2006 compared to 94.2% in 2005, largely as a result of reduced capacity following the mill closures.

Domtar Inc.’s pulp shipments increased by 57,000 tons in 2006 compared to 2005 despite the indefinite shut down of the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill in November 2005. This increase in trade shipments resulted from less internal use and more trade sales as a result of the mill closures mentioned above.

Labor

A collective agreement expired in April 2004 for Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill (affecting approximately 350 employees). Negotiations have ceased as the mill is closed for an indefinite period.

In July 2006, a five year agreement, expiring April 30, 2010, was reached and ratified with the union at the Windsor mill (affecting approximately 760 employees).

 

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Restructuring

In November 2005, Domtar Inc. announced the permanent shut down of its Cornwall pulp and paper mill as well as its Ottawa paper mill, which became effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006. As a result, the book value of these mills was reduced to their net recoverable value. Domtar Inc. also announced its intention to seek a buyer for its Vancouver paper mill. Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill was permanently closed as at the end of the second quarter of 2006. In July 2006, Domtar Inc. reached an agreement to sell its Vancouver paper mill property for a total consideration of approximately $23 million, which represents its approximate net recoverable value. This agreement was subject to a number of closing conditions, which were completed in the first half of 2007. In September 2006, Domtar Inc. sold its facility and land in Cornwall, for proceeds of $4 million and a corresponding gain of $1 million ($1 million net of income taxes). These closures resulted in a reduction of Domtar Inc.’s production capacity of 145,000 tonnes of pulp and 450,000 tons of paper per annum and impacted approximately 1,380 positions.

Other

In November 2005, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite shut down of the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill due to unfavorable economic conditions. As of December 31, 2006, economic factors such as increasing wood fiber supply costs, energy and transportation costs, the strengthening of the Canadian dollar and labor costs that are not competitive, did not allow Domtar Inc. to reopen the pulp mill and operate profitably. As a result, the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill was indefinitely idled rather than permanently shut down. By the end of May 2006, Domtar Inc. had to meet its obligations under Québec law with respect to temporary lay-offs exceeding six months. These obligations resulted in severance payments of approximately $7 million.

In July 2006, Domtar Inc. was part of a settlement of a sales contract dispute that mutually resolved differences among the parties, resulting in a payment to Domtar Inc. of approximately CDN$14 million ($13 million) that was received in July 2006.

In October 2006, Domtar Inc. sold a parcel of timberlands for proceeds of $11 million ($10 million) and a corresponding gain of CDN$10 million ($9 million).

During the second quarter of 2005, Domtar Inc. sold its facility and land in Senneville, Québec, for proceeds of $6 million and a corresponding gain of $4 million.

Paper Merchants

 

       Year ended
Selected information    December 31,
2006
   December 31,
2005
(In millions of Canadian dollars)      
 

Sales

   $1,051    $1,047

Operating profit from continuing operations

   13    3

Legal settlement(1)

      13
         

Operating profit from continuing operations, excluding specified items

   13    16
 

 

(1)   See “Specified items affecting results and non-GAAP measures.”

 

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Sales and operating profit from continuing operations

Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business generated sales of $1,051 million in 2006, an increase of $4 million compared to 2005. This increase was attributable to higher average selling prices and higher shipments partially offset by the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar.

Operating profit from continuing operations amounted to $13 million in 2006 compared to $3 million in 2005. In 2005, the operating profit from continuing operations included a charge of $13 million related to a legal settlement with regards to an investigation by the Canadian Competition Bureau relating to the sales of carbonless sheet paper in Ontario and Québec during a one-year period spanning part of 1999 and 2000. When excluding specified items, Domtar Inc.’s operating profit from continuing operations amounted to $13 million (reflecting an operating margin of 1.2%) in 2006 compared to $16 million (reflecting an operating margin of 1.5%) in 2005. The $3 million decrease in operating profit from continuing operations excluding specified items was primarily due to a one time bad debt expense and the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar, partially offset by higher shipments.

Wood

 

       Year ended  
Selected information    December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)     
   

Sales

    

Lumber sales

   $ 375     $521  

Wood chips and other sales

   86     176  
            

Sub-total

   461     697  

Intersegment sales

   (50 )   (124 )
            
   411     573  

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

   117     (33 )

Closure and restructuring costs(1)

   1     30  

Legal settlement(1)

   (1 )    

Insurance recoveries(1)

   (3 )    

Write-down of investments(1)

   5      

Duties(1)

   (147 )   54  
            

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations, excluding specified items

   (28 )   51  

Shipments (millions of FBM)

   916     1,107  

Shipments by product offering (%):

    

Random lengths

   38     33  

Studs

   32     35  

Value-added

   26     27  

Industrial

   4     5  
            

Total

   100     100  

Benchmark prices(2):

    

Lumber G.L. 2x4x8 stud ($/MFBM)

   344     418  

Lumber G.L. 2x4 R/L no. 1 & no. 2 ($/MFBM)

   368     420  
   

 

(1)   See “Specified items affecting results and non-GAAP measures.”

 

(2)   Source: Random Lengths. As such, these prices do not necessarily reflect Domtar Inc.’s transaction prices.

 

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Sales and operating profit from continuing operations

Sales in the Wood business amounted to $411 million in 2006, a decrease of $162 million or 28% compared to sales of $573 million in 2005. This decrease was largely attributable to lower average selling prices and lower shipments, mainly as a result of the shut down of two sawmills and the indefinite shut down of the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill in addition to four other sawmills, as well as the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar and the slowdown in the U.S. housing industry.

Operating profit from continuing operations in the Wood business totaled $117 million in 2006 (or a loss from continuing operations of $28 million when excluding specified items) compared to an operating loss from continuing operations of $33 million (or a profit from continuing operations of $51 million when excluding specified items) in 2005. Excluding specified items, the $79 million change in operating profit from continuing operations was mainly attributable to lower average selling prices and shipments for lumber and chips as well as the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar. These factors were partially mitigated by the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, lower freight and energy costs, mostly due to the indefinite closure of sawmills, and the $7 million refund received in the second quarter of 2006 as a result of the Ontario government’s retroactive reduction in Crown stumpage fees related to 2005 and 2006.

Cash deposits of $17 million were made on softwood lumber exports to the U.S. in 2006 compared to $54 million in 2005. Since May 22, 2002, cash deposits for countervailing and antidumping duties were made and expensed by Domtar Inc. On April 27, 2006, the Canadian and U.S. Governments signed a term sheet which addressed the refund of duty deposits and set out a framework for the management of Canadian softwood lumber exports to the U.S. for a seven-year period. Specific implications of the Agreement included the immediate revocation by the U.S. of the antidumping and countervailing duties orders, with retroactive effect to May 2002; the cessation of countervailing and antidumping duties collections by the U.S.; the termination of ongoing administrative reviews by the U.S.; the prohibition of any new antidumping or countervailing duties investigations in respect of softwood lumber from Canada for the duration of the Agreement and the immediate imposition by the Government of Canada of the export tax regime depending on the option selected by the region. As a result, Domtar Inc. received a refund for duties collected by the U.S. Government since 2002 and interest, amounting to $178 million plus interest of $22 million, during the fourth quarter of 2006. This refund was subject to a special charge of approximately 18% by the Canadian Government. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. recorded a provision of $36 million relating to this special charge, which was paid in January 2007.

Pricing environment

Domtar Inc.’s average transaction price for Great Lakes 2x4 stud decreased by $74/MFBM and Domtar Inc.’s average transaction price for Great Lakes 2x4 random length decreased by $52/MFBM in 2006 compared to 2005.

Operations

In January 2007, due to the difficult market conditions that have prevailed in the wood sector in recent months, including the slowdown in the U.S. housing market and the new softwood lumber agreement between the U.S. and Canadian governments, Domtar Inc. announced the

 

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indefinite closure of its White River sawmill expected to be effective in the second quarter of 2007. The closure will impact approximately 140 permanent positions.

In November 2005, due to reduced softwood fiber allocations, which have increased fiber costs in Québec, Domtar Inc. announced the closures of its Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills, which became effective in the second quarter of 2006. As a result, the book value of these sawmills was reduced to their net recoverable value. These closures impacted approximately 200 permanent positions. Subject to government approval, the wood fiber allocation for Grand-Remous and Malartic will be transferred to Domtar Inc.’s other Québec sawmills. This will ensure more efficient operations by going to three shifts and will offer the possibility for approximately 80 employees from the closed sawmills to obtain new positions created by an additional shift. Domtar Inc. is currently working with a partner, in collaboration with the Québec government, on a value-added project to use the Grand-Remous and Malartic infrastructures. In June 2006, Domtar Inc. signed an agreement in principle with TechCana related to the sale of certain assets located at those sawmills. This agreement was originally scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2006 and has been subsequently delayed. This transaction is subject to the satisfaction of a number of customary closing conditions.

In November 2005, the decision to temporarily shut down Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill due to unfavorable economic conditions caused Domtar Inc. to indefinitely idle its adjacent sawmill. The Lebel-sur-Quévillon sawmill restarted temporarily in the second quarter of 2006 in order to process its roundwood inventory and was shut down indefinitely again on October 11, 2006. Additionally, on October 11, 2006, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite closures of three other sawmills (two in Abitibi, Québec, and one in Ontario). The closures, which occurred in October 2006, are primarily due to the pressure of higher timber costs and lower demand for both lumber and wood chips. These closures impacted approximately 360 permanent positions and reduced production capacity by approximately 400 million board feet of lumber.

In early 2005, Domtar Inc. announced, in conjunction with Tembec Inc. (Tembec), the restructuring of Domtar Inc.’s northeastern Ontario sawmill operations, resulting in the permanent closure of Domtar Inc.’s Chapleau sawmill as of March 6, 2005. This measure impacted 67 permanent positions. This initiative arose from a review of Domtar Inc.’s northeastern Ontario sawmill operations in light of prevailing challenging conditions. This initiative allowed Domtar Inc. to add a third shift at its Elk Lake sawmill in April 2005 to process additional fiber resulting from the Chapleau closure and the resulting fiber swap with Tembec.

Throughout 2005, certain of Domtar Inc.’s operations were negatively impacted by several events and market conditions. In early March 2005, a fire destroyed Domtar Inc.’s planer at Elk Lake causing dressing activities to be transferred primarily its Chapleau mill facility until the planer was rebuilt and put into operation in November 2005. Additionally, a forest fire in May 2005 negatively impacted Domtar Inc.’s operations and resulted in a loss of 25,000 cubic meters of cut wood and 30,000 acres of forest. Higher wood fiber costs in Québec and a reduction in harvest volumes further affected Domtar Inc.’s productivity.

Fiber supply

The Province of Québec adopted new legislation, which became effective April 1, 2005, that reduced allowable wood-harvesting volumes by an average of 20% on public lands and 25% on territories covered by an agreement between the Government of Québec and Cree First Nations. As a result, the amount of fiber Domtar Inc. was permitted to harvest annually, under its existing

 

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licenses from the Québec government, was reduced by approximately 500,000 cubic meters to approximately 2.0 million cubic meters, reflecting a 21% reduction. Recently, the Chief Forester of Québec has proposed a further reduction of 60,000 cubic meters, or 3%, in the total softwood annual allowable cut of forests managed by Domtar Inc. This would significantly affect the supply of fiber for Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills and market pulp operations. Resulting from the closure in November 2005 of Domtar Inc.’s pulp mill at Lebel-sur-Quévillon due to unfavorable economic conditions and no alternative markets for chips produced by Domtar Inc.’s sawmills, as well as the reduced allowable wood harvesting volume, Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills, including Val d’Or, Matagami and Lebel-sur-Quévillon, were closed for an indefinite period of time. These sawmills closures represent a combined annual capacity of approximately 400 million board feet of lumber.

Domtar Inc. is currently working on finding solutions such as obtaining alternate sources of fiber. The reduction in harvest volume has a corresponding increase in the unit cost of wood delivered to the sawmills. If Domtar Inc. is unable to maintain an adequate supply of fiber to mitigate the significant cost increase and wood delivery cost, Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills and market pulp operations may not reopen and may result in permanent closures or impairment of assets.

Financing expenses and income taxes

Financing expenses

In 2006, financing expenses amounted to $150 million compared to $144 million in 2005. In 2005, Domtar Inc.’s financing expenses included $7 million relating to early redemption expenses arising from the refinancing of a portion of Domtar Inc.’s long-term debt and $5 million relating to a foreign exchange gain on the translation of a portion of Domtar Inc.’s long term debt. Excluding those two items, the $8 million increase in financing expenses was largely due to higher interest rates, which impacted interest expense related to Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit as well as its securitization program, partially offset by the positive impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on its U.S. dollar interest expense.

Income taxes

In 2006, Domtar Inc.’s income tax expense totaled $24 million compared to an income tax recovery of $183 million in 2005. This variation is primarily due to the realization of earnings in 2006 compared to losses in 2005. To a lesser extent, this variation results from a combination of other factors, including a tax recovery adjustment of $2 million due to a decrease in statutory enacted income tax rates, $10 million following the income tax reassessment of prior years by tax authorities, the mix and level of earnings subject to different tax jurisdictions and differences in tax rates applicable to Domtar Inc.’s foreign subsidiaries.

 

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Balance sheet

Since Domtar Inc. sold its 50% interest in Norampac in December 2006, the 2006 balance sheet does not contain information pertaining to Norampac, whereas the 2005 balance sheet does. In order to achieve comparability, Domtar Inc. has provided below some of the 2005 balance sheet items excluding information pertaining to its 50% interest in Norampac.

 

       Year ended  

Balance sheet items

(In millions of Canadian dollars)

   December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2005
excluding
Norampac
 
   

Receivables

   $  305     $294     $198  

Inventories

   575     715     646  

Property, plant and equipment

   3,044     3,634     3,254  

Assets held for sales

   24          

Goodwill

   6     92     6  

Other assets

   275     309     292  

Trade and other payables

   533     651     569  

Long-term debt (including the portion due within one year)

   1,891     2,259     2,053  

Future income taxes

   285     292     216  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   223     331     299  

Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments

   (202 )   (205 )   (200 )
   

Domtar Inc.’s total consolidated assets were $4,955 million as at December 31, 2006 compared to $5,192 million, including Norampac, as at December 31, 2005. The following is a comparison of 2006 versus 2005 excluding Norampac. Receivables amounted to $305 million as at December 31, 2006, an increase of $107 million when compared to $198 million as at December 31, 2005. This increase is mostly due to reduced securitized receivables in the amount of $140 million and higher average selling prices, partially offset by mill closures. Inventories as at December 31, 2006 totaled $575 million, a decrease of $71 million when compared to $646 million as at December 31, 2005. This decrease is mostly attributable to lower levels of raw materials (wood inventory) due to the impact of mill closures. Property, plant and equipment as at December 31, 2006 amounted to $3,044 million compared to $3,254 million as at December 31, 2005. This $210 million decrease was mainly attributable to a greater level of amortization expense compared to capital expenditures. Other assets stood at $275 million as at December 31, 2006 compared to $292 million as at December 31, 2005. This $17 million decrease was attributable to, among other things, impairment of an investment in the wood segment and mark-to-market losses of Domtar Inc.’s pulp swap financial instruments, partially offset by higher funding of Domtar Inc.’s pension assets compared to pension expense.

Trade and other payables stood at $533 million as at December 31, 2006, a decrease of $36 million compared to $569 million as at December 31, 2005. This decrease is mainly attributable to the timing of payments and expenses in December 2006 versus December 2005, as well as mill closures. Long-term debt (including the portion due within one year) stood at $1,891 million as at December 31, 2006, a decrease of $162 million compared to $2,053 million as at December 31, 2005. This decrease is mainly due to debt repayments made on Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit facility. Future income taxes stood at $285 million as at December 31, 2006, a $69 million increase

 

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compared to $216 million as at December 31, 2005. This increase is due to the utilization of prior years’ losses to reduce the taxable income in 2006. Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments were negative $202 million as at December 31, 2006 compared to negative $200 million as at December 31, 2005. This variation reflects the net impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on the net assets of Domtar Inc.’s self-sustaining U.S. subsidiaries, or $1 million, net of the impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on the long-term debt designated as a hedge of the above-mentioned net assets, or $1 million, and its corresponding income tax effect of $1 million.

Liquidity and capital resources

 

       Year ended  

Free cash flow

(In millions of Canadian dollars)

   December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2004
 
   

Cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations before changes in working capital and other items

   389     141     207  

Changes in working capital and other items

   (167 )   (182 )   (121 )

Cash flows provided from (used for) operating activities of continuing operations

   222     (41 )   86  

Net additions to property, plant and equipment

   (91 )   (129 )   (126 )

Free cash flow(1)

   131     (170 )   (40 )
   

 

(1)   Free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure that Domtar Inc. defines as the amount by which cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, exceeds net additions to property, plant and equipment, as determined in accordance with GAAP (additions to property, plant and equipment net of proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment). Domtar Inc. uses free cash flow in evaluating Domtar Inc.’s ability and that of Domtar Inc.’s business segments to service Domtar Inc.’s debt and pay dividends to Domtar Inc.’s shareholders and, as such, believes it would be useful for investors and other users to be aware of this measure so they can better assess Domtar Inc.’s performance. Domtar Inc.’s free cash flow measure has no standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and therefore should not be considered in isolation.

Domtar Inc.’s principal cash requirements are for working capital, capital expenditures, as well as principal and interest payments on its debt. Domtar Inc. expects to fund its liquidity needs primarily with internally generated funds from its operations and, to the extent necessary, through borrowings under its revolving credit facility. Domtar Inc. also has the ability to fund liquidity requirements through new financings, subject to satisfactory market conditions and / or credit ratings.

Operating activities

Cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations totaled $222 million in 2006 compared to cash flows used for operating activities of continuing operations of $41 million in 2005. This $263 million improvement in cash flows generated from continuing operations mainly reflects an increase in profitability, due in large part to the duties refund, as well as decreased requirements for working capital. Change in working capital for 2006 includes an increase in receivables due to a reduction of off balance sheet securitization in the amount of CDN$140 million ($120 million). Domtar Inc.’s operating cash flow requirements are primarily for salaries and benefits, the purchase of wood fiber, energy and raw materials and other expenses such as property taxes.

 

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Investing activities

Cash flows provided from investing activities of continuing operations totaled $471 million in 2006 compared to cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations of $132 million in 2005. The $603 million improvement in cash flows provided from investing activities of continuing operations was mainly attributable to the sale of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac for which Domtar Inc. received a cash consideration of $560 million and to a lesser extent, fewer additions to property, plant and equipment. Domtar Inc. intends to limit its annual capital expenditures to below 75% of amortization. Capital expenditures required to maintain existing operations are approximately $90 million annually.

Free cash flow in 2006 was $131 million compared to negative $170 million in 2005. This improvement mainly reflects an increase in profitability offset by working capital requirements.

Financing activities

In 2006, cash flows used for financing activities of continuing operations amounted to $115 million compared to cash flows provided from financing activities of continuing operations of $188 million in 2005. This $303 million increase in cash flows used for financing activities of continuing operations is largely attributable to a repayment on Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit facility resulting from better cash flow from operations, which included the refund for duties collected by the U.S. Government, lower borrowings and reduced dividend payments.

On October 27, 2005, as part of its plan to improve its free cash flow availability, Domtar Inc. announced that it was suspending its $0.24 per common share dividend. This decision resulted in annual cash savings of approximately $55 million, based on the $0.24 per common share dividend Domtar Inc. had been paying at the time of the suspension.

 

Net debt-to-total capitalization ratio(1)

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

   December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2004
 
   

Bank indebtedness

   62     21     22  

Long-term debt (including portion due within one year)

   1,891     2,259     2,034  

Cash and cash equivalents

   (649 )   (83 )   (52 )
      

Net debt

   1,304     2,197     2,004  

Shareholders’ equity

   1,941     1,609     2,046  
      

Total capitalization

   3,245     3,806     4,050  

Net debt-to-total capitalization (%)

   40.2%     57.7%     49.5%  
   
(1)   Net debt-to-total capitalization ratio is a non-GAAP measure. Domtar Inc. tracks this ratio on a regular basis in order to assess Domtar Inc.’s debt position. Domtar Inc. therefore believes it would be useful for investors and other users to be aware of this measure so they can better assess Domtar Inc.’s performance. Net debt-to-total capitalization ratio has no standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and therefore should not be considered in isolation.

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc.’s net debt-to-total capitalization ratio was 40.2% compared to 57.7% as at December 31, 2005. Net indebtedness was $1,304 million as at December 31, 2006 compared to $2,197 million, including Norampac, as at December 31, 2005. The $893 million decrease in net indebtedness was largely due to an increase in cash and cash equivalents resulting from the proceeds on sale of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac, the

 

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corresponding deconsolidation of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac and corresponding non-recourse debt as well as repayment on Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit facilities resulting from the refund of duties.

On March 3, 2005, Domtar Inc. entered into a new five-year unsecured revolving credit facility of $700 million. This amount was reduced to $600 million pursuant to an amendment to this facility in November 2005. This new facility replaced the prior credit facility, which consisted of a $500 million unsecured revolving credit facility and a $70 million unsecured term loan that was scheduled to mature in July 2006.

Borrowings under this new unsecured revolving credit facility bear interest at a rate based on the Canadian dollar bankers’ acceptance or U.S. dollar LIBOR rate, each with an added spread that varies with Domtar Inc.’s credit rating, or on the Canadian or U.S. prime rate. This credit facility also requires commitment fees that vary with Domtar Inc.’s credit rating.

In connection with the November 2005 amendment, Domtar Inc. made certain changes to its credit facility, which matures in 2010, in order to improve financial flexibility. This amendment contained certain financial covenants which require Domtar Inc., on a rolling four quarter basis, to maintain (a) a minimum EBITDA to interest ratio of 1.5:1.0 by the end of 2006, increasing to 1.75:1.0 in 2007 and 2.5:1.0 at the beginning of 2008, excluding from the calculation most of the charges related to Domtar Inc.’s restructuring plans, and (b) a minimum EBITDA of $225 million in 2006, increasing to $325 million in 2007, as calculated in accordance with Domtar Inc.’s credit facility which exclude from the calculation most of the charges related to Domtar Inc.’s restructuring plans. There is no minimum EBITDA requirement after 2007, in each case, as defined in the credit facility. Domtar Inc., on a quarterly basis, is required not to exceed a maximum debt-to-total capitalization ratio of 60%, excluding from the calculation most of the impact of the restructuring plans. The amendment also included a reduction in the size of the facility from $700 million to $600 million, and provided for guarantees by Domtar Inc.’s subsidiaries.

As at December 31, 2006, this credit facility had no drawings, $16 million (CDN$18 million) of letters of credit outstanding and no amounts drawn in the form of bank overdraft and included in “Bank indebtedness,” resulting in $584 million (CDN$681 million) of availability for future drawings under this facility. As of December 31, 2005, Domtar Inc. had drawings of $137 million (CDN$160 million), $18 million (CDN$21 million) letters of credit outstanding, and $13 million (CDN$15 million) drawn in the form of bank overdraft and included in “Description of other indebtedness.”

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had a provision of $4 million related to these letters of credit ($4 million as at December 31, 2005).

In addition, as at December 31, 2006, separate letters of credit of $3 million were outstanding. No provisions relating to these letters of credit were recorded.

Domtar Inc.’s borrowing agreements contain restrictive covenants. See the discussion above for covenants related to Domtar Inc.’s unsecured bank credit facility. The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures related to the 10% and 10.85% Canadian debentures limit the amount of dividends that may be paid and the amount of shares that may be repurchased for cancellation. These indentures also require that no new long-term debt be incurred, unless total long-term debt is less than 50% of consolidated net tangible assets, but do not restrict the incurrence of new long- term debt related to the purchase of property or the replacement of existing long-term debt or

 

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the issuance of short-term debt. All Domtar Inc.’s borrowing agreements contain restrictions on the amount of secured borrowings Domtar Inc. can incur with other lenders.

The following table sets forth Domtar Inc.’s credit ratings as of December 31, 2006:

 

Credit ratings rating agency    Security    Rating
 

Dominion Bond Rating Service

   Unsecured Notes and Debentures    BB (low)

 

   Preferred Shares    P5 (high)

Moody’s Investors Services

   Unsecured Notes and Debentures    B2

Standard & Poor’s

   Unsecured Notes and Debentures    B+
 

The above ratings represent a risk assessment of Domtar Inc.’s public unsecured debt securities. The rating by Dominion Bond Rating Service (DBRS) is the fifth best rating in terms of quality within ten rating gradations, with the “low” indicating a ranking in the lower end of this rating category. The rating by Moody’s Investors Services (Moody’s) is the sixth best rating in terms of quality within nine rating gradations, with the numerical modifier 2 indicating a ranking in the middle end of this rating category. The rating by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) is the sixth best rating in terms of quality within ten rating gradations, with the “plus” indicating a ranking at the higher end of this category.

During the past year, Domtar Inc.’s unsecured note rating with DBRS fell from BB (high) to BB (low) and Domtar Inc.’s unsecured note rating with Moody’s fell from B1 to B2. These reductions in Domtar Inc.’s credit ratings impact Domtar Inc.’s access to and cost of capital and financial flexibility. Further reductions in Domtar Inc.’s credit ratings would have an added negative impact on Domtar Inc.’s financial flexibility. The above ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the above rating agencies.

Common shares

In 2006, common shares amounting to $4 million were issued, net of expenses, pursuant to Domtar Inc.’s stock option and share purchase plans compared to $7 million in 2005.

As at January 31, 2007, Domtar Inc. had 231,605,809 common shares, 67,476 Series A Preferred Shares and 1,230,000 Series B Preferred Shares issued and outstanding.

As at January 31, 2007, Domtar Inc. had 4,321,757 common share purchase options issued and outstanding under the Executive stock option and share purchase plan.

Off balance sheet arrangements

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. finances certain of its activities off balance sheet through leases and securitizations.

 

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Leases

On an ongoing basis, Domtar Inc. enters into operating leases for property, plant and equipment. Minimum future rental payments under these operating leases, determined as at December 31, 2006, amounted to $87 million.

Securitizations

Domtar Inc. sells its trade receivables through a securitization program which expires in February 2010. Domtar Inc. uses securitization of its receivables as a source of financing by reducing its working capital requirements. This securitization consists of the sale of receivables, or the sale of senior beneficial interest in them, to special purpose trusts managed by financial institutions for multiple sellers of receivables. The agreement normally allows the daily sale of new receivables to replace those that have been collected. It also limits the cash that can be received from the sale of the senior beneficial interest. Such sales of receivables are contingent upon annual renewals and retaining specified credit ratings. The subordinate interest retained by Domtar Inc. is included in “Receivables” and will be collected only after the senior beneficial interest has been settled. The book value of the retained subordinated interests approximates fair value.

As at December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005, the senior beneficial interest in receivables held by third parties amounted to $23 million and $163 million, respectively. Domtar Inc. expects to continue selling receivables on an ongoing basis, given the attractive discount rates.

Should this program be discontinued either by management’s decision or due to termination of the program by the provider, Domtar Inc.’s working capital and bank debt requirements would increase.

Guarantees

Indemnifications

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. offers indemnifications relating to the sale of its businesses and real estate. In general, these indemnifications may relate to claims from past business operations, the failure to abide by covenants and the breach of representations and warranties included in the sales agreements. Typically, such representations and warranties relate to taxation, environmental, product and employee matters. The terms of these indemnification agreements are generally for an unlimited period of time. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. is unable to estimate the potential maximum liabilities for these types of indemnification guarantees as the amounts are contingent upon the outcome of future events, the nature and likelihood of which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. Accordingly, no provisions have been recorded. These indemnifications have not yielded significant expenses in the past.

Pension plans

Domtar Inc. has indemnified and held harmless the trustees of Domtar Inc.’s pension funds, and the respective officers, directors, employees and agents of such trustees, from any and all costs and expenses arising out of the performance of their obligations under the relevant trust agreements, including in respect of their reliance on authorized instructions of Domtar Inc. or for failing to act in the absence of authorized instructions. These indemnifications survive the termination of such agreements. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had not recorded a liability associated with these indemnifications, as Domtar Inc. does not expect to make any payments pertaining to these indemnifications.

 

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E.B. Eddy acquisition

On July 31, 1998, Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc. (E.B. Eddy), an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of Domtar Inc. in specified circumstances, Domtar Inc. may have had to pay up to a maximum of $113 million (CDN$120 million), an amount which is gradually declining over a 25-year period. As at March 7, 2007, the closing date of the Acquisition Transactions, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was $103 million (CDN$110 million). No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

Debt agreements

Certain debt agreements require Domtar Inc. to indemnify the parties in the event of changes in elements such as withholding tax regulations. As the nature and scope of such indemnifications are contingent on future events, none of which can be foreseen as at December 31, 2006, and the structure of such transactions makes these events unlikely, no provisions have been recorded in the consolidated financial statements.

Contractual obligations and commercial commitments

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. enters into certain contractual obligations and commercial commitments. The following tables provide Domtar Inc.’s obligations and commitments as at December 31, 2006:

 

Contractual obligations contract type

(In millions of Canadian dollars)

   2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    Thereafter    Total
 

Debentures and notes

   $  —    $—    $  —    $  —    $781    $1,095    $1,876

Other

   2       3          10    15
                                  

Long-term debt

   2       3       781    1,105    1,891

Operating leases

   20    17    13    11    9    17    87
                                  

Total obligations

   22    17    16    11    790    1,122    1,978
 

 

Commercial obligations commitment type

(In millions of Canadian dollars)

   2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    Thereafter    Total
 

Letters of credit

   $  18    $ —    $ —    $ —    $ —    $ —    $  18

Other commercial commitments*

   85    34    25    9    7    6    166
                                  

Total commitments

   103    34    25    9    7    6    184
 

 

*   includes commitments to purchase roundwood, wood, chips, gas, electricity and certain chemicals.

 

       For 2007 and the foreseeable future, Domtar Inc. expects cash flows from operations and from Domtar Inc.’s various sources of financing to be sufficient to meet Domtar Inc.’s contractual obligations and commercial commitments.

2005 compared to 2004

Sales in 2005 amounted to $4,247 million, a decrease of $156 million or 4% from sales of $4,403 million in 2004. This decrease was mainly attributable to the negative impact of a 7% rise in the year-over-year average value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar (from $0.769 to $0.826) and, to a lesser extent, to lower shipments for pulp and paper. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for all of Domtar Inc.’s major products and higher shipments for wood products.

 

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Cost of sales decreased by $78 million or 2% in 2005 compared to 2004. This decrease was mainly attributable to the positive impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on Domtar Inc.’s U.S. dollar denominated expenses, lower shipments for pulp and paper, the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities and lower duties on Domtar Inc.’s softwood lumber exports to the U.S. These factors were partially offset by higher costs for purchased wood fiber, chemicals, energy and freight, and higher shipments for wood.

SG&A expenses decreased by $14 million or 6% in 2005 compared to 2004. SG&A in 2005 included unrealized mark-to-market losses on financial instruments of $5 million, a charge of $13 million related to a legal settlement with regards to an investigation by the Canadian Competition Bureau and insurance recoveries of $3 million, while SG&A in 2004 included unrealized mark-to-market gains of $3 million. When excluding these specified items, SG&A decreased by $27 million or 11% compared to 2004. This decrease was mainly attributable to the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities.

Operating loss from continuing operations in 2005 amounted to $349 million compared to an operating profit from continuing operations of $23 million in 2004. Excluding specified items, operating profit from continuing operations totaled $23 million in 2005 compared to an operating profit from continuing operations of $111 million in 2004. The $88 million decrease in operating profit from continuing operations excluding specified items was largely attributable to the $121 million negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar (net of the positive effect of Domtar Inc.’s hedging program), higher costs for purchased wood fiber, chemicals, energy and freight, and lower shipments for pulp and paper. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for all of Domtar Inc.’s major products, the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities and higher shipments for wood products.

Net loss amounted to $388 million ($1.69 per common share) in 2005 compared to a net loss of $42 million ($0.19 per common share) in 2004. Excluding specified items, loss from continuing operations amounted to $51 million in 2005 compared to a loss from continuing operations of $4 million in 2004. The $47 million increase in loss from continuing operations, excluding specified items, was mainly attributable to the factors mentioned above, partially offset by a higher income tax recovery.

Cash flows used for operating activities of continuing operations in 2005 amounted to $41 million compared to cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations of $86 million in 2004. Net additions to property, plant and equipment amounted to $129 million in 2005 compared to $126 million in 2004. Domtar Inc. posted negative free cash flow of $170 million in 2005 compared to negative free cash flow of $40 million in 2004. This $130 million deterioration mainly reflects a decline in profitability, as well as increased requirements for working capital. See “Free cash flow” table and definition in the “Liquidity and capital resources” section in this 2006 v. 2005 Annual Overview.

Domtar Inc.’s total long-term debt increased by $225 million, largely due to additional net borrowings of $293 million, partially offset by the $68 million positive impact of a stronger Canadian dollar (based on month-end foreign exchange rates) on Domtar Inc.’s U.S. dollar denominated debt. Domtar Inc.’s net debt-to-total capitalization ratio as at December 31, 2005 stood at 57.7% compared to 49.5% as at December 31, 2004. See “Net debt-to-total capitalization ratio” table and definition in the “Liquidity and capital resources” section in this 2006 v. 2005 Annual Overview.

 

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Accounting change

Stock-based compensation for employees eligible to retire before the vesting date

In July 2006, the Emerging Issues Committee of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (“CICA”) issued EIC 162, “Stock-based Compensation for Employees Eligible to Retire before the Vesting Date.” EIC-162 clarifies the accounting for compensation costs relating to stock-based awards granted to employees. EIC 162 requires that: i) compensation costs attributable to stock-based awards granted to employees who are eligible to retire on the grant date be recognized on the grant date; and ii) compensation cost attributable to stock-based awards granted to employees who will become eligible to retire during the vesting period be recognized over the period from the grant date to the date of retirement eligibility. This abstract is to be applied retroactively, with restatement of prior periods, and is effective for the year ended December 31, 2006. The adoption of this guideline had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements under Canadian GAAP.

Impact of accounting pronouncements not yet implemented

Accounting changes

On July 1, 2006, the Accounting Standards Board (“AcSB”) issued a replacement of Handbook Section 1506 “ Accounting Changes.” The new standard allows for voluntary changes in accounting policy only when they result in the financial statements providing reliable and more relevant information, requires changes in accounting policy to be applied retrospectively unless doing so is impracticable, requires prior period effects of changes in accounting policies, estimates and errors on the financial statements. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2007, with earlier adoption encouraged. Domtar Inc. does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Financial instruments

In April 2005, the CICA issued three new Handbook Sections related to financial instruments: Section 3855 “Financial Instruments—Recognition and Measurement,” Section 3865 “Hedges” and Section 1530 “Comprehensive Income.” These Sections apply to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2006.

Financial instruments—recognition and measurement

Section 3855 expands on Handbook Section 3860 “Financial Instruments—Disclosure and Presentation,” by prescribing when a financial instrument is to be recognized on the balance sheet and at what amount. It also specifies how financial instrument gains and losses are to be presented. Under this new Section:

 

 

All financial assets and liabilities will be carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, except loans and receivables, investments held-to-maturity and non-trading financial liabilities, which will be carried at amortized cost.

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains and losses on trading financial assets and liabilities will be recognized immediately in the consolidated statement of income.

 

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Unrealized gains and losses on financial assets that are available for sale will be recognized in other comprehensive income until their realization, after which these amounts will be recognized in the consolidated statement of income.

 

 

All derivatives financial instruments will be carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, including those derivatives that are embedded in other contracts but are not closely related to the host contract.

 

 

Gains and losses on instruments designated as cash flow hedges are recognized in other comprehensive income, except for the ineffective portion of the hedges which will be recognized in net income.

Hedges

Section 3865 provides alternative accounting treatments to those found in Section 3855 for entities who choose to designate qualifying transactions as hedges for accounting purposes. It replaces and expands on AcG-13 “Hedging Relationships,” and the hedging guidance in Section 1650 “Foreign Currency Translation” by specifying how hedge accounting is applied and what disclosures are necessary when it is applied. Under this new statement:

 

 

In a fair value hedge, hedging derivatives are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of income. The changes in the fair value of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk will also be recorded in consolidated income by way of a corresponding adjustment of the carrying amount of the hedged items recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

 

 

In a cash flow hedge, the changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments will be recorded in other comprehensive income. These amounts will be reclassified in the consolidated statement of income in the periods in which results are affected by the cash flows of the hedged item.

 

 

Hedges of net investments in self-sustaining foreign operations are treated in a manner similar to cash flow hedges.

 

 

Any hedge ineffectiveness will be recorded in the consolidated statement of income.

Comprehensive income

Section 1530 introduces a new requirement to present certain revenues, expenses, gains and losses, that otherwise would not be immediately recorded in income, in a comprehensive income statement with the same prominence as other statements that constitute a complete set of financial statements.

Domtar Inc. is currently completing its evaluation of the impact that these accounting pronouncements will have on its first quarter 2007 financial statements. Domtar Inc. expects the more significant impacts of applying these new Sections to relate to:

 

 

the requirement to present a new statement entitled “Comprehensive income,”

 

 

the recognition of the fair value of cash flow hedges on the balance sheet with the offset to other comprehensive income,

 

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the reclassification of foreign currency translation adjustments from Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments to Other comprehensive income,

 

 

the reclassification of the deferred gains on the early settlement of interest rate swap contracts from Other liabilities and deferred credits to Long-term debt,

 

 

the reclassification of unamortized debt issue costs and long-term debt discounts from Other asset to Long-term debt.

As such, as at January 1, 2007, Domtar Inc. expects Other assets to decrease by approximately $26 million, Future income tax asset to increase by approximately $2 million, Other long-term liabilities and deferred credits to decrease by $5 million, Long-term debt to decrease by $14 million, Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments to be nil and Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to be a loss of $207 million.

Financial instrument—disclosures and presentation

In April 2005, the AcSB issued Handbook Section 3861 “Financial instruments—Disclosure and presentation.” This section establishes standards for presentation of financial instruments and non-financial derivatives and identifies information that should be disclosed about them. This section applies to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2006. In December 2006, the AcSB issued Handbook Section 3862 “Financial instruments—Disclosures” and Handbook Section 3863 “Financial instruments—Presentation.” These standards revise Section 3861. Under these new sections, entities will be required to disclose information that enables users to evaluate the significance of a financial instrument to an entity’s financial position and performance. These sections apply to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2007. Domtar Inc. does not expect the initial adoption of these standards to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Capital disclosure

In December 2006, the AsCB issued Handbook Section 1535 “Capital Disclosures,” which establishes guidelines for the disclosure of information regarding an entity’s capital and how it is managed. This standard requires disclosure of an entity’s objectives, policies and processes for managing capital, quantitative data about what the entity regards as capital and whether the entity has complied with any capital requirements and, if it has not complied, the consequences of such non-compliance. This standard is effective for interim and annual financial statements relating to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2007. Domtar Inc. does not expect the initial adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Critical accounting policies

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect Domtar Inc.’s results of operations and financial position. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to environmental matters, useful lives, impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill, pension and other employee future benefit plans, income taxes and asset retirement obligations based upon currently available information. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

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These critical accounting policies reflect matters that contain a significant level of management estimates about future events, reflect the most complex and subjective judgments, and are subject to a fair degree of measurement uncertainty.

Environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations

Environmental expenditures for effluent treatment, air emission, landfill operation and closure, asbestos containment and removal, bark pile management, silvicultural activities and site remediation (together referred to as environmental matters) are expensed or capitalized depending on their future economic benefit. In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. incurs certain operating costs for environmental matters that are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment that prevent future environmental impacts are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over 10 to 40 years. Provisions for environmental matters are not discounted and are recorded when remediation efforts are likely and can be reasonably determined.

Domtar Inc. recognizes asset retirement obligations at fair value in the period in which Domtar Inc. incurs a legal obligation associated with the retirement of an asset. Domtar Inc.’s asset retirement obligations are principally linked to landfill capping obligations, asbestos removal obligations and demolition of certain abandoned buildings. Conditional asset retirement obligations are recognized, at fair value, when the fair value of the liability can be reasonably estimated. The associated costs are capitalized as part of the carrying value of the related asset and depreciated over its remaining useful life. The liability is accreted using a credit adjusted risk-free interest rate.

The estimate of fair value is based on the results of the expected future cash flow approach, in which multiple cash flow scenarios that reflect a range of possible outcomes are considered. Domtar Inc. has established cash flow scenarios for each individual asset retirement obligation. Probabilities are applied to each of the cash flow scenarios to arrive at an expected future cash flow. There is no supplemental risk adjustment made to the expected cash flows. The expected cash flows for each of the asset retirement obligations are discounted using the credit adjusted risk-free interest rate for the corresponding period until the settlement date. The rates used vary, based on the prevailing rate at the moment of recognition of the liability and on its settlement period. The rates used vary between 4.50% and 9.40%.

Cash flow estimates incorporate either assumptions that marketplace participants would use in their estimates of fair value, whenever that information is available without undue cost and effort, or assumptions developed by internal experts.

While Domtar Inc. believes that it has determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred, based on known information, Domtar Inc.’s ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with Domtar Inc.’s former and present operations may lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts may result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had a provision of $54 million for environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, Domtar Inc. believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on Domtar Inc.’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

 

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The pulp and paper industry in the United States was subject to the Boiler MACT Rule that further regulated air emissions (the Boiler MACT Rule has been vacated, however, alternative U.S. federal and state regulations are being discussed). Domtar Inc. believes it complies with all such current air emissions regulations and Domtar Inc. anticipates spending approximately $4 million over the next year to meet such requirements.

As at December 31, 2006, anticipated undiscounted payments in each of the next five years are as follows:

 

(In millions of Canadian dollars)    2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    Thereafter    Total  
   

Environmental provision and other asset retirement obligations

   $ 12    $ 10    $ 7    $ 3    $ 6    $ 16    $ 54  

Boiler M.A.C.T Rules

     4                               4  
        
     16      10      7      3      6      16      58  
   

In 2006, Domtar Inc.’s operating expenses for environmental matters totaled $60 million and Domtar Inc. capitalized an additional $9 million for environmental projects mainly related to the improvement of air emissions, effluent treatment and remedial actions taken to address environmental compliance. In 2007, Domtar Inc. expects to capitalize approximately $4 million for environmental projects, including Boiler MACT Rule obligations. However, a decision for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the Boiler MACT Rule on July 30, 2007 and discussions are ongoing for alternative U.S. federal and state regulations. Domtar Inc. is unable to estimate the total amount of capital expenditures that may be required beyond 2007 for environmental compliance. However, Domtar Inc. does not expect any additional required expenditure to have a material adverse effect on its financial position, earnings or cash flows.

Useful lives

Domtar Inc.’s property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated amortization, including asset impairment write-down. Interest costs are capitalized for capital projects in excess of $10 million and having a duration in excess of one year. For timber limits and timberlands, amortization is calculated using the unit of production method. For all other assets, amortization is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets.

On a regular basis, Domtar Inc. reviews the estimated useful lives of Domtar Inc.’s property, plant and equipment. Assessing the reasonableness of the estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment requires judgment and is based on currently available information. Changes in circumstances such as technological advances, changes to Domtar Inc.’s business strategy, changes to Domtar Inc.’s capital strategy or changes in regulation can result in the actual useful lives differing from Domtar Inc.’s estimates. Revisions to the estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment constitute a change in accounting estimate and are dealt with prospectively by amending amortization rates. A change in the remaining estimated useful life of a group of assets, or their estimated net salvage value, will affect the amortization rate used to amortize the group of assets and thus affect amortization expense as reported in Domtar Inc.’s results of operations. A change of one year in the composite estimated useful life of Domtar Inc.’s fixed asset base would impact annual depreciation expense by approximately $15 million.

In 2006, Domtar Inc. recorded total amortization expense of $284 million compared to $329 million in 2005 (or $554 million when including specified items pertaining to write-downs in the value of property, plant and equipment as a result of closures). As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had property, plant and equipment with a net book value of $3,044 million ($3,634 million in 2005).

 

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Impairment of long-lived assets

Domtar Inc. reviews the carrying amount of long-lived assets when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable through future operations. This is accomplished by determining whether projected undiscounted future cash flows from operations exceed the net carrying amount of the assets as of the assessment date (Step I test). Impaired assets are recorded at fair value, determined principally by using discounted future cash flows expected from their use and eventual disposition (Step II test). Estimates of future cash flows and fair value require judgment and may change over time.

During the fourth quarter of 2006, Domtar Inc. conducted Step I of the impairment tests on most of Domtar Inc.’s Canadian Pulp and Paper manufacturing facilities and the Wood segment.

Estimates of future cash flows used to test the recoverability of a long-lived asset included key assumptions related to trend prices, the 10 to 15 years forecasted exchange rate for the U.S. dollar and the estimated useful life of the long-lived assets.

The trend prices were based on an analysis of external price trends, including Resource Information Systems, Inc. (RISI), as well as normalized pulp, paper and wood pricing over a business cycle at the mills subjected to the impairment tests.

The forecasted Canadian-U.S. foreign exchange rate assumptions were based on independent market information, as well as analysis of historical data, trends and cycles. Management expects the 10 to 15 years average rate to be approximately CDN$1.00 to $0.75.

Domtar Inc. concluded that the recognition of an impairment loss for the business units analyzed was not required.

Given the inherent imprecision and corresponding importance of the key assumptions used in the impairment test, it is reasonably possible that changes in future conditions may lead management to use different key assumptions, which could require a material change in the net carrying amount of the assets tested for impairment. The total net carrying amount of these assets was $873 million as at December 31, 2006.

Goodwill

Goodwill is not amortized and is subject to an annual impairment test, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it might be impaired. Testing for impairment is accomplished mainly by determining whether the fair value of a segment, based upon discounted cash flows, exceeds the net carrying amount of that segment as of the assessment date. If the fair value is greater than the net carrying amount, no impairment is necessary. In the event that the net carrying amount exceeds the sum of the discounted cash flows, a second test must be performed whereby the fair value of the segment’s goodwill must be estimated to determine if it is less than its net carrying amount. Fair value of goodwill is estimated in the same way as goodwill was determined at the date of the acquisition in a business combination, that is, the excess of the fair value of the segment over the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the segment.

 

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Pension and other employee future benefit plans

Domtar Inc. contributes to several defined contribution, multi-employer and 401(k) plans. The pension expense under these plans is equal to Domtar Inc.’s contribution. The 2006 pension expense was $15 million ($17 million in 2005) ($4 million related to discontinued operations ($4 million in 2005)).

Domtar Inc. also has several defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all employees, including one closed plan for certain non-unionized employees in Canada. Non-unionized employees in Canada joining Domtar Inc. after June 1, 2000 participate in defined contribution plans. The defined benefit plans are generally contributory in Canada and non-contributory in the United States. The pension expense and the obligation related to the defined benefit plans are actuarially determined using management’s most probable assumptions.

In 2006, pursuant to the decision in November 2005 to close the Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills, Domtar Inc. declared a partial wind-up of the non-unionized and unionized plans related to the Ontario participants in the plan.

Domtar Inc. accounts for pension and other employee future benefits in accordance with CICA recommendations. As such, assumptions are made regarding the valuation of benefit obligations and performance of plan assets. Deferred recognition of differences between actual results and those assumed is a guiding principle of these recommendations. This approach allows for a gradual recognition of changes in benefit obligations and plan performance over the expected average remaining service life of the active employee group covered by the plans.

Pension and other employee future benefit assumptions include the discount rate, the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets, the rate of compensation increase, health care cost trend rates, mortality rates, employee early retirements and terminations or disabilities. Changes in these assumptions result in actuarial gains or losses which, in accordance with CICA recommendations, Domtar Inc. has elected to amortize over the expected average remaining service life of the active employee group covered by the plans only to the extent that the unrecognized net actuarial gains and losses are in excess of 10% of the greater of the accrued benefit obligation and the market-related value of plan assets as at the beginning of the year.

An expected rate of return on plan assets of 6.2% was considered appropriate by Domtar Inc.’s management for the determination of 2006 pension expense. Effective January 1, 2007, Domtar Inc. will use 6.3% as the expected return on plan assets, which reflects the current view of long-term investment returns.

The expected return on plan assets assumption for Domtar Inc. is based on an analysis of the target asset allocation and expected return by asset class. This rate is adjusted for an equity risk premium and by 0.5% to take into consideration the active investment management of the plan assets.

Domtar Inc. sets its discount rate assumption annually to reflect the rates available on high-quality, fixed income debt instruments, with a duration that is expected to match the timing and amount of expected benefit payments. High-quality debt instruments are corporate bonds with a rating of AA or better. The discount rates as at December 31, 2006 for pension plans were estimated at 5.2% for the accrued benefit obligation and 5.1% for the net periodic benefit cost for 2006 and other employee future benefit plans were estimated at 5.2% for the accrued benefit obligation and 5.2% for the net periodic benefit cost for 2006.

 

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The rate of compensation increase is another significant assumption in the actuarial model for pension (set at 2.7% for the accrued benefit obligation and 2.7% for the net periodic benefit cost) and for other employee future benefits (set at 2.9% for the accrued benefit obligation and 3.3% for the net periodic benefit cost) and is determined based upon Domtar Inc.’s long-term plans for such increases.

For measurement purposes, 6.0% weighted-average annual rate of increase in the per capita cost of covered health care benefits was assumed for 2007. The rate was assumed to decrease gradually to 3.7% by 2012 and remain at that level thereafter.

The net periodic benefit cost for defined benefit plans as at December 31, 2006, increased by $1.8 million, related to the impact of the negotiated collective agreement between Domtar Inc. and the syndicat des travailleurs des pâtes et papiers de Windsor Inc. (CSN), and increased by $3.9 million related to the impact of the workforce reduction and restructuring plan announced in November 2005 and in the Fall 2006.

The following table provides a sensitivity analysis of the key weighted average economic assumptions used in measuring the accrued pension benefit obligation, the accrued other employee future benefit obligation and related net periodic benefit cost for 2006. The sensitivity analysis should be used with caution as it is hypothetical and changes in each key assumption may not be linear. The sensitivities in each key variable have been calculated independently of each other.

Sensitivity analysis

 

Pension and other employee future
benefits
   Pension    

Other employee

accrued benefit
obligation

   

Future benefits

net periodic
benefit cost

 
(In millions of Canadian dollars)    Accrued benefit
obligation
    Net periodic
benefit cost
     
   

Expected rate of return on assets

        

Impact of:

        

1% increase

   N/A     (11 )   N/A     N/A  

1% decrease

   N/A     11     N/A     N/A  

Discount rate

        

Impact of:

        

1% increase

   (182 )   (14 )   (8 )    

1% decrease

   186     12     10      

Assumed overall health care cost trend

        

Impact of:

        

1% increase

   N/A     N/A     6     1  

1% decrease

   N/A     N/A     (5 )   (1 )
   

The assets of the pension plans are held by a number of independent trustees and are accounted for separately in Domtar Inc.’s pension funds. The investment strategy for the assets in the pension plans is to maintain a diversified portfolio of assets, invested in a prudent manner to maintain the security of funds while maximizing returns within the guidelines provided in the investment policy. Domtar Inc.’s pension funds are not permitted to own any of its shares or debt instruments. The target asset allocation is based on the expected duration of the benefit obligation, which includes the impact of a partial wind-up related to the mill closures.

 

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The following table shows the allocation of the plan assets, based on the fair value of the assets held at December 31, 2006 and 2005 and the target allocation for 2006:

 

Allocation of plan assets

(in %)

   Target allocation    December 31,
2006
   December 31,
2005
        
 

Fixed income securities

   58%-68%    63%    63%

Equity securities

   32%-42%    37%    37%

Total

      100%    100%
 

Domtar Inc.’s funding policy is to contribute annually the amount required to provide for benefits earned in the year and to fund past service obligations over periods not exceeding those permitted by the applicable regulatory authorities. Past service obligations primarily arise from improvements to plan benefits. The latest actuarial valuations were conducted as at March 31, 2006, for plans representing approximately 74%, December 31, 2005, for plans representing approximately 20%, January 1, 2006, for plans representing approximately 5% and January 1, 2004, for plans representing 1% of the total plans asset fair value. These valuations indicated a funding deficiency. The next actuarial valuations will be completed between December 31, 2006 and January 1, 2009. Domtar Inc. expects to contribute to the pension plans for a total amount of $88 million in 2007 compared to $86 million in 2006. The contributions made in 2006 to the other employee future benefit plans amounted to $7 million.

The estimated future benefit payments from the plans for the next 10 years as at December 31, 2006 are as follows:

 

Estimated future benefit payments from the plans

(In millions of Canadian dollars)

   Pension    Employee
future
benefits
     
     
 

2007

   70    5

2008(1)

   310    6

2009

   73    5

2010

   74    6

2011

   76    6

2012-2015

   426    27
    

Total

   1,029    55
 

 

(1)   Includes estimated future benefit payments from the plans of $239 million related to the partial wind-up of the non-unionized and unionized plans related to the Ontario participants in the plan in 2006.

Income taxes

Domtar Inc. uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, future tax assets and liabilities are determined according to differences between the carrying amounts and tax bases of the assets and liabilities. The change in the net future tax asset or liability is included in earnings and in the “Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments” account in “Shareholders’ equity.” Future tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted or substantively enacted tax rates and laws expected to apply in the years in which assets and liabilities are expected to be recovered or settled. For these years, a projection of taxable income and an assumption of the ultimate recovery or settlement period for temporary differences are required. The projection of future taxable income is based on management’s best estimate and may vary from actual taxable income.

 

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On an annual basis, Domtar Inc. assesses the need to establish a valuation allowance for future tax assets and, if it is deemed more likely than not that Domtar Inc.’s future tax assets will not be realized based on these taxable income projections, a valuation allowance is recorded. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. expects that its future tax assets will not be fully recovered from future taxable income, and has therefore set up a valuation allowance of $4 million.

Domtar Inc.’s future tax assets are mainly composed of temporary differences related to accounting provisions for acquisitions, restructuring, environmental matters, as well as loss carry forwards. The majority of these accruals will be utilized or paid out over the next five years. Domtar Inc.’s future tax liabilities are mainly composed of temporary differences pertaining to plant, equipment and others. Estimating the ultimate settlement period, given the amortization rates in effect are based on information as it develops, requires judgment and Domtar Inc.’s best estimates. The reversal of timing differences is expected at future substantially enacted tax rates, which could change due to changes in income tax laws or the introduction of tax changes through the presentation of annual budgets by different governments. As a result, a change in the timing and the income tax rate at which the components will reverse could materially affect future tax expense as recorded in Domtar Inc.’s results of operations. A one percentage point change in Domtar Inc.’s reported effective income tax rate would have the effect of changing the income tax expense by approximately $7 million.

In addition, Canadian, American and international tax rules and regulations are subject to interpretation and require judgment that may be challenged by taxation authorities. To the best of its knowledge, Domtar Inc. has adequately provided for its future tax consequences based upon current facts and circumstances and current tax law.

For the year ended December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. recorded a total net tax expense of $24 million (recovery of $183 million in 2005), of which $25 million was for future income tax expense (recovery of $193 million in 2005). Domtar Inc.’s net future tax liability as at December 31, 2006 was $238 million ($242 million in 2005).

Closure and restructuring costs

In recent years, Domtar Inc. has committed to several closures and restructuring initiatives, the most significant of which is the series of targeted measures announced on November 30, 2005. The impact of these measures is presented in “Closure and restructuring costs” in the income statement and the related liability is included in “Trade and other payables” and in “Other liabilities and deferred credits.” In general, closure and restructuring costs are recognized as liabilities in the period when they are incurred and are measured at their fair value. For such recognition to occur, management, with the appropriate level of authority, must have approved and committed to a firm plan and appropriate communication to those affected must have occurred. These provisions require an estimation of costs such as severance and termination benefits, pension and curtailments and environmental remediation, and an evaluation of the fair value of the working capital and property, plant and equipment is required to determine the required write-offs. The closure and restructuring expense also includes costs relating to demolition, contractual obligations, training and outplacement. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had closure and restructuring charges of $35 million ($317 million in 2005) and a liability of $27 million ($26 million of liability from continuing operations).

Estimates of cash flows and fair value relating to closures and restructurings require judgment. Closure and restructuring costs are based on management’s best estimates of future events at

 

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December 31, 2006. Closure costs and restructuring estimates are dependent on future events. Although Domtar Inc. does not anticipate significant changes, the actual costs may differ from these estimates due to subsequent developments such as the results of environmental studies, the ability to find a buyer for assets set to be dismantled and demolished and other business developments. As such, additional costs and further working capital and property, plant and equipment write-downs may be required in future periods. Further costs related to the plans expected to be incurred over 2007 and thereafter are not significant.

Financial instruments and other instruments

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. is exposed to certain financial risks. Domtar Inc. does not use derivative instruments for speculative purposes. For more information on financial instruments and other instruments, see Note 18 of Domtar Inc.’s audited consolidated financial statements.

Interest rate risk

Domtar Inc. is exposed to interest rate risk arising from fluctuations in interest rates on its cash and cash equivalents, bank indebtedness, bank credit facility and long-term debt. Domtar Inc. may manage this interest rate exposure by the use of derivative instruments such as interest rate swap contracts. Amounts accounted for under interest rate swap contracts are included in “Financing expenses.”

Credit risk

Domtar Inc. is exposed to credit risk on the accounts receivable from its customers. In order to reduce this risk, Domtar Inc. reviews new customers’ credit histories before granting credit and conduct regular reviews of existing customers’ credit performance.

Domtar Inc. is also exposed to credit risk in the event of non-performance by counterparties to its financial instruments. Domtar Inc. minimizes this exposure by entering into contracts with counterparties that Domtar Inc. believes are of high credit quality. Domtar Inc. usually does not obtain collateral or other security to support financial instruments subject to credit risk. Domtar Inc. regularly monitors the credit standing of counterparties.

 

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Business of the Company

The Company was incorporated as a Delaware corporation in August 2006 for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, which was previously owned by Weyerhaeuser. Domtar Corporation had no operations prior to March 7, 2007, when, upon consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, it became an independent public holding company that directly or indirectly through its subsidiaries, owns the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. and that has its shares traded on The New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The Company’s Head Office and Domtar Inc.’s principal executive office is located at 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Québec Canada H3A 1L6 and its telephone number is (514) 848-5555. Domtar Paper Company, LLC’s principal executive office is located at 100 Kingsley Park Drive, Fort Mill, South Carolina 29715-6476 and its telephone number is (803) 802-7500. The Company’s website is www.domtar.com . The information contained on the Company’s website is not, and should in no way be construed as, a part of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

The Company

The Company is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity and is also a manufacturer of papergrade pulp. Through the Company’s subsidiaries, the Company designs, manufactures, markets and distributes a wide range of fine paper products for a variety of consumers, including merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters and end-users. The Company has three business segments: Papers (paper and pulp), Paper Merchants and Wood.

The Company had pro forma revenues of $6.7 billion in 2006, of which approximately 78% was from the Papers segment, approximately 14% was from the Paper Merchants segment and approximately 8% was from the Wood segment. The Company had pro forma revenues of $3.2 billion in the first six months of 2007, of which approximately 81% was from the Papers segment, approximately 14% was from the Paper Merchants segment and approximately 5% was from the Wood segment.

Business segments

Papers

The Company operates 13 paper mills (ten in the United States and three in Canada) with an annual paper production capacity of approximately 4.8 million tons of uncoated freesheet paper. In addition, the Company has an annual production capacity of approximately 235,000 tons of coated groundwood at one paper mill in the U.S. The paper facilities are complemented by strategically located warehouses and sales offices. The Company has recently announced a series of actions, including mill and machine closures, as part of its review of its overall production capacity and adjustment of its production to match customer demand. See “—Recent developments—Restructuring.”

The Company manufactures papergrade pulp, which it sells to the extent it produces more pulp than is required for internal use in its paper mills. It also manufactures and sells fluff pulp and specialty pulp. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding

 

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with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Company’s Prince Albert facility, which is expected to have an annual production capacity of approximately 328,000 tonnes of pulp. See “Recent developments—Potential redevelopment of Prince Albert facility.”

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, the Company’s Papers segment generated pro forma sales of $5.3 billion, representing 78% of total pro forma sales.

Paper Merchants

In connection with its Papers business, the Company engages in the paper merchants business, which involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various paper products made by the Company and by other manufacturers. The Company operates its merchants business through the Domtar Distribution Group with 26 locations throughout the United States and Canada.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, the Company’s Paper Merchants segment generated pro forma sales of $920 million, representing 14% of total pro forma sales.

Wood

The Company manufactures, markets and distributes lumber and wood-based value-added products and manages forest resources. The Company operates four sawmills and one remanufacturing facility with an annual production capacity of approximately 495 million board feet of lumber. In addition, the Company owns five sawmills that are currently not in operation but have an annual aggregate production capacity of approximately 730 million board feet of lumber. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, the Company’s Wood segment generated pro forma sales of $523 million, representing 8% of total pro forma sales.

In June 2007, the Company entered into an agreement for the sale of substantially all of its Wood business to Conifex. The Company intends to use the net cash proceeds from the sale of its Wood business to reduce its outstanding debt. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale, see “—Recent developments—Sale of Wood business.”

Our competitive strengths

The Company believes that its competitive strengths will provide a solid foundation for the execution of its business strategy:

Leading market position .     The Company is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity. This leading market position provides the Company with key competitive advantages, including economies of scale, wider sales and marketing coverage and broad product offerings, such as business, printing and publishing and technical and specialty grade paper.

Efficient and cost-competitive assets .     The Company’s fine paper business encompasses a mix of assets allowing it to be a low-cost producer of high volume papers and an efficient producer of value-added specialty papers. The Company’s six largest mills focus on production of high volume copy and offset papers while the other mills focus on the production of value-added paper products for which quality, flexibility and service are key determinants. Most of the Company’s paper production is at mills with integrated pulp production and cogeneration facilities, reducing exposure to price volatility for purchased pulp and energy.

 

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Proximity to customers .     The Company has a broad geographic coverage with a strong manufacturing presence in eastern North America complemented by service locations throughout North America. This proximity to customers provides opportunities for enhanced customer service and minimization of freight distance, response time and delivery cost, which constitute key competitive advantages, particularly in the high volume copy and offset paper grades market segment. Customer proximity also allows just-in-time delivery of high demand paper products in less than 48 hours to most major North American cities.

Strong franchise with unique service solutions .     The Company sells paper to multiple market segments through a variety of channels, including paper merchants, converters, retail companies and publishers throughout North America. In addition, the Company maintains a strong market presence through its ownership of both the Domtar Distribution Group and the Enterprise Group. Both groups have developed strong positions as reliable and responsive suppliers to their markets. The Company believes it will build on those positions by maximizing its strengths in centralized planning capability and supply-chain management solutions.

Focus on stakeholder value.      The Company believes that it has the ability to build value for its stakeholders. The Company’s large base of cost-competitive and efficient assets should allow it to realize cost savings through economies of scale, enhanced buying power and synergies, which should result in higher margins.

High quality products with strong brand recognition .     The Company enjoys a strong reputation for producing high quality fine paper products and markets some of the most recognized and preferred papers in North America, including a wide range of business and commercial printing paper brands, such as Windsor Offset ® , Plainfield Digital ® , Plainfield Plus ® , Titanium ® , Microprint ® , Bobcat ® , Cougar ® , Husky ® , Jaguar ® , Lynx ® , Clarion ® , Sonora ® , Choctaw ® , First Choice ® and EarthChoice ® . The Company believes that it is a supplier of choice in the fine paper market.

Experienced management team with proven integration expertise .     The Company’s management team has significant experience and a record of success in the North American paper industry, including with respect to business integration issues. For example, Raymond Royer, the Company’s president and chief executive officer, was the president and chief executive officer of Domtar Inc. for ten years and Marvin Cooper, the Company’s chief operating officer, has more than 25 years of experience in the pulp and paper industry, including 22 years at Willamette Industries, Inc. (“Willamette”) and four years at Weyerhaeuser. Mr. Royer led Domtar Inc.’s integration of four U.S. mills acquired from Georgia Pacific in 2001 while Mr. Cooper worked on the integration of Willamette’s pulp and fine paper business after it was acquired by Weyerhaeuser in 2002. To support the management team, the Company believes its employees’ expertise and know-how should help create operational efficiencies and better enable the Company to deliver improved profitability from its manufacturing operations.

Business strategies

The Company’s goal is to be recognized as the supplier of choice of branded and private branded paper products for consumer channels, stationers, merchants, printers and converters in North America. The Company has implemented the following business strategies in order to enhance cash flow and generate stakeholder value:

 

 

successfully integrating the combined businesses and optimizing paper production to improve operating efficiency and reduce costs;

 

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leveraging existing customer relationships;

 

 

increasing depth of product offerings including the Company’s offering of environmentally and ethically responsible line of papers;

 

 

maintaining financial discipline to create stakeholder value; and

 

 

conducting operations in a sustainable way.

Successfully integrating the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. and optimizing paper production to improve operating efficiency and reduce costs.      The Company believes that the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. represents a strategic fit because of the similarity of both their fine paper offerings in uncoated freesheet grades and their geographic presence. The Company’s integration efforts have been focused on providing a single face to the Company’s customers, utilizing its greater sales and marketing coverage to enhance customer service and achieving synergies. The combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. provides an opportunity to combine the operational strengths and best practices of two of the industry’s leading manufacturers. The Company is implementing plans to improve the Company’s operating efficiency and cost structure and to achieve certain synergies within two years through a combination of process optimization resulting in lower operating costs, reductions in transportation, logistics and purchasing costs, implementation of best-in-class business practices and reductions in sales and administrative costs. The Company is also optimizing the Company’s distribution network and reviewing its organizational structure, consolidating its regional centers and back-office functions where appropriate.

Leveraging existing customer relationships.      The Company is building on the successful relationships that the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. have developed with key customers to support their businesses and to provide inventory reduction solutions through just-in-time delivery for most-demanded products. The Company believes that it is among the suppliers of choice for customers who seek competitively-priced paper products and services.

Increasing depth of product offerings including the company’s offering of environmentally and ethically responsible line of papers.      The Company believes that it is delivering improved service to customers through increased depth of product offerings and greater access to volume. The Company believes the development of EarthChoice ® , the Company’s line of environmentally and ethically responsible papers, is providing a platform upon which to expand its offerings to customers. The EarthChoice ® line of papers, a product line endorsed and supported by leading environmental groups, offers customers solutions and peace of mind through the use of a combination of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) virgin fiber and recycled fiber. FSC is the certification recognized by environmental groups as the most stringent and is third-party audited.

Maintaining financial discipline to create stakeholder value.      The Company believes that value creation will initially be better achieved by de-leveraging. The Company intends to manage the Company’s capital expenditures effectively and minimize its working capital requirements.

Conducting operations in a sustainable way.      Customers and end-users as well as all stakeholders in communities where the Company operates seek assurances from the pulp and paper industry that resources are managed in a sustainable manner. The Company strives to provide these assurances by certifying the Company’s forest, manufacturing and distribution operations and the Company intends to subscribe to internationally recognized environmental management systems, namely ISO 14001.

 

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Recent developments

Sale of Wood business

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of 10 sawmills in Québec and Ontario having an annual production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights, which represent the majority of Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights. Domtar Inc.’s remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec and its interests in several wood product joint ventures are also included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license rights transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

On October 11, 2007, the Company announced that Domtar Inc. received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, the Company’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

The Company and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend Domtar Inc.’s rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Québec Superior Court to enforce its rights. The Company and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continue to work diligently towards a closing of this transaction.

The Company intends to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce its outstanding debt. At July 1, 2007, the Company and Domtar Inc. accounted for the assets and liabilities of the Wood business as held and used in accordance with SFAS 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets , due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly related to obtaining government approval and financing. The Company and Domtar Inc. do not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

Restructuring

The Company regularly reviews its overall production capacity with a view to adjusting its production capacity to anticipated long-term demand. In July 2007, the Company announced the

 

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permanent closure of its paper mill in Gatineau, Québec and its converting center in Ottawa, Ontario as well as the permanent closure of two paper machines, one located at its Woodland paper mill in Baileyville, Maine and the other at its Port Edwards, Wisconsin paper mill. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees. The Company continues to evaluate potential adjustments to its production capacity, which may include additional closures of machines or entire mills, and the Company could recognize cash and/or non-cash charges relating to any such closures in future periods.

Potential redevelopment of Prince Albert facility

On September 12, 2007, the Company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan that could result in the redevelopment of the Prince Albert facility into a Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp mill producing 100% FSC certified softwood pulp for the North American and offshore markets. The redevelopment of the pulp mill is subject to a number of critical conditions, the most important of which is that the business case demonstrates that the mill will be a first-quartile low-cost producer at a foreign exchange rate between Canada and the U.S. of 1:1. Other conditions include the completion of various engineering and feasibility analyses and studies, the development of a modern and competitive operational design for the pulp mill, consultations with First Nations and the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements, as well as the approval of the Company’s board of directors and various regulatory bodies. The annual production capacity of the redeveloped mill is expected to be approximately 328,000 tonnes of pulp. The memorandum of understanding is a statement of intent only and does not create legally binding obligations.

Our business

We operate 13 paper mills (ten in the United States and three in Canada, after giving effect to the announced permanent closure of our Gatineau, Québec paper mill and the Woodland, Maine paper machine) with an annual paper production capacity of approximately 4.8 million tons of uncoated and coated freesheet. See “Recent developments—Restructuring” above. In addition, we have an annual production capacity of approximately 235,000 tons of coated groundwood at one of our paper mills in the U.S.

 

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Facilities and properties

The Company’s paper facilities are complemented by strategically located warehouses and sales offices. The table below lists all of the Company’s paper facilities and their annual production capacity.

 

Paper production facility(1)    Location    Paper
machines
   Principal paper type   

Annual paper
capacity

(millions of tons)

                     

Uncoated freesheet mills

           
Ashdown(2)    Arkansas    4    Copy and offset    0.9
Windsor(2)    Québec    2    Copy and offset    0.6
Hawesville    Kentucky    2    Copy and offset    0.6
Plymouth    North Carolina    2    Copy and offset    0.5
Kingsport    Tennessee    1    Copy and offset    0.4
Marlboro    South Carolina    1    Copy and offset    0.4
Johnsonburg    Pennsylvania    2    Copy and offset    0.4
Dryden    Ontario    1    Copy and offset    0.3
Port-Edwards(2)    Wisconsin    3    Value added    0.2
Nekoosa(2)    Wisconsin    3    Value added    0.2
Rothschild    Wisconsin    1    Opaque    0.1
Port Huron(2)    Michigan    4    Technical and specialty    0.1
Espanola(2)    Ontario    2    Technical and specialty    0.1
               

Total Uncoated freesheet mills

      29       4.8

Coated groundwood

           

Columbus

   Mississippi    1    Coated groundwood    0.2
               

Total Coated groundwood

      1       0.2
               
      30       5.0
 

 

(1)   This table reflects the Company’s recent restructuring announcement of a reduction of the Company’s paper production capacity to approximately 4.8 million tons. See “Recent developments—Restructuring” above.

 

(2)   Owned by Domtar Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other facilities were formerly owned by the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business.

Approximately 79% of the Company’s uncoated freesheet production capacity is located in the United States. All of the pulp and paper mills owned by Domtar Inc. are certified ISO program 14001 with the exception of the Windsor mill, which is certified under the Responsible Care program. In addition, all of Domtar Inc.’s mills are FSC chain of custody certified.

The Company owns all of its production facilities with the exception of certain portions that are subject to leases with government agencies in connection with industrial development bond financings or fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements, and leases substantially all of its sales offices, regional replenishment centers and warehouse facilities. The Company believes its properties are in good operating condition and are suitable and adequate for the operations for which they are used. The Company owns substantially all of the equipment used in its facilities.

The Company owns chip mills in the vicinity of its uncoated freesheet mills in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania, Hawesville, Kentucky, Kingsport, Tennessee and Marlboro, South Carolina, but typically leases such mills to third parties who operate them. The Company’s paper mills are

 

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supported by forms and converting operations at many of its uncoated freesheet mills as well as at 17 other facilities that convert roll paper into cut sized sheets and/or folio sized sheets and/or forms paper.

Power facilities

The Company owns power generating assets at fifteen locations: Ashdown, Dryden, Espanola, Hawesville, Johnsonburg, Kamloops, Kingsport, Nekoosa, Ottawa-Hull (now known as Gatineau), Plymouth, Port Edwards, Port Huron, Rothschild, Windsor and Woodland. Approximately 60% of the Company’s electric power requirements are met by its own assets. The Company purchases the balance of its power requirements from local utilities. In addition, the Company provides about 68% of the energy required to produce steam internally through its recovery boilers and cogeneration assets with the remaining energy purchased in the form of bark, natural gas, oil and coal.

Business segments

The following table sets forth the net sales of each of the Company’s business segments, Papers, Paper Merchants and Wood, as well as the percentage of sales accounted for by each segment for 2006 on a pro forma basis:

 

      

Year ended

December 31, 2006

(In millions of $)    Sales     % of Sales
 

Papers

   $ 5,307 *   78%

Paper Merchants

     920     14%

Wood

     523     8%
            

Total

     6,750     100.%
 

 

*   Excludes intercompany sales between Domtar Inc. and Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business of $48 million.

Weyerhaeuser fine paper business

 

       Year ended  
     December 31, 2004    December 31, 2005    December 31, 2006  
(In millions of $)    Sales    % of Sales    Sales    % of Sales    Sales    % of Sales  
   

Papers

   $ 2,867    95%    $ 3,072    94%    $ 3,143    95%  

Paper Merchants

     0    0%      0    0%      0    0%  

Wood

     159    5%      195    6%      163    5%  
        

Total

     3,026    100%      3,267    100%      3,306    100%  
   

Domtar Inc.

 

       Year ended  
     December 31, 2004    December 31, 2005    December 31, 2006  
(In millions of $)    Sales    % of Sales    Sales    % of Sales    Sales    % of Sales  
   

Papers

   $ 2,152    64%    $ 2,164    62%    $ 2,212    63%  

Paper Merchants

     811    24%      862    25%      920    26%  

Wood

     415    12%      472    13%      360    10%  
        

Total

     3,378    100%      3,498    100%      3,492    100%  
   

 

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Papers

Paper

Our uncoated and coated freesheet papers are used for business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty applications. The chart below illustrates the principal paper products Domtar produces.

 

Category

  Business papers  

Commercial printing and publication

papers

 

Technical and

specialty papers

 
Type   Uncoated freesheet   Coated
groundwood
  Uncoated
freesheet
 

Grade

  Copy   Premium
imaging /
technology
papers
  Offset
Business
converting
Opaques
Colors
Index Tag
Bristol
  Lightweight
Opaques
Text, cover
and writing
Tradebook
Premium
opaques
  No.5 Coated   Flexible
packaging
Abrasive
papers
Decorative
papers
Imaging papers
Label papers
Medical
disposables
 

Application

  Photocopies
Office
documents
Presentations
    Pamphlets
Brochures
Direct mail
Commercial
Printing
Forms
& envelopes
  Stationary
Brochures
Annual
reports
Books
Catalogs
  Catalogs
Magazines
Direct mail
Cards Posters
Packaging
  Food & Candy
wrappings
Surgical gowns
Repositionable
note pads
Security check
papers
 

Business papers accounted for approximately 42% of the Company’s sales of fine paper products in 2006 on a pro forma basis. Business papers include copier and electronic imaging papers used with ink jet and laser printers, photocopiers and plain-paper fax machines, as well as computer papers, preprinted forms and digital papers. These products are principally for home and office use.

The Company’s commercial printing grade papers include uncoated freesheet papers, such as offset papers and opaques as well as converting paper products, which consist of base papers that are converted into finished products, such as envelopes, tablets, business forms and data processing/computer forms. These grades are used in sheet and roll fed offset presses across the spectrum of commercial printing end-uses, including digital printing. The Company’s publication papers include tradebook and lightweight uncoated and coated papers used principally in book publishing applications such as textbooks, dictionaries, catalogs, magazines, hard cover novels and financial printing. Design papers, a sub-group of commercial printing and publication papers, have distinct features of color, brightness and texture and are targeted towards graphic artists in design and advertising agencies, for use primarily in special brochures and annual reports. Commercial printing and publication papers accounted for approximately 45% of the Company’s sales of fine paper products in 2006 on a pro forma basis.

The Company also produces paper for several technical and specialty markets. These technical and specialty papers consist primarily of base stock used by the flexible packaging industry in the

 

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production of food and medical packaging and other specialty papers for various other industrial applications, including base stock for sandpaper, base stock for medical gowns, drapes and packaging, as well as transfer paper for printing processes. The Company also participates in several converting grades for specialty and security applications. These technical and specialty papers accounted for about 8% of its paper production on a pro forma basis.

Coated groundwood papers accounted for approximately 5% of the Company’s sales of fine paper products in 2006 on a pro forma basis. Coated groundwood papers are used primarily in magazines, catalogs and inserts.

Pulp

Our Papers segment includes our pulp manufacturing business. We sell papergrade pulp to the extent we produce more pulp than is required for internal use in our paper mills. We also manufacture and sell fluff pulp and specialty pulp. The sale of papergrade pulp to third parties allows optimization of pulp capacity while reducing overall manufacturing costs. On a pro forma basis, the Company shipped approximately 1.1 million tons of pulp in excess of its internal requirements during 2006. The Company manufactures market pulp at Ashdown, Espanola, Woodland, Maine; Windsor, Hawesville, Marlboro, Dryden and Kamloops, British Columbia; and fluff pulp at its facility in Plymouth.

In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Company’s Prince Albert facility, which is expected to have an annual production capacity of approximately 328,000 tonnes of pulp. See “Recent developments—Potential redevelopment of Prince Albert facility.”

Customers and Distribution

The following chart illustrates our channels of distribution for our paper products:

 

Category   Business papers  

Commercial

printing and publication

papers

  Technical
and specialty
papers
 

Domtar sells to:

  Merchants

¯

  Office
Equipment
Manufacturers /
Stationers

¯

  Retailers

¯

  Merchants

¯

  Converters

¯

  End
Users
  Converters

¯

Customer sells to:

  Printers /

 

Retailers /

 

End-users

  Retailers /

 

Stationers /

 

End-users

  Printers /

 

End-users

  Printers /

 

Converters /

 

End-users

  Merchants /

 

Retailers

    End-users
 

Generally, the Company sells business papers to paper merchants, office equipment manufacturers, stationers, retail outlets, converters and end users. The Company distributes uncoated commercial printing and publication papers to end-users and commercial printers, mainly through paper merchants, as well as selling directly to converters. The Company sells its technical and specialty products mainly to converters, who apply a further production process such as coating, laminating or waxing to the Company papers before selling them to a variety of specialized end-users.

 

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The Company’s customer service personnel work closely with sales, marketing and production staff to provide service and support to merchants, converters, end-users, stationers, printers and retailers. The Company promotes its products directly to end-users and others who influence paper purchasing decisions in order to enhance brand recognition and increase product demand. In addition, the Company’s sales representatives work closely with mill-based new product development personnel and undertake joint marketing initiatives with customers in order to better understand its customers’ businesses and needs and to support their future requirements.

On a pro forma basis, the Company distributed approximately 54% of its paper products in 2006 through a large network of paper sales merchants operating throughout North America, one of which it owns (see “—Paper Merchants”). Paper merchants, who sell the Company’s products to their own customers, represent the Company’s largest group of customers.

In 2006 on a pro forma basis, approximately 83% of the Company’s paper sales were made to customers in the United States.

The Company’s largest customer is Unisource. While a five year supply agreement between Domtar Inc. and Unisource ended on June 30, 2006, the Company continues to sell products to Unisource.

Market pulp is sold by the Company to customers in North America mainly through a centrally located sales force while sales to most overseas customers is made directly or through commission agents. In addition, the Company and Weyerhaeuser have entered into a transitional agreement that terminates in December 2007, pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser acts as a sales agent related to pulp produced by the Kamloops mill and purchases pulp from the Plymouth, South Carolina mill. The Company maintains pulp supplies at strategically located warehouses, which allows it to respond to orders on short notice. In 2006, on a pro forma basis approximately 4% of the Company’s sales of market pulp were made in Canada, 23% were made in the United States, 4% in Mexico and 69% overseas. The Company also purchases pulp to optimize paper production and reduce freight costs. In 2006, on a pro forma basis, the Company shipped approximately 1.1 million tons of pulp in excess of its internal requirements.

Paper Merchants

The Company’s Paper Merchants business involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by us and other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products. These products are sold to a wide and diverse customer base, which includes small, medium and large commercial printers, publishers, business forms manufacturers, quick copy firms and institutional entities.

Company-owned paper merchants operate in the United States and Canada under a single banner and umbrella name, the Domtar Distribution Group. Ris Paper operates throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest areas from 19 locations in the United States, including 16 distribution centers. The Canadian business operates as Buntin Reid in three locations in Ontario; JBR/La Maison du Papier in two locations in Québec; and The Paper House from two locations in Atlantic Canada. On a pro forma basis, the Company’s Paper Merchants business accounted for 14% of consolidated sales in 2006, or 10% when excluding sales of Domtar Inc. paper.

 

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Sales are executed through the Company’s sales force based at branches strategically located in served markets. The Company distributes about 54% of its paper sales from its own warehouse distribution system and about 46% of its paper sales through mill-direct deliveries (i.e., deliveries directly from manufacturers, including the Company, to its customers).

Wood

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business to the newly created Conifex. The Company will retain its sawmills in Saskatchewan and some related forest licenses as well as its owned forest land and forest licenses related to its Dryden, Espanola and Windsor pulp and paper mills. In connection with the sale to Conifex, Domtar Inc. anticipates that it will transfer annual allowable softwood harvest of approximately 4.8 million cubic meters and retain allowable softwood harvest of approximately 0.8 million cubic meters. The agreement is subject to governmental approval for the forest license transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Pending these approvals, the sale is expected to close before the end of the year. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale, see “—Recent developments—Sale of Wood business.”

The Company’s Wood business comprises the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of lumber and wood-based value-added products, and the management of forest resources. The Company operates four mills and one remanufacturing facility with a production capacity of approximately 495 million board feet of lumber. In addition, the Company owns five sawmills that are currently not in operation but have an aggregate production capacity of approximately 730 million board feet of lumber. The Company’s Wood business represented 8% of consolidated sales in 2006 on a pro-forma basis.

The Company also has an interest in three joint ventures and an investment in one business, which all produce wood products.

The Company produces mainly softwood dimensional lumber used primarily in the construction industry. Products include studs and random length lumber in dimensions of 2 inches by 3 inches through 2 inches by 10 inches in lengths of 8 feet to 16 feet. In addition to producing dimensional lumber and studs, the Company manufactures lumber that is graded according to recognized standards, such as Premium, Select, J-Grade and Machine Stress Rated lumber.

The Company sells substantially all of its softwood lumber through its own sales office in Montreal to a wide range of retailers, distributors, manufacturers and wholesalers in the United States and Canada who sell to end-users. These wood products are consumed in the home construction, renovation and industrial markets. The Company’s marketing efforts for lumber products are focused on providing its customers with efficient value-added supply chain integration, in order to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction and a balanced and diversified customer base for the Company’s products.

Supply

Fiber supply

The Company uses hardwood and softwood fiber for the production of paper and softwood for the production of lumber. The Company’s forestry strategy is to optimize wood flows within its fiber supply area and to maximize value and minimize cost while securing an adequate wood supply for its operations.

 

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U.S. pulp and paper mills

Wood fiber is the principal raw material in our Papers segment. The fiber used by the Company’s pulp and paper mills in the United States is primarily hardwood, which is readily available in the market from multiple third-party sources, and secondarily softwood, which is also readily available.

The paper mills obtain fiber through a variety of sources depending on the location of the paper mills. The mills are sourced by a combination of long-term supply contracts, including contracts with Weyerhaeuser, wood lot management arrangements, advance stumpage purchases, and spot market purchases.

Concurrent with the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company entered into a number of fiber supply agreements with Weyerhaeuser, including a pine chip supply agreement, a pine in-woods chip supply agreement, a pine and hardwood roundwood supply agreement, a pine chip supply agreement, a pine and armory hardwood roundwood supply agreement and a slush pulp sales agreement relating to the Columbus, Mississippi facilities.

Canadian pulp and paper mills

Domtar’s fine paper mill at Windsor, Québec consumes primarily hardwood fiber originating from a variety of sources, including purchases on the open market in Canada and the United States, contracts with Québec wood producers’ marketing boards, harvested from public land where we have wood fiber harvesting rights and Domtar’s private lands.

The Espanola and Dryden, Ontario pulp and paper mills, which consume both softwood and hardwood fiber, obtain fiber from third parties or directly or indirectly from public land with wood harvesting rights designated for these pulp and paper mills or for our sawmills, which are being sold as part of the sale of the Wood business. Domtar Inc. expects to enter into an agreement with Conifex related to chip supply to these two pulp and paper mills. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale of Domtar Inc.’s Wood business, see “—Recent developments—Sale of Wood business.”

Cutting rights on public land related to the paper mills that will be retained by us after the sale of the Wood business represent about 2.2 million cubic meters of wood (both softwood and hardwood). Access to harvesting of fiber on public lands in Québec and Ontario is subject to review by the respective governmental authorities.

Concurrent with the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company entered into a number of fiber supply agreements with Weyerhaeuser pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser has agreed to supply fiber to the Company’s mills in Kamloops, British Columbia and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Freehold land

The Company’s freehold land of approximately 900,000 acres in Québec, Ontario and Maine provide an annual allowable harvest of approximately 0.5 million cubic meters of wood.

Wood

As part of the sale of the Wood business, a majority of our harvesting rights on public land in Québec and Ontario will be transferred to Conifex, the purchasing entity. Access to harvesting of

 

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fiber on public lands in Québec and Ontario is subject to review by the respective government authorities. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale of Domtar Inc.’s Wood business, see “—Recent developments—Sale of Wood business.”

In Québec, the Company’s annual allowable softwood harvest, related to the sawmills that are part of the sale of the Wood business, amounts to approximately 1.8 million cubic meters and are granted by the Ministry of Natural Resources (Québec). The Company obtains most of the wood fiber required for its northern Québec sawmill operations either directly or indirectly from these harvesting rights. The Province of Québec has been reducing fiber availability over the last two years by 20% to 25%, thereby making it a more challenging environment for lumber producers and paper mills relying on softwood fiber. As a result of the reduced availability, the Company may have increased costs in purchasing and may have difficulty fulfilling its wood fiber requirements. The chips produced by these sawmills were sent to the pulp mill at Lebel-sur-Quévillon (prior to its indefinite closure in November 2005 due to unfavorable economic conditions). Domtar’s northern Québec sawmills have been shut down for various periods due to a lack of alternative markets for chips, unfavorable economic conditions as well as the reduced allowable wood harvesting volume. In June 2007, we restored production at our Val d’Or sawmill.

In Ontario, the Company’s annual allowable softwood harvest on public lands related to the sawmills that are part of the sale of the Wood business amounts to approximately 3.7 million cubic meters pursuant to Sustainable Forest Licenses that have been granted by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. The Company obtains most of the wood fiber required for its northern Ontario sawmill operations either directly or indirectly from these harvesting rights. The remaining required fiber is purchased under various contractual arrangements and on the open market.

Energy supply

The Company’s business consumes substantial amounts of energy such as electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel (wood waste). During 2006, on a pro forma basis, energy costs comprised approximately 8%, of the aggregate amount of materials, labor and other operating costs and fiber costs. The Company purchases substantial portions of the energy it consumes under supply contracts, most of which are between a specific plant and a specific provider. Under most of these contracts, providers are committed to provide quantities within specified ranges that provide the Company with its needs for a particular type of energy at a specific facility. Most of the contracts have pricing mechanisms that set prices based on current market rates. Natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel are consumed primarily in the production of steam to be used in the manufacturing process or to a lesser extent to provide direct heat to be used in the chemical recovery process. Electricity is used primarily to drive motors and other equipment as well as provide lighting.

Other important raw materials used in this segment include precipitated calcium carbonate, sodium chlorate, sodium hydroxide and dyes.

Customers

The Company’s largest customer, Unisource, an independent marketer and distributor of commercial printing and business imaging papers in North America, represented approximately 10% of its sales revenues on a pro forma basis in 2006. The Company supplies products to

 

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Unisource on a per-order basis, subject to a published price list. It has no long-term contractual commitments to Unisource. The Company also has other significant customers as well as a large number of other fine paper customers, which vary in size but none of which individually represent a material portion of the Company’s sales. The Company’s customers include paper merchants, commercial and financial printers, paper converters, such as envelope and form manufacturers, retailers and customers who use the Company’s paper for specialty applications, such as label and release products. The majority of these customers purchase products through individual purchase orders.

Competition

The markets in which the Company’s business competes are generally worldwide and highly competitive. Grades of fine paper are globally traded, with numerous worldwide manufacturers. All of the Company’s paper manufacturing facilities are located in the United States or Canada. Although the Company sells primarily in North America, it faces competition from foreign producers, some of which have lower operating costs than the Company. In general, paper production does not rely on proprietary processes or formulas, except in highly specialized or custom grades.

Approximately five major manufacturers produce and sell uncoated freesheet in North America, and dozens more sell uncoated freesheet worldwide. Although price is the primary basis for competition in most of the Company’s paper grades, quality and service are important competitive determinants, especially in value-added grades. The Company’s paper products also compete with other paper grades, including coated groundwood, and electronic transmission and document storage alternatives. As the use of these alternative products continues to grow, the Company may see a decrease in the overall demand for paper products or shifts from one type of paper to another.

Employees

The Company has approximately 14,000 employees. A majority of the Company’s employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Labor agreements

Papers

A collective agreement expired in April 2004 for the Company’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Québec pulp mill (affecting approximately 350 employees). Negotiations have ceased, employees have been laid off and the mill has been closed for an indefinite period since November 2005.

Negotiations for the renewal of the collective agreement at the Company’s Ashdown mill (affecting approximately 700 employees) are scheduled to begin in October 2007.

Wood

In May 2007, a five-year agreement was ratified with the union at the Company’s Val d’Or, Québec sawmill (affecting approximately 88 employees).

Negotiations for a new collective agreement for the Company’s Sullivan, Québec remanufacturing facility have ceased (affecting approximately 60 employees) because the union has been decertified.

 

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A collective agreement expired in June 2007 for the Company’s Sainte-Marie, Québec sawmill. Negotiations for the renewal of this collective agreement (affecting approximately 70 employees) began in August 2007.

A collective agreement expired in August 2005 for our Nairn Centre, Ontario sawmill. Negotiations have been suspended as the mill is shut down for an indefinite period of time.

Paper Merchants

We have collective agreements covering six locations in the U.S. and five locations in Canada that will expire between December 2008 and December 2010.

Intellectual property

Many of the brand name paper products of the Company are protected by registered trademarks. Key trademarks used in the Company include Windsor Offset ® , Plainfield Digital ® , Plainfield Plus ® , Titanium ® , Microprint ® , Bobcat ® , Cougar ® , Husky ® , Jaguar ® , Lynx ® , Clarion ® , Sonora ® , Choctaw ® , First Choice ® and EarthChoice ® . These brand names and trademarks are important to the business. The numerous trademarks of the Company have been registered in the United States and/or in other countries where the products of the Company are sold. The current registrations of these trademarks are effective for various periods of time. These trademarks may be renewed periodically, provided that the Company, as the registered owner, and/or their licensees comply with all applicable renewal requirements, including the continued use of the trademarks in connection with similar goods.

The Company owns U.S. and foreign patents, some of which have expired or been abandoned, and has several pending patent applications, as well as some that have been issued. The Company’s management regards these patents and patent applications as important but does not consider any one or group of them to be materially important to the Company as a whole.

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company, Weyerhaeuser and Domtar Paper Company, LLC entered into a contribution and distribution agreement, dated as of January 25, 2007 (as amended from time to time, the “Contribution and Distribution Agreement”). Under the terms of the Contribution and Distribution Agreement and the intellectual property license agreement, the Company received, a fully paid-up, royalty free, non-exclusive license to use certain intellectual property and technology that is used by the Company but retained by Weyerhaeuser.

Seasonality

Demand for uncoated freesheet, the Company’s principal product, is typically not seasonal. The most significant seasonal impact on the Company’s uncoated freesheet operations is caused by its annual scheduled maintenance outages. During an outage period, a pulp mill and/or paper machine is taken out of operation so that maintenance can be performed. During these time periods, it is normal to incur significant maintenance expenditures as well as above normal expenditures for operating supplies. In addition, some facilities may elect to operate their paper machines on higher cost purchased fiber and incur other incremental costs to minimize the period of time that the paper machine is out of operation.

Environmental matters

The Company’s business is subject to a wide range of general and industry-specific laws and regulations in the United States and Canada relating to the protection of the environment, including those governing air emissions, wastewater discharges, the storage, management and

 

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disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, contaminated sites, landfill operation and closure obligations and health and safety matters. Compliance with these laws and regulations is a significant factor in the operation of the Company’s business. The Company may encounter situations in which its operations fail to maintain full compliance with applicable environmental requirements, possibly leading to civil or criminal fines or penalties or in enforcement actions, including those that result in governmental or judicial orders that stop or interrupt the Company’s operations or require the Company to take corrective measures at substantial costs, such as the installation of additional pollution control equipment or other remedial actions.

Compliance with U.S. federal, state and local and Canadian federal and provincial environmental laws and regulations usually involves capital expenditures as well as additional operating costs. For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has promulgated regulations dealing with air emissions from pulp and paper mills, including regulations on hazardous air pollutants that require use of maximum achievable control technology and controls for pollutants that contribute to smog and haze. The Company cannot quantify future amounts of capital expenditures required to comply with these laws, regulations and demands, or the effects on operating costs, because, in some instances, compliance standards have not been developed or have not become final or definitive. In addition, compliance frequently serves other purposes, such as extension of facility life, increase in capacity, changes in raw material requirements or increase in economic value of assets or products.

The pulp and paper industry in the United States was subject to the Boiler MACT Rule that further regulated air emissions. A decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the Boiler MACT Rule on July 30, 2007 and discussions are ongoing for alternative U.S. federal and state regulations. The Company believes it complies with all such current air emissions regulations, and anticipates spending approximately $3 million over the next year to meet such requirements.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has repealed the regulations promulgated in 2000 that would have required states to develop total maximum daily load (“TMDL”) allocations for pollutants in water bodies determined to be water-quality-impaired. However, certain states continue to promulgate TMDL requirements. The stated TMDL requirements may set limits on pollutants that may be discharged to a body of water to reduce the amounts of pollutants. It is not possible to estimate the capital expenditures that may be required for the Company to meet pollution allocations across the various proposed state TMDL programs until a specific TMDL is promulgated.

The Company’s air permit for its Kamloops, British Columbia pulp manufacturing facility requires that the facility reduce air emissions of particulate matter by December 31, 2007. Compliance with the permit requirements is likely to require significant capital expenditures. The Company continues to evaluate its options and is currently in discussions with the Province of British Columbia to extend the deadline for compliance. If the deadline is not extended, the facility may need to curtail, after 2007, some output or incur significant capital expenditures.

Environmental expenditures for effluent treatment, air emission, landfill operation and closure, asbestos containment and removal, bark pile management, silvicultural activities and site remediation (together referred to as Environmental Matters) are expensed or capitalized depending upon their future economic benefit. In the normal course of business, the Company incurs certain operating costs for Environmental Matters that are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment that prevent future environmental impacts are

 

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capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over 10 to 40 years. Provisions for Environmental Matters are not discounted and are recorded when site remediation efforts are more than likely and can be reasonably determined.

While the Company believes that it has determined the costs for Environmental Matters likely to be incurred, based on known information, its ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with the Company’s former and present operations may lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts may result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had a provision of CDN$54 million and the Predecessor Company had a provision of $20 million for costs to comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations and remedial obligations. As of July 1, 2007, the Company had a provision for $82 million for such expenditures. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for site remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, the Company believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or earnings.

During the first quarter of 2006, Weyerhaeuser closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the Big River Sawmill in Saskatchewan due to poor market conditions. These facilities are currently not in operation. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Prince Albert facility. However, the consummation of this plan is subject to several critical conditions, and the Company has not determined whether either of these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event the facilities are permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at one or both facilities, which would likely include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts.

The Company is involved in the environmental investigation or remediation of numerous sites. Some of the sites are on property owned by the Company where the Company has the sole obligation to remediate the site or share that remediation obligation with a small number of other parties. Other sites are third-party sites involving several parties who may have a joint and several remediation obligation. Remediation efforts are currently ongoing, for example, at the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina facility in respect of dioxins/furans and mercury, and at the Company’s Rothschild, Wisconsin facility in respect of pulp manufacturing byproducts. The Company’s liability for environmental investigation and remediation ranges from insignificant at some sites to substantial at others, depending on the quantity, toxicity and nature of materials deposited by the Company at the site and, at some sites, the number and economic viability of the other potentially responsible parties. The Company spent less than $3 million in 2005 and approximately $5 million in 2006, on environmental remediation of these sites.

Domtar Inc. incurred approximately $8 million and the Predecessor Company incurred approximately $2 million in capital expenditures in connection with environmental compliance and remediation during 2006. The Company anticipates spending approximately $3 million over the next year to meet the Boiler MACT Rule obligations. However, a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia vacated the Boiler MACT Rule on July 30, 2007 and discussions are ongoing for alternative U.S. federal and state regulations. The Company does not expect any additional required expenditure to have a material adverse effect on our financial position or earnings.

 

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Social and environmental policies

The Company has several social and environmental related policies including, among others, Human Rights, Forest, Environment, and Health and Safety policies. These form an integral part of its Code of Ethics.

Legal proceedings

Pursuant to the Contribution and Distribution Agreement and other agreements entered into or to be entered into in connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company assumed responsibility for certain claims and litigation matters arising out of or relating to the Company’s businesses whether or not asserted prior to the Acquisition Transactions. Currently, a small number of claims and litigation matters have arisen in the ordinary course of business. Although the final outcome of any legal proceeding is subject to a number of variables and cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty, management currently believes that the ultimate outcome of these legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s long-term results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

We are involved in various legal proceedings relating to contracts, commercial disputes, taxes, environmental issues, labor and employment and other matters related to former and ongoing operations. We periodically review the status of these proceedings and assess the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes of our legal proceedings, as well as analyze probable losses. While we believe that the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, an adverse outcome in one or more of the following significant legal proceedings could have a material adverse effect on or results of cash flow in a given quarter or year.

In the early part of 2006, Weyerhaeuser closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which the Company acquired in the Acquisition Transactions, and which remains closed. Certain unionized parties filed a grievance against Weyerhaeuser following the shut down, alleging that certain post-closure actions taken by Weyerhaeuser violated their collective bargaining agreement. In particular, the union disputed Weyerhaeuser’s post-closure contracting with a third-party vendor to oversee on-site security at the Prince Albert facility. In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company has assumed any liability with respect to this grievance. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Prince Albert facility. However, the consummation of this plan is subject to several critical conditions. In a separate grievance relating to the closure of the Prince Albert facility, which could result in liability in excess of $20 million, the union is disputing the accumulation of pension benefits during the actual layoff period because, according to the union, a majority of employees retained still had recall rights during the layoff. The Company is currently evaluating its positions with respect to these grievances and cannot be certain that it will not incur liability, which could be material, with respect to these grievances.

Domtar Inc. is subject to a motion by Joachim Laferrière Électricien Inc., filed in the Québec Superior Court on January 9, 2006, for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others for alleged damages relating to a conspiracy to fix prices of carbonless sheets during the period of January through December 2000 in the Province of Québec, Canada. The claim seeks estimated compensatory damages in the amount of CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) plus estimated exemplary damages in the amount of CDN$1 million to CDN$4 million (approximately $1 million to $4 million). Domtar Inc. is also subject to a motion by McLay & Company Inc. filed in Ontario Superior Court on January 11, 2006 for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and

 

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others, for alleged inflated prices of carbonless sheets paper during the period of October 1999 through September 2000 in the Province of Ontario, Canada. These class actions have been settled in principle for an immaterial amount, subject to the finalization of definitive agreements and court approval. The settlement amount was fully reserved for in a prior period.

On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited (“Weston”) in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada against Domtar Inc. The claim alleges that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered an obligation of Domtar Inc. to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment contained in the Share Purchase Agreement, dated June 16, 1998 (as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, dated July 31, 1998, the “Agreement”) between Weston, Weston Investments Inc., Domtar Inc. and Domtar Industries Inc. pursuant to which Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc., an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The claim seeks a payment of CDN$110 million (approximately $103 million) under the purchase price adjustment provision of the Agreement and additional compensatory damages. On August 13, 2007, Domtar Inc. served its statement of defense in response to this claim. Neither we nor Domtar Inc. believes that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and Domtar Inc. intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar Inc. may not be successful in its defense of such claims, and if it is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on our and on Domtar Inc.’s liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Several asbestos-related personal injury claims have been filed in U.S. state and federal courts against Domtar Industries Inc. and certain other affiliates of the Company in connection with alleged exposure by current and former employees of the Company to asbestos. While the Company believes that the ultimate disposition of these matters, both individually and on an aggregate basis, will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, there can be no assurance the Company will not incur substantial costs as a result of any such claim.

Environment

Each of Domtar Inc. and the Company is or may be a “potentially responsible party” with respect to various hazardous waste sites that are being addressed pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“Superfund”) or similar laws. Domtar Inc. continues to take remedial action under its Care and Control Program, as such sites mostly relate to its former wood preserving operating sites, and a number of operating sites due to possible soil, sediment or groundwater contamination. The investigation and remediation process is lengthy and subject to the uncertainties of changes in legal requirements, technological developments and, if and when applicable, the allocation of liability among potentially responsible parties.

An action was commenced by Seaspan International Ltd. (“Seaspan”) in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, on March 31, 1999 against Domtar Inc., and others with respect to alleged contamination of Seaspan’s site bordering Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver, British Columbia including contamination of sediments in Burrard Inlet, due to the presence of creosote. As of July 3, 2002, the parties entered into a partial Settlement Agreement (“the Settlement Agreement”) which provides that while the agreement is performed in accordance with its terms, the action commenced by Seaspan will be held in abeyance. The Settlement Agreement focused on the sharing of costs between Seaspan and Domtar Inc. for certain remediation of

 

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contamination referred to in the plaintiff’s claim. The parties have the contractual right to abandon the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement does not address all of the plaintiff’s claims that cannot be reasonably determined at this time.

Domtar Inc., was issued a Request for Response Action (“RFRA”) by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) for the clean-up of tar seeps and soils at a former coal tar distillation plant located in Duluth, Minnesota. On March 27, 1996, the MPCA issued the RFRA to Domtar Inc., Interlake Corp., Allied-Signal, Inc. and Beazer East, Inc. requiring the investigation and potential remediation of a portion of an industrial site located in Duluth, Minnesota, believed to contain contaminated sediments originating from former coke and gas plants and coal tar distillation plants. Domtar Inc. formerly operated one coal tar distillation plant. The total cost of the likely remediation is estimated to be approximately $90 million. Allocation of responsibility among the parties is ongoing under an agreed final and binding arbitration process which we expect will be determined in the third quarter of 2007.

As at July 1, 2007, the Company had a reserve of $82 million for environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, management believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or earnings.

While we believe that we have determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred based on known information, our ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with our past and present properties will lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts will likely result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

 

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Business of the Predecessor Company

The following section describes the Company as if it held the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business but not Domtar Inc. for all periods and dates presented. Because the Company was a shell company with no operations and substantially no assets, the operations and financial results of the Predecessor Company presented herein are those of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business. The results of operations of the Company will be significantly different than the results of operations of the Predecessor Company.

The forward-looking statements included in this section should be read as continuing to apply to the Company following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, without regard to whether such statement refers to the Company or the Predecessor Company.

Overview

The Predecessor Company principally manufactured and sold fine paper, including uncoated freesheet and coated groundwood and is the second largest integrated manufacturer of uncoated freesheet in North America and the third largest in the world based on production capacity, with annual uncoated freesheet production capacity of approximately 2.7 million tons (or 3 million tons including the Predecessor Company’s Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill, which is currently not in operation), representing approximately a 19% share of the North American uncoated freesheet production capacity in 2006. The Predecessor Company also manufactured papergrade pulp at several of its paper mills, fluff pulp at a pulp mill in Plymouth, North Carolina and papergrade pulp and specialty pulp at a pulp mill in Kamloops, British Columbia. Fluff pulp and specialty pulp were sold to third parties. Papergrade pulp was sold to the extent the Predecessor Company has greater capacity for pulp production than is required for internal use at its paper mills. The sale of papergrade pulp to third parties allowed for optimization of pulp capacity while reducing overall manufacturing costs.

Prior to the Acquisition Closing Date, the Predecessor Company generated revenues of $3.3 billion during both 2005 and 2006; the revenues generated by pulp and fine paper products represented approximately 95% in 2006 and 94% in 2005.

The following table sets forth the breakdown of net sales sold in each segment of the Predecessor Company’s business as well as the percentage of sales accounted for by each segment, in each case for each of the last three fiscal years:

 

      Year ended
    December 31, 2006   December 25, 2005   December 26, 2004
 
(Dollars in millions)   Sales   % of Sales   Sales   % of Sales   Sales   % of Sales
 

Papers

    $3,143   95.1%   $3,072   94.0%   $2,867   94.7%

Wood

    $   163   4.9%   $   195   6.0%   $   159   5.3%
                         
    $3,306   100%   $3,267   100%   $3,026   100%
 

 

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Business segments

Papers

The net sales of the Predecessor Company’s Papers business were approximately $3,143 million in 2006, $3,072 million in 2005 and $2,867 million in 2004, representing approximately 95% of the Predecessor Company’s total sales in such years.

Paper

The Predecessor Company’s fine paper products include the following commodity papers:

Business papers .    Business papers represented approximately 35% of the Predecessor Company’s sales of paper products in 2006. Business papers include copier and electronic imaging papers used with ink jet and laser printers, photocopiers and plain-paper fax machines.

Printing, publishing and converting papers .    Printing, publishing and converting papers represented approximately 40% of the Predecessor Company’s sales of paper products in 2006. Printing and publishing papers include products used in commercial printing applications such as annual reports, brochures and direct mail. Converting papers products are the base papers that are converted into finished products such as envelopes, tablets, business forms and data processing/computer forms.

Computer papers, preprinted forms and digital papers .    Computer papers, preprinted forms and digital papers represented approximately 18% of the Predecessor Company’s sales of paper products in 2006. These papers are sold by the Predecessor Company’s enterprise group.

Coated groundwood papers .    Coated groundwood papers represented approximately 7% of the Predecessor Company’s sales of paper products in 2006. Coated groundwood papers are used primarily in magazines, catalogs and inserts.

Pulp

The net sales of the Predecessor Company’s pulp business represented approximately 14% of the Predecessor Company’s Papers segment sales in such years. The Predecessor Company manufactures the following types of pulp:

Papergrade pulp .    Papergrade pulp represented approximately 62% of the Predecessor Company’s pulp sales in 2006. Papergrade pulp is used in the manufacturing of fine paper products.

Fluff pulp .    Fluff pulp represented approximately 20% of the Predecessor Company’s pulp sales in 2006. Fluff pulp is used in baby diapers and adult incontinence products.

Specialty pulp .    Specialty pulp represented approximately 18% of the Predecessor Company’s pulp sales in 2006. The specialty pulp manufactured by the Predecessor Company is used in cement siding.

Wood

The net sales of the Predecessor Company’s Wood business were approximately $163 million in 2006, $195 million in 2005 and $159 million in 2004, representing approximately 5% of the Predecessor Company’s total sales in such years. The Predecessor Company manufactures and sells softwood lumber for use in residential construction. The Predecessor Company’s Wood business also includes the timber sourcing operations and other ancillary activities.

 

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Facilities and properties

Prior to the Acquisition Closing Date, the Predecessor Company owned eight uncoated freesheet mills and one coated groundwood mill in the United States and Canada, all of which were integrated with pulp mills. The Predecessor Company’s mills had a total annual uncoated freesheet capacity of approximately 2.7 million tons (or 3 million tons including the Predecessor Company’s Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill, which is currently not in operation) and a coated groundwood capacity of approximately 235,000 tons as of December 31, 2006.

Prior to the Acquisition Closing Date, the Predecessor Company owned all of its production facilities with the exception of certain portions that were subject to leases with government agencies in connection with industrial development bond financings or fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements, and leased substantially all of the Predecessor Company’s sales offices, regional replenishment centers and warehouse facilities. The Predecessor Company believes its properties are in good operating condition and are suitable and adequate for the operations for which they are used. The Predecessor Company owns substantially all of the equipment used in its facilities.

The following table sets forth the locations of the Predecessor Company’s principal production facilities and operating equipment as well as annual capacities of uncoated freesheet and coated groundwood manufacturing locations in the Predecessor Company’s business and production for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. Each of the listed facilities was owned by the Predecessor Company, except that portions of some of these facilities are subject to leases with government agencies in connection with industrial development bond financings or fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements.

 

       Number of machines    Production
capacity(1)
   Production(2)
(short tons in thousands)         
 

Uncoated Freesheet Mills:

        

Hawesville, Kentucky

   2    625    638

Marlboro, South Carolina

   1    385    392

Kingsport, Tennessee

   1    405    410

Rothschild, Wisconsin

   1    145    148

Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania

   2    360    365

Dryden, Ontario(3)

   2    315    369

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan(4)

   1       7

Plymouth, North Carolina

   2    465    468

Total Uncoated Freesheet

   12    2,700    2,797

Coated Groundwood:

        

Columbus, Mississippi

   1    235    230
 

 

(1)   Production capacity reflects expected production under normal operating conditions and product mix and expected maintenance downtime in 2006. Actual production may vary.

 

(2)   Production reflects actual production in 2006.

 

(3)   Production at the Predecessor Company’s mill in Dryden, Ontario reflects the output of a paper machine that was shut down in 2006.

 

(4)   Operations ceased at the Predecessor Company’s mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in 2006. This mill had a production capacity of approximately 290,000 short tons in 2005.

 

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The Predecessor Company’s paper mills are supported by forms and converting operations at its uncoated freesheet mills in Rothschild, Wisconsin; Plymouth, North Carolina and Dryden, Ontario as well as at 12 other facilities that collectively have the capacity to convert approximately 1.62 million tons of roll paper into cut sized sheets, approximately 0.32 million tons of roll paper into folio sized sheets and approximately 0.27 million tons of roll paper into forms paper annually.

The Company manufactures papergrade pulp at all of the uncoated freesheet mills listed above as well as at its facility in Kamloops, British Columbia, fluff pulp at the Predecessor Company’s facility in Plymouth, North Carolina and specialty pulp at its facility in Kamloops, British Columbia.

The Predecessor Company owns chip mills in the vicinity of its uncoated freesheet mills in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania; Hawesville, Kentucky; Kingsport, Tennessee and Marlboro, South Carolina but typically lease such mills to third parties who operate them. The Predecessor Company also owns sawmills at Ear Falls, Ontario and Big River, Saskatchewan and a 51% equity interest in Wapawekka Lumber Limited Partnership, which has one sawmill in Wapawekka, Saskatchewan.

The Predecessor Company owns forest licenses covering 0.850 million cubic meters of softwood and 0.570 million cubic meters of hardwood in the proximity of its Dryden, Ontario mill and is party to a forest management agreement covering 1.846 million cubic meters of softwood and 0.976 million cubic meters of hardwood in the proximity of the Predecessor Company’s Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill.

The Predecessor Company’s operational headquarters are located at Fort Mill, South Carolina.

During the first quarter of 2006, the Predecessor Company shut down indefinitely its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the sawmill in Big River, Saskatchewan due to poor market conditions. The Wapawekka sawmill also was shut down. These facilities are currently not in operation. The Company has not determined at this time whether these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed.

Supply

Wood fiber is the principal raw material in the papers segment. The primary sources of wood fiber are timber and its by-products, such as wood chips, wood shavings and sawdust. Prior to the Acquisition Transactions, Weyerhaeuser supplied the Predecessor Company’s paper mills with fiber from the Weyerhaeuser chip and saw mills as well as from third parties. Concurrent with the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company entered into a number of fiber supply agreements with Weyerhaeuser including Canadian fiber supply agreements pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser agrees to supply wood chips to the Predecessor Company’s Kamloops, British Columbia mill (and the Predecessor Company’s Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill if it re-opens) for a period of 20 years, a pine chip supply agreement pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser will agree to supply softwood chip residuals to the Predecessor Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill for a period of five years, a pine chip supply agreement pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser will agree to supply a sufficient amount of softwood chips to allow the Predecessor Company to produce between 210 and 230 air dry tons per day of thermo mechanical pulp at the Predecessor Company’s Columbus, Mississippi mill for a period which terminated on May 31, 2007 and a slush pulp sales agreement pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser’s

 

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Columbus, Mississippi pulp mill will agree to supply 74,293 tons of slush pulp to the Predecessor Company’s Columbus, Mississippi coated groundwood mill for a period of one year, subject to annual renewal. Fiber purchased under these agreements will be purchased at fair market levels. See “The Company’s relationship with Weyerhaeuser after the distribution—Supply agreements.”

The Predecessor Company supplies its paper mills with fiber that it will obtain through a combination of different sources depending on the location of the paper mills. The Predecessor Company obtains fiber from timber harvested pursuant to its forest licenses and forest management agreements and processed in its own chip and saw mills, pursuant to fiber supply contracts with Weyerhaeuser as well as pursuant to fiber supply agreements with other third parties and open market purchases.

All of the Predecessor Company’s uncoated freesheet mills have onsite pulp production facilities. The Predecessor Company’s coated groundwood mill and some of the Predecessor Company’s uncoated freesheet mills also purchase pulp from third parties. Other important raw materials used in this segment include precipitated calcium carbonate, sodium chlorate, sodium hydroxide and dyes.

The Predecessor Company’s business consumes substantial amounts of energy such as electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel (wood waste). During both 2005 and 2006, energy costs comprised approximately 8% of the aggregate amount of materials, labor and other operating costs and fiber costs. The Predecessor Company purchases substantial portions of the energy it consumes under supply contracts, most of which are between a specific plant and a specific provider. Under most of these contracts, providers are committed to provide quantities within specified ranges that provide the Predecessor Company with its needs for a particular type of energy at a specific facility. Most of the contracts have pricing mechanisms that set prices based on current market rates. Natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel are consumed primarily in the production of steam to be used in the manufacturing process or to a lesser extent to provide direct heat to be used in the chemical recovery process. Electricity is used primarily to drive motors and other equipment as well as provide lighting. Two of the Predecessor Company’s facilities have substantial co-generation capabilities and utilize steam generated from these fuels to generate and sell more electricity into the regional grids than they consume internally. The revenue from electricity sales was able to offset approximately 7% of the Predecessor Company’s total energy requirements in each of 2005 and 2006, respectively.

Customers

The Predecessor Company’s largest customer was Office Depot, an independent retailer of office products, including commercial printing and business imaging papers, which represented approximately 17% of its sales revenues in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. Both Weyerhaeuser and Domtar Inc. historically supplied products to Office Depot on a per-order basis, subject to a published price list. The Company also will have other significant customers as well as a large number of other fine paper customers, which will vary in size but none of which will individually represent a material portion of the Company’s sales. The Predecessor Company’s customers include paper merchants, commercial and financial printers, paper converters, such as envelope and form manufacturers, retailers and customers who use the Predecessor Company’s paper for specialty applications, such as label and release products. The majority of these customers purchase products through individual purchase orders.

 

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Competition

The markets in which the Predecessor Company’s business competes are generally worldwide and highly competitive. Grades of fine paper are globally traded, with numerous worldwide manufacturers. All of the Predecessor Company’s paper manufacturing facilities are located in the United States or Canada. Although the Predecessor Company sells primarily in North America, it faces competition from foreign producers, some of which have lower operating costs than the Company. In general, paper production does not rely on proprietary processes or formulas, except in highly specialized or custom grades.

Approximately five major manufacturers produce and sell uncoated freesheet in North America, and dozens more sell uncoated freesheet worldwide. Although price is the primary basis for competition in most of the Predecessor Company’s paper grades, quality and service are important competitive determinants, especially in value-added grades. The Predecessor Company’s paper products also compete with other paper grades, including coated groundwood, and electronic transmission and document storage alternatives. As the use of these alternative products continues to grow, the Predecessor Company may see a decrease in the overall demand for paper products or shifts from one type of paper to another.

Employees

The Predecessor Company had approximately 5,500 employees. Approximately 3,524, or 64%, of the Predecessor Company’s employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Intellectual property

Most of the brand name paper products of the Predecessor Company are protected by registered trademarks. Key trademarks used in the Predecessor Company include Bobcat ® , Cougar ® , Husky ® , Jaguar ® , Lynx ® , Clarion ® , Sonora ® , Choctaw ® and First Choice ® . These brand names and trademarks are important to the business and, historically, Weyerhaeuser has vigorously pursued apparent infringements. The numerous trademarks of the Predecessor Company have been registered in the United States and/or throughout the world where the products of the Predecessor Company are sold. The current registrations of these trademarks are effective for various periods of time. These trademarks may be renewed periodically, provided that the Predecessor Company, as the registered owner, and/or their licensees comply with all applicable renewal requirements, including the continued use of the trademarks in connection with similar goods.

The Company owns a number of issued U.S. and foreign patents, some of which have expired or been abandoned and several pending U.S. patent applications. The Predecessor Company’s management regards these patents and patent applications as important but does not consider any one or group of them to be materially important to the Predecessor Company as a whole.

Under the terms of the Contribution and Distribution Agreement and the intellectual property license agreement, the Company received, a fully paid-up, royalty free, non-exclusive license to use certain intellectual property and technology that is used in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business but retained by Weyerhaeuser. This license does not, however, include the right to use the Weyerhaeuser name. See “The Company’s relationship with Weyerhaeuser after the distribution—Intellectual property license agreement.”

 

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Seasonality

Demand for uncoated freesheet, the Predecessor Company’s principal product, is typically not seasonal. The most significant seasonal impact on the Predecessor Company’s uncoated freesheet operations is caused by its annual scheduled maintenance outages. During an outage period, a pulp mill and/or paper machine is taken out of operation so that maintenance can be performed. During these time periods, it is normal to incur significant maintenance expenditures as well as above normal expenditures for operating supplies. In addition, some facilities may elect to operate their paper machines on higher cost purchased fiber and incur other incremental costs to minimize the period of time that the paper machine is out of operation.

Working capital

The Predecessor Company typically maintains 30 to 35 days of raw material inventories and 15 to 20 days of chemical inventories to support its pulp and paper operations.

The Predecessor Company maintains approximately 30 days of finished goods inventory. However, this inventory may build up in anticipation of seasonal maintenance outages. In addition, the Predecessor Company maintains paper rolls for 15 days before they are converted to freesheet to fill customer orders.

Environmental matters

The Predecessor Company’s business is subject to a wide range of general and industry-specific laws and regulations in the United States and Canada relating to the protection of the environment, including those governing air emissions, wastewater discharges, the storage, management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, the cleanup of contaminated sites, landfill operation and closure obligations and health and safety matters. Compliance with these laws and regulations is a significant factor in the operation of the Predecessor Company’s business. The Company may encounter situations in which its operations fail to maintain full compliance with applicable environmental requirements, possibly leading to civil or criminal fines or penalties or in enforcement actions, including those that result in governmental or judicial orders that stop or interrupt the Company’s operations or require the Company to take corrective measures at substantial costs, such as the installation of additional pollution control equipment or other remedial actions.

Compliance with U.S. federal, state and local and Canadian federal and provincial environmental laws and regulations usually involves capital expenditures as well as additional operating costs. For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has promulgated regulations dealing with air emissions from pulp and paper mills, including regulations on hazardous air pollutants that require use of maximum achievable control technology and controls for pollutants that contribute to smog and haze. The Company cannot quantify future amounts of capital expenditures required to comply with these laws, regulations and demands, or the effects on operating costs, because, in some instances, compliance standards have not been developed or have not become final or definitive. In addition, compliance frequently serves other purposes, such as extension of facility life, increase in capacity, changes in raw material requirements or increase in economic value of assets or products. While it is difficult to isolate the environmental component of most manufacturing capital projects, the Predecessor Company estimated that capital expenditures for environmental compliance were approximately $4 million in 2005 and approximately $2 million in 2006.

 

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The Predecessor Company’s air permit for its Kamloops, British Columbia pulp manufacturing facility requires that the facility reduce air emissions of particulate matter by December 31, 2007. Compliance with the permit requirements is likely to require significant capital expenditures. The Company continues to evaluate its options and is currently in discussions with the Province of British Columbia to extend the deadline for compliance. If the deadline is not extended, the facility may not be able to operate after 2007 without significantly curtailing output or incurring significant capital expenditures.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has repealed the regulations promulgated in 2000 that would have required states to develop total maximum daily load (“TMDL”) allocations for pollutants in water bodies determined to be water-quality-impaired. However, certain states continue to promulgate TMDL requirements. The state TMDL requirements may set limits on pollutants that may be discharged to a body of water to reduce the amounts of pollutants. It is not possible to estimate the capital expenditures that may be required for the Company to meet pollution allocations across the various proposed state TMDL programs until a specific TMDL is promulgated.

The Predecessor Company is involved in the environmental investigation or remediation of numerous sites. Some of the sites are on property owned by the Predecessor Company where the Predecessor Company has the sole obligation to remediate the site or shares that remediation obligation with a small number of other parties. Other sites are third-party sites involving several parties who may have a joint and several remediation obligation. Remediation efforts are currently ongoing, for example, at the Predecessor Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina facility in respect of dioxins/furans and mercury, and at the Predecessor Company’s Rothschild, Wisconsin facility in respect of pulp manufacturing byproducts. The Company’s liability for environmental investigation and remediation ranges from insignificant at some sites to substantial at others, depending on the quantity, toxicity and nature of materials deposited by the Predecessor Company at the site and, at some sites, the number and economic viability of the other potentially responsible parties. The Predecessor Company spent less than $3 million in 2005 and approximately $5 million in 2006, on environmental remediation of these sites.

During the first quarter of 2006, the Predecessor Company closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the Big River Sawmill in Saskatchewan due to poor market conditions. These facilities are currently not in operation. The Company has not determined whether either of these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event the facilities are permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at one or both facilities, which would likely include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts.

The Predecessor Company’s forest operations in Canada are carried out on public forestlands under forest licenses and forest management agreements. All forest operations are subject to forest practices and environmental regulations, and operations under licenses also are subject to contractual requirements between the Predecessor Company and the relevant province designed to protect environmental and other social values. In Canada, the federal Species at Risk Act (“SARA”) was enacted in 2002. SARA contains protective measures for species identified as being at risk and for critical habitat. To date, SARA has not had a significant effect on the Predecessor Company’s operations; however, it is anticipated that SARA will, over time, result in some additional restrictions on timber harvests and other forest management practices and increase some operating costs for operators of forestlands in Canada. For these reasons, SARA is expected to affect timber supply and prices in the future.

 

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Legal proceedings

Pursuant to the Contribution and Distribution Agreement and other agreements entered into in connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company assumes responsibility for claims and litigation matters arising out of or primarily relating to the Predecessor Company whether or not asserted prior to the Acquisition Transactions. Currently, a small number of claims and litigation matters have arisen in the ordinary course of business. Although the final outcome of any legal proceeding is subject to a great many variables and cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty, management currently believes that the ultimate outcome of these legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s long-term results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

 

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Business of Domtar Inc.

Recent developments

Sale of Wood business

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of 10 sawmills in Québec and Ontario having a production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet, and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights, which represent the majority of Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights. Domtar Inc.’s remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec and its interests in several joint ventures are also included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license rights transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

On October 11, 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that Domtar Inc. has received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend Domtar Inc.’s rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Québec Superior Court to enforce its rights. Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continues to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

Domtar Corp. intends to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce its outstanding debt. At July 1, 2007, Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. accounted for the assets and liabilities of the Wood business owned by Domtar Inc. as held and used in accordance with Section 3475 of the CICA Handbook, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-lived Assets and Discontinued Operations , due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly related to obtaining government approval and financing. Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. do not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

 

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Restructuring

Domtar Corp. regularly reviews its overall production capacity with a view to adjusting its production capacity to anticipated long-term demand. In July 2007, Domtar Corp. announced the permanent closure of its paper mill in Gatineau, Québec and its converting center in Ottawa, Ontario as well as the permanent closure of two paper machines, one located at its Woodland mill in Baileyville, Maine and the other at its Port Edwards, Wisconsin mill. In total, these closures will eliminate approximately 284,000 tons of Domtar Inc.’s annual paper production capacity and will reduce its total workforce by approximately 430 employees. Domtar Corp. continues to evaluate potential adjustments to its production capacity, which may include additional closures of machines or entire mills, and Domtar Corp. could recognize cash and/or non-cash charges relating to any such closures in future periods.

Business

Domtar Inc.’s reporting segments correspond to the following business activities: Papers, Paper Merchants and Wood. For the year ended December 31, 2006, consolidated sales were $4 billion.

Segmented sales for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005

 

LOGO   LOGO

Sales by geographical area for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005

 

LOGO    LOGO

 

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Papers

Prior to the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Inc. was the third largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America. Domtar Inc. operates five pulp and paper facilities in Canada (reflecting the permanent closures of the Cornwall pulp and paper mill and Ottawa paper mill in the first quarter of 2006 and the permanent closure of Vancouver paper mill in the second quarter of 2006) and five in the United States, with an aggregate annual paper production capacity of approximately 2.3 million tons, complemented by strategically located warehouses and sales offices. Domtar Inc.’s Papers business is its most important segment representing 64% of consolidated sales in 2006, or 70% when including sales of Domtar Inc. paper through its own Paper Merchants business, compared to 62% of consolidated sales in 2005, or 68% when including sales of Domtar Inc. paper through Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business. The following table sets forth Domtar Inc.’s trade shipments of paper and market pulp for the years indicated:

 

       Years ended December 31,
     2006    2005    2004    2003    2002
 

Paper (thousands of tons)

   2,273    2,432    2,484    2,396    2,465

Market pulp (thousands of MT)

   631    574    733    698    716
 

Approximately 65% of Domtar Inc.’s paper production capacity is located in the United States, and approximately 81% of its paper sales are made to customers in the United States. Uncoated and coated freesheet papers are used for business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty applications. The chart below illustrates the principal paper products Domtar Inc. produces and its annual paper production capacity.

 

Category   Business papers   Commercial printing and Publication Papers  

Technical

and Specialty
Papers

 
Type   Uncoated freesheet   Coated
freesheet
 

Uncoated

and coated

freesheet

 
Grade  

•  Copy

 

•  Premium imaging / technology papers

 

•  Offset

•  Business converting

  •  Lightweight

•  Opaques


•  Text, cover
and
writing

 

•  Lightweight

 

•  Flexible packaging

•  Abrasive
papers

•  Decorative papers

•  Imaging
papers

•  Label papers

•  Medical disposables

 

Application

 

•  Photocopies

•  Office documents

•  Presentations

   

•  Pamphlets

•  Brochures

•  Direct mail

•  Commercial printing

•  Forms & envelopes

  •  Stationery

•  Brochures


•  Annual
reports


•  Books


•  Catalogs

 

•  Brochures

•  Annual reports

•  Books

•  Magazines

•  Catalogs

 

•  Food & candy wrappings Surgical gowns Repositionable note pads Security check papers

 
Capacity*   As at February 21, 2007: approximately 2.3 million tons
 
 

0.8 million tons 35%

 

0.1 million tons 4%

 

0.7 million tons 31%

  0.2 million
tons 9%
 

0.1 million tons 4%

 

0.4 million tons 17%

 

 

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*   The allocation of production capacity may vary from period to period in order to take advantage of market conditions. Domtar Inc. permanently closed the Cornwall pulp and paper mill and Ottawa paper mill in the first quarter of 2006, and the Vancouver paper mill in the second quarter of 2006. These permanent closures, impacting 450,000 tons of paper, have been assumed to be effective as at January 1, 2006 and have been reflected in the above capacity.

 

**   On July 31, 2007, we announced the permanent closure of two paper machines, one at our Port Edwards paper mill, another at our Woodland paper mill as well as our Gatineau paper mill, having a combined production capacity of 284,000 tons. The above table does not reflect these closures.

Domtar Inc.’s business papers consist mainly of uncoated freesheet papers, such as copy and premium imaging papers used in photocopy machines, laser and inkjet printers. These products are principally for home and office use and represent about 39% of Domtar Inc.’s paper production.

Domtar Inc.’s commercial printing grade papers include uncoated freesheet papers, such as offset papers, opaques and a variety of coated printing papers. These grades are used in sheet and roll fed offset presses across the spectrum of commercial printing end-uses, including digital printing. Domtar Inc.’s publication papers include tradebook and lightweight uncoated and coated papers used principally in book publishing applications such as textbooks, dictionaries, catalogs, magazines, hard cover novels and financial printing. Design papers, a sub-group of commercial printing and publication papers, have distinct features of color, brightness and texture and are targeted towards graphic artists in design and advertising agencies, for use primarily in special brochures and annual reports. Commercial printing and publication papers represent 44% of its paper production.

Domtar Inc. also produces paper for several technical and specialty markets. These technical and specialty papers consist primarily of base stock used by the flexible packaging industry in the production of food and medical packaging and other specialty papers for various other industrial applications, including base stock for sandpaper, base stock for medical gowns, drapes and packaging, as well as transfer paper for printing processes. Domtar Inc. also participates in several converting grades for specialty and security applications. These technical and specialty papers represent about 17% of its paper production.

Product development

Domtar Inc. pursues product development opportunities in order to provide customers with new or enhanced products. Domtar Inc. annually targets specific improvements for profitability and volume of new product sales. New product ideas are proactively sought and rewarded throughout the organization. Ideas are screened and products developed using the Stage-Gate process, which ensures a disciplined approach that prioritizes and plans activities to maximize benefits and minimize development costs and time to market. Technical and specialty papers are often created in partnership with product manufacturers and sold to them directly. Domtar Inc.’s various manufacturing capabilities provide it with flexibility to develop specialized products at a competitive cost advantage over the life cycle of the products.

As an example of ongoing efforts to innovate and develop new markets, Domtar Inc. developed the first antimicrobial office paper available in North America. Designed to protect paper against the growth of bacteria, odors, fungus, mold and mildew, this product is specially treated with a patented antimicrobial compound licensed from SilverCo Inc. that kills most bacteria that come into contact with it. Although conceived for general office use, the paper’s unique characteristics make it ideal for the healthcare, laboratory, hospitality, education and governmental sectors. This innovative product is a welcome addition to the continuously growing line of the Domtar EarthChoice ® family of FSC-certified, environmentally responsible papers.

 

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During 2006, Domtar Inc. shipped approximately 1,320,000 tons of products that were improved/developed after 2003 (including the products that were transitioned to higher brightness), accounting for about 57% of Domtar Inc.’s total paper shipments. Domtar Inc. also supports fundamental research at several universities and through research institutions such as the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada.

Customers and distribution

The following chart illustrates Domtar Inc.’s channels of distribution for its paper products:

 

Category   Business papers   Commercial printing and
publication papers
  Technical and
specialty papers
 

Domtar Inc. sells to:

  Merchants
¯
  Office
Equipment
Manufacturers /
Stationers
¯
  Retailers
¯
  Merchants

¯

  Converters
¯
  Converters
¯

Customer sells to:

  Printers /
Retailers /
End-users
  Retailers /
Stationers /
End-users
  Printers /
End-users
  Printers /
Converters /
End-users
  Merchants /
Retailers
  End-users
 

Generally, Domtar Inc. sells business papers through paper merchants, office equipment manufacturers, stationers and retail outlets. Domtar Inc. distributes uncoated and coated commercial printing and publication papers to end-users and commercial printers, mainly through paper merchants, as well as selling directly to converters. Domtar Inc. sells its technical and specialty products mainly to converters, who apply a further production process such as coating, laminating or waxing to Domtar Inc.’s papers before selling them to a variety of specialized end-users.

Domtar Inc.’s customer service personnel work closely with sales, marketing and production staff to provide service and support to merchants, converters, end-users, stationers, printers and retailers. Domtar Inc. promotes its products directly to end-users and others who influence paper purchasing decisions in order to enhance brand recognition and increase product demand. In addition, Domtar Inc.’s sales representatives work closely with mill-based new product development personnel and undertake joint marketing initiatives with customers in order to better understand its customers’ businesses and needs and to support their future requirements.

Domtar Inc. distributed about 69% of its paper products in 2006 through a large network of paper sales merchants operating throughout North America, one of which it owns (see “—Paper Merchants”). Paper merchants, who sell Domtar Inc.’s products to their own customers, represent Domtar Inc.’s largest group of customers.

In 2006, approximately 81% of Domtar Inc.’s paper sales were made to customers in the United States.

Although a five year supply agreement between Domtar Inc. and Unisource ended on June 30, 2006, Domtar Inc. continues to sell products to Unisource. The companies have mutually developed a number of initiatives that Domtar Inc. believes will continue to enhance its business relationship and maintain its volume for the foreseeable future.

Market Pulp to customers in North America is sold through a centrally located sales force while sales to overseas customers are made directly or through commission agents. Domtar Inc. maintains pulp supplies at strategically located warehouses, which allows it to respond to orders

 

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on short notice. In 2006, approximately 8% of Domtar Inc.’s sales of market pulp were made in Canada, 23% were made in the United States, 9% in Mexico and 60% overseas. Domtar Inc. also purchases pulp to optimize paper production and reduce freight costs. In 2006, Domtar Inc.’s net market pulp position (the amount of pulp produced in excess of its internal requirements) was approximately 563,000 tons.

In order to better respond to customer needs and improve the flexibility of its production network, Domtar Inc. implemented an integrated resource management system. Progressively introduced since July 2003, this system establishes a common platform and database for customer service, integrates production-planning processes in the mills and implements common financial processes and standards. As at December 31, 2006, the roll-out of the integrated system was completed across Domtar Inc.’s operations and Domtar Inc. achieved its goal of having approximately 85% of its transactions being processed by this system.

Furthermore, in 2005, Domtar Inc. introduced Domtar EarthChoice ® , a line of socially and environmentally responsible papers, endorsed by Rainforest Alliance and welcomed by Forest Ethics and the World Wildlife Fund. The Domtar EarthChoice ® line of uncoated and coated Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified papers provides customers with a product offering that is aligned with their growing preference for sustainable development.

Facilities

The following table lists the paper production facilities owned and operated by Domtar. The table also indicates the number of paper machines, the principal products manufactured and the approximate annual production capacity for each facility. Approximately 65% of Domtar Inc.’s paper production capacity is located in the United States. All of Domtar’s pulp and paper mills are certified ISO 14001 except for its Windsor mill, which is certified under the Responsible Care program. In addition, all of Domtar Inc.’s mills are FSC chain of custody certified.

 

Paper production

facility

   Location    paper
machines
   Principal paper type    Annual capacity
(millions of tons)
 

Ashdown

   Arkansas    4    Copy, offset and technical and specialty    0.9

Windsor

   Québec    2    Copy and offset    0.6

Nekoosa

   Wisconsin    3    Uncoated printing and technical and specialty    0.2

Port Edwards(1)

   Wisconsin    4    Uncoated printing and technical and specialty    0.2

Hull

   Québec    1    Coated lightweight    0.1

Woodland(1)

   Maine    1    Copy, offset and technical and specialty    0.1

Port Huron

   Michigan    4    Technical and specialty    0.1

Espanola

   Ontario    2    Technical and specialty    0.1
               

Total

      21       2.3
 

 

(1)   On July 31, 2007, we announced the permanent closure of two paper machines, one at our Port Edwards paper mill, another at our Woodland paper mill as well as our Gatineau paper mill, having a combined production capacity of 284,000 tons. The above table does not reflect these closures.

 

(2)   We now refer to the Hull mill as the Gatineau mill.

 

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Domtar Inc.’s net market pulp position principally results from production at its mills in Ashdown, Espanola and Woodland.

For a discussion on sources of raw material for paper production, see “Fiber supply” section.

Power facilities

Domtar Inc. owns power generating facilities at eight locations: Ashdown, Espanola, Nekoosa, Ottawa-Hull (now referred to as Gatineau), Port Edwards, Port Huron, Windsor and Woodland. Approximately 65% of Domtar Inc.’s electric power requirements are met by its own facilities. Domtar purchases the balance of its power requirements from local utilities. In addition, Domtar Inc. provides about 70% of the energy required to produce steam internally through its recovery boilers and cogeneration facilities with the remaining energy purchased in the form of bark, natural gas, oil and coal.

Paper Merchants

Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business comprises the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by Domtar Inc. and by other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products. These products are sold to a wide and diverse customer base, which includes small, medium and large commercial printers, publishers, business forms manufacturers, quick copy firms and institutional entities.

Domtar Inc.-owned paper merchants operate in the United States and Canada under a single banner and umbrella name, the Domtar Distribution Group. Ris Paper operates throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest areas from 19 locations in the United States, including 16 distribution centers. The Canadian business operates as Buntin Reid in three locations in Ontario; JBR/La Maison du Papier in two locations in Québec; and The Paper House from two locations in Atlantic Canada. Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business represented 26% of consolidated sales in 2006, or 20% when excluding sales of Domtar Inc. paper, compared to 25% of consolidated sales in 2005, or 19% when excluding sales of Domtar Inc. paper. In 2006, approximately 30% of Paper Merchants’ sales were made to customers in Canada and 70% were made to customers in the United States.

Sales are executed through Domtar Inc.’s sales force based at branches strategically located in served markets. Domtar Inc. distributes about 54% of its paper sales from its own warehouse distribution system and about 46% of its paper sales through mill-direct deliveries (i.e., deliveries directly from manufacturers, including Domtar Inc., to its customers).

In April 2003, the Canadian Competition Bureau (the “Bureau”) began an investigation of Canada’s major Distributors of carbonless paper and other fine paper products, including Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants in Canada. In March 2004, the Bureau expanded its investigation to include dealings between the Corporation and Xerox Canada Limited. In December 2005, Domtar Inc. recorded a $13 million charge relating to a legal settlement with regards to the sales of carbonless sheet paper in Ontario and Québec during a one-year period in part of 1999 and 2000. With this settlement, the Canadian antitrust authorities have concluded their investigations into Domtar Inc.’s business activities.

 

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Wood

In June 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that Domtar Inc. had reached an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale, see “—Recent developments” above.

Domtar Inc.’s Wood business comprises the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of lumber and wood-based value-added products and the management of forest resources. It operates eight sawmills (four in Québec, following the closure of the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills in the second quarter of 2006, and four in Ontario) and one remanufacturing facility (in Québec), for an annual capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet of lumber. Domtar Inc. also has an interest in three joint ventures and an investment in one business, which all produce wood products. Domtar Inc. seeks to optimize 17 million acres of forestland directly licensed or owned by the corporation in Canada and the United States through efficient management and the application of certified sustainable forest management practices such that a continuous supply of wood is available for future needs. Domtar Inc.’s Wood business represented 10% of consolidated sales in 2006 compared to 13% of consolidated sales in 2005.

Domtar Inc. produces mainly softwood dimensional lumber used primarily in the construction industry. Products include studs and random length lumber in dimensions of 2 inches x 3 inches through 2 inches x 10 inches in lengths of 8 feet to 16 feet. Domtar Inc. operates four sawmills and one remanufacturing facility in Québec (Matagami, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Val-d’Or, Ste-Marie and Sullivan), and four sawmills in Ontario (White River, Timmins, Elk Lake (jointly-owned) and Nairn Center). As of December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had four sawmills and one remanufacturing facility in operation, for an annual capacity of approximately 460 million board feet of lumber. In 2006, approximately 95% of the lumber shipped by Domtar Inc. was kiln dried.

The following table sets forth Domtar’s trade shipments of lumber for the years indicated:

 

       2006    2005    2004    2003    2002
 

Lumber (millions of board feet)

   916    1,107    1,009    999    1,037
 

In November 2005, Domtar Inc.’s decision to temporarily shut down its Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill due to unfavorable economic conditions caused it to indefinitely idle its adjacent sawmill. The Lebel-sur-Quévillon sawmill restarted temporarily in the second quarter of 2006 in order to process its roundwood inventory and shut down indefinitely again on October 11, 2006. Additionally, on October 11, 2006, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite closures of three other sawmills (two in Abitibi, Québec, and one in Ontario). The closures, which occurred in October 2006, are primarily due to the pressure of higher timber costs and lower demand for both lumber and chips. These closures impacted approximately 360 permanent positions and reduced production capacity.

Domtar Inc. sells substantially all of its softwood lumber through its own sales office in Montreal to a wide range of retailers, distributors, manufacturers and wholesalers in Canada and the United States who sell to end-users. These wood products are consumed in the home construction, renovation and industrial markets. Domtar Inc.’s marketing efforts for lumber products are focused on providing its customers with efficient value-added supply chain integration, ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction and achieving a balanced and diversified customer base for Domtar Inc.’s products. In 2006, approximately 37% of sales of wood products were in Canada and 63% were in the United States.

 

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In addition to producing dimensional lumber and studs, Domtar Inc. manufactures lumber that is graded according to recognized standards, such as Premium, Select, J-Grade and Machine Stress Rated lumber. Domtar Inc. also has a 50% interest in a facility in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and a 50% interest in a fully integrated sawmill, kiln and planer operation in northern Ontario with an annual capacity of approximately 60 million board feet of lumber. In early 2005, Domtar announced, in conjunction with Tembec Inc., the restructuring of its northeastern Ontario sawmill operations, resulting in the permanent closure of its Chapleau sawmill as of March 6, 2005. This initiative arose from a review of Domtar Inc.’s northeastern Ontario sawmill operations in light of prevailing challenging conditions. This initiative allowed Domtar to add a third shift at the jointly-owned Elk Lake sawmill in April 2005 to process additional fiber from the Chapleau closure and resulting fiber swap with Tembec Inc.

Fiber supply

Domtar Inc. uses hardwood and softwood fiber for the production of paper and softwood for the production of lumber. Domtar Inc.’s forestry strategy is to optimize wood flows within its fiber supply area and to maximize value and minimize cost while securing an adequate wood supply for its operations. Domtar Inc. focuses both on the delivery of fresh, high-quality recently harvested wood (which is more resistant to staining and insect attack and has a higher moisture content, making it easier for sawmills to maximize the lumber manufactured from each log) and on the sorting of species (which helps maximize fiber use and ensures better quality downstream products).

Domtar Inc. seeks to optimize 17 million acres of forestlands for which the corporation is wholly responsible through efficient management and the application of certified sustainable forest management practices such that a continuous supply of wood is available for future needs. Site preparation, planting and harvesting techniques are continually improved through a variety of methods, including tree improvement and silvicultural research. All Domtar Inc.’s forestlands in Canada have received ISO 14001 certification. Such certification requires introducing rigorous documentation, standardized forest management practices and provisions for continuous improvement. Domtar Inc. also began in 2001, to receive FSC certification of its forest management practices, starting with Domtar Inc. private lands in central Ontario. The FSC is an independent non-profit organization that sets internationally accepted standards for environmental sustainability. As a result of this initial forest certification, Domtar Inc. began the manufacture and sale, during 2003, of paper grades certified by the FSC. Forest products may carry the FSC logo only when a required minimum of fiber content is traceable to an FSC-certified forest of origin and is documented by a full chain-of-custody review. In November 2003, Domtar Inc. undertook to attain FSC certification of all of its 17 million acres of directly licensed and owned forestlands subject to the successful completion of two boreal forest pilot projects. As of December 31, 2006, FSC certificates have been issued covering 7 million acres (or 40%) of Domtar Inc. direct licensed and owned forestland in addition to the certification of over 7 million acres on two other Domtar Inc. co-managed forests in northern Ontario. Certification is expected on the remaining landbase by the end of 2007.

In Québec and Ontario, Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights on public lands provide an annual allowable harvest of approximately 6.9 million cubic meters of wood (both softwood and hardwood). Access to harvesting of fiber on public lands in Québec and Ontario is subject to review by the respective governmental authorities. Domtar Inc.’s freehold land of approximately 900,000 acres in Québec, Ontario and Maine provide an annual allowable harvest of approximately 0.5 million cubic meters of wood.

 

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Québec

In Québec, Domtar Inc.’s annual allowable softwood harvest of approximately 1.8 million cubic meters, derived on a sustained yield basis from public land granted by the Ministry of Natural Resources (Québec) and from Domtar Inc.’s own freehold lands can supply most of the logs needed for two-shift operations of Domtar Inc.’s northern Québec sawmills. The chips produced by these sawmills provide approximately 72% of the fiber requirements of the pulp mill at Lebel-sur-Quévillon. The remaining required fiber is purchased under various contractual arrangements and on the open market. The Province of Québec adopted new legislation, which became effective April 1, 2005, that reduced allowable wood-harvesting volumes by an average of 20% on public lands and 25% on territories covered by an agreement between the Government of Québec and the Cree First Nations. As a result, the amount of fiber Domtar Inc. is permitted to harvest annually, under Domtar Inc.’s existing licenses from the Québec government, was reduced by approximately 500,000 cubic meters to approximately 2.0 million cubic meters, reflecting a 21% reduction. Recently, the Chief Forester of Québec has proposed a further reduction of 60,000 cubic meters, or 3%, in the total softwood annual allowable cut of forests managed by Domtar Inc. This would significantly affect the supply of fiber for Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills and market pulp operations. Resulting from the closure in November 2005 of Domtar’s pulp mill at Lebel-sur-Quévillon for unfavorable economic conditions and no alternative markets for chips produced by its sawmills, as well as the reduced allowable wood harvesting volume, Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills, including Val d’Or, Matagami and Lebel-sur-Quévillon, were closed for an indefinite period of time. These sawmill closures represent a combined annual capacity of approximately 400 million board feet of lumber. In June 2007, we restarted our Val d’Or sawmill, which has an annual capacity of approximately 120 million board feet.

Ontario

In Ontario, Domtar Inc.’s annual allowable harvest amounts to approximately 3.7 million cubic meters pursuant to Sustainable Forest Licenses, or SFLs, that has been granted by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. These SFLs are granted either directly to Domtar Inc., to SFL management companies in which Domtar Inc. is a shareholder or to SFL holders with whom Domtar Inc. has no direct association. Domtar Inc. obtains approximately 80% of the wood fiber required for its northern Ontario sawmill operations and Domtar Inc.’s Espanola pulp mill either directly or indirectly from these harvesting rights and from its own freehold lands. The remaining required fiber is purchased under various contractual arrangements and on the open market. Most of the by-product volume (sawdust and shaving) is sold to manufacturers of engineered wood and paperboard.

Other

Domtar Inc. is currently working on finding solutions such as obtaining alternate sources of fiber. The reduction in harvest volume increases the unit cost of wood delivered to the sawmills. If Domtar Inc. is unable to maintain an adequate supply of fiber and mitigate the significant cost increase and wood delivery cost, its Northern Québec softwood sawmill and market pulp operations may not reopen and may result in permanent closures or impairment of assets.

 

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Canadian mills

Domtar Inc.’s fine paper mill at Windsor, which consumes hardwood fiber, is located in an area where the fiber supply is adequate to sustain all current fiber requirements. The Windsor mill consumes hardwood fiber originating from a variety of sources, including purchases on the open market in Canada and the United States, contracts with Québec wood producers’ marketing boards and Domtar Inc.’s private lands.

U.S. mills

The fiber used by Domtar Inc.’s pulp and paper mills in the United States is primarily hardwood, which is readily available in the market from multiple third-party sources, and secondarily softwood, which is also readily available. The Ashdown, Wisconsin and Woodland mills are sourced by a combination of long-term supply contracts, wood lot management arrangements, advance stumpage purchases, and spot market purchases.

Competition

Markets for most of Domtar Inc.’s products are also highly competitive, with a number of major companies competing in each market. Domtar Inc. competes with both Canadian and U.S. producers in all of its product lines and with global producers in certain of Domtar Inc.’s product lines, some of which may have greater financial resources and lower production costs than Domtar Inc. While the principal basis for competition is selling price, competition can be based upon quality and customer service, including, in some cases, providing technical advice to customers. Other factors, such as foreign exchange rates, cost of fiber and other input costs can also impact Domtar Inc.’s competitive position.

In addition, Domtar Inc. may compete with product substitutes, which can impact demand for its products. Domtar Inc.’s paper products compete with electronic transmission and document storage alternatives, as well as grades of paper it does not produce. As the use of these alternatives grows, demand for Domtar Inc.’s paper products may decline or shift to other paper grades. Moreover, demand for some of Domtar Inc.’s wood products may decline if customers purchase steel alternatives.

Employee relations

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had approximately 4,700 employees in Canada of which approximately 3,600 are unionized, and approximately 3,700 employees in the United States of which approximately 2,500 are unionized, for a total of 8,400 employees.

 

Number of employees per segment    As at December 31,
2006
 

Papers

   5,505

Paper Merchants

   930

Wood

   1,375

Corporate

   550
    

Total number of employees

   8,360
 

Domtar Inc.’s business strategies include supporting the personal growth and participation of employees. Domtar Inc. encourages employees to be involved in workshops aimed at producing better performance, greater operating efficiencies, safer operating procedures and lowering costs.

 

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Safety remains one of Domtar Inc.’s core operating values. Last year, Domtar Inc. reduced its recordable case rate by 10.5% compared to 2005 and Domtar Inc.’s goal is to reduce this rate by another 15% in 2007. Domtar Inc.’s objective is to be amongst the top three companies in its industry by 2009 in term of best safety performance. The Domtar Safety Steering Team will drive the efforts of Domtar Inc. in reaching its safety objectives.

Papers

A collective agreement expired in April 2004 for Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill (affecting approximately 350 employees). Negotiations have ceased as the mill is closed for an indefinite period. In July 2006, a 5 year agreement, expiring April 30, 2010, was reached and ratified with the union at the Windsor mill (affecting approximately 760 employees).

Paper Merchants

The collective agreements covering four locations in the U.S. and three in Canada were renewed in 2006. A collective agreement, which effects 20 employees in the U.S., expired in March 2007.

Wood

In May 2007, a five year agreement was ratified with the union at the Company’s Val d’Or, Québec sawmill (affecting approximately 88 employees).

Negotiations for a new collective agreement for the Company’s Sullivan, Québec remanufacturing facility have ceased (affecting approximately 60 employees) because the union has been decertified.

A collective agreement expired in June 2007 for the Company’s Sainte-Marie, Québec sawmill. Negotiations for the renewal of this collective agreement (affecting approximately 70 employees) began in August 2007.

A collective agreement expired in August 2005 for our Nairn Centre, Ontario sawmill. Negotiations have been suspended as the mill is shut down for an indefinite period of time.

Environmental matters

Environmental expenditures for effluent treatment, air emission, landfill operation and closure, asbestos containment and removal, bark pile management, silvicultural activities and site remediation (together referred to as environmental matters) are expensed or capitalized depending upon their future economic benefit. In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. incurs certain operating costs for environmental matters that are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment that prevent future environmental impacts are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over 10 to 40 years. Provisions for environmental matters are not discounted and are recorded when remediation efforts are likely and can be reasonably determined.

While Domtar Inc. believes that it has determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred, based on known information, its ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with Domtar Inc.’s former and present operations may lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts may result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

 

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As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had a provision of $54 million for environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, Domtar Inc. believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on Domtar Inc.’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

The pulp and paper industry in the United States was subject to the Boiler MACT Rule that further regulated air emissions. However, a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the Boiler MACT Rule on July 30, 2007 and discussions are ongoing for alternative U.S. federal and state regulations. Domtar Corp. believes it complies with all such current air emissions regulations and anticipates spending approximately $4 million over the next year to meet such requirements.

As at December 31, 2006, anticipated undiscounted payments in each of the next five years are as follows:

 

(In millions of Canadian dollars)    2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    Thereafter    Total
 

Environmental provision and other asset retirement obligations

   12    10    7    3    6    16    54

Boiler MACT Rule

   4                   4
                                  
   16    10    7    3    6    16    58
 

In 2006, Domtar Inc.’s operating expenses for environmental matters totaled $60 million and Domtar Inc. capitalized an additional $9 million for environmental projects mainly related to the improvement of air emissions, effluent treatment and remedial actions taken to address environmental compliance. In 2007, Domtar Inc. expects to capitalize approximately $4 million for environmental projects, including Boiler MACT Rule obligations. However, a decision for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the Boiler MACT Rule on July 30, 2007 and discussions are ongoing for alternative U.S. federal and state regulations. Domtar Inc. is unable to estimate the total amount of capital expenditures that may be required beyond 2007 for environmental compliance. However, Domtar Inc. does not expect any additional required expenditure to have a material adverse effect on its financial position, earnings or cash flows.

Social and environmental policies

Domtar Inc. has several social and environmental related policies including, among others, Human Rights, Forest, Environment, and Health and Safety policies. These form an integral part of its Code of Ethics.

 

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Description of other indebtedness

Senior secured credit facilities

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc. entered into the Credit Agreement, which consisted of an $800 million senior secured tranche B term loan facility and a $750 million senior secured revolving credit facility. In connection with the closing of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company borrowed $800 million under the tranche B term loan facility, which has subsequently been reduced to $645 million. The revolving credit facility may be used by the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc. for working capital needs and for general corporate purposes, and a portion will be available for letters of credit and swingline loans. Borrowings by the U.S. Borrowers under the revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars, and borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars and/or Canadian dollars and limited to $150 million (or the Canadian dollar equivalent thereof).

The tranche B term loan facility matures on March 7, 2014, and the revolving credit facility matures on March 7, 2012. The tranche B term loan facility amortizes in nominal quarterly installments (equal to one percent of the aggregate initial principal amount thereof per annum) with the balance due on the maturity date.

Amounts drawn under the tranche B term loan facility bear annual interest at either a eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.375%, or an alternate base rate plus a margin of 0.375%. Amounts drawn under the revolving credit facility bear annual interest at either a eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%, or an alternate base rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Amounts drawn under the revolving credit facility by Domtar Inc. in U.S. dollars bear annual interest at either a eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%, or an U.S. base rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Amounts drawn under the revolving credit facility by Domtar Inc. in Canadian dollars bear annual interest at the Canadian prime rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Domtar Inc. may also issue bankers’ acceptances denominated in Canadian dollars which are subject to an acceptance fee, payable on the date of acceptance, which is calculated at a rate per annum equal to 1.25% to 2.25%. The interest rate margins and the acceptance fee, in each case, with respect to the revolving credit facility are subject to adjustments based on the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio.

The Credit Agreement contains a number of covenants that, among other things, limit the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to make capital expenditures and place restrictions on other matters customarily restricted in senior secured credit facilities, including restrictions on indebtedness (including guarantee obligations), liens (including sale and leasebacks), fundamental changes, sales or disposition of property or assets, investments (including loans, advances, guarantees and acquisitions), transactions with affiliates, hedge agreements, dividends and other payments in respect of capital stock, changes in fiscal periods, environmental activity, optional payments and modifications of other material debt instruments, negative pledges and agreements restricting subsidiary distributions, changes in lines of business, and the proposed amendments to the transaction documents to the extent that any such amendment would be materially adverse to the interests of the lenders. For so long as the revolving credit commitments are outstanding, we are required to comply with a consolidated EBITDA (as defined) to consolidated cash interest coverage ratio of greater than 2.50x and a consolidated

 

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debt to consolidated EBITDA ratio of less than 4.75x, decreasing to 4.5 on December 31, 2008. The Credit Agreement contains customary events of default, provided that non-compliance with the consolidated cash interest coverage ratio or consolidated leverage ratio will not constitute an event of default under the tranche B term loan facility unless it has not been waived by the revolving credit lenders within a period of 45 days after notice.

The Company’s direct and indirect, existing and future, U.S. wholly-owned subsidiaries serve as guarantors of the senior secured credit facilities for any obligations thereunder of the U.S. borrowers, subject to exceptions for the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc. and other agreed exceptions. Presently, Domtar Paper Company, LLC is the sole subsidiary guaranteeing the Company’s obligations under the Credit Agreement. Domtar Inc.’s direct and indirect, existing and future, wholly-owned subsidiaries, as well as the Company and its subsidiaries, serve as guarantors of Domtar Inc.’s obligations as a borrower under the senior secured credit facilities, subject to agreed exceptions. Presently, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Corp.’s subsidiaries guarantee Domtar Inc.’s obligations under the Credit Agreement. Domtar Inc. does not guarantee Domtar Corp.’s obligations under the Credit Agreement.

The obligations of the Company in respect of the senior secured credit facilities are secured by all of the equity interests of the Company’s direct and indirect U.S. subsidiaries, other than the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc., and 65% of the equity interests of the Company’s direct and indirect “first-tier” foreign subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and a perfected first priority security interest in substantially all of the Company’s and its direct and indirect U.S. subsidiaries’ tangible and intangible assets (other than the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc.). The obligations of Domtar Inc., and the obligations of the non-U.S. guarantors, in respect of the senior secured credit facilities and any hedge agreements or cash management arrangements entered into with a lender thereunder also are secured by all of the equity interests of the Company’s direct and indirect subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and a perfected first priority security interest, lien and hypothec in the inventory of Domtar Inc., its immediate parent, and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, other than its U.S. subsidiaries.

Accounts receivable securitization

In conjunction with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company retained Domtar Inc.’s receivable securitization program. We sell certain of our trade receivables through a securitization program, which expires in February 2010. The Company uses securitization of its receivables as a source of financing by reducing its working capital requirements. This securitization program consists of the sale of receivables, or the sale of a senior beneficial interest in them, to a special purpose trust managed by a financial institution for multiple sellers of receivables. The agreement governing the receivables securitization program normally allows the daily sale of new receivables to replace those that have been collected. It also limits the cash that can be received from the sale of the senior beneficial interest to a maximum of $190 million. The subordinated interest retained by the Company is included in “Receivables” and will be collected only after the senior beneficial interest has been settled. The book value of the retained subordinated interest approximates fair value.

As at July 1, 2007, the cash received from the transfer of receivables amounted to $130 million. The Company expects to continue selling receivables on an ongoing basis, given the attractive discount rates. Should this program be discontinued either by management’s decision or due to termination of the program by the provider, the Company’s working capital and bank debt requirements could increase.

 

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Board of directors and management of the Company

Board of directors

The board of directors of the Company is comprised of 13 directors. Harold MacKay serves as the non-executive chairman of the board of directors.

Of these 13 directors, each director other than Messrs. Royer and Cooper is independent under the independence requirements of the SEC, the New York Stock Exchange and the Company’s Director Independence Standards, which are available at the Company’s web site at www.domtar.com . Further, Messrs. Bingleman, Gignac, Moore, Steacy and Stivers meet the independence requirements of the SEC for audit committee members. Each of Messrs. Levitt, Onustock, Tan and Turcotte and Ms. Strobel is a “Non-employee Director” for purposes of the Exchange Act and each satisfies the requirements of an “outside director” for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Set forth below is information concerning those persons that are currently serving as the directors of the Company. The board of directors is divided into the following three classes: Class I: Jack C. Bingleman, Marvin D. Cooper, W. Henson Moore and Richard Tan; Class II: Louis P. Gignac, Harold H. MacKay, Raymond Royer and William C. Stivers; Class III: Brian M. Levitt, Michael R. Onustock, Robert J. Steacy, Pamela B. Strobel and Denis Turcotte.

The first class was elected for a term expiring at the first annual meeting of stockholders following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the second class was elected for a term expiring at the second annual meeting of stockholders following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, and the third class was elected for a term expiring at the third annual meeting of stockholders following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions.

 

Name    Position
 

Harold H. MacKay

   Chairman of the board of directors

Jack C. Bingleman

   Director

Marvin D. Cooper

   Director

Louis P. Gignac

   Director

Brian M. Levitt

   Director

W. Henson Moore

   Director

Michael R. Onustock

   Director

Raymond Royer

   Director

Robert J. Steacy

   Director

William C. Stivers

   Director

Pamela B. Strobel

   Director

Richard Tan

   Director

Denis Turcotte

   Director
 

Harold H. MacKay , age 67, has served as Counsel to the law firm MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman LLP in Regina, Saskatchewan since 2005. Prior to that, he was a partner in MacPherson from 1969 to 2004. He also served as the Clifford Clark policy advisor to the Department of Finance of Canada and chaired the Task Force on the Future of the Canadian Financial Services Sector in 1997 and 1998. He is a director of The Toronto-Dominion Bank and The Mosaic Company. Mr. MacKay is an Officer of the Order of Canada.

 

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Jack C. Bingleman , age 64, has been the president of Indian River Asset Management Inc. since 2001. Previously he held a number of executive positions with Staples Inc., including president of Staples International from 1997 to 2000. He has been a director of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since 2005; he is also a director of Tractor Supply Co.

Marvin D. Cooper , age 64, was the senior vice president, cellulose fiber, white papers and containerboard manufacturing and engineering of Weyerhaeuser from 2002 to 2006 when he stepped down to work full-time on the Acquisition Transactions. Prior to joining Weyerhaeuser in 2002, he held a number of executive positions with Willamette Industries, Inc., including executive vice president, pulp and paper mills from 1998 to 2002. His career in the pulp and paper industry spans over 36 years.

Louis P. Gignac , age 57, has been a corporate director and consultant since November 2006. Previously, he served as president and CEO of Cambior Inc. since 1986. He has been a director of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since 1995; he is also a director of Gaz Metro Inc. and St. Andrew Goldfields Ltd.

Brian M. Levitt , age 60, has been the chair of the board of Domtar Inc. since 2004 and the co-chair of the law firm Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP since 2001. Previously, he held a number of executive positions with Imasco Limited, including president and chief executive officer from 1995 to 2000. Mr. Levitt has been a director of Domtar Inc. since 1997; he is also a director of BCE Inc.

W. Henson Moore , age 67, has been until August 2006 president and CEO of the American Forest & Paper Association since 1995. Previously, he served in a number of senior U.S. government appointments and as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the Sixth District of Louisiana. Mr. Moore is a director of USEC, Inc.

Michael R. Onustock , age 67, has retired as senior vice president, pulp and white paper with Weyerhaeuser in 2004. Prior to joining Weyerhaeuser in 2002, he held a number of executive positions in Willamette Industries, Inc., including executive vice president, pulp and fine paper marketing from 1989 to 2002. He is a director of the University of Washington Pulp and Paper School Foundation.

Raymond Royer , age 68, has been the president, chief executive officer and a director of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since joining Domtar Inc. in 1996. He is also a director of Power Financial Corporation. Mr. Royer is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Commander of the Order of Léopold II of Belgium and an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec.

Robert J. Steacy , age 57, has been a corporate director since May 2005. Previously, he served as the senior financial officer of Torstar Corporation since 1989 including as executive vice-president and chief financial officer from 2002 to 2005. He has been a director of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since 2005; he is also a director of Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund.

William C. Stivers , age 69, has retired as executive vice president of Weyerhaeuser in 2003, serving as chief financial officer from 1990 to 2003. Mr. Stivers is a former director of Factory Mutual Insurance Company and a past member of Chase Manhattan Bank’s National Advisory Board. He is a director of Minerals Technologies Inc.

Pamela B. Strobel , age 54, has retired as executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Exelon Corporation in 2005. During her tenure with Exelon and its predecessor companies since 1993, she also served as president of Exelon’s Business Services Company and as chairman

 

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and CEO of Exelon Energy Delivery, the holding company for Exelon’s energy delivery businesses. She is a director of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.

Richard Tan , age 51, is the founder, president and CEO of Pacific Millennium Holdings Corporation since 1977, an investment and operating group involved over the years in various industries including pulp and paper, forest plantation, information technology, and development and global joint ventures in Asia.

Denis Turcotte , age 46, has been president and CEO of Algoma Steel Inc. since 2002. Previously, he held a number of senior executive positions with companies in the pulp and paper industry, including president of the Paper Group and executive vice president of corporate development and strategy of Tembec Inc. from 1999 to 2002.

The Company’s management

Set forth below is information concerning those persons that currently serve as the executive officers of the Company.

 

Name    Position
 

Raymond Royer

   President and Chief Executive Officer

Marvin D. Cooper

   Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer

Daniel Buron

   Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer

Steven A. Barker

   Senior Vice-President, Marketing

Roger H. Brear

   Senior Vice-President, Southern Region Mills

Michel Dagenais

   Senior Vice-President, Human Resources

Ghislain Dinel

   Senior Vice-President, Northern Region Mills

Michael Edwards

   Group Senior Vice-President, Pulp and Paper Manufacturing

James F. Lenhoff

   Senior Vice-President, Distribution

Patrick Loulou

   Senior Vice-President, Corporate Development

Jean-François Mérette

   Senior Vice-President, Forest Products

Bart Nicholson

   Senior Vice-President, Specialty Mills and Converting Operations

Yves L. Parent

   Senior Vice-President, Information Technology

Gilles Pharand

   Senior Vice-President, Law and Corporate Affairs

Richard L. Thomas

   Senior Vice-President, Sales
 

Raymond Royer , age 68, has been the president, chief executive officer and a director of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since joining Domtar Inc. in 1996. He is also a director of Power Financial Corporation. Mr. Royer is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Commander of the Order of Léopold II of Belgium and an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec.

Marvin D. Cooper , age 64, was senior vice president, cellulose fiber, white papers and containerboard manufacturing and engineering of Weyerhaeuser from 2002 to 2006 when he stepped down to work full-time on the Acquisition Transactions. Prior to joining Weyerhaeuser in 2002, he held a number of executive positions with Willamette Industries, Inc., including executive vice president, pulp and paper mills from 1998 to 2002. His career in the pulp and paper industry spans over 36 years.

Daniel Buron , age 43, has been senior vice president and chief financial officer of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since May 2004. He joined Domtar Inc. in 1999. Prior to May 2004 he was vice president, finance, pulp and paper sales division and, prior to September 2002, he was vice president and controller. He has over 18 years of experience in finance.

 

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Steven A. Barker , age 54, has been senior vice president pulp and paper sales and marketing of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since December 2004. He joined Domtar Inc. in 2000 following the acquisition of Ris Paper Company, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar Inc. since 2000) where he held a number of executive positions. His career in the paper industry spans over 25 years.

Roger H. Brear , age 59, has been senior vice president, paper manufacturing of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since 2001 when he joined following the acquisition of four U.S. paper mills from Georgia-Pacific Corporation, where he held various senior manufacturing positions. His career in the paper industry spans over 35 years.

Michel Dagenais , age 57, has been vice president, human resources of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since 2005. Previously, he was director, human resources of the Forest Products Group since joining Domtar Inc. in 2001. During his career that spans over 36 years, he has held various management and consulting positions in human resources and labor relations.

Ghislain Dinel , age 59, has been vice president, operations, optimization and technology of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since 2004. Since joining Domtar Inc. in 1970, he has held various management positions in the pulp and paper operations. His career in the pulp and paper industry spans over 37 years.

Michael Edwards , age 59, has been vice president, fine paper manufacturing of Weyerhaeuser since 2002. Since joining Weyerhaeuser in 1994, he has held various management positions in the pulp and paper operations. Prior to Weyerhaeuser, Mr. Edwards worked at Domtar Inc. for 11 years. His career in the pulp and paper industry spans over 44 years.

James F. Lenhoff , age 56, has been senior vice president, Domtar Distribution Group since 2004. He joined Domtar Inc. in 2000 following the acquisition of Ris Paper Company Inc. where he was vice president, sales and marketing. His career in the paper industry spans over 26 years.

Patrick Loulou , age 38, has been senior vice president, corporate development since he joined the Company in March 2007. Previously, he held a number of positions in the telecommunications sector, as well as in management consulting. He has over 10 years experience in corporate strategy and business development.

Jean-François Mérette , age 40, has been vice president, sawmills since he joined Domtar Inc. in 2005. Previously, he has held various management positions with a major forest products company. His career in the forest products industry spans over 16 years.

Bart Nicholson , age 47, has been vice president, fine paper converting operations since joining Weyerhaeuser in 2002. Previously, he held various management positions in the pulp and paper operations of Willamette Industries, Inc. since 1981. His career in the pulp and paper industry spans over 26 years.

Yves L. Parent , age 53, has been senior vice president, information technology of the Company since March 2007. He joined Domtar Inc. in 2005 as vice president, information technology. He has over 25 years of experience in IT management, including 15 years in the pulp and paper industry and 10 years as senior director, IT in an international manufacturing organization.

Gilles Pharand , age 63, joined Domtar Inc. in 1970; he has been senior vice president, corporate affairs since 1994 and general counsel since 1986, being responsible for secretariat, environmental and legal affairs, communications and government relations, internal audit and head office operations. His career in the pulp and paper industry spans over 37 years.

 

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Richard L. Thomas , age 54, has been vice president of fine papers of Weyerhaeuser since 2005. Prior to 2005, he was vice president, business papers of Weyerhaeuser. Mr. Thomas joined Weyerhaeuser in 2002 when Willamette Industries, Inc. was acquired by Weyerhaeuser. At Willamette, he held various management positions in operations since joining in 1992. Previously, he was with Champion International Corporation for twelve years.

Annual meeting

The Company’s by-laws provide that an annual meeting of its stockholders will be held each year on a date specified by its board of directors. The Company expects the first annual meeting of its stockholders will be held in 2008.

Committees of the board of directors

Pursuant to the Company’s by-laws, its board of directors is permitted to establish committees of three or more directors from time to time as it deems appropriate. The Company’s board of directors currently has the following committees: audit committee, nominating and corporate governance committee, human resources committee and environment and health and safety committee. The membership and function of each committee are described below.

Audit committee

The audit committee is comprised solely of directors who meet the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange and the Exchange Act and are financially literate, as required by the New York Stock Exchange. At least one member of the audit committee is a financial expert, as defined by the rules and regulations of the SEC.

The audit committee, through regular or special meetings with management, the director of internal audit and the Company’s independent auditors, provides oversight of the quality and integrity of the accounting, auditing and financial reporting practices of the Company, including the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and such other duties as the board of directors or the chairperson of the audit committee deems appropriate.

The audit committee is governed by the audit committee charter, which is available on the Company’s website at www.domtar.com.

The members of the audit committee currently are: Messrs. Bingleman, Gignac, Moore, Steacy and Stivers.

Nominating and corporate governance committee

The nominating and corporate governance committee is comprised solely of directors who meet the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.

The nominating and corporate governance committee has a leadership role in

 

 

shaping the governance of the Company;

 

 

reviewing the compensation of the Company’s directors; and

 

 

providing oversight and direction regarding the functioning and operation of the board of directors, including reviewing and recommending to the board of directors candidates for election as directors.

 

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The nominating and corporate governance committee is governed by the nominating and corporate governance committee charter, which is available on the Company’s website at www.domtar.com .

The members of the nominating and corporate governance committee currently are: Messrs. Bingleman, Levitt, MacKay and Steacy and Ms. Strobel.

Human resources committee

The human resources committee is comprised solely of directors who meet the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, meet the requirements for a “Non-Employee Director” under the Exchange Act and meet the requirements for an “outside director” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

The human resources committee has responsibility for

 

 

reviewing and approving the strategy and design of the Company’s compensation and benefits systems;

 

 

making recommendations to the board of directors with respect to incentive compensation and equity-based plans;

 

 

managing the processes used by the board of directors to evaluate the Company’s chief executive officer;

 

 

reviewing the compensation of the Company’s chief executive officer;

 

 

reviewing and approving salaries and incentive compensation of the Company’s officers and certain other positions; and

 

 

administering the Company’s stock option and incentive compensation plans.

The human resources committee is governed by the human resources committee charter, which is available on the Company’s website at www.domtar.com .

The members of the human resources committee currently are: Messrs. Levitt, Onustock, Tan and Turcotte and Ms. Strobel.

Environment and health and safety committee

The environment and health and safety committee is comprised of no less than three directors.

The environment and health and safety committee has responsibility for:

 

 

reviewing environment and health and safety (“EHS”) policies, and making recommendations to the Board regarding significant EHS audit and monitoring systems as well as related reports from management ;

 

 

reviewing EHS standards, procedures and practices against applicable regulatory requirements and overseeing compliance therewith;

 

 

reviewing objectives and plans for implementing policies, procedures, practices, compliance measures and risk management programs regarding forestry, environmental protection and occupational health and safety; and

 

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discussing with management the scope and plans for the conduct of audits of EHS performance, significant results of audits, and pending or threatened material proceedings or complaints relating to EHS.

The environment and health and safety committee is governed by the environment and health and safety committee charter, which is available on the Company’s website at www.domtar.com .

The members of the environment and health and safety committee currently are: Messrs. Moore, Gignac, Onustock, Stivers and Tan.

Compensation of executive officers

The Company did not have any employees during the period ended December 31, 2006 and accordingly has not included any compensation information with respect to that period.

The Company’s executive compensation program consists mainly of base salary, annual cash bonus and long term equity compensation.

Long term incentive plan

On March 6, 2007, the Domtar Corporation 2007 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Omnibus Plan”) was approved by Weyerhaeuser, the Company’s sole shareholder at the time. The purposes of the Omnibus Plan are to promote the interests of the Company and its shareholders by (i) attracting and retaining executive personnel and other key employees and directors of outstanding ability; (ii) motivating executive personnel and other key employees and directors by means of performance-related incentives to achieve longer-range performance goals; and (iii) enabling such individuals to participate in the long-term growth and financial success of the Company. Officers and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries who are selected by the Human Resources Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “HR Committee”) are eligible to participate in the Omnibus Plan. Non-executive directors of the Company are also eligible to participate in the Omnibus Plan, subject to selection by the HR Committee.

The HR Committee may award non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, shares of restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance share units, deferred share units and other stock-based awards to plan participants. 20,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock are reserved for issuance in connection with awards granted under the Omnibus Plan. Unless otherwise determined by the HR Committee at the time of grant, time-based awards vest in approximately equal installments over four years beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date and performance-based awards vest based on achievement of pre-determined performance goals over performance periods of three years. Awards may be subject to both performance and time-based vesting. The HR Committee may accelerate the vesting of an award at any time.

The exercise price of options and stock appreciation rights is equal to the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the date of grant.

Termination of employment

Unless otherwise determined by the HR Committee at the time of grant, upon a termination due to death, time-based awards vest in full and performance-based awards vest at target levels, and options and stock appreciation rights remain exercisable for one year. Unless otherwise

 

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determined by the HR Committee at the time of grant, upon a termination due to disability (as defined in the Omnibus Plan), time based awards vest in full and performance-based awards continue to vest in accordance with the original vesting schedule, and options and stock appreciation rights remain exercisable for one year. Unless provided otherwise in an award agreement, upon retirement, a pro-rated portion of time-based awards vest and a pro-rated portion of performance-based awards continue to vest based on actual performance during the applicable performance period, and all awards remain outstanding for five years. Unless otherwise determined by the HR Committee at the time of grant, upon a termination for cause (as defined in the Omnibus Plan) or a voluntary termination by a plan participant, all awards, including vested but unexercised awards, are forfeited without payment. Unless otherwise determined by the HR Committee at the time of grant, upon an involuntary termination by the Company for any reason other than cause, vested awards remain outstanding for 90 days and unvested awards are forfeited.

Change in control

Upon a change in control (as defined in the Omnibus Plan), unless otherwise determined by the HR Committee, a participant’s awards will be replaced with awards of the acquiring company having the same or better terms. If there is a change in control and a participant’s employment is terminated for business reasons (as defined in the Omnibus Plan) in the three months prior to or twenty-four months after the change in control, his or her time-based awards will fully vest and performance-based awards will vest to the extent the applicable performance goals have been achieved as of the date of the change in control or the end of the fiscal quarter immediately prior to the date of termination, whichever is greater.

If replacement awards are not available, unless the HR Committee determines otherwise, all time-based awards fully vest and performance-based awards vest to the extent the performance goals related to the award have been achieved as of the date of the change in control.

Alternatively, the HR Committee may determine that vested awards will be canceled in exchange for a cash payment (or other form of change in control consideration) in the change in control based on the value of the change in control payment and that unvested awards will be forfeited. The Company’s Board of Directors may also accelerate the vesting of any or all awards upon a change in control.

Clawback for financial reporting misconduct

If a participant in the Omnibus Plan knowingly or grossly negligently engaged in financial reporting misconduct, then all awards and gains from the exercise of options or stock appreciation rights in the 12 months prior to the date the misleading financial statements were issued as well as any awards that vested based on the misleading financial statements will be disgorged to the Company.

Annual incentive plan

The Domtar Corporation Annual Incentive Plan was adopted to fund performance-based annual cash incentive awards consistent with the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code (to the extent applicable). Each named executive officer of the Company and each other employee of Domtar Corp. or any of its subsidiaries selected by the HR Committee is a participant in the plan. Within 90 days after each performance period begins, but in no event later than the date on

 

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which 25% of the performance period has lapsed, the HR Committee must establish the performance goals that must be satisfied for a bonus to be payable under the plan. Performance goals may be based on a variety of metrics set forth in the plan. The maximum amount payable to any participant may not exceed $5,000,000. The HR Committee may, in its sole discretion, reduce or eliminate the amount otherwise payable to a participant under the plan. A participant must be continuously employed through the payment date to receive a payment of his or her bonus under the plan, provided that participants terminated due to death, disability or retirement prior to the payment date may be eligible for a partial bonus payment. Payment is made as soon as practicable after the HR Committee certifies that one or more of the applicable performance goals have been attained, and in any event within 2  1 / 2 months of the end of the fiscal year in which the performance period ends.

The performance measures for annual cash incentives for 2007 are based on achievement of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and health and safety improvement targets. Incentive payment targets are expressed as a percentage of base salary. Target bonus levels of 75%, 65% and 50% (and maximum bonus levels of 150%, 130% and 100%) of base salary were set for Messrs. Royer, Cooper and Buron, respectively, subject to achievement of the relevant performance measures. There is no payment for performance that does not meet the threshold performance level.

Executive employment agreements

Effective August 9, 2007, the Company entered into employment agreements with Mr. Raymond Royer, the Company’s principal executive officer, and Mr. Marvin Cooper, the Company’s principal operating officer. The agreements are effective until the 2009 annual meeting of the Company’s shareholders. The agreements provide for an annual base salary of CDN $1,100,000 and an annual bonus opportunity of 75 –150% of base salary in the case of Mr. Royer and an annual base salary of U.S. $660,000 and an annual bonus opportunity of 65 – 130% of base salary in the case of Mr. Cooper. Annual bonuses (if any) for each executive are determined and paid pursuant to the Domtar Corporation Annual Incentive Plan. Under his agreement, Mr. Royer may use the company plane for business travel when necessary, subject to quarterly review by the HR Committee and is entitled to use the company plane for personal reasons for up to 24 hours per year during the employment term; provided that he must reimburse the Company for any passengers traveling with him for reasons other than business in an amount equal to a first class commercial fare. Mr. Royer is not entitled to any tax reimbursement payments with respect to his personal use of the company plane. The Company will also provide a condominium in the Fort Mill, South Carolina area for Mr. Royer’s use when his presence is required for business reasons at the Company’s Operations Center located in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Both agreements provide that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the equity award agreements previously entered into with each executive, (i) none of the time-vested restricted stock units previously granted to each executive will vest until (or be settled prior to) the date of the 2009 annual meeting of the Company’s shareholders (when the awards will vest in full without proration), (ii) in connection with a termination of employment due to retirement with prior approval of the Board or by the Company for reasons other than death, disability or cause (as such terms are defined in the applicable award agreement), in each case prior to the date of the 2009 annual meeting of the Company’s shareholders, the performance-vested restricted stock units previously granted to each executive shall be deemed vested on the vesting date provided in the applicable award agreement to the same extent as if the executive’s service

 

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had continued until such date, subject to the achievement of the applicable performance goals and (iii) restricted stock units shall be settled in cash or in shares of the Company’s common stock, as elected by the executive. In addition, Mr. Royer’s agreement provides that none of the non-statutory stock options previously granted to Mr. Royer will vest until the date of the 2009 annual meeting of the Company’s shareholders.

Mr. Royer’s agreement also provides that payment of his annual retirement benefit under the Supplementary Pension Plan for Designated Management Employees of Domtar Inc. (the “SERP”) of CDN $720,000 per annum, which ceased accruing as of March 7, 2007, will commence on the later to occur of termination of Mr. Royer’s employment and the 2009 annual meeting of the Company’s shareholders, and will otherwise be made in accordance with the terms of the SERP. Upon a termination of employment by the Company without cause (as defined in the agreements) or retirement with the prior approval of the Board, each executive is entitled to continued payment of his base salary for the remainder of the employment term and annual incentive bonus(es) for the year(s) remaining in the employment term, calculated on the basis of actual performance criteria and payable at the same time as annual bonuses are paid to other Domtar employees. Severance benefits are subject to the execution and non-revocation of a general release of claims in favor of the Company. Any post-termination benefits payable under the agreements will be delayed for a period of six months if necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 409A (“Section 409A”) of the Code.

Compensation of directors

Each non-executive director is paid an annual retainer fee of $140,000 and the chairman of the Board is paid an annual retainer fee of $240,000. Each non-executive director that serves as the chair of a board committee (other than the chairman of the Board) is paid an additional retainer ($30,000 for audit committee, $20,000 for human resources committee, and $10,000 for any other committee). These annual retainer fees are paid 50% in cash and 50% in the form of deferred stock units (“DSUs”). There will generally be no board or committee meeting fees. However, if more than 10 board meetings are held in a calendar year, directors will be paid board meeting fees of $1,500 for each additional meeting attended. In addition, each non- executive director travelling over three or more time zones from his or her residence in connection with his or her duties as a board member is entitled to an annual long-travel allowance of $10,000.

A non-executive director may elect to defer receipt of the cash portion of his or her annual retainer fee into DSUs, subject to compliance with applicable tax requirements and rules established by the HR Committee. DSU awards will be granted under the terms of the Company’s Omnibus Plan. DSUs are settled in cash or shares of the Company’s common stock, as determined by the director, upon termination of his or her Board service, provided that if payment is required to be delayed past the date of termination pursuant to Section 409A, DSUs are settled on the first business day following the six-month anniversary of termination of the director’s service or as soon as practicable thereafter (but no later than December 31 of the year in which the six-month anniversary of termination occurs). In the event of a Change in Control (as defined in the Omnibus Plan) in which replacement awards are not available, each DSU will be settled in cash for an amount equal to the Change in Control price plus interest from the Change in Control date to the payment date.

 

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Ownership of Company common stock

Directors and executive officers

The following table set forth the number of shares of Company common stock beneficially owned by each of the Company’s directors and executive officers, and all directors and executive officers as a group, based upon information available to the Company. The mailing address of each of these individuals is c/o Domtar Corporation, 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, QC Canada H3A 1L6. As used in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement, “beneficial ownership” means that a person has, or may have within 60 days, the sole or shared power to vote or direct the voting of a security and/or the sole or shared investment power with respect to a security (i.e., the power to dispose or direct the deposition of a security). Securities that can be acquired are deemed to be outstanding for purposes of computing such person’s ownership percentage, but not for purposes of computing any other person’s percentage.

 

Name    Shares Beneficially Owned    Percent of Class
 

Harold MacKay

   10,014(1)    *

Jack Bingleman

   51,169(2)    *

Marvin Cooper

   0         0

Louis Gignac

   37,232(3)    *

Brian Levitt

   97,540(4)    *

W. Henson Moore

   6,023(5)    *

Michael Onustock

   8,318(6)    *

Robert Steacy

   30,466(7)    *

William Stivers

   6,103(8)    *

Pamela B. Strobel

   5,270(9)    *

Richard Tan

   5,727(10)    *

Denis Turcotte

   7,404(11)    *

Raymond Royer

   908,979(12)    *

Steven Barker

   94,854(13)    *

Roger Brear

   147,134(14)    *

Daniel Buron

   80,585(15)    *

Michael Edwards

   0         0

Richard Thomas

   0         0

All Directors and Executive Officers as a group

   1,951,151(16)    *
 

 

 *   Less than 1%

 

(1)   Includes 9,034 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(2)   Includes 31,169 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(3)   Includes 34,432 deferred share units of Company stock and 2,800 shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc., a subsidiary of the Company.

 

(4)   Includes 91,740 deferred share units of Company stock and 5,800 shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc., a subsidiary of the Company.

 

(5)   Consists of 6,023 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(6)   Consists of 8,318 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(7)   Consists of 30,466 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(8)   Consists of 6,103 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(9)   Consists of 5,270 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(10)   Consists of 5,727 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(11)   Consists of 7,404 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(12)   Includes 78,000 shares of restricted stock, 35,959 deferred share units of Company stock, 314,630 shares issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s stock and 6,250 shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc., a subsidiary of the Company.

 

(13)   Includes 63,000 shares of restricted stock and 29,854 shares issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s stock.

 

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(14)   Includes 54,000 shares of restricted stock, 2,599 deferred share units of Company stock and 76,427 shares issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s stock.

 

(15)   Includes 56,000 shares of restricted stock and 21,229 share units of Company stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s stock.

 

(16)   Includes 363,570 shares of restricted stock, 281,501 deferred share units of Company stock and 710,948 shares issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s stock.

Domtar Corp. owns, indirectly through subsidiaries, all of the common stock of Domtar Inc.

Beneficial owners of more than 5%

Based upon information available to the Company concerning ownership of shares of Company common stock as of September 21, 2007. Goldman Sachs Asset Management, 32 Old Slip, New York, New York 10005 beneficially owns 36,492,082 shares, or 7.08%, of the Company’s common stock. Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, 1000, Place Jean Paul Riopelle, Montreal, Québec, Canada H27 2B3, beneficially owns 35,692,933 shares, or 6.93%, of the Company’s common stock. Affiliates of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. may be deemed to beneficially own (as that term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) approximately 6% of the outstanding common stock of Domtar Corp. due to their ability to vote or dispose, or direct the voting or disposition, of the common stock of Domtar Corp. owned by others. The Company is not aware of any other beneficial owner of more than 5% of the common stock of the Company.

 

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The Company’s relationship with Weyerhaeuser after the distribution

General

The Company and Weyerhaeuser, or their respective subsidiaries, entered into various agreements in connection with the Acquisition Transactions that presently govern their ongoing relationships and have provided for an orderly transition following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions. The material agreements are summarized below. These summaries are qualified by reference to the agreements, which are filed with the SEC as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus and consent solicitation statement forms a part.

Tax sharing agreement

General ordinary course taxes

The tax sharing agreement governs both the Company’s and Weyerhaeuser’s rights and obligations after the Distribution with respect to taxes for both pre- and post-Distribution periods. Under the tax sharing agreement, Weyerhaeuser is generally required to indemnify the Company for any taxes attributable to all pre-Distribution periods and the Company is required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser for any taxes attributable to its operations for all post-Distribution periods.

Distribution-related taxes

The Company is generally required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser against any tax resulting from the Distribution if that tax results from Disqualifying Actions, including those involving (1) an issuance, redemption, recapitalization or repurchase of the Company’s equity securities or the involvement of the Company, its subsidiaries or certain affiliates of the Company in acquisitions of the Company’s equity securities (excluding the Distribution and the Arrangement), (2) other actions or omissions (such as those described in the following paragraph) by the Company, its subsidiaries or certain of its affiliates or (3) any undertakings by the Company referred to in the tax sharing agreement being breached. If Weyerhaeuser should recognize gain on the Distribution for reasons not related to a Disqualifying Action by the Company, Weyerhaeuser will be responsible for such taxes and will not be entitled to indemnification by the Company under the tax sharing agreement.

In addition, to preserve the tax-free treatment to Weyerhaeuser of the Distribution, for a two-year period following the date of the Distribution, the following actions are subject to restrictions:

 

 

the redemption, recapitalization, repurchase or acquisition by the Company of its capital stock;

 

 

the issuance by the Company of capital stock or convertible debt;

 

 

the liquidation of the Company;

 

 

the discontinuance of the operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business;

 

 

the sale or disposition of (other than in the ordinary course of business) all or a substantial part of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business; or

 

 

the other actions, omissions to act or transactions that could jeopardize the tax-free status of the Distribution.

 

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The Company is permitted to take any of the actions described above in the event that the Company receives the prior written consent of Weyerhaeuser. Should the taking of such actions by the Company undermine the tax-free status of the Distribution and result in tax-related losses to Weyerhaeuser, the Company will be generally required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser for such losses, without regard to whether Weyerhaeuser gave the Company prior consent.

Administrative matters

The tax sharing agreement sets forth the Company’s and Weyerhaeuser’s respective obligations with respect to the filing of tax returns, the administration of tax contests, assistance and cooperation and other matters.

Intellectual property license agreement

Pursuant to the intellectual property license agreement, Weyerhaeuser granted the Company a fully paid-up, royalty free, non-exclusive license to use certain intellectual property and technology that is used in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business but was retained by Weyerhaeuser in the Distribution. If the Company modifies or improves any licensed intellectual property, the Company will have sole and exclusive ownership of such modifications and improvements. If Weyerhaeuser modifies or improves any licensed intellectual property, Weyerhaeuser will have sole and exclusive ownership of such modifications and improvements.

Subject to Weyerhaeuser’s termination rights as specified in the intellectual property license agreement, the license granted to the Company to use intellectual property and technology extends (i) for the period during which retained patents and any renewals thereof are in force with respect to each retained patent, (ii) for the period during which retained copyrights are in force with respect to each retained copyright and (iii) indefinitely with respect to retained technology.

Transition services agreement

In connection with the closing of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company entered into a transition services agreement with Weyerhaeuser pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser, or certain third parties with whom Weyerhaeuser has a contractual arrangement, agreed to provide services to the Company relating to finance and administration, human resources, payroll and information technology and any other areas as they agree to enable the Company to manage an orderly transition in its operation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business.

Under the transition services agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to provide services that are of substantially the same nature and quality that Weyerhaeuser provided for the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business during the twelve-month period prior to the Acquisition Closing Date, at substantially the same priority levels that such services had been accorded during such twelve-month period. In addition to the specific services listed in the transition services agreement, the Company may request additional services from Weyerhaeuser, which services are to be provided at cost. The transition services agreement will terminate when the terms of all of the services have expired or otherwise terminated.

The parties agreed to use their reasonable best efforts to cooperate with and assist each other in connection with phasing out the services as soon as practicable. Weyerhaeuser has agreed to provide the Company such support as necessary for phasing out the services at specified hourly rates (or if not specified, at cost), including support related to the transition of third party systems.

 

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Generally, the transition services are initially priced at cost but the prices paid to Weyerhaeuser are subject to an escalating cost structure. With respect to human resources and payroll services, the service fee will increase by 25% after six months, and by 50% after December 31, 2007. With respect to finance and administration, the service fee will increase by 25% after 6 months and will increase by 50% after 12 months. With respect to information technology services, the service fee will increase by 25% after 18 months and by 50% after 24 months.

Supply agreements

The Company and Weyerhaeuser entered into a pulp distribution agreement, a pine chip supply agreement, a pine in-woods chip supply agreement, a pine and hardwood roundwood supply agreement and a hog fuel supply agreement relating to the Plymouth, North Carolina facilities, a pine chip supply agreement, a pine and armory hardwood roundwood supply agreement and a slush pulp sales agreement relating to the Columbus, Mississippi facilities, a pulp distribution agreement, an agency agreement and a fiber supply agreement relating to the Kamloops, British Columbia facilities, as well as several other supply agreements relating to the Canadian facilities, including fiber supply agreements pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser supplies fiber to the Company’s mills in Kamloops, British Columbia and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, fiber supply agreements pursuant to which the Company supplies fiber to Weyerhaeuser’s mills in Carrot River and Hudson Bay in Saskatchewan and Kenora, Ontario and a hog fuel supply agreement pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser supplies hog fuel to the Company’s mill in Dryden, Ontario.

Plymouth, North Carolina agreements

Pursuant to the Plymouth pulp distribution agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to purchase from the Company 130,000 air dry metric tons of pulp from the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill for a period commencing on March 5, 2007 and ending on December 31, 2007.

Pursuant to the Plymouth pine chip supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply approximately 350,000 tons of softwood residual chips annually to the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill for an initial period of one year, subject to renewal for an additional four year term, at a price to be negotiated annually.

Pursuant to the Plymouth pine in-woods chip supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply approximately 120,000 tons of in-wood produced chips annually to the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill for an initial period of one year, subject to renewal for an additional four year term, at a price to be negotiated annually.

Pursuant to the Plymouth pine and hardwood roundwood supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply approximately 101,000 tons of hardwood roundwood annually to the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill for an initial period of one year, subject to renewal for an additional four year term, at a price to be negotiated annually.

Pursuant to the Plymouth hog fuel supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply approximately 106,000 tons of hog fuel annually to the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill for an initial period of one year, subject to renewal for an additional four year term, at a price to be negotiated annually.

 

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Columbus, Mississippi agreements

Pursuant to the Columbus pine chip supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply an amount of softwood chips sufficient to allow the Company to produce between 210 and 230 air dry tons per day of thermo mechanical pulp for purposes of its coated groundwood operations at the Company’s Columbus, Mississippi mill for a period that commenced on March 7, 2007 and ended on May 31, 2007.

Pursuant to the Columbus pine and armory hardwood roundwood supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply approximately 64,000 tons of pine roundwood and approximately 14,000 tons of hardwood roundwood annually to the Company’s Columbus, Mississippi mill for an initial period of one year, subject to renewal for an additional four year term, at a price to be negotiated annually.

Pursuant to the Columbus slush pulp sales agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to provide 74,293 tons per year of slush pulp to the Company’s Columbus, Mississippi coated groundwood mill at a market price adjusted for freight allowances, avoided bale and processing costs and a market-based discount for a period of one year, subject to annual renewal.

Kamloops, British Columbia agreements

Pursuant to the Kamloops pulp distribution agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to purchase from the Company 64,900 air dry metric tons of pulp from the Company’s Kamloops, British Columbia mill for a period that commenced on March 5, 2007 and ended on June 3, 2007.

Pursuant to the Kamloops agency agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to serve as a sales agent for pulp produced at the Company’s Kamloops, British Columbia mill for a period commencing on June 3, 2007 and ending on December 31, 2007.

Pursuant to the Kamloops fiber supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser’s Kamloops, British Columbia sawmill agreed to supply to the Company’s Kamloops, British Columbia pulpmill all the softwood chips and mini-chips produced by the sawmill for an initial term of 20 years and all the hog fuel produced by the sawmill for an initial term of 5 years commencing on March 7, 2007 at a price based on market rates.

Canadian agreements

Pursuant to the other Canadian supply agreements, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply fiber and hog fuel to the Company’s mills in Dryden, Ontario, Kamloops, British Columbia and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the Company agreed to supply fiber to Weyerhaeuser’s mills in Carrot River and Hudson Bay in Saskatchewan, Wawa, Ontario and Kenora, Ontario. The term of such Canadian supply agreements is 20 years. The volume of fiber and hog fuel to be supplied in any year is expected to be similar to the volumes supplied during the preceding five years. Actual volumes will be determined annually. Increases or decreases of allowable harvest under the relevant forest licenses will be shared proportionately among the Company and Weyerhaeuser. Prices will be negotiated in advance based on fair market value taking into account prevailing local market price for similar fiber or hog fuel on similar terms and other factors.

 

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Site services agreements

The Company and Weyerhaeuser entered into site services agreements with respect to certain facilities that are owned in part by Weyerhaeuser or its subsidiaries and in part by the Company or its subsidiaries after the Acquisition Closing Date.

Columbus, Mississippi mill

Pursuant to site services agreements relating to the Company’s Columbus, Mississippi coated groundwood mill, Weyerhaeuser agreed, subject to certain conditions, to provide the Company with certain products and services, including use of the general parking lot and entrance road, gate security, use of a chip truck dumper, use of Lake Ziegler in the event of a spill, emergency response and use of telephone and data lines on a temporary basis and road maintenance, use of contractor parking lot, fire water and steam, electricity, gas, air and water and effluent handling services on a perpetual basis, in each case at an agreed upon price. The Company retained an undivided interest in certain facilities at Columbus allowing it to transmit utilities for use at the Company’s mill on a perpetual basis, at no additional charge. In addition, pursuant to the site services agreements, the Company agreed, subject to certain conditions, to provide Weyerhaeuser with certain products and services, including log bark on a temporary basis and screen fines and return steam condensate on a perpetual basis, in each case at an agreed upon price.

The site services agreements relating to the Columbus, Mississippi coated groundwood mill will terminate when the terms of the services have expired or otherwise been terminated.

Plymouth, North Carolina mill

Pursuant to site services agreements relating to the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill, the Company agreed, subject to certain conditions, to provide Weyerhaeuser with certain products and services, including steam and security on a temporary basis and use of access road, access to exercise facilities, storeroom data, office space for third party first aid provider, fire water pump station, stormwater handling services and effluent, landfill and waste handling services on a perpetual basis, in each case at an agreed upon price. Weyerhaeuser retained an undivided interest in certain facilities at Plymouth allowing Weyerhaeuser to transmit electricity, telecommunications and other utilities for use at Weyerhaeuser’s sawmill on a perpetual basis, at no additional charge. In addition, pursuant to the site services agreements, Weyerhaeuser agreed to maintain the border ditch and certain steam lines on a perpetual basis, at no additional charge. Weyerhaeuser also agreed to provide the Company electricity for use at the mill under Weyerhaeuser’s contract with a third party supplier on a temporary basis.

The site services agreements relating to the Plymouth, North Carolina mill will terminate when the terms of the services have expired or otherwise been terminated.

Kamloops, British Columbia mill

Pursuant to a site services agreement relating to the Company’s Kamloops, British Columbia mill, Weyerhaeuser agreed to allow the Company to use Weyerhaeuser’s weigh scales in exchange for access to the Company’s gravel pit for an indefinite period of time. Weyerhaeuser also agreed to provide the Company with required leases and rights-of-way upon the governmental approval of the division of the site and to convey ownership of the Arrow Transport real property in

 

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exchange for a future 20 acre landfill site and access to such future site. In addition, the Company agreed to provide Weyerhaeuser use of the current landfill, haul road and the emergency exit route, in each case at an agreed upon price. Weyerhaeuser also has access to (and periodically reimburses the Company for) natural gas under the Company’s contract with a third party supplier.

The site services agreement relating to the Company’s Kamloops, British Columbia mill will terminate when the terms of the services have expired or otherwise been terminated.

 

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Certain relationships and related transactions

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company and/or certain of its subsidiaries entered into various agreements with Weyerhaeuser. For a description of these agreements, see “The Company’s relationship with Weyerhaeuser after the distribution.”

 

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Description of the Domtar Corp. notes

The following description is a summary of the terms and provisions of each series of Domtar Corp. notes (referred to in this section only as the “Notes”) and the Indenture governing the Notes. The Notes are being offered in exchange for the outstanding Domtar Inc. U.S. notes (the “Outstanding Notes”). It summarizes only those portions of the Indenture that we believe will be most important to your decision to exchange your Outstanding Notes for the applicable series of Notes. You should keep in mind, however, that it is the Indenture, and not this summary, which will define your rights as a holder of the Notes. There may be other provisions in the Indenture which are also important to you. You should read the Indenture and the Notes of each series for a full description of the terms of each series of Notes. A copy of the Indenture is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement that includes this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. See “Where you can find additional information” for information on how to obtain copies of the Indenture. In this section, “we”, “us”, “our” and “Domtar” refer only to Domtar Corporation without any of its subsidiaries. Certain defined terms used in this description but not defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

General

Domtar will issue the Notes under an indenture to be dated the Issue Date, by and among Domtar, the Subsidiary Guarantor and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the “Trustee”) (the “Indenture”). The Indenture does not limit the maximum aggregate principal amount of notes Domtar may issue thereunder. Domtar will issue up to an aggregate principal amount of US$1,475.0 million of notes in four series in this exchange offer for Domtar Inc. U.S. notes:

 

(1)   Up to $600 million of 7.875% Notes due 2011 (the “7.875% Notes”) will be issued in exchange for the outstanding 7.875% Notes due 2011 of Domtar Inc.;

 

(2)   Up to $350 million of 5.375% Notes due 2013 (the “5.375% Notes”) will be issued in exchange for the outstanding 5.375% Notes due 2013 of Domtar Inc.;

 

(3)

 

Up to $400 million of 7.125% Notes due 2015 (the “7.125% Notes”) will be issued in exchange for the outstanding 7  1 / 8 % Notes due 2015 of Domtar Inc.; and

 

(4)

 

Up to $125 million of 9.5% Notes due 2016 (the “9.5% Notes,” and collectively with the 7.875% Notes, the 5.375% Notes and the 7.125% Notes, the “Notes”) will be issued in exchange for the outstanding 9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2016 of Domtar Inc.

Domtar Inc. is concurrently soliciting proxies from holders of its outstanding Canadian dollar denominated 10% Debentures due 2011 and 10.85% Debentures due 2017 (the “Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures”) for use at a meeting of holders of each series of such debentures, at which Domtar Inc. will seek the approval of such holders to amend the indenture pursuant to which such series of debentures were issued to provide Domtar with the right to acquire, at any time, all outstanding debentures of such series in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of Domtar’s newly issued debt securities of the corresponding series (the “Canadian Notes”), bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures which are acquired. If such amendment is approved by the holders of a series of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures, Domtar intends to acquire all of the outstanding Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures of such series in exchange for the newly issued

 

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Canadian Notes concurrently with the consummation of the exchange offers for the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. The Canadian Notes will also be issued under the Indenture.

The 7.875% Notes, the 5.375% Notes, the 7.125% Notes and the 9.5% Notes are separate series of Notes, including for purposes of, among other things, payments of principal and interest, Events of Default and consents to amendments to the Indenture and the applicable Notes. Each series of Notes issued under the Indenture will vote on and consent to all matters arising under the Indenture or the Notes that affect such series of Notes as a separate class.

Except for the 9.5% Notes, which will be limited in aggregate principal amount, we may from time to time without notice to, or the consent of, the holders of any other series of Notes, create and issue additional Notes of any such series under the Indenture, equal in rank to the Notes of such series in all respects (or in all respects except for the payment of interest accruing prior to the issue date of the additional Notes, or except for the first payment of interest following the issue date of the additional Notes) so that the additional Notes of such series may be consolidated and form a single series with the existing Notes of such series and have the same terms as to status, redemption and otherwise as such series of Notes offered under this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

The Notes will be issued in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 and will be represented by one or more registered notes in global form, but in certain limited circumstances may be represented by Notes in definitive form. See “Book entry, delivery and form.”

The terms of the Notes include those expressly set forth in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

Terms of the notes

General

Principal and interest on each series of Notes will be payable in lawful money of the United States. On maturity or redemption of each series of Notes, Domtar will repay the indebtedness represented by such Notes by paying the Trustee in lawful money of the United States an amount equal to the principal amount of the outstanding Notes of such series plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon to but excluding the date of maturity or redemption, as the case may be. Interest on the Notes will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. The Notes will be subject to redemption only in the circumstances and upon the terms described below under “Optional redemption.”

7.875% notes

The 7.875% Notes will mature on October 15, 2011. The 7.875% Notes will bear interest at the rate per annum of 7.875%, which will be payable semi-annually on April 15 and October 15 of each year, commencing on the first such date occurring after the Issue Date, to the persons in whose names the 7.875% Notes are registered at the close of business on the preceding April 1 or October 1, as the case may be. Each 7.875% Note will bear interest from the Issue Date.

5.375% notes

The 5.375% Notes will mature on December 1, 2013. The 5.375% Notes will bear interest at the rate per annum of 5.375%, which will be payable semi-annually on June 1 and December 1 of

 

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each year, commencing on the first such date occurring after the Issue Date, to the persons in whose names the 5.375% Notes are registered at the close of business on the preceding May 15 or November 15, as the case may be. Each 5.375% Note will bear interest from the Issue Date.

7.125% notes

The 7.125% Notes will mature on August 15, 2015. The 7.125% Notes will bear interest at the rate per annum of 7.125%, which will be payable semi-annually on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing on the first such date occurring after the Issue Date, to the persons in whose names the 7.125% Notes are registered at the close of business on the preceding February 1 or August 1, as the case may be. Each 7.125% Note will bear interest from the Issue Date.

9.5% notes

The 9.5% Notes will mature on August 1, 2016. The 9.5% Notes will bear interest at the rate per annum of 9.5%, which will be payable semi-annually on February 1 and August 1 of each year, commencing on the first such date occurring after the Issue Date, to the persons in whose names the 9.5% Notes are registered at the close of business on the preceding January 15 or July 15, as the case may be. Each 9.5% Note will bear interest from the Issue Date.

Ranking

The Notes will be our general unsecured, senior obligations and will rank equally with all of our existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated obligations. The Notes will be senior in right of payment to all of our future subordinated indebtedness and will be effectively subordinated to all of our secured indebtedness, including our indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such secured indebtedness.

Similarly, the Subsidiary Guarantees of the Notes will be unsecured senior indebtedness of the applicable Subsidiary Guarantor and will rank equally with all of the existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantors. The Subsidiary Guarantees will be senior in right of payment to all of the future subordinated indebtedness of the Subsidiary Guarantors and will be effectively subordinated to all of the secured indebtedness of the Subsidiary Guarantors, including their guarantees in respect of indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such secured indebtedness.

All of our operations are conducted through our subsidiaries. Unless a subsidiary is a Subsidiary Guarantor, claims of creditors of such subsidiary, including trade creditors, generally will have priority with respect to the assets and earnings of such subsidiary over the claims of our creditors, including holders of the Notes. The Notes, therefore, will be structurally subordinated to creditors (including trade creditors) of our subsidiaries that are not Subsidiary Guarantors.

In the event of bankruptcy, liquidation, reorganization or other winding up of us or our Subsidiary Guarantors, or upon a default in payment with respect to, or the acceleration of, any indebtedness under our Credit Agreement or other senior secured indebtedness, our assets and the assets of the Subsidiary Guarantors that secure such senior secured indebtedness will be available to pay obligations on the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees only after all indebtedness under such Credit Agreement and other senior secured indebtedness has been

 

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repaid in full from such assets. We advise you that there may not be sufficient assets remaining to pay amounts due on any or all the Notes.

At July 1, 2007, assuming that Domtar Corp. had completed these offers to exchange and that the entire outstanding principal amount of each series of Notes had been exchanged and the entire outstanding principal amount of the Canadian Notes had been acquired pursuant to the Canadian proxy solicitations and assuming that Domtar Paper Company, LLC is the only guarantor:

 

 

Domtar Corp. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC would have had outstanding approximately $2,422 million of indebtedness, $720 million of which would have been secured senior indebtedness, consisting of borrowings under the Credit Agreement, $38 million of which would have been owing under capital leases and $1,664 million of which would have been unsecured senior indebtedness, consisting of Domtar Corp. debt securities; and

 

 

Domtar Corp.’s non-guarantor subsidiaries would have had approximately $22 million of indebtedness, $12 million for which would have been outstanding to third parties, and $10 million outstanding under capital leases.

In addition, as of July 1, 2007, assuming that Domtar had completed these offers to exchange and that the entire outstanding principal amount of each series of Notes had been exchanged and the entire outstanding principal amount of the Canadian Notes had been acquired pursuant to the Canadian proxy solicitations, we would have had $701 million (after giving effect to approximately $49 million of outstanding letters of credit) of unutilized capacity under our senior secured revolving credit facility.

The Indenture will not limit us or our subsidiaries from incurring additional indebtedness (other than secured indebtedness) under the Indenture or any other agreement that we may have entered into or enter into in the future.

Listing of the Notes

The Notes have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

Optional redemption

Each series of Notes will be redeemable, in whole or in part, at our option at any time. We may redeem the Notes of any series in part only in the amount of US$1,000 or integral multiples of US$1,000 in excess thereof. The redemption price for each series of Notes is equal to the greater of:

 

(1)   100% of the principal amount of such series of Notes, and

 

(2)   as determined by the Independent Investment Banker, the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on such series of Notes (not including any portion of the payments of interest accrued as of the date of redemption) discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at a discount rate equal to the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus the Applicable Spread,

plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to but excluding the date of redemption.

We will mail notice of redemption of any series of Notes at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to the holders of such series of Notes at their registered

 

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address. Unless we default in payment of the redemption price, on and after the redemption date, interest will cease to accrue on such series of Notes or the portions thereof called for redemption. Where less than all of the outstanding Notes of a series are to be redeemed, the Notes of such series will be selected by the Trustee in such manner as it shall deem fair and appropriate.

If at any time and for so long as any Notes of a series are listed on the official list of any stock exchange, and to the extent required by the stock exchange on which such Notes are listed, we will notify such stock exchange of any such notice of redemption. In addition, we will notify the stock exchange on which such series of Notes are listed of the principal amount outstanding following any partial redemption of the Notes of such series.

Adjusted Treasury Rate ” means, with respect to any redemption date, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for that redemption date.

Applicable Spread ” for each series of Notes is listed in the following table:

 

Series of Notes    Applicable Spread
 

7.875% Notes

   35 basis points

5.375% Notes

   20 basis points

7.125% Notes

   50 basis points

9.5% Notes

   62.5 basis points
 

Comparable Treasury Issue ” means the United States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having an actual or interpolated maturity comparable to the remaining term of a series of Notes that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt of comparable maturity to the remaining term of such Notes.

Comparable Treasury Price ” means, with respect to any redemption date, the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for the redemption date.

Independent Investment Banker ” means one of the Reference Dealers selected by Domtar.

Reference Dealer ” means (1) J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and its successors; provided, however, that if it shall cease to be a primary US Government securities dealer in New York City (a “Primary Treasury Dealer”), Domtar shall substitute for it another Primary Treasury Dealer, and (2) any other Primary Treasury Dealer selected by the Trustee after consultation with Domtar.

Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation ” means, with respect to each Reference Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Independent Investment Banker, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted by the Reference Dealer at 5:00 p.m. on the third business day preceding that redemption date.

Domtar is not required to make mandatory redemption payments or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes.

 

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Subsidiary guarantors

On the Issue Date, each of Domtar’s direct and indirect U.S. Subsidiaries that guarantee indebtedness of Domtar or any of its subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement (other than U.S. Subsidiaries of Domtar Inc.) will jointly and severally, fully and unconditionally guarantee Domtar’s obligations under the Notes and all obligations under the Indenture on a senior unsecured basis. Such Subsidiary Guarantors will agree to pay, in addition to the obligations under the Notes and the Indenture, any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable counsel fees and expenses) incurred by the Trustee or the holders in enforcing any rights under the Subsidiary Guarantees.

The Notes will be structurally subordinated to creditors (including trade creditors) of our subsidiaries that are not Subsidiary Guarantors. On the Issue Date, Domtar Paper Company, LLC will be the only Subsidiary Guarantor. For the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007, our subsidiaries that are not Subsidiary Guarantors collectively represented approximately 67% of our sales, 6% of our operating income and 17% of our cash flows from operating activities. At July 1, 2007, our subsidiaries that are not Subsidiary Guarantors collectively represented approximately 62% of our total assets and approximately 61% of outstanding total liabilities, including trade payables, but excluding intercompany liabilities, all of which would have been structurally senior to the notes.

The obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantors under the Subsidiary Guarantees will rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of such Subsidiary Guarantors, and will be effectively subordinated to all of such Subsidiary Guarantors’ secured indebtedness, including their guarantees in respect of indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such secured indebtedness.

As of July 1, 2007, outstanding indebtedness of the Subsidiary Guarantor was $38 million, (excluding intercompany liabilities and guarantees under the Credit Agreement and the Indenture), all of which represented capitalized leases.

The obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee will be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Subsidiary Guarantor (including, without limitation, any guarantees under the Credit Agreement) and after giving effect to any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee or pursuant to its contribution obligations under the Indenture, result in the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under federal or state law.

In the event a Subsidiary Guarantor is sold, conveyed, assigned or otherwise disposed of (whether by merger, consolidation, the sale of its capital stock or the sale of all or substantially all of its assets (other than by lease)) and whether or not the Subsidiary Guarantor is the surviving corporation in such transaction to a Person which is not us or a Restricted Subsidiary of us, such Subsidiary Guarantor will be automatically released from its obligations under the Indenture and its Subsidiary Guarantee if:

 

(1)   the sale or other disposition is in compliance with the Indenture, including the covenant “Certain covenants—Consolidation, merger and sale of assets;” and

 

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(2)   all the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under our Credit Agreement and related documentation and under any other agreements relating to any other indebtedness of us terminate upon consummation of such transaction.

In the event that a Subsidiary Guarantor is released and discharged in full from all of its obligations under its guarantees of the Credit Agreement (including by reason of the termination of the Credit Agreement) and all other indebtedness of us (except in each case a release or discharge by or as a result of payment under such guarantee), then such Subsidiary Guarantor will be released from its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee as specified under the covenant “Future subsidiary guarantors.”

In addition, a Subsidiary Guarantor will be released from its obligations under the Indenture and its Subsidiary Guarantee in connection with any legal defeasance of the applicable Notes or upon satisfaction and discharge of the Indenture, each in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.

Change of control

If a Change of Control occurs, unless we have exercised our right to redeem all of the Notes as described under “Optional redemption,” each holder will have the right to require us to repurchase all or any part (equal to $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of such holder’s Notes at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount of the Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding the date of purchase (subject to the right of holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date).

Within 30 days following any Change of Control, unless we have exercised our right to redeem all of the Notes as described under “Optional redemption,” we will mail a notice (the “Change of Control Offer”) to each holder, with a copy to the Trustee, stating:

 

(1)   that a Change of Control has occurred and that such holder has the right to require us to purchase such holder’s Notes at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount of such Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding the date of purchase (subject to the right of holders of record on a record date to receive interest on the relevant interest payment date) (the “Change of Control Payment”);

 

(2)   the repurchase date (which shall be no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed) (the “Change of Control Payment Date”); and

 

(3)   the procedures determined by us, consistent with the Indenture, that a holder must follow in order to have its Notes repurchased.

On the Change of Control Payment Date, we will, to the extent lawful:

 

(1)   accept for payment all Notes or portions of Notes (in integral multiples of $1,000) properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;

 

(2)   deposit with the paying agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Notes or portions of Notes so tendered; and

 

(3)   deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes so accepted together with an Officers’ Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions of Notes being purchased by us.

The paying agent will promptly mail to each holder of Notes so tendered the Change of Control Payment for such Notes. With respect to the unpurchased portion of the Notes so tendered of

 

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any series (if any), the Trustee will promptly authenticate and mail (or cause to be transferred by book entry) to each holder a new Note equal in principal amount to such unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered; provided that each such new Note will be in a principal amount of $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof.

If the Change of Control Payment Date is on or after an interest record date and on or before the related interest payment date, any accrued and unpaid interest, if any, will be paid to the Person in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on such record date, and no additional interest will be payable to holders who tender pursuant to the Change of Control Offer.

The Change of Control provisions described above will be applicable whether or not any other provisions of the Indenture are applicable. Except as described above with respect to a Change of Control, the Indenture does not contain provisions that permit the holders to require us to repurchase or redeem the Notes in the event of a takeover, recapitalization or similar transaction.

Prior to mailing a Change of Control Offer, and as a condition to such mailing, (i) the requisite holders of each issue of indebtedness issued under an indenture or other agreement that may be violated by such payment shall have consented to such Change of Control Offer being made and waived the event of default, if any, caused by the Change of Control or (ii) we will repay all outstanding indebtedness issued under an indenture or other agreement that may be violated by a payment to the holders of Notes under a Change of Control Offer or we must offer to repay all such indebtedness, and make payment to the holders of such indebtedness that accept such offer, and obtain waivers of any event of default from the remaining holders of such indebtedness. We covenant to effect such repayment or obtain such consent within 30 days following any Change of Control, it being a default of the Change of Control provision of the Indenture if we fail to comply with such covenant. A default under the Indenture with respect to any series of Domtar Corp. debt securities could result in a cross-default under the Credit Agreement and with respect to other series of Domtar Corp. debt securities.

We will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon a Change of Control if a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth in the Indenture applicable to a Change of Control Offer made by us and purchases all Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn under such Change of Control Offer.

We will comply, to the extent applicable, with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws or regulations in connection with the repurchase of Notes pursuant to this covenant. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with provisions of the Indenture, we will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached our obligations described in the Indenture by virtue of the conflict.

Our ability to repurchase Notes pursuant to a Change of Control Offer may be limited by a number of factors. The occurrence of certain of the events that constitute a Change of Control would constitute a default under the Credit Agreement. In addition, certain events that may constitute a change of control under the Credit Agreement and cause a default under that agreement may not constitute a Change of Control under the Indenture. The future indebtedness of us and our subsidiaries may also contain prohibitions of certain events that would constitute a Change of Control or require such indebtedness to be repurchased upon a

 

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Change of Control. Moreover, the exercise by the holders of their right to require us to repurchase the Notes could cause a default under such indebtedness, even if the Change of Control itself does not, due to the financial effect of such repurchase on us. Finally, our ability to pay cash to the holders upon a repurchase may be limited by our then existing financial resources. There can be no assurance that sufficient funds will be available when necessary to make any required repurchases.

Even if sufficient funds were otherwise available, the terms of the Credit Agreement will, and future indebtedness may, prohibit us from purchasing the Notes before their scheduled maturity. Consequently, if we are not able to prepay the Credit Agreement and any such other indebtedness containing similar restrictions or obtain requisite consents, as described above, we will be unable to fulfill our repurchase obligations if holders of any series of Notes exercise their repurchase rights following a Change of Control, resulting in a default under the Indenture. A default under the Indenture with respect to any series of Domtar Corp. debt securities could result in a cross default under the Credit Agreement and with respect to the other series of Domtar Corp. debt securities.

The Change of Control provisions described above may deter certain mergers, tender offers and other takeover attempts involving us by increasing the capital required to effectuate such transactions. The definition of “Change of Control” includes a disposition of all or substantially all of the property and assets of Domtar and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any Person. Although there is a limited body of case law interpreting the phrase “substantially all,” there is no precise established definition of the phrase under applicable law. Accordingly, in certain circumstances, there may be a degree of uncertainty as to whether a particular transaction would involve a disposition of “all or substantially all” of the property or assets of a Person. As a result, it may be unclear as to whether a Change of Control has occurred and whether a holder of Notes may require us to make an offer to repurchase the Notes as described above.

Certain covenants

Consolidation, merger and sale of assets

We will not consolidate with or merge with or into any other Person or convey, transfer or lease our properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, and we will not permit any Person to consolidate with or merge with or into us, unless:

 

 

we will be the surviving company in any merger or consolidation, or, if we consolidate with or merge into another Person or convey or transfer or lease our properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, the successor person is an entity organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and the successor entity expressly assumes our obligations relating to the Notes,

 

 

each Subsidiary Guarantor (unless it is the other party to the transactions above) shall have by supplemental indenture confirmed that its Subsidiary Guarantee shall apply to such successor Person’s obligations in respect of the Indenture and the Notes,

 

 

immediately after giving effect to the consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease, there exists no Default or Event of Default, and

 

 

other conditions, including the delivery of an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, described in the Indenture are met.

 

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This covenant would not apply to the direct or indirect conveyance, transfer or lease of all or any portion of the stock, assets or liabilities of any of our wholly owned subsidiaries to us or to our other wholly owned subsidiaries. Subject to the foregoing sentence, any debt which becomes an obligation of ours or any subsidiary as a result of any transaction described by this covenant will be treated as having been incurred by us or such subsidiary at the time of such transaction.

For purposes of this covenant, the sale, lease, conveyance, assignment, transfer, or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of one or more of our subsidiaries, which properties and assets, if held by us instead of such subsidiaries, would constitute all or substantially all of the properties and assets of us on a consolidated basis, shall be deemed to be the transfer of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of us.

The predecessor person will be released from its obligations under the Indenture and the successor person will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, us under the Indenture, but, in the case of a lease of all or substantially all its assets, the predecessor person will not be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Notes.

Although there is a limited body of case law interpreting the phrase “substantially all,” there is no precise established definition of the phrase under applicable law. Accordingly, in certain circumstances there may be a degree of uncertainty as to whether a particular transaction would involve “all or substantially all” of the property or assets of a person. As a result, it may be unclear as to whether a sale of substantially all of our assets in breach of this covenant has occurred and whether a holder of Notes would have any applicable rights under the Indenture.

Limitation on liens

With certain exceptions set forth below, the Indenture will provide that neither we nor our Restricted Subsidiaries may create, incur, assume or otherwise have outstanding any Mortgage, upon any Principal Property belonging to us or to any of our Restricted Subsidiaries or upon the shares of capital stock or debt of any of our Restricted Subsidiaries, whether such Principal Property, shares or debt are owned by us or our Restricted Subsidiaries on the date of the Indenture or acquired in the future, to secure any debt of ours or any of our Restricted Subsidiaries.

The Indenture will permit us to create, incur, assume or otherwise have outstanding such Mortgage if we provide that the Notes will be secured by a Mortgage equally and ratably with or in priority to the new secured debt, so long as such new secured debt shall be so secured. In this event, we may also provide that any of our other debt, including indebtedness guaranteed by us or by any of our Restricted Subsidiaries, will be secured equally with or in priority to the new secured debt. In addition, the Indenture will provide that the restriction on creating, incurring, assuming or permitting any Mortgage will not apply to:

 

(1)   Mortgages securing indebtedness and other obligations of Domtar or the Restricted Subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed $1,550 million less the aggregate principal amount of all mandatory prepayments of principal thereof permanently reducing the commitments thereunder;

 

(2)   Mortgages in favor of us or any wholly-owned Restricted Subsidiary;

 

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(3)   any Mortgage to secure a Purchase Money Obligation, so long as the Mortgage does not apply to other property owned by us or any Restricted Subsidiary at the time of the commencement of the construction or improvement of, or immediately prior to the consummation of the acquisition of, the property that is subject to the Purchase Money Obligation;

 

(4)   Mortgages existing upon any property or asset of a company which is merged with or into, amalgamated with, or is consolidated into, or substantially all the assets or shares of capital stock of which are acquired by, us or any of our Restricted Subsidiaries, at the time of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or acquisition, so long as any such Mortgage (1) does not extend to any other property or asset, other than improvements to the property or asset subject to such Mortgage and (2) was not created in anticipation of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or acquisition;

 

(5)   Mortgages securing obligations issued by Canada or any province or territory thereof; the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia or any territory or possession of the United States of America, or any political subdivision, agency or authority of any of the foregoing, to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of property subject to such Mortgages, including, among other things, Mortgages incurred in connection with pollution control, industrial revenue or similar financings;

 

(6)   any Mortgage required to be given or granted by any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any trust deed or similar document entered into by such Restricted Subsidiary prior to the date on which it became a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(7)   Mortgages existing as of the date of the Indenture, except that the creating, incurring, assuming or permitting of Mortgages securing obligations of Domtar and its Restricted Subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement shall be deemed so created, incurred, assumed or permitted on the date of the Indenture under clause (1);

 

(8)   extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements of any Mortgage referred to in the preceding clauses (2) through (7); provided, however, that the principal amount of indebtedness secured thereby shall not exceed the principal amount of indebtedness so secured at the time of such extension, renewal, alteration or replacement and provided, further, however, that such extension, renewal, alteration or replacement shall be limited to all or a part of the property or other assets which secured the Mortgage so extended, renewed, altered or replaced (plus improvements on such property or other assets); and

 

(9)   a Mortgage (including successive extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements thereof) not excepted by clauses (1) through (8), provided, that after giving effect thereto, Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of Domtar.

Limitation on sale and leaseback transactions

The Indenture also restricts transactions involving the sale and leaseback by us or any of our Restricted Subsidiaries with any Person (other than us or a Restricted Subsidiary) providing for the leasing by us or any Restricted Subsidiary of any of our or their Principal Property or any property which together with any other property subject to the same transaction or series of related transactions would in the aggregate constitute a Principal Property, except for leases which will not exceed three years, including renewals, which property has been or is to be sold or

 

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transferred by us or any Restricted Subsidiary to such Person (other than us or a Restricted Subsidiary) more than six months after the acquisition, completion of construction, or commencement of operations of such property, with the intention of taking back a lease of such property (“sale and leaseback transaction”), unless the net proceeds of the sale or transfer of the property to be leased are at least equal to the fair market value of such property and unless:

 

(1)   the Indenture would have allowed us or any of our Restricted Subsidiaries to create a Mortgage on such property to secure debt in an amount at least equal to the Attributable Obligation in respect of such sale and leaseback transaction without securing the Notes pursuant to the terms of the covenant described under “—Limitation on liens” above; or

 

(2)   within 180 days, we or any Restricted Subsidiary applies an amount equal to the net proceeds of such sale or transfer to:

 

  a.   the voluntary retirement of Funded Debt of us or our Restricted Subsidiaries which is senior to or ranks equally with the Notes in right of payment and owing to a Person other than us or any Affiliate of us; or

 

  b.   the purchase of additional property, facilities or equipment that will constitute or form a part of Principal Property, and which has a fair market value at least equal to the net proceeds of such sale or transfer.

 

(3)   Notwithstanding the provisions of clauses (1) and (2) above, we and our Restricted Subsidiaries may enter into a sale and leaseback transaction in addition to those permitted by clauses (1) and (2) above, and without any obligation to retire Funded Debt or to acquire property, facilities or equipment, provided at the time of entering into such sale and leaseback transaction and after giving effect thereto, Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of Domtar.

Future subsidiary guarantors

We will cause each U.S. Subsidiary that guarantees, on the Issue Date or any time thereafter, any indebtedness of us or any of our subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement or any other indebtedness of us to execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to which such U.S. Subsidiary will unconditionally guarantee, on a joint and several basis, the full and prompt payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest in respect of the Notes on a senior basis and all other obligations under the Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event a Subsidiary Guarantor is released and discharged in full from all of its obligations under its guarantees of (1) the Credit Agreement (including by reason of the termination of the Credit Agreement) and (2) all other indebtedness of us (except in each case a release or discharge by or as a result of payment under such guarantee), then the Subsidiary Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor shall be automatically and unconditionally released or discharged. For purposes of this covenant, “U.S. Subsidiary” means any subsidiary organized or existing under the laws of the United States of America or any state or territory thereof or the District of Columbia other than subsidiaries owned directly or indirectly by non-U.S. Subsidiaries. Neither this covenant nor any other provisions of the Indenture will limit the incurrence of indebtedness by our subsidiaries or the issuance of guarantees of indebtedness by our subsidiaries, except as set forth in this paragraph, and any such indebtedness or guarantees could be effectively senior to the Notes.

 

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The obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor will be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Subsidiary Guarantor (including, without limitation, any guarantees under the Credit Agreement) and after giving effect to any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee or pursuant to its contribution obligations under the Indenture, result in the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under federal or state law.

Each future Subsidiary Guarantee shall also be released in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture described under “Subsidiary guarantees.”

In the event that a U.S. Subsidiary becomes a Subsidiary Guarantor at a time when any Notes of a series are listed on the official list of any stock exchange, we will, to the extent required by the rules of the stock exchange on which such Notes are listed, notify and deposit a copy of the new supplemental indenture executed by such U.S. Subsidiary with such stock exchange.

SEC reports

We will:

 

(1)   file with the Trustee, within 15 days after we are required to file the same with the SEC, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) which we may be required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

 

(2)   file with the Trustee and the SEC, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the SEC, such additional information, documents and reports with respect to compliance by us with the conditions and covenants of the Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and regulations;

 

(3)   notwithstanding that we may not be required to remain subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or otherwise report on an annual and quarterly basis on forms provided for such annual and quarterly reporting pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, continue to file with the SEC and provide the Trustee the information that is specified under Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act within the time period specified therein or in such relevant forms; and

 

(4)   transmit by mail, to all holders of Notes, as their names and addresses appear in the security register, within 30 days after the filing thereof with the Trustee, such summaries of any information, documents and reports required to be filed by us pursuant to clauses (1), (2) and (3) of this paragraph as may be required by rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the SEC.

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such reports shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including our compliance with any of our covenants in the Indenture (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).

 

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Events of default

Under the terms of the Indenture, each of the following constitutes an Event of Default for a series of Notes:

 

(1)   default for 30 days in the payment of any interest on the Notes of such series when due;

 

(2)   default in the payment of principal, or premium, if any, on the Notes of such series when due;

 

(3)   default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty in the Indenture with respect to the Notes of such series for 60 days after written notice, as provided below;

 

(4)   the Subsidiary Guarantee of a Significant Subsidiary ceases to be in full force and effect except as otherwise permitted under the Indenture or is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding or is disaffirmed by the Subsidiary Guarantor;

 

(5)   certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization;

 

(6)   default under any Mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any indebtedness for money borrowed by Domtar or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is guaranteed by Domtar or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries), other than indebtedness owed to Domtar or a Restricted Subsidiary, whether such indebtedness or guarantee now exists, or is created after the Issue Date, which default (a) is caused by a failure to pay principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on such indebtedness prior to the expiration of the grace period provided in such indebtedness (“payment default”) or (b) results in the acceleration of such indebtedness prior to its maturity (“cross acceleration provision”) and, in each case, the principal amount of any such indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such indebtedness under which there has been a payment default or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, aggregates $80 million (or its equivalent in other currencies) or more; and

 

(7)   the taking or entering against Domtar or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of a judgment or decree for the payment of money in excess of $80 million (or its equivalent in other currencies) in the aggregate, if Domtar or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, fails to file an appeal therefrom within the applicable appeal period or, if Domtar or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, does file an appeal therefrom within such period, such judgment or decree is not within a period of 60 days from the date thereof, and does not remain, vacated, discharged or stayed.

However, a default under clause (3) of this paragraph will not constitute an Event of Default for a series of Notes until the Trustee or the holders of 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes of such series notify Domtar of the default and Domtar does not cure such default within the time specified in clause (3) of this paragraph after receipt of such notice.

We are required to furnish the Trustee annually with an Officers’ Certificate as to the fulfillment of our obligations under the Indenture.

The Indenture provides that if a Default occurs with respect to a series Notes, the Trustee must mail to each holder of Notes of such series notice of the Default within 90 days after it occurs;

 

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provided, however, that in the case of a Default specified in clause (3) of the first paragraph above with respect to such Notes, no such notice shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof. The Indenture provides that the Trustee may withhold notice to you of any Default, except in respect of the payment of principal or interest on the applicable series of Notes, if it considers it in the interests of the holders of such Notes to do so.

Effect of an event of default

If an Event of Default exists (other than an Event of Default in the case of certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) with respect to any series of Notes, the Trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes of such series may declare the principal amount, or, if such series of Notes are original issue discount securities, the portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series, of, premium, if any, and accrued but unpaid interest and any other monetary obligations on, the Notes of that series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to us, and to the Trustee if given by holders. Upon that declaration, the principal (or specified) amount, premium and interest will become immediately due and payable. However, at any time after a declaration of acceleration has been made with respect to a series of Notes, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained, the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of such series may, subject to conditions specified in the Indenture, rescind and annul that declaration and its consequences.

In the event of a declaration of acceleration of the Notes because an Event of Default described in clause (6) under “Events of default” has occurred and is continuing, the declaration of acceleration of the Notes shall be automatically annulled if the default triggering such Event of Default pursuant to clause (6) shall be remedied or cured by Domtar or a Restricted Subsidiary or waived by the holders of the relevant indebtedness within 20 days after the declaration of acceleration with respect thereto and if (1) the annulment of the acceleration of the Notes would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction and (2) all existing Events of Default, except nonpayment of principal, premium or interest on the Notes that became due solely because of the acceleration of the Notes, have been cured or waived.

If an Event of Default in the case of certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization exists with respect to a particular series of Notes, the principal (or specified) amount, premium, if any, accrued but unpaid interest and any other monetary obligations of all of the outstanding Notes of such series shall automatically, and without any declaration or other action on the part of the Trustee or any holder of such outstanding Notes, become immediately due and payable.

Subject to the provisions of the Indenture relating to the duties of the Trustee, if an Event of Default then exists with respect to a particular series of Notes, the Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the Indenture (other than the payment of any amounts on the Notes furnished to it pursuant to the Indenture) at your (or any other person’s) request, order or direction, unless you have (or such other person has) offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity. Subject to the provisions for the security or indemnification of the Trustee, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of a series of outstanding Notes have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee in connection with the Notes of that series.

 

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Legal proceedings and enforcement of right to payment

Unless you have previously given to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Notes of a particular series, you will not have any right to institute any proceeding for such series of Notes in connection with the Indenture or for any remedy under the Indenture. In addition, the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of such series of the outstanding Notes must have made a written request, and offered reasonable security or indemnity, to the Trustee to institute that proceeding as Trustee, and, within 60 days following the receipt of such notice, the Trustee must not have received from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes of that series a direction inconsistent with that request, and the Trustee must have failed to institute a proceeding within such 60 day period. However, you will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes on or after the due dates expressed in the Notes (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the redemption date) and to institute a suit for the enforcement of that payment.

Modification of the indenture

With respect to the Notes of any series, we, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee may, without the consent of any holders of such series, enter into supplemental indentures that amend, waive or supplement the terms of the Indenture, the Notes of such series and the Subsidiary Guarantees thereof for specified purposes. The purposes for which the Indenture, the Notes of such series and the Subsidiary Guarantees thereof can be amended without the consent of any holders of such series include:

 

 

to evidence the succession of another Person to us or any Subsidiary Guarantor under the Indenture, the applicable series of Notes issued under the Indenture and the Subsidiary Guarantees;

 

 

to add guarantees with respect to the applicable series of Notes or release a Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee or the Indenture in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Indenture;

 

 

to convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any property to or with the Trustee;

 

 

to surrender any right or power the Indenture may confer on us;

 

 

to add to the covenants made in the Indenture for the benefit of the holders of all Notes of the applicable series issued under the Indenture;

 

 

to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of Notes of such series;

 

 

to add any additional Events of Default;

 

 

to secure the Notes of such series issued under the Indenture;

 

 

to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment by an additional or successor trustee with respect to the applicable series of Notes;

 

 

to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the Indenture, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the Indenture as the Company and the Trustee may deem necessary and desirable, so long as the rights of any holder of the applicable series of Notes are not adversely affected in any material respect;

 

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to comply with the SEC in connection with the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;

 

 

to conform the text of the Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantees or the Notes of the applicable series to any provision of this “Description of the Domtar Corp. notes” to the extent that such provision in this “Description of the Domtar Corp. notes” was intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision of the Indenture, Subsidiary Guarantee or such Notes; or

 

 

to maintain the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act or other applicable law.

We and the Trustee may modify and amend any of the Indenture, the Notes of a particular series and the Subsidiary Guarantees thereof with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes of the applicable series (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, such series of Notes). However, no modification or amendment may, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding Note of the applicable series:

 

 

change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest payable on, the outstanding Notes of such series;

 

 

reduce the principal amount of, or the rate of interest on, any outstanding Notes of such series or the premium, if any, payable upon the redemption thereof, or the amount of principal of an original issue discount Note, that would be due and payable upon redemption of such Note or would be provable in bankruptcy, or adversely affect any right of repayment of the holder of the outstanding Notes of such series;

 

 

reduce the premium payable upon the repurchase of any Note or change the time at which any Note may be repurchased as described above under “Change of control,” whether through an amendment or waiver of provisions in the covenants, definitions or otherwise (except amendments to the definition of “Change of Control”);

 

 

reduce the amount of principal of such series of Notes payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof;

 

 

change the place of payment or the coin or currency in which the principal of or premium, if any, or the interest on the outstanding Notes of such series is payable;

 

 

impair your right to receive payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the outstanding Notes of the applicable series on or after the due dates therefor or your right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to the outstanding Notes of such series;

 

 

modify the Subsidiary Guarantees in any manner adverse to the holders of the Notes;

 

 

reduce the percentage of the holders of outstanding debt securities necessary to modify or amend the Indenture, to waive compliance with any provision of the Indenture or certain defaults and consequences of the defaults or to reduce the quorum or voting requirements set forth in the Indenture; or

 

 

modify any of these provisions or any of the provisions relating to the waiver of certain past defaults or provisions of the Indenture, except to increase the required percentage to effect such action or to provide that certain other provisions may not be modified or waived without the consent of all of the holders of such series of Notes.

 

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The holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes of any series may, on behalf of the holders of all the Notes of that series, waive (including, without limitation, by consent obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, such series of Notes) compliance by us with any provision of the Indenture. The holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes of any series may, on behalf of the holders of all the Notes of that series, waive (including, without limitation, by consent obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, such series of Notes) past defaults by us under certain covenants of the Indenture which relate to that series. However, a default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any of the Notes of that series or relating to a provision which under the Indenture cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding Note of that series affected cannot be so waived.

Defeasance and covenant defeasance

The Indenture provides that we may discharge all of our obligations, other than as to transfers and exchanges and certain other specified obligations, under the Notes of the applicable series at any time (“defeasance”). If the Company exercises its defeasance option, the Subsidiary Guarantees in effect at such time will terminate. The Indenture also provides that we may be released from our obligations described above under “Limitation on liens”, “Limitation on sale and leaseback transactions” and “Future subsidiary guarantors” and certain aspects of our obligations described above under “Consolidation, merger and sale of assets,” and from certain other obligations, and elect not to comply with those sections and obligations without creating an Event of Default and that we may terminate the operation of the cross-default upon a payment default, cross acceleration provisions and the Subsidiary Guarantor provision in “Events of default” (“covenant defeasance”).

With respect to a particular series of Notes, defeasance and covenant defeasance may be effected to the Indenture only if, among other things:

 

 

we irrevocably deposit with the Trustee money or United States government obligations or a combination thereof, as trust funds in an amount certified to be sufficient to pay on each date that they become due and payable, the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on all outstanding Notes of the applicable series;

 

 

we deliver to the Trustee an opinion of counsel in the United States to the effect that:

 

   

the holders of the Notes of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the defeasance or covenant defeasance; and

 

   

the defeasance or covenant defeasance will not otherwise alter those holders’ United States federal income tax treatment of principal and interest payments on the Notes of such series;

in the case of defeasance, this opinion must be based on a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or a change in United States federal income tax law occurring after the date of the Indenture;

 

 

we deliver to the Trustee an opinion of counsel in Canada to the effect that:

 

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the holders of the debt securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Canadian federal or provincial income or other tax purposes as a result of such defeasance or covenant defeasance; and

 

   

the defeasance or covenant defeasance will not otherwise alter those holders’ Canadian federal income tax treatment of principal and interest payments on the debt securities of such series;

which opinion must be based an a ruling of the Canada Revenue Agency or a change in Canadian income tax law occurring after the date of the Indenture; and

 

 

no Default or Event of Default under the Indenture has occurred and is continuing;

 

 

we are not “insolvent” within the meaning of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or applicable state law on the date of such deposit or at any time during the period ended on the 91st day following such deposit;

 

 

such defeasance or covenant defeasance does not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any indenture or other agreement or instrument for borrowed money to which we are a party or by which we are bound;

 

 

such defeasance or covenant defeasance does not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 unless such trust shall be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or exempt from registration thereunder;

 

 

we deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such defeasance or covenant defeasance have been complied with; and

 

 

other conditions specified in the Indenture have been met.

Satisfaction and discharge

The Indenture provides that when, among other things, all the Notes of the applicable series not previously delivered to the Trustee for cancellation:

 

 

have become due and payable, or

 

 

will become due and payable at their stated maturity within one year, or

 

 

are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in our name and at our expense,

and we or a Subsidiary Guarantor deposits or causes to be deposited with the Trustee, in trust, an amount of money or US government obligations, or a combination thereof (such amount to the certified in the case of US government obligations) sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such series of Notes not previously delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for the principal and premium, if any, and interest to the date of the deposit or to the stated maturity or redemption, as the case may be, then the Indenture will cease to be of further effect, and we will be deemed to have satisfied and discharged the Indenture. However, we will continue to be obligated to pay all other sums due under the Indenture and to provide the Officers’ Certificates and Opinions of Counsel described in the Indenture.

 

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Book-entry, delivery and form

The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), New York, NY, will act as securities depository for the Notes. The Notes will be issued as fully-registered securities registered in the name of Cede & Co. (DTC’s partnership nominee) or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC or its nominee will credit on its book-entry registration and transfer system the principal amounts of the debt securities represented by the global Notes to the accounts of persons that have accounts with it. We refer to those persons as “participants” in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement.

The following is based on information furnished by DTC.

DTC, the world’s largest depository, is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law, a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. DTC holds and provides asset servicing for over 2.2 million issues of U.S. and non-U.S. equity, corporate and municipal debt issues, and money market instruments from over 100 countries that DTC’s participants (“Direct Participants”) deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the post-trade settlement among Direct Participants of sales and other securities transactions in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry transfers and pledges between Direct Participants’ accounts. This eliminates the need for physical movement of securities certificates. Direct Participants include both U.S. and non-U.S. securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations, and certain other organizations. DTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (“DTCC”). DTCC, in turn, is owned by a number of Direct Participants of DTC and Members of the National Securities Clearing Corporation, Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, and Emerging Markets Clearing Corporation, (NSCC, FICC, and EMCC, also subsidiaries of DTCC), as well as by the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., the American Stock Exchange LLC, and the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as both U.S. and non-U.S. securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, and clearing corporations that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a Direct Participant, either directly or indirectly (“Indirect Participants”). DTC has Standard & Poor’s highest rating: AAA. The DTC Rules applicable to its Participants are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. More information about DTC can be found at www.dtcc.com and www.dtc.org.

Purchases of the Notes under the DTC system must be made by or through Direct Participants, which will receive a credit for the Notes on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of each actual purchaser of Notes (“Beneficial Owner”) is in turn to be recorded on the Direct and Indirect Participants’ records. Beneficial Owners will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchase. Beneficial Owners are, however, expected to receive written confirmations providing details of the transaction, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the Direct or Indirect Participant through which the Beneficial Owner entered into the transaction. Transfers of ownership interests in the Notes are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of Direct and Indirect Participants acting on behalf of Beneficial Owners. Beneficial Owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in Notes, except in the event that use of the book-entry system for the Notes is discontinued.

 

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To facilitate subsequent transfers, all Notes deposited by Direct Participants with DTC are registered in the name of DTC’s partnership nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of Notes with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other nominee do not effect any change in beneficial ownership. DTC has no knowledge of the actual Beneficial Owners of the Notes; DTC’s records reflect only the identity of the Direct Participants to whose accounts such Notes are credited, which may or may not be the Beneficial Owners. The Direct and Indirect Participants will remain responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.

So long as DTC or Cede & Co. (or any other nominee) is the registered owner of a global debt security, DTC or its nominee will be considered the sole owner or holder of the Notes represented by the global Notes for all purposes under the Indenture. Except as provided below, you

 

 

will not be entitled to have any of the Notes represented by the global Notes registered in your name;

 

 

will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of any Notes in definitive form; and

 

 

will not be considered the owner or holder of the Notes under the Indenture.

Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to Direct Participants, by Direct Participants to Indirect Participants, and by Direct Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in effect from time to time.

Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (nor any other DTC nominee) will consent or vote with respect to the Notes unless authorized by a Direct Participant in accordance with DTC’s Procedures. Under its usual procedures, DTC mails an Omnibus Proxy to Domtar as soon as possible after the record date. The Omnibus Proxy assigns Cede & Co.’s consenting or voting rights to those Direct Participants to whose accounts Notes are credited on the record date (identified in a listing attached to the Omnibus Proxy).

Redemption proceeds, distributions, and interest payments on the Notes will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC’s practice is to credit Direct Participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from Domtar or the Trustee on payable date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC’s records. Payments by Participants to Beneficial Owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such Participant and not of DTC nor its nominee, the Trustee, or Domtar, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in effect from time to time. Payment of redemption proceeds, distributions, and interest payments to Cede & Co. (or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC) is the responsibility of Domtar or the Trustee, disbursement of such payments to Direct Participants will be the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of such payments to the Beneficial Owners will be the responsibility of Direct and Indirect Participants.

DTC may discontinue providing its services as depository with respect to the Notes at any time by giving reasonable notice to Domtar or the Trustee. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor depository is not obtained, certificates representing the Notes are required to be printed and delivered.

 

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Domtar may decide to discontinue use of the system of book-entry-only transfers through DTC (or a successor securities depository). In that event, certificates representing the Notes will be printed and delivered.

The information in this section concerning DTC and DTC’s book-entry system has been obtained from sources that Domtar believes to be reliable, but Domtar takes no responsibility for the accuracy thereof.

Payment and paying agents

We will pay principal of, premium, if any, and interest on your Notes at the office of the Trustee in the City of New York or at the office of any paying agent that we may designate. We may at any time designate additional paying agents or rescind the designation of any paying agent. We must maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the Notes.

We will pay any interest on the Notes to the registered owner of the Notes at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest, except in the case of defaulted interest.

Any moneys deposited with the Trustee or any paying agent, or then held by us in trust, for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on any Notes that remain unclaimed for two years after the principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will, at our request, be repaid to us. After repayment to us, you are entitled to seek payment only from us as a general unsecured creditor.

Governing law

The Notes and the Indenture will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

Information concerning the Trustee

The Trustee under the Indenture will have all the duties and responsibilities of an indenture trustee specified in the Trust Indenture Act. The Trustee is not required to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur financial liability in performing its duties or exercising its rights and powers if it reasonably believes that it is not reasonably assured of repayment or adequate indemnity.

The Bank of New York is the Trustee under the Indenture. The Trustee’s current address is 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286 , Attention: Global Finance Americas.

The Trustee under the Indenture acts as depositary for funds of, makes loans to, and/or performs other services for, us and our subsidiaries in the normal course of business.

Certain definitions

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person, directly or indirectly, controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

 

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“Attributable Obligation” means, in respect of a sale and leaseback transaction, the present value (discounted at the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, if known, or at the rate of 10% if such implicit rate is not known) of the obligation of the lessee for the Net Rental Payments during the remaining term of the lease (including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended) entered into in connection therewith, such present value to be established as at the date as of which the amount of the payment is determined and in accordance with U.S. GAAP as in effect from time to time.

“Change of Control” means:

 

  (1)   any “person” or “group” of related persons (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d 3 and 13d 5 under the Exchange Act, except that such person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all shares that any such person or group has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time), directly or indirectly, of more than 40% of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of Domtar (or its successor by merger, consolidation or purchase of all or substantially all of its assets) (for the purposes of this clause, such person or group shall be deemed to beneficially own any Voting Stock of Domtar held by a parent entity, if such person or group “beneficially owns” (as defined above), directly or indirectly, more than 40% of the voting power of the Voting Stock of such parent entity); or

 

  (2)   the first day on which a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of Domtar are not Continuing Directors; or

 

  (3)   the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of Domtar and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act); or

 

  (4)   Domtar consolidates with, or merges with or into, any person, or any person consolidates with, or merges with or into, Domtar, in any such event pursuant to a transaction in which any of the outstanding Voting Stock of Domtar is converted into or exchanged for cash, securities or other property, other than any such transaction where the Voting Stock of Domtar outstanding immediately prior to such transaction is converted into or exchanged for Voting Stock of the surviving or transferee Person constituting a majority of the outstanding shares of such Voting Stock of such surviving or transferee person immediately after giving effect to such issuance; or

 

  (5)   the adoption by the stockholders of Domtar of a plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of Domtar.

“Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” means, with respect to any Person, the total of all assets appearing on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of such Person, less the sum of the following amounts appearing on such consolidated balance sheet:

 

   

amounts, if any, at which goodwill, trademarks, trade names, copyrights, patents and other similar intangible assets (other than timber licenses) and unamortized stock or debt commission, discount, expense and premium shall appear as assets,

 

   

all amounts at which investments in Persons which are not being consolidated shall appear on such consolidated balance sheet as assets,

 

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the amount of all liabilities appearing on such consolidated balance sheet as current liabilities, and

 

   

any minority interest appearing on such consolidated balance sheet,

all as determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with U.S. GAAP as in effect from time to time.

“Continuing Director” means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Board of Directors of Domtar who: (1) was a member of such Board of Directors on the Issue Date; or (2) was nominated for election or elected to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of such Board at the time of such nomination or election.

“Credit Agreement” means the Credit Agreement, dated as of March 7, 2007, among Domtar, Domtar Paper Company, LLC, Domtar Inc., the banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties thereto, Bank of America, N.A., Royal Bank of Canada and The Bank of Nova Scotia, as co-documentation agents, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., as syndication agent, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced or refinanced in whole or in part from time to time (and whether or not with the original administrative agent and lenders or another administrative agent or agents or other lenders and whether provided under the original Credit Agreement or any other credit or other agreement or indenture).

“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default with respect to the Notes of a series.

“Exempted Debt” means without duplication (a) all indebtedness of Domtar and its Restricted Subsidiaries which is secured by a Mortgage described in clause 9 under “Certain covenants—Limitation on liens” and (b) all Attributed Obligations in respect of sale and leaseback transactions, described in clause (3) under “Certain covenants—Limitation on sale and leaseback transactions.”

“Funded Debt” of any Person means any indebtedness, whether issued, assumed or guaranteed by any Person, maturing by its terms more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof or which is extendible or renewable at the sole option of the obligor in such manner that it may become payable more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof by such Person.

“Issue Date,” for each series of Notes, means the date on which such series of Notes are originally issued.

“Mortgage” means any mortgage, hypothec, privilege, pledge, security interest, floating charge or other similar lien or encumbrance.

“Net Rental Payments” under any lease for any period means the sum of the rental and other payments required to be paid in such period by the lessee thereunder, not including, however, any amounts required to be paid by such lessee (whether or not designated as rental or additional rental) on account of indemnities (other than any constituting basic rent) or maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates, utilities or similar charges

 

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required to be paid by such lessee thereunder or any amounts required to be paid by such lessee thereunder contingent upon the amount of sales, production or other measures of economic performance.

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by (i) the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice President, and (ii) the Treasurer, any Associate Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, of Domtar, and delivered to the Trustee. One of the officers signing the annual Officers’ Certificate provided to the Trustee shall be the principal executive, financial or accounting officer of Domtar.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel for (and an employee of) Domtar, and who shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, government or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.

“Principal Facility” means any mill, converting plant or manufacturing plant owned or leased at the date of the Indenture or acquired or leased by us or any subsidiary after such date and which is located within Canada or the United States, other than any mill or plant the fair market value of which as determined by our board of directors does not at the time exceed 1% of our Consolidated Net Tangible Assets.

“Principal Property” means, as the context may require, any real or immovable property forming part of or constituting any or all of the following: any Principal Facility or Timberlands.

“Purchase Money Obligation” means any indebtedness, whether or not secured, incurred in respect of the cost of acquisition of any property (including shares of capital stock or debt) or of the cost of construction or improvement of any property acquired, constructed or improved after the date of the Indenture, which indebtedness existed at the time of acquisition or was created, issued, incurred, assumed or guaranteed contemporaneously with the acquisition, construction or improvement or within 120 days after the completion thereof (or subsequently if created pursuant to a firm commitment financing arrangement obtained within such 120-day period, provided that the related indebtedness is created within 90 days after the expiration of such 120-day period) and includes any extension, renewal or refunding of any such indebtedness if the principal amount thereof outstanding on the date of such extension, renewal or refunding is not increased.

“Restricted Subsidiary” means (a) a subsidiary which, as at the end of our then most recently completed fiscal quarter, had Consolidated Net Tangible Assets representing 5% or more of our Consolidated Net Tangible Assets (including such subsidiary) and owns or leases any interest in a Principal Property and (b) any other subsidiary which our board of directors shall have determined to be a Restricted Subsidiary. Any determination mentioned in (b) shall be irrevocable, provided, however, that our board of directors may determine that a Restricted Subsidiary described in (b) shall cease to be a Restricted Subsidiary and shall become an Unrestricted Subsidiary if:

 

 

a Person other than us or a Restricted Subsidiary shall hold a minority interest in such Restricted Subsidiary of at least 15% of the common shareholders’ equity (or equivalent equity interests) of such Restricted Subsidiary, and

 

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immediately after such Restricted Subsidiary becomes an Unrestricted Subsidiary, no Default or Event of Default shall exist.

“Significant Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary that would be a “Significant Subsidiary” of Domtar within the meaning of Rule 1-02 under Regulation S-X promulgated by the SEC.

“Subsidiary Guarantee” means, individually, any guarantee of payment of the Notes pursuant to the terms of the Indenture and any supplemental indenture thereto, and, collectively, all such guarantees. Each such Subsidiary Guarantee will be in the form prescribed by the Indenture.

“Subsidiary Guarantors” means each subsidiary of ours in existence on the Issue Date that provides a Subsidiary Guarantee on the Issue Date and any other subsidiary of ours that provides a Subsidiary Guarantee in accordance with the Indenture; provided that upon the release or discharge of such subsidiary from its Subsidiary Guarantee in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, such subsidiary shall cease to be a Subsidiary Guarantor.

“Timberlands” means any real or immovable property located within Canada or the United States and (a) which is owned by us or any subsidiary and contains, or (b) with respect to which we or any subsidiary is entitled under any lease, license or similar agreement to cut and remove, standing timber which is (or upon completion of a growth cycle then in process is expected to become) of a commercial quantity and of merchantable quality, other than (i) any such property which at the time of determination is not held primarily for the production of lumber or other wood products, (ii) any such property the fair market value of which as determined by our board of directors does not at the time exceed 1% of our Consolidated Net Tangible Assets or (iii) any reserves of oil and gas located under such property.

“Unrestricted Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of Domtar which is not a Restricted Subsidiary at the time of determination.

“Voting Stock” of any Person means capital stock of any class of such Person then outstanding and which ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors or other governing body of such Person.

 

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Description of differences between the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and Domtar Corp. notes

The following is a summary comparison of the material terms of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and of the Domtar Corp. notes. The Domtar Corp. notes will be issued under an indenture which will be substantially the same as the indentures under which the corresponding Domtar Inc. U.S. notes were issued except for the terms described below. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable Domtar Inc. U.S. Indenture with respect to each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the Domtar Corp. indenture. Copies of the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures and the Domtar Corp. indenture may be obtained from the information agent and are also filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus and consent solicitation statement is a part. See “Where you can find additional information” for information as to how you can obtain copies of the Domtar Corp. indenture and Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The description below of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes reflects those notes and the related indenture as currently in effect, before any changes that would result from the consent solicitations as described under “The consent solicitations—The proposed amendments”.

 

The Domtar Inc. U.S. notes   The Domtar Corp. notes
 

Issuer

 

Domtar Inc.

 

Issuer

 

Domtar Corporation

Guarantors

 

None.

 

Guarantors

 

Each U.S. subsidiary of Domtar Corp. that guarantees, on the issue date or any time thereafter, any indebtedness of Domtar Corp. or any of its subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement or any other indebtedness of Domtar Corp. (other than U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Corp.’s non-U.S. subsidiaries) will fully and unconditionally guarantee, on a joint and several basis, the full and prompt payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest in respect of the Domtar Corp. notes on a senior basis and all other obligations under the Domtar Corp. indenture.

 

In the event a subsidiary guarantor is sold, conveyed, assigned or otherwise disposed of (whether by merger, consolidation, the sale of its capital stock or the sale of all or substantially all of its assets (other than by lease)) and whether or not the subsidiary guarantor is the surviving corporation in such transaction to a person that is not Domtar Corp. or a restricted subsidiary, such subsidiary guarantor will be automatically released from

 

 

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The Domtar Inc. U.S. notes   The Domtar Corp. notes
 
 

its obligations under the Domtar Corp. indenture and its subsidiary guarantee if: (1) the sale or other disposition is in compliance with the Domtar Corp. indenture and (2) all the obligations of such subsidiary guarantor under the Credit Agreement and related documentation and under any other agreements relating to any other indebtedness of Domtar Corp. terminate upon consummation of such transaction.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event a subsidiary guarantor ceases to be guarantor of the Credit Agreement and all other indebtedness of Domtar Corp., such subsidiary guarantor will also be released as a guarantor of the Domtar Corp. notes.

Additional amounts

 

Each of the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures provides that, if Domtar Inc. is required to withhold or deduct any amount for or on account of taxes from any payment made under or with respect to the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, Domtar Inc. will pay such additional amounts as may be necessary so that the net amount received by each holder of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes (including with respect to additional amounts) after such withholding or deduction will not be less than the amount such holder would have received if such taxes had not been withheld or deducted.

 

However, no additional amounts will be payable with respect to a payment made to a holder in respect of the beneficial owner thereof (1) with which Domtar Inc. does not deal at arm’s length (for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) at the time of the making of such payment or (2) which is subject to such taxes by reason of its carrying on business in or being connected with Canada other than by the mere holding of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes or the receipt of payments thereunder. In addition, under the 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures, no additional amounts will be payable with respect to a payment made to a holder in respect of the

 

Additional amounts

 

Under the Domtar Corp. indenture, Domtar Corp. will not covenant to pay any additional amounts.

 

 

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The Domtar Inc. U.S. notes   The Domtar Corp. notes
 
beneficial owner thereof, which beneficial owner is subject to such taxes by reason of its failure to comply with any certification, identification, information, documentation or other reporting requirement if compliance is required by law as a precondition to exemption from, or a reduction in the rate of deduction or withholding of, such taxes.  

Change of control

 

There is no comparable provision in the 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures providing holders of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes issued under such indentures with a right to require Domtar Inc. to repurchase such notes upon a change of control.

 

Under the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture, if a “Change of Control Triggering Event” occurs, holders of the 9.5% Debentures due 2016 will have the right to require Domtar Inc. to repurchase all or any part of such holder’s notes at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount of the 9.5% Debentures due 2016 plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding the date of purchase.

 

A “Change of Control Triggering Event” under the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture means the occurrence of both a “Rating Deadline” and a “Change of Control.” The following events would constitute a “Change of Control” under the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture:

 

(1)    (A) any “person” or “group” of related persons (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), other than certain equity holders of Domtar Inc. (“current equity holders”) and their affiliates that are other agencies of the Crown in right of Québec or corporations directly or indirectly wholly owned by the government of Québec (“governmental affiliates”), becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act) of more

 

Change of control

 

If a “Change of Control” occurs, holders of the Domtar Corp. notes will have the right to require Domtar Corp. to repurchase all or any part of such holder’s Domtar Corp. notes at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount of the Domtar Corp. notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding the date of purchase.

 

The following events would constitute a “Change of Control”:

 

(1)    any “person” or “group” of related persons (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that such person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all shares that any such person or group has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time), directly or indirectly, of more than 40% of the total voting power of the voting stock of Domtar Corp. (or its successor) (such “person” or “group” shall be deemed to beneficially own any voting stock of Domtar Corp. held by a parent entity, if such person or group beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, more than 40% of the voting power of the voting stock of such parent entity); or

 

(2)    a majority of the members of the board of directors of Domtar Corp. are not continuing directors (those directors who

 

 

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The Domtar Inc. U.S. notes   The Domtar Corp. notes
 

than (x) 35% of the total voting power of the voting stock of Domtar Inc. or (y) the total voting rights attached to the then outstanding voting stock of Domtar Inc. owned by the current equity holders and the governmental affiliates, or (B) the current equity holders and the governmental affiliates do not have the right or ability by voting right, contract or otherwise to elect or designate for election a majority of the board of directors; or

 

(2)    during any period of two consecutive calendar years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the board of directors (together with any new directors whose election by the board of directors or whose nomination for election by Domtar Inc.’s shareholders was approved by a 2/3 vote of directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of such period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved or approved by the current equity holders and the governmental affiliates at a time when they have the right or ability to elect or designate for election a majority of the board of directors) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the directors then in office; or

 

(3)    (A) Domtar Inc. amalgamates or consolidates with or merges into any other Person or sells conveys, transfers or leases all or substantially all of its assets to any Person or (B) any Person amalgamates or consolidates with or merges into Domtar Inc., in either event pursuant to a transaction in which any voting stock of Domtar Inc. outstanding immediately prior to the effectiveness thereof is reclassified or changed into or exchanged for cash, securities or other property, unless in the case of (A) or (B), as applicable, pursuant to such transaction, such securities are changed into or exchanged for, in addition to any other consideration, securities of the surviving corporation that represent immediately after such transaction, at least a majority of the aggregate voting power of the voting stock of the surviving corporation.

 

were members of the board of directors on the issue date of the Domtar Corp. notes or nominated with the approval of continuing directors); or

 

(3)    the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation) of all or substantially all of the assets of Domtar Corp. and its restricted subsidiaries taken as a whole to any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act); or

 

(4)    Domtar Corp. consolidates with, or merges with or into, any person, or any person consolidates with, or merges with or into, Domtar Corp., as a result of which any of the outstanding voting stock of Domtar Corp. is converted into or exchanged for cash, securities or other property, other than any such transaction where the voting stock of Domtar Corp. outstanding immediately prior to such transaction is converted into or exchanged for voting stock of the surviving or transferee Person constituting a majority of the outstanding shares of such voting stock of such surviving or transferee person immediately after giving effect to such issuance; or

 

(5)    the adoption by the stockholders of Domtar Corp. of a plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of Domtar Corp.

 

 

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A “Rating Decline” under the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture means the occurrence of the following on, or within 90 days after, the date of public notice of the occurrence of a Change of Control or of the intention by Domtar Inc. to effect a Change of Control (which period shall be extended so long as the rating of the 9.5% Debentures due 2016 is under publicly announced consideration for possible downgrade by any of the rating agencies (S&P and Moody’s)): (a) in the event the 9.5% Debentures due 2016 are rated by any rating agency as investment grade on the date which is 90 days prior to the earlier of a Change of Control and public notice of the occurrence of a Change of Control or of the intention of Domtar Inc. to effect a Change of Control (“rating date”), the rating of the 9.5% Debentures due 2016 is below an investment grade rating, or (b) in the event the 9.5% Debentures due 2016 are rated below an investment grade rating on the rating date, the rating of the 9.5% Debentures due 2016 by a rating agency is decreased by one or more gradations (including gradations within rating categories as well as between rating categories).

 

Consolidation, merger and sale of assets

 

Under the 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures, Domtar Inc. may not consolidate with, amalgamate with or merge into any other person or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any person, and no person may consolidate with or merge into Domtar Inc., unless:

 

(1)    Domtar Inc. is the surviving company or the successor person is an entity organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, or the laws of Canada or any province or territory thereof, and the successor entity expressly assumes Domtar Inc.’s obligations relating to the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes;

 

Consolidation, merger and sale of assets

 

Domtar Corp. will not consolidate with or merge with or into any other person or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any person, and Domtar Corp. will not permit any person to consolidate with or merge with or into Domtar Corp., unless:

 

•   Domtar Corp. is the surviving company or the successor person is an entity organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and the successor entity expressly assumes Domtar Corp.’s obligations relating to the Domtar Corp. notes;

 

 

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(2)    immediately after giving effect to the consolidation, amalgamation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease, there exists default or event of default; and

 

(3)    other conditions described in such indenture are met.

 

Under the 2003 Domtar Inc. indenture, any debt which becomes an obligation of Domtar Inc. or any of its subsidiaries as a result of such consolidation, amalgamation, merger, sale or lease transaction is treated as having been incurred by Domtar Inc. or such subsidiary at the time of such transaction. The provisions in classes (1) through (3) above and the preceding sentence do not apply to a (a) direct or indirect conveyance, transfer or lease of all or any portion of the stock, assets or liabilities of any of Domtar Inc.’s wholly owned subsidiaries to Domtar Inc. or to another wholly owned subsidiary of Domtar Inc. or (b) any recapitalization transaction, a change of control of Domtar Inc. or a highly leveraged transaction unless such transaction or change of control is structured to include a merger or consolidation by Domtar Inc. or the conveyance, transfer or lease of Domtar Inc.’s assets substantially as an entirety.

 

 

•   each subsidiary guarantor (unless it is the other party to the transactions above) shall have by supplemental indenture confirmed that its subsidiary guarantee will apply to such successor person’s obligations in respect of the Domtar Corp. indenture and the Domtar Corp. notes;

 

•   immediately after giving effect to the consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease, there exists no default or event of default; and

 

•   other conditions described in the Domtar Corp. indenture are met.

 

This covenant will not apply to the direct or indirect conveyance, transfer or lease of all or any portion of the stock, assets or liabilities of any of Domtar Corp.’s wholly owned subsidiaries to Domtar Corp. or to Domtar Corp.’s other wholly owned subsidiaries. Subject to the foregoing sentence, any debt which becomes an obligation of Domtar Corp. or any subsidiary as a result of any transaction described by this covenant will be treated as having been incurred by Domtar Corp. or such subsidiary at the time of such transaction.

Under the 2001 Domtar Inc. indenture, if any properties or assets of Domtar Inc. or any of its restricted subsidiaries become subject to a mortgage (defined below in “Negative Pledge/Limitation on liens”) as a result of such consolidation, amalgamation, merger, sale or lease transaction, Domtar Inc. will, prior to or simultaneously with such transaction, cause the 7.875% Notes due 2011 and Domtar Inc.’s other obligations under the 2001 Domtar Inc. indenture to be secured equally and ratably with or prior to the indebtedness secured by such mortgage for so long as such indebtedness is secured thereby unless such mortgage could be created pursuant to the negative pledge covenant without equally and ratably securing the 7.875% Notes due 2011.

 

In addition to the above clauses (1) through (3), under the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture, the

 

The predecessor person will be released from its obligations under the Domtar Corp. indenture and the successor person will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, Domtar Corp. under the Domtar Corp. indenture, but, in the case of a lease of all or substantially all its assets, the predecessor person will not be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Domtar Corp. notes.

 

For purposes of this covenant, the sale, lease, conveyance, assignment, transfer, or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of one or more of Domtar Corp.’s subsidiaries, which properties and assets, if held by Domtar Corp. instead of such subsidiaries, would constitute all or substantially all of the properties and assets of

 

 

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following shall be satisfied: (a) in the case of a sale, transfer, assignment, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of Domtar Inc.’s property, such property must be transferred as an entirety or virtually as an entirety to one person and (b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, the surviving person will have a consolidated net worth in an amount not less than the consolidated net worth of Domtar Inc.

 

Under the 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures, the predecessor person will be released from its obligations under the Domtar Inc. indenture, and the successor person will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, Domtar Inc. under such Domtar Inc. indentures, but, in the case of a lease of all or substantially all its assets, the predecessor person will not be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the corresponding series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes.

 

Under the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture, the successor will succeed to and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of Domtar Inc. under the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture, but the predecessor will not be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the 9.5% Debentures due 2016.

 

Under the 2003 Domtar Inc. indenture, this covenant does not apply to the direct or indirect conveyance, transfer or lease of all or any portion of the stock, assets or liabilities of any of Domtar Inc.’s wholly owned subsidiaries to Domtar Inc. or to Domtar Inc.’s other wholly owned subsidiaries. In addition, this covenant does not apply to any recapitalization transaction, a change of control of Domtar Inc. or a highly leveraged transaction unless such transaction or change of control were structured to include a merger or consolidation by Domtar Inc. or the conveyance, transfer or lease of Domtar Inc.’s properties and assets substantially as an entirety. Subject to the foregoing, any debt which becomes an obligation of Domtar Corp. or any subsidiary as a

 

Domtar Corp. on a consolidated basis, shall be deemed to be the transfer of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of Domtar Corp.

 

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result of any transaction described by this covenant will be treated as having been incurred by Domtar Corp. or such subsidiary at the time of such transaction.

 

Negative Pledge (2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indenture) / Limitation on liens (1996 Domtar Inc. indenture)

 

The 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures provide that Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries may not create, incur, assume or otherwise have outstanding any mortgage, hypothec, privilege, pledge, security interest, floating charge, or any other lien or encumbrance (“mortgage”), other than permitted mortgages listed below, upon any “principal property” (1) belonging to Domtar Inc. or any of its restricted subsidiaries, or upon the shares of capital stock or debt of any of Domtar Inc.’s restricted subsidiaries, whether such principal property, shares or debt are owned by Domtar Inc. or any of Domtar Inc.’s restricted subsidiaries on the date of the applicable Domtar Inc. indenture or acquired in the future, to secure any debt of Domtar Inc. or any of Domtar Inc.’s restricted subsidiaries, unless the 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, as applicable, are secured by a mortgage equally and ratably with or in priority to such debt for so long as such debt is secured.

 

Permitted mortgages under the 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures include:

 

(1)    mortgages in favor of Domtar Inc. or its wholly-owned restricted subsidiaries;

 

(2)    any mortgage to secure indebtedness incurred in respect of the cost of acquisition of any property (including shares of capital stock or debt) or its restricted subsidiaries or the cost of construction or improvement of such property or the refinancing of such indebtedness, so long as the mortgage does not apply to other property owned by Domtar Inc. or any of its restricted subsidiaries at the time of the commencement of the construction or

 

Limitation on liens

 

The Domtar Corp. indenture provides that Domtar Corp. and its restricted subsidiaries may not create, incur, assume or otherwise have outstanding any mortgage (defined the same as in the 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures), other than permitted mortgages listed below, upon any “principal property” (defined the same as in the 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures, substituting Domtar Corp. for Domtar Inc.) belonging to Domtar Corp. or any of Domtar Corp.’s restricted subsidiaries, or upon the shares of capital stock or debt of any of Domtar Corp.’s restricted subsidiaries, whether such principal property, shares or debt are owned by Domtar Corp. or any of Domtar Corp.’s restricted subsidiaries on the date of the Domtar Corp. indenture or acquired in the future, to secure any debt of Domtar Corp. or any of Domtar Corp.’s restricted subsidiaries, unless the Domtar Corp. notes are secured by a mortgage equally and ratably with or in priority to such debt for so long as such debt is secured.

 

Permitted mortgages under the Domtar Corp. indenture include:

 

(1)    mortgages securing indebtedness and other obligations of Domtar Corp. or its restricted subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed $1,550 million less the aggregate principal amount of all mandatory prepayments of principal thereof permanently reducing the commitments thereunder;

 

(2)    mortgages in favor of Domtar Corp. or its wholly-owned restricted subsidiaries;

 

 

 

(1)   “Principal property” is defined in the 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures as any real or immovable property forming part of or constituting any or all of any mill, converting plant or manufacturing plant owned, leased or acquired by Domtar Inc. or any of its subsidiaries located within the U.S. or Canada, the fair value of which exceeds 1% of the consolidated net tangible assets of Domtar Corp. or timberlands of Domtar Inc.

 

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         improvement of, or immediately prior to the consummation of the acquisition of, the property that is subject to such mortgage;

 

(3)    mortgages on property which exist at the time a company merges with or into, amalgamates with or consolidates into Domtar Inc. or any of its restricted subsidiaries, so long as any such mortgage (a) does not extend to any other property or asset, other than improvements to the property or asset subject to such mortgage and (b) was not incurred in anticipation of such merger, consolidation or acquisition;

 

(4)    mortgages securing obligations issued by Canada or the United States of America (or any subdivisions thereof) to finance acquisition, construction, or improvement of property subject to such mortgages;

 

(5)    mortgages of restricted subsidiaries of Domtar Inc. pursuant to the terms of a trust deed or similar document entered into before it became a restricted subsidiary;

 

(6)    mortgages existing at the date of the indenture; and

 

(7)    extension, renewal, alteration or replacement of a mortgage referred to under (1) through (6) above so long as (a) the principal amount of the indebtedness secured does not exceed the principal amount of the indebtedness so secured at the time of the extension, renewal, alteration or replacement and (b) the extension, renewal, alteration or replacement is limited to the property which secured the mortgage so extended renewed, altered or replaced (plus improvements).

 

The 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture provides that Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries may not create, issue, incur, assume or permit to exist (“incur”) any mortgage, hypothec,

 

(3)    any mortgage to secure indebtedness incurred in respect of the cost of acquisition of any property (including shares of capital stock or debt) or the cost of construction or improvement of such property or the refinancing of such indebtedness, so long as the mortgage does not apply to other property owned by Domtar Corp. or any of its restricted subsidiaries at the time of the commencement of the construction or improvement of, or immediately prior to the consummation of the acquisition of, the property that is subject to such mortgage;

 

(4)    mortgages on property which exist at the time a company merges with or into, amalgamates with or consolidates into Domtar Corp. or any of its restricted subsidiaries, so long as any such mortgage (a) does not extend to any other property or asset, other than improvements to the property or asset subject to such mortgage and (b) was not created in anticipation of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or acquisition;

 

(5)    mortgages securing obligations issued by Canada or the United States of America (or any subdivisions thereof) to finance acquisition, construction, or improvement of property subject to such mortgages;

 

(6)    mortgages of restricted subsidiaries of Domtar Corp. pursuant to the terms of a trust deed or similar document entered into before it became a restricted subsidiary;

 

(7)    mortgages existing at the date of the Domtar Corp. indenture, except mortgages under the Credit Agreement, which shall be deemed created, incurred, assumed or permitted on the date of the Domtar Corp. indenture under clause (1); and

 

 

 

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privilege, pledge, lien, charge, encumbrance, preference, priority or other security interest (“lien”), other than permitted liens listed below, upon any property of Domtar Inc. or any of its restricted subsidiaries, or on any shares of capital stock or debt of any of any restricted subsidiary unless the 1996 Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are secured by a lien equally and ratably with such indebtedness for so long as such indebtedness is secured, provided that Domtar Inc. may incur liens if the amount of outstanding indebtedness secured by such liens (after giving pro forma effect to incurrence of such liens and the use of proceeds from the indebtedness secured by such liens) does not exceed 10% of consolidated net assets of Domtar Inc.

 

Permitted liens under the 1996 Domtar Inc. indentures include:

 

•   liens existing at the date of the indenture;

 

•   liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges or levies on the property of the Domtar Inc. or its restrictive subsidiaries;

 

•   liens imposed by law, such as mechanics liens;

 

•   liens incurred in the ordinary course of business to secure performance of certain obligations;

 

•   liens on property at the time when Domtar Inc. or its restricted subsidiaries acquired the property;

 

•   other liens incidental to the conduct of the business of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries or the ownership of their respective properties which were not created in connection with incurring indebtedness and which do not materially detract from the value of their respective properties;

 

•   pledges or deposits under workmen’s compensation laws, unemployment insurance laws and similar laws, or good faith deposits in connection with bids, tenders, contracts or leases, or deposits to secure public or statutory obligations of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries;

 

 

(8)    extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements of a mortgage referred to under (2) through (7) above so long as (a) the principal amount of indebtedness secured thereby shall not exceed the principal amount of indebtedness so secured at the time of the extension, renewal, alteration or replacement and (b) the extension, renewal, alteration or replacement is limited to the property which secured the mortgage so extended, renewed, altered or replaced (plus improvements).

 

 

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•   liens on the property of a person at the time such person becomes a restricted subsidiary;

 

•   reservations, conditions, provisos and limitations expressed in any original grants from the Crown which do not materially adversely impair the use of the subject property;

 

•   a lien to secure indebtedness incurred in respect of the cost of acquisition of any property (including shares of capital stock or debt) or the cost of construction or improvement of such property or the refinancing of such indebtedness;

 

•   liens securing indebtedness under the Credit Agreement;

 

•   liens on the assets of a receivables subsidiary in an accounts receivables securitization transaction;

 

•   (i) servitudes, licenses, easements, rights-of-way and rights in the nature of easements or (ii) zoning and building bylaws and ordinances and municipal regulations, which, in each case, do not materially and adversely impair with the use of the subject property;

 

•   liens in respect of a judgment rendered which is being contested in good faith; and

 

•   extension, renewal, alteration or replacement of a lien referred to under (1), (5), (8) or (11) above so long as (a) the principal amount of the indebtedness secured does not exceed the principal amount of the indebtedness so secured at the time of the extension, renewal, alteration or replacement and (b) the extension, renewal, alteration or replacement is limited to the property which secured the lien (or, in certain circumstances, substitute property) so extended renewed, altered or replaced (plus improvements).

 
 

 

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Limitation on sale and leaseback transactions

 

The 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture prohibits a sale and leaseback transaction under Domtar Inc. or a restricted subsidiary would have been able to enter into such transaction without equally and ratably securing the 9.5% Debentures due 2016 pursuant to the limitations on liens covenant and the net cash proceeds received in connection with such transactions are at least equal to the fair market value (as determined in accordance with the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture) of the property subject to the transaction. The 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures prohibit Domtar Inc. and restricted subsidiaries from entering into a sale and leaseback transaction unless the net proceeds received in connection with such transaction are at least equal to the fair value of the property subject to the transaction and (1) Domtar Inc. or such restricted subsidiary would have been able to enter into such transaction without equally and ratably securing the notes of the applicable series pursuant to the negative pledge covenant or (2) Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary applies an amount equal to the net proceeds of such transaction within 180 days after the receipt thereof to repay indebtedness ranking on a parity with or prior to the notes of the applicable series or acquire property constituting principal property having a value at least equal to the net proceeds of such transaction.

 

Limitation on sale and leaseback transactions

 

The limitation on sale and leaseback transactions covenant in the Domtar Corp. indenture will be the same as the covenant in the 2001 and 2003 indentures, substituting Domtar Corp. for Domtar Inc.

 

 

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Exception for specified secured debt and sale and leaseback transactions

 

The 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures provide that Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries may create additional mortgages securing debt (including extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements thereof) or enter into sale and leaseback transactions without being required to secure the debt securities issued under such indentures or repay (within 180 days) indebtedness or acquire property so long as the sum of the aggregate amount of the secured debt not otherwise permitted under the 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures and the value of all sale leaseback transactions not otherwise permitted under the 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures does not exceed 10% of the consolidated net tangible assets of Domtar Inc.

 

The limitation on liens covenant in the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture contains a comparable exception.

 

Exception for specified secured debt and sale and leaseback transactions

 

The Domtar Corp. indenture provides that Domtar Corp. and its restricted subsidiaries may create additional mortgages securing debt (including extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements thereof) or enter into sale and leaseback transactions without being required to secure the Domtar Corp. notes issued under such indenture or repay (within 180 days) indebtedness or acquire property so long as the sum of the aggregate amount of the secured debt not otherwise permitted under the Domtar Corp. indenture and the value of all sale and leaseback transactions not otherwise permitted under the Domtar Corp. indenture does not exceed 10% of the consolidated net tangible assets of Domtar Corp.

Events of default

 

The 2003 Domtar Inc. indenture provides that each of the following constitutes an event of default:

 

•   default for 30 days in the payment of any interest on the notes of the applicable series when due;

 

•   default in the payment of principal, or premium, if any, on the notes of the applicable series when due;

 

•   default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty in the indenture (“covenant default”) for 60 days after written notice; and

 

•   certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization.

 

Events of default

 

The Domtar Corp. indenture will provide that each of the following will constitute an event of default:

 

•   default for 30 days in the payment of any interest on the Domtar Corp. notes when due;

 

•   default in the payment of principal, or premium, if any, on the Domtar Corp. notes when due;

 

•   default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty in the Domtar Corp. indenture for 60 days after written notice;

 

•   the subsidiary guarantee of a significant subsidiary ceases to be in full force and effect or is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding or is disaffirmed by the subsidiary guarantor;

 

 

 

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The 2001 Domtar Inc. indenture provides that, in addition to the events of default contained in the 2003 Domtar Inc. indenture, the following also constitute events of default:

 

•   default by Domtar Inc. or any of its restricted subsidiaries under instruments under which Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries has outstanding an aggregate principal amount of at least $50 million (or its equivalent in foreign currency) shall have occurred and is continuing and (i) consists of a failure to pay principal on the date of maturity (whether the stated maturity date or by acceleration or redemption) (“payment default”) or (ii) results in the acceleration of such indebtedness (“cross acceleration”); and

 

•   judgments or decrees in excess of $50 million (or its equivalent in other currencies) in the aggregate against Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries, and Domtar Inc. or its restricted subsidiary fails to file a timely appeal or files an appeal but the judgment is not vacated, stayed or discharged within 90 days (“judgment default”).

 

The 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture provides that, in addition to the events of default contained in the 2003 Domtar Inc. indenture, the following also constitute events of default:

 

•   a payment default or a cross acceleration with respect to indebtedness in the amount of $25 million or more; and

 

•   a judgment default in excess of $25 million for a period of 60 days.

 

Furthermore, the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture provides for an event of default if a covenant default is continuing for 45 days after notice.

 

•   a payment default (defined the same as the 2001 Domtar Inc. indenture) or a cross acceleration (defined the same as the 2001 Domtar Inc. indenture) with respect to indebtedness in the aggregate amount of $80 million (or its equivalent in other currencies) or more;

 

•   a judgment default (defined the same as the Domtar Inc. indentures) in excess of $80 million (or its equivalent in other currencies) in the aggregate for a period of 60 days; and

 

•   certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization.

 

 

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Effect of Event of Default

 

Under the 1996 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures, if an event of default due to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization exists, the principal (and in the case of the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture, the accrued and unpaid interest) will automatically become immediately due and payable with respect to notes of such issues, without any declaration by the holders or the trustee. In the case of all other events of default, the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding notes of the applicable series may declare the principal amount (and in the case of the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture, the accrued and unpaid interest to the date of such acceleration), or, if such series of notes are original issue discount securities, the portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such series, of the notes of that series to be due and payable immediately, by written notice to Domtar Inc., and to the trustee if given by holders.

 

Under the 2001 Domtar Inc. indenture, if an event of default occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding 7.875% Notes due 2011 may declare the principal amount of all such notes (and premium, if any) and all interest thereon due and payable immediately, by written notice to Domtar Inc.,
and to the trustee if given by holders.

 

Under each of the Domtar Inc. indentures, holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of such series may, subject to conditions, rescind and annul a declaration of acceleration prior to a judgment or decree for payment of the money due. However, under the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture, a declaration of acceleration due to an event of default arising from a payment default or a cross acceleration will be automatically annulled if (a) the indebtedness that is the subject of such event of default has been discharged or the declaration of acceleration by the holders of

 

 

Effect of Event of Default

 

If an event of default in the case of certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization exists, the principal amount, premium, if any, accrued but unpaid interest, and any other monetary obligations of all of the outstanding Domtar Corp. notes of the series shall automatically become immediately due and payable. The acceleration provisions with respect to all other events of default are the same as the 1996 Domtar Inc. indentures, except that premium, if any, will also be due upon an acceleration.

 

Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of a series of the Domtar Corp. notes may, subject to conditions, rescind and annul a declaration of acceleration and its consequences prior to a judgment or decree for payment of the money due. However, under the Domtar Corp. indenture, a declaration of acceleration due to an event of default arising from a payment default or a cross acceleration will be automatically annulled if the default triggering such event of default is remediated or cured or waived by the holders of the relevant indebtedness within 20 days after the declaration of acceleration with respect thereto and if (1) the annulment of the acceleration of the notes of the applicable series would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction and (2) all existing events of default, except nonpayment of principal, premium or interest on the notes of the applicable series that became due solely because of the accelerations of such notes, have been cured or waived.

 

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such indebtedness has been rescinded, (b) within 30 days after the declaration of acceleration in respect of the 9.5% Notes due 2016, written notice of the discharge or rescission, countersigned by the holders of the indebtedness that is the subject of such event of default, is provided to the trustee, and (c) there has been no other event of default under the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture within the 30 day period which has not been cured or waived.  

Payments for consent

 

The 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture provides that Domtar Inc. and its affiliates may not pay or cause to be paid any consideration to any holder of the 9.5% Debentures due 2016 for or as an inducement for any consent, waiver or amendment of the terms or provisions of the 1996 Domtar Inc. indenture or the 9.5% Debentures due 2016 unless such consideration is offered to be paid to all holders of the 9.5% Debentures due 2016 that so consent, waive or agree to amend.

 

No comparable covenant is included in the 2001 and 2003 Domtar Inc. indentures.

 

Payments for consent

 

No comparable covenant will be in the Domtar Corp. indenture.

Listing

 

None of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are listed on any stock exchange.

 

 

 

 

 

Listing

 

The Domtar Corp. notes have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

 

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Certain material United States federal income tax consequences

The following is a discussion of certain material United States federal income tax consequences of the exchange offers, the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures, the receipt of the early consent payment and the ownership and disposition of the Domtar Corp. notes received pursuant to the exchange offers. This discussion assumes that the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are, and Domtar Corp. notes will be, held as capital assets. This discussion is based upon the Code, Treasury regulations (including proposed Treasury regulations) issued thereunder, Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) rulings and pronouncements and judicial decisions now in effect, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.

This discussion does not address all aspects of United States federal income taxation that may be relevant to a U.S. Holder or Non-U.S. Holder (each as defined below) in light of such holder’s particular circumstances, or to U.S. Holders subject to special rules such as (1) banks, regulated investment companies, insurance companies, dealers in securities or currencies or tax-exempt organizations, (2) persons holding the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes or the Domtar Corp. notes as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion or other integrated transaction, (3) persons who mark their securities to market for United States federal income tax purposes or whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, (4) United States expatriates or (5) persons subject to alternative minimum taxes.

As used herein, a “U.S. Holder” means a holder of a Domtar Inc. U.S. note that is for United States federal income tax purposes (i) an individual citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source or (iv) a trust if it (X) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (Y) has a valid election in effect under applicable United States Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person. A “Non-U.S. Holder” is a holder (other than a partnership) that is not a U.S. Holder.

If a partnership holds Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Partners of partnerships holding notes should consult their own tax advisers.

The following discussion is for general information only and is not tax advice. Accordingly, we recommend that you consult your own tax advisers as to the particular tax consequences to you of the matters discussed herein, including the applicability and effect of any state, local or non-United States tax laws and any recent or prospective changes in applicable tax laws.

U.S. holders

The following is a summary of certain United States federal income tax consequences that will apply to you if you are a U.S. Holder.

 

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Consequences of the exchange

The exchange of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for Domtar Corp. notes (and any cash payments) pursuant to the exchange offers will constitute a taxable transaction for United States federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, subject to the discussion below regarding the possible treatment of the early consent payment as separate consideration, if you exchange Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for Domtar Corp. notes pursuant to the exchange offers, you will generally recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the issue price of the Domtar Corp. notes received plus any cash received (less an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid interest on the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes that was not previously included in income, which will be treated as ordinary interest income) and (ii) your adjusted tax basis in the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. Your adjusted tax basis in a Domtar Inc. note will, in general, be your cost therefor increased by market discount, if any, previously included in income, and reduced by any bond premium previously amortized.

The “issue price” of the Domtar Corp. notes depends upon whether the notes are considered “publicly traded” within the meaning of applicable Treasury regulations. If neither the Domtar Corp. notes nor the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are publicly traded, the issue price of the Domtar Corp. notes would be their stated principal amount. If the Domtar Corp. notes are publicly traded, their issue price would be their fair market value on the date of the exchange. If the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are publicly traded, and the Domtar Corp. notes are not publicly traded, the issue price of the Domtar Corp. notes would equal the fair market value of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes on the date of the exchange. Domtar Corp. intends to take the position that the Domtar Corp. notes will be publicly traded and that a holder’s amount realized will be based on the fair market value of the Domtar Corp. notes as of the date of exchange. Subject to the rule discussed below regarding market discount, any gain or loss recognized by a U.S. Holder pursuant to the exchange offers will be capital gain or loss. Capital gains of individuals derived with respect to capital assets held for more than one year are eligible for reduced rates of taxation. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

If you acquired a Domtar Inc. U.S. note with market discount ( i.e. , the excess, if any, of the stated principal amount of the Domtar Inc. U.S. note over your basis in such Domtar Inc. U.S. note immediately after its acquisition) in excess of a statutorily defined de minimis amount, you will generally be required to treat gain on the exchange of such Domtar Inc. U.S. note as ordinary income to the extent of the market discount accrued to the date of the disposition, less any accrued market discount income previously included in your income pursuant to an election to include market discount in your taxable income on a current basis.

Although there is no authority directly addressing the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the receipt of the early consent payment, the early consent payment should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as either (i) additional consideration paid for the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, in which case such amount would be taken into account in determining the amount of gain or loss on the exchange as described above or (ii) separate consideration for consenting to the proposed amendments, in which case such amounts would be taxed as ordinary income. Domtar Corp. intends to treat the early consent payment as additional consideration received in exchange for the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. There can be no assurance, however, that the IRS will not attempt to treat the receipt of the early consent payment as the receipt of separate consideration for consenting to the proposed amendments. Holders are encouraged to consult their own tax advisers as to the proper treatment of the early consent payment.

 

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Consequences to non-tendering holders

Under general principles of tax law, the modification of a debt instrument creates a deemed exchange (upon which gain or loss may be realized) if the modified debt instrument differs materially either in kind or in extent from the original debt instrument. Under applicable Treasury regulations, the modification of a debt instrument is a “significant” modification which will create a deemed exchange if, based on all the facts and circumstances and taking into account all modifications of the debt instrument collectively, the legal rights or obligations that are altered and the degree to which they are altered is “economically significant.” Treasury regulations provide that a modification of a debt instrument that adds, deletes or alters customary accounting or financial covenants is not a significant modification.

Domtar Inc. intends to take the position that the adoption of the proposed amendments will not cause a significant modification of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and therefore should not result in a deemed exchange of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for “new” notes issued by Domtar Inc. for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Based on the foregoing, U.S. Holders that do not tender their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes would not recognize any taxable income, gain or loss with respect to the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes as a result of the adoption of the proposed amendments. There can be no assurance, however, that the IRS will not take a different position or that any such position, if taken, would not be sustained by a court. If the IRS were to take the position that the adoption of the proposed amendments results in a deemed exchange of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, the tax consequences may differ materially from the tax consequences described above, and could include taxable gain on the deemed exchange of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes as well as original issue discount on the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes after the deemed exchange. U.S. Holders are encouraged to consult their tax advisers regarding the potential tax consequences of not tendering their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes pursuant to the exchange offers.

Consequences of holding Domtar Corp. notes

Payments of interest

Stated interest on the Domtar Corp. notes generally will be taxable to you as ordinary income at the time that it is paid or accrued, in accordance with your method of accounting for United States federal income tax purposes.

If the issue price of a Domtar Corp. note is less than its principal amount by more than a statutorily defined de minimis amount, such Domtar Corp. note will be treated as having been issued with original issue discount (“OID”). In that case, you would generally be required to include in income amounts attributable to such difference on a constant yield basis over the term of the Domtar Corp. notes, regardless of your method of accounting for United States federal income tax purposes.

If the issue price of a Domtar Corp. note is greater than its principal amount, you will be considered to have purchased the Domtar Corp. note at a “premium.” You generally may elect to amortize the premium over the remaining term of the Domtar Corp. note on a constant yield method as an offset to interest when includible in income under your regular accounting method. If you do not elect to amortize bond premium, that premium will decrease the gain or increase the loss you would otherwise recognize on disposition of the Domtar Corp. note.

 

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Certain additional payments

It is possible to assert that the payment by us of 101% of the principal amount of the Domtar Corp. notes under the circumstances described above under the heading “Description of notes—Change of control” is a contingent payment for purposes of the OID rules. If any such payment is treated as a contingent payment, the Domtar Corp. notes may be treated as contingent payment debt instruments, in which case the timing and amount of income inclusions and the character of income recognized may be different from the consequences discussed herein. The Treasury regulations regarding debt instruments that provide for one or more contingent payments state that, for purposes of determining whether a debt instrument is a contingent payment debt instrument, remote or incidental contingencies are ignored. We believe that the possibility of our making this payments is remote and, accordingly, we will not treat the notes as contingent payment debt instruments. Our determination will be binding on all U.S. Holders except a U.S. Holder that discloses its differing position in a statement attached to its timely filed U.S. federal income tax return for the taxable year during which a Domtar Corp. note was acquired. Our determination is not, however, binding on the IRS, and if the IRS were to challenge such determination, a U.S. Holder might be required to accrue income on a note in excess of stated interest, and to treat as ordinary income, rather than capital gain, any income recognized on the taxable disposition of a note before the resolution of the contingencies. In the event a change in control actually occurs, it would affect the amount and timing (and possibly character) of the income that a U.S. Holder will recognize. This discussion assumes that our determination that this contingency is remote is correct and assumes that the Domtar Corp. notes will not be treated as contingent payment debt instruments.

Sale, exchange or redemption

In general, you will recognize gain or loss upon the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other disposition of a Domtar Corp. note measured by the difference between the amount realized on the disposition (less an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid interest on the Domtar Corp. note that was not previously included in income, which will be treated as ordinary interest income) and your adjusted basis in the Domtar Corp. note. Your adjusted basis in a Domtar Corp. note will generally equal the issue price of the Domtar Corp. note increased by OID, if any, previously included in income, and reduced by any amortized premium. Such gain or loss will be capital gain or loss. Capital gains of individuals derived with respect to capital assets held for more than one year are eligible for reduced rates of taxation. Your holding period for the Domtar Corp. note will begin on the day after you acquire the Domtar Corp. note pursuant to the exchange offers. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

Information reporting and backup withholding

In general, information reporting requirements will apply to amounts received pursuant to the exchange offers, to payments of principal and interest made in respect of Domtar Corp. notes, and to payments of proceeds from the sale, exchange, redemption or other disposition of Domtar Corp. notes unless you are an exempt recipient (such as a corporation). A backup withholding tax may apply to such payments if you fail to provide a taxpayer identification number or certification of exempt status or fail to report in full dividend and interest income.

Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against your United States federal income tax liability provided the required information is furnished to the IRS.

 

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Non-U.S. holders

The following is a summary of certain United States federal income and estate tax consequences that will apply to you if you are a Non-U.S. Holder.

Consequences of exchange

Except with respect to the early consent payment, as discussed below, you generally will not be subject to United States federal income or withholding tax on any gain realized on the exchange of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for Domtar Corp. notes (and any cash payments), unless (i) you are an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the exchange, and other applicable conditions are met or (ii) the gain is effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment).

The portion of your amount realized that is attributable to accrued, but unpaid interest on the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax.

Under current U.S. federal income tax law, there is uncertainty regarding whether amounts paid in respect of the early consent payment would constitute a separate fee taxable as ordinary income to the recipient rather than additional consideration for the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, and whether the receipt of the early consent payment by a Non-U.S. Holder is subject to U.S. federal withholding tax. Accordingly, the relevant withholding agent will likely withhold tax from the early consent payment paid to a Non-U.S. Holder at a rate of 30% unless:

 

 

the Non-U.S. Holder is engaged in the conduct of a trade or business in the United States to which the receipt of the early consent payment is effectively connected and provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI; or

 

 

an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and the country of residence of the Non-U.S. Holder eliminates or reduces the applicable withholding tax (for example, if an applicable treaty eliminates or reduces applicable withholding tax on “other income”) and such Non-U.S. Holder provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN.

These forms may be obtained from the Exchange Agent or at the Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov. Non-U.S. Holders are encouraged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of U.S. federal income tax withholding with respect to the early consent payment, including eligibility for a withholding exemption and the availability of a refund of any U.S. federal income tax withheld.

Consequences to non-exchanging holders

Non-U.S. Holders that do not tender their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes pursuant to the exchange offers will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, regardless of whether the adoption of the proposed amendments gives rise to a deemed exchange of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for “new” Domtar Inc. U.S. notes. Non-U.S. Holders are encouraged to consult their tax advisers regarding the potential tax consequences of not tendering their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes pursuant to the exchange offers.

 

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Consequences of holding Domtar Corp. notes

As noted above under “Certain material United States federal income tax consequences—U.S. holders—Consequences of holding Domtar Corp. notes—Certain additional payments,” we expect to take the position for U.S. federal income tax purposes that the likelihood that we will be obligated to pay additional payments with respect to the Domtar Corp. notes is remote, and the discussion below assumes that our determination in this regard is correct.

United States federal withholding tax

The general 30% United States federal withholding tax will not apply to any payment of principal and, under the “portfolio interest rule,” interest on the Domtar Corp. notes, provided certain conditions discussed below are met. The Domtar Corp. notes will likely bear original issue discount if the trading value of the Domtar Corp. notes on the date they are issued is less than the face amount of such notes by more than a statutorily defined de minimis amount. The “portfolio interest rule” will apply only if:

 

 

you do not actually (or constructively) own 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of Domtar Corp.’s voting stock within the meaning of the Code and applicable United States Treasury regulations;

 

 

you are not a controlled foreign corporation that is related to Domtar Corp. through stock ownership;

 

 

you are not a bank whose receipt of interest on the Domtar Corp. notes is described in Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code; and

 

 

either (a) you provide your name and address on an IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form), and certify, under penalties of perjury, that you are not a United States person as defined under the Code or (b) you hold your Domtar Corp. notes through certain foreign intermediaries and satisfy the certification requirements of applicable United States Treasury regulations.

Special certification rules apply to Non-U.S. Holders that are pass-through entities rather than corporations or individuals.

If you cannot satisfy the requirements described above, payments of interest on the Domtar Corp. notes made to you will be subject to the 30% United States federal withholding tax, unless you provide a properly executed:

 

 

IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form) claiming an exemption from or reduction in withholding under the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty; or

 

 

IRS Form W-8ECI (or other applicable form) stating that interest paid on the Domtar Corp. notes is not subject to withholding tax because it is effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business in the United States (as discussed below under “United States federal income tax”).

The 30% United States federal withholding tax generally will not apply to any gain that you realize on the sale, exchange, retirement or other disposition of a Domtar Corp. note.

 

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United States federal income tax

If you are engaged in a trade or business in the United States and interest on the Domtar Corp. notes is effectively connected with the conduct of that trade or business (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment), then you will be subject to United States federal income tax on that interest on a net income basis (although you will be exempt from the 30% United States federal withholding tax, provided the certification requirements discussed above in “United States federal withholding tax” are satisfied) in the same manner as if you were a United States person as defined under the Code. In addition, if you are a foreign corporation, you may be subject to a branch profits tax equal to 30% (or lower applicable income tax treaty rate) of such interest, subject to adjustments.

Any gain realized on the disposition of a Domtar Corp. note generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax unless:

 

 

the gain is effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment, in which case you will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to such gain in the same manner as if you were a United States person as defined under the Code and, if you are a foreign corporation, you may also be subject to a U.S. branch profits tax at the rate of 30% (or lower rate if provided by an applicable income tax treaty) of such gain); or

 

 

you are an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of that disposition, and certain other conditions are met, in which case you will be subject to a flat 30% U.S. federal income tax on such gain, which generally may be offset by U.S. source capital losses.

United States federal estate tax

A Domtar Corp. note held by an individual holder who is neither a citizen nor a resident of the United States (specifically defined for estate tax purposes) at the time of his or her death generally will not be subject to U.S. federal estate tax, provided that (i) such individual holder does not at the time of death actually or constructively own 10% or more of the combined voting power of all classes of Domtar Corp. stock and (ii) payments of interest (including OID) on such note would not have been considered effectively connected with a trade or business in the United States.

Information reporting and backup withholding

Generally, the relevant withholding information reporting agents must report to the IRS and to Non-U.S. Holders of Domtar Corp. notes the amount of interest paid with respect to Domtar Corp. notes and the amount of tax, if any, withheld with respect to those payments. Copies of the information returns reporting such interest payments and any withholding may also be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which you reside under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty.

Payments made pursuant to the exchange offers, payments of principal and interest made in respect of Domtar Corp. notes and payments of proceeds from the sale, exchange, redemption, or other disposition of Domtar Corp. notes to you will generally not be subject to information reporting requirements (except as described in the paragraph above) or backup withholding

 

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provided you certify your exempt status by delivering a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN (or an appropriate substitute form).

Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against your United States federal income tax liability provided the required information is furnished to the IRS.

 

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Certain benefit plan investor considerations

The following discussion was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of avoiding United States federal tax penalties.

The following is a summary of certain considerations associated with the purchase of the Domtar Corp. notes by employee benefit plans that are subject to the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, (ERISA Plans), or by plans, individual retirement accounts and other arrangements that are subject to Section 4975 of the Code or provisions under any federal, state, local, non-U.S. or other laws or regulations that are similar to such provisions of ERISA or the Code (collectively, Similar Laws), and entities whose underlying assets are considered to include “plan assets” of such plans, accounts and arrangements (each, a Plan).

General fiduciary matters

Under ERISA and the Code, any person who exercises any discretionary authority or control over the administration of a Plan or the management or disposition of the assets of such Plan, or who renders investment advice for a fee or other compensation to a Plan, is generally considered to be a fiduciary of the Plan.

Each fiduciary of a Plan should consider the fiduciary standards of ERISA in the context of the Plan’s particular circumstances before authorizing an investment in the Domtar Corp. notes. Accordingly, among other factors, the fiduciary should consider whether the investment is in accordance with the documents and instruments governing the Plan and the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code or any Similar Law relating to a fiduciary’s duties to the Plan including, without limitation, the prudence, diversification, delegation of control and prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA, the Code and any other applicable Similar Law.

Prohibited transactions issues

Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code prohibit ERISA Plans from engaging in specified transactions involving plan assets with persons or entities who are “parties in interest,” within the meaning of ERISA, or “disqualified persons,” within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Code, unless an exemption is available with respect to such transaction. A party in interest or disqualified person who engages in a non-exempt prohibited transaction may be subject to excise taxes and other penalties and liabilities under ERISA and the Code and the prohibited transaction itself may have to be rescinded. In addition, the fiduciary of the ERISA Plan that permits such a non-exempt prohibited transaction may be subject to penalties and liabilities under ERISA and the Code.

The acquisition and/ or holding of Domtar Corp. notes by an ERISA Plan with respect to which Domtar Corp., the Dealer Managers or the current holders of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes, is considered a party in interest or a disqualified person, may constitute or result in a direct or indirect prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA and/ or Section 4975 of the Code, unless the investment is acquired and is held in accordance with an applicable statutory, class or individual prohibited transaction exemption. In this regard, the U.S. Department of Labor, or the DOL, has issued prohibited transaction class exemptions, or PTCEs, that may apply to the acquisition and holding of the Domtar Corp. notes. These class exemptions include, without limitation, PTCE 84-14 (relating to transactions determined by independent qualified

 

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professional asset managers), PTCE 90-1 (relating to transactions involving insurance company pooled separate accounts), PTCE 91-38 (relating to transactions involving bank collective investment funds), PTCE 95-60 (relating to transactions involving life insurance company general accounts) and PTCE 96-23 (relating to transactions determined by in-house asset managers). Although these exemptions exist, a purchaser of any Domtar Corp. notes should be aware that there can be no assurance that all of the conditions of any such exemptions will be satisfied. Furthermore, a purchaser of the Domtar Corp. notes should be aware that even if the conditions specified in one or more of the above-referenced exemptions are met, the scope of the exemptive relief provided by the exemption might not cover all acts which might be construed as prohibited transactions.

In addition, any insurance company proposing to use assets of its general account to purchase the Domtar Corp. notes should consider the implications of the United States Supreme Court’s decision in John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co. v. Harris Trust and Savings Bank, 510 U.S. 86, 114 S. Ct. 517 (1993) as well as the regulations issued by the United States Department of Labor (DOL) in January 2000 in response to the decision. In the decision, the Court held that to the extent that insurance contacts issued to employee benefit plans provide for a return that is not guaranteed, but instead varies with the performance of the insurer’s general account, the insurer’s general account may become “plan assets” subject to ERISA and therefore subject to the fiduciary obligations of ERISA.

Because of the preceding, the Domtar Corp. notes should not be purchased or held by any person investing “plan assets” of any Plan, unless such purchase and holding will not constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA and the Code or similar violation of any applicable Similar Laws.

Representation

Accordingly, by acceptance of an Domtar Corp. note, each purchaser and subsequent transferee of an Domtar Corp. note will be deemed to have represented and warranted that either (i) no portion of the assets used by such purchaser or transferee to acquire or hold the Domtar Corp. notes constitutes assets of any Plan or (ii) the purchase and holding of the Domtar Corp. notes by such purchaser or transferee will not constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code or similar violation under any applicable Similar Laws.

The preceding discussion is general in nature and is not intended to be all-inclusive. Due to the complexity of these rules and the penalties that may be imposed upon persons involved in non-exempt prohibited transactions, it is particularly important that fiduciaries, or other persons considering purchasing the Domtar Corp. notes on behalf of, or with the assets of, any Plan, consult with their counsel regarding the potential applicability of ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code and any Similar Laws to such investment and whether an exemption would be applicable to the purchase and holding of the Domtar Corp. notes.

Each purchaser and holder of the Domtar Corp. notes has exclusive responsibility for ensuring that its purchase and holding of the Domtar Corp. notes does not violate the fiduciary and prohibited transaction rules of ERISA, the Code or any Similar Laws. The sale of any Domtar Corp. notes to any Plan is in no respect a representation by us or any of our affiliates or representatives that such an investment meets all relevant legal requirements with respect to investments by Plans generally or any particular Plan, or that such an investment is appropriate for Plans generally or any particular Plan.

 

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Legal matters

Certain legal matters in connection with the exchange offers will be passed upon for us by Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York, New York, Ogilvy Renault LLP, Montréal, Canada, Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., Wilmington, Delaware and Gilles Pharand, Senior Vice-President, Law and Corporate Affairs, at the Company. The validity of the Domtar Corp. notes offered hereby will be passed upon for the U.S. Dealer Managers by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, New York, New York.

Experts

The balance sheet of the Company (formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006, and the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2006, have been included herein in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

The consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc. as of December 31, 2006 and 2005 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2006 and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (which is included in Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting) as of December 31, 2006 included in this prospectus have been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

Independent registered public accounting firms

With respect to the unaudited financial information of Domtar Corp. for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007 included in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP reported that they have applied limited procedures in accordance with professional standards for a review of such information. However, their separate report dated August 9, 2007, except as to note 20, which is as of September 25, 2007 appearing herein states that they did not audit and they do not express an opinion on that unaudited financial information. Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their report on such information should be restricted in light of the limited nature of the review procedures applied. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is not subject to the liability provisions of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“the Act”) for their report on the unaudited financial information because that report is not a “report” or a “part” of the registration statement prepared or certified by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of the Act.

With respect to the unaudited interim financial information of the Company for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended June 25, 2006 included in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement, KPMG LLP reported that they have applied limited procedures in accordance with professional standards for a review of such information. However, their separate report dated

 

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August 9, 2007, except as to note 20, which is as of September 24, 2007 included herein states that they did not audit and they do not express an opinion on that interim financial information. Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their report on such information should be restricted in light of the limited nature of the review procedures applied. KPMG LLP is not subject to the liability provisions of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”) for their report on the unaudited interim financial information because that report is not a “report” or a “part” of the registration statement prepared or certified by KPMG LLP within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of the Act.

Where you can find additional information

The Company has filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 under the Securities Act, of which this prospectus and consent solicitation statement forms a part, to register with the SEC the Domtar Corp. notes to be delivered to holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes who elect to exchange such notes for Domtar Corp. notes.

This prospectus and consent solicitation statement does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits to the registration statement, selected portions of which are omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information pertaining to the Company, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc., reference is made to the registration statement and its exhibits.

Statements contained in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to within this prospectus and consent solicitation statement are not necessarily complete and reference is made to the copy of the applicable contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the SEC. Each statement in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement regarding an agreement or other document is qualified in all respects by such agreement or other document.

You may read and copy all or any portion of the registration statement at the offices of the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information about the public reference rooms. The SEC maintains a website, www.sec.gov, that contains reports, proxy and prospectuses and other information regarding registrants, such as the Company, Weyerhaeuser and Domtar Inc., that file electronically with the SEC. The Company is subject to the information and periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance therewith, files periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Domtar Inc. files certain reports and other information with the SEC and with Canada’s System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) pursuant to the multi-jurisdictional disclosure system for certain Canadian registrants. These periodic reports, proxy statements and other information are available for inspection and copying at the SEC’s public reference rooms and the SEC’s website. You can also find additional information about the Company at www.domtar.com and Weyerhaeuser at www.weyerhaeuser.com.

 

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Index to financial statements

 

     Page

Domtar Corporation (formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc.)

  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   F-3

Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2006

   F-4

Notes to Balance Sheet

   F-5

Review Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm—PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

   F-7

Review Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm—KPMG LLP

   F-8

Consolidated Statements of Income for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 (unaudited) and June 25, 2006 (unaudited)

   F-9

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of July 1, 2007 (unaudited) and December 31, 2006

   F-10

Consolidated Statement of Shareholders’ Equity as at July 1, 2007 (unaudited)

   F-11

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 (unaudited) and June 25, 2006 (unaudited)

   F-11

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 (unaudited) and June 25, 2006 (unaudited)

   F-12

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

   F-13

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   F-57

Combined Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005

   F-58

Combined Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

   F-59

Combined Statements of Business Unit Equity for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

   F-60

Combined Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

   F-61

Notes to Combined Financial Statements

   F-62

Domtar Inc.

  

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

   F-98

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   F-99

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005

   F-101

Consolidated Earnings for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004

   F-102

Consolidated Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004

   F-103

Consolidated Retained Earnings for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004

   F-104

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

   F-105

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006

   F-170

Consolidated Earnings for the three and six months ended June 30, 2006 and June 30, 2007 and for the periods from January 1 to March 6, 2007 and March 7 to June 30, 2007

   F-171

Consolidated Retained Earnings for the three and six months ended June 30, 2006 and June 30, 2007 and for the periods from January 1 to March 6, 2007 and from March 7 to June 30, 2007

   F-171

 

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     Page

Consolidated Cash Flows for the three and six months ended June 30, 2006 and June 30, 2007 and for the periods from January 1 to March 6, 2007 and March 7 to June 30, 2007

   F-172

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2006 and June 30, 2007 and for the periods from January 1 to March 6, 2007 and March 7 to June 30, 2007

   F-173

Consolidated Statements of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2006 and June 30, 2007 and for the periods from January 1 to March 6, 2007 and March 7 to June 30, 2007

   F-173

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

   F-174

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

The Board of Directors and Sole Stockholder

Domtar Corporation:

We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Domtar Corporation (formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006. This financial statement is the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on this financial statement based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the balance sheet is free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the balance sheet. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall balance sheet presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the balance sheet referred to above presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Domtar Corporation (formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Seattle, Washington

January 25, 2007

 

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Domtar Corporation

(Formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary of

Weyerhaeuser Company)

Balance sheet

 

      

December 31,

2006

 
   

Assets

  

Cash

   $ —  
      

Stockholder’s Equity

  

Common shares, $.01 par value; 1,000 shares authorized; 1,000 shares issued and outstanding

   $ 10  

Amount receivable from Weyerhaeuser Company

   (10 )
      

Stockholders’ equity

   $ —  
   

 

See accompanying notes to balance sheet.

 

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Domtar Corporation

(Formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary of

Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to balance sheet

December 31, 2006

1. Organization

Domtar Corporation (formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc.) (the “Company”) was organized in the State of Delaware on August 16, 2006, and is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company (“Weyerhaeuser”). The Company is a holding company organized for the sole purpose of holding Weyerhaeuser’s Fine Paper Business and consummating a combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. (“Domtar”). The Company has had no operations to date.

Following the combination, the Company will be an independent public company, owned approximately 55% by current and former Weyerhaeuser shareholders and approximately 45% by former Domtar shareholders, in each case on a fully diluted basis.

The shares of Company common stock will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

2. Liquidity and capital resources

The Company has obtained commitments from financial institutions to provide an aggregate amount of up to $2.775 billion in financing consisting of:

 

 

A five-year senior secured revolving credit facility in a principal amount of $750 million, up to $350 million of which may be borrowed or utilized for letters of credit by Domtar; and

 

 

A three-month unsecured loan facility in the principal amount of $1.35 billion, which, upon consummation of the combination, will be refinanced, in part, by a new seven–year senior secured term loan facility in an aggregate amount of up to $1.7 billion, which may be increased at the option of the Company by incremental loans available to the Company and Domtar of up to $325 million to the extent necessary to refinance the existing accounts receivable securitization of Domtar and/or to redeem notes if tendered pursuant to a potential change of control offer with respect to Domtar’s $125 million 9.5% debentures due August 2016.

The three-month loan facility is expected to be used to finance a $1.35 billion cash payment to Weyerhaeuser as consideration for Weyerhaeuser’s contribution of the Fine Paper Business.

3. Existing Weyerhaeuser and Domtar equity awards

Weyerhaeuser employees that hold equity awards and who will become employees of the Company may elect to continue to hold their Weyerhaeuser equity awards, or may surrender those awards in exchange for Company equity awards.

Domtar stock options that have an exercise price equal to or less than the volume weighted average trading price of the Domtar common shares on the New York Stock Exchange as

 

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Domtar Corporation

(Formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary of

Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to balance sheet—(continued)

December 31, 2006

 

reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets on the last trading day prior to the Distribution, will be exchanged for an option to purchase that number of shares of Company common stock equal to the number of Domtar common shares subject to the Domtar stock option. The exercise price will be equal to the exercise price per share of such option immediately prior to the exchange. Domtar stock options that have an exercise price greater than the volume weighted average trading price of the Domtar common shares on the New York Stock Exchange as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets on the last trading day prior to the Distribution, will be exchanged for an option to purchase a number of shares of Company common stock of equivalent value determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Other Domtar equity awards will be exchanged for Company equity awards on a one–for–one basis.

4. Taxes

Weyerhaeuser and the Company will enter into a tax sharing agreement whereby Weyerhaeuser will generally be required to indemnify the Company for any taxes attributable to all pre-distribution periods and the Company will be required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser for any taxes attributable to its operations for all post-distribution periods.

5. Transition services

Weyerhaeuser, its affiliates, or certain third parties will provide services to the Company relating to finance and administration, human resources, payroll and information technology, and other areas the Company may request. The agreement will terminate when all of the terms of the services have expired or otherwise terminated.

6. Site services agreements

The Company and Weyerhaeuser will enter into site services agreements with respect to certain facilities that are jointly owned between the Company and Weyerhaeuser. The site service agreements will include parking, office space, temporary use of roads, chips, steam, natural gas, and electricity.

7. Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

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Review of PWC

Review Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Domtar Corporation:

We have reviewed the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Domtar Corporation as of July 1, 2007, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the thirteen-week and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007. These interim financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management.

We conducted our review in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.

Based on our review, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the accompanying consolidated interim financial statements for them to be in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Richmond, Virginia

August 9, 2007, except Note 20, as to which the date is September 25, 2007

 

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Review of KPMG

Review Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Shareholders

Domtar Corporation:

We have reviewed the consolidated balance sheet of Domtar Corporation (formerly the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company, and the predecessor of Domtar Corporation) as of June 25, 2006 (not presented herein) and the related consolidated statements of income, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended June 25, 2006. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of Domtar Corporation’s management.

We conducted our review in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.

Based on our review, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the consolidated financial statements referred to above for them to be in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We have previously audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the combined balance sheet of Domtar Corporation (formerly the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company, and the predecessor of Domtar Corporation) as of December 31, 2006 and the related statements of operations, business unit equity, and cash flows for the year then ended; and in our report dated March 29, except as to notes 17 and 20, which are as of June 19, 2007, and note 21, which is as of September 24, 2007, we expressed an unqualified opinion on those combined financial statements. In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2006, is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the combined balance sheet from which it has been derived.

The consolidated balance sheet as of July 1, 2007 and the related consolidated statements of income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007, were not reviewed or audited by us, and accordingly, we do not express an opinion or any form of assurance on them.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Seattle, Washington

August 9, 2007, except as to note 20,

    which is as of September 24, 2007

 

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Part I Financial information

Item 1. Financial statements (unaudited)

Domtar Corporation

Consolidated financial statements

Consolidated statements of income

 

      

Thirteen

weeks ended

   

Twenty-six

weeks ended

 
    

July 1

2007

   June 25
2006
    July 1
2007
   June 25
2006
 
            
    

(Unaudited)

 
(In millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)    $    $     $    $  
   

Sales

   1,620    809     2,671    1,638  

Operating expenses

          

Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization

   1,317    711     2,172    1,418  

Depreciation and amortization

   131    76     209    152  

Selling, general and administrative

   103    43     150    87  

Impairment of goodwill (Note 10)

             749  
      
   1,551    830     2,531    2,406  
      

Operating income (loss)

   69    (21 )   140    (768 )

Interest expense

   47        58     
      

Income (loss) before income taxes

   22    (21 )   82    (768 )

Income tax expense (recovery) (Note 7)

   11    (9 )   22    (9 )
      

Net income (loss)

   11    (12 )   60    (759 )
      

Per common share (in dollars) (Note 5)

          

Net income (loss)

          

Basic

   0.02    (0.04 )   0.14    (2.67 )

Diluted

   0.02    (0.04 )   0.14    (2.67 )

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

          

Basic

   515.2    284.1     431.7    284.1  

Diluted

   516.3    284.1     432.3    284.1  
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Corporation

Consolidated financial statements

Consolidated balance sheets

 

       As at  
    

July 1

2007

    December 31
2006
 
      
     (Unaudited)        
(In millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)    $     $  
   

Assets

    

Current assets

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   80     1  

Receivables, less allowances of $9 and $2 (Note 8)

   528     340  

Inventories (Note 9)

   1,004     520  

Prepaid expenses

   27     6  

Income and other taxes receivable

   9      

Deferred income taxes

   61     22  
      

Total current assets

   1,709     889  

Property, plant and equipment, at cost

   9,751     6,696  

Accumulated depreciation

   (3,857 )   (3,631 )
      

Net property, plant and equipment

   5,894     3,065  

Goodwill (Note 10)

   134     14  

Intangible assets, net of amortization

   29      

Other assets (Note 11)

   123     30  
      

Total assets

   7,889     3,998  
      

Liabilities and shareholders’ equity

    

Current liabilities

    

Bank indebtedness

   74      

Trade and other payables

   708     250  

Income and other taxes payable

   37     6  

Long-term debt due within one year (Note 13)

   19     12  
      

Total current liabilities

   838     268  

Long-term debt (Note 13)

   2,425     32  

Deferred income taxes

   1,093     758  

Other liabilities and deferred credits (Note 14)

   439     25  

Commitments and contingencies (Note 16)

    

Shareholders’ equity

    

Business Unit equity

       2,852  

Common stock (Note 15)

   5      

Exchangeable shares (Note 15)

   362      

Additional paid-in capital

   2,478      

Retained earnings

   37      

Accumulated other comprehensive income

   212     63  
      

Total shareholders’ equity

   3,094     2,915  
      

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

   7,889     3,998  
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Corporation

Consolidated financial statements

Consolidated statement of shareholders’ equity

 

      Issued and
outstanding
common and
exchangeable
stock
(millions of
shares)
 

Common
stock,

at par

  Exchangeable
shares
    Business
unit
equity
    Additional
paid in
capital
  Retained
earnings
  Accumulated
other
comprehensive
income
  Total
shareholders’
equity
 
     
    (Unaudited)  
(In millions of US dollars, unless
otherwise noted)
      $   $     $     $   $   $   $  
   

Balance as at December 31, 2006

          2,852         63   2,915  

Contribution of Weyerhaeuser fine paper business to Domtar Corporation

  284.1   3                 3  

Net income to March 6, 2007

          23           23  

Distribution to Weyerhaeuser Co prior to March 7, 2007

          (1,431 )         (1,431 )

Acquisition of Domtar Inc.

  230.9   2   500         1,032       1,534  

Post closing adjustments

    (Note 1)

          (138 )       5   (133 )

Transfer of business unit equity

          (1,306 )   1,306        

Conversion of exchangeable shares

      (138 )       138        

Issuance of common shares

  0.2             2       2  

Net income from March 7 to July 1, 2007 (Note 1)

                37     37  

Foreign currency translation adjustments

                  140   140  

Losses and prior service cost related to pension and postretirement benefit plans

                  4   4  
     

Balance as at July 1, 2007

  515.2   5   362         2,478   37   212   3,094  
   

Comprehensive income

 

      

Thirteen

weeks ended

   

Twenty-six

weeks ended

 
    

July 1

2007

   June 25
2006
   

July 1

2007

   June 25
2006
 
      
     (Unaudited)  
(In millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)    $    $     $    $  
   

Net income (loss)

   11    (12 )   60    (759 )

Other comprehensive income (loss)

          

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   136    11     140    26  

Losses and prior service cost related to pension and postretirement benefit plans

   4        4     

Net change in cash flow fair value adjustments, net of tax

      (4 )      (13 )
      

Comprehensive income (loss)

   151    (5 )   204    (746 )
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Corporation

Consolidated financial statements

Consolidated statements of cash flows

 

      

Thirteen

weeks ended

   

Twenty-six

weeks ended

 
     July 1
2007
    June 25
2006
    July 1
2007
    June 25
2006
 
      
     (Unaudited)  
(In millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)    $     $     $     $  
   

Operating activities

        

Net income (loss)

   11     (12 )   60     (759 )

Adjustments to reconcile income to cash flows from operating activities

        

Depreciation and amortization

   131     76     209     152  

Deferred income taxes

   (4 )   2     (15 )   2  

Impairment of goodwill

               749  

Other

           1      

Changes in assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisition

        

Receivables

   39     20     (56 )   (1 )

Inventories

   9     44     17     63  

Prepaid expenses

   (2 )   (3 )   (7 )   (7 )

Trade and other payables

   (1 )   (12 )   45     (17 )

Income and other taxes

   9         31      

Other assets and other liabilities

   (3 )   (4 )   (5 )    
      

Cash flows provided from operating activities

   189     111     280     182  
      

Investing activities

        

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (32 )   (20 )   (46 )   (41 )

Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment

   22         22      

Business acquisitions—cash acquired

           573      

Other

   (4 )       (4 )    
      

Cash flows provided from (used for) investing activities

   (14 )   (20 )   545     (41 )
      

Financing activities

        

Change in bank indebtedness

   (23 )       (3 )    

Repayment of revolving bank credit

   (90 )            

Issuance of short-term debt

           1,350      

Issuance of long-term debt

           800      

Repayment of short-term debt

           (1,350 )    

Repayment of long-term debt

   (81 )   (2 )   (81 )   (3 )

Debt issue costs

           (24 )    

Distribution to Weyerhaeuser prior to March 7, 2007

       (88 )   (1,431 )   (137 )

Other

   (4 )       (5 )    
      

Cash flows used for financing activities

   (198 )   (90 )   (744 )   (140 )
      

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

   (23 )   1     81     1  

Translation adjustments related to cash and cash equivalents

   (7 )       (2 )    

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

   110     1     1     1  
      

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

   80     2     80     2  
      

Supplemental cash flow information

        

Net cash payments for:

        

Interest

   43         43      

Income taxes

   18         21      
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

Note 1. Summary of significant accounting policies

Background

Domtar Corporation (“the Company”) was incorporated on August 16, 2006 for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (the “Business Unit”) and consummating the combination of the Business Unit with Domtar Inc. (the “Transaction”). The Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was operated by Weyerhaeuser Company (“Weyerhaeuser”) prior to the completion of the Transaction.

On August 22, 2006, Weyerhaeuser and certain wholly owned subsidiaries entered into an agreement with Domtar Inc. providing for:

 

 

A series of transfers and other transactions resulting in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business becoming wholly owned by the Company (the “Contribution”);

 

 

The distribution of shares of the Company to Weyerhaeuser shareholders (the “Distribution”); and

 

 

The combination of Domtar Inc., treated as a purchase for accounting purposes, with the Company.

The Transaction was consummated on March 7, 2007. Domtar Corporation had no operations prior to March 7, 2007 when, upon the completion of the Transaction, it became an independent public holding company that, directly or indirectly through its subsidiaries, owns the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. We refer to Domtar Corporation as of the date of consummation of the Transaction as the “Successor”.

Domtar Inc. is an integrated manufacturer of uncoated free sheet with pulp, paper and converting facilities in Canada and the United States. Domtar’s paper business is its most important segment. In addition to its paper business, Domtar manufactures and markets lumber and wood-based value-added products and engages in the paper merchants business, which involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various paper products made by Domtar and by other manufacturers.

The Business Unit consists of pulp and paper mills, converting operations, sawmills, forest management licenses and related assets. These facilities are principally engaged in the harvesting of timber and the manufacture, distribution and sale of paper, pulp, and forest products, including softwood lumber.

Although Weyerhaeuser Company does not have a continuing proprietary interest in Domtar Corporation, the Company entered into several agreements with Weyerhaeuser Company and/or certain of its subsidiaries in connection with the Transaction, including a tax sharing agreement, an intellectual property licensing agreement, a transition services agreement, fiber and pulp supply agreements and site services agreements. These agreements enable the Company to continue to operate the Business Unit efficiently following the completion of the Transaction.

 

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Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Basis of presentation

The Contribution constituted a transfer of net assets between entities under common control, and as a result, the Company reports the accounts of the Business Unit at their historical cost or carry over basis as of the date of the Contribution. The agreements giving effect to the spin-off of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, provide for various post-closing transaction adjustments and the resolution of outstanding matters, which are expected to be addressed by the parties during 2007. The post-closing adjustments made were as follows: $41 million increase in long term liabilities and decrease in Business Unit Equity related to the recognition of post-retirement benefit obligations that were assumed as part of the Transaction but were not reflected in the historical carve out financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business; assumed $48 million increase in deferred tax liabilities and decrease in Business Unit Equity related to the contribution of Canadian assets with a tax basis that was different Post-Transaction than was assumed in the carve out financial statements; $44 million decrease in property plant and equipment related to differences in the carve out basis of shared assets versus the basis of assets actually transferred in the transaction. Certain balance sheet matters remain under discussion with Weyerhaeuser. Resolution of these discussions may lead to an adjustment to Business Unit Equity or results of operations.

The combination of Domtar Inc. with the Company constituted, for accounting purposes, the acquisition of Domtar Inc. by Domtar Corporation and, as a result, the Company reports the results of Domtar Inc. starting on March 7, 2007.

For accounting and financial reporting purposes, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business is considered to be the surviving entity following the Transaction and, as a result, the Company is required to present historical financial statements as though it owned only the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and not Domtar Inc. Because the Company was a shell company with no operations and substantially no assets, the “Predecessor” financial statements are those of the Business Unit. Accordingly, the results reported for the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006 include only the results of operations of the Predecessor for the entire period and the results reported for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 include the results of operations of the Predecessor for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and the results of operations of the Successor for the period from March 7, 2007 to July 1, 2007.

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financials statements of the Company, prepared in accordance with the applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly Domtar Corporation’s financial position as at July 1, 2007 and as at December 31, 2006 as well as its results of operations and its cash flows for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007 and June 25, 2006. While management believes that the disclosures presented are adequate, these unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and notes do not include all of the information and disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America for annual financial statements. Additional information is contained in the Predecessor annual combined financial statements and notes, filed on Form 8-K/A on June 22, 2007.

 

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Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

To conform with the basis of presentation adopted in the current period, certain figures previously reported have been reclassified. For purposes of comparability between periods as well as ease of readability, the Predecessor financial statements included herein have been renamed to conform to the conventions used for the July 1, 2007 interim financial statements including the reference to “consolidated financial statements”.

Predecessor financial statements for periods prior to March 7, 2007

The combined financial statements of the Business Unit have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for the purpose of presenting the Business Unit’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Other than the audited carve out financial statements for the periods of 2003 through 2006, separate financial statements historically have not been prepared for the Business Unit. The combined financial statements have been derived from historical accounting records of Weyerhaeuser. The historical operating results and cash flows of the Business Unit may not be indicative of what they would have been had the Business Unit been a stand-alone entity, nor are they necessarily indicative of what the Business Unit’s operating results and cash flows may be in the future.

The combined statements of operations for the Business Unit include allocations of certain costs from Weyerhaeuser directly related to the operations of the Business Unit, including an apportionment of certain centralized general and administrative costs for accounting, human resources, purchasing, information systems, transaction services, payroll processing costs, legal fees and other overhead costs. These centralized costs were allocated to the Business Unit using a three-part apportionment factor based on relative headcount, assets and certain revenue. Weyerhaeuser pension and post-retirement benefits expense was allocated based on relative salaried headcount, with the exception of pension expense of four Canadian pension plans related solely to the Business Unit which are directly included in the combined statements of operations.

Management believes the methodology applied for the allocation of these costs is reasonable. Except for an immaterial amount of interest on capital leases and debt that was assumed by the Company, interest expense has not been allocated to the Business Unit.

Certain of the Business Unit’s working capital assets and liabilities were common assets and liabilities shared with Weyerhaeuser facilities not part of the Business Unit. Allocations were performed in order to reflect the appropriate portion of each asset and liability in the accounts of the Business Unit. The allocations were based on third party sales percentages, headcount percentages or a three-part apportionment factor based on relative headcount, assets and certain revenue. Goodwill is allocated based on relative fair value. Management believes the methodology used for the asset and liability allocations is reasonable.

Significant differences in the funding and operation of the Business Unit may have existed if it operated as an independent, stand-alone entity, including the need for debt and the incurrence of interest expense, which could have had a significant impact on its financial position and results of operations.

 

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Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Use of estimates

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP, which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the year, the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to environmental matters, useful lives, impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill, pension and other employee future benefit plans, income taxes, closure and restructuring costs and asset retirement obligations, based on currently available information. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Translation of foreign currencies

Self-sustaining foreign operations

For foreign subsidiaries that are considered financially and operationally self-sustaining, the current rate method of translation of foreign currencies has been used. Under this method, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rate in effect at the balance sheet date and revenues and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates during the year. All gains and losses arising from the translation of the financial statements of these foreign subsidiaries are included in the “Accumulated other comprehensive income” account under “Shareholders’ equity.”

Variable interest entities

Variable interest entities (VIE) are entities in which equity investors do not have a controlling financial interest or the equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support provided by other parties. Domtar Corporation consolidates the VIE if Domtar Corporation is considered the VIE’s primary beneficiary, defined as the party that receives the majority of the expected residual returns and/or that absorbs the majority of the entity’s expected losses. As a result, Domtar Corporation consolidates the operations of Wapawekka Lumber LP (“Wapawekka”). Wapawekka is a 51 percent owned limited partnership that operates a sawmill in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Revenue recognition

Domtar Corporation recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, when goods are shipped, when there are no uncertainties surrounding product acceptance, when the related revenue is fixed or determinable, when collection is considered reasonably assured and when the customer takes title and assumes the majority of the risks and rewards of ownership.

 

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Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Shipping and handling costs

The Company classifies shipping and handling costs as a component of cost of sales in the consolidated statement of income.

Income taxes

Domtar Corporation uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined according to differences between the carrying amounts and tax bases of the assets and liabilities. The change in the net deferred tax asset or liability is included in earnings. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates and laws expected to apply in the years in which the assets and liabilities are expected to be recovered or settled.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to income tax matters in “Income tax expense.”

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and short-term investments with original maturities of less than three months and are presented at cost.

Receivables

Receivables are recorded at cost net of a provision for doubtful accounts that is based on expected collectibility. Gains or losses on securitization of receivables are calculated as the difference between the carrying amount of the receivables sold and the sum of the cash proceeds on sale and the fair value of the retained subordinate interest in such receivables on the date of transfer. Fair value is determined on a discounted cash flow basis. Costs related to the sales of receivables are recognized in earnings under “Interest expense” in the period when the sale occurs.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost includes labor, materials and production overhead. The last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method is used to cost certain domestic raw materials, in process and finished goods inventories. The balance of domestic raw material inventories, all materials and supplies inventories and all foreign inventories are costed at either the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) or average cost methods.

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation including asset impairment write-downs. Interest costs are capitalized for capital projects in excess of $5 million or having a duration in excess of two years. For timber limits and timberlands, amortization is

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

calculated using the unit of production method. For all other assets, amortization is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Buildings are amortized over periods of 10 to 40 years and machinery and equipment over periods of 3 to 20 years. The depreciation expense is reported net of the amount of the amortization of deferred credits related to property, plant and equipment. No depreciation is recorded on assets under construction.

Impairment of long-lived assets

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances indicating that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable, as measured by comparing their net book value to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows generated by their use. Impaired assets are recorded at fair value, determined principally by using discounted future cash flows expected from their use and eventual disposition.

Goodwill

Goodwill is not amortized and is subject to an annual impairment test, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it might be impaired. Testing for impairment is accomplished mainly by determining whether the fair value of a reporting unit, based upon discounted cash flows, exceeds the net carrying amount of that reporting unit as of the assessment date. If the fair value is greater than the net carrying amount, no impairment is necessary. In the event that the net carrying amount exceeds the sum of the discounted cash flows, a second test must be performed whereby the fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill must be estimated to determine if it is less than its net carrying amount. Fair value of goodwill is estimated in the same way as goodwill was determined at the date of the acquisition in a business combination, that is, the excess of the fair value of the reporting unit over the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the reporting unit.

Other assets

Other assets are recorded at cost. Direct financing costs related to the issuance of long-term debt are deferred and amortized using the effective interest rate method.

Environmental costs

Environmental expenditures for effluent treatment, air emission, landfill operation and closure, asbestos containment and removal, bark pile management, silvicultural activities and site remediation (together referred to as environmental matters) are expensed or capitalized depending on their future economic benefit. In the normal course of business, Domtar Corporation incurs certain operating costs for environmental matters that are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment that prevent future environmental impacts are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over 10 to 40 years. Provisions for environmental matters are not discounted and are recorded when remediation efforts are likely and can be reasonably determined.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Asset retirement obligations

Asset retirement obligations are recognized, at fair value, in the period in which Domtar Corporation incurs a legal obligation associated to the retirement of an asset. Conditional asset retirement obligations are recognized, at fair value, when the fair value of the liability can be reasonably estimated. The associated costs are capitalized as part of the carrying value of the related asset and depreciated over its remaining useful life. The liability is accreted using a credit adjusted risk-free interest rate.

Stock-based compensation and other stock-based payments

Domtar Corporation uses the fair value based approach of accounting for stock-based payments to directors and employees and for stock options granted to its employees. Any consideration paid by plan participants on the exercise of share options or the purchase of shares is credited to additional paid-in capital.

Stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the vesting period of the options. The contributed surplus component of the stock-based compensation is transferred to common shares upon the issuance of shares of common stock.

Deferred Share Units are amortized over their vesting periods and remeasured at each reporting period, until settlement, using the quoted market value. The cost of the common stock acquired by the Company under the Restricted Stock Plan is amortized over the restricted period. Deferred Share Units and common stock acquired under the Restricted Stock Plan are accounted for in compensation expense, in “Other liabilities and deferred credits” and “Other assets.”

Derivative instruments

Derivative instruments are contracts that require or provide an option to exchange cash flows or payments determined by applying certain rates, indices or changes therein to notional contract amounts. Derivative instruments are utilized by Domtar Corporation in the management of its foreign currency, price risk on certain purchases and sales and interest rate exposures.

Derivatives designated for hedge accounting

In order for a derivative to qualify for hedge accounting, the hedge relationship must be designated and formally documented at its inception, outlining the particular risk management objective and strategy, the specific asset, liability or cash flow being hedged, as well as how effectiveness is assessed. The derivative must be effective in accomplishing the objective of offsetting either changes in the fair value or cash flow attributable to the risk being hedged both at inception and over the term of the hedging relationship.

When derivative instruments have been designated within a hedge relationship and are highly effective in offsetting the identified risk characteristics of specific financial assets and liabilities, or group of financial assets and liabilities, hedge accounting is applied to these derivative instruments.

 

F-19


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

In a fair value hedge, hedging activities are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of income. The changes in fair value of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk is also recorded in the consolidated statement of income by way of a corresponding adjustment of the carrying amount of the hedged items recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

In a cash flow hedge, the changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments is recorded in other comprehensive income. These amounts are reclassified in the consolidated statement of income in the periods in which results are affected by the cash flows of the hedged item. Hedges of net investments in self-sustaining operations are treated in a manner similar to cash flow hedges. Any hedge ineffectiveness is recorded in the consolidated statement of income.

Derivatives not designated for hedge accounting

In conjunction with the Transaction, the various financial instruments of Domtar Inc. were recorded at fair value and, as such, did not meet the requirements for hedge accounting. As a result, Domtar Corporation accounts for these contracts at their fair value with resulting gains and losses being included in “Selling, general and administrative” expenses.

Pensions

Domtar Corporation’s plans include funded and unfunded defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans. Domtar Corporation recognizes the overfunded or underfunded status of defined benefit pension as an asset or liability in its statement of financial position. The net periodic benefit cost includes the following:

 

 

The cost of pension benefits provided in exchange for employees’ services rendered during the year,

 

 

The interest cost of pension obligations,

 

 

The expected long-term return on pension fund assets based on a market-related value determined using a five-year moving average market value for equity securities and fair value for other asset classes,

 

 

Gains or losses on settlements and curtailments,

 

 

The straight-line amortization of past service costs and plan amendments over the average remaining service period of approximately 13 years of the active employee group covered by the plans,

 

 

The amortization of cumulative net actuarial gains and losses in excess of 10% of the greater of the accrued benefit obligation or market-related value of plan assets at the beginning of the year over the average remaining service period of approximately 13 years of the active employee group covered by the plans.

The defined benefit plans obligations are determined in accordance with the projected benefit method prorated on services.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Other employee future benefit plans

Domtar Corporation recognizes the overfunded or underfunded status of other post-retirement plans (other than multiemployer plans) as an asset or liability in its statement of financial position. These benefits, which are funded by Domtar Corporation as they become due, include life insurance programs, medical and dental benefits and short-term and long-term disability programs. Domtar Corporation amortizes the cumulative net actuarial gains and losses in excess of 10% of the accrued benefit obligation at the beginning of the year over the average remaining service period of approximately 15 years of the active employee group covered by the plans.

Investment tax credits

Investment tax credits are recognized in earnings as a reduction of income tax expenses when Domtar Corporation has made the qualifying expenditures and has a reasonable assurance that the credits will be realized.

Guarantees

A guarantee is a contract or an indemnification agreement that contingently requires Domtar Corporation to make payments to the other party of the contract or agreement, based on changes in an underlying item that is related to an asset, a liability or an equity security of the other party or on a third party’s failure to perform under an obligating agreement. It could also be an indirect guarantee of the indebtedness of another party, even though the payment to the other party may not be based on changes in an underlying item that is related to an asset, a liability or an equity security of the other party. Guarantees are accounted for at fair value.

Note 2. Accounting changes

Accounting for planned major maintenance

In September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued FASB Staff Position AUG AIR-1, “Accounting for Planned Major Maintenance Activities.” This Staff Position prohibits the use of the previously acceptable accrue-in-advance method of accounting for planned major maintenance activities in annual and interim financial reporting periods. The three accounting methods permitted under the Staff Position are: 1) direct expensing method, 2) built-in overhaul method and 3) deferral method. On January 1, 2007 the Company adopted retroactively with retrospective adjustment of prior periods the direct expensing method. The Company previously used the accrue-in-advance method for interim periods. The adoption of this Staff Position had no significant impact on the annual consolidated financial statements.

Uncertainty in income taxes

In June 2006, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109” (FIN 48). This interpretation, which the Company adopted on January 1, 2007, clarifies the accounting for uncertain tax positions

 

F-21


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

recognized in a company’s financial statements in accordance with Statement 109. FIN 48 prescribes a more likely than not recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification of a liability for unrecognized tax benefits, accounting for interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, and expanded income tax disclosures. The adoption of this Interpretation had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Impact of accounting pronouncements not yet implemented

Fair value option

In February 2007, the FASB issued Statement No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (FAS 159). FAS 159 permits an entity to measure certain financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value. Under FAS 159, entities that elect the fair value option will report unrealized gains and losses in earnings at each subsequent reporting date. The fair value option may be elected on an instrument-by-instrument basis, with few exceptions, as long as it is applied to the instrument in its entirety. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that FAS 159 will have on its financial position and results of operations for fair value measurements incurred after its adoption in fiscal 2008.

Fair value measurements

In September 2006, the FASB issued Statement No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements” (FAS 157). FAS 157 establishes a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that FAS 157 will have on its financial position and results of operations for fair value measurements incurred after its adoption in fiscal 2008.

Note 3. Business combination

As discussed in Note 1, on March 7, 2007, Domtar Corporation completed the Transaction to combine the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. Under the Transaction, Domtar Corporation issued 155,947,307 common stock and 75,004,303 exchangeable shares to acquire Domtar Inc. Domtar Inc. is an integrated manufacturer of uncoated freesheet in North America with four pulp and paper mills in Canada and five in the United States. This Transaction was considered, for accounting purposes, as the acquisition of Domtar Inc. by Domtar Corporation and has been accounted for using the purchase method. Accordingly, the purchase price is based upon the estimated fair value of Domtar Corporation common stock issued plus acquisition costs directly related to the Transaction. Since no quoted market price existed for the shares of the Company’s common stock, the purchase price is based on the fair value of the net assets acquired on August 23, 2006, the date on which the terms of the Transaction were agreed to and announced. The fair value of Domtar Inc. common shares of $6.63 per share used in the calculation of the purchase price is based upon the average closing price of Domtar Inc. common

 

F-22


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the five trading days beginning August 21, 2006 and ended August 25, 2006, converted at the average daily foreign exchange rate of the Bank of Canada. The number of outstanding Domtar Inc. common shares used in the calculation of the fair value is based on the same periods.

The following table summarizes the components of the total purchase price (in millions of dollars):

 

       (Unaudited)
     $
 

231,436,850 common shares of Domtar Inc. outstanding at an average closing price of $6.63 per share

   1,534

Direct acquisition costs

   28
    

Estimated total purchase price, net of assumed debt

   1,562
 

The total purchase price is allocated to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the Company’s preliminary estimates of their fair value, which are based on information currently available. The Company is in the process of completing its valuation of certain assets and liabilities. Accordingly, the final allocation of the fair value to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed could differ materially from the amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements. The principal significant elements for which the fair value could be modified include inventories, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, goodwill, deferred income taxes, pension plans and other employee future benefit plans.

The Company has refined its preliminary purchase price allocation in the second quarter of 2007 to reflect, amongst other things, the impact of the restructuring measures described in Note 12 and to refine the fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed of its wood business. The Company has assumed an agreement in principle to sell substantially all of its Wood business as described in Note 19. As a result, the fair value allocated to inventories was decreased by $7 million, the fair value of property, plant and equipment was increased by $80 million, the fair value of trade and other payables was increased by $18 million, the fair value of other liabilities and deferred credits was increased by $5 million and the fair value of deferred income tax liability—non current was increased by $13 million. This resulted in a $37 million decrease in goodwill.

 

F-23


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The table below illustrates the preliminary purchase price allocation, as adjusted:

 

       (Unaudited)
(In millions of US dollars)    $
 

Fair value of net assets acquired at the date of acquisition

  

Cash and cash equivalents

   573

Receivables

   166

Inventories

   495

Prepaid expenses

   12

Income and other taxes receivable

   7

Deferred income taxes—current

   18

Property, plant and equipment

   2,822

Intangible assets

   29

Deferred income tax assets—non-current

   107

Goodwill

   106

Other assets

   60
    

Total assets

   4,395

Less: Liabilities

  

Bank indebtedness

   67

Trade and other payables

   388

Income and other taxes payable

   15

Long-term debt due within one year

   1

Long-term debt

   1,660

Deferred income tax liability—non-current

   363

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   311

Minority interests

   28
    

Total liabilities

   2,833
    

Fair value of net assets acquired at the date of acquisition

   1,562
 

The two main components of the preliminary intangible asset amount are $10 million for customer relationships and $19 million for favorable natural gas contracts. The customer relationships have estimated useful life of 5 years and the natural gas contracts will be amortized over a period of 3 years.

 

F-24


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following unaudited pro forma information for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007, the twenty six weeks ended July 1, 2007, the thirteen weeks ended June 25, 2006 and the twenty six weeks ended June 25, 2006 presents a summary of consolidated results of operations of the Company as if the combination had occurred at the beginning of the respective fiscal periods. These pro forma results have been prepared for comparative purpose only.

 

       Thirteen weeks
ended
    Twenty-six weeks
ended
 
    

July 1

2007

  

June 25

2006

    July 1
2007
  

June 25

2006

 
      
     (Unaudited)  
(In millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)    $    $     $    $  
   

Sales

   1,620    1,679     3,244    3,387  

Operating expenses, excluding depreciation and amortization

   1,421    1,559     2,865    3,893  

Depreciation and amortization

   133    122     248    243  
                      

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

   66    (2 )   131    (749 )

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

   19    (52 )   42    (842 )

Net income (loss) from continuing operations applicable to common stock

   8    (36 )   27    (808 )
                      

Basic income (loss) per share

   0.02    (0.07 )   0.05    (1.57 )

Diluted income (loss) per share

   0.02    (0.07 )   0.05    (1.57 )

Basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

   515.1    515.1     515.1    515.1  

Diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

   515.1    515.1     515.1    515.1  
   

The above includes a charge of $749 million for the impairment of goodwill in the first quarter of 2006, not deductible for tax. The above also includes a charge of $29 million for transaction related costs of Domtar Inc. incurred in the first quarter of 2007.

 

F-25


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 4. Stock-based compensation

Changes in the number of options outstanding were as follows:

 

      

Number of
options

 

   

Weighted
average
exercise
price

 

  

Weighted

average

remaining

life (in years)

 

  

Aggregate

intrinsic

value

(in millions)

 

    
     Unaudited
           $         $
    

Outstanding as at January 1, 2007

            

Exchanged pursuant to the Transaction

   4,869,502     7.33      

Granted

   615,900     10.64      

Exercised

   (247,157 )   8.04      

Cancelled

   (28,829 )   8.04      
    

Outstanding as at July 1, 2007

   5,209,416     7.68    5.3    16
    

Options exercisable as at July 1, 2007

   2,072,201     8.84    3.8    6
 

2007 Omnibus stock incentive plan

Under the Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan (the “Omnibus Plan”), the Company may award to executives and other key employees non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, shares of restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance conditioned restricted stock units, performance shares, deferred share units and other stock-based awards. A total of 20,000,000 common shares are reserved for issuance in connection with awards granted under the Omnibus Plan. Unless otherwise determined at the time of the grant, time-based awards vest in approximately equal installments over four years beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date and performance-based awards vest based on achievement of pre-determined performance goals over performance periods of three years. Awards may be subject to both performance and time-based vesting. The Company may accelerate the vesting of an award at any time.

The exercise price of options and stock appreciation rights is equal to the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the date of grant.

During the second quarter of 2007, the Company granted awards under the Omnibus Plan as follows:

Performance conditioned restricted stock units (“PCRSUS”)

On June 27, 2007, the Company granted 1,381,100 PCRSUs, having a weighted average grant date fair value of $10.44 and a weighted average remaining contractual life of approximately 2 years as of July 1, 2007. Each PCRSU is equivalent in value to one common share and is subject to service, performance and market conditions. The PCSRUs time-vest over the period beginning on the grant date and ending on December 31, 2009.

 

F-26


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

As of July 1, 2007, none of the performance and market conditions were met.

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, compensation expense relating to PCSRUs recognized in the Company’s results of operations was not significant. Compensation cost related to nonvested PCRSUs not yet recognized amounted to approximately $14 million as of July 1, 2007 and will be recognized over the remaining service period.

Restricted stock units (“RSUs”)

On June 27, 2007, the Company granted 818,250 RSUs having a weighted average grant date fair value of $10.64 and a weighted average remaining contractual life of approximately 2 years as of July 1, 2007. The Company will deliver one share of common stock in settlement of each outstanding RSU that has vested in January of the fiscal year following the employee’s termination of employment (see discussion below). The RSUs cliff vest up to February 28, 2010 and are subject to service conditions.

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, compensation expense relating to RSUs recognized in the Company’s results of operations was not significant. Compensation cost related to nonvested RSUs not yet recognized amounted to approximately $9 million as of July 1, 2007 and will be recognized over the remaining service period.

Non-qualified stock options

On June 27, 2007, the Company granted 615,900 stock options, having a weighted average exercise price of $10.64 and grant date fair value of $2.88. The weighted average remaining contractual life is approximately 2 years as of July 1, 2007. The stock options are exercisable if certain market conditions are met in addition to a service period. The stock options vest equally over a period of 3 years from the date of grant except for the June 27, 2007 grant which vests equally on February 28, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

The fair value of the stock options granted was estimated at the date of grant using an option pricing model that incorporated the market conditions as well as the following weighted average assumptions:

 

     (Unaudited)
 

Dividend yield

   0.00%

Expected volatlity

   30.00%

Risk-free interest rate

   5.05%

Expected life

   4 years
 

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, the total compensation expense recognized in the Company’s results of operations was not significant in connection with the non-qualified stock option plans. Compensation cost not yet recognized related to nonvested stock options amounted to approximately $2 million as of July 1, 2007 and will be recognized over the remaining service period.

 

F-27


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Termination of employment

Upon a termination due to death, time-based awards vest in full and performance-based awards vest at target levels, and options and stock appreciation rights remain exercisable for one year. Upon a termination due to disability, time-based awards vest in full and performance-based awards continue to vest in accordance with the original vesting schedule, and options and stock appreciation rights remain exercisable for one year. Upon retirement, a pro rated portion of time-based awards vest and a pro rated portion of performance-based awards continue to vest based on actual performance during the applicable performance period, and all awards remain outstanding for 5 years. Upon a termination for cause or a voluntary termination by a plan participant, all awards, including vested but unexercised awards, are forfeited without payment. Upon an involuntary termination for any reason other than cause, vested awards remain outstanding for 90 days and unvested awards are forfeited.

Change in control

Upon a change in control, unless otherwise determined by the Company, a participant’s awards will be replaced with awards of the acquiring company having the same or better terms. If there is a change in control and a participant’s employment is terminated for business reasons in the three months prior to or twenty-four months after the change in control, his or her time-based awards will fully vest and performance-based awards will vest to the extent the applicable performance goals have been achieved as of the date of the change in control or the end of the fiscal quarter immediately prior to the date of termination, whichever is greater.

If replacement awards are not available, unless the Company determines otherwise, all time-based awards fully vest and performance-based awards vest to the extent the performance goals related to the award have been achieved as of the date of the change in control. Alternatively, the Committee may determine that vested awards will be cancelled in exchange for a cash payment (or other form of change in control consideration) based on the value of the change in control payment and that unvested awards will be forfeited. The Company’s Board of Directors may also accelerate the vesting of any or all awards upon a change in control.

Clawback for financial reporting misconduct

If a participant in the Omnibus Plan knowingly engages in financial reporting misconduct or such misconduct results from the participant’s gross negligence, then all awards and gains from the exercise of options or stock appreciation rights in the 12 months prior to the date the misleading financial statements were issued as well as any awards that vested based on the misleading financial statements will be disgorged to the Company.

Replacement plans for awards to former employees of Weyerhaeuser

Prior to the consummation of the Transaction, employees of Weyerhaeuser who were being transferred to the Company were given the opportunity to exchange their outstanding

 

F-28


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Weyerhaeuser equity awards for awards of the Company having the same terms and conditions as their prior Weyerhaeuser awards. The Company has adopted three plans to provide for the grant of the Company’s equity awards in exchange for the prior plan awards. These three plans mirror the three Weyerhaeuser plans under which the prior plan awards were initially granted.

Awards were made under these plans in connection with the consummation of the Transaction only to those employees who elected to exchange their prior Weyerhaeuser plan awards for the Company’s equity awards.

On March 7, 2007, 220,798 common shares were acquired and are held in trust in exchange for the former Weyerhaeuser Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, the total expense recognized in the Company’s results of operations related to these equity plans is not significant. No new awards have been or will be made under any of the replacement equity plans.

Replacement of Domtar Inc. equity awards

Options granted to Domtar Inc. employees, whether vested or unvested, were exchanged on the same terms and conditions for options to purchase a number of shares of common stock of Domtar Corporation equal to the number of Domtar Inc.’s common shares or a number of shares of Domtar Corporation common stock that would provide the equivalent value to the Domtar Inc. common shares determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, depending if the exercise price was higher, equal or less than the market value at the time of the exchange.

Each outstanding award of restricted Domtar Inc. common shares was exchanged on a one-for-one basis, and on the same terms and conditions as applied to Domtar Inc. restricted share awards, for awards of restricted shares of the Company’s common shares. On March 7, 2007, 654,935 common shares were acquired and were held in trust in exchange for the former Domtar Inc. restricted awards.

Each outstanding grant of deferred share units (DSUs) with respect to Domtar Inc. common shares were exchanged on a one-for-one basis, on the same terms and conditions as applied to the Domtar Inc. deferred share units, for deferred share units with respect to shares of the Company’s common stock. On March 7, 2007, 351,718 DSUs and 45,815 DSUs were issued to outside directors and executives, respectively, in exchange for Domtar Inc. DSUs. During the second quarter, 131,573 DSUs were exercised (including 24,686 DSUs settled in cash) by the outside directors. As at July 1, 2007, 220,145 DSUs are outstanding for the outside directors and 45,815 for the executives.

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, the total expense recognized in the Company’s results of operations related to these equity awards is not significant. No new awards have been or will be made under any of these equity plans.

 

F-29


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Changes in the number of Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) of the Company outstanding were as follows:

 

         
     Number
of
options
   Weighted
average
exercise
price
  

Weighted

average

remaining

life (in years)

  

Aggregate

intrinsic

value

(in millions)

    
     Unaudited
          $         $
 

Outstanding as at January 1, 2007

           

Exchanged pursuant to the Transaction

   195,395    6.58      
          

Outstanding as at July 1, 2007

   195,395    6.58    8.0    1
          

SARs exercisable as at July 1, 2007

   14,644    6.27    7.3   
 

Fair value

The fair value of each replacement stock option and SAR award was estimated on the date of grant which under the circumstances is being considered the date of the replacement of awards, using a Black-Scholes based option valuation model that uses the weighted-average assumptions noted in the following table. Expected volatility was based on implied volatilities from traded options on the Company’s stock or similar companies, historical volatility of the Company’s stock or similar companies, and other factors. The Company used historical data of Weyerhaeuser and Domtar Inc. to estimate option exercise and employee termination within the valuation model. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option was based on the United States Treasury yield curve for the former Weyerhaeuser stock options and SARs and on zero coupon Canada government bonds for the former Domtar Inc. stock options over a period matching the expected term in effect at the time of grant.

 

       (Unaudited)
 

Risk-free interest rate

     4.0% to 5.0%

Annual dividends per shares (in dollars)

    

Expected life

     6.1

Volatility

     35.0%

Estimated realization percentage of performance-based options

     56.2%

Weighted average fair value of options granted during the period (in dollars per option)

   $ 3.27
 

 

F-30


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 5. Earnings (loss) per share

The following table provides the reconciliation between basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share:

 

      

Thirteen

weeks ended

   

Twenty-six

weeks ended

 
         July 1        June 25         July 1        June 25  
     2007    2006     2007    2006  
      
     (Unaudited)  
     $    $     $    $  
   

Net earnings (loss)

   11    (12 )   60    (759 )

Weighted average number of common and exchangeable shares outstanding (millions)

   515.2    284.1     431.7    284.1  

Effect of dilutive securities (millions)

   1.1        0.6     
      

Weighted average number of diluted common and exchangeable shares outstanding (millions)

   516.3    284.1     432.3    284.1  
      

Basic net income (loss) per share (in dollars)

   0.02    (0.04 )   0.14    (2.67 )

Diluted net income (loss) per share (in dollars)

   0.02    (0.04 )   0.14    (2.67 )
   

The following table includes the potential maximum awards of certain performance-based awards that were not included in the computation of diluted income per share for 2007 due to performance targets not being satisfied at the end of the period:

 

      

July 1

2007

  

June 25

2006

    
     (Unaudited)
 

Performance-based awards

   3,738,479   
 

The calculation of earnings per common share for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 is based on the weighted-average number of Domtar Corporation common stock outstanding during the period. The calculation for diluted earnings per common share for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 recognizes the effect of all potential dilutive common stock that were outstanding immediately after the Contribution on March 5, 2007.

Prior to the Transaction, Domtar Corporation did not have publicly traded common stock or stock options outstanding. The weighted average number of common stock of Domtar Corporation outstanding for the thirteen weeks and the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 assumes that all such common stock outstanding immediately after the Contribution but before the acquisition of Domtar Inc. were outstanding since January 1, 2007. The effect of dilutive securities for the thirteen weeks and the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 assumes that stock options of Domtar Corporation were outstanding immediately after the Contribution on March 5, 2007.

The weighted average number of shares of Domtar Corporation common stock outstanding for the thirteen weeks and the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006 assumes that all such common

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

stock outstanding immediately after the contribution of the Business Unit but before the acquisition of Domtar Inc. were outstanding since December 26, 2005. The effect of dilutive securities for the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006 assumes that stock options of Domtar Corporation were outstanding immediately after the Contribution on March 5, 2007.

Note 6. Pension plans and other employee future benefit plans

Defined contribution plans

As part of the acquisition of Domtar Inc., the Company now has several additional defined contribution, multi-employer and 401(k) plans. The incremental pension expense under these new plans is $2.4 million and $3.9 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, in addition to the expense of $0.8 million ($0.7 million in the first quarter) for the existing plan.

Defined benefit plans and other employee future benefit plans

As part of the acquisition of Domtar Inc., the Company now has several additional defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all employees. The defined benefit plans are generally contributory in Canada and non-contributory in the United States. The Company also provides post-retirement and post-employment plans to eligible Canadian and US employees; both plans are unfunded and include life insurance programs, medical and dental benefits and short-term and long-term disability programs. As at March 7, 2007, the funded status acquired by the Company was a net liability of $152 million for the pension plans and $74 million for other employee future benefit plans. Post-retirement benefits were accounted for in the Predecessor financial statements using a multi-employer approach. As a result, an additional net liability of $41 million was recorded on March 7, 2007. Pension liabilities, other than the ones related to the four Canadian pension plans, were retained by Weyerhaeuser.

 

      

Thirteen weeks ended

July 1 2007

  

Twenty-six weeks ended

July 1 2007

         
     Pension
plans
   

Other

employee

future benefit

plans

  

Pension

plans

   

Other

employee

future benefit

plans

    
     (Unaudited)
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost    $     $    $     $
 

Service cost for the period

   12     1    17     2

Interest expense

   21     2    30     3

Expected return on plan assets

   (24 )      (37 )  

Amortization of prior year service costs

          1    
    

Cost arising during the period

   9     3    11     5
 

The Company contributed $37 million and $43 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 to the pension plans. The Company also contributed $1 million and $2 million

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 to the other employee future benefit plans. In conjunction with a partial wind-up declared in 2006 related to the pension plans of Domtar Inc, an estimated amount of $218 million of plan assets and liabilities is expected to be settled from the pension funds in 2007. The Company will be required to make an augmented contribution to the plan in that year in the amount of approximately $39 million. This amount will not have an impact on the expense of the period.

Note 7. Income taxes

On January 1, 2007, the Company adopted the provisions of FIN 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes.” The adoption of FIN 48 had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Company.

As at July 1, 2007, the Company had unrecognized tax benefits of $31 million. If recognized, these tax benefits would impact the effective tax rate or the goodwill. The Company does not expect a significant change to the amount of unrecognized tax benefits over the next 12 months.

The Company and its subsidiaries file U.S. federal income tax returns as well as returns in various state and foreign jurisdictions. As at July 1, 2007, the Company’s subsidiaries may be subject to U.S. and Canadian federal income tax examinations for the tax years 2002 through 2006, with years prior to 2003 being closed from a cash tax liability standpoint in the U.S. In addition, the Company’s subsidiaries are undergoing tax audits in various state and foreign jurisdictions for the years 2000 to 2006. The Company does not anticipate that adjustments stemming from these audits would result in a significant change to the results of its operations, financial condition or liquidity.

During the second quarter, the Company reversed $2 million of interest expense related to uncertain tax positions following the receipt by Domtar Inc. of a notice of assessment from a Canadian tax authority. The reversal was applied against goodwill since the assessment was related to a tax year prior the acquisition of Domtar Inc. by Domtar Corporation.

During the second quarter, the Company has provided current income taxes under APB No. 23, “Accounting for Income Taxes—Special Areas,” (“APB23”) for the presumed repatriation to the United States of earnings from all non-U.S. subsidiaries and unconsolidated affiliates. As such, the Company has recorded an amount of $4 million for U.S withholding taxes payable on future distributions from the U.S subsidiaries to the ultimate parent company.

Tax attributes

As a result of the Transaction, the Company has inherited federal net operating loss carry forwards and scientific research and experimental development expenditures not previously deducted of approximately of $1,147 million ($603 million in Canada and $544 million in the U.S).

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

First quarter adjustments

The first quarter 2007 income tax expense included an out-of-period adjustment which decreased the expense by approximately $6 million. This out-of-period adjustment is the result of an omission to account for a change in Canadian federal tax rates which occurred in the second quarter of 2006. The Company’s management has concluded, through a quantitative and qualitative analysis, that this adjustment is not material to the first quarter of 2007 or to the prior periods affected and, therefore, financial information for 2006 has not been restated.

Tax sharing agreement

In conjunction with the Transaction, the Company signed a Tax Sharing Agreement that governs both Weyerhaeuser and the Company’s rights and obligations after the Transaction with respect to taxes for both pre and post-Distribution periods in regards to ordinary course taxes, and also covers related administrative matters. The Distribution refers to the distribution of shares of the Company to Weyerhaeuser shareholders. The Company will generally be required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser and Weyerhaeuser shareholders against any tax resulting from the Distribution if that tax results from an act or omission to act by the Company after the Distribution. If Weyerhaeuser, however, should recognize a gain on the Distribution for reasons not related to an act or omission to act by the Company after the Distribution, Weyerhaeuser would be responsible for such taxes and would not be entitled to indemnification by the Company under the Tax Sharing Agreement. In addition, to preserve the tax-free treatment of the Distribution to Weyerhaeuser, the following actions will be subject to restrictions for a two-year period following the date of the Distribution:

 

 

the redemption, recapitalization, repurchase or acquisition by the Company of its capital stock;

 

 

the issuance by the Company of capital stock or convertible debt;

 

 

the liquidation of the Company;

 

 

the discontinuance of the operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business;

 

 

the sale or disposition (other than in the ordinary course of business) of all or a substantial part of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business; or

 

 

other actions, omissions to act or transactions that could jeopardize the tax-free status of the Distribution.

Note 8. Receivables

Receivables securitization

In conjunction with the Transaction, the Company retained Domtar Inc.’s receivable securitization program. The Company uses securitization of its receivables as a source of financing by reducing its working capital requirements. The Company’s securitization program consists of the sale of receivables, or the sale of a senior beneficial interest in them, to a special purpose trust managed

 

F-34


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

by a financial institution for multiple sellers of receivables. The agreement governing the Company receivables securitization program normally allows the daily sale of new receivables to replace those that have been collected. The agreement also limits the cash that can be received from the sale of the senior beneficial interest. The subordinated interest retained by the Company is included in “Receivables” and will be collected only after the senior beneficial interest has been settled. The book value of the retained subordinated interest approximates fair value.

The Company retains responsibility for servicing the receivables sold but does not record a servicing asset or liability as the fees received by the Company for this service approximate the fair value of the services rendered.

Accounts receivable program

The Company has a three-year agreement maturing in 2010, including both U.S. and Canadian receivables. The maximum cash consideration that can be received from the sale of receivables under this combined agreement is US$190 million.

As at July 1, 2007, the senior beneficial interest in receivables held by third parties amounted to $130 million.

Note 9. Inventories

 

      

July 1

2007

  

December 31

2006

    
     (Unaudited)
     $    $
 

Work in process and finished goods

   601    335

Raw materials and operating and maintenance supplies

   403    185
    

Balance at end of period

   1,004    520
 

Note 10. Goodwill

The carrying value of goodwill and changes in the carrying value are as follows:

 

      

July 1

2007

  

December 31

2006

 
      
     (Unaudited)  
     $    $  
   

Beginning of period

   14    763  

Impairment of goodwill

      (749 )

Business acquisition (Note 3)

   120     
      

End of period

   134    14  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

In April 2006, Weyerhaeuser announced that it was considering alternatives for the Business Unit that ranged from continuing to hold and operate the assets to a possible sale or other disposition. In connection with the announcement, Weyerhaeuser received information that indicated that the carrying value of certain business units of the Company exceeded the fair value. Based on an evaluation of the assets and liabilities of the Company, it was concluded that the implied value of the Company’s goodwill relating to the paper reportable segment, excluding the Pulp business unit, was zero. As a result of the above, a charge of $749 million was recorded in the first quarter of 2006.

The goodwill impairment was not deductible for income tax purposes and represents a permanent book-tax difference. As a result, no tax benefit had been recognized for the goodwill impairment charge.

Note 11. Other assets

 

      

July 1

2007

  

December 31

2006

    
     (Unaudited)
     $    $
 

Pension asset—defined benefit pension plans

   54    16

Unamortized debt issue costs

   22   

Deferred income tax assets

   28   

Investments and advances

   11   

Other

   8    14
    
   123    30
 

Note 12. Closure and restructuring costs

On July 31, 2007, Domtar Corporation announced that it will permanently close two paper machines, one at its Woodland, Maine paper mill and another at its Port Edwards, Wisconsin paper mill as well as its Gatineau, Quebec paper mill and its converting center in Ottawa, Ontario. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees.

The closure and restructuring cost provision identified below relates to operations and activities of Domtar Inc., which was acquired by Domtar Corporation on March 7, 2007, and was part of a plan that had begun to be assessed and formulated by management at that date. As a result, these costs represent assumed liabilities and costs incurred as of the acquisition date and were treated as part of the purchase price allocation in accordance with EITF 95-3, Recognition of Liabilities in Connection with a Purchase Business Combination. These closures also impacted the fair value of certain property, plant and equipment as part of the Domtar Inc. purchase price allocation as described in Note 3.

At July 1, 2007, the closure and restructuring cost provision related to the above plan was $20 million, related entirely to the Papers segment.

 

F-36


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table provides the components of closure and restructuring cost provisions:

 

       As at
    

July 1

2007

  

June 25

2006

    
     (Unaudited)
     $    $
 

Labor costs

   13    8

Environmental liabilities

   5    1

Contract termination costs

   2    3
    

Balance, end of period

   20    12
 

Further costs related to the above closures expected to be incurred over 2007 and 2008 include $1 million for training, relocation and outplacement costs. These costs will be expensed as incurred.

Closure and restructuring costs are based on management’s best estimates as at July 1, 2007. Although the Company does not anticipate significant changes, the actual costs may differ from these estimates due to subsequent developments such as the results of environmental studies, the ability to find a buyer for assets set to be dismantled and demolished and other business developments. As such, additional costs and further write-downs may be required in future periods.

Note 13. Long-term debt

 

       Maturity    Nominal
Amount
   Currency    July 1
2007
   December 31
2006
         
                    (Unaudited)
                    $    $
 

Unsecured debentures and notes

              

10% Debentures

   2011    82    CDN    86   

7.875% Notes

   2011    600    US    634   

5.375% Notes

   2013    350    US    321   

7.125% Notes

   2015    400    US    398   

9.5% Notes

   2016    125    US    139   

10.85% Debentures

   2017    75    CDN    86   

Secured term loan facility

   2014       US    720   

Capital lease obligations

   2007 – 2028          48    39

Other

            12    5
             
            2,444    44

Less: Due within one year

            19    12
             

Balance at end of period

            2,425    32
 

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Principal long-term debt repayments, including capital lease obligations, in each of the next five years amounted to:

 

       Long-term
debt
   Capital
leases
 
      
     (Unaudited)  
     $    $  
   

2008

   13    10  

2009

   8    9  

2010

   10    9  

2011

   8    6  

2012

   686    4  

Thereafter

   1,630    27  
      
   2,355    65  

Less: Amounts representing interest

      (17 )
      

Total payments, excluding the fair value increment of $41 million

   2,355    48  
   

Unsecured debentures and notes

The 10% and 10.85% debentures each have purchase fund requirements, whereby the Company undertakes to make all reasonable efforts to purchase quarterly, for cancellation, a portion of the aggregate principal amount of the debentures at prices not exceeding par.

Bank facility

On March 7, 2007, the Company entered into a new credit agreement, which consists of a seven-year senior secured Term loan B facility of $800 million and a five-year senior secured $750 million revolving secured loan facility. Borrowings by the Company and Domtar Paper Company LLC (the U.S. borrowers) under the senior revolving credit facility will make available in U.S. dollars and borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the senior revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars and/or Canadian dollars and limited to $150 million (or the Canadian equivalent thereof). Upon the closing of the Transactions, the Company borrowed $800 million under the Term loan B facility and $60 million under the revolving loan facility. The borrowing proceeds from the new credit facility, combined with cash on hand that was advanced from Domtar Inc., served mainly to repay a temporary borrowing of $1.35 billion incurred by the Company as part of the Transaction. The Term loan B facility amortizes in nominal quarterly installments (not exceeding one percent of the aggregate initial principal amount thereof per annum) with the balance due on the maturity date.

Amounts drawn under the Term loan B facility bear annual interest at either a Eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.375%, or at the prime rate plus a margin of 0.375%. Amounts drawn under the revolving loan facility bear annual interest at either a Eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%, or at prime rates in US dollars, and in Canadian dollars (for borrowings by Domtar Inc.), plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Domtar Inc. can also issue bankers’ acceptances denominated

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

in Canadian dollars, which are discounted at bankers’ acceptance rates in Canada, and are subject to an acceptance fee, payable on the date of acceptance, which is calculated at a rate per annum equal to 1.25% to 2.25%. The interest rate margins and the acceptance fee are subject to adjustments based on the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio.

As at July 1, 2007, there was no drawing under the revolving credit facility and no borrowings outstanding in the form of overdraft. In addition, as at July 1, 2007, the Company had outstanding letters of credit pursuant to this bank credit for an amount of $49 million. The Company also has other outstanding letters of credit for an amount of $2 million.

The credit agreement contains a number of restrictive covenants. In particular, the Company’s secured revolving facilities require compliance with a consolidated cash interest coverage ratio and a consolidated leverage ratio on a quarterly basis. The credit agreement contains customary events of default provided the non-compliance with the consolidated cash interest coverage ratios or consolidated leverage ratio will not constitute an event of default under the Term loan B facility unless it has not been waived by the revolving credit lenders within a period of 45 days after the notice.

The Company’s U.S. subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, serve as guarantors of the obligations of the U.S. borrowers under the senior secured credit facilities. The Company and its subsidiaries, including Domtar Inc.’s subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, serve as guarantors of Domtar Inc.’s obligations under this facility.

The obligations of both the Company and Domtar Inc., in respect of the senior secured credit facilities, are secured by equity interests in the Company’s subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and are secured by the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries’ tangible and intangible assets (other than those of the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc.). The obligations of Domtar Inc. also are secured by the equity interests in its subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and by the inventory of Domtar Inc., other than its U.S. subsidiaries.

Certain debt agreements require the Company to indemnify investors in the event of changes in elements such as withholding tax regulations. As the nature and scope of such indemnifications are contingent on future events, none of which can be foreseen as at July 1, 2007, no provisions have been recorded in the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 14. Other liabilities and deferred credits

 

       July 1
2007
   December 31
2006
    
     (Unaudited)
     $    $
 

Liability—other employee future benefit plans

   122   

Pension liability—defined benefit pension plans

   177   

Provision for environment and other asset retirement obligations
(Note 16)

   77    20

Minority interest

   24   

Worker’s compensation

   6   

Other

   33    5
    
   439    25
 

Note 15. Shareholders’ equity

The authorized stated capital consists of the following:

Preferred shares

Twenty million preferred shares, par value $0.01 per share. The Board of Directors of the Company will determine the voting powers (if any) of the shares, and the preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, if any, and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of the shares at the time of issuance.

Common stock

On August 22, 2006, the Company was authorized to issue 1,000 shares of common stock par value, $0.01 per share. On March 7, 2007, the certificate of incorporation of the Company was amended to authorize the issuance of two billion shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share. Holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote per share.

Special voting stock

One share of special voting stock, par value $0.01 per share. The share of special voting stock is held by Computershare Trust Company of Canada (“the Trustee”) for the benefit of the holders of exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. in accordance with the voting and exchange trust agreement. The trustee holder of the share of special voting stock is entitled to vote on each matter which stockholders generally are entitled to vote, and the trustee holder of the share of special voting stock will be entitled to cast on each such matter a number of votes equal to the number of outstanding exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. for which the trustee holder has received voting instructions. The trustee holder will not be entitled to receive dividends or distributions in its capacity as holder or owner thereof.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Shareholder rights plan

Subsequent to the Transaction, the Company entered into a rights agreement under which the shares of the Company’s common stock will include certain attached rights associated with a significant change in beneficial ownership of the Company. Under the rights agreement, one right is attached to each share of the Company’s common stock outstanding, but is not detachable until a distribution triggering event.

Under the rights agreement, the rights will detach from the shares of the Company’s common stock upon the earlier to occur of (a) a person, together with its affiliates and associates acquired beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock; or (b) an acquirer commencing or announcing its intention to commence a tender or exchange offer, the consummation of which would result in beneficial ownership of such acquirer of 10% or more of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock.

No cash dividend has been declared on these shares since the beginning of 2007. The changes in the number of outstanding common stock and their aggregate stated value from January 1, 2007 to July 1, 2007, were as follows:

 

       July 1 2007
     Number of
shares
      
         
     (Unaudited)      $
 

Common stock

       

Balance at beginning of the period

   1,000     

Shares issued

       

Business Unit (Note 1)

   284,067,852      3

Domtar Inc. (Note 1)

   155,947,307      2

Stock option

   247,157     

DSU conversion

   106,887     

Conversion of Exchangeable Shares

   20,726,969     
    

Balance at the end of the period

   461,097,172      5
 

On March 7, 2007, upon the consummation of the Transaction as described in Note 1, the Company issued one share of special voting stock to the Trustee, which is held in Trust for the benefit of the holders of exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Exchangeable shares

Upon the consummation of the Transaction as described in Note 1, Domtar Inc. shareholders could either receive common stock of the Company or shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. that are exchangeable for common stock of the Company. As such, a total of 54,277,334 common stock remains reserved for future issuance for the exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. outstanding as at July 1, 2007. The exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. are intended to be substantially economic equivalent to shares of the Company’s common stock. The rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to the exchangeable shares include the following:

 

 

The exchangeable shares are exchangeable at any time, at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis for shares of common stock of the Company;

 

 

In the event the Company declares a dividend on its common stock, the holders of exchangeable shares are entitled to receive from Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. the same dividend, or an economically equivalent dividend, on their exchangeable shares;

 

 

The holders of the exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. are not entitled to receive notice of or to attend any meeting of the shareholders of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. or to vote at any such meeting, except as required by law or as specifically provided in the exchangeable share conditions;

 

 

The exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. may be redeemed by Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. on a redemption date to be set by the board of directors of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc., which date cannot be prior to July 31, 2023 (or earlier upon the occurrence of certain specified events) in exchange for one share of Company common stock for each exchangeable share presented and surrendered by the holder thereof, together with all declared but unpaid dividends on each exchangeable share.

The holders of exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. are entitled to instruct the Trustee to vote the special voting stock as described above.

Note 16. Commitments and contingencies

Environment

The Company is subject to environmental laws and regulations enacted by federal, provincial, state and local authorities.

During the first quarter of 2006, the Company closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and its Big River sawmill in Saskatchewan due to poor market conditions. The Company has not determined at this time whether the facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event the facilities are permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at one or both facilities. In the event decommissioning and reclamation is required at either facility, the work is likely to include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, the Company’s operating expenses for environmental matters amounted to $26 million and $38 million, respectively.

The Company made capital expenditures for environmental matters of $4 million and $5 million, respectively, in the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 (2006 – $1 million and $1 million, respectively), for the improvement of air emissions, effluent treatment and remedial actions to address environmental compliance. At this time, the Company cannot reasonably estimate the additional capital expenditures that may be required. However, management expects any additional required expenditure would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

The Company is also a party to various proceedings relating to the cleanup of hazardous waste sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as “Superfund,” and similar state laws. The EPA and/or various state agencies have notified the Company that it may be a potentially responsible party with respect to other hazardous waste sites as to which no proceedings have been instituted against the Company. The Company continues to take remedial action under its Care and Control Program at a number of former operating sites, especially in the wood preserving sector, due to possible soil, sediment or groundwater contamination. The investigation and remediation process is lengthy and subject to the uncertainties of changes in legal requirements, technological developments and the allocation of liability among potentially responsible parties.

While the Company believes that it has determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred based on known information, the Company’s ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with its properties may lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts may result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

Domtar Inc. was issued a Request for Response Action (“RFRA”) by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) for the clean-up of tar seeps and soils at a former coal tar distillation plant located in Duluth, Minnesota. On March 27, 1996, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) issued a Request for Response Action (“RFRA”) to Domtar Inc., Interlake Corp., Allied-Signal, Inc. and Beazer East, Inc. requiring the investigation and potential remediation of a portion of an industrial site located in Duluth, Minnesota, believed to contain contaminated sediments originating from former coke and gas plants and coal tar distillation plants. Domtar Inc. formerly operated one coal tar distillation plant. The total cost of the likely remediation is estimated to be approximately $90 million. Allocation of responsibility among the parties is ongoing under an agreed final and binding arbitration process which we expect will be determined in the third quarter of 2007.

As at July 1, 2007, the Company had a provision of $82 million for environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, management believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

In addition, the pulp and paper industry in the United States is subject to Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) Rules that further regulate effluent and air emissions. The Company complies with all present regulations and anticipates spending approximately $3 million over the next year to meet such requirements.

Contingencies

In the normal course of operations, the Company becomes involved in various legal actions mostly related to contract disputes, patent infringements, environmental and product warranty claims, and labour issues. While the final outcome with respect to actions outstanding or pending as at July 1, 2007, cannot be predicted with certainty, it is management’s opinion that their resolution will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

Domtar Inc. is subject to a motion by Joachim Laferrière Électricien Inc., filed in the Quebec Superior Court on January 9, 2006, for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others for alleged damages relating to a conspiracy to fix prices of carbonless sheets during the period of January through December 2000 in the Province of Quebec, Canada. The claim seeks estimated compensatory damages in the amount of $47 million (CAN$50 million) plus estimated exemplary damages in the amount of $1 million to $4 million (CAN$1 million to CAN$5 million). Domtar is also subject to a motion by McLay & Company Inc. filed in Ontario Superior Court on January 11, 2006 for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others, for alleged inflated prices of carbonless sheets paper during the period of October 1999 through September 2000 in the Province of Ontario, Canada. These class actions have been settled in principle for an insignificant amount and are subject to Court approval. The amount had been previously provided for in prior period.

E.B. Eddy acquisition

On July 31, 1998, Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc. (E.B. Eddy), an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of Domtar Inc. in specified circumstances, Domtar Inc. may have had to pay up to a maximum of $113 million (CAN$120 million), an amount which is gradually declining over a 25-year period. As at March 7, 2007, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was $103 million (CAN$110 million). No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

On March 14, 2007, the Company received a letter from George Weston Limited (the previous owner of E.B. Eddy and a party to the purchase agreement) demanding payment of $103 million (CAN$110 million) as a result of the consummation of the Transaction. On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited against Domtar Inc. in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada, claiming that the consummation of the Transaction triggered the purchase price adjustment and seeking a purchase price adjustment of $103 million

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

(CAN$110 million) as well as additional compensatory damages. The Company does not believe that the consummation of the Transaction triggers an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, the Company may not be successful in the defense of such claims, and if the Company is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on the liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Guarantees

Indemnifications

In the normal course of business, the Company offers indemnifications relating to the sale of its businesses and real estate. In general, these indemnifications may relate to claims from past business operations, the failure to abide by covenants and the breach of representations and warranties included in the sales agreements. Typically, such representations and warranties relate to taxation, environmental, product and employee matters. The terms of these indemnification agreements are generally for an unlimited period of time. As at July 1, 2007, the Company is unable to estimate the potential maximum liabilities for these types of indemnification guarantees as the amounts are contingent upon the outcome of future events, the nature and likelihood of which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. Accordingly, no provisions have been recorded. These indemnifications have not yielded significant expenses in the past.

Note 17. Related party

Prior to the Transaction, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Papers Business was engaged in various transactions with Weyerhaeuser that were characteristic of a consolidated group under common control. For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006, the Business Unit purchased from Weyerhaeuser pulp, fiber and corrugated boxes for an amount of $44 million and $90 million, respectively, and sold pulp, paper and lumber for an amount of $59 million and $92 million, respectively.

Note 18. Segmented disclosures

Following the Transaction, the Company operates in the three reportable segments described below. Each reportable segment offers different products and services and requires different technology and marketing strategies. The following summary briefly describes the operations included in each of the Company’s reportable segments:

 

 

Papers —represents the aggregation of the manufacturing and distribution of business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty papers, as well as pulp.

 

 

Paper Merchants —involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by the Company and by other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

 

Wood —comprises the manufacturing and marketing of lumber and wood-based value-added products and the management of forest resources.

The Company evaluates performance based on operating income, which represents sales, reflecting transfer prices between segments at fair value, less allocable expenses before financing expenses and income taxes. Segment assets are those directly used in segment operations.

 

      

Thirteen

weeks ended

    Twenty-six
weeks ended
 
            
Segmented Data    July 1
2007
    June 25
2006
    July 1
2007
    June 25
2006
 
   
     (Unaudited)  
     $     $     $     $  
   

Sales

        

Papers

   1,365     774     2,320     1,545  

Paper Merchants

   226     —       302     —    

Wood

   90     48     137     137  
      

Total for reportable segments

   1,681     822     2,759     1,682  

Intersegment sales – Papers

   (50 )   —       (74 )   —    

Intersegment sales – Paper Merchants

   (1 )   —       (1 )   —    

Intersegment sales – Wood

   (10 )   (13 )   (13 )   (44 )
      

Consolidated sales

   1,620     809     2,671     1,638  
      

Depreciation and amortization and impairment loss

        

Papers

   125     74     197     148  

Paper Merchants

   —       —       1     —    

Wood

   6     2     11     4  
      

Total for reportable segments

   131     76     209     152  

Impairment loss – Papers

   —       —       —       749  
      

Consolidated depreciation and amortization and impairment loss

   131     76     209     901  
      

Operating income (loss)

        

Papers

   92     (16 )   163     (764 )

Paper Merchants

   2     —       6     —    

Wood

   (20 )   (5 )   (24 )   (4 )

Corporate

   (5 )   —       (5 )   —    
      

Consolidated operating income (loss)

   69     (21 )   140     (768 )

Interest expense

   47     —       58     —    
      

Income (loss) before income taxes

   22     (21 )   82     (768 )

Income tax expense

   11     (9 )   22     (9 )
      

Net income (loss)

   11     (12 )   60     (759 )
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Segmented Assets    July 1
2007
   December 31
2006
 
    

(Unaudited)

     $    $
 

Papers

   7,062    3,933

Paper Merchants

   104    —  

Wood

   405    65
    

Total for reportable segments

   7,571    3,998

Corporate

   318    —  
    

Consolidated assets

   7,889    3,998
 

Note 19. Sale of forest products business

On June 22, 2007, Domtar announced an agreement in principle to sell substantially all of its Wood business to the newly created Conifex Inc. for approximately $268 million including an estimated $47 million of working capital. The operations being sold consist of substantially all of the Company’s Wood business, except for its sawmills in Saskatchewan and some forestlands. The transaction is subject to governmental approval for the forest license transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The sale is expected to close before the end of the year.

Domtar has accepted, in principle, to extend its support by investing in Conifex Inc. an amount equal to the lesser of $35 million or a 19.9% participation, subject to the conclusion of a definitive agreement to its satisfaction.

Domtar will provide Conifex Inc. with transition services after the close, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of 6 to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction.

At July 1, 2007, the assets and liabilities of the forest products business are accounted for as held and used in accordance with SFAS 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly related to obtaining government approval and financing. The Company does not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

Note 20. Condensed consolidating financial information

The following information is presented as required under Rule 3.10 of Regulation S-X, in connection with the Company anticipated issuance of debt securities in exchange for outstanding debt securities of Domtar Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Pursuant to this exchange transaction, the securities that will be issued (the “Guaranteed Debt”) will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Domtar Paper Company, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Guarantor Subsidiary”) and the successor to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business U.S. Operations. The Guaranteed Debt will not be guaranteed by the Guarantor Subsidiary’s own wholly-owned subsidiaries; namely Domtar Delaware Investments Inc., Domtar Delaware

 

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Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Holdings LLC and Domtar Delaware Holdings Inc. (and subsidiaries including Domtar Inc.) (collectively the “Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries” and the successor to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business Canadian Operations).

The following supplemental condensed consolidating financial information sets forth, on an unconsolidated basis, the balance sheets as at July 1, 2007 and December 31, 2006 and the statements of income and cash flows for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 and June 25, 2006 for Domtar Corporation (the “Parent Company”), and for the Guarantor Subsidiary and, on a combined basis, the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries. The supplemental condensed consolidating financial information reflects, for 2007 fiscal periods, the investments of the Parent Company in the Guarantor Subsidiary as well the investments of the Guarantor Subsidiary in the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries, in both cases using the equity method. The Parent Company’s purchase price allocation adjustments, including applicable intangible assets, arising from the business acquisition in note 3 have been pushed to the applicable subsidiary columns.

Condensed consolidating statement of income for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007

 

(Unaudited)   

Parent

   

Guarantor
subsidiary

   

Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries

   

Consolidating
adjustments

    Consolidated
 
         $       $            $   

Sales

       551     1,111     (42 )   1,620

Operating expenses

          

Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization

       386     973     (42 )   1,317

Depreciation and amortization

       62     69         131

Selling, general and administrative

   3     35     65       103
    
   3     483     1,107     (42 )   1,551
    

Operating income (loss)

   (3 )   68     4         69

Interest expense

   16     2     29         47
    

Income (loss) before income taxes

   (19 )   66     (25 )       22

Income tax expense (recovery)

   (7 )   22     (4 )       11

Share in earnings of equity accounted investees

   23     (21 )       (2 )  
    

Net income (loss)

   11     23     (21 )   (2 )   11
 

 

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Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating statement of income for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007

 

(Unaudited)   

Parent

   

Guarantor
subsidiary

   

Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries

   

Consolidating
adjustments

   

Consolidated

 
     $       $        $        $       $   

Sales

       1,094     1,677     (100 )   2,671

Operating expenses

          

Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization

       797     1,475     (100 )   2,172

Depreciation and amortization

       114     95         209

Selling, general and administrative

   3     70     77       150
    
   3     981     1,647     (100 )   2,531
    

Operating income (loss)

   (3 )   113     30         140

Interest expense

   21     2     35         58
    

Income (loss) before income taxes

   (24 )   111     (5 )       82

Income tax expense (recovery)

   (9 )   35     (4 )       22

Share in earnings of equity accounted investees

   75     (1 )       (74 )  
    

Net income (loss)

   60     75     (1 )   (74 )   60
 

Condensed consolidating statement of income for the thirteen weeks ended June 25, 2006

 

(Unaudited)   

Guarantor
subsidiary

   

Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries

   

Consolidating
adjustments

    Consolidated  
   
     $       $       $       $    

Sales

   639     238     (68 )   809  

Operating expenses

        

Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization

   531     247     (67 )   711  

Depreciation and amortization

   57     19         76  

Selling, general and administrative

   37     6         43  
      
   625     272     (67 )   830  
      

Operating income (loss)

   14     (34 )   (1 )   (21 )
      

Income (loss) before income taxes

   14     (34 )   (1 )   (21 )

Income tax recovery

   (9 )           (9 )
      

Net income (loss)

   23     (34 )   (1 )   (12 )
   

 

F-49


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating statement of income for the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
    Consolidated  
   
   $        $       $        $     
        

Sales

   1,285     530     (177 )   1,638  

Operating expenses

        

Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization

   1,072     520     (174 )   1,418  

Depreciation and amortization

   113     39         152  

Selling, general and administrative

   77     10         87  

Impairment of goodwill

   749             749  
      
   2,011     569     (174 )   2,406  
      

Operating loss

   (726 )   (39 )   (3 )   (768 )
      

Loss before income taxes

   (726 )   (39 )   (3 )   (768 )

Income tax recovery

   (9 )           (9 )
      

Net income (loss)

   (717 )   (39 )   (3 )   (759 )
   

 

F-50


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating balance sheet as at July 1, 2007

 

(Unaudited)    Parent    Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
    Consolidated  
   
   $    $     $     $     $  

Assets

           

Current assets:

           

Cash and cash equivalents

   31    12     37         80  

Receivables

      339     189         528  

Inventories

      413     591         1,004  

Prepaid expenses

   3    1     23         27  

Income and other taxes receivable

   27        (18 )       9  

Intercompany accounts

      182     219     (401 )    

Deferred income taxes

      16     45         61  
      

Total current assets

   61    963     1,086     (401 )   1,709  

Property, plant and equipment

      4,184     5,567         9,751  

Accumulated depreciation

      (2,030 )   (1,827 )       (3,857 )
      

Net property, plant and equipment

      2,154     3,740         5,894  

Goodwill

      12     122         134  

Intangibles assets

   22        7         29  

Investments in affiliates

   3,348    1,050         (4,398 )    

Intercompany advances

          1,111     (1,111 )    

Other assets

          123         123  
      

Total assets

   3,431    4,179     6,189     (5,910 )   7,889  
      

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

           

Current liabilities:

           

Bank indebtedness

      28     46         74  

Trade and other payables

   12    201     495         708  

Intercompany accounts

   179    40     182     (401 )    

Income and other taxes payable

      33     4         37  

Long-term debt due within one year

   8    6     5         19  
      

Total current liabilities

   199    308     732     (401 )   838  

Long-term debt

   712    32     1,681         2,425  

Intercompany long-term loans

      1,111         (1,111 )    

Deferred income taxes

      762     331         1,093  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   2    57     380         439  

Shareholders’ equity

   2,518    1,909     3,065     (4,398 )   3,094  
      

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

   3,431    4,179     6,189     (5,910 )   7,889  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating balance sheet as at December 31, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
    Consolidated  
   
     $     $     $     $  

Assets

        

Current assets:

        

Cash and cash equivalents

       1         1  

Receivables

   300     40         340  

Inventories

   428     102     (10 )   520  

Prepaid expenses

   3     3         6  

Deferred income taxes

   21     1         22  
      

Total current assets

   752     147     (10 )   889  

Property, plant and equipment

   4,233     2,463         6,696  

Accumulated depreciation

   (1,916 )   (1,715 )       (3,631 )
      

Net property, plant and equipment

   2,317     748         3,065  

Goodwill

   11     3         14  

Other assets

       30         30  
      

Total assets

   3,080     928     (10 )   3,998  
      

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

        

Current liabilities:

        

Trade and other payables

   191     59         250  

Income and other taxes payable

       6         6  

Long-term debt due within one year

   6     6         12  
      

Total current liabilities

   197     71         268  

Long-term debt

   32             32  

Deferred income taxes

   698     60         758  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   13     12         25  

Shareholders’ equity

   2,140     785     (10 )   2,915  
      

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

   3,080     928     (10 )   3,998  
   

 

F-52


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating statement of cash flows for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007

 

(Unaudited)    Parent     Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
    Consolidated  
   
     $           $            

Operating activities

          

Net income (loss)

   11     23     (21 )   (2 )   11  

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net income (loss)

   141     (18 )   53     2     178  
      

Cash flows provided from operating activities

   152     5     32         189  
      

Investing activities

          

Additions to property, plant and equipment

       (12 )   (20 )       (32 )

Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment

           22         22  

Other

           (4 )       (4 )
      

Cash flows used for investing activities

       (12 )   (2 )       (14 )
      

Financing activities

          

Change in bank indebtedness

           (23 )       (23 )

Repayment of revolving bank credit

   (90 )               (90 )

Repayment of long-term debt

   (80 )       (1 )       (81 )

Other

           (4 )       (4 )
      

Cash flows used for financing activities

   (170 )       (28 )       (198 )
      

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

   (18 )   (7 )   2         (23 )

Translation adjustments related to cash and cash equivalents

           (7 )       (7 )

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

   49     19     42         110  
      

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

   31     12     37         80  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating statement of cash flows for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007

 

(Unaudited)   Parent     Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
    Consolidated  
   
    $       $           $       $    

Operating activities

         

Net income (loss)

  60     75     (1 )   (74 )   60  

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net income (loss)

  43     78     25     74     220  
     

Cash flows provided from (used for) operating activities

  103     153     24         280  
     

Investing activities

         

Additions to property, plant and equipment

      (14 )   (32 )       (46 )

Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment

          22         22  

Business acquisitions—cash acquired

          573         573  

Increase in long-term advances to related parties

      (663 )   (508 )       (1,171 )

Decrease in long-term advances to related parties

  663     508             1,171  

Other

          (4 )       (4 )
     

Cash flows provided from investing activities

  663     (169 )   51         545  
     

Financing activities

         

Change in bank indebtedness

      28     (31 )       (3 )

Issuance of short-term debt

  1,350                 1,350  

Issuance of long-term debt

  800                 800  

Repayment of short-term debt

  (1,350 )               (1,350 )

Repayment of long-term debt

  (80 )       (1 )       (81 )

Debt issue costs

  (24 )               (24 )

Distribution to (or contribution from) Weyerhaeuser prior to March 7, 2007

  (1,431 )               (1,431 )

Other

          (5 )       (5 )
     

Cash flows provided from (used for) financing activities

  (735 )   28     (37 )       (744 )
     

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

  31     12     38         81  

Translation adjustments related to cash and cash equivalents

          (2 )       (2 )

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

          1         1  
     

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

  31     12     37         80  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating statement of cash flows for the thirteen weeks ended June 25, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
    Consolidated
 
   
     $       $           $    

Operating activities

        

Net income (loss)

   23     (34 )   (1 )   (12 )

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net income (loss)

   89     33     1     123  
      

Cash flows provided from (used for) operating activities

   112     (1 )       111  
      

Investing activities

        

Investments in affiliates

        

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (20 )           (20 )
      

Cash flows used for investing activities

   (20 )           (20 )
      

Financing activities

        

Repayment of long-term debt

   (2 )           (2 )

Distribution to (or contribution from) Weyerhaeuser

   (90 )   2         (88 )
      

Cash flows provided from (used for) financing activities

   (92 )   2         (90 )
      

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

       1         1  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

       1         1  
      

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

       2         2  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating statement of cash flows for the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
   

Consolidated

 
   
     $        $           $     

Operating activities

        

Net loss

   (717 )   (39 )   (3 )   (759 )

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net loss

   879     59     3     941  
      

Cash flows provided from operating activities

   162     20         182  
      

Investing activities

        

Investments in affiliates

        

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (34 )   (7 )       (41 )
      

Cash flows used for investing activities

   (34 )   (7 )       (41 )
      

Financing activities

        

Repayment of long-term debt

   (3 )           (3 )

Distribution to Weyerhaeuser

   (125 )   (12 )       (137 )
      

Cash flows used for financing activities

   (128 )   (12 )       (140 )
      

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

       1         1  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

       1         1  
      

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

       2         2  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Report of independent registered public accounting firm

The Board of Directors and Shareholders

Domtar Corporation:

We have audited the accompanying combined balance sheets of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, and the related combined statements of operations, Business Unit equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2006. These combined financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these combined financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the combined financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2006, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Seattle, Washington

March 29, 2007, except as to notes 17 and 20,

    which are as of June 19, 2007, and note 21

    which is as of September 24, 2007.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Combined balance sheets (Note 2(a))

(Dollar amounts in millions)

 

      

December 31,
2006

  December 25,
2005
 

Assets

    

Current assets:

    

Cash

   $       1   $       1

Receivables, less allowances of $2 and $2

   340   321

Inventories (Note 3)

   520   562

Prepaid expenses

   6   4

Deferred income taxes (Note 7)

   22   20
    

Total current assets

   889   908

Property, plant and equipment, net (Notes 4 and 15)

   3,051   3,219

Construction in progress

   14   51

Goodwill (Note 5)

   14   763

Deferred pension and other assets (Note 12)

   30   29
    

Total assets

   $3,998   $4,970
    

Liabilities and Business Unit Equity

    

Current liabilities:

    

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (Notes 6 and 16)

   $   256   $   318

Debt and current portion of capital leases (Notes 8 and 15)

   12   12
    

Total current liabilities

   268   330

Environmental and landfill reserves (Notes 14 and 15)

   20   26

Other liabilities (Note 15)

   37   24

Deferred income taxes (Note 7)

   758   817
    

Total liabilities

   1,083   1,197

Contingencies and commitments (Note 15)

    

Business Unit equity (Note 9)

   2,915   3,773
    

Total liabilities and Business Unit equity

   $3,998   $4,970
 

 

See accompanying notes to combined financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Combined statements of operations (Note 2(a))

(Dollar amounts in millions)

 

      

Year ended

December 31,

2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Sales (a)

   $3,306     $3,267     $3,026  

Costs and expenses:

      

Cost of products sold (b)

   2,649     2,760     2,485  

Depreciation and amortization

   311     357     348  

Taxes other than payroll and income taxes

   25     24     22  

Selling, general and administrative including allocated Weyerhaeuser Company costs

   174     174     192  

Charges for restructuring (Note 16)

       3     17  

Charges for closure of facilities (Note 16)

   15     534      

Impairment of goodwill (Note 5)

   749     1      

Refund of countervailing and anti-dumping deposits (Note 19)

   (65 )        

Other operating costs (income)

   4     (8 )   3  
      

Total costs and expenses

   3,862     3,845     3,067  
      

Operating loss

   (556 )   (578 )   (41 )

Income tax expense (benefit) (Note 7)

   53     (100 )   (24 )
      

Net loss

   $  (609 )   $  (478 )   $    (17 )
      

Per common share (in dollars) (Note 20)

      

Net loss

      

Basic

   (2.14 )   (1.68 )   (0.06 )

Diluted

   (2.14 )   (1.68 )   (0.06 )

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

      

Basic

   284.1     284.1     284.1  

Diluted

   284.1     284.1     284.1  
   

 

(a)   Includes sales of $91, $132 and $146 to related parties (note 10).
(b)   Includes purchases of $209, $355 and $299 from related parties (note 10).

 

See accompanying notes to combined financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Combined statements of business unit equity (Note 2(a))

(Dollar amounts in millions)

 

      

Year ended

December 31,

2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Balance, beginning

   $3,773     $4,261     $4,316  

Net loss

   (609 )   (478 )   (17 )

Other comprehensive income (loss):

      

Foreign currency translation adjustment

   19     (50 )   38  

Additional minimum pension liability adjustment, net of tax expense (benefit) of $4 in 2006, $(4) in 2005 and $1 in 2004

   6     (6 )   2  

Net change in cash flow hedge fair value adjustments, net of tax expense (benefit) of $(11) in 2006, $6 in 2005 and $1 in 2004

   (16 )   9     2  
      

Comprehensive income (loss)

   (600 )   (525 )   25  

Adjustment to initially adopt FASB Statement No. 158 (Notes 2(u) and 12)

   (12 )        

Net payments to Weyerhaeuser

   (287 )   (76 )   (121 )

Net non-cash contributions from Weyerhaeuser

   41     113     41  
      

Balance, ending

   $2,915     $3,773     $4,261  
   

 

See accompanying notes to combined financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Combined statements of cash flows (Note 2(a))

(Dollar amounts in millions)

 

      

Year ended

December 31,

2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Cash provided by (used in):

      

Operations:

      

Net loss

   $(609 )   $(478 )   $(17 )

Items not involving cash:

      

Depreciation and amortization

   311     357     348  

Deferred income taxes, net (Note 7)

   (52 )   (135 )   (48 )

Impairment of goodwill (Note 5)

   749     1      

Charges for closures and restructurings
(Note 16)

   15     537     17  

Loss on disposition of assets

   4          

Changes in non-cash operating working capital:

      

Receivables

   (19 )   (40 )   (19 )

Inventories

   43     (25 )   (56 )

Prepaid expenses

   (2 )   (4 )   4  

Deferred pension and other assets

   (1 )   (12 )   2  

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

   (79 )   (9 )   (13 )

Other liabilities

   (3 )   (2 )   (9 )
      

Net cash provided by operating activities

   357     190     209  

Investments:

      

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (64 )   (113 )   (89 )

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

   1     4     7  
      

Net cash used in investing activities

   (63 )   (109 )   (82 )

Financing:

      

Net payments to Weyerhaeuser

   (287 )   (76 )   (121 )

Debt and capital lease payments

   (7 )   (6 )   (5 )
      

Net cash used in financing activities

   (294 )   (82 )   (126 )
      

Change in cash

       (1 )   1  

Cash, beginning

   1     2     1  
      

Cash, ending

   $      1     $      1     $    2  
   

 

See accompanying notes to combined financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

1. Background and nature of operations:

On August 22, 2006, Weyerhaeuser Company and certain wholly-owned subsidiaries (“WY”) entered into an agreement providing for:

 

 

a series of transfers and other transactions resulting in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (the “Business Unit”) becoming wholly-owned by Domtar Corporation (“Spinco”). As of the date of these combined financial statements, Spinco was a wholly-owned subsidiary of WY;

 

 

the distribution of shares of Spinco to WY’s shareholders; and

 

 

the acquisition of Domtar, Inc. (“Domtar”) by Spinco.

The transactions described above were consummated on March 7, 2007.

The Business Unit consists of pulp and paper mills, converting operations, sawmills, forest management licenses and related assets of WY. These facilities are principally engaged in the harvesting of timber and the manufacture, distribution and sale of forest products, including softwood lumber and pulp and paper products.

The Business Unit’s segments are:

 

 

Pulp and Fine Paper, which manufactures and sells pulp and coated and uncoated paper to wholesalers, retailers and industrial users in North America, the Pacific Rim and Europe.

 

 

Softwood Lumber, which manufactures and sells softwood lumber products in North American markets.

 

 

Other, which includes Forest Management Agreements in Canada and ancillary activities.

These combined financial statements do not reflect any effects of the transaction with Domtar.

2. Significant accounting policies:

(a) Basis of presentation of financial statements:

These combined financial statements include the accounts of WY’s Fine Paper operations, one pulp operation and certain Canadian logging, forest management and sawmill operations. All significant transactions and balances between operations within the Business Unit have been eliminated.

The accompanying combined financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for the purpose of presenting the Business Unit’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Financial statements historically have not been prepared for the Business Unit. The accompanying

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

combined financial statements have been derived from historical accounting records of WY. The historical operating results and cash flows of the Business Unit may not be indicative of what they would have been had the Business Unit been a stand-alone entity, nor are they necessarily indicative of what the Business Unit’s operating results and cash flows may be in the future.

The combined statements of operations for the Business Unit include allocations of certain costs from WY directly related to the operations of the Business Unit, including an apportionment of central general and administrative costs for accounting, human resources, purchasing, information systems, transaction services, payroll processing costs, legal fees and other overhead costs. These centralized costs were allocated to the Business Unit using a three-part apportionment factor based on relative headcount, assets and certain revenue. WY pension and post-retirement benefits expense was allocated based on relative salaried headcount, with the exception of pension expense of four Business Unit Canadian pension plans which are directly included in the combined statements of operations.

Management believes the methodologies applied for the allocation of these costs are reasonable. Except for an immaterial amount of interest on capital leases and debt that will be assumed by Spinco, interest expense has not been allocated to the Business Unit.

Certain of the Business Unit’s working capital assets, property, plant and equipment and liabilities are common assets and liabilities shared with WY facilities not part of the Business Unit. Allocations were performed in order to reflect the appropriate portion of each asset and liability in the accounts of the Business Unit. The allocations were based on third party sales percentages, headcount percentages or a three-part apportionment factor based on relative headcount, assets and certain revenue. Goodwill is allocated based on relative fair value. Management believes the methodologies used for the asset and liability allocations are reasonable.

Significant changes could have occurred in the funding and operation of the Business Unit if it operated as an independent, stand-alone entity, including the need for debt and the incurrence of interest expense, which could have a significant impact on its financial position and results of operations.

(b) Use of estimates:

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Significant areas requiring the use of estimates and measurement uncertainty include the allocation of assets and costs as described in notes 2(a), 10, 12 and 13; the determination of net realizable value for receivables and inventory; the depreciation rates for property, plant and equipment; assessment of impairment for property, plant, equipment and goodwill; environmental matters; pension and

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

other postretirement benefit plans; income taxes; and asset retirement obligations. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates based on currently available information. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

(c) Fiscal year end:

The Business Unit’s fiscal year ends on the last Sunday of each calendar year. The Business Unit’s fiscal years in 2005 and 2004 each had 52 weeks. The Business Unit’s fiscal year in 2006 had 53 weeks.

(d) Business unit equity:

Business Unit equity represents WY’s interest in the carrying value of the net assets of the Business Unit. WY uses a centralized approach to cash management and financing of operations. As a result, none of WY’s cash, cash equivalents or direct indebtedness has been allocated to the Business Unit in the combined financial statements. All transactions between the Business Unit and WY, including the allocation of centralized costs, income taxes and cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments flow through the Business Unit equity account.

(e) Trade accounts receivable:

Trade accounts receivable are stated net of allowances for doubtful accounts.

(f) Inventories:

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost includes labor, materials and production overhead. The last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method is used to cost certain domestic raw materials, in process and finished goods inventories. LIFO inventories were $284 million and $283 million at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, respectively. The balance of domestic raw material and product inventories, all materials and supplies inventories and all foreign inventories is costed at either the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) or moving average cost methods. Had the FIFO method been used to cost all inventories, the amounts at which product inventories are stated would have been $98 million and $65 million greater at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, respectively.

(g) Property, plant and equipment:

The Business Unit’s property accounts are maintained on an individual basis. Improvements to and replacements of major units are capitalized. Maintenance, repairs and minor replacements are expensed. Depreciation is provided on the straight-line method at rates based on estimated service lives. Property under capital leases are stated at the present value of minimum lease payments and amortized over the shorter of the lease term or estimated useful life of the assets.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The cost and accumulated depreciation of property sold or retired are removed from the accounts and the gain or loss is included in the combined statements of operations.

(h) Forest management licenses:

The Business Unit holds forest management licenses in two Canadian provinces. The provincial governments grant these licenses for initial periods of 5-20 years, and the licenses are renewable every five years, provided the Business Unit meets normal reforestation, operating and management guidelines. Calculation of fees payable on harvested volumes varies between the two provinces, but is tied to product market pricing and the allocation of land management responsibilities agreed to in the licenses.

(i) Goodwill:

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over fair value of net assets acquired in business combinations. Goodwill is assessed for impairment annually, or whenever events indicate a potential impairment, using a fair-value-based approach. The annual assessment is performed as of the beginning of the fourth quarter of the fiscal year.

(j) Revenue recognition:

The Business Unit recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an agreement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, price to the buyer is fixed and determinable and collectibility is reasonably assured. The timing of revenue recognition is dependent on shipping terms. Substantially all product sales are sold free on board (“FOB”) shipping point and revenue is recognized at the time of shipment except for export sales where revenue is recognized when title transfers at the foreign port. For sales transactions that are designated FOB destination, revenue is recognized when the product is delivered to the customer’s delivery site.

(k) Concentration of credit risk

Net sales to the Business Unit’s two largest customers accounted for approximately 28 percent of total sales in the year ended December 31, 2006 and 27 percent of total sales in each of the years ended December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004. No other customer accounted for more than 10 percent of net sales for any of these periods.

(l) Shipping and handling costs:

The Business Unit classifies shipping and handling costs as a component of costs of products sold in the combined statements of operations.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

(m) Impairment of long-lived assets:

The Business Unit accounts for long-lived assets in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Statement No. 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. Statement 144 requires management to review long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying value or fair value less cost to sell. The primary method used to estimate fair value is discounted cash flows.

(n) Stock-based employee compensation:

Some of the Business Unit’s employees participate in Weyerhaeuser Company’s Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Incentive Compensation Plan”) as described in note 11. Through December 25, 2005, WY applied the intrinsic-value method for stock-based compensation to employees prescribed by Accounting Principles Board (“APB”), Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees , and related interpretations.

As described in “accounting pronouncements implemented,” APB Opinion No. 25 was superseded by FASB Statement No. 123 (revised 2004), Share Based Payment , as of the beginning of fiscal 2006. Employee awards issued, modified, repurchased or cancelled after implementation of Statement 123R under share-based payment arrangements are measured at fair value as of the grant dates and the resulting costs are recognized in the combined statements of operations over the service period.

(o) Foreign currency translation:

The local currency is considered the functional currency for the Business Unit’s operations in Canada. Assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. Dollars at the rate of exchange in effect at the balance sheet date. Revenues and expenses are translated into U.S. Dollars at average monthly exchange rates.

(p) Income taxes:

The Business Unit is a business unit of WY and, for purposes of federal, state and provincial taxes, is not subject to separate income taxes, as its results of operations are included in WY’s consolidated tax returns. For purposes of these combined financial statements, the Business Unit’s tax expense (benefit) for federal, state and provincial income taxes has been determined on a separate return basis. All income tax expense (benefit) of the Business Unit is recorded in the combined statements of operations with the offset recorded through the Business Unit equity account or deferred tax accounts.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Income taxes are accounted for under the liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, and for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

(q) Pension plans:

The Business Unit participates in WY pension plans covering most of its employees. Both U.S. and Canadian plans covering salaried employees provide pension benefits based on each employee’s highest monthly earnings for five consecutive years during the final 10 years before retirement. Plans covering hourly employees generally provide benefits of stated amounts for each year of service. The benefit levels for these plans are typically set through collective bargaining agreements with the unions representing the employees participating in the plans. Contributions to U.S. plans are based on funding standards established by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Contributions to Canadian plans are based on funding standards established by the applicable Provincial Pension Benefits Act and by the Income Tax Act.

(r) Derivatives:

The Business Unit accounts for its derivatives in accordance with FASB Statement No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, as amended. The Business Unit participates in a WY hedging program whereby WY utilizes derivative financial instruments to fix the price of forecasted natural gas purchases. The Business Unit does not hold or issue financial instruments for speculative or trading purposes. See note 13 for additional information.

(s) Environmental Costs:

Liabilities for loss contingencies, including environmental costs not within the scope of FASB Statement No. 143, Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations , arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines and penalties and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the assessment and/or remediation can be reasonably estimated. Legal costs incurred in connection with loss contingencies are expensed as incurred. Such accruals are adjusted as further information develops or circumstances change. Costs of future expenditures for environmental remediation obligations are not discounted to their present value. Recoveries of environmental remediation costs from third parties, which are probable of realization, are separately recorded as assets, and are not offset against the related environmental liability, in accordance with FASB Interpretation No. 39, Offsetting of Amounts Related to Certain Contracts .

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

(t) Advertising costs:

Advertising costs are charged to expense in the period incurred. Advertising expense was $5 million, $7 million and $6 million for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004, respectively.

(u) Accounting pronouncements implemented:

Consolidation of variable interest entities —WY adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation No. 46 (revised December 2003), Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities, in 2004. Interpretation 46R addresses consolidation of certain entities in which equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. The Business Unit consolidated one entity, Wapawekka Lumber LP (“Wapawekka”), as a result of adopting Interpretation 46R. Wapawekka is a 51 percent owned limited partnership that operates a sawmill in Saskatchewan, Canada. Wapawekka had net liabilities of $5 million and $3 million at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, respectively. The adoption of FIN 46R did not have a material effect on the Business Unit’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Accounting for share-based compensation —WY adopted Statement 123R as of the beginning of fiscal year 2006. Statement 123R is a revision of FASB Statement No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation , and supersedes APB Opinion No. 25. Statement 123R requires the fair value of employee awards issued, modified, repurchased or cancelled to be measured as of the grant dates. The resulting cost is then recognized in the combined statements of operations over the required service period. See note 11.

Accounting for inventory costs —WY adopted FASB Statement No. 151, Inventory Costs—An Amendment of ARB No. 43, Chapter 4, as of the beginning of 2006. Statement 151 amends the guidance in ARB No. 43, Chapter 4, Inventory Pricing , to clarify the accounting for abnormal amounts of idle facility expense, freight, handling costs, and wasted material (spoilage). Among other provisions, Statement 151 requires that items such as idle facility expense, excessive spoilage, double freight, and rehandling costs be recognized as current period charges regardless of whether they meet the criterion of “so abnormal” as stated in ARB No. 43. Additionally, Statement 151 requires that the allocation of fixed production overheads to the costs of conversions be based on normal capacity of the production facilities. Adoption of Statement 151 did not have a material effect on the Business Unit’s financial position or results of operations.

Accounting changes and error corrections —WY adopted FASB Statement No. 154, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections as of the beginning of fiscal year 2006. This pronouncement applies to all voluntary changes in accounting principle and revises the requirements for accounting for and reporting a change in accounting principle. Statement 154 requires

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

retrospective application to prior periods’ financial statements of voluntary changes in accounting principle and changes required by new accounting standards when the standard does not provide specific transition provisions, unless it is impracticable to do so. The statement does not change the transition provisions of any existing accounting pronouncements, including those that were in a transition phase as of the effective date of Statement 154.

Accounting for defined benefit pension and other post retirement plans —WY adopted FASB Statement No. 158, Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans—an Amendment of FASB Statements No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R), in the fourth quarter of 2006. Statement 158 requires an employer to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans (other than multiemployer plans) as an asset or liability in its statement of financial position through comprehensive income. Statement 158 does not allow prior balance sheets to be adjusted and also requires an employer to measure the funded status of a plan as of the date of its year-end statement balance sheet. Statement 158 also requires additional disclosures in the notes to financial statements. See Note 12 for additional information including the effects of adopting Statement 158.

Quantifying financial statement misstatements —The Business Unit adopted SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 108, Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements (“SAB 108”) in the fourth quarter of 2006. SAB 108 provides guidance on the consideration of the effects of prior year misstatements in quantifying current year misstatements for the purpose of a materiality assessment. The guidance requires public companies to quantify errors using both a balance sheet and income statement approach and evaluate whether either approach results in quantifying a misstatement as material, when all relevant quantitative and qualitative factors are considered. The implementation of SAB 108 did not have a material effect on the Business Unit’s combined financial statements.

The adoption of the following recent accounting pronouncements did not have a material effect on the Business Unit’s results of operations or financial condition:

 

 

FASB Statement No. 153, Exchanges of Nonmonetary Assets—An Amendment of APB Opinion No. 29, Accounting for Nonmonetary Transactions.

 

 

FASB Interpretation No. 47, Accounting for Conditional Asset Retirement Obligations .

(v) Prospective accounting pronouncements:

Fair value measurements —the FASB issued Statement No. 157, Fair Value Measurements, in September 2006. Statement 157 establishes a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The Business Unit is currently evaluating the effect that Statement 157 will have on its financial position and results of operations for fair value measurements incurred after the adoption of Statement 157 in fiscal 2008.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Uncertainty in income taxes —The FASB issued Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109, in June 2006. Interpretation 48 clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements in accordance with Statement 109. The Interpretation prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The Interpretation also provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition. The Business Unit does not believe that Interpretation 48 will have a material effect on its financial position and results of operations when the Interpretation is adopted in the first quarter of 2007.

Accounting for planned major maintenance activities —In September 2006, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position AUG AIR-1, Accounting for Planned Major Maintenance Activities (“FSP AUG AIR-1”). FSP AUG AIR-1 amends the guidance on accounting for planned major maintenance activities; specifically it precludes the use of the previously acceptable “accrue in advance” method. The Business Unit applied the “accrue in advance” method of accounting for planned annual maintenance costs in its primary manufacturing mills through 2006. The Business Unit will be required to adopt FSP AUG AIR-1 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2007. The implementation of this standard will not have a material effect on the Business Unit’s combined financial position or annual results of operations. However, in accordance with Statement 154 discussed in “Accounting Pronouncements Implemented” above, the Business Unit will be required to retrospectively apply FSP AUG AIR-1 to its prior period financial statements, which will result in an adjustment to the Business Unit’s 2006 quarterly results of operations in its comparative quarterly combined financial statements for fiscal year 2007. The Business Unit does not expect any adjustment to its future annual results of operations as a result of implementation or retrospective application of FSP AUG AIR-1.

3. Inventories:

 

       December 31,
2006
  

December 25,

2005

 
   

Logs and chips

   $  15    $  40  

Lumber

   2    4  

Pulp and paper

   333    354  

Materials and supplies

   170    164  
      
   $520    $562  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

4. Property, plant and equipment:

 

       Range of
Lives
   December 31,
2006
   

December 25,

2005

 
   

Land

      $      33     $       33  

Buildings and improvements

   10-40    831     823  

Machinery and equipment

   2-25    5,718     5,646  

Other

   3    98     48  
         
      6,680     6,550  

Less allowance for depreciation and amortization

      (3,631 )   (3,335 )

Allocated property, plant and equipment

      2     4  
         
      $ 3,051     $ 3,219  
   

5. Goodwill:

 

      

Pulp and

Fine Paper

    Softwood
Lumber
    Total  
   

Balance as of December 26, 2004

   $ 765     $ 4     $769  

Impairment of goodwill

       (1 )   (1 )

Foreign exchange impact on goodwill

   (5 )       (5 )
      

Balance as of December 25, 2005

   760     3     763  

Impairment of goodwill

   (749 )       (749 )
      

Balance as of December 31, 2006

   $   11     $ 3     $  14  
   

WY announced in April 2006 that it was considering alternatives for Fine Paper that range from continuing to hold and operate the assets to a possible sale or other disposition. In connection with this announcement, WY received information that indicated that the carrying value of the Fine Paper reporting unit exceeded the fair value of the reporting unit. Based on an evaluation of the value of the assets and liabilities within the reporting unit, WY concluded that the implied value of the Fine Paper reporting unit’s goodwill was zero. Goodwill of the pulp reporting unit, which is part of Pulp and Fine Paper, was not impaired.

The goodwill impairment is not deductible for income tax purposes and represents a permanent book-tax difference. As a result, no tax benefit has been recognized for the goodwill impairment charge.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

6. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities:

 

      

December 31,

2006

  

December 25,

2005

 

Accounts payable

   $118    $151

Payroll — wages and salaries, incentive awards, retirement and vacation pay

   74    98

Taxes — Social Security and real and personal property

   6    8

Other

   58    61
   $256    $318
 

7. Income taxes:

Operating loss is comprised of the following:

 

      

Year ended

December 31,

2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Domestic earnings (loss)

   $(541 )   $46     $50  

Foreign loss

   (15 )   (624 )   (91 )
      

Operating loss

   $(556 )   $(578 )   $(41 )
   

Provisions for income taxes include the following:

 

      

Year ended

December 31,

2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Federal:

      

Current

   $ 85     $   27     $   9  

Deferred

   (45 )   (32 )   (8 )

State

      

Current

   20     8     4  

Deferred

   (10 )   (8 )   (1 )

Foreign

      

Current

       2     3  

Deferred

   3     (97 )   (31 )
      

Income tax expense (benefit)

   $ 53     $(100 )   $(24 )
   

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The provisions for income taxes of the Business Unit differs from the amount computed by applying the statutory income tax rate of 35% to operating loss before income taxes due to the following:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
                    

US federal statutory income tax

   $(195 )   $(202 )   $(14 )

State income taxes

   7     1     1  

Foreign income taxes

   (2 )   120     4  

Tax credits

   (12 )   (16 )   (15 )

Goodwill impairment

   262          

Tax rate changes and other

   (7 )   (3 )    
      

Income tax expense (benefit)

   $   53     $(100 )   $(24 )
   

During 2006, the Business Unit recognized a one-time deferred tax benefit of $3 million resulting from a change in the Texas state tax rate. During 2005, the Business Unit recognized one-time deferred tax benefits of $3 million and $1 million resulting from a change in the Ohio state income tax law and a one-time reduction in the British Columbia provincial corporate income tax rate, respectively. The benefits were due to the effect of the lower tax rates on accumulated temporary differences.

Deferred tax assets (liabilities) are comprised of the following:

 

      

December 31,

2006

    December 25,
2005
 
   

Inventories

   $   10     $   10  

Vacation pay

   7     8  

Environmental and landfill reserves

   8     10  

Severance and closure reserves

   3     13  

Asset impairments

   144     145  

Net operating loss carryforwards

   121     109  

Other

   12      
      

Gross deferred tax assets

   305     295  

Valuation allowance

   (109 )   (108 )
      

Net deferred tax assets

   196     187  
      

Depreciation

   (928 )   (979 )

Pension

   (4 )   (5 )
      

Total deferred tax liabilities

   (932 )   (984 )
      

Total net deferred taxes

   $(736 )   $(797 )
   

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

As of December 31, 2006, the Business Unit had foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $353 million that expire from 2008 to 2026.

In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during periods in which temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. Management believes that it is more likely than not that the results of future operations will generate sufficient taxable income to realize the net deferred tax assets.

The valuation allowance increased $1 million and $106 million in the years ended December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, respectively. The increase is due primarily to reserves established in 2005 for facility closures and an increase in the foreign net operating loss carryforward.

8. Debt:

The Business Unit’s consolidated variable interest entity (“VIE”), Wapawekka, has a demand loan from a bank outstanding in the amount of $4 million at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005. The loan is repayable in full on demand or before June 30, 2007 at an interest rate equal to the bank’s prime interest rate plus 1%. A letter of undertaking regarding duties recoverable pursuant to a letter of commitment with Weyerhaeuser Company Limited (“WY Ltd.”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of WY, has been pledged as specific security.

Wapawekka also has a demand loan from a bank outstanding in the amount of $1 million at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005. The loan is repayable in full on demand or before June 30, 2007 at an interest rate equal to the bank’s prime interest rate plus 1%, with interest payable monthly. A $1 million guarantee from Weyerhaeuser Saskatchewan Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of WY Ltd., has been pledged as specific security.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

9. Cumulative other comprehensive income:

Business Unit equity contains the following items:

 

      

December 31,

2006

    December 25,
2005
 
   

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   $80     $61  

Additional minimum pension liability adjustments

       (6 )

Net pension loss not yet recognized in earnings

   (7 )    

Prior service cost not yet recognized in earnings

   (5 )    

Cash flow hedge fair value adjustments

   (5 )   11  
      
   $63     $66  
   

10. Related party transactions:

The Business Unit engages in various transactions with WY that are characteristic of a consolidated group under common control. The receipts, disbursements and net cash position of the Business Unit are currently managed by WY through a centralized treasury system. Accordingly, both cash generated by and cash requirements of the Business Unit flow through Business Unit equity in the accompanying combined financial statements of the Business Unit.

Expenses in the amount of $94 million, $93 million and $109 million of WY were allocated to the Business Unit for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004, respectively. See notes 2(a) and 12 for nature of costs allocated and the allocation methodologies.

The Business Unit purchased the following from WY:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 

Pulp and fiber

   $164    $322    $283

Corrugated boxes

   45    33    16
    

Total purchases

   $209    $355    $299
 

These purchases were at current market values with the exception of purchases from WY timberlands (which represent 39 percent, 55 percent and 44 percent of purchases) and certain pulp purchases in 2006 and 2005 (which represent 12 percent and 7 percent of purchases) which were at a fully absorbed cost basis. One of the Business Unit’s facilities also purchases energy at cost from WY.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The Business Unit sold the following to WY:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 

Pulp and fiber

   $  2    $  12    $    7

Paper

   20    33    52

Lumber

   69    87    87
    

Total sales

   $91    $132    $146
 

These sales were at current market values.

11. Stock-based compensation plan:

Some of the Business Unit’s employees participate in the Incentive Compensation Plan. The Incentive Compensation Plan provides for the award of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares and performance share units. The exercise prices of stock options and stock appreciation rights granted under the Incentive Compensation Plan is required to be at market price on the date of grant.

WY applied the intrinsic value method for stock-based compensation to employees prescribed by APB Opinion No. 25 through December 25, 2005.

Compensation costs required to be disclosed by Statement 123 would have an immaterial effect on the Business Unit’s results from operations for 2005 and 2004. As disclosed in note 2(n), Statement 123R required WY to measure the fair value as of the grant dates of employee awards issued, modified, repurchased or cancelled after December 25, 2005 and to recognize the resulting cost in the combined statements of operations over the service period. In the year ended December 31, 2006, the Business Unit recognized compensation cost for stock-based compensation of $2 million.

12. Employee benefit plans:

(a) Pension plans and postretirement benefits

The Business Unit participates in several retirement programs for its employees which are sponsored by WY. In the United States, this includes pension plans that are qualified under the Internal Revenue Code (“qualified”) as well as a plan that provides benefits in addition to those provided under the qualified plans for a select group of employees, which is not qualified under the Internal Revenue Code (“unqualified”). In Canada, plans are registered under the Income Tax Act and under their respective provincial pension acts (“registered”), or plans may provide additional benefits to a select group of employees, and not be registered under the Income Tax Act or provincial pension acts (“non-registered”). WY also provides benefits under a

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

postretirement health care and life insurance plan to eligible salaried employees in both countries. Benefits provided under the postretirement health care and life insurance plan are currently funded by the general assets of WY. The measurement date for all plans sponsored by WY is the end of the fiscal year.

Other than four Canadian pension plans (“Canadian Plans”) that will be transferred to Domtar at closing, management determined that it was not practical to allocate a portion of WY’s pension assets or to prepare detailed employee benefit plan disclosures for the stand-alone combined financial statements of the Business Unit in a manner that would be consistent with the level of detail provided in WY’s consolidated financial statements. Disclosures related to the Canadian Plans are included in this note.

The defined benefit pension expense (other than the Canadian Plans) relating to certain hourly employees and salaried employees and postretirement benefits expense is based on an allocation method described in note 2(a) and is charged to the Business Unit. The defined benefit pension expense related to the Canadian Plans is charged directly to the Business Unit. The expense (income) recognized for such plans by the Business Unit is as follows:

 

      

Year ended

December 31,

2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Pension, net—allocated

   $  4     $  9    $  6  

Pension, net—direct

   (5 )      5  

Postretirement benefits

   11     9    8  
      

Net charge

   $10     $18    $19  
   

The Business Unit adopted the provisions of Statement 158 as of December 31, 2006, which requires that the funded status of pension and other postretirement benefit plans be presented on the balance sheet. No adjustments were made to the combined balance sheet as of December 25, 2005. See note 2(u).

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

(b) Canadian plans

The following tables provide a reconciliation of the changes in the Canadian Plans’ benefit obligations and fair value of plan assets over the two year period ended December 31, 2006:

 

       December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
 
   

Reconciliation of benefit obligation:

    

Benefit obligation as of prior year-end

   $310     $253  

Service cost

   6     5  

Interest cost

   15     15  

Plan participants’ contributions

   2     2  

Actuarial loss

   1     40  

Foreign currency exchange rate changes

       18  

Benefits paid

   (16 )   (12 )

Plan amendments

       10  

Curtailments

   (1 )   (22 )

Special termination benefits

   1     1  
      

Benefit obligation at end of year

   $318     $310  
      

Reconciliation of fair value of plan assets:

    

Fair value of plan assets as of beginning of year (actual)

   $292     $235  

Actual return on plan assets

   47     37  

Foreign currency exchange rate changes

       16  

Employer contributions

   8     9  

Plan participants’ contributions

   2     2  

Benefits paid

   (16 )   (12 )
      

Fair value of plan assets at end of year (estimated)

   $333     $287  
   

WY funds its registered pension plans. The expected funding of the Canadian Plans in 2007 is $5 million.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The Business Unit estimates the projected benefit payments as of December 31, 2006 under the Canadian Plans over the next ten years will be as follows:

 

2007

   $  40

2008

   14

2009

   14

2010

   14

2011

   14

2012-2016

   84
    
   $180
 

The accumulated benefit obligation for the Canadian Plans was $294 million and $286 million at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, respectively.

The funded status of the Canadian Plans at December 25, 2005 under prior accounting rules is as follows:

 

       December 25,
2005
 
   

Funded status

   $(23 )

Unrecognized prior service cost

   10  

Unrecognized net loss

   37  
      

Prepaid benefit cost

   $  24  
   

Amounts recognized in the combined balance sheet consist of:

 

       December 25,
2005
 
   

Prepaid benefit cost

   $18  

Accrued liability

   (3 )

Cumulative other comprehensive loss

   9  
      

Net amount recognized

   $24  
   

The funded status of the Canadian Plans and amounts recognized in the combined balance sheet as of December 31, 2006 under Statement 158 is as follows:

 

       December 31,
2006
 
   

Noncurrent assets

   $16  

Current liabilities

    

Noncurrent liabilities

   (1 )
      

Funded status

   $15  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Pretax amounts included in cumulative other comprehensive income (loss) at December 31, 2006 were as follows:

 

       December 31,
2006
 
   

Net pension loss

   $(11 )

Prior service cost

   (9 )
      

Net amount recognized (pretax)

   $(20 )
   

The incremental effect of applying the provisions of Statement 158 on the combined balance sheet as of December 31, 2006 is as follows:

 

       December 31, 2006  
     Before Application
of Statement 158
   Adjustment     After Application of
Statement 158
 
   

Assets:

       

Deferred pension and other assets:

       

Noncurrent pension asset

   $35    $(19 )   $16  
      

Liabilities:

       

Other liabilities

   $—    $(1 )   $(1 )
      

Business Unit equity:

       

Cumulative other comprehensive loss (pretax)

   $—    $(20 )   $(20 )

Tax benefit

      8     8  
      

Cumulative other comprehensive loss (net of tax)

   $—    $(12 )   $(12 )
   

Estimated amounts that will be amortized from other comprehensive income during 2007 are as follows:

 

Net loss

   $
    

Prior service cost

   $  1
 

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The components of net periodic benefit costs for the Canadian Plans are as follows:

 

      

Year ended

December 31,
2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Service cost

   $   7     $   5     $   6  

Interest cost

   15     15     14  

Expected return on plan assets

   (26 )   (22 )   (18 )

Prior service cost recognized

   1     2     2  

Actuarial loss recognized

           1  
      
   (3 )       5  

(Gain) loss due to closure, sale, plan termination and other

       (8 )   6  
      
   $  (3 )   $  (8 )   $ 11  
   

Registered Plans The investment strategy of the Canadian pension trust is to concentrate direct investments into cash and cash equivalents while gaining return exposures through financial instruments, such as total return and index swaps. WY has not established target allocations for the direct investment portfolio or the derivatives.

The Canadian registered plans are exposed to the risk of nonperformance by counterparties to the indirect investments but the Business Unit does not expect any counterparty to fail to meet its obligations. However, because there are no exchanges of principal on the indirect investments, only the amount of unsettled net receivables is at risk. The Business Unit manages this risk through selection of counterparties with a defined minimum credit quality, diversification, settlement provisions and documented agreements. Investments in hedge funds and private partnerships are controlled through selection and diversification of managers and strategies and use of limited liability vehicles. Portfolio risk is managed through diversification and by constraining the risk profile of the portfolio within defined boundaries.

In all periods presented, the discount rate is based on yields for corporate bonds rated AA or better, by matching cash flows to a spot rate yield curve.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The assets of the Canadian Plans are held in a master trust that also holds assets of other WY-sponsored plans. The allocation of the net assets held by the Canadian master trust and the U.S. master trust combined are as follows:

 

       December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
 
   

Private equity and related funds

   26.3%     23.6%  

Real estate and related funds

   3.9     5.2  

Common stock and equity index instruments

   0.9     1.0  

Fixed income

   15.5     27.5  

Hedge funds

   53.4     43.0  

Net receivables

   0.4     0.1  

Accrued liabilities

   (0.4 )   (0.4 )
      
   100.0%     100.0%  
   

The assumptions used in the measurement of the Canadian Plans’ benefit obligations are as follows:

 

       December 31,
2006
   December 25,
2005
 

Discount rate

   5.15%    5.15%

Rate of compensation increase

   3.25%    3.25%
 

The assumptions used in the measurement of the Canadian Plans’ net pension costs are as follows:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
 

Discount rate

   5.15%    6.00%

Expected return on plan assets

   9.50%    9.50%

Rate of compensation increase

   3.25%    3.50%
 

The expected return on plan assets assumption reflects WY’s best estimate regarding the long-term expected return on the U.S. portfolio. The expected return assumption is based on historical fund returns. The Canadian fund’s investment strategy has mirrored that of the U.S. plan since 1998. The determination of the expected return on plan assets assumption requires a high degree of judgment and places weight on more recent pension plan asset performances.

(c) Defined contribution plan

The Business Unit participates in various defined contribution plans for salaried and hourly employees. The basis for determining plan contributions varies by plan. The amounts contributed

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

to the plans for participating employees were $7 million, $8 million and $7 million in the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004, respectively.

13. Derivatives:

(a) Hedging:

The Business Unit purchases natural gas at the prevailing market price at the time of delivery. In order to manage the cash flow risk associated with purchases of natural gas, the Business Unit participates in a WY hedging program whereby WY utilizes derivative financial instruments to fix the price of up to 30 percent of forecasted natural gas purchases for periods up to 18 months into the future. WY formally documents the hedge relationships, including identification of the hedging instruments and the hedged items, the risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking the hedge transactions, and the methodologies used to assess effectiveness and measure ineffectiveness. Changes in the fair value of the derivative financial instruments are allocated by WY to individual facilities based on projected usage of natural gas. The Business Unit recognizes its allocable share of the gains and losses on WY’s derivative financial instruments in earnings when the forecasted purchases occur. A summary of amounts related to the Business Unit’s participation in the WY hedging program follows:

 

      Year ended
December 31,
2006
    Year ended
December 25,
2005
  Year ended
December 26,
2004
 

Net gain recognized in cost of products sold

  $ —     $12   $1

Unrealized gains (losses) not yet recognized in the combined statements of operations at the end of the period

  $ (9 )   $18   $3
 

(b) Other:

The Business Unit is a party to purchase and sale contracts for commodities that meet the definition of a derivative. However, the arrangements are accounted for as normal purchases and normal sales, not derivatives, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2004 because the Business Unit expects to take delivery on the purchase contracts and to ship product on the sales contracts. Losses recognized in the Business Unit’s combined statements of operations for the contracts were $3 million in the year ended December 26, 2004.

14. Asset retirement obligations:

The Business Unit’s asset retirement obligations principally include landfill capping obligations and asbestos removal obligations. The Business Unit has estimated the net present value of its

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

asset retirement obligations to be $16 million and $17 million at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, respectively. The majority of the asset retirement obligations are estimated to be settled by 2030. However, some settlement scenarios call for obligations to be settled as late as 2048. There were no significant changes in the asset retirement obligations for the periods presented.

The Business Unit has not recognized a liability under Interpretation 47 for certain legal obligations, primarily special handling for the removal and disposal of encapsulated asbestos from facilities and equipment. The fair value cannot be reasonably estimated because the settlement dates are unknown.

15. Legal proceedings, commitments and contingencies:

(a) Legal proceedings

The Business Unit is subject to a small number of claims and litigation matters that have arisen in the ordinary course of business. Although the final outcome of any legal proceeding is subject to a great many variables and cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty, management currently believes that the ultimate outcome of these legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the Business Unit’s long-term results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

(b) Environmental matters

During the first quarter of 2006 the Business Unit closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the Big River sawmill in Saskatchewan due to poor market conditions. These facilities are currently not in operation. Spinco has not determined at this time whether the facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event the facilities are permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at one or both facilities. In the event decommissioning and reclamation is required at either facility, the work is likely to include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts.

The Business Unit is a party to various proceedings relating to the cleanup of hazardous waste sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as “Superfund,” and similar state laws. The EPA and/or various state agencies have notified the Business Unit that it may be a potentially responsible party with respect to other hazardous waste sites as to which no proceedings have been instituted against the Business Unit. As of December 31, 2006, the Business Unit has established reserves totaling $4 million for estimated remediation costs on the three active sites across its operations. Environmental remediation reserves totaled $9 million at the end of 2005. The decrease in environmental remediation reserves reflects the incorporation of new information on all sites concerning

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

remediation alternatives, updates on prior cost estimates and new sites, and the costs incurred to remediate these sites during this period. Based on currently available information and analysis, the Business Unit believes that it is reasonably possible that costs associated with all identified sites may exceed current accruals by up to $20 million, which may be incurred over several years. This estimate of the upper end of the range of reasonably possible additional costs is much less certain than the estimates upon which accruals are currently based, and utilizes assumptions less favorable to the Business Unit among the range of reasonably possible outcomes. In estimating both its current accruals for environmental remediation and the possible range of additional future costs, the Business Unit has assumed that it will not bear the entire cost of remediation of every site to the exclusion of other known potentially responsible parties who may be jointly and severally liable. The ability of other potentially responsible parties to participate has been taken into account, generally based on each party’s financial condition and probable contribution on a per-site basis. No amounts have been recorded for potential recoveries from insurance carriers.

(c) Purchase obligations

Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding on the Business Unit and that specify all significant terms, including: fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable price provisions; and the approximate timing of the transaction. Purchase obligations exclude arrangements that the Business Unit can cancel without penalty. As of December 31, 2006, the Business Unit’s commitments under non-cancelable purchase obligations were $32 million in 2007 and $6 million thereafter.

(d) Commitments

The Business Unit leases various equipment, warehouse space and office space under operating leases. The equipment leases cover light duty vehicles, forklifts and office equipment. The Business Unit recognized rent expense of approximately $16 million, $20 million and $18 million in the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004, respectively. The Business Unit also leases certain equipment under capital leases. During 2006, the Business Unit entered into new capital leases of $17 million.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The Business Unit’s future commitments under operating and capital leases as of December 31, 2006 are as follows:

 

       Capital
Leases
   Operating
Leases
   Total  
   

2007

   $  9    $4    $13  

2008

   8    2    10  

2009

   8    1    9  

2010

   5       5  

2011

   3       3  

Thereafter

   12    1    13  
      
   45    $8    $53  
         

Less amounts representing interest

   6      
          

Present value of minimum lease payments

   39      

Less current portion of capital lease obligations

   7      
          

Long-term portion of capital lease obligations

   $32      
   

Equipment under capital leases are as follows:

 

       Range of
Lives
   December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
 
   

Equipment under capital lease

   3–11    $ 67     $ 47  

Accumulated depreciation

      (30 )   (22 )
         
      $ 37     $ 25  
   

16. Charges for restructuring and closure of facilities:

(a) Restructuring charges:

As WY has acquired businesses and consolidated them into existing operations, WY has incurred charges associated with the transition and integration of those activities. Certain of those charges were incurred by the Business Unit. The charges reflected in the following table are primarily associated with WY’s 2002 acquisition of Willamette Industries, Inc., which included Fine Paper facilities and restructuring activities at the Dryden, Ontario and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan facilities:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Severance and outplacement costs

   $ —    $2    $10  

Pension curtailment

      1    6  

Professional services

         1  
      
   $ —    $3    $17  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

As of December 25, 2005, the Business Unit’s accrued liabilities included approximately $5 million of severance accruals related to integration and restructuring charges.

(b) Closures of facilities:

Facilities that do not represent a long-term strategic fit for the Business Unit, or that cannot achieve top-quartile performance without significant capital investments, are assessed for closure or sale. Changing market conditions and increasing productivity at many of the Business Unit’s operating facilities have provided the Business Unit with opportunities to rationalize its production capacity while retaining its ability to fulfill customer needs.

Closure charges recognized in 2005 include costs related to the closure of a pulp and paper facility and a fine paper machine. Additionally, the Business Unit recognized impairment charges for Wapawekka and a sawmill as they sell chips and hog fuel to the closed pulp and paper facility and do not have an alternate market for such residuals.

The Business Unit does not expect to incur any additional material charges related to these closures. Charges for closure of facilities include:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Asset impairments

   $—     $499     $ —  

Termination benefits

       43      

Other closure costs

   19          

(Gain) loss on curtailment of pension benefits

   2     (8 )    

Reversals of closure charges recorded in prior periods

   (6 )        
      
   $15     $534     $ —  
   

Changes in accrued termination benefits related to facility closures during the years ended December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005 were as follows:

 

       December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
 
      

Accrued severance—beginning balance

   $43     $—  

Costs incurred and charged to expense

       43  

Payments

   (24 )    

Other adjustments

   (5 )    
      

Accrued severance—ending balance

   $14     $43  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

17. Business segments:

Following the Transaction, the Business Unit operates in the two reportable segments described below. Each reportable segment offers different products and services and requires different technology and marketing strategies. The following summary briefly describes the operations included in each of the Business Unit’s reportable segments:

 

 

Papers—represents the aggregation of the manufacturing and distribution of business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty papers, as well as pulp.

 

 

Wood—comprises the manufacturing and marketing of lumber and wood-based value-added products and the management of forest resources.

The Business Unit evaluates performance based on operating income, which represents sales, reflecting transfer prices between segments at fair value, less allocable expenses before financing expenses and income taxes. Segment assets are those directly used in segment operations.

An analysis and reconciliation of the Business Unit’s business segment information to the respective information in the combined financial statements is as follows:

 

      

Year ended

December 31,
2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Sales to and revenues from customers external to the Business Unit:

      

Papers

   $ 3,143     $ 3,072     $ 2,867  

Wood

     163       195       159  
        
     3,306       3,267       3,026  
        

Intersegment sales:

      

Papers

           2       1  

Wood

     71       143       126  
        
     71       145       127  
        

Total sales and revenues

     3,377       3,412       3,153  

Inter segment eliminations

     (71 )     (145 )     (127 )
        
   $ 3,306     $ 3,267     $ 3,026  
        

Contribution (charge) to earnings:

      

Papers

   $ (608 )   $ (492 )   $ (39 )

Wood

     52       (86 )     (2 )
        

Operating loss

     (556 )     (578 )     (41 )

Income tax expense (benefit)

     53       (100 )     (24 )
        

Net loss

   $ (609 )   $ (478 )   $ (17 )
   

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Depreciation and amortization:

        

Papers

   $302    $341    $335  

Wood

   9    16    13  
      
   $311    $357    $348  
   

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
    Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Charges for restructuring, closure of facilities and goodwill impairment:

       

Papers

   $765     $461    $16  

Wood

   (1 )   77    1  
      
   $764     $538    $17  
   

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Capital expenditures:

        

Papers

   $64    $108    $84  

Wood

      5    5  
      
   $64    $113    $89  
   

 

       December 31,
2006
   December 25,
2005
 
   

Total assets:

     

Papers

   $3,933    $4,883  

Wood

   65    87  
      
   $3,998    $4,970  
   

18. Geographical areas:

The Business Unit attributes sales to and revenues from customers in different geographical areas on the basis of the location of the customer.

Export sales from the United States consist principally of pulp. Long-lived assets consist of goodwill and property and equipment used in the generation of revenues in the different geographical areas.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Selected information related to the Business Unit’s operations by geographical area is as follows:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Sales to and revenues from customers external to the Business Unit:

        

United States

   $2,791    $2,663    $2,737  

Canada

   515    559    288  

Other foreign countries

      45    1  
      
   $3,306    $3,267    $3,026  
   

 

      

December 31,
2006

   December 25,
2005
 
   

Long-lived assets:

     

United States

   $2,324    $3,164  

Canada

   755    869  
      
   $3,079    $4,033  
   

19. Countervailing and antidumping duties:

The U.S. and Canada reached a final settlement in 2006 to a long-standing trade dispute over Canadian exports of softwood lumber into the U.S. Under the settlement agreement, a Canadian export tax was instituted that replaced countervailing and antidumping duties imposed by the U.S., and Canadian softwood lumber exporters received refunds of approximately 81% of countervailing and antidumping duties paid between 2002 and 2006. The Business Unit received its refund of countervailing and antidumping duties of $65 million and recognized the refund as other income in the fourth quarter of 2006.

20. Earnings (loss) per share

The following table provides the reconciliation between basic and diluted loss per share:

 

      

Year ended
December 31,

2006

   

Year ended
December 25,

2005

   

Year ended

December 26,

2004

 
   

Net loss applicable to common shares

   $  (609 )   $  (478 )   $    (17 )

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

   284.1     284.1     284.1  

Effect of dilutive securities (millions)

            
      

Weighted average number of diluted common shares outstanding (millions)

   284.1     284.1     284.1  
      

Basic net loss per share (in dollars)

   $ (2.14 )   $ (1.68 )   $ (0.06 )

Diluted net loss per share (in dollars)

   (2.14 )   (1.68 )   (0.06 )
   

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Prior to the Transaction, Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business did not have common stock or stock options outstanding. The weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004 assumes that all common stock outstanding immediately after the Contribution of the Business Unit were outstanding for the entire prior years. The effect of dilutive securities for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004 was not considered in prior years as the impact would be antidilutive.

21. Condensed combining financial information.

The following information is presented as required under Rule 3.10 of Regulation S-X, in connection with Domtar Corporation anticipated issuance of debt securities in exchange for outstanding debt securities of Domtar Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar Corporation. Pursuant to this exchange transaction, the securities that will be issued (the “Guaranteed Debt”) will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Domtar Paper Company, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar Corporation (“Guarantor Subsidiary”) and the successor to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business U.S. Operations. The Guaranteed Debt will not be guaranteed by the Guarantor Subsidiary’s own wholly-owned subsidiaries; namely Domtar Delaware Investments Inc., Domtar Delaware Holdings LLC and Domtar Delaware Holdings Inc. (and subsidiaries including Domtar Inc.), (collectively the “Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries” and the successor to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business Canadian Operations).

The following supplemental condensed combining financial information sets forth, on an uncombined basis, the balance sheets as at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005 and the statements of operations and cash flows for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004 for the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business U.S. Operations, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business Canadian Operations, and, on a combined basis, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business.

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Condensed combining balance sheet as at December 31, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
   Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
   Combining
adjustments
    Combined
 
     $    $    $     $

Assets

          

Current assets:

          

Cash

      1        1

Receivables

   300    40        340

Inventories

   428    102    (10 )   520

Prepaid expenses

   3    3        6

Deferred income taxes

   21    1        22
    

Total current assets

   752    147    (10 )   889

Property, plant and equipment, net

   2,306    745        3,051

Construction in progress

   11    3        14

Goodwill

   11    3        14

Deferred pension and other assets

      30        30
    

Total assets

   3,080    928    (10 )   3,998
    

Liabilities and Business Unit Equity

          

Current liabilities:

          

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

   191    65        256

Debt and current portion of capital leases

   6    6        12
    

Total current liabilities

   197    71        268

Environmental and landfill reserves

   11    9        20

Other liabilities

   34    3        37

Deferred income taxes

   698    60        758
    

Total liabilities

   940    143        1,083

Business Unit equity

   2,140    785    (10 )   2,915
    

Total liabilities and Business Unit equity

   3,080    928    (10 )   3,998
 

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Condensed combining balance sheet as at December 25, 2005

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
   Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
   Combining
adjustments
    Combined
 
     $       $           $   

Assets

          

Current assets:

          

Cash

      1        $1

Receivables

   255    66        321

Inventories

   419    148    (5 )   562

Prepaid expenses

   2    2        4

Deferred income taxes

   17    3        20
    

Total current assets

   693    220    (5 )   908

Property, plant and equipment, net

   2,413    806        3,219

Construction in progress

   44    7        51

Goodwill

   760    3        763

Deferred pension and other assets

      29        29
    

Total assets

   3,910    1,065    (5 )   4,970
    

Liabilities and Business Unit Equity

          

Current liabilities:

          

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

   174    144        $318

Debt and current portion of capital leases

   5    7        12
    

Total current liabilities

   179    151        330

Environmental and landfill reserves

   17    9        26

Other liabilities

   24           24

Deferred income taxes

   755    62        817
    

Total liabilities

   975    222        1,197

Business Unit equity

   2,935    843    (5 )   3,773
    

Total liabilities and Business Unit equity

   3,910    1,065    (5 )   4,970
 

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Condensed combining statement of operations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
    Combining
adjustments
    Combined  
   
     $         $       $       $      

Sales

   2,656     978     (328 )   3,306  

Costs and expenses:

        

Cost of products sold

   2,084     888     (323 )   2,649  

Depreciation and amortization

   232     79         311  

Taxes other than payroll and income taxes

   11     14         25  

Selling, general and administrative including allocated Weyerhaeuser Company costs

   144     30         174  

Charges for closure of facilities

   1     14       15  

Impairment of goodwill

   749             749  

Refund of countervailing and antidumping deposits

       (65 )       (65 )

Other operating costs (income)

   5     (1 )     4  
      

Total costs and expenses

   3,226     959     (323 )   3,862  
      

Operating income (loss)

   (570 )   19     (5 )   (556 )

Income tax expense

   50     3         53  
      

Net income (loss)

   (620 )   16     (5 )   (609 )
   

Condensed combining statement of operations for the fiscal year ended December 25, 2005

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
    Combining
adjustments
    Combined  
   
     $         $         $       $      

Sales

   2,570     1,078     (381 )   3,267  

Costs and expenses:

        

Cost of products sold

   2,096     1,047     (383 )   2,760  

Depreciation and amortization

   235     122         357  

Taxes other than payroll and income taxes

   10     14         24  

Selling, general and administrative including allocated Weyerhaeuser Company costs

   150     24         174  

Charges for restructuring

   1     2         3  

Charges for closure of facilities

       534         534  

Impairment of goodwill

       1         1  

Other operating costs (income)

   2     (10 )       (8 )
      

Total costs and expenses

   2,494     1,734     (383 )   3,845  
      

Operating income (loss)

   76     (656 )   2     (578 )

Income tax benefit

   (5 )   (95 )       (100 )
      

Net income (loss)

        81      (561 )   2     (478 )
   

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Condensed combining statement of operations for the fiscal year ended December 26, 2004

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
   Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
    Combining
adjustments
    Combined  
                         
     $        $         $       $      

Sales

   2,372    1,004     (350 )   3,026  

Costs and expenses:

         

Cost of products sold

   1,937    895     (347 )   2,485  

Depreciation and amortization

   235    113     —       348  

Taxes other than payroll and income taxes

   11    11     —       22  

Selling, general and administrative including allocated Weyerhaeuser Company costs

   159    33     —       192  

Charges for restructuring

   —      17     —       17  

Other operating costs

   —      3     —       3  
      

Total costs and expenses

   2,342    1,072     (347 )   3,067  
      

Operating income (loss)

   30    (68 )   (3 )   (41 )

Income tax expense (benefit)

   4    (28 )   —       (24 )
      

Net income (loss)

   26    (40 )   (3 )   (17 )
   

Condensed combining statement of cash flows for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
    Combining
adjustments
    Combined  
   
     $               $    

Cash provided by (used in):

        

Operations:

        

Net income (loss)

   (620 )   16     (5 )   (609 )

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net income (loss)

   892     69     5     966  
      

Net cash provided by operating activities

   272     85         357  

Investments:

        

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (50 )   (14 )       (64 )

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

   1             1  
      

Net cash used in investing activities

   (49 )   (14 )       (63 )

Financing:

        

Net payments to Weyerhaeuser

   (218 )   (69 )       (287 )

Debt and capital lease payments

   (5 )   (2 )       (7 )
      

Net cash used in financing activities

   (223 )   (71 )       (294 )
      

Change in cash

                

Cash, beginning

       1         1  
      

Cash, ending

       —       1              1  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Condensed combining statement of cash flows for the fiscal year ended December 25, 2005

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
    Combining
adjustments
    Combined  
   
Cash provided by (used in):    $       $       $       $    

Operations:

        

Net income (loss)

   81     (561 )   2     (478 )

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net income (loss)

   115     555     (2 )   668  
      

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

   196     (6 )       190  

Investments:

        

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (71 )   (42 )       (113 )

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

   4             4  
      

Net cash used in investing activities

   (67 )   (42 )       (109 )

Financing:

        

Net contributions from (payments to) Weyerhaeuser

   (124 )   48         (76 )

Debt and capital lease payments

   (5 )   (1 )       (6 )
      

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

   (129 )   47         (82 )
      

Change in cash

       (1 )       (1 )

Cash, beginning

       2         2  
      

Cash, ending

    —           1               1  
   

 

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Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Condensed combining statement of cash flows for the fiscal year ended December 26, 2004

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
    Combining
adjustments
    Combined  
   
Cash provided by (used in):    $       $       $       $    

Operations:

        

Net income (loss)

   26     (40 )   (3 )   (17 )

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net income (loss)

   154     69     3     226  
      

Net cash provided by operating activities

   180     29         209  

Investments:

        

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (46 )   (43 )       (89 )

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

   7             7  
      

Net cash used in investing activities

   (39 )   (43 )       (82 )

Financing:

        

Net contributions from (payments to) Weyerhaeuser

   (136 )   15         (121 )

Debt and capital lease payments

   (5 )           (5 )
      

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

   (141 )   15         (126 )
      

Change in cash

       1         1  

Cash, beginning

       1         1  
      

Cash, ending

           2             2  
   

 

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Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting

Management of Domtar is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 15a-15(d) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Domtar’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision of Domtar’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of the Company’s financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in Canada.

As of December 31, 2006, management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this assessment, management concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006 was effective.

Management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent auditor.

 

Raymond Royer   Daniel Buron
President and Chief Executive Officer   Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Montreal, Quebec

February 22, 2007

 

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Report of independent registered public accounting firm

To the Shareholders of Domtar Inc.

We have completed an integrated audit of the consolidated financial statements and internal control over financial reporting of Domtar Inc. as of December 31, 2006 and audits of its December 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004 consolidated financial statements. Our opinions, based on our audits, are presented below.

Consolidated financial statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Domtar Inc. as at December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005 and the related consolidated statements of earnings, retained earnings and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2006. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Corporation’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits of the Corporation’s financial statements as at December 31, 2006 and 2005 and for the three-year period then ended in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards and the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform an audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit of financial statements includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. A financial statement audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Corporation as at December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2006 in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.

Internal control over financial reporting

We have also audited management’s assessment, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, that the Corporation maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The Corporation’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express opinions on management’s assessment and on the effectiveness of the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit of internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. An audit of internal control over financial reporting includes obtaining an understanding of internal

 

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control over financial reporting, evaluating management’s assessment, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control, and performing such other procedures as we consider necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinions.

A Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Corporation; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Corporation are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Corporation; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Corporation’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, management’s assessment that the Corporation maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as at December 31, 2006 is fairly stated, in all material respects, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the COSO. Furthermore, in our opinion, the Corporation maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006 based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the COSO.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Chartered Accountants

Montreal, Quebec

February 22, 2007

 

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Domtar Inc.

Consolidated balance sheets

As at December 31

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005  
      
$     $  
   

Assets

    

Current assets

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   649     83  

Receivables (Note 9)

   305     294  

Inventories (Note 10)

   575     715  

Prepaid expenses

   14     11  

Income and other taxes receivable

   18     16  

Future income taxes (Note 7)

   45     38  
      
   1,606     1,157  

Property, plant and equipment (Note 11)

   3,044     3,634  

Assets held for sale (Note 4)

   24      

Goodwill

   6     92  

Other assets (Note 12)

   275     309  
      
   4,955     5,192  
      

Liabilities and shareholders’ equity

    

Current liabilities

    

Bank indebtedness

   62     21  

Trade and other payables (Note 13)

   533     651  

Income and other taxes payable

   20     29  

Long-term debt due within one year (Note 14)

   2     2  
      
   617     703  

Long-term debt (Note 14)

   1,889     2,257  

Future income taxes (Note 7)

   285     292  

Other liabilities and deferred credits (Note 15)

   223     331  

Commitments and contingencies (Note 16)

    

Shareholders’ equity

    

Preferred shares (Note 17)

   32     36  

Common shares (Note 17)

   1,788     1,783  

Contributed surplus (Note 17)

   15     14  

Retained earnings (deficit)

   308     (19 )

Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments (Note 19)

   (202 )   (205 )
      
   1,941     1,609  
      
   4,955     5,192  
   

Approved by the Board:

Brian M. Levitt, Director Raymond Royer, Director

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Consolidated earnings

Years ended December 31

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
           Restated
(Note 4)
    Restated
(Note 4)
 
        
     $     $     $  
   

Sales

   3,989     4,247     4,403  

Operating expenses

      

Cost of sales

   3,392     3,720     3,798  

Selling, general and administrative

   218     231     245  

Amortization

   284     329     325  

Antidumping and countervailing duties refund

   (164 )        

Closure and restructuring costs (Note 5)

   35     317     49  

Net gains on disposals of property, plant and equipment

   (13 )   (1 )   (37 )
      
   3,752     4,596     4,380  
      

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

   237     (349 )   23  

Financing expenses (Note 6)

   150     144     141  
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

   87     (493 )   (118 )

Income tax expense (recovery) (Note 7)

   24     (183 )   (55 )
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

   63     (310 )   (63 )

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations (Note 4)

   265     (78 )   21  
      

Net earnings (loss)

   328     (388 )   (42 )
      

Per common share (in dollars) (Note 8)

      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

      

Basic

   0.27     (1.36 )   (0.28 )

Diluted

   0.27     (1.36 )   (0.28 )

Net earnings (loss)

      

Basic

   1.42     (1.69 )   (0.19 )

Diluted

   1.42     (1.69 )   (0.19 )
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Consolidated cash flows

Years ended December 31

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

      2006     2005     2004  
     
          Restated
(Note 4)
    Restated
(Note 4)
 
             
    $     $     $  
                   

Operating activities

     

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  63     (310 )   (63 )

Non-cash items:

     

Amortization and write-down of property, plant and equipment (Note 5)

  284     554     336  

Future income taxes (Note 7)

  25     (193 )   (68 )

Closure and restructuring costs, excluding write-down of property, plant and equipment (Note 5)

  35     92     38  

Net gains on disposals of property, plant and equipment

  (13 )   (1 )   (37 )

Other

  (5 )   (1 )   1  
                 
  389     141     207  
                 

Changes in working capital and other items

     

Receivables (Note 9)

  (113 )   (79 )   (37 )

Inventories

  45     (23 )   (66 )

Prepaid expenses

  (2 )   4     8  

Trade and other payables

  (12 )   (27 )   (44 )

Income and other taxes

  1     1     16  

Early settlement of interest rate swap contracts (Note 18)

          20  

Other

  (19 )   (20 )   (8 )

Payments of closure and restructuring costs, net of proceeds on disposition

  (67 )   (38 )   (10 )
                 
  (167 )   (182 )   (121 )
                 

Cash flows provided from (used for) operating activities of continuing operations

  222     (41 )   86  
                 

Investing activities

     

Additions to property, plant and equipment

  (108 )   (139 )   (167 )

Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment

  17     10     41  

Proceeds from disposal of business (Note 4)

  560          

Business acquisition

          (2 )

Other

  2     (3 )   (1 )
                 

Cash flows provided from (used for) investing activities of continuing operations

  471     (132 )   (129 )
                 

Financing activities

     

Dividend payments

  (1 )   (56 )   (56 )

Change in bank indebtedness

  47     10      

Change in revolving bank credit, net of expenses

  (160 )   21     105  

Issuance of long-term debt, net of expenses

      482     2  

Repayment of long-term debt

  (2 )   (266 )   (7 )

Premium on redemption of long-term debt

      (7 )    

Common shares issued, net of expenses

  4     7     19  

Redemptions of preferred shares

  (3 )   (3 )   (3 )
                 

Cash flows provided from (used for) financing activities of continuing operations

  (115 )   188     60  
                 

Cash flow from discontinued operations (Note 4)

     

Operating activities

  26     31     36  

Investing activities

  (554 )   (55 )   (54 )

Financing activities

  514     38     4  
                 

Cash flows provided from (used for) discontinued operations

  (14 )   14     (14 )
                 

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

  564     29     3  

Translation adjustments related to cash and cash equivalents

  2     2     1  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

  83     52     48  
                 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

  649     83     52  
                 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year, related to:

     

Continuing operations

  649     83     52  

Discontinued operations (Note 4)

           
                 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

  649     83     52  
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Consolidated retained earnings

Years ended December 31

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
                    

Retained earnings (deficit) at beginning of year—as reported

   (19 )   412     512  

Cumulative effect of change in accounting policy (Note 2)

           (3 )
      

Retained earnings (deficit) at beginning of year—as restated

   (19 )   412     509  

Net earnings (loss)

   328     (388 )   (42 )

Dividends on common shares

       (42 )   (54 )

Dividends on preferred shares

   (1 )   (1 )   (1 )
      

Retained earnings (deficit) at end of year

   308     (19 )   412  
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

Note 1. Summary of significant accounting policies

The consolidated financial statements are expressed in Canadian dollars and have been prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (Canadian GAAP). These financial statements differ in certain respects from those prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) and are not intended to provide certain disclosures which would typically be found in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The significant differences are described in Note 23. These consolidated financial statements are dated February 22, 2007.

Basis of consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries (the Corporation) as well as its joint ventures (collectively Domtar). Investments over which the Corporation exercises significant influence are accounted for using the equity method. The Corporation’s interests in joint ventures are accounted for using the proportionate consolidation method.

Use of estimates

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with Canadian GAAP, which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the year, the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to environmental matters, useful lives, impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill, pension and other employee future benefit plans, income taxes, closure and restructuring costs and asset retirement obligations, based on currently available information. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Translation of foreign currencies

Self-sustaining foreign operations

For foreign subsidiaries that are considered financially and operationally self-sustaining, the current rate method of translation of foreign currencies has been used. Under this method, assets and liabilities are translated into Canadian dollars at the rate in effect at the balance sheet date and revenues and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates during the year. All gains and losses arising from the translation of the financial statements of these foreign subsidiaries are included in the “Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments” account under “Shareholders’ equity.”

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Foreign currency transactions and integrated foreign operations

For foreign currency transactions and foreign subsidiaries that are considered financially and operationally integrated, the temporal method of translation of foreign currencies has been used. Monetary items are translated at the rate in effect at the balance sheet date, non-monetary items are translated at their historical rate (as well as the related amortization) and revenues and expenses are translated at the rate in effect at the transaction date or at the average exchange rates during the year as appropriate. Translation gains and losses, except those on long-term debt, are included in “Selling, general and administrative” expenses.

Foreign currency long-term debt

For the Corporation’s long-term debt designated as a hedge of the net investment in self-sustaining foreign subsidiaries, exchange gains and losses are included in the “Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments” account under “Shareholders’ equity.” Prior to the fourth quarter of 2004, a portion of the foreign currency denominated long-term debt of the Corporation was designated as a hedge of future U.S. dollar revenue stream and exchange gains and losses were deferred and were recognized when the designated revenue is earned or when it becomes probable that the forecasted transaction will not occur, as the hedge then ceases to be effective.

Variable interest entities

Variable interest entities (VIE) are entities in which equity investors do not have a controlling financial interest or the equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support provided by other parties. Domtar consolidates the VIE if Domtar is considered the VIE’s primary beneficiary, defined as the party that receives the majority of the expected residual returns and/or that absorbs the majority of the entity’s expected losses.

Revenue recognition

Domtar recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, when goods are shipped, when there are no uncertainties surrounding product acceptance, when the related revenue is fixed or determinable, when collection is considered reasonably assured and when the customer takes title and assumes the majority of the risks and rewards of ownership.

Income taxes

Domtar uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, future tax assets and liabilities are determined according to differences between the carrying amounts and tax bases of the assets and liabilities. The change in the net future tax asset or liability is included in earnings and in the “Accumulated foreign currency translation

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

adjustments” account under “Shareholders’ equity.” Future tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted or substantively enacted tax rates and laws expected to apply in the years in which the assets and liabilities are expected to be recovered or settled. Domtar does not provide for income taxes on undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries that are not expected to be repatriated in the foreseeable future.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and short-term investments with original maturities of less than three months and are presented at cost.

Receivables

Receivables are recorded at cost net of a provision for doubtful accounts that is based on expected collectibility. Gains or losses on securitization of receivables are calculated as the difference between the carrying amount of the receivables sold and the sum of the cash proceeds on sale and the fair value of the retained subordinate interest in such receivables on the date of transfer. Fair value is determined on a discounted cash flow basis. Costs related to the sales of receivables are recognized in earnings in the period when the sale occurs.

Inventories

Inventories of operating and maintenance supplies and raw materials are valued at the lower of average cost and replacement cost. Work in process and finished goods are valued at the lower of average cost and net realizable value, and include the cost of raw materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead expenses.

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated amortization including asset impairment write-down. Interest costs are capitalized for capital projects in excess of $10 million and having a duration in excess of one year. For timber limits and timberlands, amortization is calculated using the unit of production method. For all other assets, amortization is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Buildings are amortized over periods of 10 to 40 years and machinery and equipment over periods of 3 to 20 years. The amortization expense is reported net of the amount of the amortization of deferred credits related to property, plant and equipment. No amortization is recorded on assets under construction.

Impairment of long-lived assets

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances indicating that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable, as

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

measured by comparing their net book value to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows generated by their use. Impaired assets are recorded at fair value, determined principally by using discounted future cash flows expected from their use and eventual disposition.

Goodwill

Goodwill is not amortized and is subject to an annual impairment test, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it might be impaired. Testing for impairment is accomplished mainly by determining whether the fair value of a segment, based upon discounted cash flows, exceeds the net carrying amount of that segment as of the assessment date. If the fair value is greater than the net carrying amount, no impairment is necessary. In the event that the net carrying amount exceeds the sum of the discounted cash flows, a second test must be performed whereby the fair value of the segment’s goodwill must be estimated to determine if it is less than its net carrying amount. Fair value of goodwill is estimated in the same way as goodwill was determined at the date of the acquisition in a business combination, that is, the excess of the fair value of the segment over the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the segment.

Other assets

Other assets are recorded at cost. Expenses and discounts related to the issuance of long-term debt are deferred and amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the related obligation.

Deferred credits

Deferred credits comprise the deferred net gain on early settlements of interest rate swap contracts and grants and investment tax credits obtained upon the acquisition of property, plant and equipment and, in periods prior to Domtar’s sale of its interest in Norampac, the deferred gain on the contribution of net assets to Norampac. The deferred gain on the contribution of net assets to Norampac was amortized on a straight-line basis over 15 years. The deferred net gain on early settlements of interest rate swap contracts is amortized as an adjustment to “Financing expenses” over the initially designated periods of the respective interest payments. Investment tax credits are amortized on the same basis as the related property, plant and equipment.

Environmental costs

Environmental expenditures for effluent treatment, air emission, landfill operation and closure, asbestos containment and removal, bark pile management, silvicultural activities and site remediation (together referred to as environmental matters) are expensed or capitalized depending on their future economic benefit. In the normal course of business, Domtar incurs certain operating costs for environmental matters that are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment that prevent future environmental impacts are capitalized and

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

amortized on a straight-line basis over 10 to 40 years. Provisions for environmental matters are not discounted and are recorded when remediation efforts are likely and can be reasonably determined.

Asset retirement obligations

Asset retirement obligations are recognized, at fair value, in the period in which Domtar incurs a legal obligation associated to the retirement of an asset. Conditional asset retirement obligations are recognized, at fair value, when the fair value of the liability can be reasonably estimated. The associated costs are capitalized as part of the carrying value of the related asset and depreciated over its remaining useful life. The liability is accreted using a credit adjusted risk-free interest rate.

Stock-based compensation and other stock-based payments

Domtar uses the fair value based approach of accounting for stock-based payments to directors and for stock options granted to its employees. Any consideration paid by plan participants on the exercise of share options or the purchase of shares is credited to stated capital together with any related stock-based compensation expense.

Stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the vesting period of the options, share purchase rights and bonus shares. For employee share purchase discounts, compensation expense is recognized when employees purchase shares. The contributed surplus component of the stock-based compensation is transferred to capital stock upon the issuance of common shares.

Deferred Share Units are amortized over their vesting periods and remeasured at each reporting period, until settlement, using the quoted market value. The cost of the common shares acquired by the Corporation under the Restricted Stock Plan is amortized over the restricted period. Deferred Share Units and common shares acquired under the Restricted Stock Plan are accounted for in compensation expense, in “Other liabilities and deferred credits” and “Other assets.”

Derivative instruments

Derivative instruments are contracts that require or provide an option to exchange cash flows or payments determined by applying certain rates, indices or changes therein to notional contract amounts. Derivative instruments are utilized by Domtar in the management of its foreign currency, price risk and interest rate exposures. Except for two interest rate swap contracts of Norampac, which were assumed through business acquisitions, Domtar does not use derivative instruments for speculative purposes. On December 29, 2006, Domtar sold its interest in Norampac.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Derivatives designated for hedge accounting

In order for a derivative to qualify for hedge accounting, the hedge relationship must be designated and formally documented at its inception, outlining the particular risk management objective and strategy, the specific asset, liability or cash flow being hedged, as well as how effectiveness is assessed. The derivative must be effective in accomplishing the objective of offsetting either changes in the fair value or cash flow attributable to the risk being hedged both at inception and over the term of the hedging relationship.

When derivative instruments have been designated within a hedge relationship and are highly effective in offsetting the identified risk characteristics of specific financial assets and liabilities, or group of financial assets and liabilities, hedge accounting is applied to these derivative instruments. Hedge accounting requires that gains, losses, revenues and expenses of a hedging item be recognized in the same period that the associated gains, losses, revenues and expenses of the hedged item are recognized.

Realized and unrealized gains or losses associated with hedging instruments for which the underlying hedged items are either sold, paid or terminated are recognized to earnings. Realized and unrealized gains or losses when hedging instruments have ended or ceased to be effective prior to their maturity are deferred and recognized in earnings concurrently with the recognition of the item being hedged.

Domtar hedges its foreign exchange exposure on anticipated sales denominated in U.S. dollars through the use of options and forward contracts. Resulting gains and losses, including premiums on options, are recognized when the designated sale is recognized and are included in “Sales.”

Domtar hedges its exposure to price risk associated with purchases of bunker oil through the use of cash settled commodity swaps. Norampac hedged its exposure to price risk associated with purchases of electricity through the use of cash settled commodity swaps. Resulting gains and losses are recognized when the designated purchase is recognized and are included in “Cost of sales.”

Domtar hedges its exposure to interest rate on its long-term debt through the use of interest rate swap contracts. Amounts accounted for under interest rate swap contracts are included in “Financing expenses.”

Derivatives not designated for hedge accounting

For the exposure to price risk associated with sales of Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp swap contracts, as well as old corrugated containers, unbleached kraft linerboard and semi-chemical medium paper, Domtar does not meet the requirements for hedge accounting. As a result, Domtar accounts for these contracts at their fair value with resulting gains and losses being included in “Selling, general and administrative” expenses or, for items related to Norampac, as part of discontinued operations.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

For the two interest rate swap contracts of Norampac, which were used for speculative purposes, the change in their fair value was recorded in discontinued operations.

Pensions

Domtar’s plans include funded and unfunded defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans. Domtar accrues the cost of defined benefit plans as determined by independent actuaries. The net periodic benefit cost includes the following:

 

 

the cost of pension benefits provided in exchange for employees’ services rendered during the year,

 

 

the interest cost of pension obligations,

 

 

the expected long-term return on pension fund assets based on a market-related value determined using a five-year moving average market value for equity securities and fair value for other asset classes,

 

 

gains or losses on settlements and curtailments,

 

 

the straight-line amortization of past service costs and plan amendments over the average remaining service period of approximately 13 years of the active employee group covered by the plans,

 

 

the amortization of cumulative unrecognized net actuarial gains and losses in excess of 10% of the greater of the accrued benefit obligation or market-related value of plan assets at the beginning of the year over the average remaining service period of approximately 13 years of the active employee group covered by the plans.

The defined benefit plans obligations are determined in accordance with the projected benefit method prorated on services.

Other employee future benefit plans

Domtar accrues the cost of post-retirement benefits other than pensions as determined by independent actuaries. These benefits, which are funded by Domtar as they become due, include life insurance programs, medical and dental benefits and short-term and long-term disability programs. Domtar amortizes the cumulative unrecognized net actuarial gains and losses in excess of 10% of the accrued benefit obligation at the beginning of the year over the average remaining service period of approximately 15 years of the active employee group covered by the plans.

 

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Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Investment tax credits

Investment tax credits are recognized in earnings as a reduction of research and development expenses when Domtar has made the qualifying expenditures and has a reasonable assurance that the credits will be realized.

Disclosure of guarantees

A guarantee is a contract or an indemnification agreement that contingently requires Domtar to make payments to the other party of the contract or agreement, based on changes in an underlying item that is related to an asset, a liability or an equity security of the other party or on a third party’s failure to perform under an obligating agreement. It could also be an indirect guarantee of the indebtedness of another party, even though the payment to the other party may not be based on changes in an underlying item that is related to an asset, a liability or an equity security of the other party.

Countervailing and antidumping duties

Prior to the Softwood Lumber Agreement 2006 that was rendered effective October 12, 2006, cash deposits for countervailing and antidumping duties (lumber duties) made, were expensed as the deposits for softwood lumber export sales to the United States were made. The lumber duties expensed were presented in “Cost of sales.” Recoveries of cash deposits for lumber duties are only recognized when the amounts are reasonably measurable and their recovery is virtually certain. Recoveries resulting from the Softwood Lumber Agreement 2006 were recorded in “Antidumping and countervailing duties refund.” The 18.06% special charge imposed by the Canadian Government relating to this refund is provided for in “Trade and other payables.” Export taxes imposed by the Government of Canada are expensed as softwood lumber export sales to the United States are made. These export taxes are presented in “Cost of sales.”

Note 2. Accounting changes

2006

Stock-based compensation for employees eligible to retire before the vesting date

In July 2006, the Emerging Issues Committee of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (“CICA”) issued EIC 162, “Stock-based Compensation for Employees Eligible to Retire before the Vesting Date.” EIC-162 clarifies the accounting for compensation costs relating to stock-based awards granted to employees. EIC-162 requires that: i) compensation costs attributable to stock-based awards granted to employees who are eligible to retire on the grant date be recognized on the grant date; and ii) compensation cost attributable to stock-based awards granted to employees who will become eligible to retire during the vesting period be recognized over the period from the grant date to the date of retirement eligibility. This abstract is to be applied

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

retroactively, with restatement of prior periods, and is effective for the year ended December 31, 2006. The adoption of this guideline had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements under Canadian GAAP.

2004

Asset retirement obligations

On January 1, 2004, Domtar adopted retroactively with restatement of prior periods the new CICA Handbook Section 3110 “Asset Retirement Obligations,” which requires entities to record a liability at fair value, in the period in which it incurs a legal obligation associated to the retirement of an asset. The associated costs are capitalized as part of the carrying value of the related asset and depreciated over its remaining useful life. The liability is accreted using a credit adjusted risk-free interest rate. Section 3110 is analogous to the requirements of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) 143 “Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations,” which was adopted for U.S. GAAP purposes on January 1, 2003. Asset retirement obligations in connection with the adoption of Section 3110 were primarily linked to landfill capping obligations, asbestos removal obligations and demolition of certain abandoned buildings. For such assets, a liability is initially recognized in the period in which sufficient information exists to estimate a range of possible settlement dates. The adoption of Section 3110 has decreased the December 31, 2003 retained earnings by $3 million, $0.01 per common share, decreased assets by $7 million and decreased liabilities by $4 million.

Impact of accounting pronouncements not yet implemented

Accounting changes

On July 1, 2006, the Accounting Standards Board (“AcSB”) issued a replacement of Handbook Section 1506 “Accounting Changes.” The new standard allows for voluntary changes in accounting policy only when they result in the financial statements providing reliable and more relevant information, requires changes in accounting policy to be applied retrospectively unless doing so is impracticable, requires prior period effects of changes in accounting policies, estimates and errors on the financial statements. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2007, with earlier adoption encouraged. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Financial instruments

In April 2005, the CICA issued three new Handbook Sections related to financial instruments: Section 3855 “Financial Instruments—Recognition and Measurement,” Section 3865 “Hedges” and Section 1530 “Comprehensive Income.” These Sections apply to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2006.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Financial instruments—recognition and measurement

Section 3855 expands on Handbook Section 3860 “Financial Instruments—Disclosure and Presentation,” by prescribing when a financial instrument is to be recognized on the balance sheet and at what amount. It also specifies how financial instrument gains and losses are to be presented. Under this new Section:

 

 

All financial assets and liabilities will be carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, except loans and receivables, investments held-to-maturity and non-trading financial liabilities, which will be carried at amortized cost.

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains and losses on trading financial assets and liabilities will be recognized immediately in the consolidated statement of income.

 

 

Unrealized gains and losses on financial assets that are available for sale will be recognized in other comprehensive income until their realization, after which these amounts will be recognized in the consolidated statement of income.

 

 

All derivatives financial instruments will be carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, including those derivatives that are embedded in other contracts but are not closely related to the host contract.

 

 

Gains and losses on instruments designated as cash flow hedges are recognized in other comprehensive income, except for the ineffective portion of the hedges which will be recognized in net income.

Hedges

Section 3865 provides alternative accounting treatments to those found in Section 3855 for entities who choose to designate qualifying transactions as hedges for accounting purposes. It replaces and expands on AcG-13 “Hedging Relationships,” and the hedging guidance in Section 1650 “Foreign Currency Translation” by specifying how hedge accounting is applied and what disclosures are necessary when it is applied. Under this new statement:

 

 

In a fair value hedge, hedging derivatives are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of income. The changes in the fair value of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk will also be recorded in consolidated income by way of a corresponding adjustment of the carrying amount of the hedged items recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

 

 

In a cash flow hedge, the changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments will be recorded in other comprehensive income. These amounts will be reclassified in the consolidated statement of income in the periods in which results are affected by the cash flows of the hedged item.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

 

Hedges of net investments in self-sustaining foreign operations are treated in a manner similar to cash flow hedges.

 

 

Any hedge ineffectiveness will be recorded in the consolidated statement of income.

Comprehensive income

Section 1530 introduces a new requirement to present certain revenues, expenses, gains and losses, that otherwise would not be immediately recorded in income, in a comprehensive income statement with the same prominence as other statements that constitute a complete set of financial statements.

Domtar is currently completing its evaluation of the impact that these accounting pronouncements will have on its first quarter 2007 financial statements. Domtar expects the more significant impacts of applying these new Sections to relate to:

 

 

the requirement to present a new statement entitled “Comprehensive income,”

 

 

the recognition of the fair value of cash flow hedges on the balance sheet with the offset to other comprehensive income,

 

 

the reclassification of foreign currency translation adjustments from Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments to Other comprehensive income,

 

 

the reclassification of the deferred gains on the early settlement of interest rate swap contracts from Other liabilities and deferred credits to Long-term debt,

 

 

the reclassification of unamortized debt issue costs and long-term debt discounts from Other asset to Long-term debt.

As such, as at January 1, 2007, Domtar expects Other assets to decrease by approximately $26 million, Future income tax asset to increase by approximately $2 million, Other long-term liabilities and deferred credits to decrease by $5 million, Long-term debt to decrease by $14 million, Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments to be nil and Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to be a loss of $207 million.

Financial instrument—disclosures and presentation

In April 2005, the AcSB issued Handbook Section 3861 “Financial instruments—Disclosure and presentation.” This section establishes standards for presentation of financial instruments and non-financial derivatives and identifies information that should be disclosed about them. This section applies to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2006. In December 2006, the AcSB issued Handbook Section 3862 “Financial instruments—Disclosures” and Handbook Section 3863 “Financial instruments—Presentation.” These standards revise Section 3861. Under these new sections, entities will be required to disclose information that enables users to evaluate the

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

significance of a financial instrument to an entity’s financial position and performance. These sections apply to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2007. Domtar does not expect the initial adoption of these standards to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Capital disclosure

In December 2006, the AsCB issued Handbook Section 1535 “Capital Disclosures,” which establishes guidelines for the disclosure of information regarding an entity’s capital and how it is managed. This standard requires disclosure of an entity’s objectives, policies and processes for managing capital, quantitative data about what the entity regards as capital and whether the entity has complied with any capital requirements and, if it has not complied, the consequences of such non-compliance. This standard is effective for interim and annual financial statements relating to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2007. Domtar does not expect the initial adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Note 3. Measurement uncertainty

Impairment of long-lived assets

Domtar reviews the carrying amount of long-lived assets when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable through future operations. This is accomplished by determining whether projected undiscounted future cash flows from operations exceed the net carrying amount of the assets as of the assessment date (Step I test). Impaired assets are recorded at fair value, determined principally by using discounted future cash flows expected from their use and eventual disposition (Step II test). Estimates of future cash flows and fair value require judgment and may change over time.

During the fourth quarter of 2006, Domtar conducted Step I impairment tests on most of the Canadian Pulp and Paper manufacturing facilities and the Wood segment.

Estimates of future cash flows used to test the recoverability of a long-lived asset included key assumptions related to trend prices, the 10 to 15 years forecasted exchange rate for the U.S. dollar and the estimated useful life of the long-lived assets.

The trend prices were based on an analysis of external price trends, including Resource Information Systems, Inc. (RISI), as well as normalized pulp, paper and wood pricing over a business cycle at the mills subjected to the impairment tests.

The forecasted Canadian-U.S. foreign exchange rate assumptions were based on independent market information, as well as analysis of historical data, trends and cycles. Management expects the 10 to 15 years average rate to be approximately CAN$1.00 = US$0.75.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Domtar concluded that the recognition of an impairment loss for the business units analyzed was not required.

Given the inherent imprecision and corresponding importance of the key assumptions used in the impairment test, it is reasonably possible that changes in future conditions may lead management to use different key assumptions, which could require a material change in the net carrying amount of the assets tested for impairment. The total net carrying amount of these assets was $873 million as at December 31, 2006.

Note 4. Discontinued operations and assets held for sale

In December 2006, Domtar announced that it had reached an agreement in principle to sell its 50% interest in Norampac Inc. to Cascades Inc. for a cash consideration of $560 million. The sale was finalized on December 29, 2006, accordingly Norampac will no longer be included in the Packaging segment but classified as discontinued operations in the consolidated earnings and cash flows.

In November 2005, as part of its restructuring program, Domtar announced its intention to sell the Vancouver, British Columbia paper mill. Effective in the second quarter of 2006, the Vancouver paper mill was permanently closed. Considering the fact that its major product line will not continue to be sold, the Vancouver paper mill will no longer be included in the Papers segment but classified as discontinued operations in the consolidated earnings and cash flows and the property, plant and equipment as held for sale in the consolidated balance sheet. In July 2006, Domtar reached an agreement to sell the Vancouver paper mill property, subject to a number of closing conditions.

The consolidated earnings and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004 have been restated for purposes of comparability.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table provides selected financial information related to discontinued operations:

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Sales

   673     719     712  
      

Operating expenses

   610     717     687  

Closure and restructuring costs

   22     116     (1 )
      

Operating profit (loss) from discontinued operations

   41     (114 )   26  

Financing expenses

   13     11     7  

Amortization of deferred gain

       (5 )   (5 )

Gain on disposal of business

   (299 )        
      

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations before income taxes

   327     (120 )   24  

Income tax expense (recovery)

   62     (42 )   3  
      

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations

   265     (78 )   21  

Basic earnings (loss) from discontinued operations per share (in dollars)

   1.15     (0.33 )   0.09  

Diluted earnings (loss) from discontinued operations per share (in dollars)

   1.15     (0.33 )   0.09  
   

Note 5. Closure and restructuring costs

In 2005, Domtar’s management announced a series of targeted measures aimed at returning the Corporation to profitability. The plan included closures of the Cornwall and Ottawa, Ontario paper mills, the Grand-Remous and Malartic, Quebec sawmills, the sale of the Vancouver, British Columbia paper mill and cost-cutting initiatives. This workforce reduction and restructuring plan is in addition to the plans announced in 2004, which covered the Corporation’s paper and merchant operations in Canada and the United States.

In 2004, Domtar sold the St. Catharines, Ontario paper mill, which was closed in 2002, for $1 million to a third party who agreed to purchase it in its existing state. As such, the majority of the remaining closure cost provision was reversed.

In 2004, Domtar's management decided to permanently shut down the sawmill located in Chapleau, Ontario.

As at December 31, 2006, the balance of the provision was $26 million (2005—$83 million), which includes $20 million (2005—$75 million) related to the Papers segment and $6 million (2005—$8 million) related to the Wood segment.

Estimates of cash flows and fair value relating to closures and restructurings require judgment. Closure and restructuring costs are based on management’s best estimates of future events at December 31, 2006. Closure costs and restructuring estimates are dependent on future events. Although Domtar does not anticipate significant changes, the actual costs may differ from these

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

estimates due to subsequent developments such as the results of environmental studies, the ability to find a buyer for assets set to be dismantled and demolished and other business developments. As such, additional costs and further working capital and property, plant and equipment write-downs may be required in future periods.

The following table provides a reconciliation of all closure and restructuring costs:

 

       2006     2005     2004  
     Papers     Wood    Total     Papers     Wood    Total     Papers     Wood    Total  
      
                $                $                $  
   

Labor costs

   18     1    19     60     4    64     41     3    44  

Write-down of certain inventory items

   10        10     12     1    13             

Write-down of property, plant and equipment

              201     23    224         11    11  

Other closure related costs

   9        9     17     2    19     1        1  

Reversal of provision

   (3 )      (3 )   (3 )      (3 )   (7 )      (7 )
      

Closure and restructuring costs

   34     1    35     287     30    317     35     14    49  
   

Further costs related to the plans expected to be incurred over 2007 and thereafter are not significant.

The following table provides a reconciliation of all closure and restructuring cost provisions:

 

       2006     2005  
      
     $     $  
   

Balance at beginning of year from continuing operations

   83     36  

Severance payments

   (45 )   (27 )

Reclass to pension plans

   (15 )    

Reversal of provision

   (3 )   (1 )

Other

       1  

Additions

    

Labor costs

   5     64  

Environmental costs

       10  

Other

   1      
      

Balance at end of year from continuing operations

   26     83  

Discontinued operations

   1     16  
      

Balance at end of year

   27     99  
   

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 6. Financing expenses

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Interest on long-term debt

   150     148     149  

Exchange gains on long-term debt

       (4 )    

Receivables securitization

   14     8     6  

Net interest recoveries related to interest rate swap contracts

           (2 )

Refinancing expenses(a)

       7      

Amortization of deferred net gain on early settlements of interest rate swap contracts

   (12 )   (14 )   (14 )

Amortization of debt issue costs and other

   2     2     6  
      
   154     147     145  

Less: Income from short-term investments

   3     2     1  

Capitalized interest

   1     1     3  
      
   150     144     141  
      

Cash payments (cash receipts)

      

Interest, net of interest income and amounts capitalized

   145     137     147  

Net cash receipts related to interest rate swap contracts

           (20 )
      
   145     137     127  
   

 

(a)   In 2005, the Corporation recorded $7 million for a call premium paid to redeem the 8.75% notes.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 7. Income taxes

The following table provides a reconciliation of income taxes computed at the Canadian statutory rate to income tax recovery presented on the Consolidated earnings:

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Combined basic Canadian federal and provincial tax rate (statutory income tax rate)

   33.9%     33.6%     33.7%  

Income tax expense (recovery) based on statutory income tax rate

   29     (166 )   (40 )

Large corporation tax

       4     6  

Canadian manufacturing and processing activities

   2     4      

Foreign rate differential

   (7 )   (19 )   (22 )

Reassessment of prior years by tax authorities

   (10 )   (10 )   (4 )

Impact of increase (decrease) in income tax rate on future income taxes

   (2 )   8      

Permanent difference on foreign exchange losses (gains)

   15         (1 )

Other

   (3 )   (4 )   6  
      

Income tax expense (recovery)

   24     (183 )   (55 )
      

Income tax expense (recovery)

      

Current

   (1 )   10     13  

Future

   25     (193 )   (68 )
      
   24     (183 )   (55 )
   

Net cash receipts for income taxes in 2006 amounted to $12 million (2005—net payments amounted to $6 million; 2004—net payments amounted to $9 million).

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table provides the geographic distribution of the income tax expense (recovery):

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Earnings (loss) before income taxes

      

Canada

   (133 )   (549 )   (231 )

Foreign

   220     56     113  
      
   87     (493 )   (118 )
      

Current income taxes

      

Canada

   (8 )   3     2  

Foreign

   7     7     11  
      
   (1 )   10     13  
      

Future income taxes

      

Canada

   (33 )   (174 )   (57 )

Foreign

   58     (19 )   (11 )
      
   25     (193 )   (68 )
   

 

       2006     2005  
      
     $     $  
   

Components of future income tax assets and liabilities

    

Future income tax assets

    

Accounting provisions not deductible for tax purposes

   68     66  

Losses and other deductions carryforward

   441     533  

Deferred credits

   11     33  
      
   520     632  
      

Future income tax liabilities

    

Property, plant and equipment

   (673 )   (786 )

Pension and other employee future benefit plans

   (33 )   (22 )

Impact of foreign exchange on long-term debt

   (51 )   (60 )

Other

   (1 )   (6 )
      
   (758 )   (874 )
      

Total net future income tax liability

   (238 )   (242 )
      

Net current future income tax asset

   45     38  

Net non-current future income tax asset

   2     18  

Net current future income tax liability

       (6 )

Net non-current future income tax liability

   (285 )   (292 )
      
   (238 )   (242 )
   

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar had federal net operating losses carryforward of $1,158 million. These federal net operating losses carryforward are set to expire between 2010 and 2025.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 8. Earnings (loss) per share

The basic net earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net earnings (loss) applicable to common shares by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year.

The diluted net earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net earnings (loss) applicable to common shares by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year, plus the effects of dilutive common share equivalents such as options and share purchase loans. The diluted net earnings (loss) per share is calculated using the treasury method, as if all common share equivalents had been exercised at the beginning of the year, or the date of the issuance, as the case may be, and that the funds obtained thereby were used to purchase common shares of Domtar at the average trading price of the common shares during the year. Stock options to purchase common shares are not included in the computation of diluted net earnings (loss) per share in years when net losses are recorded given that they are anti-dilutive.

The following table provides the reconciliation between basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share:

 

       2006    2005     2004  
      
     $    $     $  
   

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

   63    (310 )   (63 )

Dividend requirements of preferred shares

   1    1     1  
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations applicable to common shares

   62    (311 )   (64 )

Net earnings (loss)

   328    (388 )   (42 )

Dividend requirements of preferred shares

   1    1     1  
      

Net earnings (loss) applicable to common shares

   327    (389 )   (43 )

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

   230.5    229.7     228.7  

Effect of dilutive securities (millions)

   0.1         
      

Weighted average number of diluted common shares outstanding (millions)

   230.6    229.7     228.7  
      

Basic earnings (loss) from continuing operations per share (in dollars)

   0.27    (1.36 )   (0.28 )

Diluted earnings (loss) from continuing operations per share (in dollars)

   0.27    (1.36 )   (0.28 )

Basic net earnings (loss) per share (in dollars)

   1.42    (1.69 )   (0.19 )

Diluted net earnings (loss) per share (in dollars)

   1.42    (1.69 )   (0.19 )
   

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table provides the securities that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share in the future but that were not included in the computation of diluted earnings (loss) per share because to do so would have been anti-dilutive for the years presented:

 

       2006    2005    2004
 

Number of shares:

        

Options

   4,023,607    4,833,126    5,306,553

Bonus shares

   80,000    136,675    226,693

Rights

   84,500    84,500    84,500
 

Note 9. Receivables

 

       2006     2005  
      
     $     $  
   

Trade receivables

   5     139  

Subordinate interest in securitized receivables

   285     108  

Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts

   (13 )   (14 )
      
   277     233  

Silvicultural credits receivable

   5     6  

Sales taxes receivable

   9     14  

Other receivables

   14     41  
      

Receivables

   305     294  
   

Receivables securitization

Domtar uses securitization of its receivables as a source of financing by reducing its working capital requirements. Domtar’s securitizations consist of the sale of receivables, or the sale of senior beneficial interest in them, to special purpose trusts managed by financial institutions for multiple sellers of receivables. The agreements normally allow the daily sale of new receivables to replace those that have been collected. They also limit the cash that can be received from the sale of the senior beneficial interest. Such sales of receivables are contingent upon annual renewals and retaining specified credit ratings. The subordinate interest retained by Domtar is included in “Receivables” and will be collected only after the senior beneficial interest has been settled. The book value of the retained subordinated interests approximates fair value.

Domtar retains responsibility for servicing the receivables sold but does not record a servicing asset or liability as the fees received by Domtar for this service approximate the fair value of the services rendered.

In 2006, a net charge of $14 million (2005—$8 million; 2004—$6 million) resulted from the programs described below and was included in “Financing expenses.”

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

U.S. and Canadian accounts receivable program

In January 2002, Domtar entered into an agreement, which was renewed in December 2004 and was scheduled to mature in December 2005 for the securitization of U.S. receivables. The agreement has been extended by the administrator of the program until the new settlement. In February 2006, Domtar entered into a three-year agreement, including both U.S. and Canadian receivables. The maximum cash consideration that can be received from the sale of receivables under this combined agreement is $221 million (US$190 million).

At December 31, the following balances were outstanding under this program:

 

       2006     2005  
            
     $     US$     $     US$  
   

Securitized receivables

   308     265     271     232  

Senior beneficial interest held by third parties

   (23 )   (20 )   (163 )   (140 )
      

Subordinate interest in securitized receivables retained by Domtar

   285     245     108     92  
   

In 2006, the net cash outflow from the sale of senior beneficial interests in the U.S. and Canadian receivables was $140 million (US$120 million) (2005—cash outflow from the sale of U.S. receivables of $9 million (US$8 million); 2004—cash inflow from the sale of U.S. receivables of $17 million (US$14 million)) and was included in the Consolidated cash flows as a use or source of cash from receivables.

Canadian accounts receivable program

In December 2000, Domtar entered into an agreement, which was renewed in December 2003, for the securitization of Canadian receivables for a maximum cash consideration of $75 million. On December 15, 2005, the parties agreed not to renew the agreement, which expired in December 2005. Since February 2006, Canadian receivables are sold in the new combined program mentioned above.

In 2006, the net cash inflow from the sale of senior beneficial interests in the Canadian receivables was nil (2005—cash outflow of $58 million; 2004—cash inflow of $5 million) and was included in the Consolidated cash flows as a use or source of cash from receivables.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 10. Inventories

 

       2006    2005
    
     $    $
     

Work in process and finished goods

   342    376

Raw materials

   107    182

Operating and maintenance supplies

   126    157
    
   575    715
 

Note 11. Property, plant and equipment

 

       2006    2005
    
     Cost    Accumulated
Amortization
   Net
Carrying
Amount
   Cost    Accumulated
Amortization
   Net
Carrying
Amount
 
     $    $    $    $    $    $

Machinery and equipment

   4,540    2,090    2,450    5,604    2,683    2,921

Buildings

   780    424    356    979    504    475

Timber limits and land

   189    32    157    209    30    179

Assets under construction

   81       81    59       59
    
   5,590    2,546    3,044    6,851    3,217    3,634
 

As at December 31, 2006, a net carrying amount of $7 million (2005—$7 million) included in Buildings is held under capital leases ($9 million for cost (2005—$9 million) and $2 million for accumulated amortization (2005—$2 million)) and a net carrying amount of $4 million (2005—$4 million) included in Timber limits and land is held under capital leases.

As at December 31, 2006, the net carrying amount of idled and permanently closed facilities amounted to $37 million (2005—$5 million).

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 12. Other assets

 

       2006    2005
    
     $    $
 

Accrued benefit asset—defined benefit pension plans (Note 21)

   213    204

Investment tax credits receivable

   29    33

Unamortized debt issue costs

   17    23

Future income tax assets

   2    18

Investments and advances

   5    12

Discount on long-term debt

   9    10

Other

      9
    
   275    309
 

Note 13. Trade and other payables

 

       2006    2005
    
     $    $
 

Trade payables

   286    335

Payroll-related accruals

   116    119

Accrued interest

   39    40

Payables on capital projects

   9    8

Rebates accruals

   27    15

Accrued benefit liability—defined benefit pension plans (Note 21)

   2    2

Accrued benefit liability—other employee future benefit plans (Note 21)

   4    6

Provision for environment and other asset retirement obligations (Note 15)

   14    21

Closure and restructuring costs excluding costs for defined benefit pension plans and site remediation (Note 5)

   15    75

Other

   21    30
    
   533    651
 

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 14. Long-term debt

 

       Maturity    2006    2005
    
          $    $
 

The Corporation

        

Unsecured debentures and notes

        

10% Debentures

   2011    82    82

7.875% Notes (2006 and 2005—US$600)

   2011    699    700

5.375% Notes (2006 and 2005—US$350)

   2013    408    408

7.125% Notes (2006 and 2005—US$400)

   2015    466    466

9.5% Debentures (2006 and 2005—US$125)

   2016    146    146

10.85% Debentures

   2017    75    75

Unsecured revolving credit facility

   2010       160

Capital lease obligations

   2028    11    11

Other

      4    5
       
      1,891    2,053
 

Norampac

        

Unsecured notes

        

6.75% Notes (2006—nil and 2005—US$125)

   2013       146

Secured revolving credit facility

        

(2006—nil; 2005—CAN$49 and 7)

   2008       58

Other

         2
       
         206
       
      1,891    2,259

Less: Due within one year

      2    2
       
      1,889    2,257
 

As at December 31, 2006, principal long-term debt repayments, including capital lease obligations, in each of the next five years amounted to:

 

2007   2008   2009   2010   2011
 
$   $   $   $   $

2

    3     781
 

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The corporation

Unsecured debentures and notes

On August 5, 2005, the Corporation issued $487 million (US$400 million) 7.125% notes due in 2015 at an issue price of $482 million (US$396 million). The gross proceeds from the sale of the notes was used to redeem the 8.75% notes due in August 2006 for an amount of approximately $176 million (US$150 million) and to repay most of the unsecured revolving credit facility then outstanding. Issuance expenses for the new notes of $5 million (US$4 million) were deferred and will be amortized over the duration of the notes.

The 10% and 10.85% debentures each have purchase fund requirements, whereby the Corporation undertakes to make all reasonable efforts to purchase quarterly, for cancellation, a portion of the aggregate principal amount of the debentures at prices not exceeding par.

Bank facility

The Corporation has an unsecured revolving credit facility of US$600 million that expires in 2010.

Borrowings under this unsecured revolving credit facility bear interest at a rate based on the Canadian dollar bankers’ acceptance or U.S. dollar LIBOR rate or on the Canadian or U.S. prime rate, each with an added spread that varies with Domtar’s credit rating. This credit facility also requires commitment fees that vary with Domtar’s credit rating.

As at December 31, 2006, there were no borrowings (2005—$175 million, of which $15 million was in the form of overdraft and included in “Bank indebtedness,” and $160 million was included in “Long-term debt”) under the unsecured revolving credit facility that was outstanding. In addition, as at December 31, 2006, the Corporation had outstanding letters of credit pursuant to this bank credit for an amount of $18 million (2005—$21 million). The Corporation also has other outstanding letters of credit for an amount of $3 million (2005—$5 million). A provision of $4 million (2005—$4 million) was recorded related to letters of credits.

In 2006, the interest rates on outstanding borrowings under the bank facilities ranged from 5.00% to 6.50% (2005—from 3.21% to 7.25%).

The Corporation’s borrowing agreements contain restrictive covenants. In particular, the Corporation’s bank facility requires compliance with certain financial ratios on a quarterly basis.

Certain debt agreements require the Corporation to indemnify the parties in the event of changes in elements such as withholding tax regulations. As the nature and scope of such indemnifications are contingent on future events, none of which can be foreseen as at December 31, 2006, and the structure of such transactions makes these events unlikely, no provisions have been recorded in the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Norampac

In December 2006, the Corporation sold its investment of Norampac Inc. The information below is for comparative purposes relating to 2005.

Norampac’s debt is non-recourse to the Corporation. The following amounts represent the Corporation’s proportionate share.

Unsecured notes

The 6.75% unsecured notes issued in 2003 are redeemable in whole or in part at Norampac’s option under certain conditions and subject to payment of a redemption premium.

Bank facility

Norampac has a five-year secured revolving credit facility of $175 million maturing in 2008. The revolving credit facility is secured by all the inventories and receivables of Norampac Inc. and its North American subsidiaries and by property, plant and equipment at two of its containerboard mills and three of its converting facilities. Also, this facility requires compliance with certain covenants. As at December 31, 2005, the Corporation’s proportionate share of assets secured under this revolving credit facility relating to receivables, inventories and property, plant and equipment amounted to $98 million, $69 million and $223 million, respectively. Borrowings under this credit facility bear interest at floating rates plus a borrowing margin based on Norampac’s credit rating. Standby fees are payable on Norampac’s available unused credit lines at an annual rate that varies according to Norampac’s credit rating.

As at December 31, 2005, $58 million of borrowings under the secured revolving credit facility were outstanding. In addition, as at December 31, 2005, Norampac had outstanding letters of credit pursuant to this bank credit for an amount of $4 million. No provision was recorded related to outstanding letters of credits.

In 2005, the interest rates on outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility ranged from 3.44% to 5.56%.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 15. Other liabilities and deferred credits

 

       2006    2005
     $    $
 

Other liabilities

     

Accrued benefit liability—other employee future benefit plans (Note 21)

   68    94

Accrued benefit liability—defined benefit pension plans (Note 21)

   26    30

Provision for environment and other asset retirement obligations

   40    42

Other

   27    45

Deferred credits

     

Deferred gain on contribution of net assets to Norampac

      34

Deferred net gain on early settlements of interest rate swap contracts

   12    24

Deferred foreign exchange gain on translation of long-term debt(a)

   41    48

Investment tax credits and other

   9    14
    
   223    331
 

 

(a)

 

In 2006, $7 million of the gain was recognized to earnings and the remaining $41 million will be recognized to earnings in 2016.

Asset retirement obligations

The asset retirement obligations are principally linked to landfill capping obligations, asbestos removal obligations and demolition of certain abandoned buildings. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar has estimated the net present value of its asset retirement obligations to be $21 million (2005—$23 million); the present value was based on probability weighted undiscounted cash outflow of $50 million (2005—$41 million). The majority of asset retirement obligations are estimated to be settled prior to December 31, 2025. However, some settlement scenarios call for obligations to be settled as late as December 31, 2046. Domtar’s credit adjusted risk-free rates were used to calculate the net present value of the asset retirement obligations. The rates used vary between 4.50% and 9.40%, based on the prevailing rate at the moment of recognition of the liability and on its settlement period.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table reconciles Domtar’s asset retirement obligations:

 

       2006     2005  
     $     $  
   
    

Asset retirement obligations, beginning of year

   23     25  

Liabilities incurred during the year

       2  

Revisions to estimated cash flows

   (1 )   (1 )

Revisions to estimated cash flows related to restructurings (Note 5)

   (1 )   (3 )

Discontinued operations (Note 4)

   (1 )    

Accretion expense

   1     1  

Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change

       (1 )
      

Asset retirement obligations, end of year

   21     23  
   

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 16. Commitments and contingencies

Environment

Domtar is subject to environmental laws and regulations enacted by federal, provincial, state and local authorities.

In 2006, Domtar’s operating expenditures for environmental matters, as described in Note 1, amounted to $60 million (2005—$68 million; 2004—$69 million).

Domtar made capital expenditures for environmental matters of $9 million in 2006 (2005—$17 million; 2004—$22 million) for the improvement of air emissions, effluent treatment and remedial actions to address environmental compliance. At this time, Domtar cannot reasonably estimate the additional capital expenditures that may be required. However, management expects any additional required expenditure would not have a material adverse effect on Domtar’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

Domtar continues to take remedial action under its Care and Control Program at a number of former operating sites, especially in the wood preserving sector, due to possible soil, sediment or groundwater contamination. The investigation and remediation process is lengthy and subject to the uncertainties of changes in legal requirements, technological developments and the allocation of liability among potentially responsible parties.

While Domtar believes that it has determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred based on known information, Domtar’s ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with its properties may lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts may result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar had a provision of $54 million (2005—$63 million) for environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, management believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on Domtar’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

In addition, the pulp and paper industry in the United States is subject to the Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) Rules that further regulate effluent and air emissions. Domtar complies with all present regulations and anticipates spending approximately $4 million over the next year to meet such requirements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

As at December 31, 2006, anticipated undiscounted payments in each of the next five years were as follows:

 

       2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    Thereafter    Total
     $    $    $    $    $    $    $
 

Environmental provision and other asset retirement obligations

   12    10    7    3    6    16    54

Boiler MACT Rules

   4                   4
 

Contingencies

In the normal course of operations, Domtar becomes involved in various legal actions mostly related to contract disputes, patent infringements, environmental and product warranty claims, and labour issues. While the final outcome with respect to actions outstanding or pending as at December 31, 2006, cannot be predicted with certainty, it is management’s opinion that their resolution will not have a material adverse effect on Domtar’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

E.B. Eddy acquisition

On July 31, 1998, the Corporation acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc. (E.B. Eddy), an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of the Corporation in specified circumstances, the Corporation may have had to pay up to a maximum of $120 million, an amount which is gradually declining over a 25-year period. As at December 31, 2006, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was $110 million. No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

Lease and other commercial commitments

The Corporation has entered into operating leases for property, plant and equipment. The Corporation also has commitments to purchase property, plant and equipment, roundwood, wood chips, gas, electricity and certain chemicals. Minimum future payments under these operating leases and other commercial commitments, determined as at December 31, 2006, were as follows:

 

       2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    Thereafter    Total
     $    $    $    $    $    $    $
 

Operating leases

   20    17    13    11    9    17    87

Other commercial commitments

   85    34    25    9    7    6    166
 

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Total operating lease expense amounted to $28 million in 2006 (2005—$35 million; 2004—$38 million).

Guarantees

Indemnifications

In the normal course of business, the Corporation offers indemnifications relating to the sale of its businesses and real estate. In general, these indemnifications may relate to claims from past business operations, the failure to abide by covenants and the breach of representations and warranties included in the sales agreements. Typically, such representations and warranties relate to taxation, environmental, product and employee matters. The terms of these indemnification agreements are generally for an unlimited period of time. As at December 31, 2006, the Corporation is unable to estimate the potential maximum liabilities for these types of indemnification guarantees as the amounts are contingent upon the outcome of future events, the nature and likelihood of which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. Accordingly, no provisions have been recorded. These indemnifications have not yielded significant expenses in the past.

Note 17. Stated capital and stock based compensation

Preferred shares

The outstanding preferred shares at December 31, were as follows:

 

       2006    2005
         
     Number of
shares
   $    Number
of shares
   $
 

Preferred shares

           

Series A

   67,476    1    68,176    2

Series B

   1,230,000    31    1,350,000    34
    
      32       36
 

The authorized preferred shares consist of preferred shares issuable in an unlimited number of series, ranking equal with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets.

The Series A Preferred shares are non-voting and redeemable at the Corporation’s option at $25.00 per share since April 1, 1994. These shares carry a cumulative cash dividend per share of $2.25 per annum.

The Series B Preferred shares are non-voting and redeemable at the Corporation’s option at $25.00 per share. These shares carry a cumulative cash dividend equivalent to 72% of the bank prime rate.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The Corporation has undertaken to make all reasonable efforts to purchase quarterly, for cancellation, 1% of the number of Series A and Series B Preferred shares outstanding on April 2, 1992, at prices not exceeding $25.00 per share. In connection therewith, preferred shares purchased for cancellation were as follows:

 

       2006    2005    2004
              
     Number
of shares
   Average price
per share
   Number
of
shares
   Average price
per share
   Number
of
shares
   Average price
per share
          $         $         $
 

Series A

   700    25.05    1,400    25.00      

Series B

   120,000    20.91    120,000    22.57    120,000    24.68
 

Common shares

The Corporation is authorized to issue an unlimited number of common shares. In 2006, no cash dividend has been declared on these shares (2005—$0.18 per share; 2004—$0.24 per share). The changes in the number of outstanding common shares and their aggregate stated value from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2006, were as follows:

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     Number of
shares
    $     Number of
shares
    $     Number of
shares
    $  
   

Balance at beginning of year

   230,967,490     1,795     230,237,356     1,788     228,860,806     1,768  

Shares issued

            

Stock option and share purchase plans

   609,212     5     730,134     7     1,376,550     20  
      

Balance before share purchase financing agreements

   231,576,702     1,800     230,967,490     1,795     230,237,356     1,788  

Share purchase financing agreements

   (828,755 )   (12 )   (845,770 )   (12 )   (947,105 )   (13 )
      

Balance at end of year

   230,747,947     1,788     230,121,720     1,783     229,290,251     1,775  
      

Book value per common share at end of year

     8.27       6.84       8.75  
   

Book value per common share is the sum of the stated value of common shares, contributed surplus, retained earnings and accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments divided by the number of common shares outstanding at year-end.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

As at December 31, 2006, the Corporation had a receivable from its employees of $12 million (2005—$12 million; 2004—$13 million) related to share purchase loans granted to them. These shares are held in trust as security for the loans that are interest bearing at the dividend rate and with defined repayment terms not exceeding 10 years. At the end of the year, there were 828,755 shares (2005—845,770 shares; 2004—947,105 shares) held in trust in respect to employee loans for which the market value was $9.85 (2005—$6.71; 2004—$14.50) per share. These loans were included as a reduction of “Common shares.”

Restricted stock plan

The Restricted Stock Plan (RSP), was introduced in 2005. Under the RSP, Domtar’s common shares may be granted to executive and other key employees. The Corporation or a trustee selected by the Corporation in its discretion will acquire, on the secondary market, the number of common shares granted. The common shares granted pursuant to the RSP shall be held in trust for the benefit of the participant with a trust company for a period which may not exceed three years from the date of each grant. At the end of the restricted period, and provided that the participant has remained in continuous employment with the Corporation since the date of grant, the participant will be entitled to receive a share certificate representing 1) the number of shares of the initial grant, and 2) the additional shares accumulated in the participant’s account by reinvestment of dividends, if any. During the restricted period, no participant shall be entitled to exercise voting rights or any other rights attaching to the ownership of the shares, nor shall any participant be considered the beneficial owner of any shares until they become fully vested upon termination of the applicable restricted period.

During 2006, 341,765 common shares were acquired and are held in trust pursuant to the RSP (2005—394,080). The total expense recognized in Domtar’s results of operations related to these common shares amounted to $2 million in 2006 (2005—$1 million).

Executive stock option and share purchase plan

Under the Executive Stock Option and Share Purchase Plan (Plan), options may be granted to selected eligible employees. Options are granted at a price equal to the market value on the day immediately preceding the date the options were granted and generally expire 10 years after the date of the grant. Normally, one quarter of the options may be exercised at each anniversary date of the grant. In 2005, the rights feature of the Plan was eliminated. Previously granted rights were not affected by this measure. The actual granted rights permit eligible employees to purchase shares at 90% of the quoted market value on the day immediately preceding the date the rights were granted, and provide for a one-for-four bonus share to be issued on the third anniversary date of the grant of the rights.

In 2005, a new feature was introduced to the Plan for all grants starting with 2005 going-forward. Options granted before 2005 are not affected by this new feature. Pursuant to this new

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

feature, the granted stock options will vest in four increments of 25% on each anniversary date of the grant. When vested, the relevant annual portion will be available for exercise provided the price of Domtar’s common shares on the exercise date has increased by at least 20% over the grant price. Upon exercise, 60% of the difference between the fair market value of Domtar’s common shares at the time of exercise and the grant price must be converted in common share of Domtar which must be held by the participant for at least 12 months after the date of exercise. Any annual portion that has not been exercised on or before the expiry date of the option will automatically lapse on such expiry date. The option has been granted for a period of six years, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

In 2003, a new performance feature was introduced to the Plan for all grants starting with 2003 going-forward. Options granted before 2003 are not affected by this new feature. Pursuant to this new feature, the granted stock options will vest in four increments of 25% on each anniversary date of the grant, provided the performance of Domtar’s common share price is equal to or exceeds the average performance of an index composed of the S&P 500 Materials (U.S.) index (50%) and the S&P/TSX Materials (Canada) index (50%). On each anniversary date of the grant, the average closing price of Domtar’s common shares, during the 20 consecutive trading days on the Toronto Stock Exchange immediately preceding each anniversary date of the grant, is used to measure the performance of Domtar’s common share price and is compared to the average performance of the index during the same reference period. The relevant annual portion only vests on a given anniversary date if the performance of Domtar’s common share price equals or exceeds the average index during the relevant reference period. Should this not be the case, the annual portion will not vest but may vest on any following anniversary date if the foregoing test, applied on a cumulative basis, is satisfied on a subsequent anniversary date over the vesting period of four years. Any annual portion which has not vested on or before the end of the vesting period of the option will automatically lapse on the expiry date. The new performance options have a term of 10 years and will expire in February 2013.

In June 2001, 1,050,000 stock options were granted to members of the Management Committee. Pursuant to this grant, and except in certain specified circumstances, there was no prorata or early vesting prior to January 1, 2004, at which time the options became fully vested if the holder of the options was still an employee of Domtar. After vesting, the options may not be exercised unless both of the following two conditions have been met: 1) at any time between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2003, the weighted average trading price of the Domtar’s common shares during 20 consecutive trading days on the Toronto Stock Exchange has reached or exceeded $16.70, $18.51 or $20.32, whereupon 25%, 50% or 100%, respectively, of the options granted become exercisable; and 2) the appreciation in the market value of the Domtar’s common shares between January 1, 2001 and the exercise date is equal to or exceeds the increase in the Standard & Poor’s U.S. Paper & Forest Products index during the same period. As at December 31, 2006, only 14% of the options are exercisable, provided the above-mentioned conditions are met, and the remaining 86% have been cancelled, as the objectives of the program have not been attained.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The fair value of options granted during the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004 was estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:

 

       2006    2005    2004
 

Risk-free interest rate

   4.0%    4.0%    4.2%

Annual dividends per shares (in dollars)

      $    0.24    $    0.24

Expected lives (years)

   6    6    6

Volatility

   34.3%    30.6%    33.4%

Estimated realization percentage-performance options

   84.5%    61.4%    69.8%

Weighted average fair value of options granted during the year
(in dollars per option)

   $    5.24    $    2.95    $    3.68
 

Changes in the number of options outstanding were as follows:

 

       2006    2005    2004
    
     Number of
options
    Weighted
average
exercise
price
   Number of
options
    Weighted
average
exercise
price
   Number of
options
    Weighted
average
exercise
price
           $          $          $
 

Outstanding at beginning of year

   4,833,126     14.38    5,306,553     14.83    5,688,264     14.22

Granted

   528,250     6.23    495,250     11.44    1,266,000     15.53

Exercised

          (21,847 )   11.12    (540,270 )   11.57

Cancelled

   (515,218 )   14.45    (946,830 )   15.44    (1,107,441 )   14.08

Expired

   (321,301 )   11.67              
    

Outstanding at end of year

   4,524,857     13.62    4,833,126     14.38    5,306,553     14.83
    

Options exercisable at end of year

   2,171,257     14.27    2,424,793     13.77    2,287,587     13.79
 

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table summarizes the information about options outstanding and exercisable as at December 31, 2006:

 

       Options outstanding    Options exercisable
Range of exercise prices    Number of
options
   Weighted
average
remaining
contractual
life
   Weighted
average
exercise
price
   Number of
options
   Weighted
average
exercise
price
 
               $         $

$6.23 - $9.18

   512,250    5.1    6.29    11,000    9.18

$9.19 - $13.26

   1,306,382    3.1    11.60    925,882    11.66

$13.27 - $16.52

   2,706,225    5.6    15.98    1,234,375    16.27
    
   4,524,857    4.8    13.62    2,171,257    14.27
 

During the year, no shares (2005—nil; 2004—353,900) were issued pursuant to the exercise of rights and 61,425 bonus shares (2005 — 70,393; 2004—52,730) were issued. The total expense recognized in Domtar’s results of operations related to these rights and bonus shares amounted to $3 million in 2006 (2005—$4 million; 2004—$2 million). As at December 31, 2006, 80,000 bonus shares could be issued over the next year.

As at December 31, 2006, 16,000,000 common shares (2005—16,000,000; 2004—16,000,000) were authorized for issuance under the Plan. Since its inception, 6,119,260 shares have been issued under this plan. These common shares are issued from treasury.

During the year, under the Executive Stock Option and Share Purchase Plan and the Employee Share Purchase Plan, as described below, $3 million (2005—$5 million; 2004—$4 million) was included in “Contributed surplus” in conjunction with the recognition of stock-based compensation expense. The total compensation cost related to non-vested Executive Stock Option and Shares Purchase Plans not yet recognized is $2 million as at December 31, 2006. The weighted average period over which this cost is expected to be recognized is one year.

Deferred share unit plans

Outside directors

Under the Deferred Share Unit Plan for Outside Directors of the Corporation, deferred share units (DSUs), equivalent in value to a common share, may be granted to eligible directors. In addition, participants may elect to receive their annual retainer and attendance fees in DSUs. A participant shall receive, not later than the 31st of January following the end of the year during which the participant ceases to be a member of the Board of Directors, a lump sum payment in cash equal to the number of DSUs recorded in the participant’s account on the termination date multiplied by the termination date value of the common shares or, if the participant so elects, a number of common shares to be purchased on the open market equal to the number of DSUs

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

then recorded in the participant’s account less, in either case, any applicable withholding tax. A participant account shall be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional DSUs when normal cash dividends are paid on common shares. Upon payment in full of the DSUs, they shall be cancelled. The total expense (reversal) recognized in Domtar’s results of operations amounted to $1.9 million in 2006 (2005—$(0.3) million; 2004—$0.4 million). In 2006, 116,644 DSUs (2005—99,389; 2004—37,940) were issued and no DSUs (2005—nil; 2004—45,334) were redeemed. As at December 31, 2006, 346,166 DSUs (2005—229,523; 2004—130,134) were outstanding.

Executives

Under the Executive Deferred Share Unit Plan of the Corporation, DSUs may be granted to eligible executives. A participant shall receive, no later than the 31st of January following the end of the year during which occurred the participant’s date of retirement, death, determination of long-term disability or termination of employment at the end of a continuous period that started on or after January 1, 1999 and represents at least seven years of tenure as a member of the Management Committee, a lump sum payment in cash equal to the number of DSUs recorded in the participant’s account on one of these dates multiplied by the redemption value of the common shares or, if the participant so elects, a number of common shares to be purchased on the open market equal to the number of DSUs then recorded in the participant’s account less, in either case, any applicable withholding tax. A participant account shall be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional DSUs when normal cash dividends are paid on common shares. Upon payment in full of the DSUs, they shall be cancelled. In 2005, the Executive Deferred Share Unit Plan was eliminated. Previously granted DSUs are not affected by this change. The total expense (reversal) recognized in Domtar’s results of operation amounted to $0.2 million in 2006 (2005—$(0.5) million; 2004—$(0.6) million). As at December 31, 2006, 46,128 DSUs (2005—56,443; 2004—66,178) were outstanding under this plan.

Under the Executive Performance Share Unit Plan approved in December 2003, Performance Share Units (PSUs) may be granted to eligible executives and other key employees of Domtar or any of its affiliates. Each PSUs, subject to the vesting conditions (including certain conditions relating to the relative performance of the Domtar’s common shares) set out in each grant being fulfilled, gives a participant the right to receive one common share of Domtar or, at his option, the cash equivalent at the time of vesting. In the event a participant elects to receive common shares, Domtar will make arrangements for delivery of such shares through purchases on the open market then recorded in the participant’s account less, in either case, any applicable withholding tax. A participant account shall be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional PSUs when normal cash dividends are paid on common shares. The total expense recognized in Domtar’s results of operations amounted to $0.1 million in 2006 (2005—$0.1 million; 2004—$0.1 million), representing 551,497 (2005—740,812; 2004—725,989) units authorized and issued since the inception of the plan. In February 2007, 504,044 PSUs were cancelled.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Employee share purchase plans

Under the Employee Share Purchase Plans, all employees are eligible to purchase common shares at a price of 90% of the quoted market value. Common shares are purchased under the plans on monthly investment dates. Shares purchased under the Canadian plan are subject to a mandatory twelve-month holding period. Employees who hold the shares for 18 months following the date of acquisition (U.S. plan) or who hold the shares purchased in any calendar year until June 30 of the following year (Canadian plan) are entitled to receive additional common shares equivalent to 10% of the cost of such shares. As at December 31, 2006, 6,050,000 common shares (2005—6,050,000; 2004—6,050,000) were authorized for issuance under the plans. During the year, 547,787 common shares (2005—637,894; 2004—421,825) were issued under the plans at an average price of $7.12 (2005—$9.08; 2004—$15.77) per share. Since their inception, 5,687,049 shares have been issued under these plans.

Note 18. Financial instruments

Fair value of financial instruments

 

       2006    2005
     Fair
value
   Carrying
amount
   Fair
value
   Carrying
amount
         
     $    $    $    $
 

Long-term debt

   1,918    1,891    2,064    2,259
 

The fair value of the long-term debt, including the portion due within one year, is principally based on quoted market prices.

Due to their short-term maturity, the carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, bank indebtedness, trade and other payables and income and other taxes approximate their fair values.

Interest rate risk

Domtar is exposed to interest rate risk arising from fluctuations in interest rates on its cash and cash equivalents, its bank indebtedness, its bank credit facility and its long-term debt. Domtar may manage this interest rate exposure by the use of derivative instruments such as interest rate swap contracts.

In 2004, the Corporation terminated, prior to maturity, interest rate swap contracts for net cash proceeds of $20 million (US$15 million). The resulting gain of $17 million recorded under “Other liabilities and deferred credits” was deferred and is recognized against financing expenses over the period ending November 2013, the term of the underlying 5.375% notes.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

In 2002, the Corporation terminated, prior to maturity, interest rate swap contracts for net cash proceeds of $40 million (US$26 million). The net gain of $40 million recorded under “Other liabilities and deferred credits” was deferred and is recognized against financing expenses over the period of the interest rate payments ending October 2003 and October 2006, the original designated hedging period of the underlying 7.875% notes. In 2006, the net amount of $10 million (2005—$13 million) was recognized against “Financing expenses.”

Credit risk

Domtar is exposed to credit risk on the accounts receivable from its customers. In order to reduce this risk, Domtar reviews new customers’ credit histories before granting credit and conducts regular reviews of existing customers’ credit performance. As at December 31, 2006, one of Domtar’s paper segment customers located in the United States represented 5% ($16 million) (2005—4% ($18 million)) of the receivables, prior to the effect of the receivables securitization.

Domtar is also exposed to credit risk in the event of non-performance by counterparties to its financial instruments. Domtar minimizes this exposure by entering into contracts with counterparties that are believed to be of high credit quality. Collateral or other security to support financial instruments subject to credit risk is usually not obtained. The credit standing of counterparties is regularly monitored.

Foreign currency risk

In order to reduce the potential negative effects of a fluctuating Canadian dollar, Domtar has entered into various arrangements to stabilize anticipated future net cash inflows denominated in U.S. dollars. The following table provides the detail of the arrangements used as hedging instruments:

 

       2006    2005    2006    2005
    
     Average exchange rate    Contractual amounts
    
     (CAN$/US$)    (In millions of U.S. dollars)
 

Forward foreign exchange contracts

           

0 to 12 months

      1.24       295

Currency options purchased

           

0 to 12 months

   1.12       360   

Currency options sold

           

0 to 12 months

   1.19       360   
 

Forward foreign exchange contracts are contracts whereby Domtar has the obligation to sell U.S. dollars at a specific rate.

Currency options purchased are contracts whereby Domtar has the right, but not the obligation, to sell U.S. dollars at the strike rate if the U.S. dollar trades below that rate. Currency options sold are contracts whereby Domtar has the obligation to sell U.S. dollars at the strike rate if the U.S. dollar trades above that rate.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The fair value of derivative financial instruments generally reflects the estimated amounts that Domtar would receive or pay to settle the contracts at December 31, 2006 and 2005. As at these dates, the spot exchange rates were $1.17 and $1.17, respectively, and the fair value of the above derivative financial instruments used as hedging items was as follows:

 

       2006    2005
    
     $    $
 

Unrealized gains on forward foreign exchange contracts

      22
 

In addition, in 2006, the Corporation entered into forward foreign exchange swap contracts of US$490 million to manage the effects of a fluctuating Canadian dollar for a period ending January 2007. These contracts are not designated as hedging instruments and they are accounted for at their fair value. The fair value of these instruments as at December 31, 2006 represented an unrealized loss of $3 million included in “Selling, general and administration” expenses.

Price risk

In 2006, the Corporation entered into cash settled commodity swap agreements to manage price risk associated with purchases of bunker oil covering a period starting January 2007 and ending December 2007. These agreements fix the purchase price of bunker oil for 10,000 barrels per month. These agreements are in addition to the 2005 and 2004 contracts, which fix the purchase price of bunker oil for 20,000 and 7,000 barrels per month, respectively, ending December 2006. These contracts are designated as hedging instruments and hedge approximately 12% of estimated bunker oil purchases of 2007. The fair value of these instruments as at December 31, 2006 represented an unrealized loss of $1 million (2005—unrealized gain of $1 million).

During 2004, the Corporation entered into a cash settled commodity swap agreement to manage price risk associated with sales of NBSK pulp covering a period starting July 2004 and ending June 2007. The agreement fixes the sale price of NBSK pulp for 1,000 tonnes per month for 36 months. This agreement is in addition to the 2003 and 2002 contracts, which fix the sale price of NBSK pulp for 1,500 tonnes per month for 36 months and expired in April 2006 and October 2005, respectively. These contracts are not designated as hedging instruments and they are accounted for at their fair value. The fair value of these remaining instruments as at December 31, 2006, was negative $1 million (2005—negative $1 million).

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 19. Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Balance at beginning of year

   (205 )   (190 )   (145 )

Disposal of business (Note 4)

   4          

Effect of changes in exchange rates during the year:

      

On net investment in self-sustaining foreign subsidiaries

   (1 )   (69 )   (141 )

On certain long-term debt denominated in foreign currencies designated as a hedge of net investment in self-sustaining foreign subsidiaries

   1     65     117  

Future income taxes thereon

   (1 )   (11 )   (21 )
      

Balance at end of year

   (202 )   (205 )   (190 )
   

Note 20. Interests in joint ventures

The following amounts represent the Corporation’s proportionate interests in its joint ventures (Anthony-Domtar Inc. and Gogama Forest Products Inc.):

 

       2006    2005
    
     $    $
 

Assets

     

Current assets

   16    12

Long-term assets

   15    17

Norampac (Note 4)

      668

Liabilities

     

Current liabilities

   6    4

Long-term liabilities

   1    1

Norampac (Note 4)

      403
 

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Earnings

      

Sales

   29     10     14  

Operating expenses

   (26 )   (12 )   (15 )
      

Operating profit (loss)

   3     (2 )   (1 )

Financing expenses

   2     1     1  
      

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations

   1     (3 )   (2 )

Net earnings (loss) from Norampac, excluding gain on disposal (Note 4)

   37     (2 )   34  
      

Net earnings (loss)

   38     (5 )   32  
      

Cash flows

      

Cash flows provided from (used for) operating activities

   8     (4 )   (2 )

Cash flows used for investing activities

   (1 )       (11 )

Cash flows provided from (used for) financing activities

   (1 )   (1 )   9  

Cash flows provided from Norampac (Note 4)

       38     13  
   

Note 21. Pension plans and other employee future benefit plans

Defined contribution plans

Domtar contributes to several defined contribution, multi-employer and 401(k) plans. The pension expense under these plans is equal to Domtar’s contribution. The 2006 pension expense was $15 million (2005—$17 million; 2004—$17 million) ($4 million related to discontinued operations (2005—$4 million; 2004—$4 million)).

Defined benefit plans

Domtar has several defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all employees, including one closed plan for certain non-unionized employees in Canada. Non-unionized employees in Canada joining Domtar after June 1, 2000 participate in defined contribution plans. The defined benefit plans are generally contributory in Canada and non-contributory in the United States. The pension expense and the obligation related to the defined benefit plans are actuarially determined using management’s most probable assumptions.

In 2006, pursuant to the decision in November 2005 to close the Cornwall and Ottawa, Ontario paper mills, the Corporation has declared a partial wind-up of the non-unionized and unionized plans related to the Ontario participants in the plan.

Other employee future benefit plans

The post-retirement and post-employment plans are unfunded.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Components of net periodic benefit cost

 

       Pension plans     Other employee
future benefit plans
 
     2006     2005     2004     2006     2005     2004  
            
     $     $     $     $     $     $  
   

Service cost for the year

   34     35     35     3     4     3  

Interest expense

   79     78     74     6     7     7  

Actual return on plan assets

   (118 )   (131 )   (104 )            

Recognized actuarial loss (gain)

   (31 )   164     34     (10 )   3     3  

Plan amendments

   12     44     3     (4 )   (5 )   1  

Curtailment and settlement loss (gain)
(Note 5)

   6     17     2     (5 )   (1 )   1  
      

Costs arising in the period

   (18 )   207     44     (10 )   8     15  

Difference between costs arising in the period and costs recognized in the period in respect of:

            

Return on plan assets

   38     47     23              

Actuarial loss (gain)

   55     (151 )   (22 )   11     (2 )   (1 )

Plan amendments

   (6 )   (39 )   (1 )   3     5     (1 )
      

Net periodic benefit cost

   69     64     44     4     11     13  
      

Net periodic benefit cost, related to:

            

Continuing operations

   64     62     40     2     10     10  

Discontinued operations (Note 4)

   5     2     4     2     1     3  
      

Net periodic benefit cost

   69     64     44     4     11     13  
   

Domtar’s funding policy is to contribute annually the amount required to provide for benefits earned in the year and to fund past service obligations over periods not exceeding those permitted by the applicable regulatory authorities. Past service obligations primarily arise from improvements to plan benefits.

The latest actuarial valuations were conducted as at:

 

 

March 31, 2006, for plans representing approximately 74% of the total plans asset fair value,

 

 

December 31, 2005, for plans representing approximately 20% of the total plans asset fair value,

 

 

January 1, 2006, for plans representing approximately 5% of the total plans asset fair value,

 

 

January 1, 2004, for plans representing approximately 1% of the total plans asset fair value.

These valuations indicated a funding deficiency. The next actuarial valuations will be completed between December 31, 2006 and January 1, 2009. Domtar expects to contribute a total amount of $88 million in 2007 compared to $86 million in 2006 (2005—$85 million; 2004—$80 million) to the pension plans. The contributions made in 2006 to the other employee future benefit plans amounted to $7 million (2005—$9 million; 2004—$8 million).

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Change in accrued benefit obligation

The following table represents the change in the accrued benefit obligation as determined by independent actuaries:

 

       Pension plans     Other employee
future benefit plans
 
     2006     2005     2006     2005  
      
     $     $     $     $  
   

Accrued benefit obligation at beginning of year

   1,582     1,323     125     121  

Service cost for the year

   29     35     3     4  

Interest expense

   70     78     4     7  

Plan participants' contributions

   8     13          

Actuarial loss (gain)

   (23 )   173     (3 )   9  

Plan amendments

   12     44     (4 )   (5 )

Benefits paid

   (71 )   (74 )   (7 )   (9 )

Disposal of business (Note 4)

   (171 )       (27 )    

Settlement

   (7 )   (4 )        

Curtailment

   (2 )   (3 )   (6 )   (6 )

Acquisitions

               5  

Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change

       (3 )       (1 )
      

Accrued benefit obligation at end of year

   1,427     1,582     85     125  
   

Change in fair value of assets

The following table represents the change in the fair value of assets reflecting the actual return on plan assets, the contributions and the benefits paid during the year:

 

       Pension plans     Other employee
future benefit plans
 
     2006     2005     2006     2005  
      
     $     $     $     $  
   

Fair value of assets at beginning of year

   1,300     1,151          

Actual return on plan assets

   103     131          

Employer contributions

   86     85     7     9  

Plan participants’ contributions

   8     13          

Benefits paid

   (71 )   (74 )   (7 )   (9 )

Disposal of business (Note 4)

   (159 )            

Settlement

   (7 )   (4 )        

Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change

       (2 )        
      

Fair value of assets at end of year

   1,260     1,300          
   

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Description of assets of the pension plans

The assets of the pension plans are held by a number of independent trustees and are accounted for separately in the Domtar pension funds. The investment strategy for the assets in the pension plans is to maintain a diversified portfolio of assets, invested in a prudent manner to maintain the security of funds while maximizing returns within the guidelines provided in the investment policy. The Corporation’s pension funds are not permitted to own any of the Corporation’s shares or debt instruments. The target asset allocation is based on the expected duration of the benefit obligation, which includes the impact of a partial wind-up related to the mill closures.

The following table shows the allocation of the plan assets, based on the fair value of the assets held at December 31, 2006 and 2005 and the target allocation for 2006:

 

       Target
allocation
   Percentage plan
assets as
at December 31
          2006    2005
 

Fixed income securities

   58% - 68%    63%    63%

Equity securities

   32% -42%    37%    37%
    

Total

      100%    100%
 

Domtar has indemnified and held harmless the trustees of Domtar pension funds, and the respective officers, directors, employees and agents of such trustees, from any and all costs and expenses arising out of the performance of their obligations under the relevant trust agreements, including in respect of their reliance on authorized instructions of Domtar or for failing to act in the absence of authorized instructions. These indemnifications survive the termination of such agreements. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar has not recorded a liability associated with these indemnifications, as Domtar does not expect to make any payments pertaining to these indemnifications.

Reconciliation of funded status to amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets

The following tables present the difference between the fair value of assets and the actuarially determined accrued benefit obligation as at December 31, 2006 and 2005. This difference is also referred to as either the deficit or surplus, as the case may be, or the funded status of the plans.

The tables further reconcile the amount of the surplus or deficit (funded status) to the net amount recognized in the Consolidated balance sheets. This difference between the funded status and the net amount recognized in the Consolidated balance sheets represents the portion of the surplus or deficit not yet recognized for accounting purposes. Deferred recognition is a guiding principle of these recommendations. This approach allows for a gradual recognition of

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

changes in accrued benefit obligations and plan performance over the expected average remaining service life of the employee group covered by the plans.

 

       Pension plans     Other employee
future benefit
plans
 
     2006     2005     2006     2005  
      
     $     $     $     $  
   

Accrued benefit obligation at end of year

   1,427     1,582     85     125  

Fair value of assets at end of year

   (1,260 )   (1,300 )        
      

Funded status

   (167 )   (282 )   (85 )   (125 )

Reconciliation of funded status to amounts recognized in the Consolidated balance sheets

        

Unrecognized experience losses (gains):

        

Deferred investment gains due to use of market-related value to determine net benefit cost

   (19 )   (31 )        

Unrecognized net actuarial loss(a)

   319     436     21     28  

Unrecognized past service costs

   52     49     (8 )   (3 )
      

Net amount recognized in the Consolidated balance sheets

   185     172     (72 )   (100 )
   
(a)   The amount to which these losses exceed the 10% corridor (representing 10% of the accrued benefit obligation) amounted to $176 million as at December 31, 2006 (2005—$288 million) for pension plans and $14 million as at December 31, 2006 (2005—$17 million) for other employee future benefit plans. Any such excess is amortized, commencing in the following year, over the expected average remaining service period of active employees expected to receive benefits under the plans.

 

       Pension plans     Other employee
future benefit
plans
 
     2006     2005     2006     2005  
      
     $     $     $     $  
   

Accrued benefit asset (Note 12)

   213     204          

Accrued benefit liability (Notes 13 and 15)

   (28 )   (32 )   (72 )   (100 )
      

Net amount recognized in the Consolidated balance sheets

   185     172     (72 )   (100 )
   

As at December 31, 2006, the accrued benefit obligation and the fair value of defined benefit plan assets with an accrued benefit obligation in excess of fair value plan assets were $1,197 million and $1,015 million, respectively (2005—$1,546 million and $1,263 million, respectively).

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Estimated future benefit payments from the plans

Estimated future benefit payments from the plans for the next 10 years as at December 31, 2006 were as follows:

 

       Pension plans    Other employee
future benefit
plans
    
     2006    2006
    
     $    $
 

2007

   70    5

2008(a)

   310    6

2009

   73    5

2010

   74    6

2011

   76    6

2012-2016

   426    27
    

Total estimated future benefit payments from the plans

   1,029    55
 

 

(a)   Includes estimated future benefit payments from the plans of $239 million related to the partial wind-up of the non-unionized and unionized plans related to the Ontario participants in the plan in 2006.

Weighted-average assumptions

Domtar used the following key assumptions to measure the accrued benefit obligation and the net periodic benefit cost. These assumptions are long-term, which is consistent with the nature of employee future benefits.

 

       Pension plans   

Other employee future
benefit

plans

    
     2006    2005    2004    2006    2005    2004
 

Accrued benefit obligation as at December 31:

                 

Discount rate

   5.2%    5.0%    5.8%    5.2%    5.0%    5.8%

Rate of compensation increase

   2.7%    2.7%    3.4%    2.9%    3.5%    3.5%

Net periodic benefit cost for years ended December 31:

                 

Discount rate

   5.1%    5.8%    6.1%    5.2%    5.8%    6.1%

Rate of compensation increase

   2.7%    3.4%    3.8%    3.3%    3.5%    3.5%

Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets

   6.2%    7.2%    7.7%    N/A    N/A    N/A
 

Effective January 1, 2007, Domtar will use 6.3% as the expected return on plan assets, which reflects the current view of long-term investment returns.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The expected return on plan assets assumption is based on an analysis of the target asset allocation and expected return by asset class. This rate is adjusted for an equity risk premium and by 0.5% to take into consideration the active investment management of the plan assets.

For measurement purposes, 6.0% weighted-average annual rate of increase in the per capita cost of covered health care benefits was assumed for 2007. The rate was assumed to decrease gradually to 3.7% by 2012 and remain at that level thereafter. An increase or decrease of 1% of this rate would have the following impact:

 

       Increase
of 1%
   Decrease
of 1%
 
      
     $    $  
   

Impact on net periodic benefit cost for other employee future benefit plans

   1    (1 )

Impact on accrued benefit obligation

   6    (5 )
   

Note 22. Segmented disclosures

Domtar operates in the three reportable segments described below. Each reportable segment offers different products and services and requires different technology and marketing strategies. The following summary briefly describes the operations included in each of Domtar’s reportable segments:

 

 

Papers —represents the aggregation of the manufacturing and distribution of business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty papers, as well as pulp.

 

 

Paper Merchants —involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by Domtar and by other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products.

 

 

Wood —comprises the manufacturing and marketing of lumber and wood-based value-added products and the management of forest resources.

The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as described in Note 1. Domtar evaluates performance based on operating profit, which represents sales, reflecting transfer prices between segments at fair value, less allocable expenses before financing expenses and income taxes. Segment assets are those directly used in segment operations.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       

Segmented data

      
     2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Sales from continuing operations

      

Papers

   2,796     2,900     3,086  

Paper Merchants

   1,051     1,047     1,057  

Wood

   461     697     671  
      

Total for reportable segments

   4,308     4,644     4,814  

Intersegment sales—Papers

   (269 )   (273 )   (281 )

Intersegment sales—Wood

   (50 )   (124 )   (130 )
      

Consolidated sales from continuing operations

   3,989     4,247     4,403  
      

Amortization, write-down of property, plant and equipment and impairment loss from continuing operations

      

Papers(a)

   245     482     274  

Paper Merchants

   3     4     3  

Wood(a)

   36     68     59  
      

Consolidated amortization, write-down of property, plant and equipment and impairment loss from continuing operations

   284     554     336  
   

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

      

Papers(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)

   121     (329 )   17  

Paper Merchants(b)

   13     3     20  

Wood(a)(g)

   117     (33 )   (27 )
      

Total for reportable segments

   251     (359 )   10  

Corporate(c)

   (14 )   10     13  
      

Consolidated operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

   237     (349 )   23  
      

Segment assets

      

Papers

   3,304     3,423     3,826  

Paper Merchants

   148     146     125  

Wood

   408     476     510  
      

Total for reportable segments

   3,860     4,045     4,461  

Corporate

   1,071     430     418  

Discontinued operations (Note 4)

   24     717     802  
      

Consolidated assets

   4,955     5,192     5,681  
      

Additions to property, plant and equipment from continuing operations

      

Papers

   76     112     136  

Paper Merchants

   1     1     2  

Wood

   16     19     18  
      

Total for reportable segments

   93     132     156  

Corporate

   21     3     3  
      

Consolidated additions to property, plant and equipment

   114     135     159  

Add: Change in payables on capital projects

   (6 )   4     8  
      

Consolidated additions to property, plant and equipment per Consolidated cash flows from continuing operations

   108     139     167  
   

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Geographic information               
     2006    2005    2004
    
     $    $    $
 

Sales from continuing operations (h)(i)

        

Canada

   719    702    733

United States

   3,053    3,369    3,470

Other foreign countries

   217    176    200
    
   3,989    4,247    4,403
    

Property, plant and equipment and goodwill

        

Canada

   1,385    1,886    2,324

United States

   1,665    1,822    1,953

Other foreign countries

      18    22
    
   3,050    3,726    4,299
 
(a)   Refer to Note 5 for amounts related to closure and restructuring costs.
(b)   The operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2005 reflects a $12.5 million charge relating to a legal settlement with regards to the sales of carbonless paper in Ontario and Quebec during a one-year period spanning part of 1999 and 2000.
(c)   The operating profit (loss) for the year ended December 31, 2006 includes a loss of $4 million (2005—gain of $5 million; 2004 —loss of $3 million) representing the loss on the marked to market of the pulp swap contracts.
(d)   The operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2006 includes the recognition of $15 million (2005—$4 million; 2004—$4 million) for investment tax credits related to research and development expenses of current and prior years, reflected as a reduction of the “Cost of sales.”
(e)   The operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2006 includes a gain on the sale of land in the amount of $10 million.
(f)   The operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2004 includes gains on sales of timberlands in the amount of $33 million.
(g)   The operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2006 includes antidumping and countervailing duties refund in the amount of $164 million.
(h)   Sales are attributed to countries based on the location of the external customers.
(i)   In 2006, export sales from Canada were $1,031 million (2005 – $1,444 million; 2004—$1,492 million).

Note 23. Reconciliation of canadian and united states generally accepted accounting principles

The Consolidated earnings and Consolidated balance sheets have been prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP, which differ in some respects from U.S. GAAP. The following are the significant differences in accounting principles as they pertain to the Consolidated earnings and the Consolidated balance sheets.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

(A) Net earnings adjustments

The following table provides a reconciliation of the net earnings (loss) from Canadian to U.S. GAAP:

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations in accordance with Canadian GAAP

   63     (310 )   (63 )

Adjustments with respect to the following items:

      

Pension plans cost(1)

   (7 )   (13 )   (1 )

Other employee future benefit plans cost(2)

   1     5     1  

Revenue stream hedge(3)

   (7 )       4  

Foreign currency hedging contracts(4)

           (12 )

Commodity hedging contracts(5)

           (2 )

Interest rate swap contracts(6)

   (10 )   (13 )   (13 )

Acquisition of E.B. Eddy(8)

   (21 )   (80 )   (6 )

Tax effect of the above adjustments

   12     12     9  
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations in accordance with U.S. GAAP

   31     (399 )   (83 )

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes(10)

   225     (103 )   7  
      

Net earnings (loss) in accordance with U.S. GAAP

   256     (502 )   (76 )

Dividend requirements of preferred shares

   1     1     1  
      

Net earnings (loss) applicable to common shares in accordance with U.S. GAAP

   255     (503 )   (77 )
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations per common share in accordance with U.S. GAAP (in dollars)

      

Basic

   0.13     (1.74 )   (0.37 )

Diluted

   0.13     (1.74 )   (0.37 )

Net earnings (loss) per common share in accordance with U.S. GAAP (in dollars)

      

Basic

   1.11     (2.19 )   (0.34 )

Diluted

   1.11     (2.19 )   (0.34 )
   

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

(B) Balance sheet adjustments

The following table presents the Consolidated balance sheets under Canadian and U.S. GAAP:

 

       2006     2005  
     $     $     $     $  
     Canadian
GAAP
    U.S.
GAAP
    Canadian
GAAP
    U.S.
GAAP
 
   

Assets

        

Current assets

        

Cash and cash equivalents

   649     642     83     68  

Receivables

   305     318     294     212  

Inventories

   575     570     715     641  

Prepaid expenses

   14     14     11     8  

Income and other taxes receivable

   18     18     16     15  

Future income taxes

   45     45     38     38  
      
   1,606     1,607     1,157     982  

Property, plant and equipment

   3,044     3,075     3,634     3,304  

Assets held for sale

   24     24          

Goodwill

   6     6     92     23  

Investments in joint ventures(7)

       22         289  

Other assets

   275     23     309     243  
      
   4,955     4,757     5,192     4,841  
      

Liabilities and shareholders' equity

        

Current liabilities

        

Bank indebtedness

   62     62     21     14  

Trade and other payables

   533     533     651     564  

Income and other taxes payable

   20     19     29     29  

Long-term debt due within one year

   2     1     2     1  
      
   617     615     703     608  

Long-term debt

   1,889     1,863     2,257     2,017  

Future income taxes

   285     198     292     180  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   223     338     331     464  

Shareholders’ equity

        

Preferred shares

   32     32     36     36  

Common shares

   1,788     1,788     1,783     1,783  

Contributed surplus

   15     15     14     14  

Retained earnings (deficit)

   308     290     (19 )   35  

Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments

   (202 )       (205 )    

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

       (382 )       (296 )
      
   1,941     1,743     1,609     1,572  
      
   4,955     4,757     5,192     4,841  
   

See section (F) for the reconciliation of the Consolidated balance sheets items.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table presents the Consolidated earnings under Canadian and U.S. GAAP:

 

       2006     2005     2004  
     $     $     $     $     $     $  
     Canadian
GAAP
    U.S.
GAAP
    Canadian
GAAP
    U.S.
GAAP
    Canadian
GAAP
    U.S.
GAAP
 
      

Sales

   3,989     3,961     4,247     4,237     4,403     4,389  

Operating expenses

            

Cost of sales

   3,392     3,391     3,720     3,718     3,798     3,788  

Selling, general and administrative

   218     218     231     230     245     245  

Amortization

   284     302     329     406     325     329  

Antidumping and countervailing duties refund

   (164 )   (164 )                

Closure and restructuring costs

   35     35     317     323     49     49  

Net gains on disposals of property, plant and equipment

   (13 )   (13 )   (1 )   (1 )   (37 )   (37 )
      
   3,752     3,769     4,596     4,676     4,380     4,374  
      

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

   237     192     (349 )   (439 )   23     15  

Financing expenses

   150     156     144     143     141     136  

Share of joint ventures' net (earnings) loss (7 & 9)

       (1 )       3         3  

Derivative instruments loss (4 to 6)

       10         13         27  
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

   87     27     (493 )   (598 )   (118 )   (151 )

Income tax expense (recovery)

   24     (4 )   (183 )   (199 )   (55 )   (68 )
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

   63     31     (310 )   (399 )   (63 )   (83 )

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes (10)

   265     225     (78 )   (103 )   21     7  
      

Net earnings (loss)

   328     256     (388 )   (502 )   (42 )   (76 )

Dividend requirements of preferred shares

   1     1     1     1     1     1  
      

Net earnings (loss) applicable to common shares

   327     255     (389 )   (503 )   (43 )   (77 )
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations per common share (in dollars)

            

Basic

   0.27     0.13     (1.36 )   (1.74 )   (0.28 )   (0.37 )

Diluted

   0.27     0.13     (1.36 )   (1.74 )   (0.28 )   (0.37 )

Net earnings (loss) per common share (in dollars)

            

Basic

   1.42     1.11     (1.69 )   (2.19 )   (0.19 )   (0.34 )

Diluted

   1.42     1.11     (1.69 )   (2.19 )   (0.19 )   (0.34 )
   

See section (E) for the reconciliation of the Consolidated earnings items.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

(C) Differences between Canadian and U.S. GAAP

Significant differences between Canadian and U.S. GAAP are described below.

(1) Pension plans cost

On January 1, 2000, Domtar adopted the Canadian accounting recommendations for employee future benefit costs. These recommendations essentially harmonized Canadian GAAP with U.S. GAAP in effect at the time and were applied retroactively without restating prior years.

In the fourth quarter of 2006, Domtar adopted Statement No. 158, "Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans – an Amendment of FASB Statements No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R)" (FAS 158) which requires employers to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of defined benefit pension plans as an asset or liability in its Consolidated balance sheet. Prior to the adoption of FAS 158, under U.S. GAAP, an additional minimum pension liability was recorded for plans where the accumulated benefit obligation exceeds the fair value of plan assets. The concept of additional minimum liability does not exist under Canadian GAAP. For these plans, an intangible asset was recorded up to the extent of unrecognized past service costs. The balance was recorded in “Other comprehensive income,” net of applicable income taxes. The requirement to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of defined benefit pension plans does not exist under Canadian GAAP.

Differences between Canadian and U.S. GAAP remain with respect to the amortization of actuarial gains and losses and past service costs arising prior to January 1, 2000. Differences also arise from the fact that the straight-line method is used to amortize actuarial gains and losses for U.S. GAAP purposes while the corridor method is used for Canadian GAAP purposes.

(2) Other employee future benefit plans cost

On January 1, 2000, Domtar adopted the Canadian accounting recommendations for employee future benefit costs. These recommendations essentially harmonize Canadian GAAP with U.S. GAAP in effect at the time and were applied retroactively without restating prior years. In the fourth quarter of 2006, Domtar adopted FAS 158 which requires employers to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of postretirement plans as an asset or liability in its Consolidated balance sheet with an offsetting amount in accumulated other comprehensive income. The requirement to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of postretirement plans does not exist under Canadian GAAP.

Differences between Canadian and U.S. GAAP remain with respect to the amortization of actuarial gains and losses arising prior to January 1, 2000.

(3) Revenue stream hedge

In connection with the adoption of the Canadian accounting recommendations relating to the accounting for foreign currency translation, the Corporation elected to designate certain

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

U.S. dollar denominated long-term debt as a hedge of its U.S. dollar revenue stream. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2004, this U.S. dollar denominated long-term debt was no longer designated as a hedge of future U.S. dollar revenue stream. The exchange gain deferred under Canadian GAAP was recorded to earnings under U.S. GAAP, as such designation is not possible under U.S. GAAP.

(4) Foreign currency hedging contracts

On January 1, 2004, Domtar adopted the Canadian accounting recommendations relating to hedging relationships for the foreign currency contracts. These recommendations essentially harmonize Canadian GAAP with U.S. GAAP and were applied prospectively. For contracts initiated prior to that date, Domtar has elected not to designate these contracts as hedging instruments for U.S. GAAP reporting purposes. Accordingly, these contracts are marked to market and resulting unrealized gains and losses are recorded to earnings. Under Canadian GAAP, gains and losses related to these contracts are included in “Sales”.

(5) Commodity hedging contracts

On January 1, 2004, Domtar adopted the Canadian accounting recommendations relating to hedging relationships for the commodity contracts. These recommendations essentially harmonize Canadian GAAP with U.S. GAAP and were applied prospectively. For contracts initiated prior to that date, Domtar has elected not to designate these contracts as hedging instruments for U.S. GAAP reporting purposes. Accordingly, these contracts are marked to market and the resulting unrealized gains and losses are recorded to earnings.

Under Canadian GAAP, the commodity contracts are not designated for hedge accounting, except for the bunker oil and electricity contracts. Contracts that are not designated for hedge accounting are marked to market and the resulting gains and losses are recorded in earnings. Domtar has to account for these at fair value. The fair value is re-evaluated on a regular basis and a gain or loss is recorded in earnings. For contracts that are designated for hedge accounting, the realized gains and losses are included in “Sales” or “Cost of sales” as appropriate. Gains and losses on commodity contracts relating to Norampac are included, net of taxes, in “Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations”.

(6) Interest rate swap contracts

Under Canadian GAAP, unrealized gains and losses on interest rate swap contracts designated as hedges are not recognized in the consolidated financial statements. Under U.S. GAAP, certain interest rate swap contracts cannot be designated as a hedge and are marked to market. Therefore, any fluctuations of the fair value are recorded to earnings.

In 2002, the Corporation terminated prior to maturity its interest rate swap contracts for net cash proceeds of $40 million.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Under Canadian GAAP, the net gain is deferred and recognized as a deduction of “Financing expenses” over the period of the interest rate payments initially designated as being hedged by these interest rate swap contracts.

For the year ended December 31, 2006, the amortization of the net deferred gain and related interest was $10 million under Canadian GAAP and nil under U.S. GAAP (2005 – $13 million and nil, respectively; 2004 – $13 million and nil, respectively).

(7) Joint ventures

Interests in joint ventures are accounted for using the proportionate consolidation method for Canadian GAAP and using the equity method under U.S. GAAP. This difference does not affect “Net earnings (loss)” or “Shareholders’ equity.”

On December 29, 2006, Domtar sold its interest in Norampac, accordingly, Norampac was classified under discontinued operations. Prior to the sale of Domtar’s interest in Norampac on December 29, 2006, under Canadian GAAP, a portion of the gain on the contribution to Norampac was deferred and amortized. Under U.S. GAAP, this gain was fully recognized in earnings upon the formation of Norampac.

(8) Acquisition of E.B. Eddy

The E.B. Eddy acquisition has been accounted for under Canadian GAAP, which at the time differed from U.S. GAAP in the accounting for income taxes, pension benefits cost and accounting for business integration provisions.

In 2005, in conjunction with the closure and restructuring costs discussed in Note 5, Domtar recorded an additional $11 million write-down on property, plant and equipment (including $2 million relating to discontinued operations) created at the time of the E.B. Eddy acquisition under U.S. GAAP.

During the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, Domtar conducts its annual impairment test on the goodwill recognized under U.S. GAAP. Accordingly, Domtar recorded a $17 million (2005—$85 million, including $20 million relating to discontinued operations) impairment loss related to the impairment of this goodwill. The impairment losses are attributable to the impact of sustained operating losses, mill closures and restructuring efforts. The fair value of the associated reporting units was determined using a combination of valuation methods including the expected present value of future cash flows. Impairment losses are included in “Amortization”.

(9) Formation of norampac

On January 1, 2000, Domtar adopted the Canadian accounting recommendations for income taxes. These recommendations essentially harmonize Canadian with U.S. GAAP and were applied

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

retroactively without restating prior years. Accordingly, certain property, plant and equipment acquired at the formation of Norampac remained recorded at a lower value under Canadian GAAP. On December 29, 2006, Domtar sold its interest in Norampac, accordingly, Norampac was classified under discontinued operations.

(10) Investment tax credits

Under U.S. GAAP, the income tax expense has been reduced by $15 million in 2006 (2005—$4 million; 2004—$4 million) for investment tax credits related to research and development expenses, which had been recognized as a reduction of “Cost of sales” under Canadian GAAP.

(11) Long-term debt discount and debt issue costs

Under Canadian GAAP, long-term debt discount and debt issue costs are presented in “Other assets” as a deferred charge. U.S. GAAP requires that long-term debt discount and debt issue cost be reported as a direct reduction of long-term debt.

(12) Foreign currency translation adjustments

Under U.S. GAAP, foreign currency translation adjustments are included as a component of “Comprehensive income.” Under Canadian GAAP, the concept of comprehensive income exists but applies to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2006. Foreign currency translation adjustments are included as a component of “Shareholders’ equity.”

(13) Comprehensive income

U.S. GAAP requires the disclosure of “Comprehensive income” (section (D)—IV)). The concept of comprehensive income exists under Canadian GAAP, but applies to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2006.

(14) Consolidated cash flows

Under U.S. GAAP, the Consolidated cash flows would not be significantly different from the presentation under Canadian GAAP, except that the joint ventures would be shown as an equity investment and not proportionately consolidated.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

(D) Supplementary disclosures

I) Accounting changes and recent accounting pronouncements

Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Post Retirement Plans

In the fourth quarter, Domtar adopted Statement No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans—an Amendment of FASB Statements No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R)” which was issued by the FASB in September 2006. This Statement requires an employer to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans (other than multiemployer plans) as an asset or liability in its statement of financial position.

At December 31, 2006, just prior to the adoption of FAS 158, Domtar had an additional minimum pension liability of $162 million and an intangible asset of $59 million, with an offsetting amount in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” ($71 million, net of applicable taxes of $32 million).

On adoption of FAS 158, Domtar recognized the funded status of its defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans as follows:

 

 

Reversed the additional minimum pension liability of $162 million, the intangible asset of $59 million and the future income tax asset of $32 million that was recorded prior to adoption.

 

 

Adjusted its prepaid benefit cost asset and accumulated benefit liability by reducing “Other assets” by $104 million, increasing “Other liabilities and deferred credits” by $152 million and a reducing “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” by $175 million, net of applicable taxes of $79 million. Domtar recorded a future income tax asset of $79 million.

At December 31, 2006, subsequent to the adoption of FAS 158, Domtar has the following pension and post retirement related balances:

 

       2006  
     $  
   

Other assets

   15  

Future income tax assets

   78  
      
   93  
      

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   264  

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

   (175 )

Retained earnings

   4  
      
   93  
   

At December 31, 2006, “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” includes unrecognized prior service costs of $52 million and unrecognized net actuarial loss of $123 that have not yet been recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

In accordance with the transitional provisions of the new standard, prior period financial statements were not restated.

Quantifying financial statement misstatements

In September 2006, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 108 “Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in the Current Year Financial Statements" (SAB 108) to address diversity in practice in quantifying financial statement misstatements. SAB 108 requires consideration of the effects of prior year misstatements in quantifying current year misstatements for the purpose of a materiality assessment. SAB 108 did not have an impact on the Company’s financial statements.

II) Defined benefit pension plans

The projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets for the pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets were $1,428 million, $1,349 million and $1,260 million, respectively, as at December 31, 2006 and $1,582 million, $1,475 million and $1,300 million, respectively, as at December 31, 2005.

Domtar expects the 2007 net periodic benefit cost to be approximately $56 million. The components of the expense are as follows:

 

       $  
   

Service cost

   27  

Interest cost

   73  

Expected return on plan assets

   (75 )

Amortization of prior service costs

   11  

Recognized actuarial loss (gain)

   20  
      

Net periodic benefit cost

   56  
   

III) Inventories

Inventories under U.S. GAAP are comprised of the following:

 

       2006    2005
    
     $    $
 

Work in process and finished goods

   338    352

Raw materials

   106    160

Operating and maintenance supplies

   126    129
    
   570    641
 

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

IV) Comprehensive income and accumulated other comprehensive income

Under U.S. GAAP, Domtar is required to disclose certain information about comprehensive income. This information is as follows:

 

Comprehensive income (loss)    2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Net earnings (loss) in accordance with U.S. GAAP

   256     (502 )   (76 )

Other comprehensive income

      

Additional minimum liability of defined benefit pension plans, net of taxes recovery of $57 million (2005—expense of $50 million; 2004—recovery of $16 million) (see (C) (1) above)

   110     (95 )   27  

Unrealized gains (losses) on commodity hedging contracts

   (2 )   1      

Unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency hedging contracts, net of taxes recovery of $8 million (2005—recovery of $7 million; 2004—expense of $13 million)

   (18 )   (12 )   26  

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   (1 )   (11 )   (45 )
      

Comprehensive income (loss)

   345     (619 )   (68 )
   

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)    2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Additional minimum liability of defined benefit pension plans

       (110 )   (15 )

Accounting change—Pension and other post retirement benefit plans (1 & 2)

   (175 )        

Unrealized gains (losses) on commodity hedging contracts

   (1 )   1      

Unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency hedging contracts

   (4 )   14     26  

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   (202 )   (201 )   (190 )
      

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

   (382 )   (296 )   (179 )
   

V) Impact of accounting pronouncements not yet implemented

Fair Value Measurements

In September 2006, FASB issued Statement No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements.” Statement 157 (FAS 157) establishes a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. Domtar is currently evaluating the effect that FAS 157 will have on its financial position and results of operations for fair value measurements incurred after the adoption of FAS 157 in fiscal 2008.

Uncertainty in Income Taxes

In June 2006, FASB issued Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109 (FIN 48).” This interpretation which is in effect for

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2006, clarifies the accounting for uncertain tax positions recognized in a company’s financial statements in accordance with Statement 109. FIN 48 prescribes a more likely than not recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification of a liability for unrecognized tax benefits, accounting for interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, and expanded income tax disclosures. While Domtar is currently evaluating the impact of this interpretation on its first quarter 2007 financial statements, Domtar does not believe that the impact will be significant.

Accounting for planned major maintenance activities

In September 2006, FASB issued Staff Position AUG AIR—1, “Accounting for Planned Major Maintenance Activities.” This Staff Position prohibits the use of the accrue-in-advance method of accounting for planned major maintenance activities in annual and interim financial reporting periods. The three accounting methods permitted under the Staff Position are: 1) direct expensing method, 2) built-in overhaul method and 3) deferral method. Domtar currently uses the accrue-in-advance method to allocate planned major maintenance costs within a given year. Domtar is required to adopt the Staff Position in the first quarter of 2007 and will reflect major maintenance costs in the periods incurred for all interim periods presented after the effective date of the Staff Position.

(E) Reconciliation of the consolidated earnings items from Canadian GAAP to U.S. GAAP

 

       2006     2005     2004  
     $     $     $  
   

Sales —Canadian GAAP

   3,989     4,247     4,403  

Joint ventures(7)

   (28 )   (10 )   (14 )
      

Sales—U.S. GAAP

   3,961     4,237     4,389  
      

Cost of sales—Canadian GAAP

   3,392     3,720     3,798  

Pension plans cost(1)

   7     5     1  

Other employee future benefit plans cost(2)

   (1 )   (3 )   (1 )

Investment tax credits(10)

   15     4     4  

Joint ventures(7)

   (22 )   (8 )   (14 )
      

Cost of sales —U.S. GAAP

   3,391     3,718     3,788  
      

Selling, general and administrative - Canadian GAAP

   218     231     245  

Joint ventures(7)

       (1 )    
      

Selling, general and administrative—U.S. GAAP

   218     230     245  
      

Amortization - Canadian GAAP

   284     329     325  

Acquisition of E.B. Eddy(8)

   21     80     6  

Joint ventures(7)

   (3 )   (3 )   (2 )
      

Amortization—U.S. GAAP

   302     406     329  
      

Closure and restructuring costs—Canadian GAAP

   35     317     49  

Pension plans cost(1)

       8      

Other employee future benefit plans cost(2)

       (2 )    
      

Closure and restructuring costs—U.S. GAAP

   35     323     49  
   

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005     2004  
     $     $     $  
   

Financing expenses—Canadian GAAP

   150     144     141  

Revenue stream hedge(3)

   7         (4 )

Joint ventures(7)

   (1 )   (1 )   (1 )
      

Financing expenses—U.S. GAAP

   156     143     136  
      

Share of joint ventures’ net (earnings) loss—Canadian GAAP

            

Joint ventures(7)

   (1 )   3     3  
      

Share of joint ventures’ net (earnings) loss—U.S. GAAP

   (1 )   3     3  
      

Derivative instrument loss—Canadian GAAP

            

Foreign currency hedging contracts(4)

           12  

Commodity hedging contracts(5)

           2  

Interest rate swap contracts(6)

   10     13     13  
      

Derivative instrument loss—U.S. GAAP

   10     13     27  
      

Income tax expense (recovery)—Canadian GAAP

   24     (183 )   (55 )

Tax effect of the adjustments

   (12 )   (12 )   (9 )

Investment tax credits(10)

   (15 )   (4 )   (4 )

Joint ventures(7)

   (1 )        
      

Income tax expense (recovery) - U.S. GAAP

   (4 )   (199 )   (68 )
   

(F) Reconciliation of the consolidated balance sheets items from Canadian GAAP to U.S. GAAP

 

       2006     2005  
     $     $  
   

Cash and cash equivalents—Canadian GAAP

   649     83  

Joint ventures(7)

   (7 )   (15 )
      

Cash and cash equivalents—U.S. GAAP

   642     68  
      

Receivables—Canadian GAAP

   305     294  

Joint ventures(7)

   13     (82 )
      

Receivables—U.S. GAAP

   318     212  
      

Inventories—Canadian GAAP

   575     715  

Joint ventures(7)

   (5 )   (74 )
      

Inventories—U.S. GAAP

   570     641  
      

Prepaid expenses - Canadian GAAP

   14     11  

Joint ventures(7)

       (3 )
      

Prepaid expenses—U.S. GAAP

   14     8  
      

Income and other taxes receivable - Canadian GAAP

   18     16  

Joint ventures(7)

       (1 )
      

Income and other taxes receivable—U.S. GAAP

   18     15  
      

Property, plant and equipment - Canadian GAAP

   3,044     3,634  

Acquisition of E.B. Eddy(8)

   46     50  

Formation of Norampac(9)

       18  

Joint ventures(7)

   (15 )   (398 )
      

Property, plant and equipment—U.S. GAAP

   3,075     3,304  
      

Goodwill - Canadian GAAP

   6     92  

Acquisition of E.B. Eddy(8)

       17  

Joint ventures(7)

       (86 )
      

Goodwill—U.S. GAAP

   6     23  
   

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005  
     $     $  
   

Other assets—Canadian GAAP

   275     309  

Pension plans cost(1)

   (200 )   (93 )

Intangible assets related to additional minimum liability(1)

       77  

Commodity hedging contracts(5)

   (1 )    

Unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency hedging contracts(4)

   (6 )   20  

Long-term debt discount and debt issue costs(11)

   (26 )   (33 )

Joint ventures(7)

   (19 )   (37 )
      

Other assets—U.S. GAAP

   23     243  
      

Bank indebtedness—Canadian GAAP

   62     21  

Joint ventures(7)

       (7 )
      

Bank indebtedness—U.S. GAAP

   62     14  
      

Trade and other payables—Canadian GAAP

   533     651  

Pension plans cost(1)

   3      

Other employee future benefit plan cost(2)

   6      

Joint ventures(7)

   (9 )   (87 )
      

Trade and other payables—U.S. GAAP

   533     564  
      

Income and other taxes payable—Canadian GAAP

   20     29  

Joint ventures(7)

   (1 )    
      

Income and other taxes payable—U.S. GAAP

   19     29  
      

Long-term debt due within one year—Canadian GAAP

   2     2  

Joint ventures(7)

   (1 )   (1 )
      

Long-term debt due within one year—U.S. GAAP

   1     1  
      

Long-term debt—Canadian GAAP

   1,889     2,257  

Long-term debt discount and debt issue costs(11)

   (26 )   (33 )

Joint ventures(7)

       (207 )
      

Long-term debt—U.S. GAAP

   1,863     2,017  
   

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005  
     $     $  
   

Future income taxes—Canadian GAAP

   285     292  

Tax effect of the adjustments

   (87 )   (35 )

Joint ventures(7)

       (77 )
      

Future income taxes—U.S. GAAP

   198     180  
      

Other liabilities and deferred credits—Canadian GAAP

   223     331  

Pension plans cost(1)

   149      

Additional minimum liability of defined benefit pension plans(1)

       244  

Other employee future benefit plans cost(2)

   7     13  

Revenue stream hedge(3)

   (41 )   (48 )

Interest rate swap contracts(6)

       (10 )

Deferred gain on contribution of net assets to Norampac(7)

       (34 )

Joint ventures(7)

       (32 )
      

Other liabilities and deferred credits—U.S. GAAP

   338     464  
      

Retained earnings (deficit)—Canadian GAAP

   308     (19 )

Pension plans cost(1)

   (65 )   (63 )

Other employee future benefit plans cost(2)

   (11 )   (10 )

Revenue stream hedge(3)

   26     32  

Foreign currency hedging contracts(4)

       (2 )

Commodity hedging contracts(5)

       (1 )

Interest rate swap contracts(6)

       6  

Deferred gain on contribution of net assets to Norampac(7)

       22  

Acquisition of E.B. Eddy(8)

   32     52  

Formation of Norampac(9)

       18  
      

Retained earnings—U.S. GAAP

   290     35  
      

Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments—Canadian GAAP

   (202 )   (205 )

Additional minimum liability of defined benefit pension plans(1)

       (110 )

Accounting change—Pension and other post retirement benefit plans(1 & 2)

   (175 )    

Unrealized gains (losses) on commodity hedging contracts(5)

   (1 )   1  

Unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency hedging contracts(4)

   (4 )   14  

Joint ventures(7)

       4  
      

Accumulated other comprehensive income—U.S. GAAP

   (382 )   (296 )
   

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 24. Proposed combination

In August 2006, Domtar signed a definitive agreement to combine with Weyerhaeuser’s fine paper business and related assets. Under the terms of the transaction, Weyerhaeuser’s fine paper business, consisting of 10 primary pulp and paper mills (seven in the United States and three in Canada), converting, forming and warehousing facilities, sales offices, two sawmills and logging and forest management operations will be transferred into a newly formed company for stock and a cash payment of US$1.35 billion to be provided by the new company through borrowings under a temporary credit facility. Weyerhaeuser intends to distribute the shares of the new company to its shareholders through an exchange offer. Domtar will combine with the newly formed company to create “Domtar Corporation.” At the time of the closing, the combined company will be owned approximately 55% by former Weyerhaeuser shareholders and 45% by former Domtar shareholders. The combination is subject to approvals by: the shareholders of Domtar by a special resolution; appropriate regulatory and other authorities (all of which have been obtained); as well as customary closing conditions. The transaction will be submitted to Domtar’s shareholders at a special meeting to be held on February 26, 2007 and is expected to close in March 2007. As a result of this transaction, Domtar will become an indirect subsidiary of the “Domtar Corporation,” a Delaware corporation.

Note 25. Comparative figures

To conform with the basis of presentation adopted in the current year, certain figures previously reported have been reclassified.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Consolidated financial statements

 

Consolidated balance sheets (Note 3) As at    June 30
2007
    December 31
2006
 
      
     (Unaudited)  
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)    $     $  
   

Assets

    

Current assets

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   43     649  

Receivables

   154     305  

Receivables from related parties (Note 9)

   23      

Inventories

   526     575  

Prepaid expenses

   17     14  

Income and other taxes receivable

   13     18  

Future income taxes

   45     45  
      
   821     1,606  

Property, plant and equipment

   3,131     3,044  

Assets held for sale

       24  

Goodwill

   127     6  

Long-term advances to related parties (Note 9)

   653      

Intangibles

   31      

Other assets

   92     275  
      
   4,855     4,955  
      

Liabilities and shareholders’ equity

    

Current liabilities

    

Bank indebtedness

   45     62  

Trade and other payables

   426     533  

Payables to related parties (Note 9)

   2      

Income and other taxes payable

   21     20  

Long-term debt due within one year

   1     2  
      
   495     617  

Long-term debt (Note 5)

   1,782     1,889  

Future income taxes

   357     285  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   357     223  

Contingencies (Note 10)

    

Shareholders’ equity

    

Preferred shares

   28     32  

Common shares

   1,837     1,788  

Contributed surplus

       15  

Retained earnings

   11     308  

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

   (12 )   (202 )
      
   1,864     1,941  
      
   4,855     4,955  
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Consolidated financial statements

 

Consolidated earnings

  Three months
ended June 30
    From January
1 to March 6
    From March
7 to June 30
  Six months
ended June 30
 
  2007     2006     2007     2007   2007     2006  
     
    (Unaudited)  

(In millions of Canadian dollars,

unless otherwise noted)

  $     $     $     $   $     $  
   
                Note 3  

Combined

Note 1

       

Sales

  892     998     684     1,178   1,862     2,037  

Operating expenses

           

Cost of sales

  754     876     564     992   1,556     1,807  

Selling, general and administrative

  57     43     85     65   150     96  

Amortization

  53     69     51     62   113     141  
     
  864     988     700     1,119   1,819     2,044  
     

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

  28     10     (16 )   59   43     (7 )

Financing expenses

  24     40     24     28   52     75  
     

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

  4     (30 )   (40 )   31   (9 )   (82 )

Income tax expense (recovery)

  9     (8 )   (8 )   19   11     (32 )
     

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  (5 )   (22 )   (32 )   12   (20 )   (50 )

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations

      13     (1 )     (1 )   17  
     

Net earnings (loss)

  (5 )   (9 )   (33 )   12   (21 )   (33 )
   

 

Consolidated retained earnings

  Three months
ended June 30
    From January
1 to March 6
    From March
7 to June 30
    Six months
ended June 30
 
  2007     2006     2007     2007     2007     2006  
     
    (Unaudited)  

(In millions of Canadian dollars,

unless otherwise noted)

  $     $     $     $     $     $  
   
                Note 3    

Combined

Note 1

       

Retained earnings (deficit) at beginning of period

  17     (43 )   308     275     308     (19 )

Net earnings (loss)

  (5 )   (9 )   (33 )   12     (21 )   (33 )

Comprehensive revaluation (Note 3)

              (275 )   (275 )    

Dividends on preferred shares

  (1 )   (1 )       (1 )   (1 )   (1 )
     

Retained earnings (deficit) at end of period

  11     (53 )   275     11     11     (53 )
   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Consolidated financial statements

 

Consolidated cash flows   Three
months
ended
June 30
    From
January
1 to
March 6
    From
March
7 to
June 30
    Six months
ended June 30
 
     
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)   2007     2006     2007     2007     2007     2006  
     
                                     
    (Unaudited)  
    $     $     $     $     $     $  
   
                Note 3    

Combined

Note 1

       

Operating activities

           

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  (5 )   (22 )   (32 )   12     (20 )   (50 )

Non-cash items:

           

Amortization of property, plant and equipment

  53     69     51     62     113     141  

Future income taxes

  6     (6 )   (8 )   16     8     (34 )

Other

  (1 )       4     (10 )   (6 )   1  
     
  53     41     15     80     95     58  
     

Changes in working capital and other items

           

Receivables

  19     7     113     4     117     8  

Inventories

  31     46     (6 )   42     36     60  

Prepaid expenses

  3     2         (3 )   (3 )   (7 )

Trade and other payables

  (53 )   (46 )   (99 )   (2 )   (101 )   (90 )

Income and other taxes

  4     (4 )   4     2     6     1  

Other

  (18 )       2     (27 )   (25 )   (5 )
     
  (14 )   5     14     16     30     (33 )
     

Cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations

  39     46     29     96     125     25  
     

Investing activities

           

Additions to property, plant and equipment

  (25 )   (26 )   (15 )   (31 )   (46 )   (44 )

Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment

  1     1         1     1     2  

Increase in long-term advances to related parties (Note 9)

  6             (653 )   (653 )    

Other

  (2 )   (1 )       (2 )   (2 )   (4 )
     

Cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations

  (20 )   (26 )   (15 )   (685 )   (700 )   (46 )
     

Financing activities

           

Dividend payments

  (1 )   (1 )       (1 )   (1 )   (1 )

Change in bank indebtedness

  (29 )   23     17     (37 )   (20 )   37  

Change in revolving bank credit, net of expenses

      (40 )       (1 )   (1 )   5  

Repayment of long-term debt

  (1 )   (1 )   (1 )   (1 )   (2 )   (1 )

Common shares issued, net of expenses

      1     2         2     2  

Redemptions of preferred shares

              (4 )   (4 )   (1 )

Other

  (1 )       (1 )   (1 )   (2 )    
     

Cash flows provided from (used for) financing activities of continuing operations

  (32 )   (18 )   17     (45 )   (28 )   41  
     

Cash flows from discontinued operations

           

Operating activities

  (22 )   5         (22 )   (22 )   11  

Investing activities

  22     (7 )       22     22     (14 )

Financing activities

      (1 )               (3 )
     

Cash flows used for discontinued operations

      (3 )               (6 )
     

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

  (13 )   (1 )   31     (634 )   (603 )   14  

Translation adjustments related to cash and cash equivalents

  (3 )   (3 )       (3 )   (3 )   (3 )

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

  59     98     649     680     649     83  
     

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

  43     94     680     43     43     94  
     

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period, related to:

           

Continuing operations

  43     88     680     43     43     88  

Discontinued operations

      6                 6  
     

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

  43     94     680     43     43     94  
   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Consolidated financial statements

 

       Three months
ended June 30
    From January 1
to March 6
    From March 7
to June 30
    Six months
ended June 30
 
                        
Consolidated statements of
comprehensive income
   2007     2006     2007     2007     2007     2006  
      
(In millions of Canadian dollars,
unless otherwise noted)
  

(Unaudited)

 
     $     $     $     $     $     $  
   
                             Combined        
                 Note 3           Note 1        

Net earnings (loss)

   (5 )   (9 )   (33 )   12     (21 )   (33 )

Other comprehensive income

            

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   (13 )       (5 )   (12 )   (17 )    
      

Comprehensive income (loss)

   (18 )   (9 )   (38 )       (38 )   (33 )
   

 

Consolidated statements of
accumulated other comprehensive
income
   March 6
2007
   

Fresh start

adjustments
2007

   Opening March 7
2007
   June 30
2007
    December 31
2006
 
      
(In millions of Canadian dollars,
unless otherwise noted)
   (Unaudited)  
     $     $    $    $     $  
   
     Note 3                  

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

            

Accounting change—financial instruments, net of income tax expense (recovery) of $2 million

   (5 )   5            

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   (207 )   207       (12 )   (202 )
      

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

   (212 )   212       (12 )   (202 )
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

Note 1. Basis of presentation

Domtar Inc. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar Corporation. Domtar Corporation was organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 16, 2006, and was, until March 7, 2007, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company. Domtar Corporation is a holding company organized for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and consummating the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. (“Domtar”). Domtar Corporation had no operations prior to March 7, 2007.

On August 22, 2006, Weyerhaeuser Company and certain wholly-owned subsidiaries entered into an agreement with Domtar providing for:

 

 

A series of transfers and other transactions resulting in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business becoming wholly-owned by Domtar Corporation;

 

 

The distribution of shares of Domtar Corporation to Weyerhaeuser shareholders; and

 

 

The combination of Domtar with Domtar Corporation.

The transaction (“Transaction”) was consummated on March 7, 2007. In conjunction with the Transaction and in accordance with Section 1625 of the CICA Handbook, Comprehensive Revaluation of Assets and Liabilities (“CICA 1625”), Domtar undertook a comprehensive revaluation (or “Push Down”) of its assets and liabilities as at March 7, 2007. In accordance with CICA 1625, prior period financial information has not been restated to reflect the impact of the fair value adjustments, and accordingly, certain amounts in the prior periods are not directly comparable. See Note 3 for comprehensive revaluation of assets and liabilities.

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements, prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (Canadian GAAP), contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly Domtar’s financial position as at June 30, 2007 as well as results of operations and its cash flows from March 7 to June 30, 2007. While management believes that the disclosures presented are adequate, these unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with Domtar’s annual consolidated financial statements and notes.

Domtar’s combined statement of consolidated earnings, retained earnings, cash flows and comprehensive income for the period ended June 30, 2007 represent the combination of the consolidated earnings, retained earnings, cash flows and comprehensive income from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 (period prior to the application of fresh start reporting) and the consolidated earnings, retained earnings, cash flows and comprehensive income from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 (period that reflects the application of fresh start reporting). Such combined consolidated earnings, retained earnings, cash flows and comprehensive income along with the comparative six-month period ended June 30, 2006 and the consolidated balance sheet and accumulated other comprehensive income as at December 31, 2006 are for illustrative purposes and are provided for the convenience of the reader only. As a result of the application of fresh start reporting that started on March 7, 2007, the financial condition and results of operations and the financial position following that date are not comparable to those prior to

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

that date. The financial condition and results of operations for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and the financial condition and results of operations for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 with the comparative six-month period should not be viewed as a continuum since they were prepared using different bases of accounting and different accounting policies and, therefore, are not comparable.

As of the date of the Transaction, Domtar adopted all of Domtar Corporation’s accounting policies, other than the last-in, first-out method (LIFO) used by Domtar Corporation to cost certain U.S. raw materials, in-process and finished goods inventories. Prior period financial information has not been restated to reflect the impact of this change in accounting policy. Accordingly, certain amounts in the prior periods are not directly comparable.

Note 2. Accounting changes

Accounting changes

In July 2006, the Accounting Standards Board (“AcSB”) issued a replacement of Handbook Section 1506 “Accounting Changes.” The new standard, effective January 1, 2007, allows for voluntary changes in accounting policy only when they result in the financial statements providing reliable and more relevant information and requires changes in accounting policy to be applied retrospectively unless doing so is impracticable. The initial adoption of this section had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements under Canadian GAAP.

Financial instruments

In April 2005, the CICA issued three new Handbook Sections in relation with financial instruments: Section 3855 “Financial Instruments—Recognition and Measurement,” Section 3865 “Hedges” and Section 1530 “Comprehensive Income.” The Corporation adopted the provisions of these sections on January 1, 2007.

Financial instruments—recognition and measurement

Section 3855 expands on Handbook Section 3860 “Financial Instruments—Disclosure and Presentation,” by prescribing when a financial instrument is to be recognized on the balance sheet and at what amount. It also specifies how financial instrument gains and losses are to be presented. Under this new statement:

 

 

All financial assets and liabilities are carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, except loans and receivables, investments held-to-maturity and non-trading financial liabilities, which are carried at amortized cost. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on trading financial assets and liabilities are recognized immediately in the consolidated statement of income while unrealized gains and losses on financial assets that are available for sale are recognized in other comprehensive income until their realization, after which these amounts are recognized in the consolidated statement of income.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

 

All derivatives financial instruments are carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, including those derivatives that are embedded in other contracts but are not closely related to the host contract.

Hedges

Section 3865 provides alternative accounting treatments to those found in Section 3855 for entities who choose to designate qualifying transactions as hedges for accounting purposes. It replaces and expands on AcG-13 “Hedging Relationships,” and the hedging guidance in Section 1650 “Foreign Currency Translation” by specifying how hedge accounting is applied and what disclosures are necessary when it is applied. Under this new statement:

 

 

In a fair value hedge, hedging activities are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of income. The changes in the fair value of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk is also recorded in consolidated income by way of a corresponding adjustment of the carrying amount of the hedged items recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

 

 

In a cash flow hedge, the changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments is recorded in other comprehensive income. These amounts are reclassified in the consolidated statement of income in the periods in which results are affected by the cash flows of the hedged item.

 

 

Hedges of net investments in self-sustaining foreign operations are treated in a manner similar to cash flow hedges.

 

 

Any hedge ineffectiveness is recorded in the consolidated statement of income.

Comprehensive income

Section 1530 introduced a new requirement to present certain revenues, expenses, gains and losses, that otherwise would not be immediately recorded in income, in a comprehensive income statement with the same prominence as other statements that constitute a complete set of financial statements.

On January 1, 2007, the initial adoption of this standard resulted in a decrease in other assets of $26 million, an increase in future income tax assets of $2 million, a decrease in other long-term liabilities and deferred credits of $5 million, a decrease in long-term debt of $14 million and an accumulated other comprehensive loss of $5 million.

Uncertainty in income taxes

In June 2006, FASB issued Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109” (FIN 48). This interpretation, which the Company adopted on January 1, 2007, clarifies the accounting for uncertain tax positions recognized in a company’s financial statements in accordance with Statement 109. FIN 48 prescribes a more likely than not recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification of a liability for unrecognized tax benefits, accounting for interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, and expanded income tax disclosures. Domtar adopted this Interpretation in conjunction with the fresh start reporting and the adoption of the accounting policies of Domtar Corporation (other than LIFO). Domtar considers FIN 48 is an appropriate source of Canadian GAAP under Section 1100, “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.” The adoption of FIN 48 was not reflected as a change in accounting policy with retrospective adjustment of retained earnings nor were comparative amounts for prior periods restated given the fresh start reporting on March 7, 2007. The initial adoption of this Interpretation had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Impact of accounting pronouncements not yet implemented

Inventories

In March 2007, the Accounting Standards Board (“AcSB”) approved Handbook Section 3031 “Inventories.” The standard provides guidance on the determination of cost and its subsequent recognition as an expense, including any write-down to net realizable value. The standard also permits the reversal of previous write-downs where there is a subsequent increase in the value of inventories. Finally, the standard provides guidance on the cost formulas that are used to assign costs to inventories and requires the consistent use of inventory policies by type of inventory with similar nature and use. The standard is effective for interim and annual financial statements relating to fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2008, with earlier adoption encouraged. An entity may either apply this standard to the opening inventory for the period and adjust opening retained earnings by the difference in the measurement of opening inventory and prior periods are not restated; or an entity may apply this standard retrospectively and restate prior periods in accordance with Handbook Section 1506 “Accounting Changes.” We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Note 3. Comprehensive revaluation

Following the consummation of the Transaction described in Note 1, Domtar Inc. applied fresh start reporting on March 7, 2007. In the case of an acquisition of an enterprise, the application of push-down accounting results in comparable accounting to that which would result had the acquirer either purchased the assets and assumed the liabilities of the enterprise directly or established a new legal entity to hold the assets and assume the liabilities of the acquired enterprise and to continue its operations. As a result, the financial condition and results of operations reflect the accounting activities before and after the Transaction, being the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007, respectively. All assets and liabilities have been reported at fair values, except for future income taxes, which are reported in accordance with Section 3465 of the CICA Handbook, Income Taxes.

The fair values of the assets and liabilities have been based on Management’s best estimates at March 7, 2007. Domtar is in the process of completing its valuation of certain assets and

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

liabilities. Accordingly, the fair value of assets and liabilities could differ materially from the amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements. The principal significant elements for which the fair value could be modified include inventories, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets (including actual depreciation and amortization expense), goodwill and future income taxes.

Domtar Corporation has refined its preliminary purchase price allocation presented in its first quarter financial statements to reflect the impact of the restructuring measures described in Note 4 and the agreement in principle for the sale of substantially all of its Wood business as described in Note 11 on the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. As a result, Domtar has revised its valuation of certain assets and liabilities as of the date of the application of push-down accounting. As such, inventories decreased by $8 million, property, plant and equipment increased by $95 million, trade and other payables increased by $22 million, other liabilities and deferred credits increased by $6 million and deferred income taxes – non current increased by $15 million. This resulted in a $44 million decrease in goodwill. These represent the significant changes to the fresh start adjustments.

Note 4. Closure and restructuring costs

On July 31, 2007, Domtar announced that it will permanently close two paper machines, one situated at its Woodland, Maine paper mill and another at its Port Edwards, Wisconsin paper mill as well as its mill in Gatineau, Quebec and its converting center in Ottawa, Ontario. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees.

The closure and restructuring cost provision identified below relates to operations and activities of Domtar Inc., which was acquired by Domtar Corporation on March 7, 2007 and was part of a plan that had begun to be assessed and formulated by management at that date. As a result, these costs represent assumed liabilities and costs incurred as of the acquisition date and were treated as part of the purchase price allocation in accordance with EIC-114, Liability Recognition for Costs Incurred on Purchase Business Combinations. These closures also impacted the fair value of certain property, plant and equipment as part of Domtar Inc. purchase price allocation.

At June 30, 2007, the closure and restructuring cost provision related to the above plan was $24 million, related entirely to the Papers segment.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table provides the components of closure and restructuring cost provisions:

 

       As at
June 30
2007
    
     (Unaudited)
  
     $
 

Labor costs

   15

Environmental liabilities

   6

Contract termination costs

   3
    

Balance, end of period

   24
 

Further costs related to the above closures expected to be incurred over 2007 and 2008 include $1 million for training, relocation and outplacement costs. These costs will be expensed as incurred.

Estimates of cash flows and fair value relating to closures and restructurings require judgment. Closure and restructuring costs are based on management’s best estimates as at June 30, 2007. Although Domtar does not anticipate significant changes, the actual costs may differ from these estimates due to subsequent developments such as the results of environmental studies, the ability to find a buyer for assets set to be dismantled and demolished and other business developments. As such, additional costs and further write-downs may be required in future periods.

Note 5. Long-term debt

Bank facility

On March 7, 2007, Domtar, along with its parent Domtar Corporation, entered into a new credit agreement, which consist of a seven-year senior secured term loan, of US$800 million, borrowed by Domtar Corporation, and a five-year US$750 million secured revolving credit facility of which Domtar can borrow a maximum US$150 million. The unsecured revolving credit facility of US$600 million in favour of Domtar that was due to expire in 2010, was cancelled.

Domtar’s obligations are guaranteed by its subsidiaries as well as by Domtar Corporation and its subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions.

The obligations of Domtar in respect of the senior secured credit facilities are secured by all of the equity interests of Domtar Corporation’s subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions, and a perfected first priority security interest in substantially all of Domtar Corporation’s and its U.S. subsidiaries’ tangible and intangible assets (other than the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar). Lenders to Domtar Corporation, under the senior secured credit facilities, share this security package, subject to certain exceptions.

In addition, the obligations of Domtar are secured by the Canadian inventory of Domtar.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 6. Stated capital

Equity awards

Domtar’s common shares under the Restricted Stock Plan as well as each outstanding grant of deferred share units and each outstanding grant of performance share units with respect to Domtar common shares were exchanged, on a one-for-one basis and on the same terms and conditions, for awards of Domtar Corporation common shares.

Options granted under the Executive Stock Option Plan, whether vested or unvested, were exchanged on the same terms and conditions for an option to purchase a number of shares of common stock of Domtar Corporation equal to the number of Domtar common shares or of equivalent value determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, depending if the exercise price was higher, equal or less than the market value at the time of the exchange.

Employee share purchase plans

The Employee Share Purchase Plans have been terminated in February 2007.

Note 7. defined benefit plans and other employee future benefit plans

 

      Three months
ended June 30
  From January
1 to March 6
  From March
7 to June 30
  Six
months
ended
June 30
    2007   2006   2007   2007   2007   2006
   
    (Unaudited)
    $   $   $   $   $   $
 
            Note 3   Combined
Note 1

Net periodic benefit cost for defined benefit plans

  7   14   7   10   17   29

Net periodic benefit cost for other employee future benefit plans

  2   3   1   3   4   5
 

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 8. Segmented disclosures

Domtar operates in the three reportable segments described below. Each reportable segment offers different products and services and requires different technology and marketing strategies. The following summary briefly describes the operations included in each of Domtar’s reportable segments:

 

 

Papers—represents the aggregation of the manufacturing and distribution of business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty papers, as well as pulp.

 

 

Paper Merchants—involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by Domtar and by other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products.

 

 

Wood—comprises the manufacturing and marketing of lumber and wood-based value-added products and the management of forest resources.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Domtar evaluates performance based on operating income, which represents sales, reflecting transfer prices between segments at fair value, less allocable expenses before financing expenses and income taxes.

 

       Three
months
ended
June 30
   

From
January 1

to
March 6

    From
March 7
to
June 30
    Six months ended
June 30
 
                  
SEGMENTED DATA    2007     2006     2007     2007     2007     2006  
                                    
     (Unaudited)  
     $     $     $     $     $     $  
   
                 Note 3    

Combined

Note 1

       

Sales from continuing operations

            

Papers

   633     693     501     830     1,331     1,405  

Paper Merchants

   250     256     184     337     521     533  

Wood

   83     130     58     109     167     278  
      

Total for reportable segments

   966     1,079     743     1,276     2,019     2,216  

Intersegment sales - Papers

   (61 )   (68 )   (53 )   (83 )   (136 )   (151 )

Intersegment sales - Paper Merchants

   (1 )           (1 )   (1 )    

Intersegment sales - Wood

   (12 )   (13 )   (6 )   (14 )   (20 )   (28 )
      

Consolidated sales from continuing operations

   892     998     684     1,178     1,862     2,037  
      

Amortization of property, plant and equipment from continuing operations

            

Papers

   48     59     44     54     98     122  

Paper Merchants

           1         1     1  

Wood

   5     10     6     8     14     18  
      

Consolidated amortization of property, plant and equipment from continuing operations

   53     69     51     62     113     141  
      

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

            

Papers

   49     17     32     76     108     (1 )

Paper Merchants

   3     3     2     7     9     7  

Wood

   (19 )   (10 )   (13 )   (19 )   (32 )   (15 )
      

Total for reportable segments

   33     10     21     64     85     (9 )

Corporate

   (5 )       (37 )   (5 )   (42 )   2  
      

Consolidated operating income (loss) from continuing operations

   28     10     (16 )   59     43     (7 )
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 9. Related party transactions

In conjunction with the consummation of the Transaction, as described in Note 1, a Canadian subsidiary of Domtar Inc. advanced $589 million (US$500 million) to a Canadian subsidiary of Domtar Corporation and a U.S. subsidiary of Domtar Inc. advanced $64 million (US$60 million) to a U.S. subsidiary of Domtar Corporation to pay down indebtedness incurred in the Transaction. The Canadian advance is for five years, bears interest at a variable rate based on the Canadian prime rate and is repayable at any time. The U.S. advance is for five years, bears interest at a variable rate based on the U.S. prime rate and is repayable at any time.

Domtar Corporation’s Canadian and U.S. subsidiaries have advanced certain funds to Domtar’s Canadian and U.S. subsidiaries in the normal course of business to finance its short-term liquidity needs. Ris Paper Company, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar, purchases paper from Domtar Corporation under the same commercial terms as any other merchant who purchases paper from Domtar Corporation.

Domtar Corporation exchanges fees with Domtar Inc. for management fees related to services rendered such as Finance, Legal, Human Resources, etc. The management fee is charged at cost or at cost plus, depending on the nature of the service rendered. The management fee for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 was not significant.

Note 10. Contingencies

E.B. Eddy acquisition

On July 31, 1998, Domtar acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc. (E.B. Eddy), an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of Domtar in specified circumstances, Domtar may have had to pay up to a maximum of $120 million, an amount which is gradually declining over a 25-year period. As at March 7, 2007, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was $110 million. No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

On March 14, 2007, Domtar received a letter from George Weston Limited (the previous owner of E.B. Eddy and a party to the purchase agreement) demanding payment of $110 million as a result of the consummation of the Transaction described in Note 1. On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited against Domtar in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada, claiming that the consummation of the Transaction triggered the purchase price adjustment and seeking a purchase price adjustment of $110 million as well as additional compensatory damages. Domtar does not believe that the consummation of the Transaction triggers an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

adjustment and intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar may not be successful in its defense of such claims and if Domtar is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on the liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Note 11. Sale of forest products business

On June 22, 2007, Domtar announced an agreement in principle to sell substantially all of its Wood business to the newly created Conifex Inc. for approximately $285 million including an estimated $50 million of working capital. The operations being sold consist of substantially all of Domtar’s Wood business, except for its sawmills in Saskatchewan and some forestlands. The transaction is subject to governmental approval for the forest license transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The sale is expected to close before the end of the year.

Domtar has accepted, in principle, to extend its support by investing in Conifex Inc. an amount equal to the lesser of $35 million or a 19.9% participation, subject to the conclusion of a definitive agreement to its satisfaction.

Domtar will provide Conifex Inc. with transition services after the close, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of 6 to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction.

At June 30, 2007, the assets and liabilities of the Wood business are accounted for as held and used in accordance with Section 3475 of the CICA Handbook, Disposal of Long-lived Assets and Discontinued Operations, due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly regarding getting government approval and financing. Domtar does not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

Note 12. Comparative figures

To conform with the basis of presentation adopted in the current period, certain figures previously reported have been reclassified.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Offers to Exchange Notes Issued by Domtar Inc.

and

Solicitation of Consents to Amend the Related Indentures

The Exchange Agent for the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitations is:

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

65 Broadway, Suite 723

New York, NY 10006

Attention: Corporate Actions

By Facsimile Transmission (Eligible Institutions Only): (212) 430-3775/9

Confirm Facsimile by Telephone: (212) 430-3774

Any questions or requests for assistance or for additional copies of this prospectus and consent solicitation statement, the Letter of Transmittal and Consent, or related documents may be directed to the Information Agent at its telephone numbers set forth below. A holder of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes may also contact the Dealer Managers at the telephone numbers set forth below or such holder’s custodian bank, depositary, broker, dealer, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the exchange offers.

The Information Agent for the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitations is:

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

65 Broadway, Suite 723

New York, NY 10006

Attention: Corporate Actions

Banks and Brokers call: (212) 430-3774

All others call toll free: (866) 470-3700

The Lead Dealer Manager for the Exchange Offers and

Lead Solicitation Agent for the Consent Solicitations is:

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

270 Park Avenue, 8 th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Attention: Liability Management Group

Collect: (212) 834-4077

Toll free: (866) 834-4666

The Co-Dealer Manager for the Exchange Offers and

Solicitation Agent for the Consent Solicitations is:

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

Attention: Liability Management Group

60 Wall Street

New York, NY 10005

Collect: (212) 250-2955

Toll free: (866) 627-0391


Table of Contents

DATED OCTOBER 17, 2007

DEBENTUREHOLDER INFORMATION CIRCULAR/PROSPECTUS

DOMTAR INC.                      DOMTAR CORPORATION

Solicitation of Proxies to Amend the Indentures

relating to Domtar Inc.’s

Canadian Dollar Denominated Debentures

 

Outstanding Principal Amount

 

Description of Domtar Inc. Debentures

 

CUSIP No.

CDN$82,000,000   10% Debentures due 2011   257561AK6
CDN$74,913,000   10.85% Debentures due 2017   257561AL4

 


Under applicable U.S. securities laws, this document is a combined Debentureholder Information Circular/Prospectus being distributed by Domtar Inc. and Domtar Corporation to the holders of the Domtar Inc.’s Canadian dollar denominated debentures in connection with the meetings that have been called to vote on the amendments to the indentures pursuant to which such debentures were issued. It contains important information, and you should read it carefully. The reader is cautioned that this document is not a prospectus for the purposes of applicable Canadian securities laws.

The Canadian Proxy Solicitations

Domtar Inc. is soliciting proxies from holders of its outstanding Canadian dollar denominated 10% Debentures due 2011 and 10.85% Debentures due 2017 (together, the “Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures”), for use at a meeting of holders of each series of such debentures, at which Domtar Inc. will seek the approval of such holders to amend the indenture pursuant to which such series of debentures were issued (together, the “Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures”) to provide Domtar Corporation with the right to acquire, at any time, all outstanding debentures of such series in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of Domtar Corporation’s newly issued debt securities of the corresponding series, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures which are acquired. If such amendment is approved by the holders of a series of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, Domtar Corporation intends to acquire all of the outstanding Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures of such series in exchange for newly issued Domtar Corporation securities (the “Domtar Corp. C$ Notes”) concurrently with the consummation of the exchange offers for the Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes referred to below. The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

Subject to the conditions described herein, Domtar Inc. will pay to holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures an amount (the “Early Consent Payment”) equal to CDN$2.50 per CDN$1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures with respect to which such holder submits a valid proxy prior to 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) on October 30, 2007, unless, with respect to a particular series of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, extended by Domtar Inc. with respect to the proxy solicitation for such series (such date, as it may be extended, the “Early Proxy Date”). Prior to 5:00 p.m. on the Early Proxy Date, debentureholders who revoke duly completed and submitted proxies will not be entitled to the Early Consent Payment. After 5:00 p.m. on the Early Proxy Date, debentureholders entitled to the Early Consent Payment may not revoke their proxies. The Early Consent Payment will be payable if and only if the Supplemental Indentures amending the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures are executed and delivered.

Exchange Offers for US$ Denominated Notes

Concurrently, Domtar Corporation is offering to holders of Domtar Inc.’s outstanding U.S. dollar denominated 7.875% Notes due 2011, 5.375% Notes due 2013, 7  1 / 8 % Notes due 2015 and 9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2016 (collectively, the “Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes”), an opportunity to exchange their Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes for an equal principal amount of Domtar Corporation’s newly issued U.S. dollar denominated notes of the corresponding series, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes tendered in exchange.

In the event one or both of the debentureholders’ resolutions to amend the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures are duly adopted but the conditions of the exchange offers relating to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes are not satisfied or waived by Domtar Corporation, Domtar Corporation reserves the right to not acquire any Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures.

As you review this Debentureholder Information Circular/Prospectus you should carefully consider the matters described under the caption “ Risk Factors ” beginning on page C-27.

 


Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities regulator nor any securities commission or similar regulatory authority in Canada has approved or disapproved these securities, or determined if this debentureholder information circular/prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

None of Domtar Inc., Domtar Corporation, Domtar Paper Company, LLC, the information agent, the trustee under the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures, the trustee under the Domtar Corporation indenture or the dealer managers makes any recommendation as to whether or not holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures should vote in favour of the amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures.

The Dealer Manager for the Canadian Proxy Solicitations is:

LOGO

 


Table of Contents

LOGO

DOMTAR INC.

NOTICE OF MEETINGS OF DEBENTUREHOLDERS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that meetings of the holders (collectively, the “ Debentureholders ”) of (i) the 10% debentures due 2011 of Domtar Inc. (the “ 10% Debentures ”), and (ii) the 10.85% debentures due 2017 of Domtar Inc. (the “ 10.85% Debentures ” and together with the 10% Debentures, the “ Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures ”) will be held at the offices of Domtar Inc., 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A IL6, on November 14, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. (Montreal time) in the case of the 10% Debentures and at 10:30 a.m. (Montreal time) in the case of the 10.85% Debentures.

This notice is given (i) in the case of the 10% Debentures, pursuant to the Trust Indenture dated as of April 15, 1987 between Domtar Inc. and Computershare Trust Company of Canada (as successor to Montreal Trust Company) (the “ Trustee ”) (the “ April 1987 Indenture ”), and (ii) in the case of the 10.85% Debentures, pursuant to the Trust Indenture dated as of August 5, 1987 between Domtar Inc. and the Trustee (the “ August 1987 Indenture ” and together with the April 1987 Indenture, the “ Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures ”).

The meeting of the holders of 10% Debentures (the “ 10% Debentureholders’ Meeting ”) is called pursuant to the provisions of the April 1987 Indenture and is being held for the following purpose:

 

  1. To consider and, if thought appropriate, pass, with or without amendment, a Majority Securityholders’ Act (as such term is defined in the April 1987 Indenture) (the “ 10% Debentureholders’ Resolution ”) to authorize Domtar Inc. to enter into a supplemental indenture amending the terms of the April 1987 Indenture to provide Domtar Corporation, a Delaware Corporation and the indirect parent of Domtar Inc., with the right to acquire, at any time, all of the outstanding 10% Debentures in consideration for an equal principal amount of newly issued Canadian dollar denominated notes of Domtar Corporation, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the 10% Debentures. The complete text of the 10% Debentureholders’ Resolution can be found at Schedule A to the Debentureholders’ Information Circular accompanying this notice.

 

  2. To transact any other business that may properly come before the 10% Debentureholders’ Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

The meeting of the holders of 10.85% Debentures (the “ 10.85% Debentureholders’ Meeting ” and together with the 10% Debentureholders’ Meeting, the “ Debentureholders’ Meetings ”) is called pursuant to the provisions of the August 1987 Indenture and is being held for the following purpose:

 

  1. To consider and, if thought appropriate, pass, with or without amendment, a Majority Securityholders’ Act (as such term is defined in the August 1987 Indenture) (the “ 10.85% Debentureholders’ Resolution ” and together with the 10% Debentureholders’ Resolution, the “ Debentureholders’ Resolutions ”) to authorize Domtar Inc. to enter into a supplemental indenture amending the terms of the August 1987 Indenture to provide Domtar Corporation, a Delaware Corporation and the indirect parent of Domtar Inc., with the right to acquire, at any time, all of the outstanding 10.85% Debentures in consideration for an equal principal amount of newly issued Canadian dollar denominated notes of Domtar Corporation, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the 10.85% Debentures. The complete text of the 10.85% Debentureholders’ Resolution can be found at Schedule B to the Debentureholders’ Information Circular accompanying this notice.

 

  2. To transact any other business that may properly come before the 10.85% Debentureholders’ Meeting or any adjournment thereof.


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Pursuant to the provisions of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures, any Majority Securityholders’ Act passed at a Debentureholders’ Meeting or any adjournment thereof will, if passed in accordance with the provisions contained in the corresponding Indenture, be binding upon all Debentureholders to which the resolution relates, whether present at or absent from the Debentureholders’ Meeting.

The record date for receiving notice and voting securities at the Debentureholders’ Meetings is October 16, 2007 (the “ Record Date ”) . If you were a registered holder of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures at the close of business on the Record Date, you are entitled to vote at the applicable Debentureholders’ Meeting. If you hold Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures through a broker or another intermediary, please read the instructions from your broker or intermediary regarding how to vote your Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures.

A registered Debentureholder may attend and vote at the applicable Debentureholders’ Meeting or at any adjournment thereof in person or may by instrument in writing under its hand duly appoint any person as proxy to be present and to vote for it at the applicable Debentureholders’ Meeting or at any adjournment thereof.

A duly completed proxy may be deposited not later than 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) on the business day preceding the Debentureholders’ Meetings or at any adjournment thereof. However, Domtar Inc. will pay an amount (the “ Early Consent Payment ”) equal to CDN$2.50 per CDN$1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures to Debentureholders who have delivered to Computershare Trust Company of Canada (the “ Proxy Agent ”) prior to 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) (the “ Early Proxy Time ”) on October 30, 2007, or such later date as may be determined and publicly announced by Domtar Inc. (the “ Early Proxy Date ”) a duly completed proxy in the form of the proxy accompanying the Debentureholder Information Circular/Prospectus and appointing Harold H. MacKay, Raymond Royer or Razvan L. Theodoru as the attorneys in fact (and do not revoke such proxy prior to the Early Proxy Time on the Early Proxy Date) containing instructions to vote IN FAVOUR of the applicable Debentureholders’ Resolution with respect to which such Debentureholder delivered a proxy. In order for a Debentureholder to be entitled to receive the Early Consent Payment, the Proxy Agent must in fact receive from the registered Debentureholder the duly completed proxy prior to the Early Proxy Time on the Early Proxy Date. The Early Consent Payment will be payable if and only if the applicable Debentureholders’ Resolution is duly adopted and the supplemental indenture contemplated thereby is executed and delivered. The Early Consent Payment will be paid by cheque to registered Debentureholders as soon as practicable following execution of the Supplemental Indentures described in the accompanying Debentureholders Information Circular.

The accompanying Debentureholders’ Information Circular provides additional information.

This notice of meetings of Debentureholders is being given by Domtar Inc. and the Trustee.

DATED this 17th day of October, 2007.

 

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY

OF CANADA , as trustee pursuant to the Domtar
Inc. Canadian Indentures

      DOMTAR INC.

/s/ Toni De Luca

   

/ s / Razvan L. Theodoru

Toni De Luca

General Manager, Corporate Trust Services

   

Razvan L. Theodoru

Vice President and Secretary

If you are unable to attend the meeting(s) in person, please complete, sign and return the enclosed form of proxy by facsimile, mail or delivery to Domtar Inc., c/o Computershare Investor Services Inc., 100 University Avenue, 9th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, Attention: Proxy Department; Fax:   1-866-249-7775 . Original or facsimile copies of such signed proxy should be forwarded to the Proxy Agent so as to arrive not later than (i) the Early Proxy Time on the Early Proxy Date in order to be eligible to receive the Early Consent Payment, (ii) 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) on November 13, 2007 or (iii) if the applicable Debentureholders’ Meeting is adjourned, not later than 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) on the last business day before the adjournment.


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LOGO

DOMTAR INC.

INFORMATION FOR DEBENTUREHOLDERS

This Debentureholders’ Information Circular/Prospectus (the “Circular”) is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by or on behalf of management of Domtar Inc. for use at the meetings (collectively, the “Debentureholders’ Meetings”) to be held at the time and place and for the purpose set forth in the accompanying Notice of Meetings of Debentureholders, such notice being given to the holders (collectively, the “Debentureholders”) of the following debentures (collectively, the “Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures”) of Domtar Inc.:

 

  (i) 10% debentures due 2011 (the “10% Debentures”) issued pursuant to the Trust Indenture dated as of April 15, 1987 (the “April 1987 Indenture”) between Domtar Inc. and Montreal Trust Company (now Computershare Trust Company of Canada) (the “Trustee”); and

 

  (ii) 10.85% debentures due 2017 (the “10.85% Debentures”) issued pursuant to the Trust Indenture dated as of August 5, 1987 (the “August 1987 Indenture” and together with the April 1987 Indenture, the “Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures”) between Domtar Inc. and the Trustee.

It is expected that the solicitation of proxies will be primarily by mail, although proxies may also be solicited personally or by telephone by employees of Domtar Inc., Scotia Capital Inc. and its affiliate Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. Scotia Capital Inc. and its affiliate Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. have been retained by Domtar Inc. as dealer managers in connection with, among other things, the solicitation of proxies at the Debentureholders’ Meetings (collectively, the “ Canadian Dealer Managers ”). See “Dealer Managers” below. In addition, Domtar Inc. has retained Georgeson Shareholder Communications Canada Inc. (“ Georgeson ”) to assist in the solicitation of proxies and in its discussions with Debentureholders. The costs of solicitation will be borne by Domtar Inc.

No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this Circular, and, if given or made, such information or representations may not be relied upon as having been authorized.

Questions and requests for assistance should be directed to Scotia Capital Inc. (attention: Larry Small, Director, Head of Syndication) at 1-416-863-7257 or Georgeson at 1-888-605-8384.

The information contained in this Circular is given as at October 17, 2007, unless otherwise indicated.

PURPOSE OF THE DEBENTUREHOLDERS’ MEETINGS

Holders of the 10% Debentures and holders of the 10.85% Debentures, respectively, are being asked to approve the adoption of a Majority Securityholders’ Act (as such term is defined in the April 1987 Indenture with respect to the 10% Debentures and the August 1987 Indenture with respect to the 10.85% Debentures) authorizing Domtar Inc. and the Trustee to enter into Supplemental Indentures (defined below) amending the terms of the respective Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures (collectively, the “ Debentureholders’ Resolutions ”) to add a provision to each of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures pursuant to which the parent company of Domtar Inc., Domtar Corporation, shall have the right to acquire all but not less than all of the outstanding 10% Debentures at any time following the adoption of the Debentureholders’ Resolution relating to the April 1987 Indenture and all but not less than all of the outstanding 10.85% Debentures at any time following the adoption

 

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of the Debentureholders’ Resolution relating to the August 1987 Indenture, in each case upon notice of no less than one business day being given by Domtar Corporation to the Trustee. Upon the exercise by Domtar Corporation of its right to acquire the 10% Debentures and/or the 10.85% Debentures, as the case may be, Domtar Corporation shall arrange to deliver to the Trustee for the benefit of holders of the 10% Debentures and/or the 10.85% Debentures, as the case may be, a principal amount of newly issued Canadian dollar denominated notes of Domtar Corporation equal to the principal amount of 10% Debentures and/or 10.85% Debentures acquired by Domtar Corporation (except as described below with respect to Coupon Securities), bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the 10% Debentures and the 10.85% Debentures, respectively, and having such terms, conditions and other attributes described under the caption “Description of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes” in Schedule C to this Circular (collectively, the “ Domtar Corp. C$ Notes ”). Debentureholders are advised that in the event one or both of the Debentureholders’ Resolutions contemplated by this Circular are duly adopted and the conditions relating to the US$ Notes Exchange Offers (defined below – see “Exchange Offers for US$ Denominated Notes”) are satisfied or waived, Domtar Corporation intends to exercise its right to acquire the 10% Debentures (in the event the Debentureholders’ Resolution relating to the April 1987 Indenture is adopted) and the 10.85% Debentures (in the event the Debentureholders’ Resolution relating to the August 1987 Indenture is adopted) concurrently with the consummation of the US$ Notes Exchange Offers. In the event one or both of the Debentureholders’ Resolutions are duly adopted but the conditions relating to the US$ Notes Exchange Offers are not satisfied or waived by Domtar Corporation, Domtar Corporation reserves the right to not acquire any Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures.

In connection with the exercise by Domtar Corporation of its rights to acquire Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, upon delivery of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes to or for the benefit of Debentureholders, such Debentureholders shall be paid an amount in cash by Domtar Inc. representing accrued and unpaid interest relating to the relevant series of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures up to (but not including) the date of acquisition (the “ Accrued Interest ”) (except as described below with respect to Coupon Securities), which payment shall satisfy any obligation of Domtar Inc. to pay interest on such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures up to such date. Domtar Corp. C$ Notes shall bear interest as of and from the date of issue. See “Certain Canadian Federal Income Tax Consequences” in this Circular and “Description of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes” contained at Schedule C to this Circular.

Following the exercise by Domtar Corporation of its rights to acquire Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures in accordance with the terms of the Supplemental Indentures, all Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures called for exchange by Domtar Corporation will be owned by Domtar Corporation and former holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures will no longer have any rights whatsoever under the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures in respect of such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures or the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures or any coupons relating thereto, except to receive the consideration described herein. In order to receive certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, Debentureholders are required to complete and deliver the enclosed Letter of Transmittal, together with their certificates representing the 10% Debentures and/or the 10.85% Debentures, as the case may be, in accordance with the instructions contained in the Letter of Transmittal. Until such time as a duly completed Letter of Transmittal, together with certificates representing the 10% Debentures and/or the 10.85% Debentures, as the case may be, are delivered to the Trustee, the Trustee shall hold, for the benefit of the Debentureholders, certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. Interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes shall be paid by Domtar Corporation and delivered to registered holders of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes in the same manner as such interest had been paid to Debentureholders in respect of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures. Debentureholders who hold their Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures in bearer form are advised to contact the Trustee (telephone: 1-800-245-4053) for instructions regarding how to exchange their Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures for Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and receive interest payable in respect of such debentures. If any Coupon Security (as defined in the applicable Domtar Inc. Canadian Indenture) acquired by Domtar Corporation is not accompanied by all appurtenant coupons maturing after the date fixed for the acquisition of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures in accordance with the terms of the applicable Supplemental Indenture, the principal

 

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amount of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes to be delivered to the Trustee for and on behalf of the holder of such Coupon Security shall be reduced by an amount equal to the present value of all such missing coupons discounted at a rate of 5% per annum from the date on which interest is payable with respect to each such missing coupon to (but excluding) the date such Coupon Security is acquired by Domtar Corporation, provided, however, that the surrender of such missing coupon or coupons may be waived by Domtar Inc. and the Trustee if there shall be furnished to them such security or indemnity as they may require. If any such missing coupon in respect of which such deduction shall have been made shall be surrendered to the paying agent under the applicable Domtar Inc. Canadian Indenture, the holder of such missing coupon shall be entitled to receive from Domtar Inc. an amount in cash representing the present value of such missing coupon, discounted at a rate of 5% per annum from the date on which interest is payable with respect to such missing coupon to the date such coupon is surrendered. A holder of a Coupon Security shall be entitled to Accrued Interest only if such holder has surrendered the coupon(s) appurtenant to such Coupon Security relating to the period for which Accrued Interest is due.

Any Domtar Corp. C$ Notes or amount representing Accrued Interest in the hands of the Trustee and set aside and not claimed by or delivered to the applicable Debentureholders within 5 years after the date of such setting aside shall be returned by the Trustee to Domtar Corporation, and thereupon the Trustee shall be released from all further liability with respect to such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures or Accrued Interest and thereafter the Debentureholders in respect of which such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures and Accrued Interest was so delivered to Domtar Corporation shall have no rights in respect thereof, except to obtain such Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and the Accrued Interest from Domtar Corporation upon due presentation and surrender by the Debentureholder of such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures.

The complete text of each of the Debentureholders’ Resolutions are attached as Schedule A and B to this Circular.

QUORUM, VOTES REQUIRED

Subject to certain exceptions, each of the April 1987 Indenture and the August 1987 Indenture provide that holders of 10% Debentures and 10.85% Debentures, respectively, have the power exercisable by Majority Securityholders’ Act (as defined in each of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures), to add any provisions or to change in any manner or to eliminate any of the provisions of the applicable Domtar Inc. Canadian Indenture or to modify in any manner the rights of the holders of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures and coupons under the applicable Domtar Inc. Canadian Indenture. Each Indenture further provides that any Majority Securityholders’ Act passed in accordance with the provisions contained in the Indenture is binding upon all of the holders of the related Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, whether or not present or represented at the meeting at which the Majority Securityholders’ Acts was passed. Accordingly, if one or both of the Debentureholders’ Resolutions (attached as Schedule A and B to this Circular) are duly adopted, Domtar Corporation will have the right to exercise its right to acquire all the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures in respect of which a Debentureholders’ Resolution has been so adopted in consideration for Domtar Corp. C$ Notes in accordance with the provisions of the Supplemental Indentures, regardless of whether a holder voted or how a holder voted.

To be effective, each Debentureholders’ Resolution must be passed by the favourable votes of the holders of not less than 66  2 / 3 % of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding 10% Debentures and 10.85% Debentures, respectively, represented and voted at the applicable Debentureholders’ Meeting or any adjournment thereof. Each Debentureholder of record at the close of business on October 16, 2007 will be entitled to receive notice of and vote at the applicable Debentureholders’ Meetings. Each Debentureholder present in person or represented by proxy will be entitled to one vote for each CDN$1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures then held.

Each of the April 1987 Indenture and the August 1987 Indenture also provide that a quorum for a meeting of the holders of 10% Debentures and 10.85% Debentures, respectively, called to pass a Majority Securityholders’

 

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Act is constituted by holders of the outstanding 10% Debentures and 10.85% Debentures, respectively, present in person or represented by proxy at the respective meeting, holding not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the corresponding Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures outstanding. Each Indenture also provides that, where a meeting for the purpose of passing a Majority Securityholders’ Act is convened, if a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time at which the meeting was to commence, the meeting may be adjourned for a period of not less than ten days as determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such meeting. At the adjourned meeting, the Debentureholders present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum.

Each of the April 1987 Indenture and the August 1987 Indenture provide that in determining which persons are entitled to vote at a meeting or whether a quorum is properly constituted, Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures owned by Domtar Inc. or any of its affiliates shall be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding for such purposes.

Domtar Inc. may at any time prior to the commencement of a Debentureholders’ Meeting or any adjournment thereof cancel a Debentureholders’ Meeting by written notice to the Trustee which will in turn deliver notice of such cancellation to the Debentureholders.

 

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VOTING BY PROXY

Early Consent Payment

A duly completed proxy may be deposited not later than 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) on the business day preceding the Debentureholders’ Meetings or at any adjournment thereof. However, Domtar Inc. will pay an amount (the “ Early Consent Payment ”) equal to CDN$2.50 per CDN$1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures to Debentureholders who have delivered to Computershare Trust Company of Canada (the “ Proxy Agent ”) prior to 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) (the “ Early Proxy Time ”) on October 30, 2007, or such later date as may be determined and publicly announced by Domtar Inc. (the “ Early Proxy Date ”) a duly completed proxy in the form of the proxy accompanying this Debentureholder Information Circular/Prospectus and appointing Harold H. MacKay, Raymond Royer or Razvan L. Theodoru as the attorneys in fact (and do not revoke such proxy prior to the Early Proxy Time on the Early Proxy Date) containing instructions to vote IN FAVOUR of the applicable Debentureholders’ Resolution with respect to which such Debentureholder delivered a proxy. In order for a Debentureholder to be entitled to receive the Early Consent Payment, the Proxy Agent must in fact receive from the registered Debentureholder the duly completed proxy prior to the Early Proxy Time on the Early Proxy Date. The Early Consent Payment will be payable if and only if the applicable Debentureholders’ Resolution is duly adopted and the Supplemental Indenture contemplated thereby is executed and delivered. The Early Consent Payment will be paid by cheque to registered Debentureholders as soon as practicable following execution of the Supplemental Indentures.

Appointment of Proxies

The persons named in the enclosed form of proxy are directors or officers of Domtar Inc. Each Debentureholder has the right to appoint a person other than any person named in the enclosed form of proxy, who need not be a Debentureholder, to represent the Debentureholder at the applicable Debentureholders’ Meeting. This right may be exercised by inserting the name of the person to be appointed by the Debentureholder in the space provided in the form of proxy or by completing another proper form of proxy. However, in order to receive the Early Consent Payment, the Debentureholder must appoint the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy as the Debentureholder’s proxy.

Proxies must be returned by facsimile, mail or delivery to Domtar Inc., c/o Computershare Investor Services Inc., 100 University Avenue, 9th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, Attention: Proxy Department; Fax: 1-866-249-7775. Original or facsimile copies of such signed proxy should be forwarded to the Proxy Agent so as to arrive not later than (i) the Early Proxy Time on the Early Proxy Date in order to be eligible to receive the Early Consent Payment, (ii) 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) on November 13, 2007 or (iii) if the applicable Debentureholders’ Meeting is adjourned, not later than 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) on the last business day before the adjournment.

Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures represented by a proxy solicited by Domtar Inc. will be voted on any ballot that may be called for and, where a Debentureholder specifies a choice with respect to the matter identified in the Notice of Meetings of Debentureholders, the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures represented by the proxy will be voted for or against the matter in accordance with the instructions of the Debentureholder.

If a Debentureholder appoints the persons designated in the form of proxy as nominee and does not direct that nominee to vote for or against the matter identified in the Notice of Meetings of Debentureholders, the proxy shall be voted IN FAVOUR of such matter.

The enclosed Form of Proxy confers discretionary authority with respect to amendments or variations to the matters identified in the accompanying Notice of Meetings of Debentureholders and other matters which may properly come before the Debentureholders’ Meetings. At the date of this Circular, management of Domtar Inc. knows of no matters to come before the Debentureholders’ Meetings other than the matters referred to in the accompanying Notice of Meetings of Debentureholders; however, if any other matters which are not now known to management should properly come before the Debentureholders’ Meetings, the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures represented by proxies will be voted on such matters in accordance with the best judgment of the proxy nominee.

 

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Voting by Non-Registered Debentureholders

Only registered Debentureholders, or the persons they appoint on their proxies, are permitted to vote at the Debentureholders’ Meetings. Non-registered Debentureholders who are voting in person or by proxy should complete the enclosed Form of Proxy and then follow the relevant procedures of the CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc. (“ CDS ”).

Debentureholders may be “non-registered” Debentureholders (“ Non-Registered Debentureholders ”) because the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures they own are not registered in their names but are instead registered in the name of the brokerage firm, bank or trust corporation through which they purchased the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures. Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures beneficially owned by a Non-Registered Debentureholder are registered either: (i) in the name of an intermediary (an “ Intermediary ”) that the Non-Registered Debentureholder deals with in respect of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures (Intermediaries include, among others, banks, trust companies, securities dealers or brokers and trustees or administrators of self-administered registered retirement savings plans, registered retirement income funds, registered education savings plans and similar plans); or (ii) in the name of a clearing agency (such as CDS) of which the Intermediary is a participant. In accordance with applicable securities law requirements, Domtar Inc. has distributed copies of the Notice of Meetings of Debentureholders, this Circular, the form of proxy and the Letter of Transmittal (collectively, the “ Meeting Materials ”) to the clearing agencies and Intermediaries for distribution to Non-Registered Debentureholders.

Intermediaries are required to forward the Meeting Materials to Non-Registered Debentureholders unless a Non-Registered Debentureholder has waived the right to receive them. Intermediaries often use service companies to forward the Meeting Materials to Non-Registered Debentureholders. Generally, Non- Registered Debentureholders who have not waived the right to receive Meeting Materials will either:

 

  (i) be given a voting instruction form that is not signed by the Intermediary and that, when properly completed and signed by the Non-Registered Debentureholder and returned to the Intermediary or its service corporation, will constitute voting instructions (often called a “voting instruction form”) which the Intermediary must follow. Typically, the voting instruction form will consist of a one page pre-printed form. Sometimes, instead of the one page pre-printed form, the voting instruction form will consist of a regular printed form of proxy accompanied by a page of instructions that contains a removable label with a bar-code and other information. In order for the form of proxy to validly constitute a voting instruction form, the Non-Registered Debentureholder must remove the label from the instructions and affix it to the form of proxy, properly complete and sign the form of proxy and submit it to the Intermediary or its service corporation in accordance with the instructions of the Intermediary or its service corporation; or

 

  (ii) be given a form of proxy that has already been signed by the Intermediary (typically by a facsimile, stamped signature), which is restricted as to the principal amount of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures beneficially owned by the Non-Registered Debentureholder but that is otherwise not completed by the Intermediary. Because the Intermediary has already signed the form of proxy, this form of proxy is not required to be signed by the Non-Registered Debentureholder when submitting the proxy. In this case, the Non-Registered Debentureholder who wishes to submit a proxy should properly complete the form of proxy and deposit it with Domtar Inc., c/o Computershare Investor Services Inc., 100 University Avenue, 9th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2Y1, Attention: Proxy Department; Fax: 1-866-249-7775.

In either case, the purpose of these procedures is to permit Non-Registered Debentureholders to direct the voting of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures they beneficially own. Should a Non-Registered Debentureholder who receives one of the above forms wish to vote at the applicable Debentureholders’ Meeting in person (or have another person attend and vote on behalf of the Non-Registered Debentureholder), the Non-Registered Debentureholder should strike out the persons named in the form of proxy and insert the Non-Registered Debentureholder or such other person’s name in the blank space provided. In either case, Non-Registered

 

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Debentureholders should carefully follow the instructions of their Intermediary, including those regarding when and where the proxy or voting instruction form is to be delivered.

A Non-Registered Debentureholder may revoke a voting instruction form or a waiver of the right to receive Meeting Materials and to vote that has been given to an Intermediary at any time by written notice to the Intermediary provided that an Intermediary is not required to act on a revocation of a voting instruction form or of a waiver of the right to receive Meeting Materials and to vote that is not received by the Intermediary at least seven days prior to the Meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in order to receive the Early Consent Payment a duly completed proxy must be deposited and not revoked by the Early Proxy Time on the Early Proxy Date, and any revocations received after the Early Proxy Time on the Early Proxy Date by persons otherwise entitled to the Early Consent Payment will not have any effect.

Revocation of Proxies

A Debentureholder who has submitted a duly completed proxy prior to the Early Proxy Time and is entitled to the Early Consent Payment may revoke the proxy by an instrument in writing, including another proxy bearing a later date, duly executed by the Debentureholder or by his or her attorney authorized in writing, and tendered with the Proxy Agent as provided above, provided the revocation is received prior to the Early Proxy Time on the Early Proxy Date. Any revocations received after this time from such persons will not have any effect. Debentureholders who validly revoke their proxies in accordance with this paragraph will not be entitled to the Early Consent Payment.

A Debentureholder who has submitted a duly completed proxy after the Early Proxy Time and is accordingly not entitled to the Early Consent Payment may revoke the proxy by an instrument in writing, including another proxy bearing a later date, duly executed by the Debentureholder or by his or her attorney authorized in writing, and tendered with the Proxy Agent as provided above, provided the revocation is received not later than 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) on the business day preceding the Debentureholders’ Meetings. Any revocations received after this time will not have any effect.

A Debentureholder may also revoke a proxy in any other manner permitted by law.

EXCHANGE OFFERS FOR US$ DENOMINATED NOTES

Concurrently with the solicitation of proxies contemplated hereby, Domtar Corporation is offering holders of Domtar Inc.’s outstanding U.S. dollar denominated 7.875% Notes due 2011, 5.375% Notes due 2013, 7  1 / 8 % Notes due 2015, and 9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2016 (collectively, the “ Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes ”) an opportunity to exchange their Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes for an equal principal amount of newly issued U.S. dollar denominated notes of Domtar Corporation of the corresponding series, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes tendered in exchange (the “ US$ Notes Exchange Offers ”).

Under the terms of the US$ Notes Exchange Offers, Domtar Corporation has agreed to pay to holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw their Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes on or prior to the applicable early consent date an early consent payment in cash of US$2.50 for each US$1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes tendered by such holder. Holders who validly tender their Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes after the applicable early consent date will not receive the early consent payment. In addition, holders whose Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes are accepted for exchange will receive a cash payment representing accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the settlement date.

In conjunction with the US$ Notes Exchange Offers, Domtar Corporation is also soliciting consents from holders of each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes to certain proposed amendments to the indenture pursuant to which such series of Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes were issued. The proposed amendments, among other things, will (i) eliminate or modify certain restrictive covenants, (ii) permit the transfer by Domtar Inc. of all or substantially all of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corporation or one of its

 

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subsidiaries; (iii) eliminate the obligation of Domtar Inc. to file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission or otherwise provide reports to holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes absent a requirement to file such reports under applicable law, and (iv) eliminate certain events of default. The proposed amendments require the approval of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the applicable series of Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes.

Each US$ Notes Exchange Offer is subject to certain conditions, including, among others, the condition that there shall have been validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the exchange offers an aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes that, together with the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures that Domtar Corporation has the right to acquire in the event each Debentureholders’ Resolution contemplated hereby is adopted, is at least equal to 75% of the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures. Domtar Corporation retains the discretion to waive this and any other conditions to the US$ Notes Exchange Offers.

PURPOSE OF THE AMENDMENTS AND THE US$ NOTES EXCHANGE OFFERS

Domtar Corporation’s objectives in making the US$ Notes Exchange Offers and soliciting the consents referred to under “Exchange Offers for US$ Denominated Notes” and Domtar Inc.’s objectives in making the Canadian proxy solicitations contemplated by this Circular include the following:

 

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Working toward a simplified capital structure;

 

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Working toward consolidating public financial reporting at the Domtar Corporation level, rather than maintaining separate reporting obligations at the Domtar Corporation and at the Domtar Inc. levels; and

 

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Providing Domtar Corporation with greater flexibility to achieve cost savings opportunities and to transfer assets among its subsidiaries, thereby enhancing operational, financial and tax efficiencies.

Domtar Inc. believes Debentureholders may benefit from voting in favour of the applicable Debentureholders’ Resolution and Domtar Corporation believes holders of the Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes may benefit from participating in the proposed US$ Notes Exchange Offers and consent solicitations for the following reasons:

 

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The combined cash flow of Domtar Corporation’s entire business, not just the business of Domtar Inc., will support the new Domtar Corp. debt securities;

 

  ·  

Increased enterprise and asset value will support the new debt securities of Domtar Corporation;

 

  ·  

Stronger credit profile of Domtar Corporation compared to Domtar Inc. as demonstrated by improved credit statistics. See “Summary Selected Financial and Pro Forma Data - Certain Financial Metrics” in the attached Schedule C;

 

  ·  

Increased protection from the addition of a 101% change-of-control put and upstream senior unsecured guarantees from the same subsidiaries that guarantee Domtar Corporation’s obligations under the credit agreement dated as of March 7, 2007, among Domtar Corporation, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc., as borrowers, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., as syndication agent, Bank of America, N.A., Royal Bank of Canada and The Bank of Nova Scotia, as co-documentation agents, and the lenders from time to time parties thereto (the “ Credit Agreement ”);

 

  ·  

Moody’s Investor Service has rated the Domtar Corp. notes at B1, compared to the existing rating for the Domtar Inc. debt securities of B2; and

 

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The exchange offers and sales of shares described in the following two paragraphs (the “ Transfer ”) are intended to enable Debentureholders and holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes who hold credit default

 

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swap contracts with respect to Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures or Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes to treat the Transfer as a succession event and Domtar Corporation as the reference entity under such contracts.

In conjunction with the US$ Notes Exchange Offers and consent solicitations and the proxy solicitations for the Debentureholders’ Meetings, Domtar Inc. intends to sell some or all of the shares of capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corporation or its subsidiaries:

 

  ·  

If the consents of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes are obtained, and the requisite votes of the Debentureholders of each series of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures to approve the amendments to the applicable Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures are obtained, Domtar Inc. intends to sell, in one or more transactions, 100% of the shares of capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries, which together own the Ashdown, Nekoosa, Port Edwards, Port Huron and Woodland mills and the U.S. paper merchants business, to Domtar Corporation or one of its subsidiaries. The subsidiaries that would be sold to Domtar Corporation accounted for approximately 67% of Domtar Inc.’s sales for the six months ended June 30, 2007, excluding sales by such subsidiaries of products manufactured by the Canadian operations to be retained by Domtar Inc. The subsidiaries that would be sold to Domtar Corp. accounted for approximately 54% of depreciation and amortization and 308% of operating income (due to operating losses sustained by Domtar Inc.’s Canadian subsidiaries) of Domtar Inc. for the six months ended June 30, 2007 and approximately 43% of Domtar Inc.’s total assets as of June 30, 2007. Upon being sold, these subsidiaries would become guarantors of Domtar Corporation’s and Domtar Paper Company, LLC’s borrowings under the Credit Agreement as well as the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and the US dollar denominated notes issued in connection with the US$ Notes Exchange Offers. These subsidiaries will continue to guarantee borrowings of Domtar Inc. under the Credit Agreement.

 

  ·  

If the exchange offer for any series of Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes is consummated or either series of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures is exchanged for newly issued Domtar Corp. C$ Notes as contemplated by this Circular but the requisite consents with respect to each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes or the requisite votes of the Debentureholders to approve the amendments to one of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures are not obtained, Domtar Inc. intends to sell, in one or more transactions, up to 49% of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of Domtar Inc.’s U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corporation or one of its subsidiaries. In this case, the results of those subsidiaries would continue to be consolidated by Domtar Inc. for financial reporting purposes. However, Domtar Corporation will be entitled to its proportionate share of any dividends or other distributions declared or made by such subsidiaries. These subsidiaries would continue to guarantee borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the Credit Agreement, but would not become guarantors of borrowings by Domtar Corporation or Domtar Paper Company, LLC under the Credit Agreement, and would not become guarantors of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and the US dollar denominated notes issued in connection with the US$ Notes Exchange Offers.

 

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RESALE OF DOMTAR CORP. C$ NOTES

The issuance in Canada of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be made on a basis exempt from the prospectus and, where applicable, registration requirements (and the rights and protections otherwise afforded under these requirements) in accordance with applicable Canadian securities legislation. The resale of such notes in Canada will also benefit from applicable prospectus and registration exemptions and will be “freely tradable” in Canada by persons other than “control persons” (subject to customary restrictions including that no unusual effort is made to prepare the market for any such resale or to create a demand for the securities which are the subject of any such resale and no extraordinary commission or consideration is paid to a person or company in respect of the trade).

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes have been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ U.S. Securities Act ”). The Notice of Meeting of Debentureholders and this Circular constitute a prospectus under the U.S. Securities Act. The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be “freely tradeable” in the United States by holders who are not affiliates of Domtar Corporation.

CERTAIN CANADIAN FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES

The following summary describes the principal Canadian federal income tax considerations under the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the “ Canadian Tax Act ”) generally applicable to a Debentureholder whose Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures are exchanged for Domtar Corp. C$ Notes as a result of the exercise by Domtar Corporation of its right to acquire such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures pursuant to the Supplemental Indentures (the “ Exchange ”) and who, at all relevant times for purposes of the Canadian Tax Act, holds the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures and the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes as capital property, deals with Domtar Inc. and Domtar Corporation at arm’s length and is not affiliated with Domtar Inc. and Domtar Corporation. The Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures and the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will generally be considered to be capital property of a Debentureholder provided such Debentureholder does not use or hold and is not deemed to use or hold such debt instruments in carrying on business or an adventure in the nature of trade. Certain Debentureholders, whose Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures and Domtar Corp. C$ Notes might not otherwise be capital property may, in certain circumstances, be entitled to have them treated as capital property by making an irrevocable election in accordance with subsection 39(4) of the Canadian Tax Act. This summary does not apply to a Debentureholder that is a “financial institution” for purposes of the “mark-to-market” rules contained in the Canadian Tax Act.

The summary is based on the current provisions of the Canadian Tax Act, the regulations thereunder and our understanding of the current administrative practices and policies published by the Canada Revenue Agency and takes into account all specific proposals to amend the Canadian Tax Act and regulations publicly announced by the Minister of Finance (Canada) prior to the date hereof (the “ Proposed Amendments ”). This summary assumes that the Proposed Amendments will be enacted as proposed but does not take into account or anticipate any other changes in law or administrative practices, whether by judicial, governmental or legislative action or decisions, nor does it take into account provincial, territorial or foreign income tax legislation or considerations.

This summary is of a general nature only and is not intended to be, and should not be construed to be, legal or tax advice to any particular Debentureholder. Debentureholders should consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences in their particular circumstances. In particular, this summary does not address Canadian federal income tax consequences to holders of coupons attached to Coupon Securities or to holders of Coupon Securities.

Residents of Canada

The following portion of the summary applies only to a Debentureholder who, at all relevant times, is resident or deemed to be resident in Canada for purposes of the Canadian Tax Act (a “ Resident Debentureholder ”).

Amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures pursuant to the Supplemental Indentures

Domtar Inc. is soliciting proxies for use at the Debentureholders’ Meetings to amend the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures in the manner described in the section “Purpose of the Debentureholders’ Meetings” above.

 

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Under general principles of Canadian tax law, the modification of a debt instrument creates a disposition (upon which capital gain or loss may be realized) if the modified debt instrument differs materially from the original debt instrument.

The adoption of the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures pursuant to the Supplemental Indentures will not cause a significant modification of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, with the result that such action should not result in a disposition of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures for purposes of the Canadian Tax Act.

Disposition of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures Upon the Exchange

A Resident Debentureholder whose Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures are exchanged for Domtar Corp. C$ Notes upon the Exchange will be considered to have disposed of such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures for proceeds of disposition equal to the fair market value of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes received upon the Exchange, determined at the time of the Exchange. For this purpose, the fair market value of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes issued pursuant to the Exchange may be different from the amount of the principal thereof.

Accrued Interest paid to a Resident Debentureholder by Domtar Inc. in connection with a Domtar Inc. Canadian Debenture will not be included in the proceeds of disposition of such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debenture (see “ Residents of Canada – Accrued Interest on Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures ” below).

The Resident Debentureholder will realize a capital gain (capital loss) on the disposition of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures equal to the amount by which the Resident Debentureholder’s proceeds of disposition, net of any reasonable costs of disposition, are greater than (less than) the adjusted cost base to the Resident Debentureholder of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures disposed of pursuant to the Exchange. For this purpose, the adjusted cost base of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures disposed of pursuant to the Exchange may be different from the amount of the principal thereof.

Under the Canadian Tax Act, one-half of any capital gain (capital loss) realized by a Resident Debentureholder is a taxable capital gain (an allowable capital loss). Taxable capital gains must be included in computing the income of a Resident Debentureholder. Allowable capital losses may be deducted only against taxable capital gains subject to and in accordance with the provisions of the Canadian Tax Act.

Capital gains realized by an individual or by most trusts may give rise to alternative minimum tax under the Canadian Tax Act. Canadian-controlled private corporations may be subject to an additional refundable tax of 6  2 / 3 % on taxable capital gains realized on the disposition of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures.

Early Consent Payment

There is no authority addressing directly the Canadian tax treatment of the receipt of the Early Consent Payment. The Early Consent Payment should be taxable as ordinary income under the Canadian Tax Act.

Accrued Interest on Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures

A Resident Debentureholder who receives Accrued Interest will be required to include in his income the amount of such Accrued Interest, except to the extent that such Accrued Interest was included in the income of the Resident Debentureholder for a previous year.

Taxation of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

A Resident Debentureholder that is a corporation, partnership, unit trust or trust of which a corporation or partnership is a beneficiary will be required to include in computing its income for a taxation year any interest on Domtar Corp. C$ Notes that accrues or is deemed to accrue to the Resident Debentureholder to the end of that taxation year or becomes receivable or is received by the Resident Debentureholder before the end of that taxation year, except to the extent that such interest was otherwise included in the Resident Debentureholder’s income for a preceding taxation year.

 

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Any other Resident Debentureholder, including an individual or a trust of which neither a corporation or a partnership is a beneficiary, will be required to include in income for a taxation year any interest on Domtar Corp. C$ Notes received or receivable by such Resident Debentureholder in that year (depending upon the method regularly followed by the Resident Debentureholder in computing income), except to the extent that the interest was included in the Resident Debentureholder’s income for a preceding taxation year.

Interest paid on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will not be subject to U.S. withholding tax except under specific circumstances. A Resident Debentureholder that is subject to U.S. tax on interest received on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will generally be entitled to claim a Canadian foreign tax credit or deduction with respect to such tax, subject to specific limitations contained in the Canadian Tax Act.

For the purpose of determining the adjusted cost base of a Domtar Corp. C$ Note received by a Resident Debentureholder on the disposition of a Domtar Inc. Canadian Debenture pursuant to the Exchange, the cost of the Domtar Corp. C$ Note will be equal to the fair market value of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debenture so disposed of determined at the time of the Exchange. The fair market value of a Domtar Inc. Canadian Debenture may be different from the amount of the principal thereof.

Eligibility for Investment

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes would, if issued on the date hereof, be qualified investments under the Canadian Tax Act for registered retirement savings plans, registered retirement income funds, registered education savings plans and deferred profit sharing plans, except for a deferred profit sharing plan to which contributions are made by Domtar Corporation or by a corporation with which Domtar Corporation does not deal at arm’s length within the meaning of the Canadian Tax Act.

Non-Residents of Canada

The following portion of the summary is generally applicable to a Debentureholder who, at all relevant times, for the purposes of the Canadian Tax Act and any applicable income tax treaty or convention, is neither resident nor deemed to be resident in Canada and who does not use or hold, and is not deemed by the Canadian Tax Act to use or hold the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures and the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes in connection with carrying on a business in Canada (a “ Non-Resident Debentureholder ”). This summary does not apply to a Debentureholder that is a “registered non-resident insurer” or an “authorized foreign bank” within the meaning of the Canadian Tax Act and the regulations thereunder.

Amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures pursuant to the Supplemental Indentures

The consequences of the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures for Non-Resident Debentureholders will be the same as for Resident Debentureholders (see “ Residents of Canada – Amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures pursuant to the Supplemental Indentures above).

Disposition of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures upon the Exchange

Amounts paid to a Non-Resident Debentureholder of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures pursuant to the Exchange, including amounts in respect of Accrued Interest and the Early Consent Payment, will not be subject to Canadian withholding tax. No taxes on income (including taxable capital gains) will be payable by a Non-Resident Debentureholder in respect of the disposition of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures pursuant to the Exchange.

Taxation of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

No other tax on income (including taxable capital gains) will be payable under the Canadian Tax Act by a Non-Resident Debentureholder of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes in respect of the acquisition, ownership, redemption or disposition of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

 

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CERTAIN UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME AND ESTATE TAX CONSEQUENCES

This discussion was not intended or written to be used, and it cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer under U.S. federal tax laws. This discussion was written to support the promotion or marketing of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. Each taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer’s particular circumstances from an independent tax adviser.

The following is a discussion of certain material United States federal income and estate tax consequences to Non-U.S. Holders (defined below) of the ownership and disposition of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes received pursuant to the Exchange. This discussion is based upon the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”), Treasury regulations (including proposed Treasury regulations) issued thereunder, Internal Revenue Service (“ IRS ”) rulings and pronouncements and judicial decisions now in effect, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.

This discussion does not address all aspects of United States federal income and estate taxation that may be relevant to a Non-U.S. Holder in light of such holder’s particular circumstances.

As used herein, a “ Non-U.S. Holder ” means a holder of a Domtar Corp. C$ Note that is not for United States federal income tax purposes (i) an individual citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source, (iv) a trust that (X) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (Y) has a valid election in effect under applicable United States Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person or (v) an entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

If an entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Partners of partnerships that will hold Domtar Corp. C$ Notes should consult their own tax advisers.

The following discussion is for general information only and is not tax advice. Accordingly, Non-U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisers as to the particular tax consequences to them of the matters discussed herein, including any recent or prospective changes in applicable tax laws.

United States Federal Withholding Tax

The general 30% United States federal withholding tax will not apply to any payment of principal and, under the “portfolio interest rule,” interest (which term includes original issue discount for purposes of this United States tax discussion) on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes paid to a Non-U.S. Holder, provided certain conditions discussed below are met. The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will likely bear original issue discount if the trading value of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes on the date they are issued is less than the face amount of such notes by more than a statutorily defined de minimis amount. The “portfolio interest rule” will apply to a Non-U.S. Holder only if the Non-U.S. Holder:

 

  ·  

does not actually (or constructively) own 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of Domtar Corporation’s voting stock within the meaning of the Code and applicable United States Treasury regulations;

 

  ·  

is not a controlled foreign corporation that is related to Domtar Corporation through stock ownership;

 

  ·  

is not a bank whose receipt of interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes is described in Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code; and

 

  ·  

either (a) provides the Non-U.S. Holder’s name and address on an IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form), and certifies, under penalties of perjury, that the Non-U.S. Holder is not a United States person as defined under the Code or (b) holds the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes through certain foreign intermediaries and satisfies the certification requirements of applicable United States Treasury regulations.

 

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Special certification rules apply to Non-U.S. Holders that are pass-through entities rather than corporations or individuals.

If a Non-U.S. Holder cannot satisfy the requirements described above, payments of interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes made to the Non-U.S. Holder will be subject to the 30% United States federal withholding tax, unless the Non-U.S. Holder provides a properly executed:

 

  ·  

IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form) claiming an exemption from or reduction in withholding under the benefits of an applicable income tax treaty; or

 

  ·  

IRS Form W-8ECI (or other applicable form) stating that interest paid on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes is not subject to withholding tax because it is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States (as discussed below under “United States Federal Income Tax”).

These forms are available from the Trustee or at the U.S. Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov.

The 30% United States federal withholding tax generally will not apply to any gain that a Non-U.S. Holder realizes on the sale, exchange, retirement or other disposition of a Domtar Corp. C$ Note.

United States Federal Income Tax

If a Non-U.S. Holder is engaged in a trade or business in the United States and interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes is effectively connected with the conduct of that trade or business (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment), then the Non-U.S. Holder will be subject to United States federal income tax on that interest on a net income basis (although the Non-U.S. Holder will be exempt from the 30% United States federal withholding tax, provided the certification requirements discussed above in “United States Federal Withholding Tax” are satisfied) in the same manner as if the Non-U.S. Holder were a United States person as defined under the Code. In addition, if the Non-U.S. Holder is a foreign corporation, the Non-U.S. Holder may be subject to a branch profits tax equal to 30% (or lower applicable income tax treaty rate) of such interest, subject to adjustments.

Any gain realized on the disposition of a Domtar Corp. C$ Note generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax unless:

 

  ·  

the gain is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment), in which case the Non-U.S. Holder will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to such gain in the same manner as if the Non-U.S. Holder were a United States person as defined under the Code and, if the Non-U.S. Holder is a foreign corporation, the Non-U.S. Holder may also be subject to a U.S. branch profits tax at the rate of 30% (or lower rate if provided by an applicable income tax treaty); or

 

  ·  

the Non-U.S. Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of that disposition, and certain other conditions are met, in which case the Non-U.S. Holder will be subject to a flat 30% U.S. federal income tax on such gain, which generally may be offset by U.S. source capital losses.

United States Federal Estate Tax

A Domtar Corp. C$ Note held by an individual holder who is neither a citizen nor a resident of the United States (specifically defined for estate tax purposes) at the time of his or her death generally will not be subject to U.S. federal estate tax, provided that (i) such individual holder does not at the time of death actually or constructively own 10% or more of the combined voting power of all classes of Domtar Corporation stock and (ii) payments of interest on such note would not have been considered effectively connected with a trade or business in the United States.

 

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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

Generally, the relevant withholding/information reporting agent must report to the IRS and to Non-U.S. Holders of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes the amount of interest paid with respect to Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and the amount of tax, if any, withheld with respect to those payments. Copies of the information returns reporting such interest payments and any withholding may also be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which Non-U.S. Holders reside under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty.

Payments of principal and interest made in respect of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and payments of proceeds from the sale, exchange, redemption, or other disposition of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes to you will generally not be subject to information reporting requirements (except as described in the paragraph above) or backup withholding provided Non-U.S. Holders certify their exempt status by delivering a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN (or an appropriate substitute form).

Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against Non-U.S. Holders’ United States federal income tax liability provided the required information is furnished to the IRS.

NOTICE TO HOLDERS WHO ARE U.S. PERSONS

Debentureholders should be aware that the Exchange may have tax consequences both in the United States and in Canada. The tax consequences in the United States or other jurisdictions outside of Canada for holders who are resident in, or citizens of, the United States are not described in this document and such holders should seek their own tax advice.

IMPLEMENTING AMENDMENTS TO THE DOMTAR INC. CANADIAN INDENTURES

Effective Date of the Amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures

The amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures authorized in the Debentureholders’ Resolutions will become effective immediately upon the execution of the Supplemental Indentures.

Execution of Supplemental Indentures

In approving the amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures proposed in the Debentureholders’ Resolutions, the Debentureholders will be authorizing the Trustee to enter into and execute and deliver supplemental indentures (the “ Supplemental Indentures ”) incorporating the amendment contemplated in this Circular in connection with such Debentureholders’ Resolutions (attached as Schedule A and B to this Circular) together with such other amendments and modifications as the persons executing on behalf of Domtar Inc. and the Trustee may deem necessary or advisable to give effect to such Debentureholders’ Resolutions and to authorize and direct the Trustee to take such other actions and execute and deliver such other documents as may be necessary to carry out the intent of such Debentureholders’ Resolutions. Debentureholders are advised that in the event one or both of the Debentureholders’ Resolutions contemplated by this Circular are duly adopted and the conditions relating to the US$ Notes Exchange Offers are satisfied or waived, Domtar Corporation intends to exercise its right to acquire the 10% Debentures (in the event the Debentureholders’ Resolution relating to the April 1987 Indenture is adopted) and the 10.85% Debentures (in the event the Debentureholders’ Resolution relating to the August 1987 Indenture is adopted) concurrently with the consummation of the US$ Notes Exchange Offers. In the event one or both of the Debentureholders’ Resolutions are duly adopted but the conditions relating to the US$ Notes Exchange Offers are not satisfied or waived by Domtar Corporation, Domtar Corporation reserves the right to not acquire any Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures.

A copy of the proposed form of the Supplemental Indentures is available for inspection at the offices of Domtar Inc. at 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec. Upon request to the Secretary of Domtar Inc., a copy of the proposed form of the Supplemental Indentures will be sent to any Debentureholder.

 

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DEALER MANAGERS

Domtar Inc. has engaged Scotia Capital Inc. and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. to act as dealer managers in connection with the solicitation of proxies of Debentureholders, and will pay the Canadian Dealer Managers a customary fee, conditioned upon the approval of the amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures and the acquisition by Domtar Corporation of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures based on the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures acquired by Domtar Corporation.

Domtar Inc. will also reimburse the Canadian Dealer Managers for certain expenses, including attorneys’ fees and disbursements made in connection with the solicitation of proxies of Debentureholders. The obligations of the Canadian Dealer Managers to perform this function are subject to certain conditions.

Domtar Inc., Domtar Corporation and Domtar Paper Company, LLC have agreed to indemnify each Canadian Dealer Manager against certain liabilities, including liabilities under applicable securities laws. From time to time, the Canadian Dealer Managers have provided and may in the future provide investment banking, commercial banking and financial advisory services to Domtar Corporation and Domtar Inc. and their affiliates. Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. acted as a Co-Manager in connection with Domtar Inc.’s offering of its 7.875% notes due 2011, 5.375% notes due 2013 and 7  1 / 8 % notes due 2015. An affiliate of Scotia Capital Inc. is a Co-Documentation Agent under Domtar Corporation’s Credit Agreement. Each Canadian Dealer Manager, in the ordinary course of its business, may make markets in securities of Domtar Corporation and those of Domtar Inc., including the new notes of Domtar Corporation, Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes and Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures. As a result, from time to time any of the Canadian Dealer Managers may own certain securities of Domtar Corporation or those of Domtar Inc., including the new notes of Domtar Corporation, Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes and Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, and in the case of the solicitation of proxies of Debentureholders, may vote in favour of the amendment to the relevant Indenture to provide Domtar Corporation with the right to acquire such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures.

Questions regarding the terms of the solicitation of proxies may be directed to the Canadian Dealer Managers at the addresses and telephone numbers set forth on the back cover page of this Circular.

ENFORCEMENT OF LEGAL RIGHTS

Domtar Corporation is incorporated under the laws of Delaware. Certain of Domtar Corporation’s directors and officers, as well as the experts named herein, are or may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for holders of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes to effect service of process within Canada upon such persons. A substantial portion of Domtar Corporation’s assets and the assets of such persons may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against Domtar Corporation or such persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against Domtar Corporation or such persons outside of Canada.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Debentureholders’ Resolutions will be passed upon for Domtar Inc. and Domtar Corporation by Ogilvy Renault LLP, Montreal, Canada, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York, New York, Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., Wilmington, Delaware and Gilles Pharand, Senior Vice-President, Law and Corporate Affairs, at Domtar Corporation. The validity of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes to be issued in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Debentureholders’ Resolutions will be passed upon for the Canadian Dealer Managers by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, New York, New York. As of the record date, partners and associates of each of Ogilvy Renault LLP and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP beneficially own, directly or indirectly, less than 1% of each class of outstanding shares of Domtar Inc., Domtar Corporation, and Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc., a controlled subsidiary of Domtar Corporation.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM (U.S.)

The balance sheet of Domtar Corporation (formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company), as of December 31, 2006, and the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2006, included in this document were audited by KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm.

The consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc. as of December 31, 2006 and 2005 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2006 and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (see “ Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting ” in Schedule C) as of December 31, 2006 included in this document have been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

With respect to the unaudited financial information of Domtar Corporation for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007 included in this document, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP reported that they have applied limited procedures in accordance with professional standards for a review of such information. However, their separate report dated August 9, 2007, except as to note 20 which is as of September 25, 2007, appearing herein states that they did not audit and they do not express an opinion on that unaudited financial information. Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their report on such information should be restricted in light of the limited nature of the review procedures applied.

With respect to the unaudited interim financial information of Domtar Corporation for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended June 25, 2006 included in this document, KPMG LLP reported that they have applied limited procedures in accordance with professional standards for a review of such information. However, their separate report dated August 9, 2007, except as to note 20, which is as of September 24, 2007 included herein states that they did not audit and they do not express an opinion on that interim financial information. Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their report on such information should be restricted in light of the limited nature of the review procedures applied.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

Domtar Corporation has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement on Form S-4 under the U.S. Securities Act, of which this Circular forms a part, to register with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes to be delivered to Debentureholders in consideration for their Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures. This Circular does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits to the registration statement, selected portions of which are omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information” on page C-257 of Schedule C, attached hereto.

 

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APPROVAL OF DIRECTORS

The contents of this Circular and the sending, communication and delivery to the Debentureholders have been authorized and approved by the Board of Directors of Domtar Inc.

Dated as of October 17, 2007.

 

DOMTAR INC.
 

/s/ Razvan L. Theodoru

  Razvan L. Theodoru
  Vice President and Secretary

 

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SCHEDULE A

MAJORITY SECURITYHOLDERS’ ACT OF THE HOLDERS OF THE 10% DEBENTURES

ISSUED BY

DOMTAR INC.

UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE DATED AS OF APRIL 15, 1987

WHEREAS:

 

A. $82,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 10% debentures due 2011 (the “ Securities ”) have been issued by Domtar Inc. (the “ Company ”) and is outstanding pursuant to a trust indenture (the “ Indenture ”) dated as of April 15, 1987 between the Company and Montreal Trust Company as the original indenture trustee (now Computershare Trust Company of Canada) (the “ Trustee ”);

 

B. It is necessary and advisable to amend the Indenture in order to provide Domtar Corporation with the right to acquire the Securities;

 

C. The Indenture will be amended by way of supplemental indenture (the “ Supplemental Indenture ”) to give effect to the amendments contemplated by the Majority Securityholders’ Act if duly adopted by the Holders of Securities under the Indenture in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture; and

 

D. Terms used in this Majority Securityholders’ Act and defined in the Indenture (unless otherwise defined in this Majority Securityholders’ Act) have the respective meanings given to such terms in the Indenture.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS A MAJORITY SECURITYHOLDERS’ ACT THAT:

 

1. The Holders of Securities approve, consent to and authorize and direct the Trustee to enter into and execute and deliver the Supplemental Indenture incorporating the following amendments to the Indenture:

 

  (a) to amend Section 101(c) of the Indenture to include the following definitions:

“Accrued Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 1110.

“Domtar Corp.” means Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and the indirect parent of the Company.

“Domtar Corp. 10% Notes” has the meaning specified in Section 1110.

“Exchange Date” has the meaning specified in Section 1110.

 

  (b) to add a new Section 1110 to the Indenture that reads:

“Section 1110. Acquisition of Securities by Domtar Corp.

Notwithstanding any provision of the Indenture to the contrary, Domtar Corp. shall have the right, exercisable at any time upon notice of not less than one Business Day given to the Trustee, to acquire all Securities Outstanding in the manner set forth below. On and after the Exchange Date, existing Holders of the Securities (including any coupons relating thereto) shall cease to have any rights under the Indenture or the Securities (including any coupons relating thereto) except to receive the consideration provided below and the Securities (including any coupons relating thereto) shall be owned by Domtar Corp., unless Domtar Corp. shall fail to pay or duly provide for payment of such consideration.

Upon exercise by Domtar Corp. of the right to acquire the Securities as contemplated by this Section 1110, Domtar Corp. shall arrange to deliver to the Trustee, for and on behalf of the Holders of the

 

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Securities, Canadian dollar denominated notes of Domtar Corp. bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Securities (the “ Domtar Corp. 10% Notes ”) and having the terms, conditions and other attributes set forth in the Form of Indenture of Domtar Corp. attached hereto as Schedule 1.

In order to exercise such right to acquire, Domtar Corp. shall provide notice to the Trustee at least one Business Day prior to the date fixed for the acquisition specifying (i) the date fixed for the acquisition (the “ Exchange Date ”), (ii) that Domtar Corp. has taken such measures as are necessary or desirable to permit the Domtar Corp. 10% Notes to be delivered to the Trustee on the Exchange Date and (iii) that Domtar Corp. and the Company have taken such measures as are necessary or desirable to ensure that sufficient funds have been deposited with the Trustee to permit the payment to Holders an amount representing interest which has accrued and has not yet been paid on the Securities up to (but excluding) the Exchange Date (the “ Accrued Interest ”).

The Company shall, at least one Business Day prior to the Exchange Date, deposit with the Trustee an amount of money sufficient to pay the Accrued Interest and shall cause the Trustee to pay the Accrued Interest, in satisfaction of the Company’s obligation to pay interest on the Securities for such period, at the moment in time immediately prior to the delivery of the Domtar Corp. 10% Notes.

If the Holder of Securities acquired by Domtar Corp. in accordance with this Section 1110 should fail to surrender any of such Securities or fail to accept delivery of the Domtar Corp. 10% Notes in respect thereof, or give such receipt therefor, if any, as the Trustee may require, Domtar Corp. shall be entitled to deliver (if it has not already done so) to the Trustee and direct the Trustee to set aside in trust the Domtar Corp. 10% Notes and amount representing the Accrued Interest for such Holder, and such setting aside shall for all purposes be deemed a payment to the Holder of the Domtar Corp. 10% Notes and Accrued Interest so set aside, and the Holder shall thereafter have no right except to receive the Domtar Corp. 10% Notes and Accrued Interest so deposited, upon the surrender of its Securities, without further interest thereon.

Any Domtar Corp. 10% Notes or amount representing Accrued Interest in the hands of the Trustee and set aside and not claimed by or delivered to Holders of Securities in accordance with this Section 1110 within 5 years after the date of such setting aside shall be returned by the Trustee to Domtar Corp., and thereupon the Trustee shall be released from all further liability with respect to such Domtar Corp. 10% Notes or Accrued Interest and thereafter the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such Domtar Corp. 10% Notes and Accrued Interest was so delivered to Domtar Corp. shall have no rights in respect thereof, except to obtain such Domtpar Corp. 10% Notes and the Accrued Interest from Domtar Corp. upon due presentation and surrender by the Holder of such Securities.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Coupon Security acquired by Domtar Corp. in accordance with this Section 1110 shall not be accompanied by all appurtenant coupons maturing after the Exchange Date, the principal amount of Domtar Corp. 10% Notes to be delivered to the Trustee for and on behalf of the Holder of such Coupon Security shall be reduced by an amount equal to the present value of all such missing coupons discounted at a rate of 5% per annum from the date on which interest is payable with respect to each such missing coupon to (but excluding) the Exchange Date, provided, however, that the surrender of such missing coupon or coupons may be waived by the Company and the Trustee if there shall be furnished to them such security or indemnity as they may require to save each of them and the Paying Agent harmless. If any such missing coupon in respect of which such deduction shall have been made shall be surrendered to the Paying Agent, the holder of such missing coupon shall be entitled to receive from the Company an amount in cash representing the present value of such missing coupon, discounted at a rate of 5% per annum from the date on which interest is payable with respect to such missing coupon to the date such coupon is surrendered to the Paying Agent, without further interest thereon. A Holder of a Coupon Security shall be entitled to Accrued Interest only if such Holder has surrendered the coupon(s) appurtenant to such Coupon Security relating to the period for which Accrued Interest is due.

 

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The Indenture, as changed, altered, amended, modified or supplemented, including by this Supplemental Indenture, shall be and continue in full force and effect and is hereby confirmed, and this Supplemental Indenture does not constitute a novation or rescission of the Securities or the issuance of any new bonds.”

 

  (c) to make all further conforming changes to the Indenture and to the form of the Securities as may be reasonably necessary to reflect the foregoing; and

 

  (d) to execute (under corporate seal or otherwise) and deliver such other documents and take all such further or other actions as shall appear to the Trustee and the Company to be necessary or desirable in order to carry out the intent of the Majority Securityholders’ Act.

 

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SCHEDULE B

MAJORITY SECURITYHOLDERS’ ACT OF THE HOLDERS OF THE 10.85% DEBENTURES

ISSUED BY

DOMTAR INC.

UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE DATED AS OF AUGUST 5, 1987

WHEREAS:

 

A. $74,913,000 aggregate principal amount of 10.85% debentures due 2017 (the “ Securities ”) have been issued by Domtar Inc. (the “ Company ”) and is outstanding pursuant to a trust indenture (the “ Indenture ”) dated as of August 5, 1987 between the Company and Montreal Trust Company as the original indenture trustee (now Computershare Trust Company of Canada) (the “ Trustee ”);

 

B. It is necessary and advisable to amend the Indenture in order to provide Domtar Corporation with the right to acquire the Securities;

 

C. The Indenture will be amended by way of supplemental indenture (the “ Supplemental Indenture ”) to give effect to the amendments contemplated by the Majority Securityholders’ Act if duly adopted by the Holders of Securities under the Indenture in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture; and

 

D. Terms used in this Majority Securityholders’ Act and defined in the Indenture (unless otherwise defined in this Majority Securityholders’ Act) have the respective meanings given to such terms in the Indenture.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS A MAJORITY SECURITYHOLDERS’ ACT THAT:

 

1. The Holders of Securities approve, consent to and authorize and direct the Trustee to enter into and execute and deliver the Supplemental Indenture incorporating the following amendments to the Indenture:

 

  (a) to amend Section 101(c) of the Indenture to include the following definitions:

“Accrued Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 1110.

“Domtar Corp.” means Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and the indirect parent of the Company.

“Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes” has the meaning specified in Section 1110.

“Exchange Date” has the meaning specified in Section 1110.

 

  (b) to add a new Section 1110 to the Indenture that reads:

“Section 1110. Acquisition of Securities by Domtar Corp.

Notwithstanding any provision of the Indenture to the contrary, Domtar Corp. shall have the right, exercisable at any time upon notice of not less than one Business Day given to the Trustee, to acquire all Securities Outstanding in the manner set forth below. On and after the Exchange Date, existing Holders of the Securities (including any coupons relating thereto) shall cease to have any rights under the Indenture or the Securities (including any coupons relating thereto) except to receive the consideration provided below and the Securities (including any coupons relating thereto) shall be owned by Domtar Corp., unless Domtar Corp. shall fail to pay or duly provide for payment of such consideration.

Upon exercise by Domtar Corp. of the right to acquire the Securities as contemplated by this Section 1110, Domtar Corp. shall arrange to deliver to the Trustee, for and on behalf of the Holders of the Securities, Canadian dollar denominated notes of Domtar Corp. bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Securities (the “ Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes ”) and having the terms, conditions and other attributes set forth in the Form of Indenture of Domtar Corp. attached hereto as Schedule 1.

 

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In order to exercise such right to acquire, Domtar Corp. shall provide notice to the Trustee at least one Business Day prior to the date fixed for the acquisition specifying (i) the date fixed for the acquisition (the “ Exchange Date ”), (ii) that Domtar Corp. has taken such measures as are necessary or desirable to permit the Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes to be delivered to the Trustee on the Exchange Date and (iii) that Domtar Corp. and the Company have taken such measures as are necessary or desirable to ensure that sufficient funds have been deposited with the Trustee to permit the payment to Holders an amount representing interest which has accrued and has not yet been paid on the Securities up to (but excluding) the Exchange Date (the “ Accrued Interest ”).

The Company shall, at least one Business Day prior to the Exchange Date, deposit with the Trustee an amount of money sufficient to pay the Accrued Interest and shall cause the Trustee to pay the Accrued Interest, in satisfaction of the Company’s obligation to pay interest on the Securities for such period, at the moment in time immediately prior to the delivery of the Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes.

If the Holder of Securities acquired by Domtar Corp. in accordance with this Section 1110 should fail to surrender any of such Securities or fail to accept delivery of the Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes in respect thereof, or give such receipt therefor, if any, as the Trustee may require, Domtar Corp. shall be entitled to deliver (if it has not already done so) to the Trustee and direct the Trustee to set aside in trust the Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes and amount representing the Accrued Interest for such Holder, and such setting aside shall for all purposes be deemed a payment to the Holder of the Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes and Accrued Interest so set aside, and the Holder shall thereafter have no right except to receive the Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes and Accrued Interest so deposited, upon the surrender of its Securities, without further interest thereon.

Any Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes or amount representing Accrued Interest in the hands of the Trustee and set aside and not claimed by or delivered to Holders of Securities in accordance with this Section 1110 within 5 years after the date of such setting aside shall be returned by the Trustee to Domtar Corp., and thereupon the Trustee shall be released from all further liability with respect to such Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes or Accrued Interest and thereafter the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes and Accrued Interest was so delivered to Domtar Corp. shall have no rights in respect thereof, except to obtain such Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes and the Accrued Interest from Domtar Corp. upon due presentation and surrender by the Holder of such Securities.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Coupon Security acquired by Domtar Corp. in accordance with this Section 1110 shall not be accompanied by all appurtenant coupons maturing after the Exchange Date, the principal amount of Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes to be delivered to the Trustee for and on behalf of the Holder of such Coupon Security shall be reduced by an amount equal to the present value of all such missing coupons discounted at a rate of 5% per annum from the date on which interest is payable with respect to each such missing coupon to (but excluding) the Exchange Date, provided, however, that the surrender of such missing coupon or coupons may be waived by the Company and the Trustee if there shall be furnished to them such security or indemnity as they may require to save each of them and the Paying Agent harmless. If any such missing coupon in respect of which such deduction shall have been made shall be surrendered to the Paying Agent, the holder of such missing coupon shall be entitled to receive from the Company an amount in cash representing the present value of such missing coupon, discounted at a rate of 5% per annum from the date on which interest is payable with respect to such missing coupon to the date such coupon is surrendered to the Paying Agent, without further interest thereon. A Holder of a Coupon Security shall be entitled to Accrued Interest only if such Holder has surrendered the coupon(s) appurtenant to such Coupon Security relating to the period for which Accrued Interest is due.

The Indenture, as changed, altered, amended, modified or supplemented, including by this Supplemental Indenture, shall be and continue in full force and effect and is hereby confirmed, and this Supplemental Indenture does not constitute a novation or rescission of the Securities or the issuance of any new bonds.”

 

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  (c) to make all further conforming changes to the Indenture and to the form of the Securities as may be reasonably necessary to reflect the foregoing; and

 

  (d) to execute (under corporate seal or otherwise) and deliver such other documents and take all such further or other actions as shall appear to the Trustee and the Company to be necessary or desirable in order to carry out the intent of the Majority Securityholders’ Act.

 

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SCHEDULE C

This Schedule C contains information about the business and affairs of Domtar Corporation, certain financial information regarding Domtar Corporation as well as a description of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. Terms used in this Schedule C shall have the meanings attributed to them herein.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page

HELPFUL INFORMATION

   C-2

INDUSTRY DATA INFORMATION

   C-5

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

   C-6

SUMMARY

   C-8

SUMMARY SELECTED FINANCIAL AND PRO FORMA DATA

   C-21

RISK FACTORS

   C-27

USE OF PROCEEDS

   C-46

CAPITALIZATION

   C-47

UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF THE COMPANY

   C-49

SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL DATA OF THE COMPANY

   C-56

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

   C-58

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OF THE COMPANY FOR THE PERIOD ENDED JULY 1, 2007

   C-59

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OF THE PREDECESSOR COMPANY FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2006

   C-89

SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL DATA OF DOMTAR INC.

   C-106

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OF DOMTAR INC. FOR THE PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2007 AND FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2006

   C-108

BUSINESS OF THE COMPANY

   C-163

BUSINESS OF THE PREDECESSOR COMPANY

   C-181

BUSINESS OF DOMTAR INC.

   C-188

DESCRIPTION OF OTHER INDEBTEDNESS

   C-199

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

   C-201

OWNERSHIP OF COMPANY COMMON STOCK

   C-210

THE COMPANY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH WEYERHAEUSER AFTER THE DISTRIBUTION

   C-212

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

   C-217

DESCRIPTION OF THE DOMTAR CORP. C$ NOTES

   C-218

DESCRIPTION OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DOMTAR INC. CANADIAN DEBENTURES AND THE DOMTAR CORP. C$ NOTES

   C-239

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

   C-258

 

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HELPFUL INFORMATION

In this Schedule C:

 

 

·

 

“1996 Indenture” means the Indenture, dated as of July 31, 1996, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2016;

 

  ·  

“2001 Indenture” means the Indenture, dated as of October 16, 2001, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, as successor trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 7.875% Notes due 2011;

 

 

·

 

“2003 Indenture” means the Indenture, dated as of November 18, 2003, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, as successor trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 7  1 / 8 % notes due 2015 and 5.375% notes due 2013;

 

  ·  

“Acquisition Closing Date” means March 7, 2007, the date of the closing of the Acquisition Transactions;

 

  ·  

“Acquisition Transactions” means the series of transactions whereby the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was transferred to the Company and the Company acquired Domtar Inc., including the Contribution, the Distribution and the Arrangement;

 

  ·  

“Amendments” means, collectively, the amendments of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures to provide Domtar Corporation with the right to acquire, at any time, all outstanding Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures of the corresponding series in consideration for an equal principal amount of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the corresponding series;

 

  ·  

“Arrangement” means the arrangement in accordance with Section 192 of the Canada Business Corporation Act that resulted in the Company indirectly owning all of the outstanding Domtar Inc. common shares;

 

  ·  

“Canadian Dealer Managers” means Scotia Capital Inc. and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. as dealer managers for the Canadian proxy solicitations;

 

  ·  

“Canadian GAAP” means accounting principles generally accepted in Canada;

 

  ·  

“Canadian proxy solicitations” means the solicitation of proxies by Domtar Inc. for use at a meeting of holders of each series of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures for the approval of such holders to the corresponding Amendments, as more fully described in the Notice of Meetings and Information Circular/Prospectus for holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures to which this Schedule C is attached;

 

  ·  

“CDN$” means Canadian dollar;

 

  ·  

“Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

 

  ·  

“Contribution” means the transfer by Weyerhaeuser of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business to the Company in exchange for a number of shares of Company common stock and $1.35 billion in cash;

 

  ·  

“Credit Agreement” means the Credit Agreement, dated as of the Acquisition Closing Date, among the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc., as borrowers, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., as syndication agent, Bank of America, N.A., Royal Bank of Canada and The Bank of Nova Scotia, as co-documentation agents, and the lenders from time to time parties thereto;

 

  ·  

“Distribution” means the distribution by Weyerhaeuser of its shares of Company common stock to the holders of Weyerhaeuser common shares and Weyerhaeuser exchangeable shares pursuant to an exchange offer;

 

  ·  

“Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc.” means Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc., a British Columbia corporation and a subsidiary of the Company;

 

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  ·  

“Domtar Corp. U.S. notes” means, collectively, Domtar Corporation’s newly issued U.S. dollar denominated notes, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered in exchange pursuant to the exchange offers;

 

  ·  

“Domtar Corp. C$ Notes” means, collectively, Domtar Corporation’s newly issued Canadian dollar denominated notes, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the corresponding Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures, issued upon the exercise by Domtar Corporation of its right, as contemplated by the corresponding Amendment, to acquire the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures;

 

  ·  

“Domtar Corp. debt securities” means, collectively, the Domtar Corp. U.S. notes and the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes;

 

  ·  

“Domtar Corporation”, “Domtar Corp.”, “Domtar”, “Company”, “we”, “us” and “our” or similar terms means Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, its subsidiaries;

 

  ·  

“Domtar Inc.” means Domtar Inc., a Canadian corporation, and, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, its subsidiaries;

 

  ·  

“Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures” means, collectively, Domtar Inc.’s Canadian dollar denominated 10% Debentures due 2011 and 10.85% Debentures due 2017;

 

  ·  

“Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures” means, collectively, the indenture, dated as of April 15, 1987, between Domtar Inc. and Computershare Trust Company of Canada, as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 10% debentures due 2011 and the indenture, dated as of August 5, 1987 between Domtar Inc. and Computershare Trust Company of Canada, as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 10.85% debentures due 2017;

 

  ·  

“Domtar Inc. debt securities” means, collectively, the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures;

 

  ·  

“Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures” means, collectively, the 1996 Indenture, the 2003 Indenture and the 2001 Indenture;

 

 

·

 

“Domtar Inc. U.S. notes” means, collectively, Domtar Inc.’s outstanding U.S. dollar denominated 7.875% Notes due 2011, 5.375% Notes due 2013, 7  1 / 8 % Notes due 2015 and 9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2016;

 

  ·  

“Domtar Paper Company, LLC” means Domtar Paper Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and the guarantor of the Domtar Corp. debt securities;

 

  ·  

“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;

 

  ·  

“exchange offers” means Domtar Corporation’s offers to holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes to exchange their Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for an equal principal amount of Domtar Corp. U.S. notes of the corresponding series;

 

  ·  

“Predecessor Company” means the predecessor of the Company for accounting and financial disclosure purposes, which is the Company, prior to the Acquisition Closing Date, as if it owned the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, but not Domtar Inc. Because prior to the Acquisition Closing Date the Company was a shell company with no operations and substantially no assets, the operations and financial results of the Predecessor Company presented in this Schedule C are those of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business;

 

  ·  

“pro forma basis” means on a pro forma basis after giving effect to the Acquisition Transactions;

 

  ·  

“requisite consents” means the approval of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the applicable series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes in connection with the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. U.S. Indentures made in conjunction with the exchange offers;

 

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  ·  

“Schedule C”, “this Schedule” and “this document” or similar terms means this Schedule C to the Notice of Meetings and Debentureholders’ Information Circular for holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures;

 

  ·  

“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission;

 

  ·  

“Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended;

 

  ·  

“The Bank of New York” means The Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation;

 

  ·  

“tons” means short tons when used with respect to fine paper and metric tons when used with respect to pulp;

 

  ·  

“Transfer” means the sale, in one or more transactions, by Domtar Inc. of up to 100% of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries for the fair market value of such shares or interests, as determined by the board of directors of Domtar Inc., in return for consideration consisting of Domtar Inc. debt securities or a note of Domtar Corp. or any combination thereof;

 

  ·  

“unit shipments” means short tons when used with respect to fine paper and metric tons when used with respect to pulp;

 

  ·  

“U.S.” means United States;

 

  ·  

“U.S. GAAP” means accounting principles generally accepted in the United States;

 

  ·  

“Weyerhaeuser” means Weyerhaeuser Company and, unless the context otherwise requires, its subsidiaries;

 

  ·  

“Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business” means the fine paper and related businesses that were transferred by Weyerhaeuser to the Company as part of the Contribution; and

 

  ·  

“$” or “dollar” means U.S. dollar.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, all amounts listed in Canadian dollars herein are converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of CDN $1.0634, the noon buying rate of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on June 30, 2007.

 

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INDUSTRY DATA INFORMATION

Unless otherwise specifically indicated, all statements regarding sales and market data for the Company, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. are based solely on statistical data obtained from independent market research firms that make this data available to the public at prescribed rates. The Company has not independently verified this information.

Except where otherwise noted, information with respect to “capacity” or “production capacity” assumes production 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, less days allotted for certain planned maintenance and other downtime. The method used for calculating days for maintenance and downtime may vary from company to company.

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Schedule C and other materials the Company has filed or will file with the SEC (as well as information included in the Company’s other written or oral statements) contain, or will contain, disclosures which are “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts, and can generally be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “believe,” “will,” “expect,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “continue” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements address, among other things, certain anticipated effects of the Acquisition Transactions and the Transfer. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur, or if any of them occurs, what effect they will have on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition. These factors include, but are not limited to:

 

  ·  

the effect of general economic conditions, particularly in the United States and Canada;

 

  ·  

market demand for the Company’s products, which may be tied to the relative strength of various U.S. and/or Canadian business segments;

 

  ·  

product selling prices;

 

  ·  

energy prices;

 

  ·  

raw material prices;

 

  ·  

chemical prices;

 

  ·  

performance of the Company’s manufacturing operations including unexpected maintenance requirements;

 

  ·  

the successful integration of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. and ability to realize anticipated cost savings;

 

  ·  

the level of competition from domestic and foreign producers;

 

  ·  

the effect of forestry, land use, environmental and other governmental regulations, and changes in accounting regulations;

 

  ·  

the effect of weather and the risk of loss from fires, floods, windstorms, hurricanes and other natural disasters;

 

  ·  

transportation costs;

 

  ·  

the loss of current customers or the inability to obtain new customers;

 

  ·  

legal proceedings;

 

  ·  

changes in asset valuations, including writedowns of property, plant and equipment, inventory, accounts receivable or other assets for impairment or other reasons;

 

  ·  

changes in currency exchange rates, particularly the relative value of the U.S. dollar to the Canadian dollar;

 

  ·  

the effect of timing of retirements and changes in the market price of Company common stock on charges for stock-based compensation;

 

  ·  

performance of pension fund investments and related derivatives; and

 

  ·  

the other factors described under “Risk Factors.”

 

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You are cautioned not to unduly rely on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, when evaluating the information presented in this Schedule C. Unless specifically required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new events or circumstances.

You should review carefully the section captioned “Risk Factors” in this Schedule C for a more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties of an investment in the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

 

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SUMMARY

The following summary highlights selected information contained in this Schedule C and does not contain all the information that may be important to you in determining how to vote in connection with the Canadian proxy solicitations. For a more complete understanding of our company and the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, we encourage you to read this entire Schedule C carefully, including the risk factors and the financial data and related notes, before determining how to vote in connection with the Canadian proxy solicitations.

The Company

The Company is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity and is also a manufacturer of papergrade pulp. Through the Company’s subsidiaries, the Company designs, manufactures, markets and distributes a wide range of fine paper products for a variety of consumers, including merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters and end-users. The Company has three business segments: Papers (paper and pulp), Paper Merchants and Wood.

The Company had pro forma revenues of $6.7 billion in 2006, of which approximately 78% was from the Papers segment, approximately 14% was from the Paper Merchants segment and approximately 8% was from the Wood segment. The Company had pro forma revenues of $3.2 billion in the first six months of 2007, of which approximately 81% was from the Papers segment, approximately 14% was from the Paper Merchants segment and approximately 5% was from the Wood segment.

The Company was incorporated as a Delaware corporation in August 2006 for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, which was then owned by Weyerhaeuser. The Company had no operations prior to March 7, 2007. Upon the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company acquired Domtar Inc. and became an independent public holding company, with shares traded on The New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Company directly or indirectly owns the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc.

Business Segments

Papers

The Company operates 13 paper mills (ten in the United States and three in Canada) with an annual paper production capacity of approximately 4.8 million tons of uncoated freesheet paper. In addition, the Company has an annual production capacity of approximately 235,000 tons of coated groundwood at one paper mill in the U.S. The paper facilities are complemented by strategically located warehouses and sales offices. The Company has recently announced a series of actions, including mill and machine closures, as part of its review of its overall production capacity and adjustment of its production to match customer demand. See “– Recent Developments – Restructuring.”

The Company manufactures papergrade pulp, which it sells to the extent it produces more pulp than is required for internal use in its paper mills. It also manufactures and sells fluff pulp and specialty pulp. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Company’s Prince Albert facility, which is expected to have an annual production capacity of approximately 328,000 tonnes of pulp. See “– Recent Developments – Restructuring.”

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, the Company’s Papers segment generated pro forma sales of $5.3 billion, representing 78% of total pro forma sales.

 

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Paper Merchants

In connection with its Papers business, the Company engages in the paper merchants business, which involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various paper products made by the Company and by other manufacturers. The Company operates its merchants business through the Domtar Distribution Group with 26 locations throughout the United States and Canada.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, the Company’s Paper Merchants segment generated pro forma sales of $920 million, representing 14% of total pro forma sales.

Wood

The Company manufactures, markets and distributes lumber and wood-based value-added products and manages forest resources. The Company operates four sawmills and one remanufacturing facility with an annual production capacity of approximately 495 million board feet of lumber. In addition, the Company owns five sawmills that are currently not in operation but have an annual aggregate production capacity of approximately 730 million board feet of lumber. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, the Company’s Wood segment generated pro forma sales of $523 million, representing 8% of total pro forma sales.

In June 2007, the Company entered into an agreement for the sale of substantially all of its Wood business to Conifex Inc. The Company intends to use the net cash proceeds from the sale of its Wood business to reduce its outstanding debt. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale, see “– Recent Developments – Sale of Wood Business.”

Competitive Strengths

The Company believes that its competitive strengths will provide a solid foundation for the execution of its business strategy:

Leading Market Position .     The Company is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity. This leading market position provides the Company with key competitive advantages, including economies of scale, wider sales and marketing coverage and broad product offerings, such as business, printing and publishing and technical and specialty grade paper.

Efficient and Cost-competitive Assets .     The Company’s fine paper business encompasses a mix of assets allowing it to be a low-cost producer of high volume papers and an efficient producer of value-added specialty papers. The Company’s six largest mills focus on production of high volume copy and offset papers while the other mills focus on the production of value-added paper products for which quality, flexibility and service are key determinants. Most of the Company’s paper production is at mills with integrated pulp production and cogeneration facilities, reducing exposure to price volatility for purchased pulp and energy.

Proximity to Customers .     The Company has a broad geographic coverage with a strong manufacturing presence in eastern North America complemented by service locations throughout North America. This proximity to customers provides opportunities for enhanced customer service and minimization of freight distance, response time and delivery cost, which constitute key competitive advantages, particularly in the high volume copy and offset paper grades market segment. Customer proximity also allows just-in-time delivery of high demand paper products in less than 48 hours to most major North American cities.

Strong Franchise with Unique Service Solutions .     The Company sells paper to multiple market segments through a variety of channels, including paper merchants, converters, retail companies and publishers throughout

 

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North America. In addition, the Company maintains a strong market presence through its ownership of both the Domtar Distribution Group and the Enterprise Group. Both groups have developed strong positions as reliable and responsive suppliers to their markets. The Company believes it will build on those positions by maximizing its strengths in centralized planning capability and supply-chain management solutions.

Focus on Stakeholder Value.     The Company believes that it has the ability to build value for its stakeholders. The Company’s large base of cost-competitive and efficient assets should allow it to realize cost savings through economies of scale, enhanced buying power and synergies, which should result in higher margins.

High Quality Products with Strong Brand Recognition .     The Company enjoys a strong reputation for producing high quality fine paper products and markets some of the most recognized and preferred papers in North America, including a wide range of business and commercial printing paper brands, such as Windsor Offset ® , Plainfield Digital ® , Plainfield Plus ® , Titanium ® , Microprint ® , Bobcat ® , Cougar ® , Husky ® , Jaguar ® , Lynx ® , Clarion ® , Sonora ® , Choctaw ® , First Choice ® and EarthChoice ® . The Company believes that it is a supplier of choice in the fine paper market.

Experienced Management Team with Proven Integration Expertise .     The Company’s management team has significant experience and a record of success in the North American paper industry, including with respect to business integration issues. For example, Raymond Royer, the Company’s president and chief executive officer, was the president and chief executive officer of Domtar Inc. for ten years and Marvin Cooper, the Company’s chief operating officer, has more than 25 years of experience in the pulp and paper industry, including 22 years at Willamette Industries, Inc. (“Willamette”) and four years at Weyerhaeuser. Mr. Royer led Domtar Inc.’s integration of four U.S. mills acquired from Georgia Pacific in 2001 while Mr. Cooper worked on the integration of Willamette’s pulp and fine paper business after it was acquired by Weyerhaeuser in 2002. To support the management team, the Company believes its employees’ expertise and know-how should help create operational efficiencies and better enable the Company to deliver improved profitability from its manufacturing operations.

Business Strategies

The Company’s goal is to be recognized as the supplier of choice of branded and private branded paper products for consumer channels, stationers, merchants, printers and converters in North America. The Company has implemented the following business strategies in order to enhance cash flow and generate stakeholder value:

 

  ·  

successfully integrating the combined businesses and optimizing paper production to improve operating efficiency and reduce costs;

 

  ·  

leveraging existing customer relationships;

 

  ·  

increasing depth of product offerings including the Company’s offering of environmentally and ethically responsible line of papers;

 

  ·  

maintaining financial discipline to create stakeholder value; and

 

  ·  

conducting operations in a sustainable way.

Successfully Integrating the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. and Optimizing Paper Production to Improve Operating Efficiency and Reduce Costs.     The Company believes that the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. represents a strategic fit because of the similarity of both their fine paper offerings in uncoated freesheet grades and their geographic presence. The Company’s integration efforts have been focused on providing a single face to the Company’s customers, utilizing its greater sales and marketing coverage to enhance customer service and achieving synergies. The combination of the

 

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Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. provides an opportunity to combine the operational strengths and best practices of two of the industry’s leading manufacturers. The Company is implementing plans to improve the Company’s operating efficiency and cost structure and to achieve certain synergies within two years through a combination of process optimization resulting in lower operating costs, reductions in transportation, logistics and purchasing costs, implementation of best-in-class business practices and reductions in sales and administrative costs. The Company is also optimizing the Company’s distribution network and reviewing its organizational structure, consolidating its regional centers and back-office functions where appropriate.

Leveraging Existing Customer Relationships.     The Company is building on the successful relationships that the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. have developed with key customers to support their businesses and to provide inventory reduction solutions through just-in-time delivery for most-demanded products. The Company believes that it is among the suppliers of choice for customers who seek competitively-priced paper products and services.

Increasing Depth of Product Offerings Including the Company’s Offering of Environmentally and Ethically Responsible Line of Papers.     The Company believes that it is delivering improved service to customers through increased depth of product offerings and greater access to volume. The Company believes the development of EarthChoice ® , the Company’s line of environmentally and ethically responsible papers, is providing a platform upon which to expand its offerings to customers. The EarthChoice ® line of papers, a product line endorsed and supported by leading environmental groups, offers customers solutions and peace of mind through the use of a combination of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) virgin fiber and recycled fiber. FSC is the certification recognized by environmental groups as the most stringent and is third-party audited.

Maintaining Financial Discipline to Create Stakeholder Value.     The Company believes that value creation will initially be better achieved by de-leveraging. The Company intends to manage the Company’s capital expenditures effectively and minimize its working capital requirements.

Conducting Operations in a Sustainable Way.     Customers and end-users as well as all stakeholders in communities where the Company operates seek assurances from the pulp and paper industry that resources are managed in a sustainable manner. The Company strives to provide these assurances by certifying the Company’s forest, manufacturing and distribution operations and the Company intends to subscribe to internationally recognized environmental management systems, namely ISO 14001.

Recent Developments

Sale of Wood Business

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex Inc. (“Conifex”) for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of 10 sawmills in Québec and Ontario having an annual production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights, which represent the majority of Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights. Domtar Inc.’s remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec and its interests in several wood product joint ventures are also included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license rights transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

 

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On October 11, 2007, the Company announced that Domtar Inc. received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife (the “Minister”) for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

The Company and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend Domtar Inc.’s rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Québec Superior Court to enforce its rights. The Company and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continue to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

The Company intends to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce its outstanding debt. At July 1, 2007, the Company and Domtar Inc. accounted for the assets and liabilities of the Wood business as held and used in accordance with SFAS 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets , due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly related to obtaining government approvals and financing. The Company and Domtar Inc. do not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

Restructuring

The Company regularly reviews its overall production capacity with a view to adjusting its production capacity to anticipated long-term demand. In July 2007, the Company announced the permanent closure of its paper mill in Gatineau, Québec and its converting center in Ottawa, Ontario as well as the permanent closure of two paper machines, one located at its Woodland paper mill in Baileyville, Maine and the other at its Port Edwards, Wisconsin paper mill. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees. The Company continues to evaluate potential adjustments to its production capacity, which may include additional closures of machines or entire mills, and the Company could recognize cash and/or non-cash charges relating to any such closures in future periods.

Potential Redevelopment of Prince Albert Facility

On September 12, 2007, the Company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan that could result in the redevelopment of the Prince Albert facility into a Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp mill producing 100% FSC certified softwood pulp for the North American and offshore markets. The redevelopment of the pulp mill is subject to a number of critical conditions, the most important of which is that the business case demonstrates that the mill will be a first quartile low-cost producer at foreign exchange rates between Canada and the U.S. of 1:1. Other conditions include the completion of various engineering and feasibility analyses and studies, the development of a modern and competitive operational design for the pulp mill, consultations with First Nations and the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements, as well as the approval of the Company’s board of directors and various regulatory bodies. The annual production capacity of the redeveloped mill is expected to be approximately 328,000 tonnes. The memorandum of understanding is a statement of intent only and does not create legally binding obligations.

 

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Overview and Purpose of the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitations and the Canadian Proxy Solicitations

The purpose of the exchange offers is to exchange the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for an equal principal amount of newly issued notes of the Company bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered in exchange, with certain changes that are described in this prospectus and consent solicitation statement. The purpose of the consent solicitation is to eliminate or amend certain provisions in the indentures pursuant to which the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes were issued, which as amended, will continue to govern any Domtar Inc. U.S. notes not tendered and exchanged. The purpose of the Canadian proxy solicitations is to obtain approval from holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures at a meeting of holders of each series of such debentures to amend the indentures pursuant to which such series of debentures were issued to provide Domtar Corp. with the right to acquire, at any time, all of the outstanding debentures of such series in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of newly issued Domtar Corp. debt securities.

The Company’s objectives in making the exchange offers and soliciting the consents and making the Canadian proxy solicitations include the following:

 

  ·  

Working toward a simplified capital structure;

 

  ·  

Working toward consolidating public financial reporting at the Company level, rather than maintain separate reporting obligations at the Company and at the Domtar Inc. levels; and

 

  ·  

Providing the Company with greater flexibility to achieve cost savings opportunities and to transfer assets among its subsidiaries, thereby enhancing operational, financial and tax efficiencies.

Domtar Inc. believes holders of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures may benefit from voting in favour of the proposed amendments to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures and Domtar Corp. believes that holders of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes may benefit from participating in the proposed exchange offers and consent solicitations for the following reasons:

 

  ·  

The combined cash flow of the Company’s entire business, not just the business of Domtar Inc., will support the new Domtar Corp. debt securities;

 

  ·  

Increased enterprise and asset value will support the new Domtar Corp. debt securities;

 

  ·  

Stronger credit profile of Domtar Corp. compared to Domtar Inc. as demonstrated by improved credit statistics. See “Summary Selected Financial and Pro Forma Data – Certain Financial Metrics;”

 

  ·  

Increased protection from the addition of a 101% change-of-control put and upstream senior unsecured guarantees from the same subsidiaries that guarantee the Company’s obligations under the Credit Agreement;

 

  ·  

Moody’s Investor Service has rated the Domtar Corp. notes at B1, compared to the existing rating for the Domtar Inc. debt securities of B2; and

 

  ·  

The exchange offers and Transfer are intended to enable holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures and Domtar Inc. U.S. notes who hold credit default swap contracts with respect to Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures or Domtar Inc. U.S. notes to treat the Transfer as a succession event and Domtar Corp. as the reference entity under such contracts.

In conjunction with the exchange offers and consent solicitations and the Canadian proxy solicitations, Domtar Inc. intends to sell some or all of the shares of capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corp. or its subsidiaries:

 

  ·  

If the requisite consents with respect to each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are obtained, and the requisite votes of the holders of each series of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures to approve the

 

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amendments to the applicable Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures are obtained, Domtar Inc. intends to sell, in one or more transactions, 100% of the shares of capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries, which together own the Ashdown, Nekoosa, Port Edwards, Port Huron and Woodland mills and the U.S. paper merchants business, to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries. The subsidiaries that would be sold to Domtar Corp. accounted for approximately 67% of Domtar Inc.’s sales for the six months ended June 30, 2007, excluding sales by such subsidiaries of products manufactured by the Canadian operations to be retained by Domtar Inc. The subsidiaries that would be sold to Domtar Corp. accounted for approximately 54% of depreciation and amortization and 308% of operating income (due to operating losses sustained by Domtar Inc.’s Canadian subsidiaries) of Domtar Inc. for the six months ended June 30, 2007 and approximately 43% of Domtar Inc.’s total assets as of June 30, 2007. Upon being sold, these subsidiaries would become guarantors of Domtar Corp.’s and Domtar Paper Company, LLC’s borrowings under the Credit Agreement as well as the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and the Domtar Corp. U.S. notes issued in connection with the exchange offers. These subsidiaries will continue to guarantee borrowings of Domtar Inc. under the Credit Agreement.

 

  ·  

If the exchange offer for any series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes is consummated or either series of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures is exchanged for newly issued Domtar Corp. C$ Notes pursuant to the Canadian proxy solicitations but the requisite consents with respect to each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes or the requisite votes of the holders of each series of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures to approve the amendments to one of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures are not obtained, Domtar Inc. intends to sell, in one or more transactions, up to 49% of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of Domtar Inc.’s U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries. In this case, the results of those subsidiaries would continue to be consolidated by Domtar Inc. for financial reporting purposes. However, Domtar Corp. will be entitled to its proportionate share of any dividends or other distributions declared or made by such subsidiaries. These subsidiaries would continue to guarantee borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the Credit Agreement, but would not become guarantors of borrowings by Domtar Corp. or Domtar Paper Company, LLC under the Credit Agreement, and would not become guarantors of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and the Domtar Corp. U.S. notes issued in connection with the exchange offers.

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes issued to holders of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures in connection with the Canadian proxy solicitations will bear interest at the same rates and have the same interest payment and maturity dates, as the corresponding series of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures acquired. Such Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will have the same guarantors, and will be subject to the same covenants and change of control provisions, as the Domtar Corp. U.S. notes offered in connection with the exchange offers.

 

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Our Corporate Organization and Debt Structure

The chart below sets forth our current corporate organization and debt structure and shows (i) the exchange of all outstanding Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for newly issued Domtar Corp. U.S. notes in the exchange offers, (ii) the acquisition by us of all outstanding Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures in connection with the Canadian proxy solicitations and (iii) the sale by Domtar Inc. of 100% of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of Domtar Inc.’s U.S. subsidiaries to the Company or one of its subsidiaries in exchange for Domtar Inc. debt securities acquired by Domtar Corp. For purposes of this chart, we have assumed all of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of Domtar Inc.’s U.S. subsidiaries are sold to Domtar Paper Company, LLC.

LOGO

Risk Factors

You should carefully consider the matters described in the section “Risk Factors” beginning on page C-26 , as well as other information included in this Schedule C.

 

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Summary Description of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

 

Issuer

Domtar Corporation

 

Securities Offered

Up to CDN$82 million aggregate principal amount of 10% Domtar Corp. C$ Notes due 2011.

 

 

Up to CDN$74.913 million aggregate principal amount of 10.85% Domtar Corp. C$ Notes due 2017.

 

Maturity

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will mature on the following dates:

 

Notes

 

Maturity Date

10% Notes

  April 15, 2011

10.85% Notes

  August 5, 2017

 

Interest

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will bear interest at the rates per annum and we will pay interest to the record holders at the close of business on the relevant record date semi-annually in arrears on the interest payment dates set forth below:

 

Notes

  

Rate Per

Annum

     Record Dates      Interest Payment Dates

10% Notes

   10%      April 1 and
October 1
     April 15 and
October 15

10.85% Notes

   10.85%      February 1 and
August 1
     February 5 and
August 5

Interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will accrue from the date of issuance.

 

Minimum Denominations

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be issued in minimum denominations of CDN$1,000 and integral multiples of CDN$1,000 in excess thereof, except in the case of certain Domtar Corp. C$ Notes issued in exchange for certain Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures with coupons attached.

 

Subsidiary Guarantees

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on an unsecured senior basis by Domtar Paper Company, LLC, which is the only U.S. subsidiary of Domtar Corp. that currently guarantees the indebtedness of Domtar Corp. under the Credit Agreement. Any U.S. subsidiary that in the future guarantees indebtedness or any of Domtar Corp.’s subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement, or any other indebtedness of Domtar Corp. (other than U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Corp.’s non-U.S. subsidiaries), will also fully and unconditionally, jointly and severally guarantee the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. Each guarantor will be released upon the release of such guarantor from its guarantee under the Credit Agreement and all other indebtedness of Domtar Corp. (except in each case a discharge or release by or as a result of payment under such guarantee). If Domtar Corp. fails to make payments on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, its guarantors must make them instead. If the requisite consents with respect to each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the requisite votes of the holders of each series of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures are obtained and Domtar Inc. sells more than 50% of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries, the subsidiaries that are sold will become guarantors of

 

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borrowings by Domtar Corp. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC under the Credit Agreement and will also become guarantors of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. These subsidiaries will continue to guarantee borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the Credit Agreement.

 

Ranking

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be our general unsecured senior obligations and will rank equally with all of our other unsecured, senior indebtedness from time to time outstanding. The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be effectively subordinated to our existing and future secured debt, including our indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt.

 

 

A guarantee of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be an unsecured senior obligation of the applicable subsidiary guarantor and will rank equally with all of the other unsecured, senior obligations of the applicable subsidiary guarantor. A guarantee will be effectively subordinated to all of the secured indebtedness of the applicable subsidiary guarantor, including its guarantees in respect of indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such secured indebtedness.

 

 

At July 1, 2007, assuming that Domtar Corp. had completed the exchange offers and all the outstanding Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures had been acquired pursuant to the Canadian proxy solicitations in each case in return for Domtar Corp.’s debt securities and assuming that Domtar Paper Company, LLC is the only guarantor:

 

  ·  

Domtar Corp. and the subsidiary guarantor, Domtar Paper Company, LLC, would have had outstanding approximately $2,422 million of indebtedness, $720 million of which would have been secured senior indebtedness, consisting of borrowings under our Credit Agreement, $38 million of which would have been owing under capital leases and $1,664 million of which would have been unsecured senior indebtedness, consisting of Domtar Corp. debt securities; and

 

  ·  

Domtar Corp.’s non-guarantor subsidiaries would have had approximately $22 million of indebtedness, $12 million of which would have been outstanding to third parties, and $10 million outstanding under capital leases.

 

 

In addition, as of July 1, 2007, we had an additional $701 million (after giving effect to approximately $49 million of outstanding letters of credit) of unutilized capacity under our senior secured revolving credit facility.

 

 

All of Domtar Corp.’s operations are conducted through its subsidiaries. Unless a subsidiary is a subsidiary guarantor, claims of creditors of such subsidiary, including trade creditors, generally will have priority with respect to the assets and earnings of such subsidiary over the claims of Domtar Corp.’s creditors, including holders of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, therefore, will be structurally subordinated to creditors (including trade creditors) of Domtar Corp.’s subsidiaries that are not guarantors.

 

 

At issuance, the only guarantor of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be Domtar Paper Company, LLC. For the 13 weeks ended July 1, 2007, our non-guarantor

 

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subsidiaries collectively represented approximately 67% of our sales, 6% of our operating income and 17% of our cash flows from operating activities. At July 1, 2007, our non-guarantor subsidiaries collectively represented approximately 62% of our total assets and 61% of our outstanding total liabilities, including trade payables but excluding intercompany liabilities, all of which would have been structurally senior to the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

In the event that more than 50% of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of one or more of Domtar Inc.’s U.S. subsidiaries is sold to Domtar Corp. or its subsidiaries, such U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc. will become guarantors of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. See “Subsidiary Guarantees.”

 

Optional Redemption

Each series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be redeemable, in whole or in part, at our option at any time. We may redeem the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of any series in part only in the amount of CDN$1,000 or integral multiples of CDN$1,000 in excess thereof. The redemption price for each series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes is equal to the greater of:

 

  (1) 100% of the principal amount of such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, and

 

  (2) the price of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes calculated to provide a yield to maturity equal to the Government of Canada Yield plus 50 basis points on the business day preceding the date of the resolution authorizing the redemption or, if such price is being calculated for the purpose of optional purchases as described herein, on the business day preceding the date of purchase,

plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to but excluding the date of redemption.

Government of Canada Yield ” on any date shall mean the yield to maturity on such date compounded semi-annually which a non-callable Government of Canada bond would carry if issued, in Canadian dollars in Canada, at 100% of its principal amount on such date with a term to maturity equal to the remaining term to maturity of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. The Government of Canada Yield will be provided by two investment dealers as the Company may determine from time to time and as may be acceptable to the Trustee under the indenture under which the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are issued.

The optional redemption provisions for each series of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes is substantially identical to the provisions contained in the indenture for the corresponding series of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures.

 

Change of Control

If we experience a change of control, we will be required to make an offer to purchase all outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes at a purchase price of 101% of their principal amount plus accrued interest to, but excluding, the date of repurchase. See “Description of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes – Change of Control”.

 

Certain Covenants

The indenture governing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will contain certain covenants that, among other things, (i) limit our ability to consolidate with or merge with or into any other person or convey, transfer or lease our properties and assets substantially as an entity to any person; (ii) limit our ability and the

 

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ability of our restricted subsidiaries to create, incur, assume or permit to exist any indebtedness that is secured by any lien on principal facilities and timberlands of the Company or its restricted subsidiaries or on any shares of capital stock or debt of the Company or any of its restricted subsidiaries without equally and ratably securing the Domtar Corp. debt securities or subsidiary guarantee, as applicable, and (iii) limit our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to enter into certain sale and leaseback transactions. See “Description of the Notes – Certain Covenants”.

 

Trustee for the Notes

The Bank of New York

 

Listing

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

Governing Law

The Domtar Corp. indenture will be governed by New York law.

 

Voting

Each series of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will vote as a separate class with respect to all matters affecting such series.

 

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NOTE REGARDING THE PREDECESSOR COMPANY

The Company was organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 16, 2006, and was, until March 7, 2007, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser. The Company is a holding company organized for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and consummating the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. The Company had no operations prior to March 7, 2007. On March 7, 2007, the following were completed:

 

  ·  

a series of transfers and other transactions resulting in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business becoming wholly-owned by the Company;

 

  ·  

the distribution of shares of the Company to certain Weyerhaeuser shareholders;

 

  ·  

the acquisition of Domtar Inc. by the Company; and

 

  ·  

the entry by the Company, Domtar Inc. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC into $1.5 billion senior secured credit facilities, consisting of an $800 million senior secured tranche B term loan facility and a $750 million senior secured revolving credit facility.

The predecessor to the Company for accounting and financial reporting purposes is the Company as though it owned only the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and not Domtar Inc. In this Schedule C, we refer to this predecessor as the Predecessor Company. The Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was owned and operated by Weyerhaeuser prior to the Acquisition Closing Date and was not a stand-alone business, subsidiary or separately reported segment of Weyerhaeuser. The information about the Predecessor Company contained in this Schedule C is information about the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business which was prepared on a carve-out basis, and reflects certain significant assumptions about the business and results of operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business. As a result, the results of operations and financial condition of the Company as of and from the Acquisition Closing Date are not comparable with the results of operations and financial condition of the Predecessor Company.

 

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SUMMARY SELECTED FINANCIAL AND PRO FORMA DATA

The Company

The following table sets forth summary selected financial data for the Company as of and for the fiscal years ended December 26, 2004, December 25, 2005 and December 31, 2006, and as of and for the 26-week periods ended June 25, 2006 and July 1, 2007. The Company’s fiscal year ends on the last Sunday of the calendar year. Fiscal years 2004 and 2005 each consisted of 52 weeks and fiscal year 2006 consisted of 53 weeks. The summary selected financial information of the Company as of December 26, 2004, December 25, 2005 and December 31, 2006 and for the fiscal years ended December 26, 2004, December 25, 2005 and December 31, 2006 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company. The summary selected financial information of the Company as of and for the 26 weeks ended June 25, 2006 and as of and for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007 reflects results of Domtar Inc. only from March 7, 2007, and has been derived from the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company, which, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The audited consolidated financial statements as of December 25, 2005 and December 31, 2006 and for the three years in the period ended December 31, 2006 and the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements as of July 1, 2007 and for the 13 and 26 weeks ended June 25, 2006 and July 1, 2007 are included elsewhere in this Schedule C. Results for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year.

 

U.S. GAAP/U.S. dollar

   Year Ended     Twenty six weeks ended
  

December 26,

2004

   

December 25,

2005

   

December 31,

2006

   

June 25,

2006

   

July 1,

2007 (1)

(Dollars in millions)           

Statement of Income Data:

          

Sales

   $ 3,026     $ 3,267     $ 3,306     $ 1,638     $ 2,671

Charges for restructuring, closure of facilities, and goodwill impairment

     17       538       764       749       6

Operating income (loss) before depreciation, depletion and amortization

     307       (221 )     (245 )     (616 )     349

Operating income (loss)

     (41 )     (578 )     (556 )     (768 )     140

Net income (loss)

     (17 )     (478 )     (609 )     (759 )     60

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

          

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 2     $ 1     $ 1     $ 2     $ 80

Property, plant & equipment, net

     3,923       3,270       3,065       3,229       5,894

Total assets

     5,565       4,970       3,998       4,129       7,889

Other liabilities

     37       24       37       43       2,458

Total shareholders’ equity

     4,261       3,773       2,915       2,924       3,094

(1) Reflects results of Domtar Inc. only from March 7, 2007, the Acquisition Closing Date.

Summary Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information of the Company

The following table sets forth summary unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial data of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 and for the 26-week period ended July 1, 2007. The pro forma financial data reflects the pro forma effects of the Acquisition Transactions as if they had occurred on December 26, 2005, the first day of the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. The pro forma adjustments are described in the notes to the Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information of the Company contained elsewhere in this Schedule C. The summary unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is for illustrative informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would have been achieved had the Acquisition Transactions actually taken place on

 

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December 26, 2005 and does not purport to be indicative of future operating results. Actual adjustments may differ from the pro forma adjustments. Future operating results may differ materially from the unaudited pro forma financial information presented below due to various factors including those described under “Risk Factors”, “Forward-Looking Statements” and elsewhere in this Schedule C. The following should be read in conjunction with “Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information of the Company.”

 

U.S. GAAP/U.S. dollar

 

52 weeks
ended
December 31,

2006

   

26 weeks
ended
July 1,

2007

   
(Dollars in millions)    

Sales

  $ 6,750     $ 3,244

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations

    (574 )     27

 

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Domtar Inc.

The following table sets forth summary selected financial data of Domtar Inc. for the years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006 and the six-month period ended June 30, 2006 and for the periods from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007. The summary selected financial information of Domtar Inc. as of December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006 and for the years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc. The summary selected financial information of Domtar Inc. as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2006 and for the periods from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007, have been derived from the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc., which, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of Domtar Inc.’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The audited consolidated financial statements and unaudited interim consolidated financial statements are included elsewhere in this Schedule C. Results are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year. For a discussion of the differences between U.S. GAAP and Canadian GAAP, see note 23 to the audited consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc. contained elsewhere in this Schedule C.

 

U.S. GAAP/U.S. dollar (2)

  Year ended   Jan. 1, 2007
to March 6,
2007
        March 7, 2007
to June 30,
2007 (1)
 

Six months

ended
June 30,
2006

 
  December 31,
2004
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2006
           
(Dollars in millions)                  

Statement of Operations Data:

               

Sales

  3,373     3,498     3,492   582         1,041   1,773  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations before depreciation, depletion and amortization

  264     (27 )   435   25         100   105  

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  (64 )   (329 )   27   (31 )       2   (48 )

Net earnings (loss)

  (58 )   (414 )   226   (31 )       1   (31 )
               

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

               

Cash and cash equivalents

  37     58     551         35   81  

Property, plant and equipment, net

  3,236     2,834     2,639         2,931   3,116  

Total assets

  4,554     4,152     4,082         4,551   4,401  

Total long-term debt (Including current portion, excluding capital leases)

  1,534     1,721     1,590         1,666   1,917  

Total shareholders’ equity

  1,849     1,348     1,496         1,742   1,406  

 

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Canadian GAAP/CDN dollar

  Year ended  

Jan. 1, 2007
to March 6,
2007

        March 7, 2007
to June 30,
2007 (1)
  Six months
ended
June 30,
2006
 
  December 31,
2004
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2006
           
(Dollars in millions)                                    

Statement of Operations Data:

               

Sales

  4,403     4,247     3,989   684         1,178   2,037  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations before depreciation, depletion and amortization

  348     (20 )   521   35         121   134  

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  (63 )   (310 )   63   (32 )       12   (50 )

Net earnings (loss)

  (42 )   (388 )   328   (33 )       12   (33 )

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

               

Cash and cash equivalents

  52     83     649         43   94  

Property, plant and equipment, net

  4,215     3,634     3,044         3,131   3,426  

Total assets

  5,681     5,192     4,955         4,855   4,923  

Total long-term debt (Including current portion, excluding capital leases)

  2,023     2,248     1,880         1,773   2,165  

Total shareholders’ equity

  2,046     1,609     1,941         1,864   1,556  

 

(1) As a result of the application of fresh start reporting (push down accounting under U.S GAAP) that started on March 7, 2007, the financial condition and results of operations and the financial position following that date are not comparable to those prior to that date. The financial condition and results of operations for the period from January 1, 2007, to March 6, 2007, and the financial condition and results of operations for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007, should not be viewed as a continuum since they were prepared using different bases of accounting and different accounting policies and, therefore, are not comparable.

 

(2) The following table sets forth, for each period indicated, for one U.S. dollar expressed in Canadian dollars, the exchange rate at the end of the period and the average of the monthly average rates during the period, based on the Bank of Canada noon rate for fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006, as well as the six months ended June 30, 2006, and based on the United States Federal Reserve noon rate for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007.

 

         

January 1,

2007 to

March 6,

2007

  

March 7,

2007 to

June 30,

2007

  

Six months

ended

June 30,

2006

                       
     Year ended December 31,         
  

2004

  

2005

   2006         
Period end    $ 1.2036    $ 1.1659    $ 1.1653    $ 1.0634    $    $ 1.1138
Average    $ 1.3013    $ 1.2114    $ 1.1344    $ 1.1158    $ 1.1733    $ 1.1384

 

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Certain Financial Metrics

The following table sets forth certain financial metrics for the Company on a pro forma basis and for Domtar Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2006 and 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007. The Company believes that the financial metrics presented are frequently used by investors to evaluate the credit profile of companies and would be useful to investors in connection with the transactions described in this Schedule C and in the Notice of Meetings and Information Circular for holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures to which it is attached as they provide a meaningful comparison between Domtar Inc. and Domtar Corp. The financial metrics utilize the concept of Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP measure used in the Credit Agreement as a key component in the determination of the Company’s compliance with certain financial covenants under the Credit Agreement.

Adjusted EBITDA has no standardized meaning prescribed by U.S. GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and therefore should not be considered in isolation. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income, or any other income statement data prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. It is important for readers to understand that certain items may be presented in different lines by different companies on their financial statements thereby leading to different measures for different companies. We compensate for this limitation by clearly identifying all items included in or excluded from this non-GAAP measure and explaining the items removed or added back to the most comparable GAAP measure. The table in note (a) below provides a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net income (loss) from continuing operations, the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

 

U.S. GAAP / U.S. dollars

   Year ended December 31, 2006    26 Weeks ended July 1, 2007  
   Domtar Corp.
(pro forma)
    Contribution of
Domtar Inc. (b)
   Domtar Corp.
(pro forma)
    Contribution of
Domtar Inc. (b)
 

(Dollars in millions)

                       

Adjusted EBITDA (a)

   $ 803     $ 333    $ 407     $ 142  

Interest expense

     188       138      89       46  

Total debt (including current portion) as at July 1, 2007

     2,444 (c)     1,676      2,444 (c)  

 


1,676


 

Ratio of Adjusted EBITDA to interest expense

     4.3x       2.4x      4.6x       3.1x  

Ratio of total debt to Adjusted EBITDA

     3.0x       5.0x      3.0x (d)     5.9x (d)

 


(a) Adjusted EBITDA (referred to in the Credit Agreement as “Consolidated EBITDA”) is a non-GAAP measure and is defined in the Credit Agreement as net income of the Company, on a consolidated basis, before depreciation, amortization and other non-cash charges, interest and other financing expenses and income taxes and excludes: restructuring charges not to exceed $100 million; certain costs related to synergies and integration in connection with the Acquisition Transactions not to exceed $150 million; any cost of sales impact due to any write up or down of inventory as a result of the fair value of Domtar Inc.’s inventory in connection with the Acquisition Transactions; non-cash derivative gains and losses; and non-cash gains and losses on disposals of property, plant and equipment as well as transaction expenses related to the Acquisition Transactions. The following table provides a reconciliation of the Company’s Adjusted EBITDA to Net income (loss) from continuing operations, the most directly comparable GAAP measure. We reconcile Adjusted EBITDA to Net income (loss) from continuing operations instead of net income as the credit agreement excludes items included in discontinued operations such as the gain on the disposition of the Domtar Inc. 50% interest in Norampac Inc. in December 2006.

 

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U.S. GAAP / U.S. dollars

   Year ended December 31, 2006     26 Weeks ended July 1, 2007  
   Domtar Corp.
(pro forma)
    Contribution of
Domtar Inc. (b)
    Domtar Corp.
(pro forma)
    Contribution of
Domtar Inc. (b)(e)
 
(Dollars in millions)                         

Net income (loss) from continuing operations

   $ (574 )   $   27     $   27     $ (29 )

Interest expense

     188       138       89       46  

Depreciation and amortization

     495       266       248       99  

Income tax expense

     89       (4 )     15       10  

Impairment of goodwill

     749                    

Net gains on disposal of property, plant and equipment

     (11 )     (11 )            

Closure and restructuring costs

     46       31       3       3  

Antidumping and countervailing duties refund

     (210 )     (145 )            

Derivative instrument (gain)

     9       9       (13 )     (13 )

Transaction expenses

     22       22       29       29  

Inventory adjustment for transaction

                 (3 )     (3 )

Costs related to synergies and integration

                 12        
                                

Adjusted EBITDA

   $  803     $ 333     $ 407     $ 142  
                                

 

(b) The amounts contributed by Domtar Inc. to the Company’s Adjusted EBITDA, interest expense and total debt have been calculated on the basis of Domtar Inc.’s actual amounts converted to U.S. dollars, using the foreign exchange rates in effect for the periods presented.

 

(c) On September 28, 2007, the Company made a $2 million mandatory quarterly amortization payment and a $73 million optional prepayment, in each case in respect of the senior secured tranche B term loan facility, which is not reflected in the table above.

 

(d) For purposes of calculating the ratio of total debt to Adjusted EBITDA as of July 1, 2007 (calculated on an annualized basis), Adjusted EBITDA for the 26 week period ended July 1, 2007 was doubled.

 

(e) Domtar Inc.’s Net income (loss) from continuing operations for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007, represents the combination of the net loss from continuing operations from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 of $31 million (period prior to the Acquisition Transactions), and Net income of $2 million from March 7, 2007 to July 1, 2007 (period that reflects the application of purchase accounting). The combined information for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007 is non-GAAP and is for illustrative purposes. This information is provided for the convenience of the reader only in conjunction with the calculation of the above financial metrics. As a result of the application of purchase accounting that started on March 7, 2007, the results of operations and the financial position following that date are not comparable to results for periods prior to that date. The results of operations for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007, and the results of operations for the period from March 7, 2007 to July 1, 2007 should not be viewed as a continuum since they were prepared using different bases of accounting and different accounting policies and, therefore, are not comparable. The other components of the reconciliation were derived by combining the related amounts for the periods January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and March 7, 2007 to July 1, 2007, which are also non-GAAP amounts.

 

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RISK FACTORS

Before voting in connection with the Canadian proxy solicitations, you should carefully consider the risks described below in addition to the other information presented in this Schedule C and in the Notice of Meetings and Information Circular for holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures to which it is attached. Because the Company’s business comprises the operations of both the Predecessor Company and Domtar Inc., unless the context requires otherwise, the current and forward-looking statements included in this section continue to apply to the Company following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, without regard to whether such statement refers to the Company or the Predecessor Company.

Risk Factors Relating To The Domtar Corp. Debt Securities

The Company’s substantial indebtedness, which is approximately $2.4 billion as of July 1, 2007, could adversely affect its financial condition and impair its ability to operate its business.

The Company is highly leveraged. As of July 1, 2007, the Company had approximately $2.4 billion of outstanding indebtedness, including $720.0 million of indebtedness under the term loan portion of its senior secured credit facilities, $48 million of capital leases and $1.7 billion of indebtedness under the Domtar Inc. debt securities.

The Company’s substantial degree of indebtedness could have important consequences to the Company’s financial condition, operating results and business, including the following:

 

  ·  

it may limit the Company’s ability to obtain additional debt or equity financing for working capital, capital expenditures, product development, debt service requirements, acquisitions and general corporate or other purposes;

 

  ·  

a substantial portion of the Company’s cash flows from operations will be dedicated to payments on its indebtedness and will not be available for other purposes, including operations, capital expenditures and future business opportunities;

 

  ·  

the debt service requirements of the Company’s indebtedness could make it more difficult for the Company to satisfy its other obligations;

 

  ·  

the Company’s borrowings under the senior secured credit facilities are at variable rates of interest, exposing the Company to increased debt service obligations in the event of increased interest rates;

 

  ·  

it may limit the Company’s ability to adjust to changing market conditions and place it at a competitive disadvantage compared to its competitors that have less debt; and

 

  ·  

it may increase the Company’s vulnerability to a downturn in general economic conditions or in its business, and may make the Company unable to carry out capital spending that is important to its growth.

Despite current indebtedness levels, we and our subsidiaries may incur substantially more debt. This could further exacerbate the risks associated with our substantial leverage.

We and our subsidiaries may incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future. Although the Credit Agreement contains restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, including secured indebtedness, these restrictions are subject to a number of qualifications and exceptions, and the indebtedness incurred in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial. For example, as of July 1, 2007, we had no amounts drawn under our senior secured revolving credit facility and $49 million of letters of credit outstanding, resulting in $701 million of availability for future drawings. Any additional borrowings under the senior secured revolving credit facility would be effectively senior to the Domtar Corp. debt securities and the related guarantees to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness. Moreover, the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities will not impose any limitation on our or our subsidiaries’ incurrence of indebtedness, other than a

 

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limitation with respect to secured indebtedness (subject to a number of qualifications and exceptions). If we incur additional debt, the risks associated with our substantial leverage would increase.

Our ability to generate the significant amount of cash needed to pay interest and principal on the Domtar Corp. debt securities and service our other debt and financial obligations and our ability to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness or obtain additional financing depends on many factors beyond our control.

The Company has considerable debt service obligations. On a pro forma basis after giving effect to the Acquisition Transactions, as of December 31, 2006, the Company had approximately $200 million of annual interest payments and its aggregate debt service obligations are approximately $210 million each year from 2007 through 2010. Our ability to make payments on and refinance our debt, including the Domtar Corp. debt securities, amounts borrowed under our senior secured credit facilities and other financial obligations, including the Domtar Inc. debt securities that remain outstanding following the completion of the exchange offers and the Canadian proxy solicitations, if any, and to fund our operations will depend on our ability to generate substantial operating cash flow. Our cash flow generation will depend on our future performance, which will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and to financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.

Our business may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations and future borrowings may not be available to us under our senior secured credit facilities or otherwise in amounts sufficient to enable us to service our indebtedness, including the Domtar Corp. debt securities, and borrowings under our senior secured credit facilities or to fund our other liquidity needs. If we cannot service our debt, we will have to take actions such as reducing or delaying capital investments, selling assets, restructuring or refinancing our debt or seeking additional equity capital. Any of these remedies may not be effected on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, and may impede the implementation of our business strategy. Further, the Credit Agreement may restrict us from adopting any of these alternatives. In addition, the restrictions on the Company’s ability to issue equity securities or convertible debt securities during the two year period following the Acquisition Closing Date without jeopardizing the intended tax consequences of the Acquisition Transactions may make it difficult for the Company to raise equity capital if needed to service its indebtedness. Because of these and other factors that may be beyond our control, we may be unable to pay the principal, premium, if any, interest or other amounts on the Domtar Corp. debt securities. See “Risks Related to the Acquisition Transactions—The Company may be affected by significant restrictions following the Acquisition Transactions in order to avoid significant tax-related liabilities.”

Your right to receive payments on the Domtar Corp. debt securities is junior to that of lenders who have a security interest in our and our subsidiaries’ assets.

Our obligations under the Domtar Corp. debt securities and the guarantor’s obligations under its guarantee of the Domtar Corp. debt securities are unsecured, but our obligations under our senior secured credit facilities and the guarantor’s obligations under its guarantee of the Credit Agreement are secured by a security interest in substantially all of our and our guarantor’s assets, including pledges of all or a portion of the capital stock of our and the guarantor’s subsidiaries, including Domtar Inc. If we are declared bankrupt or insolvent, or if we default under the Credit Agreement, the lenders could declare all of the funds borrowed thereunder, together with any accrued and unpaid interest, immediately due and payable. If we are unable to repay such indebtedness, the lenders could foreclose on or otherwise enforce their security interest in the pledged assets to the exclusion of holders of the Domtar Corp. debt securities and the guarantee on the Domtar Corp. debt securities, even if an event of default exists under the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities at such time. Furthermore, if the lenders foreclose on and sell or otherwise enforce their security interest in the pledged equity interests in any existing or future guarantor, then such guarantor will be released from its guarantee of the Domtar Corp. debt securities automatically upon such sale if the guarantor is no longer a subsidiary of ours, provided that such sale is made in compliance with the provisions of the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities.

 

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In any such event, because the Domtar Corp. debt securities and the guarantee of the Domtar Corp. debt securities will not be secured by any of our or the guarantor’s assets, it is possible that there would be no assets remaining from which claims of the holders of the Domtar Corp. debt securities could be satisfied or, if any assets remained, that they would be insufficient to satisfy such claims fully. See “Description of Other Indebtedness – Senior Secured Credit Facilities.”

As of July 1, 2007, we had $768 million of secured indebtedness, comprised in part of $720 million under our senior secured term facility and $48 million of capital leases. In addition, $701 million was available under our senior secured revolving credit facility, after giving effect to $49 million of outstanding letters of credit.

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be structurally subordinated to all indebtedness of our subsidiaries that do not guarantee the Domtar Corp. debt securities.

You will not have any claim as a creditor against any of our existing and future subsidiaries that do not guarantee the Domtar Corp. debt securities. Indebtedness and other liabilities, including trade payables, whether secured or unsecured, of those subsidiaries will be structurally senior to your claims against those subsidiaries. At the date of issuance of the Domtar Corp. debt securities, the only guarantor will be Domtar Paper Company, LLC.

For the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 our non-guarantor subsidiaries collectively represented approximately 67% of our sales, 6% of our operating income and 17% of our cash flows from operating activities. At July 1, 2007, our non-guarantor subsidiaries collectively represented approximately 62% of our total assets and 61% of our outstanding total liabilities, including trade payables, but excluding intercompany liabilities, all of which would have been structurally senior to the Domtar Corp. debt securities.

In addition, the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities will not contain any limitation on the amount of additional indebtedness that can be incurred by our restricted subsidiaries, other than secured indebtedness, and will not contain any limitation on the amount of other liabilities, such as trade payables, that may be incurred by these subsidiaries.

If we default on our obligations to pay our other indebtedness, we may not be able to make payments on the Domtar Corp. debt securities.

Any default under the agreements governing our indebtedness, including a default under the Credit Agreement, could prevent us from making any payments on the Domtar Corp. debt securities and substantially decrease the market value of the Domtar Corp. debt securities. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow and are otherwise unable to obtain funds necessary to meet required payments on our indebtedness, or if we otherwise fail to comply with the various covenants, including financial and operating covenants of our indebtedness, we could be in default under such indebtedness. In the event of such default:

 

  ·  

the holders of such indebtedness may be able to cause all of our available cash to be used to pay such indebtedness and, in any event, could elect to declare all amounts thereunder to be due and payable;

 

  ·  

the lenders under our senior secured credit facilities could elect to terminate their commitments thereunder, cease making further loans and institute foreclosure proceedings against our assets; and

 

  ·  

we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.

We may not be able to repurchase the Domtar Corp. debt securities upon a change of control.

Upon the occurrence of specific kinds of change of control events, we will be required to offer to repurchase all outstanding Domtar Corp. debt securities at 101% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest.

 

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The source of funds for any such purchase of the Domtar Corp. debt securities will be our available cash or cash generated from our subsidiaries’ operations or other sources, including borrowings, sales of assets or sales of equity. We may not be able to repurchase the Domtar Corp. debt securities upon a change of control because we may not have sufficient financial resources to purchase all of the notes that are tendered upon a change of control. Further, we may be contractually restricted under the terms of our senior secured credit facilities from repurchasing all of the Domtar Corp. debt securities tendered by holders upon a change of control. Accordingly, we may not be able to satisfy our obligations to purchase the Domtar Corp. debt securities. Our failure to repurchase any series of the Domtar Corp. debt securities upon a change of control would cause a default under the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities and a cross-default under the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement also provides that a change of control will be a default that permits lenders to accelerate the maturity of borrowings thereunder. Any of our future debt agreements may contain similar provisions.

An active market may not develop for the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, which may hinder your ability to liquidate your investment.

Each series of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes is a new issue of securities with no established trading market. The Canadian Dealer Managers have informed us that they intend to make a market in the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes after the successful completion of Canadian proxy solicitations; however, they are not obligated to do so and may discontinue such market making at any time. As a result, we cannot assure you that an active trading market will develop for any series of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

Historically, the market for non-investment grade debt has been subject to disruptions that have caused substantial volatility in the prices of securities similar to the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. The market for the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, if any, may be subject to similar disruptions. Any such disruptions may adversely affect the value of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. In addition, subsequent to their initial issuance, trading prices of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes may vary, depending upon prevailing interest rates, the market for similar notes and the interest of securities dealers in making a market in the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, our operating performance and financial condition, our prospects or the prospects for companies in our industry generally and other factors, including those described herein.

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are obligations of a holding company that has substantially no independent operations and is dependent on its subsidiaries for cash.

As a holding company, our investments in our operating subsidiaries constitute substantially all of our operating assets. Our subsidiaries conduct all of our consolidated operations and own substantially all of our consolidated assets. As a result, we must rely on dividends and other advances and transfers of funds from our subsidiaries to meet our debt service and other obligations. The ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other advances and transfers of funds will depend on their respective results of operations and may be restricted by, among other things, applicable laws limiting the amount of funds available for payment of dividends and agreements of those subsidiaries.

Restrictive covenants in the Credit Agreement may restrict our ability to pursue our business strategies.

The Credit Agreement contains a number of restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and may limit our ability to engage in acts that may be in our long term best interests. These covenants restrict, among other things, our and our subsidiaries’ ability to:

 

  ·  

incur or guarantee additional debt or issue certain preferred stock;

 

  ·  

pay dividends or make distributions on our capital stock or redeem, repurchase or retire our capital stock or subordinated and certain other debt;

 

  ·  

make certain investments or capital expenditures;

 

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  ·  

create liens on our or our subsidiary guarantor’s assets to secure debt or enter into certain sale and leaseback transactions;

 

  ·  

pay dividends or other amounts or make other distributions by us or our subsidiaries;

 

  ·  

enter into transactions with affiliates;

 

  ·  

merge or consolidate with another person or sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets;

 

  ·  

sell assets, including capital stock of our subsidiaries; and

 

  ·  

alter the business that we conduct.

The indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities will also include limitations on our ability to create liens on our or our subsidiaries’ assets to secure debt, our ability to engage in certain sale and leaseback transactions and our ability to merge or consolidate with another person or sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets.

A breach of any covenant contained in either the Credit Agreement or the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities could result in a default under those agreements. If any such default occurs, the lenders under the Credit Agreement or the holders of the Domtar Corp. debt securities, as the case may be, may elect (after the expiration of any applicable notice or grace periods) to declare all outstanding borrowings, together with accrued and unpaid interest and other amounts payable thereunder, to be immediately due and payable. In addition, a default under the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities with respect to any series of the Domtar Corp. debt securities would cause a default under the Credit Agreement and a default with respect to the other series of Domtar Corp. debt securities, and the acceleration of debt under the Credit Agreement or the failure to pay that debt when due or an unstayed judgment against us would cause a default under the indenture governing the Domtar Corp. debt securities (assuming the amount of that debt or judgment is in excess of $80 million or the equivalent thereof in any foreign currency). The lenders under the Credit Agreement also have the right upon an event of default thereunder to terminate any commitments they have to provide further revolving borrowings. Further, following an event of default under the Credit Agreement, the lenders thereunder will have the right to proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure that debt, which includes the available cash of our subsidiaries that guarantee the senior secured credit facilities. If the debt under the Credit Agreement or the Domtar Corp. debt securities becomes due and payable, our assets may not be sufficient to repay in full that debt or any other debt that may become due as a result of that acceleration.

There is no assurance that Domtar Corp. will be deemed a successor entity to Domtar Inc. and be regarded as the new reference entity for purposes of credit default swaps related to the Domtar Inc. debt securities.

Certain holders of the Domtar Inc. debt securities may be parties to credit default swap (CDS) contracts relating to the Domtar Inc. debt securities. Under these CDS contracts, a Domtar Inc. debtholder has contracted for the right to recoup the economic value of a decline in the value of such Domtar Inc. debt security if a credit event occurs with regard to Domtar Inc., as the reference entity. This economic value is realized by delivery of such Domtar Inc. debt security to the counterparty to the CDS contract in return for the previously agreed payment. We believe that the consummation of the exchange offers, assuming that the minimum amount condition has been satisfied and the Transfer has been effected, would establish a “succession event” from Domtar Inc. to Domtar Corp. The minimum amount condition and the Transfer are intended to facilitate Domtar Corp. being a successor entity to Domtar Inc. for purposes of these CDS contracts by virtue of succeeding to obligations of Domtar Inc. “by way of” a succession event. We believe that Domtar Corp. should be deemed to be the sole reference entity for purposes of determining whether a credit event has occurred if more than 75% of the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures are exchanged for Domtar Corp. debt securities “by way of” a succession event. However, no assurance can be given as to the

 

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existence of a succession event or that Domtar Corp. will be deemed a successor entity to Domtar Inc. for purposes of these CDS contracts, or that Domtar Corp. will be deemed the reference entity for purposes of determination of a credit event. If such result is not achieved, holders of these CDS contracts may not be able to realize the economic values of these agreements.

Risks Related to the Industries and Businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.

Unless otherwise noted or the context requires otherwise, the following risk factors apply to both the Company and Domtar Inc.

The pulp, paper and wood product industries are highly cyclical. Fluctuations in the prices of and the demand for the Company’s products could result in smaller profit margins and lower sales volumes.

The pulp, paper and wood product industries are highly cyclical. Historically, economic and market shifts, fluctuations in capacity and changes in foreign currency exchange rates have created cyclical changes in prices, sales volume and margins for the Company’s products. The length and magnitude of industry cycles have varied over time and by product, but generally reflect changes in macroeconomic conditions and levels of industry capacity. Most of the Company’s paper products are commodities that are widely available from other producers. Even the Company’s non-commodity products, such as value-added papers, are susceptible to commodity dynamics. Because commodity products have few distinguishing qualities from producer to producer, competition for these products is based primarily on price, which is determined by supply relative to demand.

The overall levels of demand for the products the Company manufactures and distributes, and consequently its sales and profitability, reflect fluctuations in levels of end-user demand, which depend in part on general macroeconomic conditions in North America and worldwide, as well as competition from electronic substitution. See “Some of the Company’s products are vulnerable to long-term declines in demand due to competing technologies or materials.” For example, demand for cut-size office paper may fluctuate with levels of white-collar employment. Demand for many of such products was materially and negatively impacted by the global economic downturn, among other things, in the early part of this decade, and the Company expects that the Company will be sensitive to such downturns in the future.

Industry supply of pulp, paper and wood products is also subject to fluctuation, as changing industry conditions can influence producers to idle or permanently close individual machines or entire mills. Such closures can result in significant cash and/or non-cash charges. In addition, to avoid substantial cash costs in connection with idling or closing a mill, some producers will choose to continue to operate at a loss, sometimes even a cash loss, which could prolong weak pricing environments due to oversupply. Oversupply can also result from producers introducing new capacity in response to favorable short-term pricing trends.

Industry supply of pulp, paper and wood products is also influenced by overseas production capacity, which has grown in recent years and is expected to continue to grow. While the weakness of the U.S. dollar has mitigated the levels of imports in recent years, imports of pulp, paper and wood products from overseas may increase, putting downward pressure on prices.

As a result, prices for all of the Company’s products are driven by many factors outside of its control, and it has little influence over the timing and extent of price changes, which are often volatile. Because market conditions beyond the Company’s control determine the prices for its commodity products, the price for any one or more of these products may fall below its cash production costs, requiring the Company to either incur cash losses on product sales or cease production at one or more of its manufacturing facilities. The Company continues to evaluate potential adjustments to its production capacity, which may include additional closures of machines or entire mills, and the Company could recognize significant cash and/or non-cash impairment charges relating to any such closures in future periods. Therefore, the Company’s profitability with respect to these products depends on managing its cost structure, particularly wood fiber, chemical and energy costs, which represent the largest

 

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components of its operating costs and can fluctuate based upon factors beyond its control, as described below. If the prices of or demand for its products decline, or if its wood fiber, chemical or energy costs increase, or both, its sales and profitability could be materially and adversely affected.

Some of the Company’s products are vulnerable to long-term declines in demand due to competing technologies or materials.

The Company’s business competes with electronic transmission and document storage alternatives, as well as with paper grades it does not produce, such as uncoated groundwood. As a result of such competition, both the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. previously experienced decreased demand for some of their existing pulp and paper products. As the use of these alternatives grows, demand for pulp and paper products is likely to further decline. Moreover, demand for some of the Company’s wood products may decline if customers purchase alternatives from other sources.

The Company faces intense competition in its markets, and the failure to compete effectively would have a material adverse effect on its business and results of operations.

The Company competes with both U.S. and Canadian paper producers and, for many of its product lines, global producers, some of which may have greater financial resources and lower production costs than the Company. The principal basis for competition is selling price. The Company’s ability to maintain satisfactory margins depends in large part on its ability to control its costs. The Company cannot assure you that it can compete effectively and maintain current levels of sales and profitability. If the Company cannot compete effectively, such failure will have a material adverse effect on its business and results of operations.

The Company’s and Domtar Inc.’s intellectual property rights are valuable, and any inability to protect them could reduce the value of its products and its brands.

The Company and Domtar Inc. rely on patent, trademark, and other intellectual property laws of the United States and other countries to protect its intellectual property rights. However, the Company and Domtar Inc. may be unable to prevent third parties from using their respective intellectual property without its authorization, which may reduce any competitive advantage it has developed. If the Company or Domtar Inc. had to litigate to protect these rights, any proceedings could be costly, and it may not prevail. The Company and Domtar Inc. cannot guarantee that any U.S. or foreign patents, issued or pending, will provide it with any competitive advantage or will not be challenged by third parties. Additionally, the Company and Domtar Inc. have obtained and applied for U.S. and foreign trademark registrations, and will continue to evaluate the registration of additional service marks and trademarks, as appropriate. Neither the Company or Domtar Inc. can guarantee that any of its pending patent or trademark applications will be approved by the applicable governmental authorities and, even if the applications are approved, third parties may seek to oppose or otherwise challenge these registrations. The failure to secure any pending patent or trademark applications may limit the Company’s and Domtar Inc.’s ability to protect the intellectual property rights that these applications were intended to cover.

The Company’s manufacturing businesses may have difficulty obtaining wood fiber at favorable prices, or at all.

Wood fiber is the principal raw material used by the Company, comprising, on a pro forma basis, approximately 22% of the aggregate amount of materials, labor and other operating expenses and fiber costs for its business during 2006. Wood fiber is a commodity, and prices historically have been cyclical. The primary source for wood fiber is timber. Environmental litigation and regulatory developments have caused, and may cause in the future, significant reductions in the amount of timber available for commercial harvest in the United States and Canada. In addition, future domestic or foreign legislation and litigation concerning the use of timberlands, the protection of endangered species, the promotion of forest health and the response to and prevention of catastrophic wildfires could also affect timber supplies. Availability of harvested timber may further be limited by fire, insect infestation, disease, ice storms, wind storms, flooding and other natural and man

 

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made causes, thereby reducing supply and increasing prices. Wood fiber pricing is subject to regional market influences, and the Company’s cost of wood fiber may increase in particular regions due to market shifts in those regions. Any sustained increase in wood fiber prices would increase the Company’s operating costs, and the Company may be unable to increase prices for its products in response to increased wood fiber costs due to additional factors affecting the demand or supply of these products.

The Province of Québec adopted legislation, which became effective April 1, 2005, that reduced allowable wood-harvesting volumes by an average of 20% on public lands and 25% on territories covered by an agreement between the Government of Québec and the Cree First Nations. As a result, the amount of fiber, primarily softwood fiber, the Company is permitted to harvest annually, under its existing licenses from the Québec government, was reduced by approximately 500,000 cubic meters to approximately 2.0 million cubic meters, reflecting a 21% reduction. The Chief Forester of Québec has proposed a further reduction of 60,000 cubic meters, or 3%, of the total softwood annual allowable cut of forests managed by the Company. This would significantly affect the supply of fiber for the Company’s Northern Québec softwood sawmill and market pulp operations. The reduction in harvest volume would also result in a corresponding increase in the unit cost of wood delivered to the sawmills. As a result of the impact of the strength of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar, low lumber prices and other factors, most of the Company’s wood fiber harvesting operations in Québec have been shut down and all but one of the facilities relating to such operations have been closed indefinitely. As a result of the reduced availability, the Company may face increased costs in purchasing, and have difficulty locating wood fiber sufficient to satisfy its requirements.

On October 1, 2007, Domtar Inc. received a written notice from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to its Grand-Remous and Malarctic sawmills. The Company and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend Domtar Inc.’s rights. As a result of this notice, Conifex has delivered a notice purporting to terminate its agreement to purchase Domtar Inc.’s Wood business. The Company and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. However, if Domtar Inc. is not successful in reinstating these license rights and obtaining the consent of the Minister to transfer the license rights to Conifex on or before December 31, 2007, Conifex would have the right to terminate the agreement and, if it exercised its right to do so, the pending sale would not be completed.

Historically, Weyerhaeuser provided, on average, approximately 45% of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business’ wood fiber requirements, which is approximately 19% of the Company’s wood fiber requirements. The Company currently obtains its wood fiber requirements in part by harvesting timber pursuant to its forest licenses and forest management agreements, in part by purchasing wood fiber from Weyerhaeuser pursuant to the fiber and pulp supply agreements entered into in connection with the Acquisition Transactions, which expire between 2007 and 2027, and in part by purchasing wood fiber from third parties. If the Company’s cutting rights pursuant to its forest licenses or forest management agreements are reduced or if Weyerhaeuser or any third-party supplier of wood fiber stops selling or is unable to sell wood fiber to the Company, its financial condition and operating results would suffer.

An increase in the cost of the Company’s purchased energy or chemicals would lead to higher manufacturing costs, thereby reducing its margins.

The Company’s operations consume substantial amounts of energy such as electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel (wood waste). Energy comprised, on a pro forma basis, approximately 8% of the aggregate amount of materials, labor and other operating expenses and fiber costs for the Company’s business during 2006. Energy prices, particularly for electricity, natural gas and fuel oil, have been volatile in recent years and currently exceed historical averages. As a result, fluctuations in energy prices will impact the Company’s manufacturing

 

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costs and contribute to earnings volatility. While the Company purchases substantial portions of its energy under supply contracts, many of these contracts are based on market pricing.

Other raw materials the Company uses include various chemical compounds, such as precipitated calcium carbonate, sodium chlorate and sodium hydroxide, dyes, resins and adhesives. Purchases of chemicals comprised, on a pro forma basis, approximately 12% of the aggregate amount of materials, labor and other operating costs and fiber costs for the Company’s business during 2006. The costs of these chemicals have been volatile historically, and are influenced by capacity utilization, energy prices and other factors beyond the Company’s control. In the second quarter of 2007, for example, we incurred higher costs for chemical purchases than in the first quarter of 2007. Certain of our material chemical supply agreements will expire between December 31, 2007, and June 30, 2008.

For the Company’s commodity products, the relationship between industry supply and demand for these products, rather than changes in the cost of raw materials, will determine its ability to increase prices. Consequently, the Company may be unable to pass on increases in its operating costs to its customers. Any sustained increase in chemical or energy prices without any corresponding increase in product pricing would reduce the Company’s operating margins and potentially require it to limit or cease operations of one or more of its machines.

The Company could experience disruptions in operations and/or increased labor costs due to labor disputes.

Employees at 44 of the Company’s facilities, a majority of the Company’s 14,000 employees, are represented by unions through collective bargaining agreements, generally on a facility-by-facility basis, which will expire between 2007 and 2012. Currently six collective bargaining agreements are up for renegotiation. The Company may not be able to negotiate acceptable new collective bargaining agreements, which could result in strikes or work stoppages or other labor disputes by affected workers. Renewal of collective bargaining agreements could also result in higher wages or benefits paid to union members. In addition, labor organizing activities could occur at any of the Company’s facilities. Therefore, the Company could experience a disruption of its operations or higher ongoing labor costs, which could have a material adverse effect on its business and financial condition.

In connection with the Company’s restructuring efforts, the Company has suspended operations at, or closed or announced its intention to close, various facilities and may incur liability with respect to affected employees, which could have a material adverse effect on its business or financial condition. In addition, the Company continues to evaluate potential adjustments to its production capacity, which may include additional closures of machines or entire mills, and the Company could recognize significant cash and/or non-cash charges relating to any such closures in the future periods.

In the early part of 2006, Weyerhaeuser closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which the Company acquired in the Acquisition Transactions, and which remains closed. Certain unionized parties filed a grievance against Weyerhaeuser following the shut down, alleging that certain post-closure actions taken by Weyerhaeuser violated their collective bargaining agreement. In particular, the union disputed Weyerhaeuser’s post-closure contracting with a third-party vendor to oversee on-site security at Prince Albert. In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company has assumed any liability with respect to this grievance. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Prince Albert facility. However, the consummation of this plan is subject to several critical conditions. In a separate grievance relating to the closure of the Prince Albert facility, which could result in liability in excess of $20 million, the union is claiming that it is entitled to the accumulated pension benefits during the actual layoff period because, according to the union, a majority of employees retained still had recall rights during the layoff. The Company is currently evaluating its positions with respect to these grievances and cannot be certain that it will not incur liability, which could be material, with respect to these grievances.

 

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The Company relies heavily on a small number of significant customers, including one customer that represented approximately 10% of the Company’s pro forma fiscal 2006 sales revenues. A loss of any of these significant customers could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.

The Company heavily relies on a small number of significant customers. The Company’s largest customer, Unisource Worldwide Inc. (“Unisource”), an independent marketer and distributor of commercial printing and business imaging papers in North America, represented approximately 10% of the Company’s pro forma sales revenues in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.

Unisource was historically a customer of both the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. Following the Acquisition Transactions, Unisource reduced its paper purchases from the Company. A significant reduction in sales to any of the Company’s key customers, including Unisource (which could be due to factors outside its control, such as purchasing diversification) or financial difficulties experienced by these customers, could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.

A material disruption at one of the Company’s manufacturing facilities could prevent it from meeting customer demand, reduce its sales and/or negatively impact its net income.

Any of the Company’s paper or pulp manufacturing facilities, or any of its machines within an otherwise operational facility, could cease operations unexpectedly due to a number of events, including:

 

  ·  

unscheduled maintenance outages;

 

  ·  

prolonged power failures;

 

  ·  

an equipment failure;

 

  ·  

a chemical spill or release;

 

  ·  

explosion of a boiler;

 

  ·  

the effect of a drought or reduced rainfall on its water supply;

 

  ·  

labor difficulties;

 

  ·  

disruptions in the transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, railroad tracks and tunnels;

 

  ·  

fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes or other catastrophes;

 

  ·  

terrorism or threats of terrorism; or

 

  ·  

other operational problems, including those resulting from the risks described in this Risk Factors section.

Events such as those listed above have resulted in operating losses in the past. In the second quarter of 2002, for example, a recovery boiler at the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business facilities in Plymouth, North Carolina exploded, causing operations at these facilities to be shut down for repairs for a period of 107 days from May 8, 2002 to August 23, 2002. The Company estimates that the repair costs, business disruption and increased operating costs associated with the recovery boiler explosion negatively impacted its operating income by approximately $70 million (before insurance recovery) during the second and third quarters of 2002. Also, in May 2006, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business facilities in Plymouth, North Carolina experienced a disruption in their power supply, causing damage to a turbine generator necessary to convert high pressure steam to medium and low pressure steam used by the various mill processes. As a result of this damage, various mill operations at the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business’s Plymouth, North Carolina facilities were shut down for repairs for up to eleven days. The Company estimates the total financial impact of this incident on its operating income was $11 million including repair costs, the opportunity value of lost production and increased operating costs. Future events may cause similar shutdowns, which may result in additional downtime and/or cause additional damage to the Company’s facilities. Any such downtime or facility damage could prevent the Company from meeting customer demand for its products and/or require it to make unplanned capital

 

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expenditures. If one of these machines or facilities were to incur significant downtime, the Company’s ability to meet its production targets and satisfy customer requirements would be impaired, resulting in lower sales and income.

The Company’s operations require substantial capital, and it may not have adequate capital resources to provide for all of its capital requirements.

The Company’s businesses are capital intensive and require that it regularly incur capital expenditures in order to maintain its equipment, increase its operating efficiency and comply with environmental laws. The total capital expenditures related to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business were approximately $113 million in 2005, including approximately $109 million for maintenance capital and approximately $4 million for environmental expenditures, and $64 million during 2006, including approximately $62 million for maintenance capital and approximately $2 million for environmental expenditures. The Domtar Inc. business had total capital expenditures of approximately $108 million in 2005, including approximately $59 million for maintenance capital and approximately $14 million for environmental expenditures, and $95 million during 2006, including approximately $60 million for maintenance capital and approximately $8 million for environmental expenditures. The Company anticipates total capital expenditures of approximately $132 million (including approximately $67 million for maintenance capital and $14 million for environmental expenditures) for 2007, of which $46 million was incurred during the first two quarters of 2007 (including $1 million attributable to the Wood business).

The Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business incurred approximately $2 million and Domtar Inc. incurred approximately $8 million in capital expenditures in connection with environmental compliance and remediation during 2006. The Company anticipates spending approximately $3 million in 2007 to meet the Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) Rule obligations. However, a decision for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the Boiler MACT Rule on July 30, 2007 and discussions are ongoing for alternative regulations. The Company is unable to estimate the total amount of capital expenditures that may be required beyond 2007 for environmental compliance. If the Company’s available cash resources and cash generated from operations are not sufficient to fund its operating needs and capital expenditures, the Company would have to obtain additional funds from borrowings or other available sources or reduce or delay its capital expenditures. The Company may not be able to obtain additional funds on favorable terms, or at all. In addition, the Company’s debt service obligations will reduce its available cash flows. If the Company cannot maintain or upgrade its equipment as it requires or allocate funds to ensure environmental compliance, it could be required to curtail or cease some of its manufacturing operations, or it may become unable to manufacture products that compete effectively in one or more of its product lines. For example, the Company’s air permit for its Kamloops, British Columbia pulp manufacturing facility requires that the facility reduce air emissions of particulate matter by December 31, 2007. Compliance with the permit requirements is likely to require significant capital expenditures. The Company is currently evaluating its options and is in discussions with the Province of British Columbia to extend the deadline for compliance. If the deadline is not extended or if the Company does not have sufficient resources to make necessary capital expenditures, the facility may not be able to operate after 2007 without significantly curtailing output, which would increase the Company’s production costs.

The Company could incur substantial costs as a result of compliance with, violations of or liabilities under applicable environmental laws and regulations. The Company could also incur costs as a result of asbestos-related personal injury litigation.

The Company is subject, in both the United States and Canada, to a wide range of general and industry-specific laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment and natural resources, including those governing air emissions, wastewater discharges, harvesting, silvicultural activities, the storage, management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, the cleanup of contaminated sites, landfill operation and closure obligations, forestry operations and endangered species habitat, and health and safety matters. In particular, the pulp and paper industry in the United States is subject to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s

 

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(the “EPA”) Cluster Rule and was until recently subject to the EPA’s Boiler MACT Rule (the Boiler MACT Rule has been vacated, however, alternative U.S. federal and state regulations are being discussed) that further regulate effluent and air emissions. These laws and regulations require the Company to obtain authorizations from and comply with the authorization requirements of the appropriate governmental authorities, which have considerable discretion over the terms and timing of permits.

Weyerhaeuser and Domtar Inc. have incurred, and the Company expects that it will continue to incur, significant capital, operating and other expenditures complying with applicable environmental laws and regulations and as a result of remedial obligations. The Company incurred approximately $38 million of operating expenses and $5 million of capital expenditures in connection with environmental compliance and remediation for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007. As of July 1, 2007, the Company had a provision of $82 million for environmental expenditures, including certain asset retirement obligations (such as for land fill capping and asbestos removal). In addition, during the first half of 2006, Weyerhaeuser closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the Big River Sawmill in Saskatchewan. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Prince Albert facility. However, the consummation of this plan is subject to several critical conditions, and the Company has not determined whether either of these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event the facilities are permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at one or both facilities, which would likely include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts. The Province of Saskatchewan has required certain facilities located in the Province to submit preliminary decommissioning and reclamation plans and to include in such plans estimates of costs associated with decommissioning and reclamation activities. Weyerhaeuser submitted such a plan for its pulp and paper facility in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. In its preliminary decommissioning and reclamation plan, Weyerhaeuser included a preliminary, generalized estimate of costs ranging from CDN$20 to CDN$25 million (approximately $19 to 24 million). Weyerhaeuser advised the Province of Saskatchewan that it was not providing a detailed delineation of costs at this time because such costs will depend on site specific factors, the professional judgments of environmental specialists and experts, further detailed environmental site assessments, and, most fundamentally, a decision about the future use or closure of the site. The estimate referred to above does not take into account the equipment resale value or scrap material value which is considered to be significant, nor does it include the cost of completing a phase II environmental site assessment (which could not involve sampling and analysis of building materials and environmental media), or the cost of any remediation required based on such assessment. The Company has not undertaken any review of Weyerhaeuser’s estimate and the actual decommissioning and reclamation costs could materially exceed Weyerhaeuser’s estimate.

The Company also could incur substantial costs, such as civil or criminal fines, sanctions and enforcement actions (including orders limiting its operations or requiring corrective measures, installation of pollution control equipment or other remedial actions), cleanup and closure costs, and third-party claims for property damage and personal injury as a result of violations of, or liabilities under, environmental laws and regulations. The Company’s ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with its past and present properties will lead to future environmental investigations. Those efforts will likely result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

As the owner and operator of real estate, the Company may be liable under environmental laws for cleanup, closure and other damages resulting from the presence and release of hazardous substances, including asbestos, on or from its properties or operations. The amount and timing of environmental expenditures is difficult to predict, and, in some cases, the Company’s liability may be imposed without regard to contribution or to whether we knew of, or caused, the release of hazardous substances and may exceed forecasted amounts or the value of the property itself. The discovery of additional contamination or the imposition of additional cleanup obligations at the Company’s or third-party sites may result in significant additional costs. Any material liability the Company incurs could adversely impact its financial condition or preclude it from making capital expenditures that would otherwise benefit its business.

 

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In addition, the Company may be subject to asbestos-related personal injury litigation arising out of exposure to asbestos on or from its properties or operations, and may incur substantial costs as a result of any defense, settlement, or adverse judgment in such litigation. The Company may not have access to insurance proceeds to cover costs associated with asbestos-related personal injury litigation.

Enactment of new environmental laws or regulations or changes in existing laws or regulations, or interpretation thereof, might require significant expenditures.

The Company may be unable to generate funds or other sources of liquidity and capital to fund environmental liabilities or expenditures.

The Company is affected by changes in currency exchange rates.

The Company manufactures a significant amount of pulp and paper in Canada. Sales of pulp and paper products by the Company’s Canadian mills will be invoiced in U.S. dollars or in Canadian dollars linked to U.S. pricing but most of the costs relating to these products will be incurred in Canadian dollars. As a result, any decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the Canadian dollar will reduce the Company’s profitability. In addition, the Company has CDN$157 (approximately $148 million) of Canadian dollar-denominated debt outstanding as of July 1, 2007 (reflecting the total outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures) and any increase in the value of the Canadian dollar will result in an increase in the cost of servicing such debt.

Exchange rate fluctuations are beyond the Company’s control. Since January 1, 2002, the Canadian dollar has appreciated more than 45% relative to the U.S. dollar. This has had a material adverse effect on the sales and profitability of the Canadian operations of both the Predecessor Company and Domtar Inc. and is continuing to have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial results and financial condition.

The Company may be required to pay significant lumber export taxes and/or countervailing and antidumping duties.

The Company may experience reduced revenues and margins on its softwood lumber business as a result of lumber export taxes and/or countervailing and antidumping duty applications.

In April 2001, the Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports (the “Coalition”) filed two petitions with the U.S. Department of Commerce (the “Department”) and the International Trade Commission (the “ITC”) claiming that production of softwood lumber in Canada was being subsidized by Canada and that imports from Canada were being “dumped” into the U.S. market (sold at less than fair value). The Coalition asked that countervailing duty (“CVD”) and antidumping (“AD”) tariffs be imposed on softwood lumber imported from Canada.

In 2006, the Canadian and U.S. governments reached a final settlement to this long-standing dispute. The provisions of the settlement included repayment of approximately 81% of the deposits, imposition of export measures in Canada, and measures to address long-term policy reform.

It is possible that the CVD and AD tariffs or tariffs similar to the CVD and AD tariffs may again be imposed on the Company, in the future.

Under the settlement agreement, Canadian softwood lumber exporters will pay an export tax when the price of lumber is at or below a threshold price. Under present market conditions, the Company’s softwood lumber exports are subject to a 5% export charge.

The Predecessor Company and Domtar Inc. experienced and the Company and Domtar Inc. may continue to experience reduced revenues and margins in the softwood lumber business as a result of the application of the settlement agreement. The settlement agreement could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial results and financial condition, including, but not limited to, facility closures or impairment of assets.

 

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The Company depends on third parties for transportation services.

The Company relies primarily on third parties for transportation of the products it manufactures and/or distributes, as well as delivery of its raw materials. In particular, a significant portion of the goods it manufactures and raw materials it uses are transported by railroad or trucks, which are highly regulated. If any of its third-party transportation providers were to fail to deliver the goods the Company manufactures or distributes in a timely manner, the Company may be unable to sell those products at full value, or at all. Similarly, if any of these providers were to fail to deliver raw materials to the Company in a timely manner, it may be unable to manufacture its products in response to customer demand. In addition, if any of these third parties were to cease operations or cease doing business with the Company, it may be unable to replace them at reasonable cost. Any failure of a third-party transportation provider to deliver raw materials or finished products in a timely manner could harm the Company’s reputation, negatively impact its customer relationships and have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and operating results.

The transition services provided by Weyerhaeuser may be difficult for the Company to replace without operational problems and additional costs.

The Company entered into a transition services agreement with Weyerhaeuser pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser agreed to provide the Company certain transition services for a period of time following the Acquisition Closing Date. These services include, among others, certain services relating to finance and administration, human resources, payroll and information technology. If, after the expiration of the agreement, the Company is unable to perform these services or replace them in a timely manner or on terms and conditions as favorable as those the Company receives from Weyerhaeuser, the Company may experience operational problems and an increase in its costs. In addition, the costs for such services may be higher than the costs for such services when the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was operated as part of Weyerhaeuser. See “The Company’s Relationship with Weyerhaeuser after the Distribution – Transition Services Agreement,” and “ – Risks Related to the Acquisition Transactions – The historical financial information of the Predecessor Company may not be representative of its results if the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business had been operated independently of Weyerhaeuser and, as a result, may not be a reliable indicator of its future results.”

As a result of the separation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business from Weyerhaeuser, the Company may experience increased costs resulting from decreased purchasing power, which could decrease its overall profitability.

Prior to its separation from Weyerhaeuser, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was able to take advantage of Weyerhaeuser’s size and reputation in procuring raw materials and other goods and services used both for the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Weyerhaeuser’s other businesses. As an independent public company, the Company may be unable to obtain similar goods, services and technology at prices or on terms as favorable as those obtained by the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business prior to its separation from Weyerhaeuser.

The Company has liabilities with respect to its pension plans and the actual cost of its pension plan obligations could exceed current provisions. As of December 31, 2006, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business’s defined benefit plans had a surplus of $17 million on certain plans and a deficit of $1 million on others. Domtar Inc.’s defined benefit plans had a surplus of $14 million on certain plans and a deficit of $171 million on others, in each case on a going concern basis.

The Company’s future funding obligations for the defined benefit pension plans depend upon changes to the level of benefits provided by the plans, the future performance of assets set aside in trusts for these plans, the level of interest rates used to determine minimum funding levels, actuarial data and experience, and any changes in government laws and regulations. As of July 1, 2007, the Company’s Canadian pension funds had approximately CDN$420 million (approximately $395 million), of which approximately CDN$308 million (approximately $290 million) is held by Domtar Inc.’s Canadian pension funds, invested in multiple third party

 

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asset-backed commercial paper (“ABCP”) conduits, which are currently subject to the interim arrangement of the “Montreal Proposal” pursuant to which banks and major investors are negotiating restructuring proposals with respect to such ABCP conduits; however, these discussions are at a preliminary stage, and the outcome and the effect it would have on the value of the Company’s Canadian pension fund assets has yet to be determined.

Losses in the pension fund investments, if any, would result in future increased contributions by the Company or its Canadian subsidiaries. Additional contributions to these pension funds would be required to be paid over a 5-year period. Losses, if any, would also impact operating earnings over a longer period of time and immediately increase liabilities and reduce equity.

Risks Related to the Acquisition Transactions

The Company may not realize the anticipated synergies, cost savings and growth opportunities from the Acquisition Transactions.

The success of the Acquisition Transactions depends, in part, on the Company’s ability to realize the anticipated synergies, cost savings and growth opportunities from integrating the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with the Domtar Inc. business. The Company’s success in realizing these synergies, cost savings and growth opportunities, and the timing of this realization, depends on the successful integration of such businesses and operations. Even if the Company is able to integrate such businesses and operations successfully, there can be no assurance that this integration will result in the realization of the full benefits of synergies, cost savings and growth opportunities that the Company expects from this integration or that these benefits will be achieved within the anticipated time frame. For example, the elimination of duplicative costs may not be possible or may take longer than anticipated, or the benefits from the Acquisition Transactions may be offset by the loss of Weyerhaeuser’s purchasing power or the costs incurred in integrating the businesses and operations.

The integration of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and the Domtar Inc. business following the Acquisition Transactions may present significant challenges to the Company’s management which could cause Company management to fail to respond effectively to the increasing forms of competition facing the Company’s business.

There is a significant degree of difficulty and management distraction inherent in the process of integrating the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. business. These difficulties include:

 

  ·  

carrying on the ongoing business operations while integrating the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc.;

 

  ·  

preserving customer, distribution, supplier and other important relationships of the Company;

 

  ·  

consolidating an organization with its executive head office located in Montréal, Canada and its operational headquarters located in Fort Mill, South Carolina;

 

  ·  

integrating the business cultures of Weyerhaeuser and Domtar Inc.;

 

  ·  

integrating information, purchasing, accounting, finance, sales, billing, payroll and regulatory compliance systems;

 

  ·  

expanding the scope of the Company’s operational and financial systems, which will increase its operating complexity;

 

  ·  

incurring obligations that were unforeseen; and

 

  ·  

retaining key officers and personnel and successfully implementing succession planning.

The process of integrating operations could cause an interruption of, or loss of momentum in, the activities of the Company’s business. The Company’s senior management team may be required to devote considerable amounts of time to this integration process, which will decrease the time they will have to manage the business of the Company, service existing customers, attract new customers and develop new products or strategies. One

 

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potential consequence of such distractions could be the failure of management to realize opportunities to respond to the increasing sources and forms of competition that the Company’s business will face. If the Company’s senior management is not able to manage the integration process effectively, or if any significant business activities are interrupted as a result of the integration process, the Company’s business could suffer.

The Company cannot assure you that it will successfully or cost-effectively integrate the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and the Domtar Inc. business. The failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations and business.

The Company incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs related to the Acquisition Transactions that could have a material adverse effect on its operating results.

The Company incurred financial, legal and accounting costs and sales and transfer taxes of approximately $88 million in connection with the Acquisition Transactions, of which $28 million was capitalized and $23 million was deferred. In addition, the Company estimates that it will incur costs, such as information technology costs of approximately $87 million, in connection with the separation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business from Weyerhaeuser, of which $24 million has been incurred through July 1, 2007. The Company also anticipates that it will incur significant costs in connection with the integration of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and the Domtar Inc. business, including, among other things, costs relating to information technology integration, severance costs and the potential write-down of assets, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. These costs may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s cash flows and operating results in the periods in which they are recorded.

The historical financial information of the Predecessor Company may not be representative of its results if the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business had been operated independently of Weyerhaeuser and, as a result, may not be a reliable indicator of its future results.

Prior to the Acquisition Closing Date, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was a fully integrated business unit of Weyerhaeuser. Consequently, the financial information of the Predecessor Company included in this document has been derived from the consolidated financial statements and accounting records of Weyerhaeuser and reflects assumptions and allocations made by Weyerhaeuser. The financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Predecessor Company presented may be different from those that would have resulted had the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business been operated independently. For example, in preparing the Predecessor Company financial statements, Weyerhaeuser has made an appropriate allocation of costs and expenses that are attributable to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business. However, these costs and expenses reflect the costs and expenses attributable to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business operated as part of a larger organization and do not reflect costs and expenses that would be incurred by this business had it been operated independently. As a result, the historical financial information of the Predecessor Company may not be a reliable indicator of future results.

Material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting could result in a material misstatement of our financial condition.

A material weakness is a control deficiency, or combination of control deficiencies, that results in more than a remote likelihood that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected. Management of the Company identified the following material weaknesses as of April 1, 2007 which were not remediated as of July 1, 2007.

The Company did not maintain effective controls over the completeness and accuracy of financial information produced under the transition services agreement with Weyerhaeuser. Specifically, the Company did not have controls designed and in place to ensure that financial data regarding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was complete, accurate, produced on a timely basis and supported with appropriate documentation. Further, the Company did not maintain an appropriate accounting and financial reporting organizational

 

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structure, specifically relating to the depth of resources, to be able to ensure that the accounting records being maintained by Weyerhaeuser under the transition services agreement were accurate and complete. The financial data produced under the transition services agreement affects substantially all balance sheet and income statement accounts.

These control deficiencies resulted in adjustments to the April 1, 2007 interim financial statements and a delay in the filing of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for our first quarter of 2007. In addition, and until remediated, these control deficiencies could result in a misstatement of substantially all accounts and disclosures which would result in a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements that would not be prevented or detected.

For a more complete description of the transition services agreement, see “The Company’s Relationship with Weyerhaeuser After the Distribution – Transition Services Agreement.”

Aboriginal interests may delay or result in challenges to the transfer of certain forest licenses and forest management agreements.

Under applicable forestry legislation in Saskatchewan, Weyerhaeuser must obtain consent from the government of Saskatchewan in order to complete the transfer of certain timber rights in Saskatchewan to the Company. Pursuant to the agreements governing the Acquisition Transactions, the transfer of these timber rights were delayed until the appropriate approvals are received. Recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions have confirmed that the federal and provincial governments in Canada have a duty to consult with, and in certain circumstances, seek to accommodate aboriginal groups whenever there is a reasonable prospect that a government’s decision may adversely affect an aboriginal group’s interests in relevant land and resources that are the subject of the decision. The Company believes that the government of Saskatchewan has consulted with relevant aboriginal groups in connection with these consent approvals. This consultation process could result in delays, constrain access to the timber or give rise to additional costs. In addition, if the Saskatchewan government does not adequately discharge its obligation this could result in litigation. It is not possible at present to predict the risks associated with such litigation.

If the Distribution did not constitute a tax-free spin-off under Section 355 of the Code or a tax-free reorganization under Section 368 of the Code, either as a result of actions taken in connection with the Distribution or as a result of subsequent acquisitions of shares of Company common stock, then the Company may be responsible for payment of substantial U.S. federal income taxes under its tax sharing agreement with Weyerhaeuser.

Weyerhaeuser received a private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service on February 5, 2007 to the effect that, based on the facts, assumptions, representations and undertakings set forth in the ruling, the Contribution and Distribution qualified as tax-free to Weyerhaeuser and the holders of Weyerhaeuser common shares for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Sections 355 and 368 and related provisions of the Code.

The Distribution would become taxable to Weyerhaeuser pursuant to Section 355(e) of the Code if 50% or more (by vote or value) of equity securities of the Company were acquired, directly or indirectly, by persons other than Weyerhaeuser shareholders as part of a plan or series of related transactions that included the Distribution. Because Weyerhaeuser shareholders owned more than 50% of Company common stock following the Arrangement, the Arrangement, by itself, would not have caused the Distribution to be taxable to Weyerhaeuser under Section 355(e) of the Code. However, if the IRS were to determine that other acquisitions of Company equity securities, either before or after the Distribution and the Arrangement, were part of a plan or series of related transactions that included the Distribution such determination could result in the recognition of gain by Weyerhaeuser under Section 355(e) of the Code. In such case, the gain recognized by Weyerhaeuser likely would include the entire fair market value of the Company common stock distributed to Weyerhaeuser’s shareholders, and thus would be substantial.

 

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Under the tax sharing agreement among Weyerhaeuser, the Company, and Domtar Inc., the Company generally would be required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser against tax-related losses to Weyerhaeuser and/or its shareholders that arise as a result of certain actions taken or omissions to act by the Company, its subsidiaries or certain affiliates of the Company (“Disqualifying Actions”) after the Acquisition Transactions. See “Risks Related to the Acquisition Transactions – The Company may be affected by significant restrictions following the Acquisition Transactions in order to avoid significant tax-related liabilities.”

The Company may be affected by significant restrictions following the Acquisition Transactions in order to avoid significant tax-related liabilities.

Even if the Distribution otherwise qualified as a tax-free reorganization, the Distribution may not qualify as a transaction that is tax-free to Weyerhaeuser if 50% or more (by vote or value) of the equity securities of the Company are acquired by persons other than Weyerhaeuser shareholders as part of a “plan” that includes the Distribution pursuant to Section 355(e) of the Code.

The tax sharing agreement requires that the Company, its subsidiaries and certain affiliates of the Company, for a two year period following the Acquisition Closing Date, avoid taking certain actions that might cause the Distribution to be treated as part of a plan pursuant to which 50% or more of the Company’s equity securities are acquired. Certain of these Disqualifying Actions subject to restrictions include:

 

  ·  

the redemption, recapitalization, repurchase or acquisition by the Company of its capital stock;

 

  ·  

the issuance by the Company of capital stock or convertible debt;

 

  ·  

the liquidation of the Company;

 

  ·  

the discontinuance of the operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business;

 

  ·  

the sale or disposition (other than in the ordinary course of business) of all or a substantial part of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business; or

 

  ·  

the other actions, omissions to act or transactions that could jeopardize the tax-free status of the Distribution.

To the extent that the tax-free status of the Distribution is lost because of a Disqualifying Action after the date of consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company generally will be required to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Weyerhaeuser from and against any and all resulting tax-related losses incurred by Weyerhaeuser and/or Weyerhaeuser shareholders, without regard to whether Weyerhaeuser gave the Company prior written consent to the specific action taken by the Company.

Because of these restrictions, the Company may be limited in its ability to pursue strategic transactions or equity or convertible debt financing or engage in new business or other transactions that may maximize the value of its business.

A third party has demanded an increase in consideration from Domtar Inc. under an existing contract in connection with the Acquisition Transactions.

In 1998, Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc., an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement relating to this acquisition includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of Domtar Inc. in specified circumstances, Domtar Inc. may be required to pay an increase in consideration of up to a maximum of CDN$120 million. This amount gradually declines over a 25-year period and as at March 7, 2007, the Acquisition Closing Date, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was CDN$110 million. No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

 

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On March 14, 2007, Domtar Inc. received a letter from George Weston Limited (the previous owner of E.B. Eddy and a party to the purchase agreement) demanding payment of CDN$110 million as a result of the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions. On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited against Domtar Inc. in the Superior Court of Justice of the province of Ontario, Canada, claiming that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered the purchase price adjustment and seeking a purchase price adjustment of CDN$110 million as well as additional compensatory damages. On August 13, 2007, Domtar Inc. served its statement of defense in response to this claim. Neither the Company nor Domtar Inc. believes that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggers an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and Domtar Inc. intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar Inc. may not be successful in its defense of such claims, and, if it is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s and Domtar Inc.’s liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

The Domtar Corp. debt securities issued in connection with the exchange offers and the Canadian proxy solicitations are only being issued in exchange for Domtar Inc. U.S. notes or Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures. Consequently, the Company will not receive any cash proceeds from the issuance of the Domtar Corp. debt securities in connection with the exchange offers and the Canadian proxy solicitations, nor will the Company decrease its consolidated debt. We intend to deliver the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes we accept in the exchange offers and Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures we acquire in connection with the Canadian proxy solicitations to Domtar Inc. as consideration for all or a portion of the purchase price of the shares of the capital stock or equity interests of Domtar Inc.’s U.S. subsidiaries that are subject to the Transfer described in this Schedule C. Any Domtar Inc. debt securities tendered in the exchange offers and acquired in the Canadian proxy solicitations in excess of the purchase price will initially remain outstanding and will be held by Domtar Corp.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and our capitalization as of July 1, 2007 and as adjusted to reflect our issuance of $1,475 million aggregate principal amount of Domtar Corp. U.S. notes in connection with the exchange offers (assuming all the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes are validly tendered and not withdrawn) and our issuance of CDN$157 million aggregate principal amount of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes to acquire all the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures as a result of the Canadian proxy solicitations. The information presented below should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of the Company” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other information contained in this Schedule C.

 

     As of July 1, 2007
     Actual    As
Adjusted
(In millions of US dollars)    (unaudited)

Cash and cash equivalents (a)

   $ 80    $ 49
             

Short-term bank indebtedness

     74      74
             

Long-term debt (including portion due within one year):

     

Credit Agreement:

     

Revolving credit facility due 2012 (b)

     0      0

Term loan facility due 2014 (c)

     720      720

Domtar Inc. debt securities (d) :

     

10% debentures due 2011

     86     

7.875% notes dues 2011

     634     

5.375% notes due 2013

     321     

7  1 / 8 % notes due 2015

     398     

9  1 / 2 % debentures due 2016

     139     

10.85% debentures due 2017

     86     

Domtar Corp. Debt securities (d) :

     

10% notes due 2011

          86

7.875% notes dues 2011

          634

5.375% notes due 2013

          321

7.125% notes dues 2015

          398

9.5% notes due 2016

          139

10.85% notes due 2017

          86

Capital lease obligations with maturities between 2007 and 2028

     48      48

Other

     12      12
             

Total long-term debt

     2,444      2,444
             

Shareholders’ equity:

     

Common stock: 2,000,000,000 common stock, par value $0.01 per share, authorized; 461,097,172 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted

     5      5

Exchangeable shares: unlimited number authorized, no par value per share; 54,277,334 shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted

     362      362

Additional paid-in capital

     2,478      2,478

Retained earnings

     37      33

Accumulated other comprehensive income

     212      212
             

Total shareholders’ equity

     3,094      3,090
             

Total capitalization

   $ 5,612    $ 5,608
             

 

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(a) Cash and cash equivalents, as adjusted, reflect the payment of the early consent payment and accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the settlement date in connection with the exchange offers and the Canadian proxy solicitations.

 

(b) $750 million facility (including up to $150 million available for borrowing by Domtar Inc.), of which $701 million was available at July 1, 2007, after giving effect to $49 million of outstanding letters of credit.

 

(c) On September 28, 2007 Domtar Corp. made a $2 million mandatory quarterly amortization payment and a $73 million optional prepayment, in each case in respect of the term loan facility, which is not reflected in the table above.

 

(d) The Domtar Inc. debt securities had the following actual principal amounts as of July 1, 2007:

 

10% debentures due 2011

   CDN$  82  (US$77)

7.875% notes due 2011

   $600   

5.375% notes due 2013

   $350   

7  1 / 8 % notes due 2015

   $400   

9  1 / 2 % notes due 2016

   $125   

10.85% debentures due 2017

   CDN$  75  (US$71)

 

     The premiums or discounts associated with each series of Domtar Inc. debt securities reflect the fair market value adjustment relating to the Acquisition Transactions as of March 7, 2007. Assuming that 100% of these outstanding Domtar Inc. debt securities are acquired by Domtar Corp. in connection with the exchange offers and Canadian proxy solicitations, Domtar Corp. will issue an equal aggregate principal amount of each corresponding series of new Domtar Corp. debt securities.

 

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UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF THE COMPANY

The following unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of income for the year ended December 31, 2006 and for the 26 week period ended July 1, 2007 give effect to the Acquisition Transactions as if they occurred on December 26, 2005, the first day of the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.

The December 31, 2006 pro forma condensed combined statement of income was prepared based on historical financial information of the Company, Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. On March 7, 2007, the Company acquired Domtar Inc. The July 1, 2007 pro forma condensed combined statement of income was prepared based on the Company’s historical financial information for the 26-week period ended July 1, 2007 as well as the historical financial information for Domtar Inc. for the period prior to March 7, 2007.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information includes adjustments directly attributable to the Acquisition Transactions. The pro forma adjustments are described in the accompanying notes and are based upon available information and assumptions that are factually supportable.

The unaudited pro forma condensed financial information does not include a pro forma balance sheet, because the Company has an actual historical balance sheet as of July 1, 2007, which reflects the Acquisition Transactions, including preliminary purchase price allocation adjustments.

This unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is for illustrative informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would have been achieved had the Acquisition Transactions actually taken place at the dates indicated, and does not purport to be indicative of future operating results. Actual adjustments may differ from the pro forma adjustments. Future operating results may differ materially from the unaudited pro forma financial information presented below due to various factors including those described under “Risk Factors”, “Forward-Looking Statements” and elsewhere in this Schedule C.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations of the Predecessor Company,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations of the Company,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations of Domtar Inc.” and the historical financial statements of the Company, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Schedule C.

As of the date of this Schedule C, the Company has not completed the detailed valuation studies necessary to determine the required estimates of the fair value of the assets and liabilities of Domtar Inc. acquired or assumed by the Company. However, as indicated in note 2 of the notes to the Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information, the Company has made certain adjustments to the historical book values of the assets and liabilities of Domtar Inc. These adjustments reflect certain preliminary estimates of fair value necessary to prepare the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information. The Company is in the process of completing its valuation of certain assets and liabilities. As a result, actual fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as well as the goodwill generated could differ materially from those reflected in the historical consolidated financial statements, and impact the amount of certain expenses presented in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information, such as depreciation and amortization.

 

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UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL

INFORMATION OF THE COMPANY

STATEMENT OF INCOME

For the year ended December 31, 2006

(in millions of U.S. dollars, except for share and per share data)

 

   

Domtar
Corporation
year ended
December 31,
2006

US GAAP

 

Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business year
ended
December 31,
2006

US GAAP

   

Domtar Inc.
year ended
December 31,
2006

US GAAP

    Purchase
price
allocation
pro forma
adjustments
        Other pro
forma
adjustments
        Combined
Company
pro forma
 
              (Note 1)     (Note 3)         (Note 3)            

Sales

        —   3,306     3,492           (48 )   C   6,750  
                                     

Operating expenses

               

Cost of sales

    2,649     2,990     (18 )   A   10     B   5,583  
            (48 )   C  

Selling, general and administrative

    203     192     (9 )   A       386  

Depreciation and amortization

    311     266     (82 )   I         495  

Antidumping and countervailing duties refund

    (65 )   (145 )               (210 )

Closure and restructuring costs

    15     31                 46  

Net gains on disposals of property, plant and equipment

        (11 )               (11 )

Impairment of goodwill

    749                     749  
                                     
    3,862     3,323     (109 )     (38 )     7,038  
                                     

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

    (556 )   169     109       (10 )     (288 )

Financing expenses

        138     (7 )   D   55     E   188  
        2     G   3     F  
        (3 )   H      

Share of joint ventures net earnings

        (1 )               (1 )

Derivative instruments loss

        9                 9  
                                     

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and minority interest

    (556 )   23     117       (68 )     (484 )

Income tax expense (benefit)

    53     (4 )   45     K   (5 )   L   89  

Minority interest

                  1     M   1  
                                     

Net income (loss) from continuing operations

    (609 )   27     72       (64 )     (574 )

Basic income (loss) per share

    (2.14 )   0.11             (1.11 )

Diluted income (loss) per share

    (2.14 )   0.11             (1.11 )
                                   

Basic Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

    284.1     231.0             515.1  
                                     

Diluted Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

    284.1     231.0             515.1  
                           

See accompanying notes to unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information.

 

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UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL

INFORMATION OF THE COMPANY

STATEMENT OF INCOME

For the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007

(in millions of U.S. dollars, except for share and per share data)

 

   

Domtar
Corporation

26 weeks
ended

July 1, 2007

US GAAP*

 

Domtar Inc.

period from
January 1, 2007

to March 6, 2007

US GAAP

    Purchase
price
allocation
pro forma
adjustments
        Other pro
forma
adjustments
       

Combined
Company

pro forma

        (Note 1)     (Note 3)         (Note 3)          

Sales

  2,671   582           (9 )   C   3,244
                             

Operating expenses

             

Cost of sales

  2,172   489     (5 )   A   (9 )   C   2,650
          3     J  

Selling, general and administrative

  150   68     (3 )   A         215

Depreciation and amortization

  209   44     (5 )   I         248
                             
  2,531   601     (13 )     (6 )     3,113
                             

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

  140   (19 )   13       (3 )     131

Financing expenses

  58   20     (1 )   D   12     E   89
      (1 )   H   1     F  

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and minority interest

  82   (39 )   15       (16 )     42

Income tax expense (benefit)

  22   (8 )   6     K   (5 )   L   15
                             

Net income (loss) from continuing operations

  60   (31 )   9       (11 )     27
                             

Basic income (loss) per share

  0.14             0.05
                 

Diluted income (loss) per share

  0.14             0.05
                 

Basic Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

  431.7             515.1
                 

Diluted Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

  432.3             515.1
                 

* On March 7, 2007, Domtar Corp. acquired Domtar Inc. The predecessor to Domtar Corp. for accounting and financial purposes is Domtar Corp. as though it owned only the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and not Domtar Inc.

See accompanying notes to unaudited pro forma combined financial information.

 

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Notes to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial

Information of the Company

1. Basis of Presentation

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared based upon historical financial information of the Company, Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc., giving effect to the Acquisition Transactions and other related adjustments described in these footnotes. This unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would have been achieved had the Acquisition Transactions actually taken place at the dates indicated, and does not purport to be indicative of future financial position or operating results. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information should be read in conjunction with the historical financial statements of the Company, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. and the notes thereto, which are included in this Schedule C.

The historical financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business were prepared using specific identification of income and expenses and assets and liabilities, where available, and, where not available, include allocations and estimates that management believes are reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances. However, these allocations and estimates may not necessarily reflect the operating results for the periods presented had the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business operated as a separate entity. For a more detailed discussion on the basis of presentation and allocation methodology used in the historical financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, please refer to note 1 and 2 to the financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business for the year ended December 31, 2006 included elsewhere in this Schedule C. In addition, please refer to “Risks Factors – Risks Related to the Acquisition Transactions – The historical financial information of the Predecessor Company may not be representative of its results if the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business had operated independently of Weyerhaeuser and, as a result, may not be a reliable indicator of its future results.”

The Company’s and the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business’s financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and are presented in U.S. dollars. Domtar Inc.’s historical consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP and are presented in Canadian dollars. Canadian GAAP differs in certain respects from U.S. GAAP. Domtar Inc.’s historical consolidated financial statements were reconciled to U.S. GAAP and were translated from Canadian dollars to U.S. dollars using the period end rate for the balance sheets and the average rate of the monthly average rates during the period for the statements of earnings, based on the Bank of Canada noon rate.

Unless otherwise stated, all amounts shown in this section are in U.S. dollars and in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In preparing the unaudited pro forma combined financial information, a review was undertaken to identify differences between Domtar Inc.’s accounting policies and financial statements’ presentation and those used by the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business where the impact was potentially material and could be reasonably estimated. The accounting policies and presentation used in the preparation of these unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information are those set out in the historical financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Schedule C.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information was prepared using the purchase method of accounting, with the Company treated as the “acquirer” for accounting purposes. Upon consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company became an independent public holding company that, directly or indirectly through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and the Domtar Inc. business.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information assumes that the acquisition of Domtar Inc. has been accounted for in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Statement No. 141, “Business Combinations,” or SFAS No. 141, and the resulting goodwill and other intangible assets are

 

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Notes to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial

Information of the Company – (continued)

 

accounted for under FASB Statement No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangibles Assets,” or SFAS No. 142. The total purchase price is allocated to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the Company’s preliminary estimates of their fair value at March 7, 2007, which are based on information available on that date.

The Company is in the process of completing its valuation of certain assets and liabilities. Accordingly, the final allocation of the fair value to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed could differ materially from the amounts presented in the interim consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Schedule C, and impact the amount of certain expenses presented in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information, such as depreciation and amortization. The principal significant elements for which the fair value could be modified from current estimates include inventories, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, goodwill, deferred income taxes, pension plans and other employee future benefit plans. The Company has refined its preliminary purchase price allocation in the second quarter of 2007 to reflect, among other things, the impact of the restructuring measures announced on July 31, 2007, and to refine the fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed of its wood business. Obligations for pension and other post-retirement benefits have been determined based upon actuarial estimates.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of earnings does not reflect operational and administrative cost savings or synergies that the Company estimates may be achieved as a result of the Acquisition Transactions, or non-recurring, one-time costs or gains that may be incurred or received as a direct result of the Acquisition Transactions.

2. Business combination and purchase price allocation

For accounting purposes, the purchase price is based upon the estimated fair value of Domtar Inc. plus estimated acquisition costs directly related to the Acquisition Transactions. Since no quoted market price existed for the Company’s common stock on August 23, 2006, the purchase price is based on the fair value of the net assets acquired, or the fair value of Domtar Inc., on August 23, 2006, the date the terms of the Acquisition Transactions were agreed to and announced. The fair value of Domtar Inc. common stock of $6.63 per share used in the calculation of the purchase price is based upon the average closing price of Domtar Inc. common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the five trading days beginning August 21, 2006 and ended August 25, 2006, converted at the average daily foreign exchange rate of the Bank of Canada. The number of outstanding Domtar Inc. common shares used in the calculation of the fair value of Domtar Inc. is based on the same periods.

The Company believes that Domtar Inc.’s market capitalization includes the fair value of vested Domtar Inc. equity awards. The Company calculated the fair value of Domtar Inc. equity awards given in exchange for vested Company equity awards as of the announcement date of the Acquisition Transactions, utilizing the Black-Scholes model. The Company recognized fair value of vested Company equity awards as of the consummation date of the Acquisition Transactions in excess of the fair value of the Domtar Inc. equity awards as compensation cost.

The Company measured the fair value of vested Company equity awards issued for former Domtar employees as of the consummation date of the Acquisition Transactions. The fair value of the unvested Company equity awards has been allocated to the post-acquisition period and recognized as compensation expense over the requisite service periods based on the relationship of the post-consummation requisite service periods to the total requisite service periods from the dates of the original Domtar Inc. grants.

 

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Notes to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial

Information of the Company – (continued)

 

The following table summarizes the components of the total purchase price (in millions of U.S. dollars, except for share and per share data):

 

Number of issued and outstanding shares

     231,436,850

Price per share

   $ 6.63
      

Fair value of Domtar Inc.’s net assets

   $ 1,534

Estimated direct acquisition costs to be incurred by the Company

     28
      

Estimated total purchase price, excluding assumed debt

   $ 1,562
      

The Company’s purchase price allocation is based on initial estimates of the fair values of acquired assets and assumed liabilities. The purchase price allocation is preliminary as the Company is awaiting additional information necessary to finalize the purchase price allocation, including completion of detailed valuation studies by an outside valuation firm. The Company expects to complete the purchase price allocation during 2007.

The Company’s preliminary estimate of the purchase price allocation resulted in the creation of goodwill. Finalization of the purchase price allocation could result in a change in the amount of goodwill. If the finalization of the purchase price allocation results in an excess in fair value of the net assets acquired over cost, the difference would be allocated on a pro rata basis to the net assets acquired in accordance with SFAS No. 141. This could significantly change the value allocated to property, plant and equipment and intangible assets as well as the corresponding depreciation and amortization expense. The current estimate for property, plant and equipment as well as depreciation and amortization represents management’s best estimate at this time.

The Company has identified some intangible assets. The finalization of the purchase price allocation could result in a different valuation of intangible assets as well as the identification of further intangible assets such as but not limited to non-contractual customer relationships, patents, trademarks and cutting rights. Any further portion of the purchase price that is allocated to intangible assets will result in a decrease in the preliminary amount allocated to goodwill. The Company is unable at this time to estimate the amount that might be reclassified from goodwill to intangible assets.

3. Pro Forma Adjustments to the Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statements of Earnings to Reflect the Arrangement.

A. Domtar Inc. pension, post-retirement and post-employment benefits

To adjust the pension, post-retirement and post-employment expenses to reflect the impact of the fair value of all plans. The expense reduction has been allocated 67% to cost of sales and 33% to selling, general and administrative expenses representing an estimated split of the costs between these two financial statement captions.

B. Domtar Inc. inventory under Last In First Out (“LIFO”)

To record the impact of conforming Domtar Inc.’s U.S. domestic inventory to the LIFO cost method with the Company’s accounting policies.

C. Intercompany purchases and sales elimination

To eliminate intercompany purchases and sales between the Company and Domtar Inc.

D. Amortization of debt premium

To record the amortization of the premium on long-term debt resulting from recording the assumed Domtar Inc. debt at its estimated fair value.

 

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Notes to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial

Information of the Company – (continued)

 

E. Senior secured term loan facility interest expense and other financing considerations

To record the interest expense on the seven-year senior secured term loan facility as well as incremental interest on the five-year senior secured revolving credit facility at the anticipated rate of interest, plus applicable margins. The anticipated rate of interest used was 6.44% for the year ended December 31, 2006 and 6.73% for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007. Should the interest rate increase or decrease by  1 / 8 %, the impact on the earnings (loss) before income taxes would be $1 million for the year ended December 31, 2006 and nil for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007.

F. Amortization of deferred financing costs

To record the amortization of the deferred financing costs under the seven-year senior secured term loan facility. The financing costs are amortized over the duration of the seven-year senior secured term loan.

G. Deferred gain amortization reversal relating to interest rate swaps

Domtar Inc. amortizes a deferred gain to income related to a previous termination of an interest rate swap contract prior to maturity. This gain was written off as a result of recording deferred credits at fair value. This adjustment reverses the amortization benefit recognized in Domtar Inc.’s historical consolidated financial statements.

H. Deferred financing cost amortization reversal

Represents the reversal of amortization of deferred financing costs recognized in Domtar Inc.’s historical consolidated financial statements resulting from recording acquired other assets at fair value.

I. Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

To reflect the reduction of the depreciation expense of property, plant and equipment in light of the preliminary valuation studies and management’s best estimate of current remaining economic useful lives of property, plant and equipment.

J. Reversal of purchase price allocation adjustment for inventories

Represents the reversal of the non recurring impact on net earnings of selling the finished goods that were revalued as a result of recording Domtar Inc.’s inventories at their estimated fair value.

K. Tax effect of purchase price allocation adjustments

To reflect the tax effect the purchase price allocation adjustments using the combined statutory rate in effect in the relevant jurisdictions.

L. Other income tax adjustments

To reflect the tax effect of pro forma adjustments using the combined statutory rates in effect in the relevant jurisdictions. The primary adjustment is the result of additional interest expense as a result of the senior secured term loan facilities.

M. Minority Interest

To reflect the presentation of Domtar Inc. preferred shares as a minority interest in the Company’s financial information.

 

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SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL DATA OF THE COMPANY

The following sets forth selected historical combined financial data of the Company for the periods and as of the dates indicated. The selected combined financial data as of December 25, 2005 and December 31, 2006 and for the fiscal years ended December 26, 2004, December 25, 2005 and December 31, 2006 have been derived from the combined audited financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, which financial statements, and the report of KPMG LLP thereon, are included elsewhere in this Schedule C. The selected combined financial data as of December 29, 2002, December 28, 2003 and December 26, 2004 and for the fiscal years ended December 29, 2002 and December 28, 2003 have been derived from the combined financial statements for the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, which have not been audited and are not included elsewhere in this Schedule C. The Company’s fiscal year ends on the last Sunday of the calendar year. Fiscal year 2006 consisted of 53 weeks, all other fiscal years presented consisted of 52 weeks.

The selected historical financial information of the Company as of and for the 26 weeks ended June 25, 2006 and July 1, 2007 reflects results of Domtar Inc. only from March 7, 2007 and has been derived from the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company, which, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements are included elsewhere in this Schedule C. Results for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year.

The Company acquired Domtar Inc. as of March 7, 2007. Accordingly, the results of operations for Domtar Inc. are reflected in the financial statements only as of and for the period after that date. Prior to March 7, 2007, the financial statements of the Company reflect only the results of operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business.

This information should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of the Company”, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of the Predecessor Company” and the financial statements of the Company and the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Schedule C.

 

      Year ended    

26 weeks

ended

June 25,
2006

   

26 weeks

ended

July 1,
2007 (1)

U.S. GAAP/U.S. dollar

  December 29,
2002
  December 28,
2003
    December 26,
2004
    December 25,
2005
    December 31,
2006
     
(Dollars in millions)                                      

Statement of Income Data:

             

Sales

  $ 2,801   $ 2,854     $ 3,026     $ 3,267     $ 3,306     $ 1,638     $ 2,671

Charges for restructuring, closure of facilities, and goodwill impairment

        24       17       538       764       749       6

Operating income (loss) before depreciation, depletion and amortization

    350     242       307       (221 )     (245 )     (616 )     349

Operating income (loss)

    69     (96 )     (41 )     (578 )     (556 )     (768 )     140

Net income (loss)

    57     (67 )     (17 )     (478 )     (609 )     (759 )     60

Net income (loss) per share-basic and diluted (2)

    0.20     (0.24 )     (0.06 )     (1.68 )     (2.14 )     (2.67 )     0.14

Balance Sheet Data (at
period end):

             

Cash and cash equivalents

    1     1       2       1       1       2       80

Property, plant and equipment

    4,091     4,113       3,923       3,270       3,065       3,229       5,894

Total assets

    5,590     5,649       5,565       4,970       3,998       4,129       7,889

Other liabilities

    14     59       37       24       37       43       2,458

Total shareholders’ equity

    4,303     4,316       4,261       3,773       2,915       2,924       3,094

 

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(1) Reflects results of Domtar Inc. only from March 7, 2007, the Acquisition Closing Date.

 

(2) Performance-based awards .     The calculation of earnings per common share for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 is based on the weighted-average number of Domtar Corp. common stock outstanding during the period. Prior to the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Corp. did not have publicly traded common stock or stock options outstanding. The weighted average number of common stock of Domtar Corp. outstanding for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 assumes that all such common stock outstanding immediately after the Contribution but before the acquisition of Domtar Inc. were outstanding since January 1, 2007. The effect of dilutive securities for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 assumes that stock options of Domtar Corp. were outstanding immediately after the Contribution on March 5, 2007. The weighted average number of shares of Domtar Corp. common stock outstanding for the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006 assumes that all such common stock outstanding immediately after the Contribution but before the acquisition of Domtar Inc. were outstanding since December 26, 2005. The effect of dilutive securities for the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006 assumes that stock options of Domtar Corp. were outstanding immediately after the Contribution on March 5, 2007.

 

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The following table sets forth the Company’s ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the last five years and for the 26 weeks ended July 1, 2007.

 

U.S. GAAP/U.S. dollar

  Year ended    

26 weeks
ended
July 1,
2007

 
  December 29,
2002
    December 28,
2003
    December 26,
2004
    December 25,
2005
    December 31,
2006
   
(Dollars in millions)                                    

Operating Income (loss) before income taxes

  $ 69     $ (96 )   $ (41 )   $ (578 )   $ (556 )   $ 82  

Add Fixed Charges:

           

Interest Expense (excluding capitalized)

    (*)     (*)     (*)     (*)     (*)     58  

Amortization of loan costs

                                  1  

Interest factor in rents

    6       6       6       7       5       4  
                                               

Total earnings (loss) as defined

    75       (90 )     (35 )     (571 )     (551 )     145  
                                               

Fixed Charges:

           

Interest Expense

                                  58  

Amortization of loan costs

                                  1  

Interest factor in rents

    6       6       6       7       5       4  
                                               

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

    12.5 x             2.3 x

Deficiency in the coverage of earnings to fixed charges

      15.0 x     5.8 x     81.6 x     110.2 x  
                                               

(*) Interest on capital leases and debt is immaterial and consequently was not included in the calculation of the Company’s ratio of earnings to fixed charges.

For the purpose of computing the ratios of earnings to fixed charges, earnings are divided by fixed charges. Earnings represent the aggregate of income from continuing operations before taxes and fixed charges excluding capitalized interest. Fixed charges represent interest on indebtedness (including capitalized interest), amortization of deferred debt issuance costs and an estimate of the interest portion of fixed rent expense (estimated to be one-third).

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OF THE COMPANY FOR THE PERIOD ENDED JULY 1, 2007

Throughout this management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A), unless otherwise specified, “Domtar Corp.,” “the Company,” “Domtar,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Domtar Corporation, its subsidiaries, as well as its joint ventures. Domtar Corp.’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange. Except where otherwise indicated, all financial information reflected herein is determined on the basis of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). This MD&A should be read in conjunction with Domtar Corp.’s unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Schedule C. You should also read this MD&A in conjunction with the other historical financial information contained elsewhere in this Schedule C.

In accordance with industry practice, in this MD&A, the term “ton” or the symbol “ST” refers to a short ton, an imperial unit of measurement equal to 0.9072 metric tons, the term “tonne” or the symbol “ADMT” refers to an air dry metric ton and the term “MFBM” refers to million foot board measure. In this MD&A, unless otherwise indicated, all dollar amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars, and the term “dollars” and the symbol “$” refers to U.S. dollars. In the following discussion, unless otherwise noted, references to increases or decreases in income and expense items, prices, contribution to net income (loss), and shipment volume are based on the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007, as compared to the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended June 25, 2006. The thirteen week periods are also referred to as the second quarter and the twenty-six week periods are also referred to as the first half or year-to-date.

The MD&A contains forward-looking statements. See “Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.

The Acquisition Transactions

Domtar Corp. was incorporated on August 16, 2006 for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and consummating the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. The Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was operated by Weyerhaeuser prior to the completion of the Acquisition Transactions. The Acquisition Transactions was consummated on March 7, 2007. Domtar Corporation had no operations prior to March 7, 2007 when, upon the completion of the Acquisition Transactions, it became an independent public holding company that, directly or indirectly through its subsidiaries, owns the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. We refer to Domtar Corp. as of the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions as the “Successor.”

Although Weyerhaeuser does not have a continuing proprietary interest in Domtar Corp., we have entered into several agreements with Weyerhaeuser and/or certain of its subsidiaries in connection with the Acquisition Transactions, including a tax sharing agreement, an intellectual property licensing agreement, a transition services agreement, fiber and pulp supply agreements and site services agreements. These agreements enable us to continue to operate the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business efficiently following the completion of the Acquisition Transactions.

The following MD&A of Domtar Corp. covers certain periods prior to the Acquisition Transactions. For accounting and financial reporting purposes, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business is considered to be the “Predecessor” to Domtar Corp. and as a result, its historical financial statements now constitute the historical financial statements of Domtar Corp. Accordingly, the results reported for the second quarter and the first half of 2006 include only the results of operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, on a carve-out basis, for the entire period. The results reported for the second quarter of 2007 include results of the Successor for the entire period and those reported for the first half of fiscal year 2007 include the results of operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, on a carve-out basis, for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007

 

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and the results of operations of the Successor for the period from March 7, 2007 to July 1, 2007. These historical financial statements may not be indicative of our future performance.

For more information on the Acquisition Transactions, refer to note 1 of the unaudited interim financial statements of the Company.

Second Quarter 2007 Overview

For the second quarter of 2007, we reported operating income of $69 million, an increase of $90 million compared to an operating loss of $21 million in the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding operating income of $30 million attributable to Domtar Inc., operating income in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $39 million, an increase of $60 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. The increase in operating income in the second quarter of 2007 is mainly attributable to higher average selling prices for paper and pulp and lower freight and energy costs, partially due to mill and sawmill closures. These factors were partially offset by lower shipments for all of our major products, higher costs for purchased fiber and lower average selling prices for our wood products.

In July, 2007, we announced that we will permanently close two paper machines, one at our Woodland paper mill and another at our Port Edwards paper mill, as well as our Gatineau paper mill and our converting center in Ottawa, expected to be effective by the end of October 2007. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees.

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of 10 sawmills in Québec and Ontario having an annual production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet, and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights, which represent the majority of Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights. Domtar Inc.’s remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec and Domtar’s interests in several joint ventures are also included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex in an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex Inc. with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license rights transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

On October 11, 2007, we announced that Domtar Inc. received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Quebec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are currently closed.

We and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend Domtar Inc.’s rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Quebec Superior Court to enforce its rights. We and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continues to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

 

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We intend to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce our outstanding debt. At July 1, 2007, we and Domtar Inc. accounted for the assets and liabilities of our Wood business as held and used in accordance with SFAS 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets , due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly related to obtaining government approval and financing. We and Domtar Inc. do not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

Outlook

In the second half of the year, fine paper volumes are expected to remain under some pressure compared to last year while price realizations should improve compared to the second quarter as a result of the carry over from the price increases for copy paper and for pulp implemented late in the quarter. In light of the decline in North American demand for fine papers and the resulting excess capacity, notably in commercial printing paper grades, Domtar Corp. will continue to monitor its production and inventories to meet customer demand.

Accounting for the Acquisition Transaction

The Acquisition Transactions was considered, for accounting purposes, as the acquisition of Domtar Inc. by Domtar Corp. and has been accounted for using the purchase method. Accordingly, the purchase price is based upon the estimated fair value of Domtar Corp. common stock issued plus acquisition costs directly related to the Acquisition Transactions. Since no quoted market price existed for the shares of Domtar Corp.’s common stock, the purchase price is based on the fair value of the net assets acquired on August 23, 2006, the date on which the terms of the Acquisition Transactions were agreed to and announced. The fair value of Domtar Inc. common shares of $6.63 per share used in the calculation of the purchase price is based upon the average closing price of Domtar Inc. common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the five trading days beginning August 21, 2006 and ended August 25, 2006, converted at the average daily foreign exchange rate of the Bank of Canada. The number of outstanding Domtar Inc. common shares used in the calculation of the fair value is based on the same periods.

The total purchase price is allocated to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on our preliminary estimates of their fair value, which are based on information currently available. We are in the process of completing the valuation of certain assets and liabilities. Accordingly, the final allocation of the fair value to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed could differ materially from the amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements. The principal significant elements for which the fair value could be modified include inventories, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, goodwill, deferred income taxes, pension plans and other employee future benefit plans.

We have refined our preliminary purchase price allocation presented in our first quarter financial statements, to reflect the impact of the restructuring measures announced in July 2007 and the agreement to sell substantially all of our Wood business on the fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. As such, the fair value allocated to inventories was decreased by $7 million, the fair value of property, plant and equipment was increased by $80 million, the fair value of trade and other payables was increased by $18 million, the fair value of other liabilities and deferred credits was increased by $5 million and the fair value of deferred income tax liability – non current was increased by $13 million. This resulted in a $37 million decrease in goodwill.

 

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The following table summarizes the components of the total purchase price and the preliminary purchase price allocation, as adjusted.

 

(In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted)     

231,436,850 common shares of Domtar Inc. outstanding at an average
closing price of $6.63 per share

   1,534

Direct acquisition costs

   28
    

Estimated total purchase price, net of assumed debt

   1,562
    

The total purchase price of the transaction has been allocated as follows:

  

Fair value of net assets acquired at the date of acquisition

  

Cash and cash equivalents

   573

Receivables

   166

Inventories

   495

Prepaid expenses

   12

Income and other taxes receivable

   7

Deterred income taxes – current

   18

Property, plant and equipment

   2,822

Intangible assets

   29

Deferred income tax assets – non-current

   107

Goodwill

   106

Other assets

   60
    

Total assets

   4,395

Less: Liabilities

  

Bank indebtedness

   67

Trade and other payables

   388

Income and other taxes payable

   15

Long-term debt due within one year

   1

Long-term debt

   1,660

Deferred income tax liability – non-current

   363

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   311

Minority interests

   28

Total liabilities

   2,833
    

Fair value of net assets acquired at the date of acquisition

   1,562
    

The two main components of the preliminary intangible asset amount are $10 million for customer relationships and $19 million for favorable natural gas contracts. The customer relationships have estimated useful lives of 5 years and the natural gas contracts will be amortized over a period of 3 years.

Our Business

Domtar Corp.’s reporting segments correspond to the following business activities: Papers, Paper Merchants and Wood.

Papers

We are the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity. We operate 13 paper mills (ten in the United States and three in Canada) with an annual paper production capacity of approximately 4.8 million tons of uncoated freesheet paper. We also have one paper mill at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan that is currently not in operation but that has an annual paper production capacity of approximately 290,000 tons. In addition, we have an annual

 

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paper production capacity of 235,000 tons of coated groundwood at one of our paper mills in the U.S. Our paper facilities are complemented by strategically located warehouses and sales offices. The table below lists all of our paper facilities and their annual production capacity.

 

Paper Production Facility

  

Location

   Paper
Machines
  

Principal Paper Type

   Annual Paper
Capacity
(millions of tons)

Uncoated freesheet mills

           

Ashdown

   Arkansas    4    Copy and offset    0.9

Windsor

   Québec    2    Copy and offset    0.6

Hawesville

   Kentucky    2    Copy and offset    0.6

Plymouth

   North Carolina    2    Copy and offset    0.5

Kingsport

   Tennessee    1    Copy and offset    0.4

Marlboro

   South Carolina    1    Copy and offset    0.4

Johnsonburg

   Pennsylvania    2    Copy and offset    0.4

Dryden

   Ontario    1    Copy and offset    0.3

Port-Edwards (1)

   Wisconsin    3    Value added    0.2

Nekoosa

   Wisconsin    3    Value added    0.2

Rothschild

   Wisconsin    1    Opaque    0.1

Woodland (1)

   Maine       Opaque   

Gatineau (1)

   Québec       Coated lightweight   

Port Huron

   Michigan    4    Technical and specialty    0.1

Espanola

   Ontario    2    Technical and specialty    0.1
               

Total Uncoated freesheet mills

      29       4.8

Coated groundwood

           

Columbus

   Mississippi    1    Coated groundwood    0.2
               

Total Coated groundwood

      1       0.2
               
      30       5.0
               

 

(1) On July 31, 2007, we announced the permanent closure of two paper machines, one at our Port Edwards paper mill, and one at our Woodland paper mill as well as our Gatineau paper mill, having a combined production capacity of 284,000 tons. The above table reflects these closures.

We design, manufacture, market and distribute a wide range of fine paper products for a variety of consumers, including merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters and end-users.

We manufacture papergrade pulp, which we sell to the extent we produce more pulp than is required for internal use in our paper mills. We also manufacture and sell fluff pulp and specialty pulp. The sale of papergrade pulp to third parties allows optimization of pulp capacity while reducing overall manufacturing costs. In September 2007, we entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Prince Albert facility, which is expected to have an annual production capacity of approximately 328,000 tonnes of pulp. The consummation of this plan is subject to several critical conditions. See “Business of the Company – Recent developments – Potential Redevelopment of Prince Albert Facility.”

Paper Merchants

Our Paper Merchants business consists of an extensive network of strategically located paper distribution facilities, comprising the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by us and other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products. Our paper merchants operate in the United States and Canada under a single banner and umbrella name, the Domtar

 

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Distribution Group. Ris Paper, part of the Domtar Distribution Group, operates throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest areas from 19 locations in the United States, including 16 distribution centers. Domtar Distribution Group, in Canada, operates as Buntin Reid in three locations in Ontario; JBR/La Maison du Papier in two locations in Québec; and The Paper House in two locations in Atlantic Canada.

Wood

Our Wood business comprises the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of lumber and wood-based value-added products, and the management of forest resources. We operate four sawmills and one remanufacturing facility with an annual production capacity of approximately 495 million board feet of lumber. In addition, we own five sawmills that are currently not in operation but have an annual aggregate production capacity of approximately 730 million board feet of lumber. We also have an interest in three joint ventures and an investment in one business, which all produce wood products. We seek to optimize 28 million acres of forestland directly licensed or owned in Canada and the United States through efficient management and the application of certified sustainable forest management practices such that a continuous supply of wood is available for future needs.

In June 2007, we entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of our Wood business to the newly created Conifex Inc. We will retain our sawmills in Saskatchewan and some related forest licenses as well as our owned forestland and forest licenses related to our Espanola and Windsor pulp and paper mills. The transaction is subject to governmental approval for the forest license transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Pending these approvals, the sale is expected to close prior to December 31, 2007. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale, see “– Second quarter 2007 overview.”

Consolidated Results of Operations

The following table includes the consolidated financial results of Domtar Corp. for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007, which consists of the consolidated financial results of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, on a carve-out basis, from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and of the Successor for the period from March 7, 2007 to July 1, 2007, and the consolidated financial results of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, on a carve-out basis, for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended June 25, 2006.

 

Financial Highlights

  Thirteen weeks ended     Twenty-six weeks ended  
(In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted)   July 1, 2007     June 25, 2006     July 1, 2007     June 25, 2006  

Sales

  $ 1,620     $ 809     $ 2,671     $ 1,638  

Operating income (loss)

    69       (21 )     140       (768 )

Net income (loss)

    11       (12 )     60       (759 )

Net income (loss) per common share (in dollars) (1) :

       

Basic

    0.02       (0.04 )     0.14       (2.67 )

Diluted

    0.02       (0.04 )     0.14       (2.67 )

Operating income (loss) per segment:

       

Papers

    92       (16 )     163       (764 )

Paper Merchants

    2             6        

Wood

    (20 )     (5 )     (24 )     (4 )

Corporate

    (5 )           (5 )      
                               

Total

    69       (21 )     140       (768 )
                As at July 1,
2007
    As at
December 31,
2006
 

Total assets

        7,889       3,998  

Total long-term debt, including current portion

        2,444       44  

(1) Refer to note 5 of the interim consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Schedule C for more information on the calculation of net income per common share.

 

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Thirteen Week Period Ended July 1, 2007 Compared To Thirteen Week Period Ended June 25, 2006 Overview

Sales

Sales for the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $1,620 million, an increase of $811 million, or 100%, from sales of $809 million in the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding sales of $801 million attributable to Domtar Inc., sales for the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $819 million, an increase of $10 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. The increase was mainly attributable to higher average selling prices for pulp and paper, partially offset by lower shipments for all of our major products, mostly as a result of mill and sawmill closures (including the indefinite closure of our Prince Albert pulp mill effective in the second quarter of 2006 and the permanent closure of one paper machine at our Dryden, Ontario mill effective in the second quarter of 2006), and lower average selling prices for wood products.

Domtar Inc.’s sales for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $801 million. Domtar Inc.’s sales were also impacted by higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, partially offset by lower shipments for paper, pulp and wood products, and lower average selling prices for lumber.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales increased by $606 million or 85% in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding cost of sales of $664 million attributable to Domtar Inc., cost of sales in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $653 million, a decrease of $58 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. This decrease was mainly attributable to the mill and sawmill closures mentioned above, and lower freight and energy costs, partially offset by higher costs for purchased fiber and the negative impact of a weaker U.S. dollar on our Canadian dollar denominated operating expenses.

Domtar Inc.’s cost of sales for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 was $664 million and reflected lower production and shipments for paper and wood products, lower costs for freight and energy, and to a lesser extent, lower charges on softwood lumber exports, partially offset by higher costs for purchased fiber and chemicals, higher maintenance costs as well as the negative impact of a weaker U.S. dollar on our Canadian dollar denominated operating expenses.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased by $60 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding SG&A of $60 million attributable to Domtar Inc., SG&A in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $43 million, unchanged from the SG&A expense in the second quarter of 2006.

Domtar Inc.’s SG&A for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $60 million and included mark-to-market gains on financial instruments, transaction and integration costs and reflected higher overall costs.

Operating Income

Operating income in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $69 million, an improvement of $90 million compared to an operating loss of $21 million in the second quarter of 2006 in part due to the acquisition of

 

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Domtar Inc. Excluding operating income of $30 million attributable to Domtar Inc., operating income in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $39 million, an increase of $60 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. The improvement in operating income was mostly attributable to the factors mentioned above.

Domtar Inc.’s operating income for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $30 million and was also impacted by the factors mentioned above.

Interest Expense

We incurred $47 million of interest expense mainly relating to interest incurred under the Credit Agreement as well as interest on existing Domtar Inc. debt assumed by us on March 7, 2007.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense amounted to $11 million in the second quarter of 2007, which was comprised of current tax expense of $15 million and deferred tax recovery of $4 million. During the second quarter of 2007, the Company has provided current income taxes under APB No. 23, “Accounting for Income Taxes – Special Areas,” (“APB23”) for the presumed repatriation to the United States of earnings from all non-U.S. subsidiaries and unconsolidated affiliates. As such, the Company has recorded a provision of $4 million for U.S. withholding taxes payable on future distributions from the U.S. subsidiaries to the Company. Our effective tax rate is impacted by the change in the Canadian federal income tax rate in the amount of $1 million, the mix and level of earnings subject to different tax jurisdictions and the differences in tax rates applicable to our foreign subsidiaries.

Net Income

Net income amounted to $11 million ($0.02 per common share) in the second quarter of 2007, an improvement of $23 million compared to a net loss of $12 million ($0.04 per common share) in the second quarter of 2006. Excluding a net loss of $1 million attributable to Domtar Inc., net income in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $12 million, an increase of $24 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. This improvement in net income was mainly attributable to the factors mentioned above.

Twenty-Six Week Period Ended July 1, 2007 Compared to Twenty-Six Week Period Ended June 25, 2006 Overview

Sales

First half sales for 2007 amounted to $2,671 million, an increase of $1,033 million, or 63%, from first half sales of $1,638 million in 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding sales of $1,039 million attributable to Domtar Inc., first half sales for 2007 amounted to $1,632 million, a decrease of $6 million compared to the first half sales for 2006. The decrease was mainly attributable to lower shipments for all of our major products, mostly as a result of mill and sawmill closures (including the indefinite closure of our Prince Albert, Saskatchewan paper mill and our Big River and 51% owned Wapawekka, Saskatchewan sawmills, effective in the first quarter of 2006, the indefinite closure of our Prince Albert pulp mill effective in the second quarter of 2006 and the permanent closure of one paper machine at our Dryden, Ontario mill effective in the second quarter of 2006), as well as lower average selling prices for wood products. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for pulp and paper.

Domtar Inc.’s sales for the sixteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $1,039 million. Domtar Inc.’s sales were also impacted by lower shipments for paper, pulp and wood products and lower average selling prices for lumber, partially offset by higher average selling prices for paper and pulp.

 

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Cost of Sales

First half cost of sales increased by $754 million, or 53%, in 2007 compared to first half cost of sales in 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding cost of sales of $871 million attributable to Domtar Inc., first half cost of sales in 2007 amounted to $1,301 million, a decrease of $117 million compared to first half cost of sales of 2006. This decrease was mainly attributable to the mill and sawmill closures mentioned above, and lower freight and energy charges, partially offset by higher costs for purchased fiber and chips and an increase in an environmental provision of $5 million recorded in the first quarter of 2007.

Domtar Inc.’s cost of sales for the sixteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $871 million, having benefited from lower production and shipments for paper and wood products, lower costs for freight and energy and lower charges on its softwood lumber exports, partially offset by higher costs for purchased fiber and chemicals.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

First half SG&A expenses increased by $63 million in 2007 compared to first half SG&A in 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding SG&A of $70 million attributable to Domtar Inc., first half SG&A in 2007 amounted to $80 million, a decrease of $7 million compared to first half SG&A in 2006. This decrease in SG&A is mostly due to the difference between the corporate charges allocated to the Predecessor by Weyerhaeuser and the implementation of transaction service agreement charges as of March 7, 2007.

Domtar Inc.’s SG&A amounted to $70 million for the sixteen weeks ended July 1, 2007, and included transaction and integration costs, mark-to-market gains on financial instruments and reflects higher overall operating costs.

Operating Income

First half operating income in 2007 amounted to $140 million, an improvement of $908 million compared to first half operating loss in 2006 of $768 million in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. and a goodwill impairment expense recorded in the first quarter of 2006. Excluding operating income of $44 million attributable to Domtar Inc., first half operating income in 2007 amounted to $96 million, an increase of $864 million compared to 2006. The improvement in operating income was mostly attributable to a $749 million goodwill impairment expense recorded in the first quarter of 2006 based on an evaluation of the goodwill relating to the Papers segment, as well as the factors mentioned above.

Domtar Inc.’s operating income for the sixteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $44 million, and was impacted by the factors mentioned above.

Interest Expense

We incurred $58 million of interest expense for the first half of 2007 mainly relating to interest incurred after March 6, 2007 under the Credit Agreement, as well as interest on existing Domtar Inc. debt assumed by us on March 7, 2007.

Income Taxes

For the first half of 2007, our income tax expense totaled $22 million, which was comprised of current tax expense of $37 million and deferred tax recovery of $15 million. The current tax expense includes $13 million of expense related to the period prior to the Acquisition Transactions and does not constitute cash taxes for the Company, as well as an out-of-period adjustment of approximately $6 million incurred in the first quarter of

 

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2007 as a result of the omission to account for a change in the Canadian federal tax rate which occurred in the second quarter of 2006.

Net Income

First half net income amounted to $60 million ($0.14 per common share) in 2007, an improvement of $819 million compared to a first half net loss of $759 million ($2.67 per common share) in 2006 in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. and a goodwill impairment expense recorded in the first quarter of 2006. Excluding net income of $6 million attributable to Domtar Inc., first half net income in 2007 amounted to $54 million, an increase of $813 million compared to first half net loss of 2006. This improvement in net income was mainly attributable to the factors mentioned above.

Closure and Restructuring Costs

In July 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that it will permanently close two paper machines, one at our Woodland paper mill and another at our Port-Edwards paper mill as well as our Gatineau paper mill and its converting center, expected to be effective by the end of October 2007. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees.

The closure and restructuring costs relate to operations and activities of Domtar Inc., which was acquired by Domtar Corp. on March 7, 2007 and was part of a plan that had begun to be assessed and formulated by management at that date. As a result, these costs represent assumed liabilities and costs incurred as of the Acquisition Closing Date and were treated as part of the purchase price allocation in accordance with EITF 95-3, Recognition of Liabilities in Connection with a Purchase Business Combination. These closures also impacted the fair value of certain property, plant and equipment as part of the Domtar Inc. purchase price allocation. At July 1, 2007, the closure and restructuring cost provision related to the announcement was $20 million.

Paper

 

Selected Information

   Thirteen weeks
ended
    Twenty-six weeks
ended
 
   July 1, 2007     June 25,
2006
    July 1, 2007     June 25,
2006
 
(In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted)                         

Sales

        

Total sales

   $ 1,365     774     $ 2,320     $ 1,545  

Intersegment sales to Paper Merchants

     (50 )         (74 )      
                              
     1,315     774       2,246       1,545  

Operating income (loss)

     92     (16 )     163       (764 )

Shipments

        

Paper (in thousands of ST)

     1,209     732       2,080       1,545  

Pulp (in thousands of ADMT)

     330     205       579       412  

Benchmark prices (1) :

        

Copy 20 lb sheets ($/ton)

     963     890       947       855  

Offset 50 lb rolls ($/ton)

     810     840       810       803  

Coated publication, no. 5, 40 lb Offset, rolls ($/ton)

     748     895       763       897  

Pulp NBSK - U.S. market ($/ADMT)

     810     707       800       680  

Pulp NBHK - Japan market (2) ($/ADMT)

     640     572       640       557  

(1) Source: Pulp & Paper Week. As such, these prices do not necessarily reflect our transaction prices.

 

(2) Based on Pulp and Paper Week’s Southern Bleached Hardwood Kraft pulp prices for Japan, increased by an average differential of $15/ADMT between Northern and Southern Bleached Hardwood Kraft pulp prices.

 

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Sales and Operating Income

Sales

Sales in our Paper business amounted to $1,315 million in the second quarter of 2007, an increase of $541 million or 70% from sales of $774 million in the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding sales of $518 million attributable to Domtar Inc., sales in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $797 million, an increase of $23 million compared to sales in the second quarter of 2006. The increase in sales was mostly attributable to an increase in average selling prices for paper of $46 per ton, or 5%, and for pulp of $52 per tonne, or 9%, compared to the second quarter of 2006. These factors were partially offset by lower shipments for pulp and paper of approximately 5% and 3%, respectively, compared to the second quarter of 2006, mainly as a result of the indefinite closures of our Prince Albert pulp mill effective in the second quarter of 2006, as well as the permanent closure of one paper machine at our Dryden, Ontario mill effective in the second quarter of 2006. For the twenty-six week period ended July 1, 2007, sales in our Papers business increased by $701 million, or 45% compared to the twenty-six week period ended June 25, 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding sales of $661 million attributable to Domtar Inc., sales in 2007 amounted to $1,585 million, an increase of $40 million compared to sales in 2006. The increase is attributable to the same factors explained above.

Domtar Inc.’s sales for the second quarter of 2007 and for the sixteen week period ended July 1, 2007 amounted to $518 million and $661 million, respectively. Sales for Domtar Inc. were also impacted by lower shipments for paper and pulp, partially offset by higher average selling prices for paper and pulp.

Operating Income

Operating income in our Paper business totaled $92 million in the second quarter of 2007, an increase of $108 million compared to an operating loss of $16 million in the second quarter of 2006 in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding operating income of $49 million attributable to Domtar Inc., operating income in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $43 million, an increase of $59 million compared to the operating loss in the second quarter of 2006. The increase was mainly attributable to higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, lower costs for energy and chemicals, and lower freight expenses, mostly due to freight optimization efforts. These factors were partially offset by lower shipments for paper mostly due to a lower demand for uncoated freesheet in North America and the mill closures mentioned above, higher costs for purchased fiber and chips and lower shipments for pulp. For the twenty-six week period ended July 1, 2007, operating income in our Papers business increased by $927 million compared to the twenty six week period ended June 25, 2006 in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. and the goodwill impairment expense recorded in the first quarter of 2006. Excluding the operating income of $59 million attributable to Domtar Inc., operating income in 2007 amounted to $104 million, an increase of $868 million compared to an operating loss in 2006. The increase is attributable to a $749 million goodwill impairment expense recorded in the first quarter of 2006 as well as the factors mentioned above.

Domtar Inc.’s operating income totaled $49 million in the second quarter of 2007 and $59 million for the sixteen week period ended July 1, 2007. Domtar Inc.’s operating income benefited from higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, and lower freight and energy charges, partially offset by lower shipments for paper and pulp and higher costs for purchased fiber and chemicals.

Pricing Environment

In our Paper business, our average transaction prices increased in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. Our average transaction price for copy 20 lb sheets was higher on average by $100/ton, or 11%, while our average transaction price for offset 50 lb rolls was lower on average by $7/ton, or

 

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1%, in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. The US$60/ton price increase for cut-size announced in the first quarter of 2007 was implemented in the second quarter of 2007.

Our average transaction prices for Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp increased by $67/tonne, or 11%, and our average transaction prices for Northern Bleached Hardwood Kraft (NBHK) pulp increased by $57/tonne, or 11%, in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. A $20/tonne price increase was implemented on softwood pulp in April 2007 and on our hardwood pulp in June 2007. A subsequent $20/tonne price increase has been announced for both softwood and hardwood effective in July 2007 and August 2007, respectively.

Operations

Shipments

Our paper shipments, excluding shipments of Domtar Inc., decreased by 20,000   tons, or 3%, in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. This decrease is mainly due to lower demand, resulting in higher lack-of-order downtime in the second quarter of 2007 and the permanent closure of one paper machine at our Dryden, Ontario facility effective in the second quarter of 2006.

Our pulp trade shipments, excluding shipments of Domtar Inc., decreased by 11,000   tonnes in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006 mostly due to the indefinite closure of our Prince Albert pulp mill effective in the second quarter of 2006.

Labor

A collective agreement expired in April 2004 for Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill (affecting approximately 350 employees). Negotiations have ceased and the mill has been closed for an indefinite period since November 2005.

Other

On July 31, 2007, we announced that we will permanently close two paper machines, one at our Woodland paper mill and another at our Port Edwards paper mill as well as our Gatineau paper mill and its converting center in Ottawa, expected to be effective by the end of October 2007. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000   tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430   employees. At July   1,   2007, the closure and restructuring cost provision related to the announcement was $20 million.

Due to poor market conditions, our pulp and paper mills in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan were indefinitely closed in the first half of 2006, and one of the two paper machines at our Dryden, Ontario paper mill was permanently shut down effective in the second quarter of 2006. As at July   1,   2007, we had not determined whether our Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. See “Business of the Company – Recent Developments – Potential Redevelopment of Prince Albert Facility.” In the event the facility is permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at the facility, which would likely include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts.

Our Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill was indefinitely closed in the fourth quarter of 2005 due to unfavorable economic conditions. As of July   1,   2007, the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill remains indefinitely idled due to continuing unfavorable economic factors such as high wood fiber, energy and transportation costs, a strong Canadian dollar and uncompetitive labor costs.

 

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On May 9, 2007, we concluded the sale of our Vancouver property for total proceeds of $22 million ($23 million Canadian dollars).

Paper Merchants

 

Selected Information

   Thirteen weeks ended    Twenty-six weeks ended
  

July 1,

2007

  

June 25,

2006

  

July 1,

2007

   June 25,
2006
(In millions of U.S. dollars)                    

Sales

   $ 225       $ 301   

Operating income

     2         6   

Sales and Operating Income

Sales

Our Paper Merchants business generated sales of $225 million in the second quarter of 2007, and a total of $301 million for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007. The Predecessor had no Paper Merchants operations.

Operating Income

Operating income amounted to $2 million in the second quarter of 2007 and $6 million for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007.

Wood

 

Selected Information

   Thirteen weeks ended     Twenty-six weeks ended  
  

July 1,

2007

    June 25,
2006
   

July 1,

2007

    June 25,
2006
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)                         

Sales

   $ 90     $ 48     $ 137     $ 137  

Intersegment sales

     (10 )     (13 )     (13 )     (44 )
                                
     80       35       124       93  

Operating income (loss)

     (20 )     (5 )     (24 )     (4 )

Shipments (millions of FBM)

     227       47       315       140  

Benchmark prices (1) :

        

Lumber G.L. 2x4x8 stud ($/MFBM)

     335       371       326       381  

Lumber G.L. 2x4 R/L no. 1 & no. 2 ($/MFBM)

     332       386       332       398  

(1) Source: Random Lengths. As such, these prices do not necessarily reflect our transaction prices.

Sales and Operating Loss

Sales

Sales in our Wood business amounted to $80 million in the second quarter of 2007, an increase of $45 million, or 129%, compared to sales of $35 million in the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding sales of $58 million attributable to Domtar Inc., sales in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $22 million, a decrease of $13 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. The decrease was attributable to lower average selling prices, mostly due to the slowdown in the U.S. housing industry. For the twenty-six week period ended July 1, 2007, sales in our Wood business increased by $31 million, or 33%, compared to the twenty-six week period ended June 25, 2006 primarily due to the

 

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acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding sales of $77 million attributable to Domtar Inc., sales in 2007 amounted to $47 million, a decrease of $46 million compared to sales in 2006. The decrease is attributable to the indefinite closure of our Big River and 51% owned Wapawekka, Saskatchewan sawmills during the first quarter of 2006 as well as the factors explained above.

Domtar Inc. sales amounted to $58 million in the second quarter of 2007 and $77 million in the sixteen week period ended July 1, 2007 and were impacted by lower shipments and lower selling prices.

Operating Loss

Operating loss in our Wood business amounted to $20 million in the second quarter of 2007, an increase of $15 million compared to an operating loss of $5 million in the second quarter of 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding an operating loss of $16 million attributable to Domtar Inc., operating loss in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $4 million, a decrease in operating loss of $1 million compared to the second quarter of 2006. The decrease in operating loss was mainly attributable to the realization of savings resulting from the indefinite closure of our Big River and 51% owned Wapawekka, Saskatchewan sawmills during the first quarter of 2006, partially offset by lower average selling prices. For the twenty-six week period ended July 1, 2007, operating loss in our Wood business increased by $20 million compared to the twenty-six week period ended June 25, 2006 primarily due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding an operating loss of $16 million attributable to Domtar Inc., the operating loss in 2007 amounted to $8 million, an increase in operating loss of $4 million compared to 2006. The increase in operating loss is attributable to lower average selling prices and shipments, partially offset by lower costs resulting from the sawmill closures mentioned above.

Domtar Inc.’s operating loss totaled $16 million in the second quarter of 2007 and for the sixteen-week period ended July 1, 2007. Factors impacting Domtar Inc.’s operating loss include lower average selling prices and lower shipments for lumber and chips, partially offset by lower costs for energy, and lower charges on softwood lumber exports.

Pricing Environment

Our average transaction prices for Great Lakes 2x4 stud decreased by $44/MFBM, or 13%, and our average transaction prices for Great Lakes 2x4 random length decreased by $62/MFBM, or 18%, in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006.

Operations

Shipments

Our lumber and wood product shipments, excluding shipments of Domtar Inc., decreased by 11 MFBM, or 23%, in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006 as a result of sawmill closures mentioned above and the slowdown in the U.S housing industry.

Fiber supply

The Province of Québec adopted legislation, effective April 1, 2005, that reduced allowable wood-harvesting volumes by an average of 20% on public lands and 25% on territories covered by an agreement between the Government of Québec and Cree First Nations. As a result, the amount of fiber we were permitted to harvest annually, under our licenses from the Québec government, was reduced by approximately 500,000 cubic meters to approximately 2.0 million cubic meters, reflecting a 21% reduction. The Chief Forester of Québec has proposed a further reduction of 60,000 cubic meters, or 3%, in the total softwood annual allowable cut of forests managed by Domtar. This would significantly affect the supply of fiber for our Northern Québec softwood sawmills and market pulp operations. The reduction in harvest volume would also result in a corresponding increase in the unit cost of wood delivered to the sawmills. As a result of the impact of the strength of the

 

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Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar, low lumber prices and other factors, most of the Company’s wood fiber harvesting operations in Québec have been shut down and all but one of the facilities relating to such operations have been closed indefinitely. In June 2007, we restarted production at our Val d’Or sawmill, which has an annual capacity of approximately 120 million board feet.

Other

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex Inc. for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of the Ear Falls, Nairn Centre, Timmins and White River sawmills in Ontario and the Grand-Remous, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Malartic, Matagami, Ste-Marie and Val d’Or sawmills in Québec, as well as the remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec. The sawmills have a production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights which represent the majority of our harvesting rights. Domtar Inc.’s interests in the joint ventures of Elk Lake Planing Mill Limited, Gogama Forests Products Inc., Nabakatuk Forest Products Inc., Olav Haavalsrud Timber Company Limited and Anthony-Domtar Inc. are also included in the transaction. Domtar Inc.’s sawmills in Saskatchewan are not included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has also agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation, in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license transfer, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

On October 11, 2007, we announced that Domtar Inc. has received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Quebec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

We and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend Domtar Inc.’s rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Quebec Superior Court to enforce its rights. We and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continues to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

We intend to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce our outstanding debt.

In the first quarter of 2006, we indefinitely closed our Big River and 51% owned Wapawekka, Saskatchewan sawmills, due to the closure of our Prince Albert, Saskatchewan facility and poor market conditions. These facilities are currently not in operation. As at July 1, 2007, we had not determined whether these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event that our Big River, Saskatchewan sawmill is permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at the facility, which would likely include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts. See “Business of the Company – Recent Developments – Potential Redevelopment of Prince Albert Facility.”

 

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In January 2007, due to the difficult market conditions that have prevailed in the wood sector in recent months, including the slowdown in the U.S. housing market and the new softwood lumber agreement, we announced the indefinite closure of our White River sawmill which became effective prior to the end of the second quarter of 2007. The closure impacted approximately 140 permanent positions and reduced our production capacity by 110 million board feet of lumber.

Stock Based Compensation Expense

Prior to the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, employees of Weyerhaeuser who were being transferred to the Company were given the opportunity to exchange their outstanding Weyerhaeuser equity awards for awards of the Company having the same terms and conditions as their prior Weyerhaeuser awards.

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Corp. exchanged outstanding options held by Domtar Inc. employees for options to purchase, on the same terms and conditions, shares of common stock of Domtar Corp. The number of shares subject to the options granted in exchange was equal to the number of common shares of Domtar Inc. that would have been received or a number of shares of Domtar Corp. common stock that would provide the equivalent value to the Domtar Inc. common shares determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, depending if the exercise price was higher, equal to or less than the market value at the time of the exchange. Further, each outstanding award of restricted Domtar Inc. common shares and deferred share units was exchanged on a one-for-one basis, and on the same terms and conditions as applied to Domtar Inc. awards, for awards of restricted shares and deferred share units with respect to the Company’s common stock.

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, the total expense recognized in the Company’s results of operations related to these equity awards is not significant. No new awards have been or will be made under any of the replacement equity plans.

In June 2007, a number of new equity awards were granted, consisting of performance conditioned restricted stock units, restricted stock units and non-qualified stock options, which are subject to a variety of service, performance and market conditions. As of July 1, 2007, none of the performance and market conditions were met.

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, compensation expense recognized in the Company’s results of operations related to these awards is not significant. The compensation costs related to non-vested awards not yet recognized amounted to approximately $25 million and will be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 2 years or over the remaining service period depending on the awards.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our principal cash requirements are for working capital and capital expenditures, as well as principal and interest payments on our debt. We expect to fund our liquidity needs primarily with internally generated funds from our operations and, to the extent necessary, through borrowings under our revolving credit facility. We also have the ability to fund liquidity requirements through new financings, subject to satisfactory market conditions and credit ratings.

The Company’s ability to make payments on and to refinance its indebtedness, including debt the Company has incurred under the Credit Agreement, and to fund working capital, capital expenditures, debt service and investments will depend on the Company’s ability to generate cash in the future, which is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond its control. The terms of the debt the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc. incurred under the Credit Agreement, the terms of debt incurred by Domtar Inc. under its existing debt instruments and the terms of future indebtedness may impose various restrictions and covenants on the Company that could limit its ability to respond to market conditions, to provide for unanticipated capital investments or to take advantage of business opportunities.

 

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Operating Activities

Cash flows provided from operating activities totaled $189 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to cash flows provided from operating activities of $111 million in the second quarter of 2006 in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding cash flows provided from operating activities of $98 million attributable to Domtar Inc., cash flows provided from operating activities totaled $91 million in the second quarter of 2007, a $20 million decrease compared to the second quarter of 2006. Our operating cash flow requirements are primarily for salaries and benefits, the purchase of wood fiber, energy and raw materials and other expenses such as property taxes. On a year-to-date basis, cash flows provided from operating activities totaled $280 million in 2007 compared to cash flows provided from operating activities of $182 million in 2006 in part due to the acquisition of Domtar Inc. Excluding cash flows provided from operating activities $151 million attributable to Domtar Inc., cash flows provided from operating activities amounted to $129 million in 2007, a $53 million decrease compared to 2006. This decrease in cash flows generated from operations mainly reflects an increase in requirements for working capital.

Investing Activities

Cash flows used for investing activities totaled $14 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to cash flows used for investing activities of $20 million in the second quarter of 2006. The $6 million decrease in cash flows used for investing activities was mainly attributable to proceeds on the sale of our Vancouver mill in May 2007, partially offset by higher capital spending in the amount of $12 million in 2007. On a year-to-date basis, cash flows provided from investing activities amounted to $545 million, or cash flows used for investing activities of $28 million, when excluding acquired cash of $573 million, in 2007 compared to cash flows used for investing activities of $41 million in 2006. The $13 million improvement, when excluding cash acquired, is related to the proceeds on the sale of the Vancouver mill partially offset by higher capital spending.

Financing Activities

In the second quarter of 2007, cash flows used for financing activities amounted to $198 million compared to cash flows used for financing activities of $90 million in the second quarter of 2006. Excluding cash flows used for financing activities of $34 million attributable to Domtar Inc., cash flows used for financing activities totaled $164 million, a $74 million increase compared to cash flows used for financing activities in the second quarter of 2006. This increase in cash flows used for financing activities of $74 million mainly reflects a repayment of $90 million under our revolving credit facility and a repayment of $80 million on our term loan, partially offset by an increase in bank indebtedness. On a year-to-date basis, cash flows used for financing activities totaled $744 million in 2007 compared to cash flows used for financing activities of $140 million in 2006. Excluding cash flows used for financing activities of $43 million attributable to Domtar Inc., cash flows used for financing activities totaled $701 million in 2007 compared to cash flows used for financing activities in 2006 of $140 million. This $561 million increase in cash flows used for financing activities is mainly attributable to borrowings under our Credit Agreement consisting of an $800 million Term loan B facility associated with the Acquisition Transactions, more than offset by the repayment of our temporary borrowing in the amount of $1,350 million used to finance the Weyerhaeuser distribution and a repayment of our term loan of $80 million.

We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future. In addition, our ability to pay dividends will be restricted by current and future agreements governing the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries’ debt, including our Credit Agreement.

Capital Resources

Net indebtedness was $2,438 million as at July 1, 2007 compared to $43 million as at December 31, 2006. The $2,395 million increase in net indebtedness was due to the outstanding indebtedness of Domtar Inc. at the time of the Acquisition Transactions and borrowings under our credit agreement entered into in connection with the Acquisition Transactions.

 

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In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc. entered into the Credit Agreement, which consists of a seven-year senior secured Term Loan B facility of $800 million and a five year senior secured $750 million senior secured revolving loan facility. During the second quarter of 2007, the Term Loan B facility was reduced to $720 million mainly as a result of optional repayments by us. The senior revolving credit facility may be used for working capital needs and for general corporate purposes, and a portion will be available for letters of credit and swingline loans to the Company and Domtar Inc. Borrowings by us and Domtar Paper Company, LLC (the U.S. borrowers) under the senior secured revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars, and borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the senior secured revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars and limited to $150 million (or the Canadian equivalent thereof).

Borrowings under the Term Loan B facility bear annual interest at either a Eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.375%, or at the prime rate plus a margin of 0.375%. Amounts drawn under the revolving loan facility by us bear annual interest at either a Eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%, or at the prime rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Amounts drawn under the revolving credit facility by Domtar Inc. in U.S. dollars bear annual interest at either a Eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%, or a U.S. base rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Amounts drawn under the revolving loan facility by Domtar Inc. in Canadian dollars bear annual interest at the Canadian prime rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Domtar Inc. may also issue bankers’ acceptances denominated in Canadian dollars which are discounted at bankers’ acceptance rates in Canada and are subject to an acceptance fee, payable on the date of acceptance, which is calculated at a rate per annum equal to 1.25% to 2.25%. The interest rate margins and the acceptance fee are subject to adjustments based on our consolidated leverage ratio.

The Credit Agreement contains a number of covenants that, among other things, limit the ability of Domtar Corp. and the ability of its subsidiaries to make capital expenditures and place restrictions on other matters customarily restricted in senior secured credit facilities, including restrictions on indebtedness (including guarantee obligations); liens (including sale and leasebacks), fundamental changes, sales or disposition of property or assets, investments (including loans, advances, guarantees and acquisitions), transactions with affiliates, hedge agreements, dividends and other payments in respect of capital stock, changes in fiscal periods, environmental activity, optional payments and modifications of other material debt instruments, negative pledges and agreements restricting subsidiary distributions, and changes in lines of business. For so long as the revolving credit commitments are outstanding, Domtar Corp. is required to comply with a consolidated EBITDA to interest coverage ratio of greater than 2.5x and a consolidated debt to consolidated EBITDA ratio of less than 4.75x, decreasing to 4.50x on December 31, 2008, in each case, as defined in the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement contains customary events of default, provided that non-compliance with the consolidated cash interest coverage ratio or consolidated leverage ratio will not constitute an event of default under the Term Loan B facility unless it has not been waived or amended by the revolving credit lenders within a period of 45 days after notice. The Term Loan B has restrictions on the amount of new debt that may be borrowed subject to certain exceptions and the Credit Agreement contains customary events of default.

Our U.S. subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, serve as guarantors of the U.S. borrowers obligations under the senior secured credit facilities. We and certain subsidiaries, including Domtar Inc.’s subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, serve as guarantors of Domtar Inc.’s obligations under this facility.

The obligations of both us and Domtar Inc. in respect of the senior secured credit facilities, are secured by our equity interests in our subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and are secured by our U.S. subsidiaries’ tangible and intangible assets (other than those of the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc.). The obligations of Domtar Inc. also are secured by the equity in its subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and by the inventory of Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries, other than its U.S. subsidiaries.

As at July 1, 2007, we had no amounts drawn under our revolving credit facility and $49 million of letters of credit outstanding resulting in $701 million of availability for future drawings under this facility. An additional letter of credit of $2 million was outstanding in connection with an industrial revenue bond.

 

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The indentures related to the 10% and 10.85% Canadian debentures of Domtar Inc. limit the amount of dividends that may be paid to us by Domtar Inc. These indentures also require that no new long-term debt be incurred by Domtar Inc., unless total long-term debt of Domtar Inc. is less than 50% of its consolidated net tangible assets, but do not restrict the incurrence of new long- term debt related to the purchase of property or the replacement of existing long-term debt or the issuance of short-term debt. All indentures of Domtar Inc. related to debt obligations contain restrictions on the amount of secured borrowings Domtar Inc. can incur with other lenders.

Credit Rating

 

Rating Agency

  

Security

  

Rating

Moody’s Investors Services

   Secured Credit Facility   

Ba1

   Unsecured debt obligations of subsidiary Domtar Inc.   

B2

Standard & Poor’s

   Secured Credit Facility   

BB+

   Unsecured debt obligations of subsidiary Domtar Inc.   

B+

Dominion Bond Rating Service

   Secured Credit Facility   

BBB (low)

   Unsecured debt obligations of subsidiary Domtar Inc.   

BB (low)

   Preferred shares of subsidiary Domtar Inc.   

Pfd-5 (high)

The ratings by Moody’s Investors Services (Moody’s) are the fifth and sixth best ratings in terms of quality within nine rating gradations, with the numerical modifier 1 indicating a ranking at the top end of a rating category and the numerical modifier 2 indicating a ranking in the middle of a rating category. According to Moody’s, a rating of Ba has speculative elements and a rating of B is considered speculative. The ratings by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) are the fifth and sixth best ratings in terms of quality within ten rating gradations, with the “plus” indicating a ranking at the higher end of this category. According to S&P, ratings of BB and B have significant speculative characteristics. The debt ratings by Dominion Bond Ratings (DBRS) are the fourth and fifth best ratings in terms of quality within ten rating gradations, with the “low” indicating a ranking in the lower end of a rating category. According to DBRS, a rating of BBB has adequate credit quality and a rating of BB is speculative and non-investment grade.

All the agencies have a “stable” outlook in respect to these ratings. Any reductions in our credit ratings would have a negative impact on our access to and cost of capital and financial flexibility. The above ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the above rating agencies.

Common stock

Upon the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Inc. shareholders could either receive common stock of the Company or shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. that are exchangeable for common stock of the Company. As of July 1, 2007, we had 54,277,334 exchangeable shares issued and outstanding. The exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. are intended to be substantially economically equivalent to shares of the Company’s common stock. These shareholders may exchange the exchangeable shares for shares of Domtar Corporation common stock on a one-for-one basis at any time. The exchangeable shares may be redeemed by Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. on a redemption date to be set by the board of directors, which cannot be prior to July 31, 2023, or upon the occurrence of certain specified events.

 

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Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

In the normal course of business, we finance certain of our activities off balance sheet through leases and securitization.

Receivables Securitization

In conjunction with the Acquisition Transactions, we retained Domtar Inc.’s receivable securitization program. We sell certain of our trade receivables through a securitization program, which expires in February 2010. We use securitization of our receivables as a source of financing by reducing our working capital requirements. This securitization program consists of the sale of receivables, or the sale of a senior beneficial interest in them, to a special purpose trust managed by a financial institution for multiple sellers of receivables. The agreement governing our receivables securitization program normally allows the daily sale of new receivables to replace those that have been collected. It also limits the cash that can be received from the sale of the senior beneficial interest to a maximum of $190 million. The subordinated interest retained by us is included in “Receivables” and will be collected only after the senior beneficial interest has been settled. The book value of the retained subordinated interest approximates fair value.

As at July 1, 2007, the cash received from the transfer of receivables amounted to $130 million. We expect to continue selling receivables on an ongoing basis, given the attractive discount rates. Should this program be discontinued either by management’s decision or due to termination of the program by the provider, our working capital and bank debt requirements could increase.

Related Party Transactions

Prior to the Acquisition Transactions, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was engaged in various transactions with Weyerhaeuser that were characteristic of a consolidated group under common control. For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended June 26, 2006, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business purchased from Weyerhaeuser pulp, fiber and corrugated boxes for an amount of $44 million and $90 million, respectively, and sold pulp, paper and lumber for an amount of $59 million and $92 million, respectively.

Guarantees

Indemnifications

In the normal course of business, we offer indemnifications relating to the sale of our businesses and real estate. In general, these indemnifications may relate to claims from past business operations, the failure to abide by covenants and the breach of representations and warranties included in the sales agreements. Typically, such representations and warranties relate to taxation, environmental, product and employee matters. The terms of these indemnification agreements are generally for an unlimited period of time. As at July 1, 2007, we are unable to estimate the potential maximum liabilities for these types of indemnification guarantees as the amounts are contingent upon the outcome of future events, the nature and likelihood of which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. Accordingly, no provisions have been recorded. These indemnifications have not yielded significant expenses in the past.

Tax Sharing Agreement

In conjunction with the Acquisition Transactions, we signed a Tax Sharing Agreement that governs both our and Weyerhaeuser’s rights and obligations after the Acquisition Transactions with respect to taxes for both pre and post-Distribution periods in regards to general ordinary course taxes, and also covers related administrative matters. The Distribution refers to the distribution of our common stock to Weyerhaeuser shareholders.

We will generally be required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser and its shareholders against any tax resulting from the Distribution if that tax results from an act or omission by us after the Distribution. If Weyerhaeuser, however, should recognize a gain on the Distribution for reasons not related to an act or omission to act by us after the Distribution, Weyerhaeuser would be responsible for such taxes and would not be entitled to

 

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indemnification by us under the Tax Sharing Agreement. In addition, to preserve the tax-free treatment of the Distribution to Weyerhaeuser, the following actions will be subject to restrictions for a two-year period following the date of the Distribution:

 

  ·  

redemption, recapitalization, repurchase or acquisition of our own capital stock;

 

  ·  

issuance of capital stock or convertible debt;

 

  ·  

liquidation of Domtar Corp.;

 

  ·  

discontinuance of the operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business;

 

  ·  

sale or disposition (other than in the ordinary course of business) of all or a substantial part of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business; or

 

  ·  

other actions, omissions to act or transactions that could jeopardize the tax-free status of the Distribution.

Pension Plans

We have indemnified and held harmless the trustees of our pension funds, and the respective officers, directors, employees and agents of such trustees, from any and all costs and expenses arising out of the performance of their obligations under the relevant trust agreements, including in respect of their reliance on authorized instructions from us or for failing to act in the absence of authorized instructions. These indemnifications survive the termination of such agreements. As at July 1, 2007, we had not recorded a liability associated with these indemnifications, as we do not expect to make any payments pertaining to these indemnifications.

E.B. Eddy Acquisition

On July 31, 1998, Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc. (E.B. Eddy), an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of Domtar Inc. in specified circumstances, Domtar Inc. may have had to pay up to a maximum of $113 million (CDN$120 million), an amount which is gradually declining over a 25-year period. As at March 7, 2007, the closing date of the Acquisition Transactions, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was $103 million (CDN$110 million). No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

On March 14, 2007, Domtar Inc. received a letter from George Weston Limited (the previous owner of E.B. Eddy and a party to the purchase agreement) demanding payment of $103 million (CDN$110 million) as a result of the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions. On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited against Domtar Inc. in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada, claiming that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered the purchase price adjustment and seeking a purchase price adjustment of $103 million (CDN$110 million) as well as additional compensatory damages. On August 13, 2007, Domtar Inc. served its statement of defense in response to this claim. Neither we nor Domtar Inc. believes that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggers an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and Domtar Inc. intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar Inc. may not be successful in its defense of such claims, and if it is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on our and Domtar Inc.’s liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Debt Agreements

Certain debt agreements of Domtar Inc. require us to indemnify investors in the event of changes in elements such as withholding tax regulations. As the nature and scope of such indemnifications are contingent on future events, none of which can be foreseen as at July 1, 2007, no provisions have been recorded in the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Accounting Changes

Accounting for Planned Major Maintenance

In September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued FASB Staff Position AUG AIR-1, “Accounting for Planned Major Maintenance Activities.” This Staff Position prohibits the use of the previously acceptable accrue-in-advance method of accounting for planned major maintenance activities in annual and interim financial reporting periods. The three accounting methods permitted under the Staff Position are: 1) direct expensing method, 2) built-in overhaul method and 3) deferral method. On January 1, 2007, we adopted retroactively with restatement of prior periods the direct expensing method. We previously used the accrue-in-advance method for interim periods. The adoption of this Staff Position had no significant impact on the annual consolidated financial statements.

Uncertainty in Income Taxes

In June 2006, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes – An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109” (FIN 48). This interpretation, which we adopted on January 1, 2007, clarifies the accounting for uncertain tax positions recognized in a company’s financial statements in accordance with Statement 109. FIN 48 prescribes a more likely than not recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification of a liability for unrecognized tax benefits, accounting for interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, and expanded income tax disclosures. The adoption of this Interpretation had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Impact Of Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Implemented

Fair Value Option

In February 2007, the FASB issued Statement No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (FAS 159). FAS 159 permits an entity to measure certain financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value. Under FAS 159, entities that elect the fair value option will report unrealized gains and losses in earnings at each subsequent reporting date. The fair value option may be elected on an instrument-by-instrument basis, with few exceptions, as long as it is applied to the instrument in its entirety. We are currently evaluating the effect that FAS 159 will have on our financial position and results of operations for fair value measurements incurred after its adoption in fiscal 2008.

Fair Value Measurements

In September 2006, the FASB issued Statement No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements” (FAS 157). FAS 157 establishes a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. We are currently evaluating the effect that FAS 157 will have on its financial position and results of operations for fair value measurements incurred after its adoption in fiscal 2008.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect our results of operations and financial position. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations, useful lives, impairment of long-lived assets, goodwill and other intangible assets, pension and other employee future benefit plans and income taxes based upon currently available information. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

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These critical accounting policies reflect matters that contain a significant level of management estimates about future events, reflect the most complex and subjective judgments, and are subject to a fair degree of measurement uncertainty.

Environmental Matters and Other Asset Retirement Obligations

Environmental expenditures for effluent treatment, air emission, landfill operation and closure, asbestos containment and removal, bark pile management, silvicultural activities and site remediation (together referred to as environmental matters) are expensed or capitalized depending on their future economic benefit. In the normal course of business, we incur certain operating costs for environmental matters that are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment that prevent future environmental impacts are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over 10 to 40 years. Provisions for environmental matters are not discounted and are recorded when remediation efforts are likely and can be reasonably determined.

We recognize asset retirement obligations at fair value in the period in which we incur a legal obligation associated with the retirement of an asset. Our asset retirement obligations are principally linked to landfill capping obligations, asbestos removal obligations and demolition of certain abandoned buildings. Conditional asset retirement obligations are recognized, at fair value, when the fair value of the liability can be reasonably estimated. The associated costs are capitalized as part of the carrying value of the related asset and depreciated over its remaining useful life. The liability is accreted using a credit adjusted risk-free interest rate.

The estimate of fair value is based on the results of the expected future cash flow approach, in which multiple cash flow scenarios that reflect a range of possible outcomes are considered. We have established cash flow scenarios for each individual asset retirement obligation. Probabilities are applied to each of the cash flow scenarios to arrive at an expected future cash flow. There is no supplemental risk adjustment made to the expected cash flows. The expected cash flows for each of the asset retirement obligations are discounted using the credit adjusted risk-free interest rate for the corresponding period until the settlement date. The rates used vary, based on the prevailing rate at the moment of recognition of the liability and on its settlement period. The rates used vary between 4.50% and 12.0%.

Cash flow estimates incorporate either assumptions that marketplace participants would use in their estimates of fair value, whenever that information is available without undue cost and effort, or assumptions developed by internal experts.

While we believe that we have determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred, based on known information, our ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with our former and present operations may lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts may result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

Useful Lives

Our property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation, including asset impairment write-down. Interest costs are capitalized for capital projects in excess of $5 million or having a duration in excess of two years. For timber limits and timberlands, depreciation is calculated using the unit of production method. For deferred financing fees, amortization is calculated on the interest method. For all other assets, depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets.

On a regular basis, we review the estimated useful lives of our property, plant and equipment. Assessing the reasonableness of the estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment requires judgment and is based on currently available information. During the first quarter of 2007, we reviewed the useful lives of the property, plant and equipment acquired from Domtar Inc. using information obtained from the preliminary fair value and

 

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purchase price allocation. The final fair value appraisal and purchase price allocation may have a significant impact on the assigned value to property, plant and equipment and the final estimates of useful lives may have a significant impact on related depreciation expense. Changes in circumstances such as technological advances, changes to our business strategy, changes to our capital strategy or changes in regulation can result in the actual useful lives differing from our estimates. Revisions to the estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment constitute a change in accounting estimate and are dealt with prospectively by amending depreciation rates. A change in the remaining estimated useful life of a group of assets, or their estimated net salvage value, will affect the depreciation rate used to depreciate the group of assets and thus affect depreciation expense as reported in our results of operations.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

We review the carrying amount of long-lived assets when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable through future operations. This is accomplished by determining whether projected undiscounted future cash flows from operations exceed the net carrying amount of the assets as of the assessment date (Step I test). Impaired assets are recorded at fair value, determined principally by using discounted future cash flows expected from their use and eventual disposition (Step II test). Estimates of future cash flows and fair value require judgment and may change over time.

Goodwill and other Intangibles Assets

Goodwill is not amortized and is subject to an annual impairment test, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it might be impaired. Testing for impairment is accomplished mainly by determining whether the fair value of a reporting unit, based upon discounted cash flows, exceeds the net carrying amount of that reporting unit as of the assessment date. If the fair value is greater than the net carrying amount, no impairment is necessary. In the event that the net carrying amount exceeds the sum of the discounted cash flows, a second test must be performed whereby the fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill must be estimated to determine if it is less than its net carrying amount. Fair value of goodwill is estimated in the same way as goodwill was determined at the date of the acquisition in a business combination, that is, the excess of the fair value of the reporting unit over the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the reporting unit. Other intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized, but are also tested for impairment at least annually. The impairment test consists of a comparison of the fair value of the intangible asset to their carrying amount.

Pension and other Employee Future Benefit Plans

Domtar Corp. contributes to several defined contribution, multi-employer and 401(k) plans. The pension expense under these plans is equal to Domtar’s contribution.

Domtar Corp. also has several defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all employees. In the United States, this includes pension plans that are qualified under the Code (“qualified”) as well as a plan that provides benefits in addition to those provided under the qualified plans for a select group of employees, which is not qualified under the Code (“unqualified’). In Canada, plans are registered under the Income Tax Act and under their respective provincial pension acts (“registered”), or plans may provide additional benefits to a select group of employees, and not be registered under the Income Tax Act or provincial pension acts (“non-registered”). The defined benefit plans are generally contributory in Canada and non-contributory in the United States. The pension expense and the obligation related to the defined benefit plans are actuarially determined using management’s most probable assumptions.

We account for pensions in accordance with Statement No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans – an Amendment of FASB Statements No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R)” (FAS 158) which requires employers to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of defined benefit pension plans as an asset or liability in its Consolidated balance sheet. We account for other employee

 

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future benefits in accordance with FAS 158 which requires employers to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of postretirement plans as an asset or liability in its Consolidated balance sheet with an offsetting amount in accumulated other comprehensive income.

Pension and other employee future benefit assumptions include the discount rate, the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets, the rate of compensation increase, health care cost trend rates, mortality rates, employee early retirements and terminations or disabilities. Changes in these assumptions result in actuarial gains or losses which we have elected to amortize over the expected average remaining service life of the active employee group covered by the plans only to the extent that the unrecognized net actuarial gains and losses are in excess of 10% of the greater of the accrued benefit obligation and the market-related value of plan assets as at the beginning of the year.

An expected rate of return on plan assets of 6.2% was considered appropriate by our management for the determination of pension expense for 2007.

Effective January 1, 2007, Domtar Inc. will use 6.3% as the expected return on plan assets, which reflects the view of long-term investment returns.

The expected return on plan assets assumption is based on an analysis of the target asset allocation and expected return by asset class. This rate is adjusted for an equity risk premium and by 0.5% to take into consideration the active investment management of the plan assets.

We set our discount rate assumption annually to reflect the rates available on high-quality, fixed income debt instruments, with a duration that is expected to match the timing and amount of expected benefit payments. High-quality debt instruments are corporate bonds with a rating of AA or better.

The assets of the pension plans are held by a number of independent trustees and are accounted for separately in our pension funds. The investment strategy for the assets in the pension plans is to maintain a diversified portfolio of assets, invested in a prudent manner to maintain the security of funds while maximizing returns within the guidelines provided in the investment policy. The Company’s pension funds are not permitted to own any of Domtar’s shares or debt instruments. The target asset allocation is based on the expected duration of the benefit obligation.

Income Taxes

We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined according to differences between the carrying amounts and tax bases of the assets and liabilities. The change in the net deferred tax asset or liability is included in earnings. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates and laws expected to apply in the years in which assets and liabilities are expected to be recovered or settled. For these years, a projection of taxable income and an assumption of the ultimate recovery or settlement period for temporary differences are required. The projection of future taxable income is based on management’s best estimate and may vary from actual taxable income.

On a quarterly basis, we assess the need to establish a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets and, if it is deemed more likely than not that our deferred tax assets will not be realized based on these taxable income projections, a valuation allowance is recorded.

Our deferred tax assets are mainly composed of temporary differences related to accounting provisions for acquisitions, restructuring, environmental matters, as well as net operating loss carry forwards. The majority of these accruals are expected to be utilized or paid out over the next five years. Our deferred tax liabilities are mainly composed of temporary differences pertaining to plant, equipment and others. Estimating the ultimate settlement period, given the depreciation rates in effect are based on information as it develops, requires

 

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judgment and our best estimates. The reversal of timing differences is expected at future enacted tax rates, which could change due to changes in income tax laws or the introduction of tax changes through the presentation of annual budgets by different governments. As a result, a change in the timing and the income tax rate at which the components will reverse could materially affect deferred tax expense as recorded in our results of operations.

In addition, Canadian and American tax rules and regulations are subject to interpretation and require judgment that may be challenged by taxation authorities. To the best of our knowledge, we have adequately provided for our future tax consequences based upon current facts and circumstances and current tax law.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Our income before income taxes can be impacted by the following sensitivities:

 

Sensitivity Analysis

  

Estimated Annual Impact

On Income Before
Depreciation and
Amortization and
Interest Expense

(In millions of $, unless otherwise noted)     

Each $10/unit change in the selling price of the following products: (1)

  

Papers

   $ 52

Pulp – net position

     10

Wood (lumber)

     12

Interest rate (1% change in interest rate on our floating rate debt)

     8

Foreign exchange (US $0.01 change in relative value to the Canadian dollar before hedging)

     11

Energy (2)

  

Natural gas: $0.25/MMBtu change in price before hedging

     4

Crude oil: $1/barrel change in price before hedging

     1

(1) Based on estimated 2007 capacity (ST, ADMT or MFBM).

 

(2) Based on estimated 2007 consumption levels. The allocation between energy sources may vary during the year in order to take advantage of market conditions.

Domtar Corp. may, from time to time, hedge part of its foreign exchange, pulp, interest rate and energy positions, which may therefore impact the above sensitivities.

In the normal course of business, we are exposed to certain financial risks. We do not use derivative instruments for speculative purposes; although all derivative instruments purchased to minimize risk may not qualify for hedge accounting.

Interest Rate Risk

We are exposed to interest rate risk arising from fluctuations in interest rates on our cash and cash equivalents, bank indebtedness, bank credit facility and long-term debt. We may manage this interest rate exposure by the use of derivative instruments such as interest rate swap contracts.

Credit Risk

We are exposed to credit risk on the accounts receivable from our customers. In order to reduce this risk, we review new customers’ credit histories before granting credit and conduct regular reviews of existing customers’ credit performance. In addition, we aim to not rely heavily on a small number of significant customers. We buy credit insurance to mitigate part of our exposure to credit risk.

 

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We are also exposed to credit risk in the event of non-performance by counterparties to our financial instruments. We minimize this exposure by entering into contracts with counterparties that we believe are of high credit quality. We usually do not obtain collateral or other security to support financial instruments subject to credit risk. We regularly monitor the credit standing of counterparties.

Foreign Currency Risk

In order to reduce the potential negative effects of a fluctuating Canadian dollar, we hedge part of our foreign exchange exposure on anticipated costs denominated in Canadian dollars through the use of options and forward contracts. For hedge contracts meeting the requirement of hedge accounting, resulting gains and losses are recognized when the designated transaction is recognized. If we do not meet the requirements for hedge accounting, we account for these contracts at their fair value with resulting gains and losses being included in our results at each balance sheet date.

Price Risk

We are exposed to price risk on purchases and sales. We may hedge a portion of our exposure to price risk associated with purchases of bunker oil or sales of NBSK pulp through the use of derivative cash settled commodity swaps. For hedge contracts meeting the requirement of hedge accounting, resulting gains and losses are recognized when the designated transaction is recognized. If we do not meet the requirements for hedge accounting, we account for these contracts at their fair value with resulting gains and losses being included in our results at each balance sheet date. We may also enter into physical fixed price contracts to fix the price of natural gas for future periods.

Controls and Procedures

Transition to New Public Company

As discussed in detail under the caption “The Acquisition Transactions” in Note 1 of the interim financial statements, on March 7, 2007, we completed a transaction pursuant to which we became an independent holding company that, directly or indirectly through our subsidiaries, owns both the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. We are in the process of integrating the procedures and practices we inherited from Weyerhaeuser (with respect to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business) and from Domtar Inc. (with respect to the Domtar Inc. business). In connection with the Acquisition Transactions we entered into a Transition Services Agreement (TSA) with Weyerhaeuser to provide services to us relating to finance and administration, human resources and payroll, and information technology to enable us to manage an orderly transition in the operation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business. Pursuant to the TSA, certain financial and accounting information used to complete our financial statements for fiscal 2007, including the interim period ended July 1, 2007, and the comparable period of 2006 was, or will be, prepared by Weyerhaeuser based on Weyerhaeuser systems and controls.

There are many complexities arising from the Acquisition Transactions that impacted the preparation of our financial information including the timing of the closing of the Acquisition Transactions late in the first quarter and the related availability of the financial systems and related system conversion, and the allocation of the purchase price of Domtar Inc. to its assets and application of purchase accounting. In addition, in conjunction with the TSA with Weyerhaeuser, additional time was required to obtain certain key information and supporting documentation necessary to complete our review of all financial statement accounts. Our disclosure controls and procedures include extensive management and senior management review of all financial matters and disclosures before any public filing is made.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to

 

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management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In connection with the preparation of the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 1, 2007, an evaluation was performed, as of July 1, 2007, by members of management, at the direction and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based upon this evaluation and due to the material weaknesses discussed below, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of July 1, 2007, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective at a reasonable assurance level.

Material Weaknesses in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A material weakness is a control deficiency, or combination of control deficiencies, that results in more than a remote likelihood that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected. Management identified the following material weaknesses as of April 1, 2007 which were not remediated as of July 1, 2007.

The Company did not maintain effective controls over the completeness and accuracy of financial information produced under the TSA with Weyerhaeuser. Specifically, the Company did not have controls designed and in place to ensure that financial data regarding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was complete, accurate, produced on a timely basis and supported with appropriate documentation. Further, the Company did not maintain an appropriate accounting and financial reporting organizational structure, specifically relating to the depth of resources, to be able to ensure that the accounting records being maintained by Weyerhaeuser under the TSA were accurate and complete. The financial data produced under the TSA affects substantially all balance sheet and income statement accounts.

These control deficiencies resulted in adjustments to the April 1, 2007 interim financial statements and a delay in the filing of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for its first quarter of 2007. In addition, and until remediated, these control deficiencies could result in a misstatement of substantially all accounts and disclosures which would result in a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements that would not be prevented or detected.

Plan for Remediation of Material Weaknesses

We are in the process of integrating the procedures and practices we inherited from Weyerhaeuser (with respect to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business) and from Domtar Inc. (with respect to the Domtar Inc. business). We have hired additional professional financial and accounting staff, engaged temporary professional resources to help review the accounting records being prepared under the TSA and are preparing to take over the finance and administration, human resources and payroll, and information technology functions covered by the TSA with Weyerhaeuser. However, while we believe that we have controls designed to be effective, not all have operated for a sufficient period of time to demonstrate operating effectiveness. We will continue to receive services under the TSA for a period of time and, as a result, the circumstances that lead to the untimely filing of our Form 10-Q for the period ended April 1, 2007 may persist for a certain period in 2007 and may have an impact on future filings. We continue to monitor and assess our remediation activities to ensure that the material weaknesses discussed above are remediated as soon as practicable. However, management believes that they will be remediated by September 30, 2007, the date of our next fiscal quarter end.

Legal Proceedings

We are involved in various legal proceedings relating to contracts, commercial disputes, taxes, environmental issues, labor and employment and other matters related to former and ongoing operations. We periodically review the status of these proceedings and assess the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes of our legal proceedings, as well as analyze probable losses. While we believe that the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, an adverse

 

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outcome in one or more of the following significant legal proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our results of cash flow in a given quarter or year.

In the early part of 2006, Weyerhaeuser closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which the Company acquired in the Acquisition Transactions, and which remains closed. Certain unionized parties filed a grievance against Weyerhaeuser following the shut down, alleging that certain post-closure actions taken by Weyerhaeuser violated their collective bargaining agreement. In particular, the union disputed Weyerhaeuser’s post-closure contracting with a third-party vendor to oversee on-site security at Prince Albert. In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company has assumed any liability with respect to this grievance. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Prince Albert facility. However, consummation of this plan is subject to several critical conditions, and the Company has not determined whether these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In a separate grievance relating to the closure of the Prince Albert facility, which could result in liability in excess of $20 million, the union is claiming that it is entitled to the accumulated pension benefits during the actual layoff period because, according to the union, a majority of employees retained still had recall rights during the layoff. The Company is currently evaluating its position with respect to these grievances and cannot be certain that it will not incur liability, which could be material, with respect to these grievances.

Domtar Inc. is subject to a motion by Joachim Laferrière Électricien Inc., filed in the Québec Superior Court on January 9, 2006, for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others for alleged damages relating to a conspiracy to fix prices of carbonless sheets during the period of January through December 2000 in the Province of Québec, Canada. The claim seeks estimated compensatory damages in the amount of CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) plus estimated exemplary damages in the amount of CDN$1 million to CDN$4 million (approximately $1 million to $4 million). Domtar Inc. is also subject to a motion by McLay & Company Inc. filed in Ontario Superior Court on January 11, 2006 for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others, for alleged inflated prices of carbonless sheets paper during the period of October 1999 through September 2000 in the Province of Ontario, Canada. These class actions have been settled in principle for an immaterial amount, subject to the finalization of definitive agreements and to court approval. The settlement amount was fully reserved for in a prior period.

On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited (“Weston”) in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada against Domtar Inc. The claim alleges that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered an obligation of Domtar Inc. to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment contained in the Share Purchase Agreement, dated June 16, 1998 (as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, dated July 31, 1998, the “Agreement”) between Weston, Weston Investments Inc., Domtar Inc. and Domtar Industries Inc. pursuant to which Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc., an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The claim seeks a payment of CDN$110 million (approximately $103 million) under the purchase price adjustment provision of the Agreement and additional compensatory damages. On August 13, 2007, Domtar Inc. served its statement of defense in response to this claim. Neither we nor Domtar Inc. believes that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and Domtar Inc. intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar Inc. may not be successful in its defense of such claims, and if it is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on our and Domtar Inc.’s liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Several asbestos-related personal injury claims have been filed in U.S. state and federal courts against Domtar Industries Inc. and certain other affiliates of the Company in connection with alleged exposure by current and former employees of the Company to asbestos. While the Company believes that the ultimate disposition of these matters, both individually and on an aggregate basis, will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, there can be no assurance the Company will not incur substantial costs as a result of any such claim.

 

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Environment

The Company is or may be a “potentially responsible party” with respect to various hazardous waste sites that are being addressed pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“Superfund”) or similar laws. The Company continues to take remedial action under its Care and Control Program, as such sites mostly relate to its former wood preserving operating sites, and a number of operating sites due to possible soil, sediment or groundwater contamination. The investigation and remediation process is lengthy and subject to the uncertainties of changes in legal requirements, technological developments and, if and when applicable, the allocation of liability among potentially responsible parties.

An action was commenced by Seaspan International Ltd. (“Seaspan”) in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on March 31, 1999 against Domtar Inc. and others with respect to alleged contamination of Seaspan’s site bordering Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver, British Columbia, including contamination of sediments in Burrard Inlet, due to the presence of creosote. As of July 3, 2002, the parties entered into a partial Settlement Agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”) which provides that while the agreement is performed in accordance with its terms, the action commenced by Seaspan will be held in abeyance. The Settlement Agreement focused on the sharing of costs between Seaspan and Domtar Inc. for certain remediation of contamination referred to in the plaintiff’s claim. The parties have the contractual right to abandon the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement does not address all of the plaintiff’s claims that cannot be reasonably determined at this time.

Domtar Inc. was issued a Request for Response Action (“RFRA”) by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) for the clean-up of tar seeps and soils at a former coal tar distillation plant located in Duluth, Minnesota. On March 27, 1996, the MPCA issued the RFRA to Domtar Inc., Interlake Corp., Allied-Signal, Inc. and Beazer East, Inc. requiring the investigation and potential remediation of a portion of an industrial site located in Duluth, Minnesota believed to contain contaminated sediments originating from former coke and gas plants and coal tar distillation plants. Domtar Inc. formerly operated one coal tar distillation plant. The total cost of the likely remediation is estimated to be approximately $90 million. Allocation of responsibility among the parties is ongoing under an agreed final and binding arbitration process which we expect will be determined in the third quarter of 2007.

As at July 1, 2007, the Company had a reserve of $82 million for environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, management believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or earnings.

While we believe that we have determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred based on known information, our ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with our past and present properties will lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts will likely result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OF THE PREDECESSOR COMPANY

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2006

The Company was organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 16, 2006, and was, until March 7, 2007, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser. The Company is a holding company organized for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and consummating the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. The Company had no operations prior to March 7, 2007. On March 7, 2007, the following were completed:

 

  ·  

a series of transfers and other transactions resulting in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business becoming wholly-owned by the Company;

 

  ·  

the distribution of shares of the Company to certain Weyerhaeuser shareholders;

 

  ·  

the combination of Domtar Inc. with the Company; and

 

  ·  

the entry by the Company, Domtar Inc. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC into $1.5 billion senior secured credit facilities, consisting of an $800 million senior secured tranche B term loan facility and a $750 million senior secured revolving credit facility.

The predecessor entity to the Company for accounting and financial reporting purposes is the Company as though it owned only the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and not Domtar Inc. In this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, we refer to this predecessor entity as the Predecessor Company. The Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was owned and operated by Weyerhaeuser prior to the Acquisition Closing Date and was not a stand-alone business, subsidiary or separately reported segment of Weyerhaeuser.

The following discussion and analysis presents the factors that had a material effect on the results of operations of the Predecessor Company during the fiscal years ended the last Sunday of December 2006, 2005 and 2004. You should read this discussion in conjunction with the historical financial statements of the Company and the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and the notes to those statements and the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company and the notes to the pro forma condensed combined financial information included elsewhere in this Schedule C.

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains forward-looking statements. This discussion should be read in conjunction with “Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.

Introduction

As more fully described in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, the results of operations of the Company after the Acquisition Transactions will be significantly different than the results of operations of the Predecessor Company. This difference results from, among other things, the separation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business from Weyerhaeuser and the combination with Domtar Inc.

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is intended to provide investors with an understanding of the historical performance of the Predecessor Company, its financial condition and its prospects. This discussion and analysis relates to the three fiscal years ended December 31, 2006. As a result, it does not reflect changes to the Predecessor Company’s or the Company’s business that may have occurred during the first half of fiscal 2007. Because the Company’s business comprises

 

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the operations of both the Predecessor Company and Domtar Inc., unless the context requires otherwise, the forward-looking statements included in this section continue to apply to the Company following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, without regard to whether such statement refers to the Company or the Predecessor Company. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of the Company”.

Overview

The Predecessor Company principally manufactures and sells fine paper, including uncoated freesheet and coated groundwood. The Predecessor Company operates six uncoated freesheet mills in the United States and two in Canada (one of which is currently not in operation) and one coated groundwood mill in the United States. The Predecessor Company also manufactures papergrade pulp at several of its paper mills, fluff pulp at a pulp mill in Plymouth, North Carolina and papergrade pulp and specialty pulp at a pulp mill in Kamloops, British Columbia. Fluff pulp and specialty pulp are sold to third parties. Papergrade pulp is sold to the extent the Predecessor Company has greater capacity for pulp production than is required for internal use at its paper mills. The sale of papergrade pulp to third parties allows for optimization of pulp capacity while reducing overall manufacturing costs on a per unit of product basis. The Predecessor Company operates two sawmills in Canada (one of which is currently not in operation) and holds forest licenses to support its Canadian paper, pulp and lumber operations. Wapawekka Lumber Limited Partnership, in which the Predecessor Company owns a 51% equity interest, also has one sawmill in Canada (which is currently not in operation).

The Predecessor Company’s segments are:

 

  ·  

Papers – represents the aggregation of the manufacturing and distribution of business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty papers, as well as pulp.

 

  ·  

Wood – comprises the manufacturing and marketing of lumber and wood-based value-added products and the management of forest resources.

Separation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business from Weyerhaeuser

The Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was operated by Weyerhaeuser prior to the completion of the Acquisition Transactions.

The Company was organized for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and consummating the combination with Domtar Inc. The Company had no operations prior to March 7, 2007. Upon completion of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company became an independent public holding company that, directly or indirectly through its subsidiaries, owns the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc.

Although Weyerhaeuser does not have a continuing proprietary interest in the Company after the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company has entered into several agreements with Weyerhaeuser and/or certain of its subsidiaries in connection with the Acquisition Transactions, including a tax sharing agreement, an intellectual property licensing agreement, a transition services agreement, fiber and pulp supply agreements and site services agreements. These agreements enabled the Company to conduct the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business promptly following the completion of the Acquisition Transactions.

Upon consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Inc. became a subsidiary of the Company.

Factors Affecting Results of Operations

The results of operations and cash flows of the Predecessor Company are, and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company will be, affected by several factors, including industry cyclicality affecting market prices for pulp and paper, continued long-term decline in demand, competition from competing technologies and products, intense competition from low-cost suppliers, the impact of facility closures and imports on supply,

 

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transportation, energy and raw material costs, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, charges associated with restructurings, closures and the impairment of goodwill, the impact of prices for energy and raw materials (especially those related to fiber, chemical costs, transportation and energy-related costs) on product margins, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and income taxes.

Industry Cyclicality

The Predecessor Company’s operating results are, and the Company’s operating results will be, affected by a variety of market conditions that influence demand and pricing for its products. The overall level of demand for paper is affected by, among other things, levels of white-collar employment. Accordingly, the Predecessor Company’s financial results depend in large part on general macroeconomic conditions in North America, as well as on regional economic conditions in the geographic markets in which it operates. These factors, such as the health of the economy and the strength of the U.S. dollar, are cyclical in nature. As a result, revenues in the pulp and paper industry and in the Predecessor Company’s and the Company’s business tend to be cyclical, with periods of shortage and rising market prices, leading to increased production and increased industry investment until supply exceeds demand. Those periods are then typically followed by periods of reduced market prices and excess and idled capacity until the cycle is repeated. The global economy grew at a healthy pace in 2005 and 2006.

The paper products industry is highly cyclical. Fluctuations in the prices of and the demand for the Company’s products could result in smaller profit margins and lower sales volumes.

Long-Term Decline in Demand

Although, historically, demand for uncoated freesheet, like demand for paper products generally, has correlated positively with general economic activity, over the past six years ending on December 31, 2006, demand for some paper grades has decreased as the use of electronic transmission and document storage alternatives has become more widespread. In 2006, demand for uncoated freesheet in North America decreased approximately 0.6% compared to 2005. In part, demand for paper grades that the Predecessor Company produced and the Company produces have been declining as a result of competition from other grades of paper that it did not produce, such as uncoated groundwood.

Some of the Predecessor Company’s and the Company’s products are vulnerable to long-term declines in demand due to competing technologies or materials.

Competition from Competing Technologies and Products

In addition to competition with electronic transmission and document storage alternatives, the Predecessor Company’s paper business competes with paper grades it does not produce. In particular, high brightness uncoated groundwood grade paper is increasingly being substituted for uncoated freesheet paper produced by the Predecessor Company. As a result of such competition, the Predecessor Company has experienced decreased demand for some of its existing commercial printing products. As the use of these alternatives grows, demand for uncoated freesheet produced by the Company is likely to decline further. The Predecessor Company’s wood product businesses also compete with alternative products such as engineered wood products.

See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to the Industries and Businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc. – Some of the Company’s products are vulnerable to long-term declines in demand due to competing technologies or materials.”

Intense Competition from Low-Cost Suppliers

The Predecessor Company competes with North American and, for many of its product lines, global producers, some of which may have greater financial resources and lower production costs than the Predecessor

 

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Company has. With the appreciation of the Canadian dollar in recent years, the Predecessor Company’s Canadian operations, in particular, have been unable to compete as effectively with U.S. producers protected, in part, in the case of softwood lumber, by the imposition of countervailing and antidumping duties. In addition, foreign competition increasingly has been putting pressure on prices as new lower-cost producers from South America enter the North American market.

See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to the Industries and Businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc. – The Company faces intense competition in its markets, and the failure to compete effectively would have a material adverse effect on its business and results of operations.”

Impact of Closures and Imports on Supply

Industry supply of commodity pulp and paper products is affected by the number of operational or idled facilities, the building of new capacity and the shutting down of existing capacity. Capacity also tends to increase gradually over time without significant capital expenditures, as manufacturers implement production efficiencies. Generally, more capacity is added or employed when supply is tight and margins are relatively high, and capacity is idled or eliminated when supply significantly exceeds demand and margins are poor. Margins tend to decrease with lower capacity utilization because of downward price pressure and because fixed costs attributable to a product are spread across lower volumes.

While new capacity additions are constrained by the high capital investment and long lead times required to plan, obtain regulatory approvals for and build a new mill, a favorable pricing environment may prompt manufacturers to initiate expansion projects.

Faced with declining demand, rising costs (especially energy costs) and, in some cases, a rising Canadian dollar, several North American paper producers, including Weyerhaeuser, announced facility closures that decreased or will decrease supply. In 2005, Weyerhaeuser announced the indefinite closure of the pulp and paper mill at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan together with related vertically-integrated sawmill facilities as well as a paper machine at the Dryden, Ontario mill.

Industry supply of commodity pulp and papers is also influenced by the level of imports and overseas production capacity, which has grown in recent years and is expected to continue to grow. While the weakness of the U.S. dollar has mitigated the level of imports in recent years, a strengthening in the U.S. dollar would likely increase imports of commodity wood products and papers from overseas, thereby offsetting domestic capacity rationalization and putting downward pressure on prices.

Transportation, Energy and Raw Material Costs

The Predecessor Company depends on the transportation of a large number of products, both domestically and internationally. The Predecessor Company relies primarily on third parties for transportation of the products it manufactures, as well as delivery of raw materials for its operations. In particular, a significant portion of the goods the Predecessor Company manufactures and the raw materials it uses are transported by railroad or trucks, which are highly regulated. Increases in transportation rates or fuel surcharges adversely affected the Predecessor Company’s profit margins in the past and could continue to affect the Company’s profit margins in the future. In addition, any failure of a third-party transportation provider to deliver raw materials or finished products in a timely manner could harm the Company’s reputation, negatively impact its customer relationships and have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operation.

The Predecessor Company consumes substantial amounts of energy such as electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel (wood waste) and raw materials such as chemicals and fiber. In recent years increases in energy and chemical costs have adversely affected the Predecessor Company’s profit margins. There can be no

 

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assurance that there will not be substantial increases in the price, or less availability, of energy and raw materials in the future or that the Company can pass on any such increases through increases in the price of its products.

On average, industry prices for uncoated freesheet increased in 2005 compared to 2004 and continued to rise in 2006. Margins declined from 2004 to 2005 despite the increase in prices as costs increased at a faster pace than prices. In 2006, margins improved as price increases were implemented that exceeded cost escalation.

See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to the Industries and Businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.—An increase in the cost of the Company’s purchased energy or chemicals would lead to higher manufacturing costs, thereby reducing its margins.”

Fluctuations in Foreign Currency Exchange Rates

Sales of pulp and paper by the Predecessor Company’s Canadian manufacturing facilities are invoiced in U.S. dollars in accordance with industry practice; therefore, reported net sales for the Predecessor Company’s pulp and paper operations are not affected by changes in foreign currency rates. However, the Predecessor Company is exposed to changes in foreign currency exchange rates because most of the costs relating to its Canadian pulp and paper business are incurred in Canadian dollars. As a result, any decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the Canadian dollar reduced the Predecessor Company’s, and will reduce the Company’s, profitability. Through much of the periods presented in this analysis, the value of the U.S. dollar had been declining relative to the Canadian dollar.

See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to the Industries and Businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc. – The Company is affected by changes in currency exchange rates.”

Lumber Export Taxes and/or Countervailing and Antidumping Duties

The Predecessor Company paid countervailing and antidumping duties on softwood lumber that it exported from Canada into the United States of $3 million, $7 million, $8 million and $15 million in the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005, December 26, 2004 and December 28, 2003, respectively. The United States and Canada reached a final settlement to this long-standing dispute in 2006. Under the settlement agreement, a Canadian export tax was instituted that requires Canadian softwood lumber exporters to pay the tax when the price of lumber is at or below a threshold and Canadian softwood lumber exporters received refunds of approximately 81% of countervailing and antidumping duties paid between 2002 and 2006. Under present market conditions, the Company’s softwood lumber exports are subject to a 5% export charge. The export charge will be included in costs of products sold in the Company’s statements of income and will reduce the margins earned on sales of softwood lumber. The Predecessor Company received a refund of countervailing and antidumping duties of $65 million and recognized the refund as income in the fourth quarter of 2006.

See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to the Industries and Businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc. – The Company may be required to pay significant lumber export taxes and/or countervailing and antidumping duties.”

 

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Charges associated with the Restructurings, Closures and the Impairment of Goodwill

As more fully described herein, the comparability of the Predecessor Company’s operating results across periods in its Papers segment was affected by certain significant charges associated with restructurings, closures and the impairment of goodwill as follows:

 

     Year ended
   December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
   December 26,
2004
(Dollars in millions)        

Charges for restructuring, closure of facilities and impairment of goodwill:

       

Papers

   $ 765     $ 461    $ 16

Wood

     (1 )     77      1
                     

Total charges for restructuring, closure of facilities and impairment of goodwill

   $ 764     $ 538    $ 17
                     

The Predecessor Company reviews the carrying value of its long-lived assets and goodwill when events and changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable through future operations. In addition, goodwill is assessed annually in the fourth quarter for impairment.

The Predecessor Company periodically reviews the performance of its facility portfolio. If it appears unlikely that a facility will achieve a desired level of financial performance, the facility may be subject to a “fix, sale or close” assessment. This assessment or any other event that calls into question the future cash generation capability of a facility also triggers a review to determine if there has been an impairment of the carrying value of the facility. In recent years this process has led to the shutdown of one facility and of several paper machines, and the recording of significant asset impairment charges and severance costs. During the fourth quarter of 2005, Weyerhaeuser announced an indefinite closure of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill and one of the two paper machines at the Dryden, Ontario mill due to poor market conditions and recognized charges of $534 million in connection with the closures. It is possible that the Company will incur additional charges and costs in future periods should such triggering events occur.

As of December 25, 2005, the carrying amount of goodwill for Weyerhaeuser’s Papers segment was $760 million, which included $749 million related to the paper operations and $11 million related to pulp operations. Based on an evaluation of the value of assets and liabilities relating to paper operations, Weyerhaeuser believed that the implied value of paper goodwill was zero as of the first quarter of 2006. Weyerhaeuser recognized a charge of $749 million in 2006 for the impairment of goodwill associated with paper operations. Further restructuring activities, protracted economic weakness or poor operating results, among other factors, could trigger an impairment of $11 million of goodwill related to pulp operations at some future date.

Impact of Prices for Energy and Raw Materials on Product Margins

Most of the Predecessor Company’s pulp and paper products are commodity products that are widely available and can be readily produced by its competitors. Because commodity products have few distinguishing qualities from producer to producer, competition for these products is primarily based on price, which is determined by supply relative to demand. Generally, market conditions beyond the Predecessor Company’s control determine the price for its commodity products, and the price for any one or more of these products may fall below its cash production costs. Therefore, the Company’s profitability with respect to these products depends on managing its cost structure, particularly energy and raw material costs, which also exhibit commodity characteristics.

 

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The Predecessor Company consumes substantial amounts of energy such as electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel (wood waste) and raw materials such as chemicals and fiber. There can be no assurance that there will not be substantial increases in the price, or less availability, of energy and raw material sources in the future or that the Company can pass on any such price increases through increases in the price of its products.

On average, industry prices for uncoated freesheet increased in 2006 and 2005 compared to 2004. Margins declined from 2004 to 2005 despite the increase in prices as costs increased at a faster pace than prices. In 2006, margins improved as price increases were implemented that exceeded cost escalation.

See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to the Industries and Businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc. – An increase in the cost of the Company’s purchased energy or chemicals would lead to higher manufacturing costs, thereby reducing its margins.”

Income Taxes

Under current U.S. tax law, the ability to use tax credits from the production of non-conventional fuel is phased out ratably when the average annual domestic wellhead price published by the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) is $53 to $67 per barrel (in 2005 dollars) and is fully phased out if the top end of the price range is reached. Based on domestic wellhead prices at the end of 2006, the Predecessor Company is within the phase out range. The estimated loss of non-conventional fuel credits in 2006 due to phase out is $7 million.

As of December 31, 2006, the Predecessor Company had foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $353 million. The deferred tax asset associated with the foreign net operating loss carryforwards is $118 million, reduced by a valuation allowance of $109 million. As a result of the Acquisition Transactions, the foreign net operating loss carryforwards did not transfer to the Company. Therefore, net operating loss carryforwards will not be available to offset future taxable income of the Company.

The Predecessor Company recognized a deferred tax asset of $145 million related to deductions for asset impairments in 2005. See “ – Factors Affecting Results of Operations – Charges associated with the Restructurings, Closures and the Impairment of Goodwill.” As a result of the Acquisition Transactions, the historical book-tax difference in Canadian assets did not transfer to the Company. Therefore, this deferred tax asset is not available to offset future income taxes of the Company.

As a result of the Acquisition Transactions, the Canadian depreciable assets have a basis that is determined by reference to the consideration paid for them, and the historical book-tax difference related to these assets no longer generates a deferred tax liability, which was $223 million at December 31, 2006.

 

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Results of Operations

Overview

The following table sets forth the Predecessor Company’s operating results for the fiscal years ended the last Sunday of December 2006, 2005 and 2004:

 

     Year ended  
       December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
    December 26,
2004
 
(Dollars in millions)                   

Sales:

      

Papers

   $ 3,143     $ 3,072     $ 2,867  

Wood

     163       195       159  
                        

Total sales

     3,306       3,267       3,026  
                        

Costs and expenses:

      

Cost of products sold

     2,649       2,760       2,485  

Depreciation and amortization

     311       357       348  

Taxes other than payroll and income taxes

     25       24       22  

Selling, general and administrative

     174       174       192  

Charges for restructuring, closure of facilities and impairment of goodwill

     764       538       17  

Refund of countervailing and antidumping duties

     (65 )            

Other operating costs (income)

     4       (8 )     3  
                        

Total costs and expenses

   $ 3,862     $ 3,845     $ 3,067  
                        

Operating loss

   $ (556 )   $ (578 )   $ (41 )
                        

Contribution (charge) to earnings:

      

Papers

   $ (608 )   $ (492 )   $ (39 )

Wood

     52       (86 )     (2 )
                        

Operating loss

     (556 )     (578 )     (41 )

Income tax expense (benefit)

     53       (100 )     (24 )
                        

Net loss

   $ (609 )   $ (478 )   $ (17 )
                        

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2006 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 25, 2005

Sales .    Net sales and revenues of $3,306 million in 2006 increased $39 million, or 1.2%, compared to net sales and revenues of $3,267 million in 2005. This increase is mainly attributable to higher sales prices for both paper and pulp products which were largely offset by reduced sales volumes as a result of the closures of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan pulp and paper mill and a Dryden, Ontario paper machine and closures at the Big River and Wapawekka, Saskatchewan sawmills.

Net sales in the Papers segment of $3,143 million in 2006 increased $71 million, or 2.3%, compared to $3,072 million in 2005. Unit shipments of paper in 2006 declined approximately 8% compared to 2005. Average selling prices of paper in 2006 increased approximately $84 per ton, or 11%, compared to 2005. The volume decline is primarily caused by the closures of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill and a paper machine at the Dryden, Ontario mill. The increase in average selling prices is a result of an overall improvement in the uncoated freesheet market. Pulp shipments declined approximately 3% in 2006 compared to 2005 due primarily to the closure of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill. Average selling prices for pulp products increased approximately $59 per ton or 11% in 2006 compared to 2005 as a result of an overall improvement in the pulp

 

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markets. Overall improvement in the pulp and paper markets were largely the result of supply and demand balance improvement and cost push effect on prices due to increasing raw material costs and a weakening of the U.S. dollar.

Net sales in the Wood segment of $163 million in 2006 decreased $32 million, or 16.4%, from $195 million in 2005. This decrease in sales is primarily a result of the closure of the Big River and the Wapawekka sawmills in Saskatchewan.

Costs and Expenses .    Costs and expenses of $3,862 million in 2006 increased $17 million, or 0.4%, compared to costs and expenses of $3,845 million in 2005. This increase was primarily due to charges associated with the impairment of goodwill and the closure of facilities, partially offset by a decrease in the cost of goods sold, a decrease in depreciation and amortization expense and a refund of countervailing and antidumping deposits received in 2006.

Cost of goods sold was $2,649 million in 2006, which is a decrease of $111 million, or 4.0%, compared to cost of goods sold of $2,760 million in 2005. This decrease was primarily due to a reduction in the costs incurred in the production process for pulp and paper of approximately $213 million as a result of the closures of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill and a paper machine at the Dryden, Ontario mill. The Papers segment experienced an increase in costs of approximately $127 million associated with a $38 million increase in operating costs at the Canadian facilities as a result of the strengthening of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar, a $34 million increase in chemical costs, a $14 million increase in supplies (primarily packaging materials) and a $41 million increase in other miscellaneous items during 2006, for the facilities that continued to operate. Wood segment cost of products sold declined by approximately $26 million due primarily to the closures of the Big River and Wapawekka sawmills partially offset by an increase in third party sales volume in the forest operations.

Depreciation and amortization expense of $311 million in 2006 decreased $46 million, or 12.9%, compared to depreciation and amortization expense of $357 million in 2005, primarily as a result of facility closures.

An impairment of paper goodwill and charges for closure of facilities were recorded in the amounts of $749 million and $15 million, respectively, in 2006 compared to a charge for closure and restructuring of facilities in the amount of $538 million in 2005.

A pretax refund of $65 million in previously paid countervailing and antidumping deposits resulting from the settlement of the Canadian softwood lumber dispute was received in 2006.

Operating Loss .    Operating loss of $556 million in 2006 decreased $22 million compared to operating loss of $578 million in 2005 due to items previously discussed.

Income Taxes .    The income taxes of $53 million in 2006 increased $153 million compared to the income tax benefit of $100 million in 2005, primarily due to taxable income in 2006. The impairment of goodwill charge is not deductible for tax purposes.

During 2006, the Predecessor Company recognized a $3 million income tax benefit related to a change in Texas state income tax laws. In 2005, the Predecessor Company recognized a $1 million income tax benefit related to a reduction in a British Columbia provincial income tax rate and a $3 million income tax benefit related to a change in Ohio state income tax laws.

Net Loss .    Net loss of $609 million in 2006 increased $131 million compared to a net loss of $478 million in 2005. This increase resulted from the items discussed above.

 

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Fiscal Year Ended December 25, 2005 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 26, 2004

Sales .    Net sales and revenues of $3,267 million in 2005 increased $241 million, or 8.0%, compared to net sales and revenues of $3,026 million in 2004. This increase is mainly the result of an increase in average selling prices and shipment volumes for pulp and paper.

Net sales of the Papers segment of $3,072 million in 2005 increased $205 million, or 7.2%, compared to net sales of $2,867 million in 2004 resulting from a general improvement in U.S. economic conditions. In 2005, average selling prices for paper increased approximately $37 per ton, or 5%, compared to average selling prices in 2004. Unit shipments of paper in 2005 increased approximately 3% compared to unit shipments in 2004. In 2005, average selling prices for pulp products increased approximately $6 per ton, or 1%, compared to 2004. Unit shipments of pulp products declined approximately 1% in 2005.

Net sales of the Wood segment of $195 million in 2005 increased $36 million, or 22.6%, compared to net sales of $159 million in 2004, primarily as a result of increased shipment volumes. Average selling prices increased modestly, but shipment volume increased 13% in 2005 compared to 2004. The sawmill operations took five months less market-related downtime at one of its mills in 2005 compared to 2004.

Costs and Expenses .    Costs and expenses of $3,845 million in 2005 increased $778 million, or 25.4%, compared to costs and expenses of $3,067 million in 2004. This increase in costs and expenses is primarily caused by charges for closures of facilities and increased cost of goods sold.

Cost of goods sold of $2,760 million in 2005 increased $275 million, or 11.1%, compared to cost of goods sold of $2,485 million in 2004. An increase in paper product shipments resulted in an increase in cost of goods sold of approximately $71 million. In the Papers segment energy and chemical costs increased approximately $46 million in 2005. Transportation costs increased approximately $56 million in 2005, primarily due to fuel related cost increases. The strengthening of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar during 2005 compared to 2004 resulted in a $54 million increase in operating costs of the segment’s Canadian facilities when translated into U.S. dollars. Cost of goods sold for the Wood segment increased $48 million, primarily due to the incremental sales volumes.

Selling, general and administrative expenses (including allocated Weyerhaeuser costs) of $174 million in 2005 decreased $18 million, or 9.4%, compared to $192 million in 2004, primarily as a result of efforts to reduce controllable costs.

Restructuring charges of $3 million in 2005 decreased $14 million, or 82.4%, compared to restructuring charges of $17 million in 2004. The Predecessor Company incurred these restructuring charges in 2004 primarily for restructuring activities associated with the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and Dryden, Ontario mills.

Charges for closure of facilities in the amount of $534 million were recorded in 2005, primarily related to the decision to close the pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan together with its vertically-integrated sawmill facilities as well as a paper machine at the Dryden, Ontario mill.

Operating Loss .    Operating loss of $578 million in 2005 increased $537 million compared to an operating loss of $41 million in 2004. Excluding the previously discussed charges for restructuring, closure of facilities and goodwill totaling $538 million in 2005 and $17 million in 2004, there would have been an operating loss of $40 million in 2005, representing an increase of $16 million, or 67%, compared to an operating loss of $24 million in 2004. This increase resulted from the items discussed above.

Income Taxes .    The benefit from income taxes of $100 million in 2005 increased $76 million compared to the income tax benefit of $24 million in 2004, primarily due to a higher operating loss, offset in part by an increase of $106 million in the valuation allowance associated with Canadian net operating losses and income tax credits.

 

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During 2005, the Predecessor Company recognized a $1 million income tax benefit related to a reduction in a British Columbia provincial income tax rate and a $3 million income tax benefit related to a change in Ohio state income tax laws.

Net Loss .    Net loss of $478 million in 2005 increased $461 million compared to a net loss of $17 million in 2004. This increase resulted from the items discussed above.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Historical

Historically, the Predecessor Company’s principal source of liquidity was cash flow generated from operating activities and intercompany financings from Weyerhaeuser.

The following table sets forth a summary of cash flows for the fiscal years ended the last Sunday of December 2006, 2005 and 2004:

 

     Year ended  
     December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
    December 26,
2004
 
(Dollars in millions)                   

Net cash provided by (used for):

      

Operating activities

   $ 357     $ 190     $ 209  

Investing activities

     (63 )     (109 )     (82 )

Financing activities

     (294 )     (82 )     (126 )
                        

Net change in cash

   $     $ (1 )   $ 1  
                        

Cash provided by operating activities

Cash provided by operating activities was $357 million in 2006 compared to $190 million in 2005 and $209 million, in 2004.

The increase in the cash provided by operating activities in 2006 compared to the cash provided by operating activities in 2005 was primarily the result of the following:

 

  ·  

Cash received from customers, net of cash paid to employees, suppliers and others, increased $235 million in 2006 as compared to 2005. As discussed in “ – Results of Operations” above, prices for, and margins earned on, pulp and paper products increased in 2006. Even though the volume of pulp and paper products sold in 2006 declined primarily due to the closures of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan facility and a Dryden, Ontario paper machine, the net cash generated increased.

 

  ·  

The amount of cash that the Predecessor Company paid for income taxes to Weyerhaeuser increased $68 million in 2006 as compared to 2005, primarily due to higher taxable earnings in 2006. The Predecessor Company earned $193 million before taxes in 2006, prior to a $749 million goodwill impairment charge, compared to a loss of $578 million before taxes in 2005. The goodwill impairment is not deductible for income tax purposes and represents a permanent book-tax difference. As a result, no tax benefit was recognized for the goodwill impairment charge. The amount of current income taxes due is assumed to be paid by the Predecessor Company to Weyerhaeuser in the period owing in the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business. See notes to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this Schedule C.

The decrease in the cash provided by operating activities in 2005, compared to the cash provided by operating activities in 2004, was primarily the result of the following:

 

  ·  

Cash received from customers, net of cash paid to employees, suppliers and others, increased $2 million in 2005 as compared to 2004. As discussed in “– Results of Operations,” an increase in sales in 2005 was offset by increases in manufacturing costs.

 

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  ·  

The amount of cash that the Predecessor Company paid for income taxes to Weyerhaeuser increased $21 million in 2005 as compared to 2004, primarily due to higher taxable earnings in 2005.

Cash used for investing activities

The following table sets forth a summary of cash flow for investing activities for the fiscal years ended the last Sunday of December 2006, 2005 and 2004:

 

     Year ended
   December 31,
2006
   December 25,
2005
   December 26,
2004
(Dollars in millions)               

Papers

   $ 63    $ 104    $ 77

Wood

          5      5
                    
   $ 63    $ 109    $ 82
                    

The Predecessor Company’s operations are highly capital intensive and require annual capital investment to improve the efficiency of operations, ensure environmental compliance and replace aging equipment. In 2006 new capital investment totaled $64 million, including approximately $2 million for environmental compliance and the remainder for optimizing facilities, replacing equipment and reducing costs. In 2005, new capital investment totaled $113 million, more than half of which was for optimizing facilities and reducing costs. In 2004, the Predecessor Company incurred capital expenditures totaling $89 million, including $23 million for environmental compliance and the remainder for projects focused on replacement of major equipment and optimization.

The level of capital expenditures could increase or decrease as a consequence of a number of factors, including future economic conditions, weather and the timing of equipment purchases. Historically, internally generated cash flows or capital from Weyerhaeuser provided the cash needed to meet the Predecessor Company’s capital expenditures, investment and other requirements.

Cash used for financing activities

Historically, the Predecessor Company obtained its financing through intercompany borrowings with Weyerhaeuser. The Predecessor Company made net payments of $287 million, $76 million and $121 million to Weyerhaeuser in 2006, 2005 and 2004, respectively. Any outstanding receivables or payables under these intercompany borrowings were not transferred or assumed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries as part of the Acquisition Transactions.

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc. entered into the Credit Agreement, which consists of an $800 million senior secured tranche B term loan facility and a $750 million senior secured revolving credit facility. In connection with the closing of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company borrowed $800 million under the tranche B term loan facility and $60M under the revolving credit facility. The revolving credit facility may be used by the Company and Domtar Inc. for working capital needs and for general corporate purposes, and a portion will be available for letters of credit and swingline loans. Borrowings by the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC under the revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars, and borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars and be limited to $150 million (or the Canadian dollar equivalent thereof).

See “Description of Other Indebtedness” for more information on the terms of the senior secured credit facilities, including with respect to guarantees and security.

 

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Differences in credit ratings affect the interest rates at which the Company may sell debt securities or borrow funds, as well as the amounts of indebtedness and types of financing structures that may be available to the Company.

The Company’s primary future recurring cash needs are working capital, capital expenditures and debt service. The Company believes that its cash flows from operations, together with the amounts available for borrowings under the senior secured credit facilities discussed above, are sufficient to meet the Company’s recurring cash needs during the 12 month period after the Acquisition Transactions and for the foreseeable future thereafter. There can be no assurance, however, that this will be the case. If the Company’s cash flows from operations are less than is expected, the Company may need to incur additional debt. The Company may from time to time incur additional debt.

The Company’s ability to make payments on and to refinance its indebtedness, including the debt the Company incurred under the senior secured credit facilities, and to fund working capital, capital expenditures, debt service and investments will depend on the Company’s ability to generate cash in the future, which is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond its control. The terms of the debt the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc. incurred under the senior secured credit facilities, the terms of debt incurred by Domtar Inc. under its existing debt instruments and the terms of future indebtedness may impose various restrictions and covenants on the Company that could limit its ability to respond to market conditions, to provide for unanticipated capital investments or to take advantage of business opportunities.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

Off-balance sheet arrangements did not have a material effect on the Predecessor’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flow and are not reasonably likely to have a material effect on the Company’s future financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Domtar Inc. historically has had off balance sheet arrangements that will be reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements for fiscal periods following the Acquisition Closing Date. See Domtar Inc.’s consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Schedule C.

We expect that we will finance certain of our activities off balance sheet through leases and accounts receivable securitizations. See “Description of Other Indebtedness.”

Hedging Arrangements

The Predecessor Company purchased natural gas at the prevailing market price at the time of delivery. In order to manage the cash flow risk associated with purchases of natural gas, the Predecessor Company participated in a Weyerhaeuser hedging program whereby Weyerhaeuser utilizes derivative financial instruments to fix the price of up to 30% of forecasted natural gas purchases for periods up to 18 months.

Following the Acquisition Transactions, the Company does not participate in this hedging program. See note 13 to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this Schedule C. See also “Risk Factors – Risks Related to the Industries and Businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc. – An increase in the cost of the Company’s purchased energy or chemicals would lead to higher manufacturing costs, thereby reducing its margins.” The Company may enter into new hedging arrangements following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions.

Dividends

The Company does not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future. In addition, the Company’s ability to pay dividends will be restricted by current and future agreements governing the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries’ debt, including its senior secured credit facilities.

 

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Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments

The following table summarizes the Predecessor Company’s significant contractual obligations as of December 31, 2006:

 

     Total    Less than
1 Year
   1-3 Years    3-5 Years    More than
5 Years
(Dollars in millions)                         

Capital lease obligations

   $ 45    $ 9    $ 16    $ 8    $ 12

Operating lease obligations

     8      4      3           1

Purchase obligations (1)

     38      32      6          

Estimated minimum pension funding requirement

     5      5               
                                  
   $ 96    $ 50    $ 25    $ 8    $ 13
                                  

(1) Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding on the Predecessor Company and that specify all significant terms, including: fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable price provisions; and the approximate timing of the transaction. Purchase obligations exclude arrangements that the Predecessor Company can cancel without penalty.

See notes 12 and 15 to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this Schedule C.

Environmental Matters, Legal Proceedings and Other Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

The Predecessor Company is subject to a small number of claims and litigation matters that have arisen in the ordinary course of business. Although the final outcome of any legal proceeding is subject to many variables and cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty, the Company currently believes that the ultimate outcome of these legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s long-term results of operations, cash flows or financial position. See note 15 to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this Schedule C. In addition, see “Business of the Company – Legal Proceedings,” for a discussion of litigation related to the Predecessor Company that was assumed by the Company in connection with the Acquisition Transactions.

Environmental Matters

During the first quarter of 2006, the Predecessor Company closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the Big River sawmill in Saskatchewan due to poor market conditions. The Company has not determined whether these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event the facilities are permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at one or both facilities. In the event decommissioning and reclamation is required at either facility, the work is likely to include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts.

The Predecessor Company was, and the Company is, party to various proceedings relating to the cleanup of hazardous waste sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as “Superfund,” and similar state laws. The EPA and/or various state agencies notified the Predecessor Company that it may be a potentially responsible party with respect to other hazardous waste sites as to which no proceedings have been instituted against either the Predecessor Company or the Company. At December 31, 2006, the Predecessor Company had established reserves totaling $4 million for estimated remediation costs on the three active sites in its operations. Environmental remediation reserves totaled $9 million at the end of 2005. The decrease in environmental remediation reserves reflects the incorporation of new information on all sites concerning remediation alternatives, updates on prior cost estimates and new sites, and the costs incurred to remediate these sites during this period. In estimating both the Company’s current accruals for environmental remediation and the possible range of additional future costs, the Company has

 

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assumed that it will not bear the entire cost of remediation of every site to the exclusion of other known potentially responsible parties who may be jointly and severally liable. The ability of other potentially responsible parties to participate has been taken into account, generally based on each party’s financial condition and probable contribution on a per-site basis. No amounts have been recorded for potential recoveries from insurance carriers.

The Predecessor Company has not recognized a liability under Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 47, Accounting for Conditional Asset Retirement Obligations – an Interpretation of Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 143 (“FIN 47”), for certain legal obligations, primarily special handling for the removal and disposal of encapsulated asbestos from facilities and equipment. The fair value of such obligations cannot be reasonably estimated because the settlement dates are not reasonably determinable. The Company will establish a liability under FIN 47 at the time the fair value becomes reasonably estimable.

See note 15 to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this Schedule C.

Critical Accounting Policies

The Predecessor Company’s significant accounting policies are described in note 2 to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this Schedule C. The Predecessor Company’s critical accounting policies are those that may involve a higher degree of judgment, estimates and complexity. The Predecessor Company’s most critical accounting policies include those related to the basis of presentation of the combined financial statements, its portion of Weyerhaeuser’s pension and post-retirement benefit plans and potential impairments of long-lived assets and goodwill. While the Predecessor Company based its judgments and estimates on historical experience and other assumptions that the Predecessor Company believed were appropriate and reasonable under the then current circumstances, actual resolution of these matters may differ from recorded estimated amounts.

Basis of Presentation of Financial Statements

Historically, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was operated as an integral part of Weyerhaeuser. Separate stand-alone financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have not historically been prepared for this business unit. The combined financial statements have been derived from historical accounting records of Weyerhaeuser and include many assumptions regarding apportionment of central general and administrative cost for accounting, human resources, purchasing, information systems, transaction services, payroll processing costs, legal fees and other overhead costs. These centralized costs were allocated to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business using a three-part apportionment factor based on relative headcount, assets and certain revenue. Weyerhaeuser pension and post-retirement benefits expense was allocated based on relative salaried headcount. Weyerhaeuser believes the basis for allocation of these costs is reasonable; however, these estimates are highly subjective. The Company has not undertaken any independent analysis of Weyerhaeuser’s estimates.

Certain of the Predecessor Company’s working capital assets, property, plant and equipment and liabilities are common assets and liabilities shared with Weyerhaeuser facilities not subject to the Acquisition Transactions. Weyerhaeuser performed allocations in order to reflect the appropriate portion of each asset and liability in the accounts of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business. These allocations were based on a three-part apportionment factor based on relative headcount, assets and certain revenue. Weyerhaeuser believes the methodologies used for the asset and liability allocations are reasonable. However, these estimates are highly subjective and the Company has not undertaken any independent analysis of Weyerhaeuser’s methodologies.

The results of operations, balance sheet and cash flows are presented under the funding structure prior to the Acquisition Transactions, which was supported by Weyerhaeuser. Significant differences in the funding and

 

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operation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business may have existed if it had operated as an independent, stand-alone entity, including the need for debt and the incurrence of interest expense, which could have had a significant impact on the financial position and results of operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business.

Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Accounting

The Predecessor Company participated in several retirement programs for its employees that were sponsored by Weyerhaeuser. In the United States, this included pension plans that are qualified under the Code (qualified) as well as a plan that provides benefits in addition to those provided under the qualified plans for a select group of employees, which is not qualified under the Code (unqualified). In Canada, plans are registered under the Income Tax Act and under their respective provincial pension acts (registered), or plans may provide additional benefits to a select group of employees, and not be registered under the Income Tax Act or provincial pension acts (nonregistered). Weyerhaeuser also provided benefits under a post-retirement healthcare and life insurance plan to eligible salaried employees in both countries. Benefits provided under the post-retirement healthcare and life insurance plan were funded by the general assets of Weyerhaeuser. The measurement date for all plans sponsored by Weyerhaeuser was the end of the fiscal year.

Four Canadian pension plans were transferred to the Company at the Acquisition Closing Date. Except for these four plans, Weyerhaeuser has not allocated a portion of Weyerhaeuser’s pension assets or prepared detailed employee benefit plan disclosures for the stand-alone financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business in a manner that would be consistent with the level of detail provided in Weyerhaeuser’s consolidated financial statements.

As described above in “– Basis of Presentation of Financial Statements,” a portion of the pension costs have been allocated to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business for purposes of presenting the results of operations in the stand-alone financial statements. Not only is the allocation subject to subjective estimates of Weyerhaeuser management, but the key assumptions used to determine the amounts recorded in Weyerhaeuser’s financial statements also include subjective estimates including the discount rate, the expected return on plan assets, anticipated trends in health care costs, assumed increases in salaries, mortality rates, and other factors. These assumptions were reviewed with external advisors at the end of each fiscal year and are updated as appropriate. Actual experience that differs from the assumptions could have a significant effect on the Company’s financial position, results from operations or cash flows. Other factors that affect the level of net periodic benefit income or expense that is recognized in a given year include actual pension fund performance, plan changes and changes in plan participation or coverage.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

The Predecessor Company reviews the carrying value of its long-lived assets and goodwill when events and changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable through future operations. In addition, goodwill is assessed annually in the fourth quarter for impairment. In order to determine whether long-lived assets and goodwill are impaired, and the amount and timing of impairment charges, the Predecessor Company was required to estimate future cash flows, residual values and fair values of the related assets. Key assumptions used in those calculations include the probability of alternative outcomes, product pricing, raw material costs, volumes of product to be sold and discount rates. Management of the Company believes that the estimates of future cash flows and fair values are reasonable; however, changes in estimates of such cash flows, changes in the likelihood of alternative outcomes, and changes in estimates of fair value could affect the evaluations.

The Predecessor Company grew substantially through acquisitions over the last several years. A large portion of the net book value of its property and equipment represents amounts allocated to those assets as part of the allocation of the purchase price of those acquisitions. Due to these allocations, a large portion of the Predecessor Company’s long-term assets are valued at relatively current amounts. Also as a result of

 

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acquisitions, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business reported goodwill of approximately $763 million on its balance sheets at the end of 2005, of which $749 million was deemed impaired in the first quarter of 2006.

Prospective Accounting Pronouncements

See note 2 to combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this Schedule C for a summary of prospective accounting pronouncements.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

The Predecessor Company is exposed to market risk from changes in commodity prices and foreign currency exchange rates. The Company monitors and manages these risks as an integral part of its overall risk management program.

Commodity Risk

The Predecessor Company purchases natural gas at the prevailing market price at the time of delivery. In order to manage the cash flow risk associated with purchases of natural gas, the Predecessor Company participated in a Weyerhaeuser hedging program whereby Weyerhaeuser utilizes derivative financial instruments to fix the price of up to 30% of forecasted natural gas purchases for periods up to 18 months into the future. Weyerhaeuser formally documents the hedge relationships, including identification of the hedging instruments and the hedged items, the risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking the hedge transactions, and the methodologies used to assess effectiveness and measure ineffectiveness. Changes in the fair value of the derivative financial instruments are allocated by Weyerhaeuser to individual facilities based on projected usage of natural gas. The Predecessor Company recognized its allocable share of the gains and losses on Weyerhaeuser’s derivative financial instruments in earnings when the forecasted purchases occurred. A summary of amounts related to the Predecessor Company’s participation in the Weyerhaeuser hedging program follows:

 

     Year ended
December 31,
2006
    Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
(Dollars in millions)                

Net gain recognized in cost of products sold

   $     $ 12    $ 1

Unrealized gains (losses) not yet recognized in the statements of operations at the end of the period

   $ (9 )   $ 18    $ 3

Following the Acquisition Transactions, the Company does not participate in this hedging program. The Company intends to evaluate new hedging arrangements upon the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to the Industries and Businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc. – An increase in the cost of the Company’s purchased energy or chemicals would lead to higher manufacturing costs, thereby reducing its margins.”

See note 13 to the combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business included elsewhere in this Schedule C.

Foreign Currency Risk

The Predecessor Company’s results of operations and cash flows are affected by changes in the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to the Industries and Businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc. – The Company is affected by changes in currency exchange rates.”

The Predecessor Company did not historically actively hedge foreign currency risk, except to the extent that foreign currency liabilities provided a natural hedge.

 

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SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL DATA OF DOMTAR INC.

The following sets forth selected historical consolidated financial data of Domtar Inc. for the periods and as of the dates indicated. The selected consolidated financial data as of December 31, 2005 and 2006 and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006 have been derived from the consolidated audited financial statements of Domtar Inc., which financial statements, and the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP thereon, are included elsewhere in this Schedule C. The selected consolidated financial data as of December 31, 2002, 2003 and 2004 and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2002 and December 31, 2003 have been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc. which are not included in this Schedule C.

The selected historical financial information of Domtar Inc. as of and for the six-months ended June 30, 2006 and for the periods from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 has been derived from the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc., which, in the opinion of Domtar Inc.’s management, include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of Domtar Inc.’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements are included elsewhere in this Schedule C. Results for the periods from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year.

This information should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of Domtar Inc.” and the financial statements of Domtar Inc. and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Schedule C. For a discussion of the differences between U.S. GAAP and Canadian GAAP, see note 23 to the audited consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc. contained elsewhere in this Schedule C.

 

U.S. GAAP/U.S. dollar (2)

  Year ended  

Jan. 1,
2007 to
March 6,
2007

   

March 7,
2007 to
June 30,
2007 (1)

 

Six months
ended
June 30,
2006

 
  December 31,
2002
    December 31,
2003
    December 31,
2004
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2006
     
(Dollars in millions, except
per share data)
                                           

Statement of Operations Data:

                 

Sales

  $ 3,241     $ 3,129     $ 3,373     $ 3,498     $ 3,492   $ 582     $ 1,041   $ 1,773  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations before depreciation, depletion and amortization

    448       165       264       (27 )     435     25       100     105  

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations

    (17 )     (144 )     (64 )     (329 )     27     (31 )     2     (48 )

Net earnings (loss)

    20       (167 )     (58 )     (414 )     226     (31 )     1     (31 )

Net earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations-basic and diluted

    (0.08 )     (0.64 )     (0.28 )     (1.44 )     0.11        

Net earnings (loss) per share-basic and diluted

    0.08       (0.74 )     (0.26 )     (1.81 )     0.98        
 

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

                 

Cash and cash equivalents

    15       32       37       58       551         35     81  

Property, plant and equipment, net

    3,215       3,272       3,236       2,834       2,639         2,931     3,116  

Total assets

    4,201       4,383       4,554       4,152       4,082         4,551     4,401  

Total long-term debt (Including current portion, excluding capital leases)

    1,452       1,438       1,534       1,721       1,590         1,666     1,917  

Total shareholders’ equity

    1,690       1,801       1,849       1,348       1,496         1,742     1,406  

 

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Canadian GAAP/CDN dollar

  Year ended  

Jan. 1,
2007 to
March 6,
2007

   

March 7,
2007 to
June 30,
2007 (1)

 

Six months
ended
June 30,
2006

 
  December 31,
2002
  December 31,
2003
    December 31,
2004
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2006
     
(Dollars in millions, except
per share data)
                                         

Statement of Operations Data:

                 

Sales

  $5,146   $4,420     $4,403     $4,247     $3,989   $684     $1,178   $2,037  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations before depreciation, depletion and amortization

  659   251     348     (20 )   521   35     121   134  

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  94   (179 )   (63 )   (310 )   63   (32 )   12   (50 )

Net earnings (loss)

  141   (193 )   (42 )   (388 )   328   (33 )   12   (33 )

Net earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations-basic and diluted

  0.41   (0.79 )   (0.28 )   (1.36 )   0.27        

Net earnings (loss) per share-basic

  0.62   (0.86 )   (0.19 )   (1.69 )   1.42        

Net earnings (loss) per share-diluted

  0.61   (0.86 )   (0.19 )   (1.69 )   1.42        
 

Balance Sheet Data (at period end):

                 

Cash and cash equivalents

  38   48     52     83     649       43   94  

Property, plant and equipment, net

  5,387   4,540     4,215     3,634     3,044       3,131   3,426  

Total assets

  6,847   5,855     5,681     5,192     4,955       4,855   4,923  

Total long-term debt (including current portion, excluding capital leases)

  2,503   2,048     2,023     2,248     1,880       1,773   2,165  

Total shareholders’ equity

  2,554   2,171     2,046     1,609     1,941       1,864   1,556  

(1) As a result of the application of fresh start reporting that started on March 7, 2007, the financial condition and results of operations and the financial position following that date are not comparable to those prior to that date. The financial condition and results of operations for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007, and the financial condition and results of operations for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 should not be viewed as a continuum since they were prepared using different bases of accounting and different accounting policies and, therefore, are not comparable.

 

(2) The following table sets forth, for each period indicated, for one U.S. dollar expressed in Canadian dollars, the exchange rate at the end of the period and the average of the monthly average rates during the period, based on the Bank of Canada noon rate for fiscal years ended December 31, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, as well as the six months ended June 30, 2006, and based on the United States Federal Reserve noon rate for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007.

 

    

Year ended December 31,

  

January 1,
2007 to
March 6,
2007

  

March 7,
2007 to
June 30,
2007

  

Six months
ended
June 30,
2006

     2002    2003    2004    2005    2006         

Period end

   $ 1.5796    $ 1.2924    $ 1.2036    $ 1.1659    $ 1.1653    $        —    $ 1.0634    $ 1.1138

Average

   $ 1.5703    $ 1.410    $ 1.3013    $ 1.2114    $ 1.1344    $ 1.1733    $ 1.1158    $ 1.1384

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OF DOMTAR INC.

FOR THE PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2007 AND FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2006

Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) relates to the financial condition and results of Domtar Inc.’s operations. Except where otherwise indicated, all financial information reflected herein is unaudited and determined on the basis of Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). This interim MD&A should be read in conjunction with Domtar Inc.’s unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as well as with Domtar Inc.’s most recent annual MD&A and audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

On March 7, 2007, the closing date of the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Inc. adopted fresh start reporting. In accordance with Section 1625 of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) Handbook, Comprehensive Revaluation of Assets and Liabilities (“CICA 1625”), prior period financial information has not been restated to reflect the impact of the fair value adjustments and, accordingly, certain amounts in prior periods are not directly comparable.

Domtar Inc.’s financial condition and results of operations for the second quarter of 2007 reflect the application of fresh start reporting. Domtar Inc.’s combined financial condition and results of operations for the six month period ended June 30, 2007 represents the combination of the financial condition and results of operations prior to the application of fresh start reporting, being the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007, and the financial condition and results of operations for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 which reflect the application of fresh start reporting. Domtar Inc.’s financial condition and results of operations for the second quarter of 2006 and the six month period ended June 30, 2006 represents the financial condition and results of operations for the quarter as previously reported.

This MD&A uses non-GAAP information for the presentation of the combined financial results of the first quarter of 2007 and six month period ended June 30, 2007. Such combined financial results are for illustrative purposes only and are provided for the purpose of allowing a year-to-date over year-to-date comparison of financial condition and results of operations. This non-GAAP combined financial condition and results of operations will be referred to throughout this MD&A as “combined” information. As a result of the application of fresh start reporting that started on March 7, 2007, the financial condition and results of operations following that date are not directly comparable to those prepared for Domtar Inc. prior to that date. The financial condition and results of operations for the period ended March 6, 2007 and the financial condition and results of operations for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 should not be viewed as a continuum since they were prepared using different bases of accounting and different accounting policies and, therefore, are not comparable.

In accordance with industry practice, in this MD&A, the term “ton” or the symbol “ST” refers to a short ton, an imperial unit of measurement equal to 0.9072 metric tons, the term “tonne” or the symbol “MT” refers to a metric ton and the term “MFBM” refers to million foot board measure. In this MD&A, unless otherwise indicated, all dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars, and the term “dollars” and the symbols “$” and “CDN$” refer to Canadian dollars. The term “U.S. dollars” and the symbol “US$” refer to United States dollars and the term “U.S.” refers to the United States.

This MD&A contains forward-looking statements. See “Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.

 

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Second Quarter 2007 Overview

For the second quarter of 2007, Domtar Inc. reported operating income from continuing operations of $28 million, compared to operating income from continuing operations of $10 million in the second quarter of 2006. Results for the second quarter of 2007 benefited from higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, resulting in part from the permanent and indefinite closures of some of Domtar Inc.’s pulp and paper mills and sawmills, higher mark-to-market gains on financial instruments and lower charges on Domtar Inc.’s softwood lumber exports. These factors were partially offset by lower shipments for paper and pulp, the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar, lower average selling prices for Domtar Inc.’s wood products, and higher maintenance costs.

In July 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that it will permanently close two paper machines, one at the Woodland paper mill and another at the Port Edwards paper mill, as well as the Gatineau paper mill and its converting center in Ottawa, expected to be effective by the end of October 2007. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees.

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of 10 sawmills in Québec and Ontario having a production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet, and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights, which represent the majority of Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights. Domtar Inc.’s remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec and its interests in several joint ventures are also included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license transfer, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

On October 11, 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that Domtar Inc. received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend its rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Quebec Superior Court to enforce its rights. Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid pursuant to the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continues to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

Domtar Corp. intends to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce its outstanding debt. At June 30, 2007, Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. accounted for the assets and liabilities of the Wood business owned by Domtar Inc. as held and used in accordance with Section 3475 of the CICA Handbook, Accounting for

 

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the Impairment or Disposal of Long-lived Assets and Discontinued Operations , due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly related to obtaining government approval and financing. Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. do not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

The Acquisition Transactions

Domtar Inc. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar Corp. since March 7, 2007. Domtar Corp. was organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 16, 2006, and was, until March 7, 2007, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser.

Domtar Corp. is a holding company organized for the sole purpose of holding Weyerhaeuser’s Fine Paper Business and consummating the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. Domtar Corp. had no operations prior to March 7, 2007.

In conjunction with the Acquisition Transactions and in accordance with CICA 1625, Domtar Inc. undertook a comprehensive revaluation (or “Push Down”) of its assets and liabilities as at March 7, 2007. In accordance with CICA 1625, prior period financial information has not been restated to reflect the impact of the fair value adjustments, and accordingly, certain amounts in the prior periods are not directly comparable.

Comprehensive Revaluation

Domtar Inc. applied fresh start reporting on March 7, 2007. As a result, all assets and liabilities are reported at fair values, except for future income taxes, which are reported in accordance with Section 3465 of the CICA Handbook, Income Taxes.

The fair values of the assets and liabilities have been based on Management’s best estimates at March 7, 2007. Domtar Inc. is in the process of completing Domtar Inc.’s valuation of certain assets and liabilities. Accordingly, the fair value of assets and liabilities could differ materially from the amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements. The principal significant elements for which the fair value could be modified include inventories, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets (including actual depreciation and amortization expense), goodwill and future income taxes.

Domtar Corp. has refined its preliminary purchase price allocation presented in Domtar Inc.’s first quarter financial statement, to reflect the impact of the restructuring measures announced in July 2007 and the agreement to sell substantially all of the Wood business on the fair value of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. As a result, Domtar Inc. has revised its valuation of certain assets and liabilities as of the date of the application of push-down accounting. As such, inventory decreased by $8 million, property, plant and equipment increased by $95 million, trade and other payables increased by $22 million, other liabilities and deferred credits increased by $6 million and deferred income tax liability – non current increased by $15 million. This resulted in a $44 million decrease in goodwill.

Discontinued Operations

Effective in the second quarter of 2006, as a result of the permanent closure of Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill, the financial information pertaining to Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill was no longer included in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business but presented as a discontinued operation and as assets held for sale. Accordingly, the statement of consolidated earnings and consolidated cash flows for prior periods have been restated to reflect this presentation. Effective December 29, 2006, upon the sale of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac, the financial information pertaining to Norampac is disclosed as a discontinued operation. Accordingly, the statement of consolidated earnings and consolidated cash flows for 2006 and prior periods have been restated to reflect this presentation. In accordance with GAAP, due to the fact that Domtar Inc. continues to sell certain products formerly produced at Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills, those operations remain in Domtar Inc.’s continuing operations.

 

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Domtar Inc.’s Business

Domtar Inc.’s reporting segments correspond to the following business activities: Papers (paper and pulp), Paper Merchants and Wood. For a description of these business segments, see “Business of the Company” and “Business of Domtar Inc.”

Summary of Financial Results

Financial Highlights

 

          Three months ended
June 30
    Six months ended
June 30
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)         2007     2006     2007     2006  

Sales

      $ 892     $ 998     $ 1,862     $ 2,037  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

        28       10       43       (7 )

Loss from continuing operations

        (5 )     (22 )     (20 )     (50 )

Net loss

        (5 )     (9 )     (21 )     (33 )

Average exchange rates

   CDN$        1.098       1.122       1.135       1.138  
     US$      0.910       0.891       0.881       0.879  

Second Quarter 2007 vs Second Quarter 2006 Overview

Sales of $892 Million

Sales in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $892 million, a decrease of $106 million or 11% from sales of $998 million in the second quarter of 2006. This decrease in sales was primarily attributable to lower shipments for paper and pulp, lower shipments for wood products, mostly resulting from the permanent or indefinite closures of sawmills, lower average selling prices for lumber, as well as the negative impact of a stronger quarter-over-quarter average value of the Canadian dollar. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for paper and pulp.

Cost of Sales of $754 Million

Cost of sales decreased by $122 million or 14% in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. This decrease was mainly attributable to lower production and shipments for paper and wood products, lower restructuring costs, the positive impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on Domtar Inc.’s U.S. dollar denominated expenses and the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, resulting in part from the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006 and the permanent or indefinite closures of sawmills. Other factors causing a decrease in cost of sales included lower costs for energy and lower charges on Domtar Inc.’s softwood lumber exports (cessation of the countervailing and antidumping duties collected by the U.S. in October 2006, replaced by the application of an export charge). These factors were partially offset by higher costs for purchased fiber and chemical and higher maintenance costs in the second quarter of 2007.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses of $57 Million

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased by $14 million or 33% in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. SG&A for the second quarter of 2007 included mark-to-market gains on financial instruments of $11 million and transaction and integration costs of $5 million. The SG&A for the second quarter of 2006 included a $7 million refund received as a result of the Ontario government’s retroactive reduction in Crown stumpage fees related to 2005 and 2006 and an unrealized mark-to-market loss of $1 million. Excluding these items, SG&A expenses increased by $14 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006, mainly due to higher overall costs.

Operating Income from Continuing Operations of $28 Million

Operating income from continuing operations in the second quarter of 2007 amounted to $28 million, compared to operating income from continuing operations of $10 million for the second quarter of 2006. The

 

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$18 million improvement in operating income from continuing operations was principally attributable to the factors mentioned above.

Net Loss of $5 Million

Net loss amounted to $5 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to a net loss of $9 million in the second quarter of 2006. The $4 million improvement in net loss was mainly attributable to the factors mentioned above, partially offset by a decrease in earnings from discontinued operations in the second quarter of 2007.

Six Months Ended June 30, 2007 vs Six Months Ended June 30, 2006 Overview

Sales of $1,862 Million

Combined sales for the first six months of 2007 amounted to $1,862 million, a decrease of $175 million or 9% from sales of $2,037 million in the first six months of 2006. This decrease in sales was primarily attributable to lower shipments for paper, mostly resulting from the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006, lower shipments for pulp, lower shipments for wood products, mostly resulting from the permanent or indefinite closures of sawmills, and lower average selling prices for lumber. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for paper and pulp.

Cost of Sales of $1,556 Million

Combined cost of sales decreased by $251 million or 14% in the first six months of 2007 compared to the first six months of 2006. This decrease was mainly attributable to lower production and shipments for paper and wood products, lower costs for freight and energy, the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, resulting mostly from the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006 and the permanent or indefinite closures of sawmills and lower charges on Domtar Inc.’s softwood lumber exports (cessation of the countervailing and antidumping duties collected by the U.S. in October 2006, replaced by the application of an export charge). These factors contributing to lower costs of sales between comparable periods were partially offset by higher costs for purchased fiber and chemicals in the second quarter of 2007 and investment tax credits related to research and development expenditures received in the first quarter of 2006.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses of $150 Million

Combined SG&A expenses increased by $54 million or 56% in the first six months of 2007 compared to the first six months of 2006. SG&A for the first six months of 2007 included transaction and integration costs of $39 million, mark-to-market gains on financial instruments of $17 million and an increase in an environmental provision of $10 million. The SG&A for the first six months of 2006 included income of $7 million for a legal settlement, a $7 million refund received in the second quarter of 2006 as a result of the Ontario government’s retroactive reduction in Crown stumpage fees related to 2005 and 2006 and an unrealized mark-to-market loss of $1 million. Excluding these items, SG&A expenses increased by $9 million in the first six months of 2007 compared to the first six months of 2006, mainly due to higher overall costs.

Operating Income from Continuing Operations of $43 Million

Combined operating income from continuing operations in the first six months of 2007 amounted to $43 million, compared to an operating loss from continuing operations of $7 million in the first six months of 2006. The $50 million improvement in operating income from continuing operations was principally attributable to the factors mentioned above.

Net Loss of $21 Million

Combined net loss amounted to $21 million in the first six months of 2007 compared to a net loss of $33 million in the first six months of 2006. This $12 million improvement in net loss was mainly attributable to the factors mentioned above, and a decrease in financing expense, partially offset by an increase in income tax expense and a decrease in earnings from discontinued operations in 2007.

 

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Papers

 

      

Three months ended

June 30

   

Six months ended

June 30

 

Selected Information

   2007     2006     2007     2006  
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)                (Combined)        

Sales

        

Total sales

   $ 633     $ 693     $ 1,331     $ 1,405  

Intersegment sales to Paper Merchants

     (61 )     (68 )     (136 )     (151 )
                                
     572       625       1,195       1,254  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

     49       17       108       (1 )

Shipments

        

Paper (in thousands of ST)

     508       572       1,042       1,205  

Market pulp (in thousands of ADMT)

     140       154       283       289  

Sales and Operating Income from Continuing Operations

Sales

Sales in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business amounted to $572 million in the second quarter of 2007, a decrease of $53 million or 8% from sales of $625 million in the second quarter of 2006. This decrease in sales was mainly attributable to lower shipments for paper and pulp, as well as the negative impact of a stronger quarter-over-quarter value of the Canadian dollar. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for paper and pulp. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2007, combined sales in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business decreased by $59 million or 5% compared to the six month period ended June 30, 2006 for the same reasons as noted above.

Operating income

Operating income from continuing operations in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business totaled $49 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to operating income from continuing operations of $17 million in the second quarter of 2006. The $32 million improvement in operating income from continuing operations is largely the result of higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, lower restructuring costs, mark-to-market gains on financial instruments and the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, mostly due to the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective in the first quarter of 2006. These factors were partially offset by lower shipments for paper and pulp, the negative impact of a stronger quarter-over-quarter average value of the Canadian dollar, higher costs for purchased fiber and chemicals and higher costs for maintenance. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2007, combined operating income from continuing operations totaled $108 million in 2007 compared to an operating loss from continuing operations of $1 million for the six-month period ended June 30, 2006. The $109 million improvement in operating income from continuing operations was due to higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, mostly related to the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective in the first quarter of 2006. These factors were partially offset by lower shipments for paper and pulp and higher costs for purchased fiber and chemicals in the second quarter of 2007, as well as income of $7 million from a legal settlement and a $7 million investment tax credit related to research and development expenses, both recorded in the first quarter of 2006.

Pricing Environment

In Domtar Inc.’s Papers business, average transaction prices, denominated in U.S. dollars, increased in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. Within Domtar Inc.’s Canadian operations,

 

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although the rise of the Canadian dollar negatively impacted Canadian dollar denominated prices, which are derived from U.S. dollar denominated prices, Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices denominated in Canadian dollars increased in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006, with the exception of offset grades.

Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices, denominated in U.S. dollars, for its basket of copy and offset grades, increased on average by approximately 9% in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. Within this basket, Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices for copy 20 lb. sheets and offset 50 lb. rolls, which represented approximately 36% of Domtar Inc.’s paper sales in the second quarter of 2007, were higher on average by US$95/ton and US$1/ton, respectively, in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. A US$60/ton price increase for cut-size announced in the first quarter of 2007 was implemented in the second quarter of 2007.

Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices for Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp increased by US$106/tonne and Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices for Northern Bleached Hardwood Kraft (NBHK) pulp increased by US$31/tonne in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006. A US$20/tonne price increase was implemented on softwood pulp in April 2007 and on Domtar Inc.’s hardwood pulp in June 2007. A subsequent $20/tonne price increase has been announced for both softwood and hardwood effective in July and August 2007, respectively.

Operations

Shipments

Domtar Inc.’s paper shipments decreased by 64,000 tons in the second quarter of 2007 when compared to the second quarter of 2006. This decrease is mainly due to the lower demand, resulting in higher lack-of-order downtime in the second quarter of 2007, and the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006.

Domtar Inc.’s pulp trade shipments (the amount of pulp shipments in excess of Domtar Inc.’s internal requirements) decreased by 14,000 tonnes in the second quarter of 2007 when compared to the second quarter of 2006.

Labor

A collective agreement expired in April 2004 for Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill (affecting approximately 350 employees). Negotiations have ceased and the mill has been closed for an indefinite period since November 2005.

Restructuring

In July 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that it will permanently close two paper machines, one at Domtar Inc.’s Woodland paper mill and another at Domtar Inc.’s Port Edwards paper mill, as well as Domtar Inc.’s Gatineau paper mill and its converting center in Ottawa, expected to be effective by the end of October 2007. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees.

In November 2005, Domtar Inc. announced the permanent shut down of its Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills, which became effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006. As a result, the book value of these mills was reduced to their net recoverable value. Domtar Inc. also announced its intention to seek a buyer for its Vancouver paper mill, which was permanently closed as at the end of the second quarter of 2006. Preceding the sale, Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill was presented as assets held for sale. On May 9, 2007, Domtar Inc. concluded the sale of the Vancouver property for total proceeds of $23 million. In September 2006, Domtar Inc.

 

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sold its facility and land in Cornwall, for proceeds of $4 million and a corresponding gain of $1 million ($1 million net of income taxes). These closures resulted in a reduction of Domtar Inc.’s production capacity of 145,000 tonnes of pulp and 450,000 tons of paper per annum and impacted approximately 1,380 positions.

Other

In November 2005, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite shut down of its Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill due to unfavorable economic conditions. Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill is still indefinitely idled due to factors such as high wood fiber, energy and transportation costs, a strong Canadian dollar and uncompetitive labor costs.

Paper Merchants

 

       Three months ended
June 30
   Six months ended
June 30

Selected Information

   2007    2006    2007    2006
(In millions of Canadian Dollars)              (Combined)     

Sales

   249    256    520    533

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

   3    3    9    7

Sales and Operating Income from Continuing Operations

Sales

Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business generated sales of $249 million in the second quarter of 2007, a decrease of $7 million or 3% in comparison to the second quarter of 2006. This decrease was mainly attributable to lower shipments and the negative impact of a stronger quarter-over-quarter average value of the Canadian dollar, partially offset by higher average selling prices. On a year-to-date basis, combined sales amounted to $520 million in 2007, reflecting a $13 million or 2% decrease compared to sales of $533 million in 2006. This decrease was attributable to the factors explained above.

Operating Income

Operating income from continuing operations amounted to $3 million in the second quarter of 2007, unchanged from the operating income of $3 million recorded in the second quarter of 2006. Combined operating income from continuing operations amounted to $9 million in the first half of 2007 compared to $7 million in the first half of 2006. This $2 million increase is largely due to the impact of a bad debt expense incurred in the first quarter of 2006, partially offset by lower shipments in 2007.

Wood

 

       Three months ended
June 30
    Six months ended
June 30
 

Selected Information

   2007     2006     2007     2006  
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)                (Combined)        

Sales

        

Lumber sales

   $ 70     $ 115     $ 136     $ 231  

Wood chips and other sales

     13       15       31       47  
                                

Sub-total

     83       130       167       278  

Intersegment sales

     (12 )     (13 )     (20 )     (28 )
                                
     71       117       147       250  

Operating loss from continuing operations

     (19 )     (10 )     (32 )     (15 )

Shipments (millions of FBM)

     191       270       367       526  

 

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Sales and Operating Loss from Continuing Operations

Sales

Sales in the Wood business amounted to $71 million in the second quarter of 2007, a decrease of $46 million or 39% compared to sales of $117 million in the second quarter of 2006. This decrease was largely attributable to lower shipments, which is the result of the indefinite shut down of three sawmills (two in Abitibi, Québec, and one in Ontario) at the end of 2006 and the closure of Domtar Inc.’s Grand Remous and Malartic sawmills in June of 2006, lower selling prices for wood products and the negative impact of a stronger quarter-over-quarter average value of the Canadian dollar. On a year-to-date basis, combined sales in the Wood business amounted to $147 million in 2007 compared to $250 million in 2006. The $103 million decrease in sales was attributable to the same factors mentioned above.

Operating Loss

Operating loss from continuing operations in the Wood business totaled $19 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to an operating loss from continuing operations of $10 million in the second quarter of 2006. The $9 million increase in operating loss from continuing operations was mainly attributable to lower average selling prices, a $7 million refund received in the second quarter of 2006 as a result of the Ontario government’s retroactive reduction in Crown stumpage fees related to 2005 and 2006, the negative impact of a stronger quarter-over-quarter average value of the Canadian dollar, and lower shipments for lumber and chips mostly resulting from indefinite closures of sawmills. These factors were partially offset by lower production and energy costs, mostly resulting from the indefinite closures of sawmills in 2006, lower charges on Domtar Inc.’s softwood lumber exports (cessation of the countervailing and antidumping duties collected by the U.S. in October 2006, replaced by the application of an export charge) and the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities. On a year-to-date basis, combined operating loss in the Wood business amounted to $32 million in 2007, an increase of $17 million over an operating loss from continuing operations of $15 million in 2006 for the same reasons as noted above.

Pricing Environment

Domtar Inc.’s average transaction price for Great Lakes 2x4 stud decreased by US$44/MFBM and Domtar Inc.’s average transaction price for Great Lakes 2x4 random length decreased by US$62/MFBM in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006.

Operations

Shipments

Domtar Inc.’s lumber shipments decreased by 79 million board feet of lumber in the second quarter of 2007 compared to the second quarter of 2006 as a result of sawmills that are indefinitely closed as well as the slowdown in the U.S. housing market.

Labor

In May 2007, a five year agreement was ratified with the union at Domtar Inc.’s Val d’Or sawmill (affecting approximately 88 employees).

Negotiations for a new collective agreement for Domtar Inc.’s Sullivan remanufacturing facility have ceased (affecting approximately 60 employees) and effective during the second quarter of 2007, the sawmill is a non-unionized facility.

A collective agreement expired in June 2007 for Domtar Inc.’s Sainte-Marie sawmill and planer. Negotiations for the renewal of this collective agreement began in August 2007.

 

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A collective agreement expired in August 2005 for Domtar Inc.’s Nairn Center sawmill. Negotiations have been suspended as the mill is shutdown for an indefinite period of time.

Other

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex Inc. for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of the Ear Falls, Nairn Centre, Timmins and White River sawmills in Ontario and the Grand-Remous, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Malartic, Matagami, Ste-Marie and Val d’Or sawmills in Québec, as well as the remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec. The sawmills have a production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights, which represent the majority of Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights. Its interests in the joint ventures of Elk Lake Planing Mill Limited, Gogama Forests Products Inc., Nabakatuk Forest Products Inc., Olav Haavalsrud Timber Company Limited and Anthony-Domtar Inc. are also included in the transaction. Domtar Corp’s sawmills in Saskatchewan are not included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has also agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license rights transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

On October 11, 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that Domtar Inc. received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and will vigorously defend its rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Québec Superior Court to enforce its rights. Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continue to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

Domtar Corp. intends to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce its outstanding debt.

In January 2007, due to the difficult market conditions that have prevailed in the wood sector in recent months, including the slowdown in the U.S. housing market and the new softwood lumber agreement, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite closure of its White River sawmill which became effective by the end of the second quarter of 2007. The closure impacted approximately 140 permanent positions and reduced Domtar Inc.’s production capacity by 110 million board feet of lumber.

In November 2005, the decision to temporarily shut down Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill due to unfavorable economic conditions, caused Domtar Inc. to indefinitely idle its adjacent sawmill. Additionally, in October 2006, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite closures of three other sawmills (two in Abitibi, Québec, and one in Ontario). The closures, which occurred in October 2006, are primarily due to the pressure of higher

 

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timber costs and lower selling prices and demand for both lumber and wood chips. These closures impacted approximately 360 permanent positions and reduced production capacity by approximately 400 million board feet of lumber. As of June 30, 2007, with the exception of Domtar Inc.’s Val d’Or sawmill, which restarted in June 2007, these sawmills are still indefinitely closed.

In November 2005, due to reduced softwood fiber allocations, which have increased fiber costs in Québec, Domtar Inc. announced the closures of its Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills, which became effective in the second quarter of 2006. As a result, the book value of these sawmills was reduced to their net recoverable value. These closures impacted approximately 200 permanent positions and reduced production capacity by approximately 160 million board feet of lumber.

Fiber Supply

The Province of Québec adopted legislation, effective April 1, 2005, that reduced allowable wood-harvesting volumes by an average of 20% on public lands and 25% on territories covered by an agreement between the Government of Québec and Cree First Nations. As a result, the amount of fiber Domtar Inc. was permitted to harvest annually, under Domtar Inc.’s licenses from the Québec government, was reduced by approximately 500,000 cubic meters to approximately 2.0 million cubic meters, reflecting a 21% reduction. The Chief Forester of Québec has proposed a further reduction of 60,000 cubic meters, or 3%, in the total softwood annual allowable cut of forests managed by Domtar Inc. This would significantly affect the supply of fiber for Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills and market pulp operations. Also, the reduction in harvest volume has a corresponding increase in the unit cost of wood delivered to the sawmills. As a result of the closure in November 2005 of Domtar Inc.’s pulp mill at Lebel-sur-Quévillon due to unfavorable economic conditions and no alternative markets for chips produced by Domtar Inc.’s sawmills, as well as the reduced allowable wood harvesting volume, Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills, including Val d’Or, Matagami and Lebel-sur-Quévillon, were closed for an indefinite period of time. In June 2007, Domtar Inc. restarted its Val d’Or sawmill, which has an annual capacity of approximately 120 million board feet.

Financing Expenses and Income Taxes

Financing Expenses

In the second quarter of 2007, financing expenses amounted to $24 million compared to $40 million in the second quarter of 2006. The $16 million decrease in financing expenses was largely due to lower borrowings, the positive impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on Domtar Inc.’s U.S. dollar interest expense and to interest earned on Domtar Inc.’s long-term advances to related parties. On a year-to-date basis, Domtar Inc.’s financing expense amounted to $52 million in 2007 compared to $75 million in 2006. This $23 million decrease in financing expenses is largely due to the same reason explained above and lower utilization of Domtar Inc.’s securitization program during the first quarter of 2007.

Income Taxes

In the second quarter of 2007, Domtar Inc.’s income tax expense was $9 million compared to an income tax recovery of $8 million in the second quarter of 2006. On a year-to-date basis, Domtar Inc.’s income tax expense amounted to $11 million in 2007 compared to a recovery of $32 million in 2006. During the second quarter of 2007, the Company presumed that the undistributed earnings of its U.S. subsidiaries will be distributed to its parent company. As such, the Company has recorded an amount of $4 million for U.S. withholding taxes payable on future distributions from the U.S. subsidiaries to the Canadian parent company. Domtar Inc.’s 2007 income tax expense and effective tax rate are impacted by the mix and level of earnings subject to different tax jurisdictions and the differences in tax rates applicable to Domtar Inc.’s foreign subsidiaries. The change in the Canadian federal income tax rate became enacted in the second quarter of 2007, but did not have a significant impact on the income tax expense.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Domtar Inc.’s principal cash requirements are for working capital, capital expenditures, as well as principal and interest payments on Domtar Inc.’s debt. Domtar Inc. expects to fund its liquidity needs primarily with

 

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internally generated funds from its operations and, to the extent necessary, through borrowings under its revolving credit facility. Domtar Inc. also has the ability to fund liquidity requirements through new financings, subject to satisfactory market conditions and credit ratings.

Operating Activities

Cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations totaled $39 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations of $46 million in the second quarter of 2006. This $7 million decrease in cash flows generated from continuing operations mainly reflects an increase in requirements for working capital, primarily due to inventory fluctuations. Domtar Inc.’s operating cash flow requirements are primarily for salaries and benefits, the purchase of wood fiber, energy and raw materials and other expenses such as property taxes. On a year-to-date basis, combined cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations totaled $125 million in 2007 compared to $25 million in 2006. This $100 million increase in cash flows generated from continuing operations mainly reflects a decrease in requirements for working capital and an increase in profitability.

Investing Activities

Cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations totaled $20 million in the second quarter of 2007 compared to cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations of $26 million in the second quarter of 2006. The $6 million decrease in cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations was mainly attributable to a decrease in long-term advances to related parties of $6 million. On a year-to-date basis, combined cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations totaled $700 million in 2007 compared to cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations of $46 million. The $654 million increase in cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations was mainly attributable to an increase in long-term advances to related parties of $653 million. Capital expenditures required to maintain existing operations are approximately $90 million annually.

Financing Activities

In the second quarter of 2007, cash flows used for financing activities of continuing operations amounted to $32 million compared to $18 million in the second quarter of 2006. This $14 million increase in cash flows used for financing activities of continuing operations is largely attributable to payments made under Domtar Inc.’s old revolving credit facility during the second quarter of 2006, partially offset by a decrease in bank indebtedness of $29 million during the second quarter of 2007. On a year-to-date basis, combined cash flows used for financing activities of continuing operations totaled $28 million in 2007 compared to cash flows provided from financing activities of continuing operations of $41 million in 2006. This $69 million decrease in cash flows provided from financing activities of continuing operations is largely attributable to higher net borrowings under Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit facility in 2006.

Capital Resources

Net indebtedness was $1,785 million as at June 30, 2007 compared to $1,304 million as at December 31, 2006. The $481 million increase in net indebtedness was largely due to a decrease in cash and cash equivalents resulting from long-term advances to related parties, which as at June 30, 2007 amounted to $653 million, partially offset by lower borrowings under Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit facility.

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Inc., Domtar Corp. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC entered into a new Credit Agreement, dated March 7, 2007, which consisted of a seven-year senior secured Term loan B facility of US$800 million and a five year US$750 million secured revolving credit facility. During the second quarter of 2007, the Term Loan B facility was reduced to $720 million mainly as a result of optional repayments by Domtar Corp. This new facility replaced the prior facility of Domtar Inc., which consisted of a US$600 million unsecured revolving credit facility. The revolving credit facility may be used for working capital needs and for general corporate purposes, and a portion will be available for letters of credit and swingline loans

 

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to Domtar Inc. and Domtar Corp. Borrowings by Domtar Inc. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC under the revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars and borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars and/or Canadian dollars and be limited to US$150 million (or the Canadian equivalent thereof).

Amounts drawn under the revolving credit facility by Domtar Inc. in U.S. dollars bear annual interest at either a eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%, or a U.S. base rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Amounts drawn under the revolving credit facility by Domtar Inc. in Canadian dollars bear annual interest at the Canadian prime rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Domtar Inc. may also issue bankers’ acceptances denominated in Canadian dollars which are discounted at bankers’ acceptance rates in Canada and are subject to an acceptance fee, payable on the date of acceptance, which is calculated at a rate per annum equal to 1.25% to 2.25%. The interest rate margins and the acceptance fee are subject to adjustments based on Domtar Corp.’s consolidated leverage ratio.

The Credit Agreement contains a number of covenants that, among other things, limit the ability of Domtar Corp. and the ability of its subsidiaries to make capital expenditures and place restrictions on other matters customarily restricted in senior secured credit facilities, including restrictions on indebtedness (including guarantee obligations); liens (including sale and leasebacks), fundamental changes, sales or disposition of property or assets, investments (including loans, advances, guarantees and acquisitions), transactions with affiliates, hedge agreements, dividends and other payments in respect of capital stock, changes in fiscal periods, environmental activity, optional payments and modifications of other material debt instruments, negative pledges and agreements restricting subsidiary distributions, changes in lines of business and the proposed amendments to the transaction documents to the extent that any such amendment would be materially adverse to the interests of the lenders. For so long as the revolving credit commitments are outstanding, Domtar Corp. is required to comply with a consolidated EBITDA to interest coverage ratio of greater than 2.5x and a consolidated debt to consolidated EBITDA ratio of less than 4.75x, decreasing to 4.50x on December 31, 2008, in each case, as defined in the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement contains customary events of default, provided that non-compliance with the consolidated cash interest coverage ratio or consolidated leverage ratio will not constitute an event of default under the Term Loan B facility unless it has not been waived or amended by the revolving credit lenders within a period of 45 days after notice. The Term Loan B has restrictions on the amount of new debt that may be borrowed subject to certain exceptions and the Credit Agreement contains customary events of default.

Domtar Corp. and its subsidiaries serve as guarantors of the senior secured credit facilities for any obligations thereunder of Domtar Inc., subject to agreed exceptions.

The obligations of Domtar Inc. in respect of the senior secured credit facilities are secured by all of the equity interests of Domtar Corp.’s subsidiaries, other than the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc. and 65% of the equity interests of Domtar Corp.’s direct and indirect first-tier foreign subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and a perfected first priority security interest in substantially all of Domtar Corp.’s and its direct and indirect U.S. subsidiaries’ tangible and intangible assets (other than the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc.). Domtar Inc.’s obligations are secured by all of the equity interests of Domtar Corp.’s direct and indirect subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions and perfected first priority security interest, lien and hypothec in the inventory of Domtar Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, other than its U.S. subsidiaries.

As at June 30, 2007, Domtar Inc. had no letters of credit outstanding and no amounts drawn in the form of a bank overdraft under the revolving credit facility, resulting in US$150 million ($160 million) of availability for Domtar Inc. for future drawings under this facility. In addition, as at June 30, 2007, a separate letter of credit of $2 million was outstanding. Domtar Corp. had US$701 million of availability under this facility, after taking into account US$49 million ($52 million) of outstanding letters of credit. As at December 31, 2006, under the previous credit facility, there were no drawings under the credit facility, US$16 million ($18 million) of letters of credit outstanding and no amounts drawn in the form of bank overdraft and included in “Bank indebtedness.”

 

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The indentures related to the 10% and 10.85% debentures limit the amount of dividends that may be paid and the amount of shares that may be repurchased for cancellation. These indentures also require that no new long-term debt be incurred, unless total long-term debt is less than 50% of consolidated net tangible assets, but do not restrict the incurrence of new long term debt related to the purchase of property or the replacement of existing long-term debt or the issuance of short-term debt. All Domtar Inc.’s borrowing agreements contain restrictions on the amount of secured borrowings Domtar Inc. can incur with other lenders.

Credit Ratings

Domtar Inc. is a co-borrower in respect to a revolving credit (for up to US$150 million, guaranteed by Domtar Corp.) under its parent Domtar Corp.’s US$1,550 million secured revolving credit and term loan facility as well as the obligor under six unsecured issues of notes and debentures. The ratings listed below represent a risk assessment of these obligations.

 

Rating Agency

 

Security

 

Rating

Moody’s Investors Services

 

Secured Credit Facility of Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc.

 

Ba1

 

Unsecured debt obligations of Domtar Inc.

 

B2

Standard & Poor’s

 

Secured Credit Facility of Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc.

 

BB+

 

Unsecured debt obligations of Domtar Inc.

 

B+

Dominion Bond Rating Service

 

Secured Credit Facility of Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc.

 

BBB (low)

 

Unsecured debt obligations of Domtar Inc.

 

BB (low)

 

Preferred shares of Domtar Inc.

 

Pfd-5 (high)

The ratings by Moody’s Investors Services (Moody’s) are the fifth and sixth best ratings in terms of quality within nine rating gradations, with the numerical modifier 1 indicating a ranking at the top end of a rating category and the numerical modifier 2 indicating a ranking in the middle of a rating category. According to Moody’s, a rating of Ba has speculative elements and a rating of B is considered speculative. The ratings by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) are the fifth and sixth best ratings in terms of quality within ten rating gradations, with the “plus” indicating a ranking at the higher end of this category. According to S&P, ratings of BB and B have significant speculative characteristics. The debt ratings by Dominion Bond Ratings (DBRS) are the fourth and fifth best ratings in terms of quality within ten rating gradations, with the “low” indicating a ranking in the lower end of a rating category. According to DBRS, a rating of BBB has adequate credit quality and a rating of BB is speculative and non-investment grade.

All the agencies have a “stable” outlook in respect to these ratings. Any reductions in Domtar Inc.’s credit ratings would have a negative impact on Domtar Inc.’s access to and cost of capital and financial flexibility. The above ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the above rating agencies.

Common shares

Since March 7, 2007, the closing date of the Acquisition Transactions, all of Domtar Inc.’s issued and outstanding common shares are held indirectly by Domtar Corp.

As at June 30, 2007, Domtar Inc. had 231,709,007 common shares, 67,476 Series A Preferred Shares and 1,063,800 Series B Preferred Shares issued and outstanding.

Options granted under the Executive Stock Option Plan, whether vested or unvested, were exchanged on the same terms and conditions for an option to purchase a number of shares of common stock of Domtar Corp. equal to the number of Domtar Inc. common shares or of equivalent value determined using the Black-Scholes option-

 

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pricing model, depending if the exercise price was higher, equal or less than the market value at the time of the exchange.

The Employee Share Purchase Plans were terminated in February 2007.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. finances certain of its activities off balance sheet through leases and securitizations. The description of these arrangements and their impact on Domtar Inc.’s results of operations and financial position for the year ended December 31, 2006 can be found elsewhere in this MD&A. Off balance sheet arrangements have not changed materially since December 31, 2006. As at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, the value of securitized receivables amounted to $138 million (US$130 million) and $23 million (US$20 million), respectively.

Related Party Transactions

In conjunction with the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, a Canadian subsidiary of Domtar Inc. advanced $589 million (including US$500 million) to a Canadian subsidiary of Domtar Corp. and a U.S. subsidiary of Domtar Inc. advanced $64 million (US$60 million) to a U.S. subsidiary of Domtar Corp. to pay down indebtedness incurred in the Acquisition Transactions. The Canadian advance is for five years, bears interest at a variable rate based on the Canadian prime rate and is repayable at any time. The U.S. advance is for five years, bears interest at a variable rate based on the U.S. prime rate and is repayable at any time.

Domtar Corp.’s Canadian and U.S. subsidiaries have advanced certain funds to Domtar Inc.’s Canadian and U.S. subsidiaries in the normal course of business to finance its short-term liquidity needs. Ris Paper Company, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar Inc., purchases paper from Domtar Corp. under the same commercial terms as any other merchant who purchases paper from Domtar Corp.

Domtar Corp. exchanges fees with Domtar Inc. for management fees related to services rendered such as finance, legal, human resources, etc. The management fee is charged at cost or at cost plus, depending on the nature of the service rendered. The management fee for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 was not significant.

Guarantees

Domtar Inc. has provided certain guarantees with regards to its pension plans, its E.B. Eddy acquisition, its indemnifications related to the sale of its businesses and real estate, its debt agreements and its leases. Except as described below, the description of these guarantees and their impact on Domtar Inc.’s results of operations and financial position for the year ended December 31, 2006 can be found elsewhere in this MD&A and have not changed materially since December 31, 2006 except for the following:

E.B. Eddy Acquisition

On July 31, 1998, Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc. (E.B. Eddy), an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of Domtar Inc. in specified circumstances, Domtar Inc. may have had to pay up to a maximum of $120 million, an amount which is gradually declining over a 25-year period. As at March 7, 2007, the closing date of the Acquisition Transactions, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was $110 million. No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

On March 14, 2007, Domtar Inc. received a letter from George Weston Limited (the previous owner of E.B. Eddy and a party to the purchase agreement) demanding payment of $110 million as a result of the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions. On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George

 

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Weston Limited against Domtar Inc. in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada, claiming that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered the purchase price adjustment and seeking a purchase price adjustment of $110 million as well as additional compensatory damages. Neither Domtar Corp. nor Domtar Inc. believes that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggers an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and Domtar Inc. intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar Inc. may not be successful in its defense of such claims, and if Domtar Inc. is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on Domtar Corp.’s and Domtar Inc.’s liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. enters into certain contractual obligations and commercial commitments, such as debentures and notes, operating leases, letters of credit and others. The summary of Domtar Inc.’s obligations and commitments as at December 31, 2006 can be found elsewhere in this MD&A and have not materially changed since December 31, 2006.

For the foreseeable future, Domtar Inc. expects cash flows from operations and from various sources of financing to be sufficient to meet Domtar Inc.’s contractual obligations and commercial commitments.

Selected Quarterly Financial Information

Selected quarterly financial information for the eight most recently completed quarters ending June 30, 2007 is disclosed below.

Selected Quarterly Financial Information

 

        2005         2006   2007  
            1 st   2 nd   3 rd     4 th     Year         1 st     2 nd     3 rd   4 th   Year   1 st     2 nd  
(In millions of Canadian
dollars, unless otherwise
noted)
                                                            (Combined)        

Sales

    $ 1,078   $ 1,097   $ 1,082     $ 990     $ 4,247         $ 1,039     $ 998     $ 1,013   $ 939   $ 3,989   $ 970     $ 892  

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

      25     26     (34 )     (366 )     (349 )         (17 )     10       66     178     237     15       28  

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

      5         (44 )     (271 )     (310 )         (28 )     (22 )     22     91     63     (15 )     (5 )

Net earnings (loss)

      10     2     (52 )     (348 )     (388 )         (24 )     (9 )     38     323     328     (16 )     (5 )

Average exchange rates

 

CDN$

    1.227     1.244     1.202       1.173       1.211           1.155       1.122       1.121     1.139     1.134     1.172       1.098  
  US$     0.815     0.804     0.832       0.852       0.826           0.866       0.891       0.892     0.878     0.882     0.854       0.910  

The first quarter of 2006 reflected an improvement in all of Domtar Inc.’s businesses over the fourth quarter of 2005. Domtar Inc.’s results from continuing operations benefited from higher average selling prices for the majority of Domtar Inc.’s products and higher shipments for paper. Nonetheless, Domtar Inc.’s results from continuing operations continued to be negatively affected by the strengthening of the Canadian dollar and high costs, especially for freight and energy. In light of this difficult context, Domtar Inc. continued to carry out its announced closure and restructuring initiatives, with the definite closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall and Ottawa mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006. Results from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2006 continued to improve for the majority of Domtar Inc.’s businesses when compared to the first quarter of 2006. Although Domtar Inc.’s earnings from continuing operations were negatively impacted by lower shipments for pulp and paper, lower average selling prices for lumber and the continued strengthening of the Canadian dollar, Domtar Inc. benefited from higher average selling prices for pulp and paper, and the realization of savings stemming from its restructuring initiatives. As of September 30, 2006, Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall pulp and paper mill, Ottawa paper mill, Vancouver paper mill and Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills were shut

 

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down. Results from continuing operations for the third quarter of 2006 reflected an improvement in all of Domtar Inc.’s businesses over the second quarter, except for Wood. Domtar Inc.’s results from continuing operations benefited from higher average selling prices for the majority of Domtar Inc.’s products, except for lumber, higher shipments for pulp and higher investment tax credits related to research and development expenditures from prior years. In July 2006, Domtar Inc. settled a sales contract dispute, resulting in a payment to it of $14 million. Overall lower costs, partially resulting from the realization of savings stemming from restructuring initiatives throughout Domtar Inc.’s business segments further improved results in the third quarter of 2006. Results from continuing operations for the fourth quarter of 2006 reflected an improvement over the preceding quarter, due to the receipt of a $178 million refund plus interest of $22 million relating to lumber duties (net of special charge of $36 million), the gain on the sale of timberlands that amounted to $10 million ($6 million net of taxes), higher selling prices for pulp and paper and lower freight and energy costs. These were partially offset by lower shipments for all of Domtar Inc.’s major products, lower average selling prices for lumber, higher costs for purchased wood fiber and chemicals, offset by the weakening of the Canadian dollar. The wood sector continued to face difficult industry conditions including higher timber costs and lower demand for both lumber and wood chips. In addition, in the fourth quarter of 2006, Domtar Inc. sold its 50% interest in Norampac for a total cash consideration of $560 million, resulting in a gain of $237 million (net of applicable taxes) which is classified, as per GAAP, as discontinued operations.

The first quarter of 2007 included the impact of fresh start reporting (mostly related to amortization and pension costs that impacted periods after March 7, 2007) and costs of $34 million incurred relating to the Acquisition Transactions, while the fourth quarter of 2006 included the refund of softwood lumber duties of $164 million, costs of $25 million incurred relating to the Acquisition Transactions, a gain of $10 million realized on the sale of a parcel of timberlands and a charge of $5 million related to write downs of investments in the Wood business. When excluding these items, Domtar Inc.’s combined results for the Paper and Paper Merchants businesses slightly improved in the first quarter of 2007 compared to the results of Domtar Inc.’s fourth quarter of 2006 while the combined results of the Wood business deteriorated mostly due to the continuing difficult conditions prevailing in the wood sector. Domtar Inc.’s combined results from continuing operations in the first quarter of 2007 benefited from higher shipments of paper and wood products and slightly higher average selling prices for some of Domtar Inc.’s products. These factors were offset by an increase in Domtar Inc.’s environmental provision of $10 million as well as higher overall costs for freight, chemicals, energy and purchased fiber. Results for the second quarter of 2007 reflected a deterioration in all of Domtar Inc.’s businesses over the first quarter of 2007. The factors contributing to the deterioration of operating income from continuing operations include the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar, lower shipments for pulp and paper, lower average selling prices for Domtar Inc.’s wood products and higher maintenance costs. These factors were partially offset by lower manufacturing costs, higher average selling prices for paper and higher mark-to-market gains on financial instruments. During the second quarter of 2007, Domtar Corp. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, with the exception of its sawmills in Saskatchewan and some forestlands. The sale is expected to close prior to December 31, 2007, pending governmental approval for the forest license transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. In addition, in July 2007 Domtar Corp. announced that it will permanently close two paper machines as well as its Gatineau paper mill and its converting center in Ottawa, expected to be effective by the end of October 2007.

Accounting Change

Accounting Changes

In July, 2006, the Accounting Standards Board (“AcSB”) issued a replacement of Handbook Section 1506 “Accounting Changes.” The new standard, effective January 1, 2007, allows for voluntary changes in accounting policy only when they result in the financial statements providing reliable and more relevant information and requires changes in accounting policy to be applied retrospectively unless doing so is impracticable. The initial adoption of this section had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements under Canadian GAAP.

 

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Financial Instruments

In April 2005, the CICA issued three new Handbook Sections in relation with financial instruments: Section 3855 “Financial Instruments – Recognition and Measurement,” Section 3865 “Hedges” and Section 1530 “Comprehensive Income.” Domtar Inc. adopted the provisions of these sections on January 1, 2007.

Financial Instruments – Recognition and Measurement

Section 3855 expands on Handbook Section 3860 “Financial Instruments – Disclosure and Presentation,” by prescribing when a financial instrument is to be recognized on the balance sheet and at what amount. It also specifies how financial instrument gains and losses are to be presented. Under this new statement:

 

  ·  

All financial assets and liabilities are carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, except loans and receivables, investments held-to-maturity and non-trading financial liabilities, which are carried at amortized cost. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on trading financial assets and liabilities are recognized immediately in the consolidated statement of income while unrealized gains and losses on financial assets that are available for sale are recognized in other comprehensive income until their realization, after which these amounts are recognized in the consolidated statement of income.

 

  ·  

All derivatives financial instruments are carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, including those derivatives that are embedded in other contracts but are not closely related to the host contract.

Hedges

Section 3865 provides alternative accounting treatments to those found in Section 3855 for entities who choose to designate qualifying transactions as hedges for accounting purposes. It replaces and expands on AcG-13 “Hedging Relationships,” and the hedging guidance in Section 1650 “Foreign Currency Translation” by specifying how hedge accounting is applied and what disclosures are necessary when it is applied. Under this new statement:

 

  ·  

In a fair value hedge, hedging activities are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of income. The changes in the fair value of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk is also recorded in consolidated income by way of a corresponding adjustment of the carrying amount of the hedged items recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

 

  ·  

In a cash flow hedge, the changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments is recorded in other comprehensive income. These amounts are reclassified in the consolidated statement of income in the periods in which results are affected by the cash flows of the hedged item.

 

  ·  

Hedges of net investments in self-sustaining foreign operations are treated in a manner similar to cash flow hedges.

 

  ·  

Any hedge ineffectiveness is recorded in the consolidated statement of income.

Comprehensive Income

Section 1530 introduced a new requirement to present certain revenues, expenses, gains and losses, that otherwise would not be immediately recorded in income, in a comprehensive income statement with the same prominence as other statements that constitute a complete set of financial statements.

On January 1, 2007, the initial adoption of this standard resulted in a decrease in other assets of $26 million, an increase in future income tax assets of $2 million, a decrease in other long-term liabilities and deferred credits of $5 million, a decrease in long-term debt of $14 million and an accumulated other comprehensive loss of $5 million.

 

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Uncertainty in Income Taxes

In June 2006, FASB issued Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes – An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109 (FIN 48).” This interpretation, which the Company adopted on January 1, 2007, clarifies the accounting for uncertain tax positions recognized in a company’s financial statements in accordance with Statement 109. FIN 48 prescribes a more likely than not recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification of a liability for unrecognized tax benefits, accounting for interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, and expanded income tax disclosures. Domtar Inc. adopted this Interpretation in conjunction with the fresh start reporting and the adoption of the accounting policies of Domtar Corp. (other than LIFO). Domtar Inc. considers FIN 48 is an appropriate source of Canadian GAAP under Section 1100, “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.” FIN 48 was adopted effective January 1, 2007. The initial adoption of this Interpretation had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Impact of Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Implemented

Inventories

In March 2007, the Accounting Standards Board (“AcSB”) approved Handbook Section 3031 “Inventories.” The standard provides guidance on the determination of cost and its subsequent recognition as an expense, including any write-down to net realizable value. The standard also permits the reversal of previous write-downs when there is a subsequent increase in the value of inventories. Finally, the standard provides guidance on the cost formulas that are used to assign costs to inventories and requires the consistent use of inventory policies by type of inventory with similar nature and use. The standard is effective for interim and annual financial statements relating to fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2008, with earlier adoption encouraged. An entity may either apply this standard to the opening inventory for the period and adjust opening retained earnings by the difference in the measurement of opening inventory and prior periods are not restated; or an entity may apply this standard retrospectively and restate prior periods in accordance with Handbook Section 1506 “Accounting Changes.” Domtar Inc. does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect Domtar Inc.’s results of operations and financial position. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations, useful lives, impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill, pension and other employee future benefit plans, income taxes and closure and restructuring costs based upon currently available information. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

These critical accounting policies reflect matters that contain a significant level of management estimates about future events, reflect the most complex and subjective judgments, and are subject to a fair degree of measurement uncertainty.

The discussion on the methodology and assumptions underlying these critical accounting estimates, their effect on Domtar Inc.’s results of operations and financial position for the year ended December 31, 2006, as well as the effect of changes to these estimates can be found elsewhere in this MD&A and have not materially changed since December 31, 2006, except for the following.

 

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Fair Value Adjustments and Fresh Start Reporting

Domtar Inc. applied fresh start reporting on March 7, 2007. As a result, all Domtar Inc.’s assets and liabilities have been reported at fair values, except for future income taxes, which are reported in accordance with the requirements of CICA Handbook Section 3465, Income Taxes.

The fair values of Domtar Inc.’s assets and liabilities have been based on Management’s best estimates at March 7, 2007. Domtar Inc. is in the process of completing the valuation of certain assets and liabilities. Accordingly, the fair value of assets and liabilities could differ materially from the amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements. The principal significant elements for which the fair value could be modified include inventories, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets (including actual depreciation and amortization expense), goodwill and future income taxes.

As a result of the application of fresh start reporting, Domtar Inc.’s financial statements beginning with the financial statements for the first quarter of 2007 are not comparable to Domtar Inc.’s earlier financial statements.

Risks and Uncertainties

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. faces risks and uncertainties that in the event of their occurrence could materially adversely affect Domtar Inc.’s business and financial condition. For a summary of these risks and uncertainties, see “Risk Factors–Risks Related to the Industries and Businesses of the Company and Domtar Inc.”

Legal Proceedings

Domtar Inc. is involved in various legal proceedings relating to contracts, commercial disputes, taxes, environmental issues, labor and employment and other matters related to former and ongoing operations. Domtar Inc. periodically reviews the status of these proceedings and assesses the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes of its legal proceedings, and analyzes probable losses. While Domtar Inc. believes that the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, an adverse outcome in one or more of the following significant legal proceedings could have a material adverse effect on Domtar Inc.’s results of cash flow in a given quarter or year.

Domtar Inc. is subject to a motion by Joachim Laferrière Électricien Inc., filed in the Québec Superior Court on January 9, 2006, for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others for alleged damages relating to a conspiracy to fix prices of carbonless sheets during the period of January through December 2000 in the Province of Québec, Canada. The claim seeks estimated compensatory damages in the amount of CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) plus estimated exemplary damages in the amount of CDN$1 million to CDN$4 million (approximately $1 million to $4 million). Domtar Inc. is also subject to a motion by McLay & Company Inc. filed in Ontario Superior Court on January 11, 2006 for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others, for alleged inflated prices of carbonless sheets paper during the period of October 1999 through September 2000 in the Province of Ontario, Canada. These class actions have been settled in principle for an immaterial amount subject to finalization of definitive agreements and court approval. The settlement amount was fully reserved for in a prior period.

On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited (“Weston”) in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada against Domtar Inc. The claim alleges that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered an obligation of Domtar Inc. to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment contained in the Share Purchase Agreement, dated June 16, 1998 (as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, dated July 31, 1998, the “Agreement”) between Weston, Weston Investments Inc., Domtar Inc. and Domtar Industries Inc. pursuant to which Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc., an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood

 

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products. The claim seeks a payment of CDN$110 million (approximately $103 million) under the purchase price adjustment provision of the Agreement and additional compensatory damages. On August 13, 2007, Domtar Inc. served its statement of defense in response to this claim. Neither Domtar Corp. nor Domtar Inc. believes that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and Domtar Inc. intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar Inc. may not be successful in its defense of such claims, and if Domtar Inc. is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on Domtar Corp.’s and Domtar Inc.’s liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Several asbestos-related personal injury claims have been filed in U.S. state and federal courts against Domtar Industries Inc. and certain other affiliates of the Company in connection with alleged exposure by current and former employees of the Company to asbestos. While the Company believes that the ultimate disposition of these matters, both individually and on an aggregate basis, will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, there can be no assurance the Company will not incur substantial costs as a result of any such claim.

Environment

Domtar Inc. is or may be a “potentially responsible party” with respect to various hazardous waste sites that are being addressed pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“Superfund”) or similar laws. Domtar Inc. continues to take remedial action under its Care and Control Program, as such sites mostly relate to its former wood preserving operating sites, and a number of operating sites due to possible soil, sediment or groundwater contamination. The investigation and remediation process is lengthy and subject to the uncertainties of changes in legal requirements, technological developments and, if and when applicable, the allocation of liability among potentially responsible parties.

An action was commenced by Seaspan International Ltd. (“Seaspan”) in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on March 31, 1999 against Domtar Inc. and others with respect to alleged contamination of Seaspan’s site bordering Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver, British Columbia, including contamination of sediments in Burrard Inlet, due to the presence of creosote. As of July 3, 2002, the parties entered into a partial Settlement Agreement (“the Settlement Agreement”) which provides that while the agreement is performed in accordance with its terms, the action commenced by Seaspan will be held in abeyance. The Settlement Agreement focused on the sharing of costs between Seaspan and Domtar Inc. for certain remediation of contamination referred to in the plaintiff’s claim. The parties have the contractual right to abandon the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement does not address all of the plaintiff’s claims that cannot be reasonably determined at this time.

Domtar Inc. was issued a Request for Response Action (“RFRA”) by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) for the clean-up of tar seeps and soils at a former coal tar distillation plant located in Duluth, Minnesota. On March 27, 1996, the MPCA issued the RFRA to Domtar Inc., Interlake Corp., Allied-Signal, Inc. and Beazer East, Inc. requiring the investigation and potential remediation of a portion of an industrial site located in Duluth, Minnesota believed to contain contaminated sediments originating from former coke and gas plants and coal tar distillation plants. Domtar Inc. formerly operated one coal tar distillation plant. The total cost of the likely remediation is estimated to be approximately $90 million. Allocation of responsibility among the parties is ongoing under an agreed final and binding arbitration process which Domtar Inc. expects will be determined in the third quarter of 2007.

Financial Instruments and Other Instruments

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. is exposed to certain financial risks, including interest rate risk, credit risk, foreign currency risk and price risk. Domtar Inc. does not use derivative instruments for speculative purposes. More information on financial instruments is presented elsewhere in this MD&A. Financial risks have not changed materially since December 31, 2006.

 

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Outlook

Going into the second half of the year, fine paper volumes are expected to remain under pressure compared to last year while price realizations should improve compared to the second quarter as a result of the carry over from the price increases for copy paper and for pulp implemented late in the quarter. In light of the decline in North American demand for fine papers and the resulting excess capacity, notably in commercial printing paper grades, Domtar Inc. will continue to monitor its production and inventories to meet customer demand.

Controls and Procedures

In the second quarter ended June 30, 2007, the Company did not make any significant changes in, nor take any significant corrective actions regarding its internal controls or other factors that could significantly affect such internal controls. The Company’s CEO and CFO periodically review the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures for effectiveness and conduct an evaluation each quarter. As of the end of the first quarter, the Company’s CEO and CFO were satisfied with the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures.

2006 Overview

Domtar Inc.’s 2006 results reflected a significant improvement when compared to 2005. Domtar Inc. benefited from higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, higher shipments for all of its major products except for wood (excluding the impact of mills that were indefinitely closed) and overall lower costs partially resulting from the realization of savings stemming from restructuring initiatives throughout Domtar Inc.’s business segments. Other factors that contributed to Domtar Inc.’s strengthened financial position were the refund of softwood duties, amounting to $178 million plus interest of $22 million (total of $164 million net of a special charge by the Canadian Government of $36 million), the realization of a gain of $237 million (net of applicable taxes of $62 million) on the sale of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac, the recognition of investment tax credits related to research and development expenditures from prior years and the settlement of a sales contract dispute resulting in a payment to Domtar Inc. of $14 million. These factors were partially offset by the strengthening of the Canadian dollar and lower average selling prices and shipments for wood products due to the continuing difficult conditions prevailing in the wood sector.

As at March 31, 2006, Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall pulp and paper mill and Ottawa paper mill were permanently shut down, and as at June 30, 2006, Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill and Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills were also shut down.

The Combination

In August 2006, Domtar Inc. signed a definitive agreement to combine with Weyerhaeuser’s fine paper business and related assets. Under the terms of the transaction, Weyerhaeuser’s fine paper business, consisting of 10 primary pulp and paper mills (seven in the United States and three in Canada), converting, forming and warehousing facilities, sales offices, two sawmills and logging and forest management operations was transferred into a newly formed company for stock and a cash payment of $1.35 billion provided by the new company through borrowings under a temporary credit facility. Weyerhaeuser distributed the shares of the new company to its shareholders through an exchange offer. Domtar Inc. combined with the newly formed company to create “Domtar Corporation.”

Discontinued Operations

Effective in the second quarter of 2006, as a result of the permanent closure of Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill, the financial information pertaining to Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill was no longer included in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business but presented as a discontinued operation and as assets held for sale. Accordingly,

 

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the statement of consolidated earnings and consolidated cash flows for prior periods have been restated to reflect this presentation. Effective December 29, 2006, the financial information pertaining to Norampac is disclosed as a discontinued operation. Accordingly, the statement of consolidated earnings and consolidated cash flows for 2006 and prior periods have been restated to reflect this presentation. In accordance with GAAP, due to the fact that Domtar Inc. continues to sell certain products formerly produced at the Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills, those operations remain in Domtar Inc.’s continuing operations.

On December 29, 2006, Domtar Inc. sold its packaging segment, which consisted of a 50% interest in Norampac, to Cascades Inc. for a total cash consideration of $560 million, resulting in a gain of $237 million (net of applicable taxes of $62 million). As a result of this transaction, Domtar Inc. reduced its net debt level by $560 million compared to its third quarter of 2006, improving its balance sheet and liquidity position.

Norampac, Domtar Inc.’s former joint venture in packaging, had 26 corrugated packaging plants strategically located across Canada and the United States prior to its sale. Norampac’s eight containerboard mills, having a combined annual capacity of approximately 1.45 million tons, directly or indirectly supplied essentially all the containerboard requirements of the corrugated packaging plants. In accordance with GAAP, Domtar Inc. accounted for Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac, up to the date of the sale, using the proportionate consolidation method.

Financial Results of Discontinued Operations

 

Earnings (Loss) From Discontinued Operations

   Year ended  
   2006     2005  
(In millions of Canadian dollars)             

Gain on sale of Norampac (net of applicable taxes)

   $ 237     $  

Net earnings of Norampac

     37       3  

Net loss of Vancouver paper mill

     (9 )     (81 )
                

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations

     265       (78 )
                

Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac’s net earnings from January 1, 2006 to December 29, 2006 amounted to $274 million in 2006, including a gain of $237 million (net of applicable taxes) on the sale of Domtar Inc.’s interest, compared to net earnings of $3 million in 2005. The $34 million increase in net earnings, excluding the $237 million net gain on the sale, was mainly due to higher average selling prices for containerboard and corrugated containers, partially offset by the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar and lower shipments for containerboard and corrugated containers.

Net loss from Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill amounted to $9 million in 2006, an improvement of $72 million compared to a net loss of $81 million in 2005. The improvement in the results was mainly attributable to the $89 million decrease in restructuring costs ($60 million net of applicable taxes) in 2006 compared to 2005 and the closure of the mill in June 2006.

See also Note 4 to the 2006 audited consolidated financial statements.

Domtar Inc.’s Business

Domtar Inc.’s reporting segments correspond to the following business activities: Papers, Paper Merchants and Wood.

Papers

Prior to the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Inc. was the third largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America. Domtar Inc. operated five pulp and paper facilities in

 

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Canada (reflecting the permanent closures of the Cornwall pulp and paper mill and Ottawa paper mill in the first quarter of 2006 and the permanent closure of the Vancouver paper mill in the second quarter of 2006) and five in the United States, with an annual paper production capacity of approximately 2.3 million tons, complemented by strategically located warehouses and sales offices. As of June 30, 2007, approximately 65% of Domtar Inc.’s paper production capacity was located in the United States, and approximately 81% of Domtar Inc.’s pulp and paper sales were made to customers in the United States. Uncoated and coated freesheet papers are used for business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty applications. The chart below illustrates the principal paper products Domtar Inc. produces and Domtar Inc.’s annual paper production capacity.

 

Category    Business Papers   Commercial Printing and Publication
Papers
  Technical and Specialty Papers
Type    Uncoated Freesheet       Coated
Freesheet
  Uncoated and Coated Freesheet
Grade    Copy    Premium
imaging/
technology
papers
  Offset

Business
converting

  Lightweight

Opaques


Text, cover
and writing

  Lightweight  

Flexible packaging

Abrasive papers

Decorative papers

Imaging papers

Label papers

Medical disposables

Application    Photocopies

Office documents


Presentations

  Pamphlets

Brochures


Direct mail


Commercial
printing


Forms &
envelopes

  Stationery

Brochures


Annual
reports


Books


Catalogs

  Brochures

Annual
reports


Books


Magazines


Catalogs

 

Food & candy wrappings

Surgical gowns

Repositionable note pads

Security check papers

Capacity (*)       As at February 22, 2007: approximately 2.3 million tons
   0.8 million
tons

35%

   0.1 million
tons

4%

  0.7 million
tons

31%

  0.2 million
tons

9%

  0.1 million
tons

4%

 

0.4 million tons

17%


(*) The allocation of production capacity may vary from period to period in order to take advantage of market conditions. Domtar Inc. permanently closed the Cornwall pulp and paper mill and Ottawa paper mill in the first quarter of 2006, and the Vancouver paper mill in the second quarter of 2006. These permanent closures, impacting 450,000 tons of paper, have been assumed to be effective as at January 1, 2006 and have been reflected in the above capacity.

Domtar Inc. sells paper primarily through a large network of owned and independent merchants that distribute its paper products throughout North America. Domtar Inc. also sells its products to a variety of customers, including business offices, office equipment manufacturers, retail outlets, commercial printers, publishers and converters. In addition, Domtar Inc. sells pulp in excess of its internal requirements. Domtar Inc. also purchases pulp to optimize paper production and reduce freight costs. In 2006, its net market pulp position (the amount of pulp produced in excess of its internal requirements) was approximately 563,000 tonnes.

Domtar Inc.’s Papers business is its most important segment, representing 64% of consolidated sales in 2006, or 70% when including sales of Domtar Inc. paper through its own Paper Merchants business.

Paper Merchants

Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business comprises the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by Domtar Inc. and other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products. Domtar Inc.-owned paper merchants operate in the United States and

 

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Canada under a single banner and umbrella name, the Domtar Distribution Group. Ris Paper operates throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest areas from 19 locations in the United States, including 16 distribution centers. The Canadian business operates as Buntin Reid in three locations in Ontario; JBR/La Maison du Papier in two locations in Québec; and The Paper House from two locations in Atlantic Canada. Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business represented 26% of consolidated sales in 2006, or 20% when excluding sales of Domtar Inc. paper.

Wood

The Wood business comprises the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of lumber and wood-based value-added products, and the management of forest resources. Domtar Inc. operates eight sawmills (four in Québec, following the closure of the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills in the second quarter of 2006, and four in Ontario) and one remanufacturing facility (in Québec), for an annual capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet of lumber. Domtar Inc. also has an interest in three joint ventures and an investment in one business, which all produce wood products. Domtar Inc. seeks to optimize 17 million acres of forestland directly licensed or owned by Domtar Inc. in Canada and the United States through efficient management and the application of certified sustainable forest management practices such that a continuous supply of wood is available for future needs. The Wood business represented 10% of consolidated sales in 2006. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had four sawmills and one remanufacturing facility in operation, for an annual capacity of approximately 460 million board feet of lumber.

 

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Summary of Financial Results

 

    Year ended  

Financial Highlights

  December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2004
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)                  

Sales

    $3,989     $ 4,247     $ 4,403  

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

    237       (349 )     23  

Excluding specified items (1 )

    139       23       111  

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

    63       (310 )     (63 )

Excluding specified items

    (7 )     (51 )     (4 )

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations per share (in dollars):

     

Basic

    0.27       (1.36 )     (0.28 )

Net Earnings (loss)

    328       (388 )     (42 )

Net earnings (loss) per share (in dollars):

     

Basic

    1.42       (1.69 )     (0.19 )

Diluted

    1.42       (1.69 )     (0.19 )

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations, excluding specified items, per segment: (1 )

     

Papers

    140       (51 )     21  

Paper Merchants

    13       16       21  

Wood

    (28 )     51       56  

Corporate

    14       7       13  
                       

Total

    139       23       111  

Average exchange rates

  CAN$ 1.134       1.211       1.301  
  US$ 0.882       0.826       0.769  

Dividends per share (declared) (in dollars):

     

Series A Preferred Shares

    2.25       2.25       2.25  

Series B Preferred Shares

    1.02       0.78       0.73  

Common shares

          0.18       0.24  

Total assets

    4,955       5,192       5,681  

Total long-term debt, including current portion

    1,891       2,259       2,034  
                       

(1) See “Specified items affecting results and non-GAAP measures.”

Specified Items Affecting Results and Non-GAAP Measures

Domtar Inc.’s operating results include specified items that, in its view, do not typify normal operating activities, thus affecting the comparability of Domtar Inc.’s results from period to period. To measure Domtar Inc.’s performance and that of its business segments from period to period without regard to variations caused by these specified items, Domtar Inc. focuses on certain measures excluding specified items. These financial measures excluding specified items are non-GAAP measures. Domtar Inc. defines specified items as items such as the impacts of impairment of assets, facility or machine closures, changes in income tax legislation, debt restructuring, unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses on hedging contracts not considered as hedges for accounting purposes, foreign exchange impact on long-term debt translation and other items that, in Domtar Inc.’s view, do not typify normal operating activities.

Domtar Inc.’s Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations excluding specified items is a non-GAAP financial measure that is presented as a line item sub total on the face of Domtar Inc.’s GAAP statement of earnings. This non-GAAP measure is also used by management, as well as investors, to evaluate operations. Management believes that Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations excluding specified items , as

 

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presented, represents a useful means of assessing the performance of the Company’s ongoing operating activities, as it reflects the Company’s earnings trends without showing the impact of certain charges.

Domtar Inc. believes that it is useful for investors and other users to be aware of the specified items that positively or adversely impacted Domtar Inc.’s GAAP results, and that these non-GAAP measures provide investors and other users with a measure of performance to compare Domtar Inc.’s results between periods without regard to these specified items.

Management uses both GAAP and non-GAAP measures to evaluate results of operations and believes that investors and other readers should be aware of both measures in order to more meaningfully evaluate operations. Some of the key users of Domtar Inc.’s financial information, including analysts and creditors, request that Domtar Inc. make these measures publicly available.

The use of Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations excluding specified items has certain material limitations because it excludes the recurring expenditures of financing expenses and income taxes. Financing expenses is a necessary component of Domtar Inc.’s expenses because Domtar Inc. borrows money to finance its working capital and capital expenditures. Income tax expense is also a necessary component of Domtar Inc.’s expenses because Domtar Inc. is required to pay cash income taxes. Management compensates for these limitations to the use of Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations excluding specified items by using it as only a supplementary measure of profitability.

Domtar Inc. believes that the impact of the key drivers of its business — i.e. price, volume and foreign exchange, on its results are more readily understandable when Domtar Inc. separates out the identified specified items. The specified items are then separately identifiable and discussed in detail so that the impact of those items on Domtar Inc.’s results may be understood. Domtar Inc. believes this gives the reader an easy to follow format where specified items are brought to the forefront immediately allowing the reader to focus on these points separately.

Measures excluding specified items have no standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and are not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies, and therefore should not be considered in isolation. It is important for readers to understand that certain items may be presented in different lines on the financial statements thereby leading to different measures for different companies. Domtar Inc. compensates for this limitation by clearly identifying all items included in or excluded from its non-GAAP measures and explaining the items removed or added back to the most comparable GAAP items. The following tables reconcile these measures excluding specified items to their closest GAAP financial measures.

 

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       Year ended  
     December 31, 2006     December 31, 2005     December 31, 2004  

Specified Items

   Operating
Profit From
Continuing
Operations
    Earnings
(Loss) From
Continuing
Operations
   

Operating Profit

(Loss) From
Continuing
Operations

    Loss From
Continuing
Operations
    Operating
Profit From
Continuing
Operations
    Loss From
Continuing
Operations
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars)                                     

As per GAAP

   $ 237     $ 63     $ (349 )   $ (310 )   $ 23     $ (63 )

Specified items

            

Sales of property, plant and equipment (i)

     (10 )     (6 )     (4 )     (3 )     (33 )     (21 )

Closure and restructuring costs (ii)

     35       22       317       209       49       34  

Unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses (iii)

     4       3       (5 )     (3 )     3       5  

Foreign exchange gains or losses on long-term debt (iv)

                       (3 )           (5 )

Income tax legislation changes (v)

           (2 )           7              

Legal settlement (vi)

     (7 )     (7 )     13       13              

Refinancing costs (vii)

                       5              

Write-down of investments (viii)

     5       3                          

Insurance recoveries (ix)

     (3 )     (2 )     (3 )     (2 )            

Duties (x)

     (147 )     (98 )     54       36       69       46  

Acquisition Transactions costs (xi)

     25       17                          
                                                
     (98 )     (70 )     372       259       88       59  
                                                

Excluding specified items

     139       (7 )     23       (51 )     111       (4 )
                                                

 

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Specified Items

   Three months ended  
   December 31, 2006     December 31, 2005     December 31, 2004  
   Operating
Profit From
Continuing
Operations
    Earnings
(Loss) From
Continuing
Operations
    Operating
(Loss) From
Continuing
Operations
    Loss From
Continuing
Operations
   

Operating
Profit

(Loss) From
Continuing
Operations

    Loss From
Continuing
Operations
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars)                                     

As per GAAP

   $ 178     $ 91     $ (366 )   $ (271 )   $ (23 )   $ (36 )

Specified items

            

Sales of property, plant and equipment (i)

     (10 )     (6)                   (29 )     (17 )

Closure and restructuring costs (ii)

     5       3       300       198       40       27  

Unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses (iii)

     3       2                   3       2  

Foreign exchange gains or losses on long-term debt (iv)

                                   (3 )

Income tax legislation changes (v)

                       7              

Legal settlement (vi)

                 13       13              

Write-down of investments (viii)

     5       3                          

Insurance recoveries (ix)

     (3 )     (2 )                        

Duties (x)

     (164 )     (110 )     11       7       15       10  

Acquisition Transactions costs (xi)

     25       17                          
                                                
     (139 )     (93 )     324       225       29       19  
                                                

Excluding specified items

     39       (2 )     (42 )     (46 )     6       (17 )
                                                

(i) Domtar Inc.’s results reflect gains on sales of property, plant and equipment. These gains are presented under “Net gains on disposals of property, plant and equipment” in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(ii) Domtar Inc.’s results reflect closure and restructuring charges. These charges are presented under “Closure and restructuring costs” in the consolidated financial statements. See “Closure and restructuring costs” for further information.

 

(iii) Domtar Inc.’s results include unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses on commodity swap contracts and foreign exchange contracts not considered as hedges for accounting purposes. Such gains or losses are presented under “Selling, general and administrative” expenses in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(iv) Domtar Inc.’s results include foreign exchange gains or losses on the translation of a portion of its long-term debt. Such gains or losses are presented under “Financing expenses” in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(v) Domtar Inc.’s results include charges related to modifications to the income tax legislation. These charges are presented under “Income tax expense (recovery)” in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(vi) Domtar Inc.’s results include charges (revenues) related to a legal settlement. These charges (revenues) are presented under “Selling, general and administrative” expenses in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(vii) Domtar Inc.’s results include refinancing expenses. These refinancing expenses are presented under “Financing expenses” in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(viii) Domtar Inc.’s results include charges related to write downs of investments. These charges are presented under “Selling, general and administrative” expenses in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(ix) Domtar Inc.’s results include insurance recoveries. These recoveries are presented under “Selling, general and administrative” expenses in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(x) Domtar Inc.’s results include charges or revenues related to countervailing and antidumping duties. These revenues are presented under “Antidumping and countervailing duties refund” and charges are presented under “Cost of sales” in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(xi) Domtar Inc.’s results include costs related to the Acquisition Transactions. These costs are presented under “Selling, general and administrative” expenses in the consolidated financial statements.

 

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2006 vs. 2005 Annual Overview

Sales of $4 Billion

Sales in 2006 amounted to $3,989 million, a decrease of $258 million or 6% from sales of $4,247 million in 2005. This decrease was mainly attributable to the permanent closure of the Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006 and the indefinite shut down of the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill for the entire year of 2006, the negative impact of a 7% rise in the year over year average value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar (from $0.826 to $0.882) and lower average selling prices and shipments for wood products. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for all of Domtar Inc.’s major products except for wood, higher shipments for pulp and paper (excluding the impact of mills that were indefinitely or permanently closed) and the settlement in July 2006 of a sales contract dispute that resulted in a payment to Domtar Inc. of $14 million.

Operating Profit from Continuing Operations of $237 Million

Cost of sales decreased by $328 million or 9% in 2006 compared to 2005 mainly due to the permanent closure of the Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills, effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006 and the indefinite shut down of the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill. Other factors causing a decrease in cost of sales included the positive impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on Domtar Inc.’s U.S. dollar denominated expenses, lower production and shipments for wood products, lower cash deposits for countervailing and antidumping duties due to the decrease in duties rate and prices, the cessation of duties collected by the U.S. as of October 12, 2006, higher investment tax credits related to research and development expenditures from prior years, lower costs for purchased wood fiber and chemicals, as well as the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities. These factors were partially offset by higher shipments for pulp and paper, and higher energy and freight costs (excluding the impact of mills that were indefinitely and permanently closed).

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses decreased by $13 million or 6% in 2006 compared to 2005. SG&A in 2006 included transaction costs of $25 million relating to the Acquisition Transactions, unrealized mark-to-market losses on financial instruments of $4 million and revenue of $7 million related to a legal settlement, while SG&A in 2005 included unrealized mark-to-market gains of $5 million, a charge of $13 million related to a legal settlement with regards to an investigation by the Canadian Competition Bureau and insurance recoveries of $3 million. When excluding these items, SG&A decreased by $30 million or 13% compared to 2005. This decrease was mainly attributable to the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities and the Ontario government’s retroactive reduction in Crown stumpage fees related to 2005 and 2006, partially offset by higher pension expenses.

Operating profit from continuing operations in 2006 amounted to $237 million compared to an operating loss from continuing operations of $349 million in 2005. Excluding specified items, operating profit from continuing operations totaled $139 million in 2006 compared to an operating profit from continuing operations of $23 million in 2005. The $116 million increase in operating profit from continuing operations excluding specified items was largely attributable to higher average selling prices for all of Domtar Inc.’s major products except for wood, higher shipments for pulp and paper (excluding the impact of mills that were indefinitely or permanently closed), higher investment tax credits related to research and development expenditures from prior years, the settlement of a sales contract dispute, as well as the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities. These factors were partially offset by the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar (including the effect of Domtar Inc.’s hedging program), lower average selling prices and shipments for wood products and higher energy and freight costs (excluding the impact of mills and sawmills that were permanently or indefinitely closed).

 

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Variance Analysis - 2006 vs 2005

      
(In millions of Canadian dollars)       

2005 operating profit from continuing operations, excluding specified items

   $ 23  

Selling prices

     142  

Foreign exchange (net of hedging programs)

     (70 )

Shipments and mix

     1  

Other costs, including savings from mill closures

     43  
        

2006 operating profit from continuing operations, excluding specified items

   $ 139  
        

Specific Cost Reduction Initiatives

Since 2004, Domtar Inc. has made an ongoing commitment to adjust production to meet its customers’ needs, as well as maintain operational flexibility and a competitive manufacturing base. These efforts have mainly impacted the Papers and Wood segments and have resulted in workforce reductions throughout the organization.

In 2004, Domtar Inc. announced several initiatives aimed at achieving a run-rate of $100 million in annual cost reductions by the end of 2005. As at December 31, 2005, Domtar Inc. had achieved its goal to deliver $100 million of annualized savings stemming from these initiatives.

In November 2005, still faced with a number of economic conditions that adversely impacted its business, such as higher energy prices and the rapid rise of the Canadian dollar, Domtar Inc. announced a series of additional targeted measures aimed at returning Domtar Inc. to profitability. The measures included the following initiatives:

 

  ·  

The permanent closure of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall pulp and paper mill, effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006, which eliminated approximately 910 permanent positions (including the 390 positions already affected by the indefinite shut down of the pulp mill, paper machine and sheeter announced in late 2004). This resulted in the permanent curtailment of 265,000 tons of uncoated and coated printing grades, as well as 145,000 tonnes of pulp (including 85,000 tons of paper and 145,000 tonnes of pulp impacted by the indefinite shut down announced in late 2004);

 

  ·  

The permanent closure of Domtar Inc.’s Ottawa mill, effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006, which eliminated approximately 185 permanent positions and resulted in the permanent curtailment of 65,000 tons of paper;

 

  ·  

The permanent closure of Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver coated paper mill, effective at the end of the second quarter of 2006, which eliminated approximately 285 permanent positions and resulted in the permanent curtailment of 120,000 tons of coated paper;

 

  ·  

The closure of Domtar Inc.’s Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills, effective in the second quarter of 2006, which impacted approximately 200 permanent positions;

 

  ·  

Further measures to reduce costs, as follows:

 

  ·  

Reducing SG&A expenses by permanently eliminating approximately 100 corporate and divisional permanent positions, as well as other SG&A expenses;

 

  ·  

Implementing further cost reductions at the mill level by eliminating approximately 200 operational positions;

 

  ·  

Consolidating North American administrative offices in Montreal and Cincinnati.

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had implemented all the announced measures.

 

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Closure and Restructuring Costs

Closure and restructuring costs for the fourth quarter of 2006 compared to the fourth quarter of 2005, as well as for the year 2006 compared to 2005, were as follows:

 

    

Quarter ended

December 31,

  

Year ended

December 31,

       2006    2005    2006    2005
(In millions of Canadian dollars)                    

Costs, net of reversals of provisions, related to the permanent closures of Domtar Inc.’s Cornwall, and Ottawa paper mills (severance, termination, environment and pension costs, as well as $201 million for write-down of property, plant and equipment in 2005)

   $ 2    $ 264    $ 8    $ 270

Costs related to the closure of two sawmills at Malartic and Grand-Remous (severance, termination, environment and pension costs, as well as $23 million for the write-down of property, plant and equipment in 2005)

          30      1      30

Costs related to specific cost reduction initiatives (severance, termination, training and outplacement costs and other)

     3      6      26      17
                           

Total closure and restructuring costs

     5      300      35      317
                           

Net Earnings of $328 Million

Net earnings amounted to $328 million ($1.42 per common share) in 2006 compared to a net loss of $388 million ($1.69 per common share) in 2005. Excluding specified items, loss from continuing operations amounted to $7 million in 2006 compared to a loss from continuing operations of $51 million in 2005. This $44 million improvement was mainly attributable to the factors mentioned above.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations in 2006 amounted to $222 million compared to cash flows used for operating activities of continuing operations of $41 million in 2005. Net additions to property, plant and equipment amounted to $91 million in 2006 compared to $129 million in 2005. Domtar Inc. posted positive free cash flow of $131 million in 2006 compared to negative free cash flow of $170 million in 2005. This $301 million improvement mainly reflects the refund of duties collected by the U.S. Government since 2002 as well as improved profitability, partially offset by working capital requirements due to the decrease in receivables securitized in the amount of CDN$140 million ($120 million). See “Free Cash Flow” table and definition in the “Liquidity & Capital Resources” section of this 2006 vs. 2005 Overview.

Domtar Inc.’s total long-term debt decreased by $368 million, due to the disposal of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac and the corresponding deconsolidation of its non-recourse debt, the debt repayments made on Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit facility resulting from the duties refund and better cash flow from operations. Domtar Inc.’s net debt-to-total capitalization ratio as at December 31, 2006 stood at 40.2% compared to 57.7% as at December 31, 2005. See “Net debt-to-total capitalization ratio” table and definition contained in the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section of this 2006 vs. 2005 Overview.

 

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Papers

 

Selected Information

   Year ended  
   December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)             

Sales

    

Total sales

   $ 2,796     $ 2,900  

Intersegment sales to Paper Merchants

     (269 )     (273 )
                
     2,527       2,627  

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

     121       (329 )

Sales of property, plant and equipment (1)

     (10 )     (4 )

Closure and restructuring costs (1)

     34       287  

Unrealized mark-to-market gains or losses (1)

     1       (5 )

Legal settlement (1)

     (6 )      
                

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations, excluding specified items

     140       (51 )

Shipments

    

Paper (in thousands of ST)

     2,273       2,432  

Pulp (in thousands of ADMT)

     631       574  

Paper shipments by product offering (%):

    

Copy and offset grades

     61       56  

Uncoated commercial printing & publication and premium imaging grades

     14       19  

Coated commercial printing & publication grades

     7       9  

Technical and specialty grades

     18       16  
                

Total

     100       100  

Benchmark prices (2) :

    

Copy 20 lb sheets ($/ton)

     902       822  

Offset 50 lb rolls ($/ton)

     823       726  

Coated publication, no. 3, 60 lb rolls ($/ton)

     924       902  

Pulp NBSK — U.S. market ($/ADMT)

     722       647  

Pulp NBHK — Japan market (3) ($/ADMT)

     592       526  

(1) See “Specified items affecting results and non-GAAP measures.”

 

(2) Source: Pulp & Paper Week. As such, these prices do not necessarily reflect Domtar Inc.’s transaction prices.

 

(3) Based on Pulp and Paper Week’s Southern Bleached Hardwood Kraft pulp prices for Japan, increased by an average differential of $15/ADMT between Northern and Southern Bleached Hardwood Kraft pulp prices.

Sales and Operating Profit from Continuing Operations

Sales in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business amounted to $2,527 million in 2006, a decrease of $100 million or 4% from sales of $2,627 million in 2005. This decrease in sales was mainly attributable to the closure of the Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006, the indefinite shut down of Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill and the negative impact of a 7% rise in the year-over-year average value of the Canadian dollar. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices of pulp and paper, the settlement of a sales contract dispute that resulted in a payment to Domtar Inc. of $14 million and higher shipments of pulp and paper (excluding the impact of mills that were indefinitely or permanently closed).

Operating profit from continuing operations in Domtar Inc.’s Papers business totaled $121 million in 2006 (or $140 million when excluding specified items) compared to an operating loss from continuing operations of $329 million (or $51 million when excluding specified items) in 2005. Excluding specified items, the

 

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$191 million improvement in operating profit from continuing operations is largely the result of higher average selling prices for paper and pulp, the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, the settlement of a sales contract dispute resulting in a payment to Domtar Inc. of $14 million, higher shipments of pulp and paper (excluding the impact of mills that were indefinitely or permanently closed), as well as recognition of investment tax credits related to research and development expenditures from prior years. These factors were partially offset by the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar and higher costs for purchased fiber, chemicals and energy as well as freight.

Pricing Environment

In Domtar Inc.’s Papers business, average transaction prices, denominated in U.S. dollars, increased in 2006 compared to 2005. Within Domtar Inc.’s Canadian operations, although the rise of the Canadian dollar negatively impacted Domtar Inc.’s Canadian dollar denominated prices, which are derived from U.S. dollar denominated prices, overall Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices denominated in Canadian dollars increased in 2006 compared to 2005.

Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices, denominated in U.S. dollars, for Domtar Inc.’s basket of copy and offset grades, increased on average by approximately 11% in 2006 compared to 2005. Within this basket, Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices for copy 20 lb sheets and offset 50 lb rolls, which represented approximately 35% of Domtar Inc.’s paper sales in 2006, were higher on average by $97/ton and $100/ton, respectively, in 2006 compared to 2005.

Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices for Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp increased by $38/tonne and Domtar Inc.’s average transaction prices for Northern Bleached Hardwood Kraft (NBHK) pulp increased by $45/tonne in 2006 compared to 2005.

Operations

Shipments

Domtar Inc.’s paper shipments to capacity ratio was 96.0% in 2006 compared to 94.2% in 2005, largely as a result of reduced capacity following the mill closures.

Domtar Inc.’s pulp shipments increased by 57,000 tons in 2006 compared to 2005 despite the indefinite shut down of the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill in November 2005. This increase in trade shipments resulted from less internal use and more trade sales as a result of the mill closures mentioned above.

Labor

A collective agreement expired in April 2004 for Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill (affecting approximately 350 employees). Negotiations have ceased as the mill is closed for an indefinite period.

In July 2006, a five year agreement, expiring April 30, 2010, was reached and ratified with the union at the Windsor mill (affecting approximately 760 employees).

Restructuring

In November 2005, Domtar Inc. announced the permanent shut down of its Cornwall pulp and paper mill as well as its Ottawa paper mill, which became effective at the end of the first quarter of 2006. As a result, the book value of these mills was reduced to their net recoverable value. Domtar Inc. also announced its intention to seek a buyer for its Vancouver paper mill. Domtar Inc.’s Vancouver paper mill was permanently closed as at the end of the second quarter of 2006. In July 2006, Domtar Inc. reached an agreement to sell its Vancouver paper mill property for a total consideration of approximately $23 million, which represents its approximate net recoverable

 

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value. This agreement was subject to a number of closing conditions, which were completed in the first half of 2007. In September 2006, Domtar Inc. sold its facility and land in Cornwall, for proceeds of $4 million and a corresponding gain of $1 million ($1 million net of income taxes). These closures resulted in a reduction of Domtar Inc.’s production capacity of 145,000 tonnes of pulp and 450,000 tons of paper per annum and impacted approximately 1,380 positions.

Other

In November 2005, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite shut down of the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill due to unfavorable economic conditions. As of December 31, 2006, economic factors such as increasing wood fiber supply costs, energy and transportation costs, the strengthening of the Canadian dollar and labor costs that are not competitive, did not allow Domtar Inc. to reopen the pulp mill and operate profitably. As a result, the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill was indefinitely idled rather than permanently shut down. By the end of May 2006, Domtar Inc. had to meet its obligations under Québec law with respect to temporary lay-offs exceeding six months. These obligations resulted in severance payments of approximately $7 million.

In July 2006, Domtar Inc. was part of a settlement of a sales contract dispute that mutually resolved differences among the parties, resulting in a payment to Domtar Inc. of approximately CDN$14 million ($13 million) that was received in July 2006.

In October 2006, Domtar Inc. sold a parcel of timberlands for proceeds of $11 million ($10 million) and a corresponding gain of CDN$10 million ($9 million).

During the second quarter of 2005, Domtar Inc. sold its facility and land in Senneville, Québec, for proceeds of $6 million and a corresponding gain of $4 million.

Paper Merchants

 

       Year ended

Selected Information

   December 31,
2006
   December 31,
2005
(In millions of Canadian dollars)          

Sales

   $ 1,051    $ 1,047

Operating profit from continuing operations

     13      3

Legal settlement (1)

          13
             

Operating profit from continuing operations, excluding specified items

     13      16

(1) See “Specified items affecting results and non-GAAP measures.”

Sales and Operating Profit from Continuing Operations

Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business generated sales of $1,051 million in 2006, an increase of $4 million compared to 2005. This increase was attributable to higher average selling prices and higher shipments partially offset by the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar.

Operating profit from continuing operations amounted to $13 million in 2006 compared to $3 million in 2005. In 2005, the operating profit from continuing operations included a charge of $13 million related to a legal settlement with regards to an investigation by the Canadian Competition Bureau relating to the sales of carbonless sheet paper in Ontario and Québec during a one-year period spanning part of 1999 and 2000. When excluding specified items, Domtar Inc.’s operating profit from continuing operations amounted to $13 million (reflecting an operating margin of 1.2%) in 2006 compared to $16 million (reflecting an operating margin of 1.5%) in 2005. The $3 million decrease in operating profit from continuing operations excluding specified items was primarily due to a one time bad debt expense and the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar, partially offset by higher shipments.

 

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Wood

 

       Year ended  

Selected Information

   December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
 
    
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)             

Sales

    

Lumber sales

   $ 375     $ 521  

Wood chips and other sales

     86       176  
                

Sub-total

     461       697  

Intersegment sales

     (50 )     (124 )
                
     411       573  

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

     117       (33 )

Closure and restructuring costs (1)

     1       30  

Legal settlement (1)

     (1 )      

Insurance recoveries (1)

     (3 )      

Write-down of investments (1)

     5        

Duties (1)

     (147 )     54  
                

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations, excluding specified items

     (28 )     51  

Shipments (millions of FBM)

     916       1,107  

Shipments by product offering (%):

    

Random lengths

     38       33  

Studs

     32       35  

Value-added

     26       27  

Industrial

     4       5  
                

Total

     100       100  

Benchmark prices (2) :

    

Lumber G.L. 2x4x8 stud ($/MFBM)

     344       418  

Lumber G.L. 2x4 R/L no. 1 & no. 2 ($/MFBM)

     368       420  

(1) See “Specified items affecting results and non-GAAP measures.”

 

(2) Source: Random Lengths. As such, these prices do not necessarily reflect Domtar Inc.’s transaction prices.

Sales and Operating Profit from Continuing Operations

Sales in the Wood business amounted to $411 million in 2006, a decrease of $162 million or 28% compared to sales of $573 million in 2005. This decrease was largely attributable to lower average selling prices and lower shipments, mainly as a result of the shut down of two sawmills and the indefinite shut down of the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill in addition to four other sawmills, as well as the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar and the slowdown in the U.S. housing industry.

Operating profit from continuing operations in the Wood business totaled $117 million in 2006 (or a loss from continuing operations of $28 million when excluding specified items) compared to an operating loss from continuing operations of $33 million (or a profit from continuing operations of $51 million when excluding specified items) in 2005. Excluding specified items, the $79 million change in operating profit from continuing operations was mainly attributable to lower average selling prices and shipments for lumber and chips as well as the negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar. These factors were partially mitigated by the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities, lower freight and energy costs, mostly due to the indefinite closure of sawmills, and the $7 million refund received in the second quarter of 2006 as a result of the Ontario government’s retroactive reduction in Crown stumpage fees related to 2005 and 2006.

 

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Cash deposits of $17 million were made on softwood lumber exports to the U.S. in 2006 compared to $54 million in 2005. Since May 22, 2002, cash deposits for countervailing and antidumping duties were made and expensed by Domtar Inc. On April 27, 2006, the Canadian and U.S. Governments signed a term sheet which addressed the refund of duty deposits and set out a framework for the management of Canadian softwood lumber exports to the U.S. for a seven-year period. Specific implications of the Agreement included the immediate revocation by the U.S. of the antidumping and countervailing duties orders, with retroactive effect to May 2002; the cessation of countervailing and antidumping duties collections by the U.S.; the termination of ongoing administrative reviews by the U.S.; the prohibition of any new antidumping or countervailing duties investigations in respect of softwood lumber from Canada for the duration of the Agreement and the immediate imposition by the Government of Canada of the export tax regime depending on the option selected by the region. As a result, Domtar Inc. received a refund for duties collected by the U.S. Government since 2002 and interest, amounting to $178 million plus interest of $22 million, during the fourth quarter of 2006. This refund was subject to a special charge of approximately 18% by the Canadian Government. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. recorded a provision of $36 million relating to this special charge, which was paid in January 2007.

Pricing Environment

Domtar Inc.’s average transaction price for Great Lakes 2x4 stud decreased by $74/MFBM and Domtar Inc.’s average transaction price for Great Lakes 2x4 random length decreased by $52/MFBM in 2006 compared to 2005.

Operations

In January 2007, due to the difficult market conditions that have prevailed in the wood sector in recent months, including the slowdown in the U.S. housing market and the new softwood lumber agreement between the U.S. and Canadian governments, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite closure of its White River sawmill expected to be effective in the second quarter of 2007. The closure will impact approximately 140 permanent positions.

In November 2005, due to reduced softwood fiber allocations, which have increased fiber costs in Québec, Domtar Inc. announced the closures of its Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills, which became effective in the second quarter of 2006. As a result, the book value of these sawmills was reduced to their net recoverable value. These closures impacted approximately 200 permanent positions. Subject to government approval, the wood fiber allocation for Grand-Remous and Malartic will be transferred to Domtar Inc.’s other Québec sawmills. This will ensure more efficient operations by going to three shifts and will offer the possibility for approximately 80 employees from the closed sawmills to obtain new positions created by an additional shift. Domtar Inc. is currently working with a partner, in collaboration with the Québec government, on a value-added project to use the Grand-Remous and Malartic infrastructures. In June 2006, Domtar Inc. signed an agreement in principle with TechCana related to the sale of certain assets located at those sawmills. This agreement was originally scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2006 and has been subsequently delayed. This transaction is subject to the satisfaction of a number of customary closing conditions.

In November 2005, the decision to temporarily shut down Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill due to unfavorable economic conditions caused Domtar Inc. to indefinitely idle its adjacent sawmill. The Lebel-sur-Quévillon sawmill restarted temporarily in the second quarter of 2006 in order to process its roundwood inventory and was shut down indefinitely again on October 11, 2006. Additionally, on October 11, 2006, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite closures of three other sawmills (two in Abitibi, Québec, and one in Ontario). The closures, which occurred in October 2006, are primarily due to the pressure of higher timber costs and lower demand for both lumber and wood chips. These closures impacted approximately 360 permanent positions and reduced production capacity by approximately 400 million board feet of lumber.

In early 2005, Domtar Inc. announced, in conjunction with Tembec Inc. (Tembec), the restructuring of Domtar Inc.’s northeastern Ontario sawmill operations, resulting in the permanent closure of Domtar Inc.’s

 

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Chapleau sawmill as of March 6, 2005. This measure impacted 67 permanent positions. This initiative arose from a review of Domtar Inc.’s northeastern Ontario sawmill operations in light of prevailing challenging conditions. This initiative allowed Domtar Inc. to add a third shift at its Elk Lake sawmill in April 2005 to process additional fiber resulting from the Chapleau closure and the resulting fiber swap with Tembec.

Throughout 2005, certain of Domtar Inc.’s operations were negatively impacted by several events and market conditions. In early March 2005, a fire destroyed Domtar Inc.’s planer at Elk Lake causing dressing activities to be transferred primarily its Chapleau mill facility until the planer was rebuilt and put into operation in November 2005. Additionally, a forest fire in May 2005 negatively impacted Domtar Inc.’s operations and resulted in a loss of 25,000 cubic meters of cut wood and 30,000 acres of forest. Higher wood fiber costs in Québec and a reduction in harvest volumes further affected Domtar Inc.’s productivity.

Fiber supply

The Province of Québec adopted new legislation, which became effective April 1, 2005, that reduced allowable wood-harvesting volumes by an average of 20% on public lands and 25% on territories covered by an agreement between the Government of Québec and Cree First Nations. As a result, the amount of fiber Domtar Inc. was permitted to harvest annually, under its existing licenses from the Québec government, was reduced by approximately 500,000 cubic meters to approximately 2.0 million cubic meters, reflecting a 21% reduction. Recently, the Chief Forester of Québec has proposed a further reduction of 60,000 cubic meters, or 3%, in the total softwood annual allowable cut of forests managed by Domtar Inc. This would significantly affect the supply of fiber for Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills and market pulp operations. Resulting from the closure in November 2005 of Domtar Inc.’s pulp mill at Lebel-sur-Quévillon due to unfavorable economic conditions and no alternative markets for chips produced by Domtar Inc.’s sawmills, as well as the reduced allowable wood harvesting volume, Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills, including Val d’Or, Matagami and Lebel-sur-Quévillon, were closed for an indefinite period of time. These sawmills closures represent a combined annual capacity of approximately 400 million board feet of lumber.

Domtar Inc. is currently working on finding solutions such as obtaining alternate sources of fiber. The reduction in harvest volume has a corresponding increase in the unit cost of wood delivered to the sawmills. If Domtar Inc. is unable to maintain an adequate supply of fiber to mitigate the significant cost increase and wood delivery cost, Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills and market pulp operations may not reopen and may result in permanent closures or impairment of assets.

Financing Expenses and Income Taxes

Financing Expenses

In 2006, financing expenses amounted to $150 million compared to $144 million in 2005. In 2005, Domtar Inc.’s financing expenses included $7 million relating to early redemption expenses arising from the refinancing of a portion of Domtar Inc.’s long-term debt and $5 million relating to a foreign exchange gain on the translation of a portion of Domtar Inc.’s long term debt. Excluding those two items, the $8 million increase in financing expenses was largely due to higher interest rates, which impacted interest expense related to Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit as well as its securitization program, partially offset by the positive impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on its U.S. dollar interest expense.

Income Taxes

In 2006, Domtar Inc.’s income tax expense totaled $24 million compared to an income tax recovery of $183 million in 2005. This variation is primarily due to the realization of earnings in 2006 compared to losses in 2005. To a lesser extent, this variation results from a combination of other factors, including a tax recovery adjustment of $2 million due to a decrease in statutory enacted income tax rates, $10 million following the income tax reassessment of prior years by tax authorities, the mix and level of earnings subject to different tax jurisdictions and differences in tax rates applicable to Domtar Inc.’s foreign subsidiaries.

 

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Balance Sheet

Since Domtar Inc. sold its 50% interest in Norampac in December 2006, the 2006 balance sheet does not contain information pertaining to Norampac, whereas the 2005 balance sheet does. In order to achieve comparability, Domtar Inc. has provided below some of the 2005 balance sheet items excluding information pertaining to its 50% interest in Norampac.

 

     Year ended  

Balance Sheet Items

   December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2005
excluding
Norampac
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars)                   

Receivables

   $ 305     $ 294     $ 198  

Inventories

     575       715       646  

Property, plant and equipment

     3,044       3,634       3,254  

Assets held for sales

     24              

Goodwill

     6       92       6  

Other Assets

     275       309       292  

Trade and other payables

     533       651       569  

Long-term debt (including the portion due within one year)

     1,891       2,259       2,053  

Future income taxes

     285       292       216  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

     223       331       299  

Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments

     (202 )     (205 )     (200 )

Domtar Inc.’s total consolidated assets were $4,955 million as at December 31, 2006 compared to $5,192 million, including Norampac, as at December 31, 2005. The following is a comparison of 2006 versus 2005 excluding Norampac. Receivables amounted to $305 million as at December 31, 2006, an increase of $107 million when compared to $198 million as at December 31, 2005. This increase is mostly due to reduced securitized receivables in the amount of $140 million and higher average selling prices, partially offset by mill closures. Inventories as at December 31, 2006 totaled $575 million, a decrease of $71 million when compared to $646 million as at December 31, 2005. This decrease is mostly attributable to lower levels of raw materials (wood inventory) due to the impact of mill closures. Property, plant and equipment as at December 31, 2006 amounted to $3,044 million compared to $3,254 million as at December 31, 2005. This $210 million decrease was mainly attributable to a greater level of amortization expense compared to capital expenditures. Other assets stood at $275 million as at December 31, 2006 compared to $292 million as at December 31, 2005. This $17 million decrease was attributable to, among other things, impairment of an investment in the wood segment and mark-to-market losses of Domtar Inc.’s pulp swap financial instruments, partially offset by higher funding of Domtar Inc.’s pension assets compared to pension expense.

Trade and other payables stood at $533 million as at December 31, 2006, a decrease of $36 million compared to $569 million as at December 31, 2005. This decrease is mainly attributable to the timing of payments and expenses in December 2006 versus December 2005, as well as mill closures. Long-term debt (including the portion due within one year) stood at $1,891 million as at December 31, 2006, a decrease of $162 million compared to $2,053 million as at December 31, 2005. This decrease is mainly due to debt repayments made on Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit facility. Future income taxes stood at $285 million as at December 31, 2006, a $69 million increase compared to $216 million as at December 31, 2005. This increase is due to the utilization of prior years’ losses to reduce the taxable income in 2006. Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments were negative $202 million as at December 31, 2006 compared to negative $200 million as at December 31, 2005. This variation reflects the net impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on the net assets of Domtar Inc.’s self-sustaining U.S. subsidiaries, or $1 million, net of the impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on the long-term debt designated as a hedge of the above-mentioned net assets, or $1 million, and its corresponding income tax effect of $1 million.

 

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

     Year ended  

Free Cash Flow

   December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2004
 
(In millions of Canadian dollars)                   

Cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations before changes in working capital and other items

   389     141     207  

Changes in working capital and other items

   (167 )   (182 )   (121 )

Cash flows provided from (used for) operating activities of continuing operations

   222     (41 )   86  

Net additions to property, plant and equipment

   (91 )   (129 )   (126 )

Free cash flow (1)

   131     (170 )   (40 )

(1) Free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure that Domtar Inc. defines as the amount by which cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, exceeds net additions to property, plant and equipment, as determined in accordance with GAAP (additions to property, plant and equipment net of proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment). Domtar Inc. uses free cash flow in evaluating Domtar Inc.’s ability and that of Domtar Inc.’s business segments to service Domtar Inc.’s debt and pay dividends to Domtar Inc.’s shareholders and, as such, believes it would be useful for investors and other users to be aware of this measure so they can better assess Domtar Inc.’s performance. Domtar Inc.’s free cash flow measure has no standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and therefore should not be considered in isolation.

Domtar Inc.’s principal cash requirements are for working capital, capital expenditures, as well as principal and interest payments on its debt. Domtar Inc. expects to fund its liquidity needs primarily with internally generated funds from its operations and, to the extent necessary, through borrowings under its revolving credit facility. Domtar Inc. also has the ability to fund liquidity requirements through new financings, subject to satisfactory market conditions and / or credit ratings.

Operating Activities

Cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations totaled $222 million in 2006 compared to cash flows used for operating activities of continuing operations of $41 million in 2005. This $263 million improvement in cash flows generated from continuing operations mainly reflects an increase in profitability, due in large part to the duties refund, as well as decreased requirements for working capital. Change in working capital for 2006 includes an increase in receivables due to a reduction of off balance sheet securitization in the amount of CDN$140 million ($120 million). Domtar Inc.’s operating cash flow requirements are primarily for salaries and benefits, the purchase of wood fiber, energy and raw materials and other expenses such as property taxes.

Investing Activities

Cash flows provided from investing activities of continuing operations totaled $471 million in 2006 compared to cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations of $132 million in 2005. The $603 million improvement in cash flows provided from investing activities of continuing operations was mainly attributable to the sale of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac for which Domtar Inc. received a cash consideration of $560 million and to a lesser extent, fewer additions to property, plant and equipment. Domtar Inc. intends to limit its annual capital expenditures to below 75% of amortization. Capital expenditures required to maintain existing operations are approximately $90 million annually.

Free cash flow in 2006 was $131 million compared to negative $170 million in 2005. This improvement mainly reflects an increase in profitability offset by working capital requirements.

 

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Financing Activities

In 2006, cash flows used for financing activities of continuing operations amounted to $115 million compared to cash flows provided from financing activities of continuing operations of $188 million in 2005. This $303 million increase in cash flows used for financing activities of continuing operations is largely attributable to a repayment on Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit facility resulting from better cash flow from operations, which included the refund for duties collected by the U.S. Government, lower borrowings and reduced dividend payments.

On October 27, 2005, as part of its plan to improve its free cash flow availability, Domtar Inc. announced that it was suspending its $0.24 per common share dividend. This decision resulted in annual cash savings of approximately $55 million, based on the $0.24 per common share dividend Domtar Inc. had been paying at the time of the suspension.

 

Net Debt-To-Total Capitalization Ratio (1)

   December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2004
 
      
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)                   

Bank indebtedness

   62     21     22  

Long-term debt (including portion due within one year)

   1,891     2,259     2,034  

Cash and cash equivalents

   (649 )   (83 )   (52 )
                  

Net debt

   1,304     2,197     2,004  

Shareholders’ equity

   1,941     1,609     2,046  
                  

Total capitalization

   3,245     3,806     4,050  

Net debt-to-total capitalization (%)

   40.2 %   57.7 %   49.5 %

(1) Net debt-to-total capitalization ratio is a non-GAAP measure. Domtar Inc. tracks this ratio on a regular basis in order to assess Domtar Inc.’s debt position. Domtar Inc. therefore believes it would be useful for investors and other users to be aware of this measure so they can better assess Domtar Inc.’s performance. Net debt-to-total capitalization ratio has no standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and is not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and therefore should not be considered in isolation.

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc.’s net debt-to-total capitalization ratio was 40.2% compared to 57.7% as at December 31, 2005. Net indebtedness was $1,304 million as at December 31, 2006 compared to $2,197 million, including Norampac, as at December 31, 2005. The $893 million decrease in net indebtedness was largely due to an increase in cash and cash equivalents resulting from the proceeds on sale of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac, the corresponding deconsolidation of Domtar Inc.’s 50% interest in Norampac and corresponding non-recourse debt as well as repayment on Domtar Inc.’s revolving credit facilities resulting from the refund of duties.

On March 3, 2005, Domtar Inc. entered into a new five-year unsecured revolving credit facility of $700 million. This amount was reduced to $600 million pursuant to an amendment to this facility in November 2005. This new facility replaced the prior credit facility, which consisted of a $500 million unsecured revolving credit facility and a $70 million unsecured term loan that was scheduled to mature in July 2006.

Borrowings under this new unsecured revolving credit facility bear interest at a rate based on the Canadian dollar bankers’ acceptance or U.S. dollar LIBOR rate, each with an added spread that varies with Domtar Inc.’s credit rating, or on the Canadian or U.S. prime rate. This credit facility also requires commitment fees that vary with Domtar Inc.’s credit rating.

In connection with the November 2005 amendment, Domtar Inc. made certain changes to its credit facility, which matures in 2010, in order to improve financial flexibility. This amendment contained certain financial covenants which require Domtar Inc., on a rolling four quarter basis, to maintain (a) a minimum EBITDA to interest ratio of 1.5:1.0 by the end of 2006, increasing to 1.75:1.0 in 2007 and 2.5:1.0 at the beginning of 2008, excluding from the calculation most of the charges related to Domtar Inc.’s restructuring plans, and (b) a minimum EBITDA of $225 million in 2006, increasing to $325 million in 2007, as calculated in accordance with

 

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Domtar Inc.’s credit facility which exclude from the calculation most of the charges related to Domtar Inc.’s restructuring plans. There is no minimum EBITDA requirement after 2007, in each case, as defined in the credit facility. Domtar Inc., on a quarterly basis, is required not to exceed a maximum debt-to-total capitalization ratio of 60%, excluding from the calculation most of the impact of the restructuring plans. The amendment also included a reduction in the size of the facility from $700 million to $600 million, and provided for guarantees by Domtar Inc.’s subsidiaries.

As at December 31, 2006, this credit facility had no drawings, $16 million (CDN$18 million) of letters of credit outstanding and no amounts drawn in the form of bank overdraft and included in “Bank indebtedness,” resulting in $584 million (CDN$681 million) of availability for future drawings under this facility. As of December 31, 2005, Domtar Inc. had drawings of $137 million (CDN$160 million), $18 million (CDN$21 million) letters of credit outstanding, and $13 million (CDN$15 million) drawn in the form of bank overdraft and included in “Description of other indebtedness.”

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had a provision of $4 million related to these letters of credit ($4 million as at December 31, 2005).

In addition, as at December 31, 2006, separate letters of credit of $3 million were outstanding. No provisions relating to these letters of credit were recorded.

Domtar Inc.’s borrowing agreements contain restrictive covenants. See the discussion above for covenants related to Domtar Inc.’s unsecured bank credit facility. The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures related to the 10% and 10.85% Canadian debentures limit the amount of dividends that may be paid and the amount of shares that may be repurchased for cancellation. These indentures also require that no new long-term debt be incurred, unless total long-term debt is less than 50% of consolidated net tangible assets, but do not restrict the incurrence of new long- term debt related to the purchase of property or the replacement of existing long-term debt or the issuance of short-term debt. All Domtar Inc.’s borrowing agreements contain restrictions on the amount of secured borrowings Domtar Inc. can incur with other lenders.

The following table sets forth Domtar Inc.’s credit ratings as of December 31, 2006:

 

Credit Ratings Rating Agency

  

Security

  

Rating

Dominion Bond Rating Service

  

Unsecured Notes and Debentures

  

BB (low)

  

Preferred Shares

  

P5 (high)

Moody’s Investors Services

  

Unsecured Notes and Debentures

  

B2

Standard & Poor’s

  

Unsecured Notes and Debentures

  

B+

The above ratings represent a risk assessment of Domtar Inc.’s public unsecured debt securities. The rating by Dominion Bond Rating Service (DBRS) is the fifth best rating in terms of quality within ten rating gradations, with the “low” indicating a ranking in the lower end of this rating category. The rating by Moody’s Investors Services (Moody’s) is the sixth best rating in terms of quality within nine rating gradations, with the numerical modifier 2 indicating a ranking in the middle end of this rating category. The rating by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) is the sixth best rating in terms of quality within ten rating gradations, with the “plus” indicating a ranking at the higher end of this category.

During the past year, Domtar Inc.’s unsecured note rating with DBRS fell from BB (high) to BB (low) and Domtar Inc.’s unsecured note rating with Moody’s fell from B1 to B2. These reductions in Domtar Inc.’s credit ratings impact Domtar Inc.’s access to and cost of capital and financial flexibility. Further reductions in Domtar Inc.’s credit ratings would have an added negative impact on Domtar Inc.’s financial flexibility. The above ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the above rating agencies.

 

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Common shares

In 2006, common shares amounting to $4 million were issued, net of expenses, pursuant to Domtar Inc.’s stock option and share purchase plans compared to $7 million in 2005.

As at January 31, 2007, Domtar Inc. had 231,605,809 common shares, 67,476 Series A Preferred Shares and 1,230,000 Series B Preferred Shares issued and outstanding.

As at January 31, 2007, Domtar Inc. had 4,321,757 common share purchase options issued and outstanding under the Executive stock option and share purchase plan.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. finances certain of its activities off balance sheet through leases and securitizations.

Leases

On an ongoing basis, Domtar Inc. enters into operating leases for property, plant and equipment. Minimum future rental payments under these operating leases, determined as at December 31, 2006, amounted to $87 million.

Securitizations

Domtar Inc. sells its trade receivables through a securitization program which expires in February 2010. Domtar Inc. uses securitization of its receivables as a source of financing by reducing its working capital requirements. This securitization consists of the sale of receivables, or the sale of senior beneficial interest in them, to special purpose trusts managed by financial institutions for multiple sellers of receivables. The agreement normally allows the daily sale of new receivables to replace those that have been collected. It also limits the cash that can be received from the sale of the senior beneficial interest. Such sales of receivables are contingent upon annual renewals and retaining specified credit ratings. The subordinate interest retained by Domtar Inc. is included in “Receivables” and will be collected only after the senior beneficial interest has been settled. The book value of the retained subordinated interests approximates fair value.

As at December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005, the senior beneficial interest in receivables held by third parties amounted to $23 million and $163 million, respectively. Domtar Inc. expects to continue selling receivables on an ongoing basis, given the attractive discount rates.

Should this program be discontinued either by management’s decision or due to termination of the program by the provider, Domtar Inc.’s working capital and bank debt requirements would increase.

Guarantees

Indemnifications

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. offers indemnifications relating to the sale of its businesses and real estate. In general, these indemnifications may relate to claims from past business operations, the failure to abide by covenants and the breach of representations and warranties included in the sales agreements. Typically, such representations and warranties relate to taxation, environmental, product and employee matters. The terms of these indemnification agreements are generally for an unlimited period of time. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. is unable to estimate the potential maximum liabilities for these types of indemnification guarantees as the amounts are contingent upon the outcome of future events, the nature and likelihood of which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. Accordingly, no provisions have been recorded. These indemnifications have not yielded significant expenses in the past.

 

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Pension Plans

Domtar Inc. has indemnified and held harmless the trustees of Domtar Inc.’s pension funds, and the respective officers, directors, employees and agents of such trustees, from any and all costs and expenses arising out of the performance of their obligations under the relevant trust agreements, including in respect of their reliance on authorized instructions of Domtar Inc. or for failing to act in the absence of authorized instructions. These indemnifications survive the termination of such agreements. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had not recorded a liability associated with these indemnifications, as Domtar Inc. does not expect to make any payments pertaining to these indemnifications.

E.B. Eddy Acquisition

On July 31, 1998, Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc. (E.B. Eddy), an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of Domtar Inc. in specified circumstances, Domtar Inc. may have had to pay up to a maximum of $113 million (CDN$120 million), an amount which is gradually declining over a 25-year period. As at March 7, 2007, the closing date of the Acquisition Transactions, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was $103 million (CDN$110 million). No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

Debt Agreements

Certain debt agreements require Domtar Inc. to indemnify the parties in the event of changes in elements such as withholding tax regulations. As the nature and scope of such indemnifications are contingent on future events, none of which can be foreseen as at December 31, 2006, and the structure of such transactions makes these events unlikely, no provisions have been recorded in the consolidated financial statements.

Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. enters into certain contractual obligations and commercial commitments. The following tables provide Domtar Inc.’s obligations and commitments as at December 31, 2006:

 

Contractual Obligations Contract Type

   2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    Thereafter    Total
(In millions of Canadian dollars)                                   

Debentures and notes

   $  —    $  —    $  —    $  —    $ 781    $ 1,095    $ 1,876

Other

     2           3                10      15
                                                

Long-term debt

     2           3           781      1,105      1,891

Operating leases

     20      17      13      11      9      17      87
                                                

Total obligations

     22      17      16      11      790      1,122      1,978
                                                

Commercial Obligations Commitment Type

   2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    Thereafter    Total
(In millions of Canadian dollars)                                   

Letters of credit

   $ 18    $  —    $  —    $  —    $  —    $  —    $  18

Other commercial commitments (*)

     85      34      25      9      7      6      166
                                                

Total commitments

     103      34      25      9      7      6      184
                                                

( * )

includes commitments to purchase roundwood, wood, chips, gas, electricity and certain chemicals.

For 2007 and the foreseeable future, Domtar Inc. expects cash flows from operations and from Domtar Inc.’s various sources of financing to be sufficient to meet Domtar Inc.’s contractual obligations and commercial commitments.

 

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2005 Compared to 2004

Sales in 2005 amounted to $4,247 million, a decrease of $156 million or 4% from sales of $4,403 million in 2004. This decrease was mainly attributable to the negative impact of a 7% rise in the year-over-year average value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar (from $0.769 to $0.826) and, to a lesser extent, to lower shipments for pulp and paper. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for all of Domtar Inc.’s major products and higher shipments for wood products.

Cost of sales decreased by $78 million or 2% in 2005 compared to 2004. This decrease was mainly attributable to the positive impact of a stronger Canadian dollar on Domtar Inc.’s U.S. dollar denominated expenses, lower shipments for pulp and paper, the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities and lower duties on Domtar Inc.’s softwood lumber exports to the U.S. These factors were partially offset by higher costs for purchased wood fiber, chemicals, energy and freight, and higher shipments for wood.

SG&A expenses decreased by $14 million or 6% in 2005 compared to 2004. SG&A in 2005 included unrealized mark-to-market losses on financial instruments of $5 million, a charge of $13 million related to a legal settlement with regards to an investigation by the Canadian Competition Bureau and insurance recoveries of $3 million, while SG&A in 2004 included unrealized mark-to-market gains of $3 million. When excluding these specified items, SG&A decreased by $27 million or 11% compared to 2004. This decrease was mainly attributable to the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities.

Operating loss from continuing operations in 2005 amounted to $349 million compared to an operating profit from continuing operations of $23 million in 2004. Excluding specified items, operating profit from continuing operations totaled $23 million in 2005 compared to an operating profit from continuing operations of $111 million in 2004. The $88 million decrease in operating profit from continuing operations excluding specified items was largely attributable to the $121 million negative impact of a stronger Canadian dollar (net of the positive effect of Domtar Inc.’s hedging program), higher costs for purchased wood fiber, chemicals, energy and freight, and lower shipments for pulp and paper. These factors were partially offset by higher average selling prices for all of Domtar Inc.’s major products, the realization of savings stemming from restructuring activities and higher shipments for wood products.

Net loss amounted to $388 million ($1.69 per common share) in 2005 compared to a net loss of $42 million ($0.19 per common share) in 2004. Excluding specified items, loss from continuing operations amounted to $51 million in 2005 compared to a loss from continuing operations of $4 million in 2004. The $47 million increase in loss from continuing operations, excluding specified items, was mainly attributable to the factors mentioned above, partially offset by a higher income tax recovery.

Cash flows used for operating activities of continuing operations in 2005 amounted to $41 million compared to cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations of $86 million in 2004. Net additions to property, plant and equipment amounted to $129 million in 2005 compared to $126 million in 2004. Domtar Inc. posted negative free cash flow of $170 million in 2005 compared to negative free cash flow of $40 million in 2004. This $130 million deterioration mainly reflects a decline in profitability, as well as increased requirements for working capital. See “Free Cash Flow” table and definition in the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section in this 2006 v. 2005 Annual Overview.

Domtar Inc.’s total long-term debt increased by $225 million, largely due to additional net borrowings of $293 million, partially offset by the $68 million positive impact of a stronger Canadian dollar (based on month-end foreign exchange rates) on Domtar Inc.’s U.S. dollar denominated debt. Domtar Inc.’s net debt-to-total capitalization ratio as at December 31, 2005 stood at 57.7% compared to 49.5% as at December 31, 2004. See “Net debt-to-total capitalization ratio” table and definition in the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section in this 2006 v. 2005 Annual Overview.

 

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Accounting Change

Stock-Based Compensation for Employees Eligible to Retire Before the Vesting Date

In July 2006, the Emerging Issues Committee of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (“CICA”) issued EIC 162, “Stock-based Compensation for Employees Eligible to Retire before the Vesting Date.” EIC-162 clarifies the accounting for compensation costs relating to stock-based awards granted to employees. EIC 162 requires that: i) compensation costs attributable to stock-based awards granted to employees who are eligible to retire on the grant date be recognized on the grant date; and ii) compensation cost attributable to stock-based awards granted to employees who will become eligible to retire during the vesting period be recognized over the period from the grant date to the date of retirement eligibility. This abstract is to be applied retroactively, with restatement of prior periods, and is effective for the year ended December 31, 2006. The adoption of this guideline had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements under Canadian GAAP.

Impact of Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Implemented

Accounting Changes

On July 1, 2006, the Accounting Standards Board (“AcSB”) issued a replacement of Handbook Section 1506 “ Accounting Changes.” The new standard allows for voluntary changes in accounting policy only when they result in the financial statements providing reliable and more relevant information, requires changes in accounting policy to be applied retrospectively unless doing so is impracticable, requires prior period effects of changes in accounting policies, estimates and errors on the financial statements. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2007, with earlier adoption encouraged. Domtar Inc. does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Financial Instruments

In April 2005, the CICA issued three new Handbook Sections related to financial instruments: Section 3855 “Financial Instruments – Recognition and Measurement,” Section 3865 “Hedges” and Section 1530 “Comprehensive Income.” These Sections apply to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2006.

Financial Instruments – Recognition and Measurement

Section 3855 expands on Handbook Section 3860 “Financial Instruments – Disclosure and Presentation,” by prescribing when a financial instrument is to be recognized on the balance sheet and at what amount. It also specifies how financial instrument gains and losses are to be presented. Under this new Section:

 

  ·  

All financial assets and liabilities will be carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, except loans and receivables, investments held-to-maturity and non-trading financial liabilities, which will be carried at amortized cost.

 

  ·  

Realized and unrealized gains and losses on trading financial assets and liabilities will be recognized immediately in the consolidated statement of income.

 

  ·  

Unrealized gains and losses on financial assets that are available for sale will be recognized in other comprehensive income until their realization, after which these amounts will be recognized in the consolidated statement of income.

 

  ·  

All derivatives financial instruments will be carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, including those derivatives that are embedded in other contracts but are not closely related to the host contract.

 

  ·  

Gains and losses on instruments designated as cash flow hedges are recognized in other comprehensive income, except for the ineffective portion of the hedges which will be recognized in net income.

 

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Hedges

Section 3865 provides alternative accounting treatments to those found in Section 3855 for entities who choose to designate qualifying transactions as hedges for accounting purposes. It replaces and expands on AcG-13 “Hedging Relationships,” and the hedging guidance in Section 1650 “Foreign Currency Translation” by specifying how hedge accounting is applied and what disclosures are necessary when it is applied. Under this new statement:

 

  ·  

In a fair value hedge, hedging derivatives are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of income. The changes in the fair value of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk will also be recorded in consolidated income by way of a corresponding adjustment of the carrying amount of the hedged items recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

 

  ·  

In a cash flow hedge, the changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments will be recorded in other comprehensive income. These amounts will be reclassified in the consolidated statement of income in the periods in which results are affected by the cash flows of the hedged item.

 

  ·  

Hedges of net investments in self-sustaining foreign operations are treated in a manner similar to cash flow hedges.

 

  ·  

Any hedge ineffectiveness will be recorded in the consolidated statement of income.

Comprehensive income

Section 1530 introduces a new requirement to present certain revenues, expenses, gains and losses, that otherwise would not be immediately recorded in income, in a comprehensive income statement with the same prominence as other statements that constitute a complete set of financial statements.

Domtar Inc. is currently completing its evaluation of the impact that these accounting pronouncements will have on its first quarter 2007 financial statements. Domtar Inc. expects the more significant impacts of applying these new Sections to relate to:

 

  ·  

the requirement to present a new statement entitled “Comprehensive income,”

 

  ·  

the recognition of the fair value of cash flow hedges on the balance sheet with the offset to other comprehensive income,

 

  ·  

the reclassification of foreign currency translation adjustments from Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments to Other comprehensive income,

 

  ·  

the reclassification of the deferred gains on the early settlement of interest rate swap contracts from Other liabilities and deferred credits to Long-term debt,

 

  ·  

the reclassification of unamortized debt issue costs and long-term debt discounts from Other asset to Long-term debt.

As such, as at January 1, 2007, Domtar Inc. expects Other assets to decrease by approximately $26 million, Future income tax asset to increase by approximately $2 million, Other long-term liabilities and deferred credits to decrease by $5 million, Long-term debt to decrease by $14 million, Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments to be nil and Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to be a loss of $207 million.

Financial instrument – Disclosures and Presentation

In April 2005, the AcSB issued Handbook Section 3861 “Financial instruments – Disclosure and presentation.” This section establishes standards for presentation of financial instruments and non-financial derivatives and identifies information that should be disclosed about them. This section applies to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2006. In December 2006, the AcSB issued Handbook Section 3862 “Financial instruments – Disclosures” and Handbook Section 3863 “Financial instruments – Presentation.” These standards

 

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revise Section 3861. Under these new sections, entities will be required to disclose information that enables users to evaluate the significance of a financial instrument to an entity’s financial position and performance. These sections apply to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2007. Domtar Inc. does not expect the initial adoption of these standards to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Capital Disclosure

In December 2006, the AsCB issued Handbook Section 1535 “Capital Disclosures,” which establishes guidelines for the disclosure of information regarding an entity’s capital and how it is managed. This standard requires disclosure of an entity’s objectives, policies and processes for managing capital, quantitative data about what the entity regards as capital and whether the entity has complied with any capital requirements and, if it has not complied, the consequences of such non-compliance. This standard is effective for interim and annual financial statements relating to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2007. Domtar Inc. does not expect the initial adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect Domtar Inc.’s results of operations and financial position. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to environmental matters, useful lives, impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill, pension and other employee future benefit plans, income taxes and asset retirement obligations based upon currently available information. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

These critical accounting policies reflect matters that contain a significant level of management estimates about future events, reflect the most complex and subjective judgments, and are subject to a fair degree of measurement uncertainty.

Environmental Matters and Other Asset Retirement Obligations

Environmental expenditures for effluent treatment, air emission, landfill operation and closure, asbestos containment and removal, bark pile management, silvicultural activities and site remediation (together referred to as environmental matters) are expensed or capitalized depending on their future economic benefit. In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. incurs certain operating costs for environmental matters that are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment that prevent future environmental impacts are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over 10 to 40 years. Provisions for environmental matters are not discounted and are recorded when remediation efforts are likely and can be reasonably determined.

Domtar Inc. recognizes asset retirement obligations at fair value in the period in which Domtar Inc. incurs a legal obligation associated with the retirement of an asset. Domtar Inc.’s asset retirement obligations are principally linked to landfill capping obligations, asbestos removal obligations and demolition of certain abandoned buildings. Conditional asset retirement obligations are recognized, at fair value, when the fair value of the liability can be reasonably estimated. The associated costs are capitalized as part of the carrying value of the related asset and depreciated over its remaining useful life. The liability is accreted using a credit adjusted risk-free interest rate.

The estimate of fair value is based on the results of the expected future cash flow approach, in which multiple cash flow scenarios that reflect a range of possible outcomes are considered. Domtar Inc. has established cash flow scenarios for each individual asset retirement obligation. Probabilities are applied to each of the cash flow scenarios to arrive at an expected future cash flow. There is no supplemental risk adjustment made to the

 

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expected cash flows. The expected cash flows for each of the asset retirement obligations are discounted using the credit adjusted risk-free interest rate for the corresponding period until the settlement date. The rates used vary, based on the prevailing rate at the moment of recognition of the liability and on its settlement period. The rates used vary between 4.50% and 9.40%.

Cash flow estimates incorporate either assumptions that marketplace participants would use in their estimates of fair value, whenever that information is available without undue cost and effort, or assumptions developed by internal experts.

While Domtar Inc. believes that it has determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred, based on known information, Domtar Inc.’s ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with Domtar Inc.’s former and present operations may lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts may result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had a provision of $54 million for environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, Domtar Inc. believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on Domtar Inc.’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

The pulp and paper industry in the United States was subject to the Boiler MACT Rule that further regulated air emissions (the Boiler MACT Rule has been vacated, however, alternative U.S. federal and state regulations are being discussed). Domtar Inc. believes it complies with all such current air emissions regulations and Domtar Inc. anticipates spending approximately $4 million over the next year to meet such requirements.

As at December 31, 2006, anticipated undiscounted payments in each of the next five years are as follows:

 

     2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    Thereafter    Total
(In millions of Canadian dollars)                                   

Environmental provision and other asset retirement obligations

   $ 12    $ 10    $ 7    $ 3    $ 6    $  16    $  54

Boiler M.A.C.T Rules

     4                               4
                                                
     16      10      7      3      6      16      58
                                                

In 2006, Domtar Inc.’s operating expenses for environmental matters totaled $60 million and Domtar Inc. capitalized an additional $9 million for environmental projects mainly related to the improvement of air emissions, effluent treatment and remedial actions taken to address environmental compliance. In 2007, Domtar Inc. expects to capitalize approximately $4 million for environmental projects, including Boiler MACT Rule obligations. However, a decision for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the Boiler MACT Rule on July 30, 2007 and discussions are ongoing for alternative U.S. federal and state regulations. Domtar Inc. is unable to estimate the total amount of capital expenditures that may be required beyond 2007 for environmental compliance. However, Domtar Inc. does not expect any additional required expenditure to have a material adverse effect on its financial position, earnings or cash flows.

Useful Lives

Domtar Inc.’s property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated amortization, including asset impairment write-down. Interest costs are capitalized for capital projects in excess of $10 million and having a duration in excess of one year. For timber limits and timberlands, amortization is calculated using the unit of production method. For all other assets, amortization is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets.

 

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On a regular basis, Domtar Inc. reviews the estimated useful lives of Domtar Inc.’s property, plant and equipment. Assessing the reasonableness of the estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment requires judgment and is based on currently available information. Changes in circumstances such as technological advances, changes to Domtar Inc.’s business strategy, changes to Domtar Inc.’s capital strategy or changes in regulation can result in the actual useful lives differing from Domtar Inc.’s estimates. Revisions to the estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment constitute a change in accounting estimate and are dealt with prospectively by amending amortization rates. A change in the remaining estimated useful life of a group of assets, or their estimated net salvage value, will affect the amortization rate used to amortize the group of assets and thus affect amortization expense as reported in Domtar Inc.’s results of operations. A change of one year in the composite estimated useful life of Domtar Inc.’s fixed asset base would impact annual depreciation expense by approximately $15 million.

In 2006, Domtar Inc. recorded total amortization expense of $284 million compared to $329 million in 2005 (or $554 million when including specified items pertaining to write-downs in the value of property, plant and equipment as a result of closures). As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had property, plant and equipment with a net book value of $3,044 million ($3,634 million in 2005).

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Domtar Inc. reviews the carrying amount of long-lived assets when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable through future operations. This is accomplished by determining whether projected undiscounted future cash flows from operations exceed the net carrying amount of the assets as of the assessment date (Step I test). Impaired assets are recorded at fair value, determined principally by using discounted future cash flows expected from their use and eventual disposition (Step II test). Estimates of future cash flows and fair value require judgment and may change over time.

During the fourth quarter of 2006, Domtar Inc. conducted Step I of the impairment tests on most of Domtar Inc.’s Canadian Pulp and Paper manufacturing facilities and the Wood segment.

Estimates of future cash flows used to test the recoverability of a long-lived asset included key assumptions related to trend prices, the 10 to 15 years forecasted exchange rate for the U.S. dollar and the estimated useful life of the long-lived assets.

The trend prices were based on an analysis of external price trends, including Resource Information Systems, Inc. (RISI), as well as normalized pulp, paper and wood pricing over a business cycle at the mills subjected to the impairment tests.

The forecasted Canadian-U.S. foreign exchange rate assumptions were based on independent market information, as well as analysis of historical data, trends and cycles. Management expects the 10 to 15 years average rate to be approximately CDN$1.00 to $0.75.

Domtar Inc. concluded that the recognition of an impairment loss for the business units analyzed was not required.

Given the inherent imprecision and corresponding importance of the key assumptions used in the impairment test, it is reasonably possible that changes in future conditions may lead management to use different key assumptions, which could require a material change in the net carrying amount of the assets tested for impairment. The total net carrying amount of these assets was $873 million as at December 31, 2006.

Goodwill

Goodwill is not amortized and is subject to an annual impairment test, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it might be impaired. Testing for impairment is accomplished mainly by determining whether the fair value of a segment, based upon discounted cash flows, exceeds the net carrying

 

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amount of that segment as of the assessment date. If the fair value is greater than the net carrying amount, no impairment is necessary. In the event that the net carrying amount exceeds the sum of the discounted cash flows, a second test must be performed whereby the fair value of the segment’s goodwill must be estimated to determine if it is less than its net carrying amount. Fair value of goodwill is estimated in the same way as goodwill was determined at the date of the acquisition in a business combination, that is, the excess of the fair value of the segment over the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the segment.

Pension and Other Employee Future Benefit Plans

Domtar Inc. contributes to several defined contribution, multi-employer and 401(k) plans. The pension expense under these plans is equal to Domtar Inc.’s contribution. The 2006 pension expense was $15 million ($17 million in 2005) ($4 million related to discontinued operations ($4 million in 2005)).

Domtar Inc. also has several defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all employees, including one closed plan for certain non-unionized employees in Canada. Non-unionized employees in Canada joining Domtar Inc. after June 1, 2000 participate in defined contribution plans. The defined benefit plans are generally contributory in Canada and non-contributory in the United States. The pension expense and the obligation related to the defined benefit plans are actuarially determined using management’s most probable assumptions.

In 2006, pursuant to the decision in November 2005 to close the Cornwall and Ottawa paper mills, Domtar Inc. declared a partial wind-up of the non-unionized and unionized plans related to the Ontario participants in the plan.

Domtar Inc. accounts for pension and other employee future benefits in accordance with CICA recommendations. As such, assumptions are made regarding the valuation of benefit obligations and performance of plan assets. Deferred recognition of differences between actual results and those assumed is a guiding principle of these recommendations. This approach allows for a gradual recognition of changes in benefit obligations and plan performance over the expected average remaining service life of the active employee group covered by the plans.

Pension and other employee future benefit assumptions include the discount rate, the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets, the rate of compensation increase, health care cost trend rates, mortality rates, employee early retirements and terminations or disabilities. Changes in these assumptions result in actuarial gains or losses which, in accordance with CICA recommendations, Domtar Inc. has elected to amortize over the expected average remaining service life of the active employee group covered by the plans only to the extent that the unrecognized net actuarial gains and losses are in excess of 10% of the greater of the accrued benefit obligation and the market-related value of plan assets as at the beginning of the year.

An expected rate of return on plan assets of 6.2% was considered appropriate by Domtar Inc.’s management for the determination of 2006 pension expense. Effective January 1, 2007, Domtar Inc. will use 6.3% as the expected return on plan assets, which reflects the current view of long-term investment returns.

The expected return on plan assets assumption for Domtar Inc. is based on an analysis of the target asset allocation and expected return by asset class. This rate is adjusted for an equity risk premium and by 0.5% to take into consideration the active investment management of the plan assets.

Domtar Inc. sets its discount rate assumption annually to reflect the rates available on high-quality, fixed income debt instruments, with a duration that is expected to match the timing and amount of expected benefit payments. High-quality debt instruments are corporate bonds with a rating of AA or better. The discount rates as at December 31, 2006 for pension plans were estimated at 5.2% for the accrued benefit obligation and 5.1% for the net periodic benefit cost for 2006 and other employee future benefit plans were estimated at 5.2% for the accrued benefit obligation and 5.2% for the net periodic benefit cost for 2006.

 

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The rate of compensation increase is another significant assumption in the actuarial model for pension (set at 2.7% for the accrued benefit obligation and 2.7% for the net periodic benefit cost) and for other employee future benefits (set at 2.9% for the accrued benefit obligation and 3.3% for the net periodic benefit cost) and is determined based upon Domtar Inc.’s long-term plans for such increases.

For measurement purposes, 6.0% weighted-average annual rate of increase in the per capita cost of covered health care benefits was assumed for 2007. The rate was assumed to decrease gradually to 3.7% by 2012 and remain at that level thereafter.

The net periodic benefit cost for defined benefit plans as at December 31, 2006, increased by $1.8 million, related to the impact of the negotiated collective agreement between Domtar Inc. and the syndicat des travailleurs des pâtes et papiers de Windsor Inc. (CSN), and increased by $3.9 million related to the impact of the workforce reduction and restructuring plan announced in November 2005 and in the Fall 2006.

The following table provides a sensitivity analysis of the key weighted average economic assumptions used in measuring the accrued pension benefit obligation, the accrued other employee future benefit obligation and related net periodic benefit cost for 2006. The sensitivity analysis should be used with caution as it is hypothetical and changes in each key assumption may not be linear. The sensitivities in each key variable have been calculated independently of each other.

Sensitivity Analysis

 

Pension And Other Employee Future Benefits

   Pension     Other Employee
Future Benefits
 
   Accrued
Benefit
Obligation
    Net
Periodic
Benefit
Cost
    Accrued
Benefit
Obligation
    Net
Periodic
Benefit
Cost
 
(In Millions Of Canadian Dollars)                         

Expected rate of return on assets Impact of:

        

1% increase

   N/A     (11 )   N/A     N/A  

1% decrease

   N/A     11     N/A     N/A  

Discount rate Impact of:

        

1% increase

   (182 )   (14 )   (8 )    

1% decrease

   186     12     10      

Assumed overall health care cost trend Impact of:

        

1% increase

   N/A     N/A     6     1  

1% decrease

   N/A     N/A     (5 )   (1 )

The assets of the pension plans are held by a number of independent trustees and are accounted for separately in Domtar Inc.’s pension funds. The investment strategy for the assets in the pension plans is to maintain a diversified portfolio of assets, invested in a prudent manner to maintain the security of funds while maximizing returns within the guidelines provided in the investment policy. Domtar Inc.’s pension funds are not permitted to own any of its shares or debt instruments. The target asset allocation is based on the expected duration of the benefit obligation, which includes the impact of a partial wind-up related to the mill closures.

 

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The following table shows the allocation of the plan assets, based on the fair value of the assets held at December 31, 2006 and 2005 and the target allocation for 2006:

 

Allocation Of Plan Assets (in %)

   Target
Allocation
   December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2005
 
       

Fixed income securities

   58%-68%    63 %   63 %

Equity securities

   32%-42%    37 %   37 %
               

Total

      100 %   100 %
               

Domtar Inc.’s funding policy is to contribute annually the amount required to provide for benefits earned in the year and to fund past service obligations over periods not exceeding those permitted by the applicable regulatory authorities. Past service obligations primarily arise from improvements to plan benefits. The latest actuarial valuations were conducted as at March 31, 2006, for plans representing approximately 74%, December 31, 2005, for plans representing approximately 20%, January 1, 2006, for plans representing approximately 5% and January 1, 2004, for plans representing 1% of the total plans asset fair value. These valuations indicated a funding deficiency. The next actuarial valuations will be completed between December 31, 2006 and January 1, 2009. Domtar Inc. expects to contribute to the pension plans for a total amount of $88 million in 2007 compared to $86 million in 2006. The contributions made in 2006 to the other employee future benefit plans amounted to $7 million.

The estimated future benefit payments from the plans for the next 10 years as at December 31, 2006 are as follows:

 

Estimated Future Benefit Payments From The Plans

   Pension    Employee
Future
Benefits
     
(In millions of Canadian dollars)          

2007

   70    5

2008 (1)

   310    6

2009

   73    5

2010

   74    6

2011

   76    6

2012-2015

   426    27
         

Total

   1,029    55
         

(1) Includes estimated future benefit payments from the plans of $239 million related to the partial wind-up of the non-unionized and unionized plans related to the Ontario participants in the plan in 2006.

Income Taxes

Domtar Inc. uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, future tax assets and liabilities are determined according to differences between the carrying amounts and tax bases of the assets and liabilities. The change in the net future tax asset or liability is included in earnings and in the “Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments” account in “Shareholders’ equity.” Future tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted or substantively enacted tax rates and laws expected to apply in the years in which assets and liabilities are expected to be recovered or settled. For these years, a projection of taxable income and an assumption of the ultimate recovery or settlement period for temporary differences are required. The projection of future taxable income is based on management’s best estimate and may vary from actual taxable income.

On an annual basis, Domtar Inc. assesses the need to establish a valuation allowance for future tax assets and, if it is deemed more likely than not that Domtar Inc.’s future tax assets will not be realized based on these

 

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taxable income projections, a valuation allowance is recorded. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. expects that its future tax assets will not be fully recovered from future taxable income, and has therefore set up a valuation allowance of $4 million.

Domtar Inc.’s future tax assets are mainly composed of temporary differences related to accounting provisions for acquisitions, restructuring, environmental matters, as well as loss carry forwards. The majority of these accruals will be utilized or paid out over the next five years. Domtar Inc.’s future tax liabilities are mainly composed of temporary differences pertaining to plant, equipment and others. Estimating the ultimate settlement period, given the amortization rates in effect are based on information as it develops, requires judgment and Domtar Inc.’s best estimates. The reversal of timing differences is expected at future substantially enacted tax rates, which could change due to changes in income tax laws or the introduction of tax changes through the presentation of annual budgets by different governments. As a result, a change in the timing and the income tax rate at which the components will reverse could materially affect future tax expense as recorded in Domtar Inc.’s results of operations. A one percentage point change in Domtar Inc.’s reported effective income tax rate would have the effect of changing the income tax expense by approximately $7 million.

In addition, Canadian, American and international tax rules and regulations are subject to interpretation and require judgment that may be challenged by taxation authorities. To the best of its knowledge, Domtar Inc. has adequately provided for its future tax consequences based upon current facts and circumstances and current tax law.

For the year ended December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. recorded a total net tax expense of $24 million (recovery of $183 million in 2005), of which $25 million was for future income tax expense (recovery of $193 million in 2005). Domtar Inc.’s net future tax liability as at December 31, 2006 was $238 million ($242 million in 2005).

Closure and Restructuring Costs

In recent years, Domtar Inc. has committed to several closures and restructuring initiatives, the most significant of which is the series of targeted measures announced on November 30, 2005. The impact of these measures is presented in “Closure and restructuring costs” in the income statement and the related liability is included in “Trade and other payables” and in “Other liabilities and deferred credits.” In general, closure and restructuring costs are recognized as liabilities in the period when they are incurred and are measured at their fair value. For such recognition to occur, management, with the appropriate level of authority, must have approved and committed to a firm plan and appropriate communication to those affected must have occurred. These provisions require an estimation of costs such as severance and termination benefits, pension and curtailments and environmental remediation, and an evaluation of the fair value of the working capital and property, plant and equipment is required to determine the required write-offs. The closure and restructuring expense also includes costs relating to demolition, contractual obligations, training and outplacement. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had closure and restructuring charges of $35 million ($317 million in 2005) and a liability of $27 million ($26 million of liability from continuing operations).

Estimates of cash flows and fair value relating to closures and restructurings require judgment. Closure and restructuring costs are based on management’s best estimates of future events at December 31, 2006. Closure costs and restructuring estimates are dependent on future events. Although Domtar Inc. does not anticipate significant changes, the actual costs may differ from these estimates due to subsequent developments such as the results of environmental studies, the ability to find a buyer for assets set to be dismantled and demolished and other business developments. As such, additional costs and further working capital and property, plant and equipment write-downs may be required in future periods. Further costs related to the plans expected to be incurred over 2007 and thereafter are not significant.

 

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Financial Instruments and Other Instruments

In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. is exposed to certain financial risks. Domtar Inc. does not use derivative instruments for speculative purposes. For more information on financial instruments and other instruments, see Note 18 of Domtar Inc.’s audited consolidated financial statements.

Interest Rate Risk

Domtar Inc. is exposed to interest rate risk arising from fluctuations in interest rates on its cash and cash equivalents, bank indebtedness, bank credit facility and long-term debt. Domtar Inc. may manage this interest rate exposure by the use of derivative instruments such as interest rate swap contracts. Amounts accounted for under interest rate swap contracts are included in “Financing Expenses.”

Credit Risk

Domtar Inc. is exposed to credit risk on the accounts receivable from its customers. In order to reduce this risk, Domtar Inc. reviews new customers’ credit histories before granting credit and conduct regular reviews of existing customers’ credit performance.

Domtar Inc. is also exposed to credit risk in the event of non-performance by counterparties to its financial instruments. Domtar Inc. minimizes this exposure by entering into contracts with counterparties that Domtar Inc. believes are of high credit quality. Domtar Inc. usually does not obtain collateral or other security to support financial instruments subject to credit risk. Domtar Inc. regularly monitors the credit standing of counterparties.

 

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BUSINESS OF THE COMPANY

The Company was incorporated as a Delaware corporation in August 2006 for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, which was previously owned by Weyerhaeuser. Domtar Corporation had no operations prior to March 7, 2007, when, upon consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, it became an independent public holding company that directly or indirectly through its subsidiaries, owns the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. and that has its shares traded on The New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The Company’s Head Office and Domtar Inc.’s principal executive office is located at 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Québec Canada H3A 1L6 and its telephone number is (514) 848-5555. Domtar Paper Company, LLC’s principal executive office is located at 100 Kingsley Park Drive, Fort Mill, South Carolina 29715-6476 and its telephone number is (803) 802-7500. The Company’s website is www.domtar.com. The information contained on the Company’s website is not, and should in no way be construed as, a part of this Schedule C and the Notice of Meetings and Information Circular for holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures to which it is attached.

The Company

The Company is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity and is also a manufacturer of papergrade pulp. Through the Company’s subsidiaries, the Company designs, manufactures, markets and distributes a wide range of fine paper products for a variety of consumers, including merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters and end-users. The Company has three business segments: Papers (paper and pulp), Paper Merchants and Wood.

The Company had pro forma revenues of $6.7 billion in 2006, of which approximately 78% was from the Papers segment, approximately 14% was from the Paper Merchants segment and approximately 8% was from the Wood segment. The Company had pro forma revenues of $3.2 billion in the first six months of 2007, of which approximately 81% was from the Papers segment, approximately 14% was from the Paper Merchants segment and approximately 5% was from the Wood segment.

Business Segments

Papers

The Company operates 13 paper mills (ten in the United States and three in Canada) with an annual paper production capacity of approximately 4.8 million tons of uncoated freesheet paper. In addition, the Company has an annual production capacity of approximately 235,000 tons of coated groundwood at one paper mill in the U.S. The paper facilities are complemented by strategically located warehouses and sales offices. The Company has recently announced a series of actions, including mill and machine closures, as part of its review of its overall production capacity and adjustment of its production to match customer demand. See “– Recent Developments – Restructuring.”

The Company manufactures papergrade pulp, which it sells to the extent it produces more pulp than is required for internal use in its paper mills. It also manufactures and sells fluff pulp and specialty pulp. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Company’s Prince Albert facility, which is expected to have an annual production capacity of approximately 328,000 tonnes of pulp. See “Recent Developments – Potential Redevelopment of Prince Albert Facility.”

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, the Company’s Papers segment generated pro forma sales of $5.3 billion, representing 78% of total pro forma sales.

 

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Paper Merchants

In connection with its Papers business, the Company engages in the paper merchants business, which involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various paper products made by the Company and by other manufacturers. The Company operates its merchants business through the Domtar Distribution Group with 26 locations throughout the United States and Canada.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, the Company’s Paper Merchants segment generated pro forma sales of $920 million, representing 14% of total pro forma sales.

Wood

The Company manufactures, markets and distributes lumber and wood-based value-added products and manages forest resources. The Company operates four sawmills and one remanufacturing facility with an annual production capacity of approximately 495 million board feet of lumber. In addition, the Company owns five sawmills that are currently not in operation but have an annual aggregate production capacity of approximately 730 million board feet of lumber. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, the Company’s Wood segment generated pro forma sales of $523 million, representing 8% of total pro forma sales.

In June 2007, the Company entered into an agreement for the sale of substantially all of its Wood business to Conifex. The Company intends to use the net cash proceeds from the sale of its Wood business to reduce its outstanding debt. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale, see “– Recent Developments – Sale of Wood Business.”

Our Competitive Strengths

The Company believes that its competitive strengths will provide a solid foundation for the execution of its business strategy:

Leading Market Position .     The Company is the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity. This leading market position provides the Company with key competitive advantages, including economies of scale, wider sales and marketing coverage and broad product offerings, such as business, printing and publishing and technical and specialty grade paper.

Efficient and Cost-Competitive Assets .     The Company’s fine paper business encompasses a mix of assets allowing it to be a low-cost producer of high volume papers and an efficient producer of value-added specialty papers. The Company’s six largest mills focus on production of high volume copy and offset papers while the other mills focus on the production of value-added paper products for which quality, flexibility and service are key determinants. Most of the Company’s paper production is at mills with integrated pulp production and cogeneration facilities, reducing exposure to price volatility for purchased pulp and energy.

Proximity to Customers .     The Company has a broad geographic coverage with a strong manufacturing presence in eastern North America complemented by service locations throughout North America. This proximity to customers provides opportunities for enhanced customer service and minimization of freight distance, response time and delivery cost, which constitute key competitive advantages, particularly in the high volume copy and offset paper grades market segment. Customer proximity also allows just-in-time delivery of high demand paper products in less than 48 hours to most major North American cities.

Strong Franchise with Unique Service Solutions .     The Company sells paper to multiple market segments through a variety of channels, including paper merchants, converters, retail companies and publishers throughout North America. In addition, the Company maintains a strong market presence through its ownership of both the Domtar Distribution Group and the Enterprise Group. Both groups have developed strong positions as reliable and responsive suppliers to their markets. The Company believes it will build on those positions by maximizing its strengths in centralized planning capability and supply-chain management solutions.

 

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Focus on Stakeholder Value.      The Company believes that it has the ability to build value for its stakeholders. The Company’s large base of cost-competitive and efficient assets should allow it to realize cost savings through economies of scale, enhanced buying power and synergies, which should result in higher margins.

High Quality Products with Strong Brand Recognition .     The Company enjoys a strong reputation for producing high quality fine paper products and markets some of the most recognized and preferred papers in North America, including a wide range of business and commercial printing paper brands, such as Windsor Offset ® , Plainfield Digital ® , Plainfield Plus ® , Titanium ® , Microprint ® , Bobcat ® , Cougar ® , Husky ® , Jaguar ® , Lynx ® , Clarion ® , Sonora ® , Choctaw ® , First Choice ® and EarthChoice ® . The Company believes that it is a supplier of choice in the fine paper market.

Experienced Management Team with Proven Integration Expertise .     The Company’s management team has significant experience and a record of success in the North American paper industry, including with respect to business integration issues. For example, Raymond Royer, the Company’s president and chief executive officer, was the president and chief executive officer of Domtar Inc. for ten years and Marvin Cooper, the Company’s chief operating officer, has more than 25 years of experience in the pulp and paper industry, including 22 years at Willamette Industries, Inc. (“Willamette”) and four years at Weyerhaeuser. Mr. Royer led Domtar Inc.’s integration of four U.S. mills acquired from Georgia Pacific in 2001 while Mr. Cooper worked on the integration of Willamette’s pulp and fine paper business after it was acquired by Weyerhaeuser in 2002. To support the management team, the Company believes its employees’ expertise and know-how should help create operational efficiencies and better enable the Company to deliver improved profitability from its manufacturing operations.

Business Strategies

The Company’s goal is to be recognized as the supplier of choice of branded and private branded paper products for consumer channels, stationers, merchants, printers and converters in North America. The Company has implemented the following business strategies in order to enhance cash flow and generate stakeholder value:

 

  ·  

successfully integrating the combined businesses and optimizing paper production to improve operating efficiency and reduce costs;

 

  ·  

leveraging existing customer relationships;

 

  ·  

increasing depth of product offerings including the Company’s offering of environmentally and ethically responsible line of papers;

 

  ·  

maintaining financial discipline to create stakeholder value; and

 

  ·  

conducting operations in a sustainable way.

Successfully Integrating the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. and Optimizing Paper Production to Improve Operating Efficiency and Reduce Costs.      The Company believes that the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. represents a strategic fit because of the similarity of both their fine paper offerings in uncoated freesheet grades and their geographic presence. The Company’s integration efforts have been focused on providing a single face to the Company’s customers, utilizing its greater sales and marketing coverage to enhance customer service and achieving synergies. The combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. provides an opportunity to combine the operational strengths and best practices of two of the industry’s leading manufacturers. The Company is implementing plans to improve the Company’s operating efficiency and cost structure and to achieve certain synergies within two years through a combination of process optimization resulting in lower operating costs, reductions in transportation, logistics and purchasing costs, implementation of best-in-class business practices and reductions in sales and administrative costs. The Company is also optimizing the Company’s distribution network and reviewing its organizational structure, consolidating its regional centers and back-office functions where appropriate.

 

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Leveraging Existing Customer Relationships.      The Company is building on the successful relationships that the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. have developed with key customers to support their businesses and to provide inventory reduction solutions through just-in-time delivery for most-demanded products. The Company believes that it is among the suppliers of choice for customers who seek competitively-priced paper products and services.

Increasing Depth of Product Offerings Including the Company’s Offering of Environmentally and Ethically Responsible Line of Papers.      The Company believes that it is delivering improved service to customers through increased depth of product offerings and greater access to volume. The Company believes the development of EarthChoice ® , the Company’s line of environmentally and ethically responsible papers, is providing a platform upon which to expand its offerings to customers. The EarthChoice ® line of papers, a product line endorsed and supported by leading environmental groups, offers customers solutions and peace of mind through the use of a combination of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) virgin fiber and recycled fiber. FSC is the certification recognized by environmental groups as the most stringent and is third-party audited.

Maintaining Financial Discipline to Create Stakeholder Value.      The Company believes that value creation will initially be better achieved by de-leveraging. The Company intends to manage the Company’s capital expenditures effectively and minimize its working capital requirements.

Conducting Operations in a Sustainable Way.      Customers and end-users as well as all stakeholders in communities where the Company operates seek assurances from the pulp and paper industry that resources are managed in a sustainable manner. The Company strives to provide these assurances by certifying the Company’s forest, manufacturing and distribution operations and the Company intends to subscribe to internationally recognized environmental management systems, namely ISO 14001.

Recent developments

Sale of Wood Business

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of 10 sawmills in Québec and Ontario having an annual production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights, which represent the majority of Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights. Domtar Inc.’s remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec and its interests in several wood product joint ventures are also included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license transfer, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

On October 11, 2007, the Company announced that Domtar Inc. received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Québec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

The Company and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and Domtar Inc. will vigorously defend its rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal

 

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proceedings before the Quebec Superior Court to enforce its rights. The Company and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continues to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

The Company intends to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce its outstanding debt. At July 1, 2007, the Company and Domtar Inc. accounted for the assets and liabilities of the Wood business as held and used in accordance with SFAS 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets , due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly related to obtaining government approval and financing. The Company and Domtar Inc. do not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

Restructuring

The Company regularly reviews its overall production capacity with a view to adjusting its production capacity to anticipated long-term demand. In July 2007, the Company announced the permanent closure of its paper mill in Gatineau, Québec and its converting center in Ottawa, Ontario as well as the permanent closure of two paper machines, one located at its Woodland paper mill in Baileyville, Maine and the other at its Port Edwards, Wisconsin paper mill. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees. The Company continues to evaluate potential adjustments to its production capacity, which may include additional closures of machines or entire mills, and the Company could recognize cash and/or non-cash charges relating to any such closures in future periods.

Potential Redevelopment of Prince Albert Facility

On September 12, 2007, the Company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan that could result in the redevelopment of the Prince Albert facility into a Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp mill producing 100% FSC certified softwood pulp for the North American and offshore markets. The redevelopment of the pulp mill is subject to a number of critical conditions, the most important of which is that the business case demonstrates that the mill will be a first-quartile low-cost producer at a foreign exchange rate between Canada and the U.S. of 1:1. Other conditions include the completion of various engineering and feasibility analyses and studies, the development of a modern and competitive operational design for the pulp mill, consultations with First Nations and the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements, as well as the approval of the Company’s board of directors and various regulatory bodies. The annual production capacity of the redeveloped mill is expected to be approximately 328,000 tonnes of pulp. The memorandum of understanding is a statement of intent only and does not create legally binding obligations.

Our Business

We operate 13 paper mills (ten in the United States and three in Canada, after giving effect to the announced permanent closure of our Gatineau, Quebec paper mill and the Woodland, Maine paper machine) with an annual paper production capacity of approximately 4.8 million tons of uncoated and coated freesheet. See “Recent Developments – Restructuring” above. In addition, we have an annual production capacity of approximately 235,000 tons of coated groundwood at one of our paper mills in the U.S.

 

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Facilities and Properties

The Company’s paper facilities are complemented by strategically located warehouses and sales offices. The table below lists all of the Company’s paper facilities and their annual production capacity.

 

Paper Production Facility (1)

  

Location

   Paper
Machines
  

Principal Paper
Type

  

Annual Paper
Capacity

(millions of tons)

Uncoated freesheet mills

           

Ashdown (2)

   Arkansas    4    Copy and offset    0.9

Windsor (2)

   Québec    2    Copy and offset    0.6

Hawesville

   Kentucky    2    Copy and offset    0.6

Plymouth

   North Carolina    2    Copy and offset    0.5

Kingsport

   Tennessee    1    Copy and offset    0.4

Marlboro

   South Carolina    1    Copy and offset    0.4

Johnsonburg

   Pennsylvania    2    Copy and offset    0.4

Dryden

   Ontario    1    Copy and offset    0.3

Port-Edwards (2)

   Wisconsin    3    Value added    0.2

Nekoosa (2)

   Wisconsin    3    Value added    0.2

Rothschild

   Wisconsin    1    Opaque    0.1

Port Huron (2)

   Michigan    4    Technical and specialty    0.1

Espanola (2)

   Ontario    2    Technical and specialty    0.1
               

Total Uncoated freesheet mills

      29       4.8

Coated groundwood

           

Columbus

   Mississippi    1    Coated groundwood    0.2
               

Total Coated groundwood

      1       0.2
               
      30       5.0

(1) This table reflects the Company’s recent restructuring announcement of a reduction of the Company’s paper production capacity to approximately 4.8 million tons. See “Recent developments – Restructuring” above.

 

(2) Owned by Domtar Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other facilities were formerly owned by the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business.

Approximately 79% of the Company’s uncoated freesheet production capacity is located in the United States. All of the pulp and paper mills owned by Domtar Inc. are certified ISO program 14001 with the exception of the Windsor mill, which is certified under the Responsible Care program. In addition, all of Domtar Inc.’s mills are FSC chain of custody certified.

The Company owns all of its production facilities with the exception of certain portions that are subject to leases with government agencies in connection with industrial development bond financings or fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements, and leases substantially all of its sales offices, regional replenishment centers and warehouse facilities. The Company believes its properties are in good operating condition and are suitable and adequate for the operations for which they are used. The Company owns substantially all of the equipment used in its facilities.

The Company owns chip mills in the vicinity of its uncoated freesheet mills in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania, Hawesville, Kentucky, Kingsport, Tennessee and Marlboro, South Carolina, but typically leases such mills to third parties who operate them. The Company’s paper mills are supported by forms and converting operations at

 

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many of its uncoated freesheet mills as well as at 17 other facilities that convert roll paper into cut sized sheets and/or folio sized sheets and/or forms paper.

Power Facilities

The Company owns power generating assets at fifteen locations: Ashdown, Dryden, Espanola, Hawesville, Johnsonburg, Kamloops, Kingsport, Nekoosa, Ottawa-Hull (now known as Gatineau), Plymouth, Port Edwards, Port Huron, Rothschild, Windsor and Woodland. Approximately 60% of the Company’s electric power requirements are met by its own assets. The Company purchases the balance of its power requirements from local utilities. In addition, the Company provides about 68% of the energy required to produce steam internally through its recovery boilers and cogeneration assets with the remaining energy purchased in the form of bark, natural gas, oil and coal.

Business Segments

The following table sets forth the net sales of each of the Company’s business segments, Papers, Paper Merchants and Wood, as well as the percentage of sales accounted for by each segment for 2006 on a pro forma basis:

 

    

Year Ended

December 31, 2006

 
       Sales    

% of

Sales

 
(In millions of $)             

Papers

   $ 5,307 ( * )   78 %

Paper Merchants

     920     14 %

Wood

     523     8 %
              

Total

     6,750     100 %
              

(*) Excludes intercompany sales between Domtar Inc. and Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business of $48 million.

 

     Year Ended  
       December 31, 2004     December 31, 2005     December 31, 2006  

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

   Sales    % of
Sales
    Sales    % of
Sales
    Sales    % of
Sales
 
(In millions of $)                                  

Papers

   $ 2,867    95 %   $ 3,072    94 %   $ 3,143    95 %

Paper Merchants

     0    0 %     0    0 %     0    0 %

Wood

     159    5 %     195    6 %     163    5 %
                                       

Total

     3,026    100 %     3,267    100 %     3,306    100 %
                                       

 

   
     Year Ended  
       December 31,
2004
    December 31,
2005
    December 31,
2006
 

Domtar Inc.

   Sales    % of
Sales
    Sales    % of
Sales
    Sales    % of
Sales
 
(In millions of $)                                  

Papers

   $ 2,152    64 %   $ 2,164    62 %   $ 2,212    63 %

Paper Merchants

     811    24 %     862    25 %     920    26 %

Wood

     415    12 %     472    13 %     360    10 %
                                       

Total

     3,378    100 %     3,498    100 %     3,492    100 %
                                       

 

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Papers

Paper

Our uncoated and coated freesheet papers are used for business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty applications. The chart below illustrates the principal paper products Domtar produces.

 

Category

  Business Papers    Commercial Printing and Publication Papers   

Technical and

Specialty Papers

Type

  Uncoated Freesheet    Coated
Groundwood
  

Uncoated Freesheet

Grade

  Copy    Premium
imaging /
technology
papers
   Offset

Business
converting
Opaques
Colors
Index Tag
Bristol

   Lightweight

Opaques
Text, cover
and writing
Tradebook
Premium
opaques

   No.5 Coated    Flexible packaging Abrasive papers Decorative papers Imaging papers Label papers Medical disposables

Application

  Photocopies

Office
documents
Presentations

      Pamphlets

Brochures
Direct mail
Commercial
Printing
Forms &
envelopes

   Stationary
Brochures
Annual
reports
Books
Catalogs
   Catalogs
Magazines
Direct mail
Cards Posters
Packaging
   Food & Candy wrappings Surgical gowns Repositionable note pads Security check papers

Business papers accounted for approximately 42% of the Company’s sales of fine paper products in 2006 on a pro forma basis. Business papers include copier and electronic imaging papers used with ink jet and laser printers, photocopiers and plain-paper fax machines, as well as computer papers, preprinted forms and digital papers. These products are principally for home and office use.

The Company’s commercial printing grade papers include uncoated freesheet papers, such as offset papers and opaques as well as converting paper products, which consist of base papers that are converted into finished products, such as envelopes, tablets, business forms and data processing/computer forms. These grades are used in sheet and roll fed offset presses across the spectrum of commercial printing end-uses, including digital printing. The Company’s publication papers include tradebook and lightweight uncoated and coated papers used principally in book publishing applications such as textbooks, dictionaries, catalogs, magazines, hard cover novels and financial printing. Design papers, a sub-group of commercial printing and publication papers, have distinct features of color, brightness and texture and are targeted towards graphic artists in design and advertising agencies, for use primarily in special brochures and annual reports. Commercial printing and publication papers accounted for approximately 45% of the Company’s sales of fine paper products in 2006 on a pro forma basis.

The Company also produces paper for several technical and specialty markets. These technical and specialty papers consist primarily of base stock used by the flexible packaging industry in the production of food and medical packaging and other specialty papers for various other industrial applications, including base stock for sandpaper, base stock for medical gowns, drapes and packaging, as well as transfer paper for printing processes. The Company also participates in several converting grades for specialty and security applications. These technical and specialty papers accounted for about 8% of its paper production on a pro forma basis.

Coated groundwood papers accounted for approximately 5% of the Company’s sales of fine paper products in 2006 on a pro forma basis. Coated groundwood papers are used primarily in magazines, catalogs and inserts.

 

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Pulp

Our Papers segment includes our pulp manufacturing business. We sell papergrade pulp to the extent we produce more pulp than is required for internal use in our paper mills. We also manufacture and sell fluff pulp and specialty pulp. The sale of papergrade pulp to third parties allows optimization of pulp capacity while reducing overall manufacturing costs. On a pro forma basis, the Company shipped approximately 1.1 million tons of pulp in excess of its internal requirements during 2006. The Company manufactures market pulp at Ashdown, Espanola, Woodland, Maine; Windsor, Hawesville, Marlboro, Dryden and Kamloops, British Columbia; and fluff pulp at its facility in Plymouth.

In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Company’s Prince Albert facility, which is expected to have an annual production capacity of approximately 328,000 tonnes of pulp. See “Recent Developments – Potential Redevelopment of Prince Albert Facility.”

Customers and Distribution

The following chart illustrates our channels of distribution for our paper products:

 

Category

   Business Papers   

Commercial Printing and

Publication Papers

   Technical and
Specialty Papers

Domtar sells to:

   Merchants

¯

   Office
Equipment
Manufacturers /
Stationers

¯

   Retailers

¯

   Merchants

¯

   Converters

¯

   Converters

¯

Customer sells to:

   Printers /

Retailers /


End-users

   Retailers /

Stationers /


End-users

   Printers /

End-users

   Printers /

Converters /


End-users

   Merchants /

Retailers

   End-users

Generally, the Company sells business papers to paper merchants, office equipment manufacturers, stationers, retail outlets, converters and end users. The Company distributes uncoated commercial printing and publication papers to end-users and commercial printers, mainly through paper merchants, as well as selling directly to converters. The Company sells its technical and specialty products mainly to converters, who apply a further production process such as coating, laminating or waxing to the Company papers before selling them to a variety of specialized end-users.

The Company’s customer service personnel work closely with sales, marketing and production staff to provide service and support to merchants, converters, end-users, stationers, printers and retailers. The Company promotes its products directly to end-users and others who influence paper purchasing decisions in order to enhance brand recognition and increase product demand. In addition, the Company’s sales representatives work closely with mill-based new product development personnel and undertake joint marketing initiatives with customers in order to better understand its customers’ businesses and needs and to support their future requirements.

On a pro forma basis, the Company distributed approximately 54% of its paper products in 2006 through a large network of paper sales merchants operating throughout North America, one of which it owns (see “– Paper Merchants”). Paper merchants, who sell the Company’s products to their own customers, represent the Company’s largest group of customers.

In 2006 on a pro forma basis, approximately 83% of the Company’s paper sales were made to customers in the United States.

 

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The Company’s largest customer is Unisource. While a five-year supply agreement between Domtar Inc. and Unisource ended on June 30, 2006, the Company continues to sell products to Unisource.

Market pulp is sold by the Company to customers in North America mainly through a centrally located sales force while sales to most overseas customers is made directly or through commission agents. In addition, the Company and Weyerhaeuser have entered into a transitional agreement that terminates in December 2007, pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser acts as a sales agent related to pulp produced by the Kamloops mill and purchases pulp from the Plymouth, South Carolina mill. The Company maintains pulp supplies at strategically located warehouses, which allows it to respond to orders on short notice. In 2006, on a pro forma basis approximately 4% of the Company’s sales of market pulp were made in Canada, 23% were made in the United States, 4% in Mexico and 69% overseas. The Company also purchases pulp to optimize paper production and reduce freight costs. In 2006, on a pro forma basis, the Company shipped approximately 1.1 million tons of pulp in excess of its internal requirements.

Paper Merchants

The Company’s Paper Merchants business involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by us and other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products. These products are sold to a wide and diverse customer base, which includes small, medium and large commercial printers, publishers, business forms manufacturers, quick copy firms and institutional entities.

Company-owned paper merchants operate in the United States and Canada under a single banner and umbrella name, the Domtar Distribution Group. Ris Paper operates throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest areas from 19 locations in the United States, including 16 distribution centers. The Canadian business operates as Buntin Reid in three locations in Ontario; JBR/La Maison du Papier in two locations in Québec; and The Paper House from two locations in Atlantic Canada. On a pro forma basis, the Company’s Paper Merchants business accounted for 14% of consolidated sales in 2006, or 10% when excluding sales of Domtar Inc. paper.

Sales are executed through the Company’s sales force based at branches strategically located in served markets. The Company distributes about 54% of its paper sales from its own warehouse distribution system and about 46% of its paper sales through mill-direct deliveries (i.e., deliveries directly from manufacturers, including the Company, to its customers).

Wood

In June 2007, the Company entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business to the newly created Conifex. The Company will retain its sawmills in Saskatchewan and some related forest licenses as well as its owned forest land and forest licenses related to its Dryden, Espanola and Windsor pulp and paper mills. In connection with the sale to Conifex, the Company anticipates that it will transfer annual allowable softwood harvest of approximately 4.8 million cubic meters and retain allowable softwood harvest of approximately 0.8 million cubic meters. The agreement is subject to governmental approval for the forest license transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Pending these approvals, the sale is expected to close before the end of the year. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale, see “– Recent Developments – Sale of Wood Business.”

The Company’s Wood business comprises the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of lumber and wood-based value-added products, and the management of forest resources. The Company operates four mills and one remanufacturing facility with a production capacity of approximately 495 million board feet of lumber. In addition, the Company owns five sawmills that are currently not in operation but have an aggregate production capacity of approximately 730 million board feet of lumber. The Company’s Wood business represented 8% of consolidated sales in 2006 on a pro-forma basis.

 

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The Company also has an interest in three joint ventures and an investment in one business, which all produce wood products.

The Company produces mainly softwood dimensional lumber used primarily in the construction industry. Products include studs and random length lumber in dimensions of 2 inches by 3 inches through 2 inches by 10 inches in lengths of 8 feet to 16 feet. In addition to producing dimensional lumber and studs, the Company manufactures lumber that is graded according to recognized standards, such as Premium, Select, J-Grade and Machine Stress Rated lumber.

The Company sells substantially all of its softwood lumber through its own sales office in Montreal to a wide range of retailers, distributors, manufacturers and wholesalers in the United States and Canada who sell to end-users. These wood products are consumed in the home construction, renovation and industrial markets. The Company’s marketing efforts for lumber products are focused on providing its customers with efficient value-added supply chain integration, in order to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction and a balanced and diversified customer base for the Company’s products.

Supply

Fiber Supply

The Company uses hardwood and softwood fiber for the production of paper and softwood for the production of lumber. The Company’s forestry strategy is to optimize wood flows within its fiber supply area and to maximize value and minimize cost while securing an adequate wood supply for its operations.

U.S. pulp and paper mills

Wood fiber is the principal raw material in our Papers segment. The fiber used by the Company’s pulp and paper mills in the United States is primarily hardwood, which is readily available in the market from multiple third-party sources, and secondarily softwood, which is also readily available.

The paper mills obtain fiber through a variety of sources depending on the location of the paper mills. The mills are sourced by a combination of long-term supply contracts, including contracts with Weyerhaeuser, wood lot management arrangements, advance stumpage purchases, and spot market purchases.

Concurrent with the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company entered into a number of fiber supply agreements with Weyerhaeuser, including a pine chip supply agreement, a pine in-woods chip supply agreement, a pine and hardwood roundwood supply agreement, a pine chip supply agreement, a pine and armory hardwood roundwood supply agreement and a slush pulp sales agreement relating to the Columbus, Mississippi facilities.

Canadian pulp and paper mills

Domtar’s fine paper mill at Windsor, Québec consumes primarily hardwood fiber originating from a variety of sources, including purchases on the open market in Canada and the United States, contracts with Québec wood producers’ marketing boards, harvested from public land where we have wood fiber harvesting rights and Domtar’s private lands.

The Espanola and Dryden, Ontario pulp and paper mills, which consume both softwood and hardwood fiber, obtain fiber from third parties or directly or indirectly from public land with wood harvesting rights designated for these pulp and paper mills or for our sawmills, which are being sold as part of the sale of the Wood business. We expect to enter into an agreement with Conifex related to chip supply to these two pulp and paper mills. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale of the Wood business, see “—Recent Developments—Sale of Wood Business.”

 

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Cutting rights on public land related to the paper mills that will be retained by us after the sale of the Wood business represent about 2.2 million cubic meters of wood (both softwood and hardwood). Access to harvesting of fiber on public lands in Québec and Ontario is subject to review by the respective governmental authorities.

Concurrent with the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company entered into a number of fiber supply agreements with Weyerhaeuser pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser has agreed to supply fiber to the Company’s mills in Kamloops, British Columbia and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Freehold Land

The Company’s freehold land of approximately 900,000 acres in Québec, Ontario and Maine provide an annual allowable harvest of approximately 0.5 million cubic meters of wood.

Wood

As part of the sale of the Wood business, a majority of our harvesting rights on public land in Québec and Ontario will be transferred to Conifex, the purchasing entity. Access to harvesting of fiber on public lands in Québec and Ontario is subject to review by the respective government authorities. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale of the Wood business, see “—Recent Developments—Sale of Wood business.”

In Québec, the Company’s annual allowable softwood harvest, related to the sawmills that are part of the sale of the Wood business, amounts to approximately 1.8 million cubic meters and are granted by the Ministry of Natural Resources (Québec). The Company obtains most of the wood fiber required for its northern Québec sawmill operations either directly or indirectly from these harvesting rights. The Province of Québec has been reducing fiber availability over the last two years by 20% to 25%, thereby making it a more challenging environment for lumber producers and paper mills relying on softwood fiber. As a result of the reduced availability, the Company may have increased costs in purchasing and may have difficulty fulfilling its wood fiber requirements. The chips produced by these sawmills were sent to the pulp mill at Lebel-sur-Quévillon (prior to its indefinite closure in November 2005 due to unfavorable economic conditions). Domtar’s northern Québec sawmills have been shut down for various periods due to a lack of alternative markets for chips, unfavorable economic conditions as well as the reduced allowable wood harvesting volume. In June 2007, we restored production at our Val d’Or sawmill.

In Ontario, the Company’s annual allowable softwood harvest on public lands related to the sawmills that are part of the sale of the Wood business amounts to approximately 3.7 million cubic meters pursuant to Sustainable Forest Licenses that have been granted by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. The Company obtains most of the wood fiber required for its northern Ontario sawmill operations either directly or indirectly from these harvesting rights. The remaining required fiber is purchased under various contractual arrangements and on the open market.

Energy Supply

The Company’s business consumes substantial amounts of energy such as electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel (wood waste). During 2006, on a pro forma basis, energy costs comprised approximately 8%, of the aggregate amount of materials, labor and other operating costs and fiber costs. The Company purchases substantial portions of the energy it consumes under supply contracts, most of which are between a specific plant and a specific provider. Under most of these contracts, providers are committed to provide quantities within specified ranges that provide the Company with its needs for a particular type of energy at a specific facility. Most of the contracts have pricing mechanisms that set prices based on current market rates. Natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel are consumed primarily in the production of steam to be used in the manufacturing process or to a lesser extent to provide direct heat to be used in the chemical recovery process. Electricity is used primarily to drive motors and other equipment as well as provide lighting.

 

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Other important raw materials used in this segment include precipitated calcium carbonate, sodium chlorate, sodium hydroxide and dyes.

Customers

The Company’s largest customer, Unisource, an independent marketer and distributor of commercial printing and business imaging papers in North America, represented approximately 10% of its sales revenues on a pro forma basis in 2006. The Company supplies products to Unisource on a per-order basis, subject to a published price list. It has no long-term contractual commitments to Unisource. The Company also has other significant customers as well as a large number of other fine paper customers, which vary in size but none of which individually represent a material portion of the Company’s sales. The Company’s customers include paper merchants, commercial and financial printers, paper converters, such as envelope and form manufacturers, retailers and customers who use the Company’s paper for specialty applications, such as label and release products. The majority of these customers purchase products through individual purchase orders.

Competition

The markets in which the Company’s business competes are generally worldwide and highly competitive. Grades of fine paper are globally traded, with numerous worldwide manufacturers. All of the Company’s paper manufacturing facilities are located in the United States or Canada. Although the Company sells primarily in North America, it faces competition from foreign producers, some of which have lower operating costs than the Company. In general, paper production does not rely on proprietary processes or formulas, except in highly specialized or custom grades.

Approximately five major manufacturers produce and sell uncoated freesheet in North America, and dozens more sell uncoated freesheet worldwide. Although price is the primary basis for competition in most of the Company’s paper grades, quality and service are important competitive determinants, especially in value-added grades. The Company’s paper products also compete with other paper grades, including coated groundwood, and electronic transmission and document storage alternatives. As the use of these alternative products continues to grow, the Company may see a decrease in the overall demand for paper products or shifts from one type of paper to another.

Employees

The Company has approximately 14,000 employees. A majority of the Company’s employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Labor Agreements

Papers

A collective agreement expired in April 2004 for the Company’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Québec pulp mill (affecting approximately 350 employees). Negotiations have ceased, employees have been laid off and the mill has been closed for an indefinite period since November 2005.

Negotiations for the renewal of the collective agreement at the Company’s Ashdown mill (affecting approximately 700 employees) are scheduled to begin in October 2007.

Wood

In May 2007, a five-year agreement was ratified with the union at the Company’s Val d’Or, Québec sawmill (affecting approximately 88 employees).

Negotiations for a new collective agreement for the Company’s Sullivan, Québec remanufacturing facility have ceased (affecting approximately 60 employees) because the union has been decertified.

 

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A collective agreement expired in June 2007 for the Company’s Sainte-Marie, Québec sawmill. Negotiations for the renewal of this collective agreement (affecting approximately 70 employees) began in August 2007.

A collective agreement expired in August 2005 for our Nairn Centre, Ontario sawmill. Negotiations have been suspended as the mill is shut down for an indefinite period of time.

Paper Merchants

We have collective agreements covering six locations in the U.S. and five locations in Canada that will expire between December 2008 and December 2010.

Intellectual Property

Many of the brand name paper products of the Company are protected by registered trademarks. Key trademarks used in the Company include Windsor Offset ® , Plainfield Digital ® , Plainfield Plus ® , Titanium ® , Microprint ® , Bobcat ® , Cougar ® , Husky ® , Jaguar ® , Lynx ® , Clarion ® , Sonora ® , Choctaw ® , First Choice ® and EarthChoice ® . These brand names and trademarks are important to the business. The numerous trademarks of the Company have been registered in the United States and/or in other countries where the products of the Company are sold. The current registrations of these trademarks are effective for various periods of time. These trademarks may be renewed periodically, provided that the Company, as the registered owner, and/or their licensees comply with all applicable renewal requirements, including the continued use of the trademarks in connection with similar goods.

The Company owns U.S. and foreign patents, some of which have expired or been abandoned, and has several pending patent applications, as well as some that have been issued. The Company’s management regards these patents and patent applications as important but does not consider any one or group of them to be materially important to the Company as a whole.

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company, Weyerhaeuser and Domtar Paper Company, LLC entered into a contribution and distribution agreement, dated as of January 25, 2007 (as amended from time to time, the “Contribution and Distribution Agreement”). Under the terms of the Contribution and Distribution Agreement and the intellectual property license agreement, the Company received, a fully paid-up, royalty free, non-exclusive license to use certain intellectual property and technology that is used by the Company but retained by Weyerhaeuser.

Seasonality

Demand for uncoated freesheet, the Company’s principal product, is typically not seasonal. The most significant seasonal impact on the Company’s uncoated freesheet operations is caused by its annual scheduled maintenance outages. During an outage period, a pulp mill and/or paper machine is taken out of operation so that maintenance can be performed. During these time periods, it is normal to incur significant maintenance expenditures as well as above normal expenditures for operating supplies. In addition, some facilities may elect to operate their paper machines on higher cost purchased fiber and incur other incremental costs to minimize the period of time that the paper machine is out of operation.

Environmental Matters

The Company’s business is subject to a wide range of general and industry-specific laws and regulations in the United States and Canada relating to the protection of the environment, including those governing air emissions, wastewater discharges, the storage, management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, contaminated sites, landfill operation and closure obligations and health and safety matters. Compliance with these laws and regulations is a significant factor in the operation of the Company’s business. The Company may encounter situations in which its operations fail to maintain full compliance with applicable environmental

 

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requirements, possibly leading to civil or criminal fines or penalties or in enforcement actions, including those that result in governmental or judicial orders that stop or interrupt the Company’s operations or require the Company to take corrective measures at substantial costs, such as the installation of additional pollution control equipment or other remedial actions.

Compliance with U.S. federal, state and local and Canadian federal and provincial environmental laws and regulations usually involves capital expenditures as well as additional operating costs. For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has promulgated regulations dealing with air emissions from pulp and paper mills, including regulations on hazardous air pollutants that require use of maximum achievable control technology and controls for pollutants that contribute to smog and haze. The Company cannot quantify future amounts of capital expenditures required to comply with these laws, regulations and demands, or the effects on operating costs, because, in some instances, compliance standards have not been developed or have not become final or definitive. In addition, compliance frequently serves other purposes, such as extension of facility life, increase in capacity, changes in raw material requirements or increase in economic value of assets or products.

The pulp and paper industry in the United States was subject to the Boiler MACT Rule that further regulated air emissions. A decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the Boiler MACT Rule on July 30, 2007 and discussions are ongoing for alternative U.S. federal and state regulations. The Company believes it complies with all such current air emissions regulations, and anticipates spending approximately $3 million over the next year to meet such requirements.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has repealed the regulations promulgated in 2000 that would have required states to develop total maximum daily load (“TMDL”) allocations for pollutants in water bodies determined to be water-quality-impaired. However, certain states continue to promulgate TMDL requirements. The stated TMDL requirements may set limits on pollutants that may be discharged to a body of water to reduce the amounts of pollutants. It is not possible to estimate the capital expenditures that may be required for the Company to meet pollution allocations across the various proposed state TMDL programs until a specific TMDL is promulgated.

The Company’s air permit for its Kamloops, British Columbia pulp manufacturing facility requires that the facility reduce air emissions of particulate matter by December 31, 2007. Compliance with the permit requirements is likely to require significant capital expenditures. The Company continues to evaluate its options and is currently in discussions with the Province of British Columbia to extend the deadline for compliance. If the deadline is not extended, the facility may need to curtail, after 2007, some output or incur significant capital expenditures.

Environmental expenditures for effluent treatment, air emission, landfill operation and closure, asbestos containment and removal, bark pile management, silvicultural activities and site remediation (together referred to as Environmental Matters) are expensed or capitalized depending upon their future economic benefit. In the normal course of business, the Company incurs certain operating costs for Environmental Matters that are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment that prevent future environmental impacts are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over 10 to 40 years. Provisions for Environmental Matters are not discounted and are recorded when site remediation efforts are more than likely and can be reasonably determined.

While the Company believes that it has determined the costs for Environmental Matters likely to be incurred, based on known information, its ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with the Company’s former and present operations may lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts may result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had a provision of CDN$54 million and the Predecessor Company had a provision of $20 million for costs to comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations and

 

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remedial obligations. As of July 1, 2007, the Company had a provision for $82 million for such e xpenditures. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for site remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, the Company believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or earnings.

During the first quarter of 2006, Weyerhaeuser closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the Big River Sawmill in Saskatchewan due to poor market conditions. These facilities are currently not in operation. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Prince Albert facility. However, the consummation of this plan is subject to several critical conditions, and the Company has not determined whether either of these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event the facilities are permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at one or both facilities, which would likely include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts.

The Company is involved in the environmental investigation or remediation of numerous sites. Some of the sites are on property owned by the Company where the Company has the sole obligation to remediate the site or share that remediation obligation with a small number of other parties. Other sites are third-party sites involving several parties who may have a joint and several remediation obligation. Remediation efforts are currently ongoing, for example, at the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina facility in respect of dioxins/furans and mercury, and at the Company’s Rothschild, Wisconsin facility in respect of pulp manufacturing byproducts. The Company’s liability for environmental investigation and remediation ranges from insignificant at some sites to substantial at others, depending on the quantity, toxicity and nature of materials deposited by the Company at the site and, at some sites, the number and economic viability of the other potentially responsible parties. The Company spent less than $3 million in 2005 and approximately $5 million in 2006, on environmental remediation of these sites.

Domtar Inc. incurred approximately $8 million and the Predecessor Company incurred approximately $2 million in capital expenditures in connection with environmental compliance and remediation during 2006. The Company anticipates spending approximately $3 million over the next year to meet the Boiler MACT Rule obligations. However, a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia vacated the Boiler MACT Rule on July 30, 2007 and discussions are ongoing for alternative U.S. federal and state regulations. The Company does not expect any additional required expenditure to have a material adverse effect on our financial position or earnings.

Social and Environmental Policies

The Company has several social and environmental related policies including, among others, Human Rights, Forest, Environment, and Health and Safety policies. These form an integral part of its Code of Ethics.

Legal Proceedings

Pursuant to the Contribution and Distribution Agreement and other agreements entered into or to be entered into in connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company assumed responsibility for certain claims and litigation matters arising out of or relating to the Company’s businesses whether or not asserted prior to the Acquisition Transactions. Currently, a small number of claims and litigation matters have arisen in the ordinary course of business. Although the final outcome of any legal proceeding is subject to a number of variables and cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty, management currently believes that the ultimate outcome of these legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s long-term results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

We are involved in various legal proceedings relating to contracts, commercial disputes, taxes, environmental issues, labor and employment and other matters related to former and ongoing operations. We

 

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periodically review the status of these proceedings and assess the likelihood of any adverse judgments or outcomes of our legal proceedings, as well as analyze probable losses. While we believe that the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, an adverse outcome in one or more of the following significant legal proceedings could have a material adverse effect on or results of cash flow in a given quarter or year.

In the early part of 2006, Weyerhaeuser closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which the Company acquired in the Acquisition Transactions, and which remains closed. Certain unionized parties filed a grievance against Weyerhaeuser following the shut down, alleging that certain post-closure actions taken by Weyerhaeuser violated their collective bargaining agreement. In particular, the union disputed Weyerhaeuser’s post-closure contracting with a third-party vendor to oversee on-site security at the Prince Albert facility. In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company has assumed any liability with respect to this grievance. In September 2007, the Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Saskatchewan for a plan to redevelop the pulp mill at the Prince Albert facility. However, the consummation of this plan is subject to several critical conditions. In a separate grievance relating to the closure of the Prince Albert facility, which could result in liability in excess of $20 million, the union is disputing the accumulation of pension benefits during the actual layoff period because, according to the union, a majority of employees retained still had recall rights during the layoff. The Company is currently evaluating its positions with respect to these grievances and cannot be certain that it will not incur liability, which could be material, with respect to these grievances.

Domtar Inc. is subject to a motion by Joachim Laferrière Électricien Inc., filed in the Québec Superior Court on January 9, 2006, for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others for alleged damages relating to a conspiracy to fix prices of carbonless sheets during the period of January through December 2000 in the Province of Québec, Canada. The claim seeks estimated compensatory damages in the amount of CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) plus estimated exemplary damages in the amount of CDN$1 million to CDN$4 million (approximately $1 million to $4 million). Domtar Inc. is also subject to a motion by McLay & Company Inc. filed in Ontario Superior Court on January 11, 2006 for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others, for alleged inflated prices of carbonless sheets paper during the period of October 1999 through September 2000 in the Province of Ontario, Canada. These class actions have been settled in principle for an immaterial amount, subject to the finalization of definitive agreements and court approval. The settlement amount was fully reserved for in a prior period.

On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited (“Weston”) in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada against Domtar Inc. The claim alleges that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered an obligation of Domtar Inc. to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment contained in the Share Purchase Agreement, dated June 16, 1998 (as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, dated July 31, 1998, the “Agreement”) between Weston, Weston Investments Inc., Domtar Inc. and Domtar Industries Inc. pursuant to which Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc., an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The claim seeks a payment of CDN$110 million (approximately $103 million) under the purchase price adjustment provision of the Agreement and additional compensatory damages. On August 13, 2007, Domtar Inc. served its statement of defense in response to this claim. Neither we nor Domtar Inc. believes that the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions triggered an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and Domtar Inc. intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar Inc. may not be successful in its defense of such claims, and if it is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on our and Domtar Inc.’s liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Several asbestos-related personal injury claims have been filed in U.S. state and federal courts against Domtar Industries Inc. and certain other affiliates of the Company in connection with alleged exposure by current and former employees of the Company to asbestos. While the Company believes that the ultimate disposition of

 

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these matters, both individually and on an aggregate basis, will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, there can be no assurance the Company will not incur substantial costs as a result of any such claim.

Environment

Each of Domtar Inc. and the Company is or may be a “potentially responsible party” with respect to various hazardous waste sites that are being addressed pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (“Superfund”) or similar laws. Domtar Inc. continues to take remedial action under its Care and Control Program, as such sites mostly relate to its former wood preserving operating sites, and a number of operating sites due to possible soil, sediment or groundwater contamination. The investigation and remediation process is lengthy and subject to the uncertainties of changes in legal requirements, technological developments and, if and when applicable, the allocation of liability among potentially responsible parties.

An action was commenced by Seaspan International Ltd. (“Seaspan”) in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, on March 31, 1999 against Domtar Inc., and others with respect to alleged contamination of Seaspan’s site bordering Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver, British Columbia including contamination of sediments in Burrard Inlet, due to the presence of creosote. As of July 3, 2002, the parties entered into a partial Settlement Agreement (“the Settlement Agreement”) which provides that while the agreement is performed in accordance with its terms, the action commenced by Seaspan will be held in abeyance. The Settlement Agreement focused on the sharing of costs between Seaspan and Domtar Inc. for certain remediation of contamination referred to in the plaintiff’s claim. The parties have the contractual right to abandon the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement does not address all of the plaintiff’s claims that cannot be reasonably determined at this time.

Domtar Inc., was issued a Request for Response Action (“RFRA”) by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) for the clean-up of tar seeps and soils at a former coal tar distillation plant located in Duluth, Minnesota. On March 27, 1996, the MPCA issued the RFRA to Domtar Inc., Interlake Corp., Allied-Signal, Inc. and Beazer East, Inc. requiring the investigation and potential remediation of a portion of an industrial site located in Duluth, Minnesota, believed to contain contaminated sediments originating from former coke and gas plants and coal tar distillation plants. Domtar Inc. formerly operated one coal tar distillation plant. The total cost of the likely remediation is estimated to be approximately $90 million. Allocation of responsibility among the parties is ongoing under an agreed final and binding arbitration process which we expect will be determined in the third quarter of 2007.

As at July 1, 2007, the Company had a reserve of $82 million for environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, management believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or earnings.

While we believe that we have determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred based on known information, our ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with our past and present properties will lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts will likely result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

 

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BUSINESS OF THE PREDECESSOR COMPANY

The following section describes the Company as if it held the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business but not Domtar Inc. for all periods and dates presented. Because the Company was a shell company with no operations and substantially no assets, the operations and financial results of the Predecessor Company presented herein are those of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business. The results of operations of the Company will be significantly different than the results of operations of the Predecessor Company.

The forward-looking statements included in this section should be read as continuing to apply to the Company following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, without regard to whether such statement refers to the Company or the Predecessor Company.

Overview

The Predecessor Company principally manufactured and sold fine paper, including uncoated freesheet and coated groundwood and is the second largest integrated manufacturer of uncoated freesheet in North America and the third largest in the world based on production capacity, with annual uncoated freesheet production capacity of approximately 2.7 million tons (or 3 million tons including the Predecessor Company’s Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill, which is currently not in operation), representing approximately a 19% share of the North American uncoated freesheet production capacity in 2006. The Predecessor Company also manufactured papergrade pulp at several of its paper mills, fluff pulp at a pulp mill in Plymouth, North Carolina and papergrade pulp and specialty pulp at a pulp mill in Kamloops, British Columbia. Fluff pulp and specialty pulp were sold to third parties. Papergrade pulp was sold to the extent the Predecessor Company has greater capacity for pulp production than is required for internal use at its paper mills. The sale of papergrade pulp to third parties allowed for optimization of pulp capacity while reducing overall manufacturing costs.

Prior to the Acquisition Closing Date, the Predecessor Company generated revenues of $3.3 billion during both 2005 and 2006; the revenues generated by pulp and fine paper products represented approximately 95% in 2006 and 94% in 2005.

The following table sets forth the breakdown of net sales sold in each segment of the Predecessor Company’s business as well as the percentage of sales accounted for by each segment, in each case for each of the last three fiscal years:

 

     Year Ended  
     December 31, 2006     December 25, 2005     December 26, 2004  
     Sales    % of Sales     Sales    % of Sales     Sales    % of Sales  
(Dollars in millions)                                  

Papers

   $ 3,143    95.1 %   $ 3,072    94.0 %   $ 2,867    94.7 %

Wood

   $ 163    4.9 %   $ 195    6.0 %   $ 159    5.3 %
                                       
   $ 3,306    100 %   $ 3,267    100 %   $ 3,026    100 %
                                       

Business Segments

Papers

The net sales of the Predecessor Company’s Papers business were approximately $3,143 million in 2006, $3,072 million in 2005 and $2,867 million in 2004, representing approximately 95% of the Predecessor Company’s total sales in such years.

Paper

The Predecessor Company’s fine paper products include the following commodity papers:

Business Papers .    Business papers represented approximately 35% of the Predecessor Company’s sales of paper products in 2006. Business papers include copier and electronic imaging papers used with ink jet and laser printers, photocopiers and plain-paper fax machines.

 

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Printing, Publishing and Converting Papers .    Printing, publishing and converting papers represented approximately 40% of the Predecessor Company’s sales of paper products in 2006. Printing and publishing papers include products used in commercial printing applications such as annual reports, brochures and direct mail. Converting papers products are the base papers that are converted into finished products such as envelopes, tablets, business forms and data processing/computer forms.

Computer Papers, Preprinted Forms and Digital Papers .    Computer papers, preprinted forms and digital papers represented approximately 18% of the Predecessor Company’s sales of paper products in 2006. These papers are sold by the Predecessor Company’s enterprise group.

Coated Groundwood Papers .    Coated groundwood papers represented approximately 7% of the Predecessor Company’s sales of paper products in 2006. Coated groundwood papers are used primarily in magazines, catalogs and inserts.

Pulp

The net sales of the Predecessor Company’s pulp business represented approximately 14% of the Predecessor Company’s Papers segment sales in such years. The Predecessor Company manufactures the following types of pulp:

Papergrade Pulp .    Papergrade pulp represented approximately 62% of the Predecessor Company’s pulp sales in 2006. Papergrade pulp is used in the manufacturing of fine paper products.

Fluff Pulp .    Fluff pulp represented approximately 20% of the Predecessor Company’s pulp sales in 2006. Fluff pulp is used in baby diapers and adult incontinence products.

Specialty pulp .    Specialty pulp represented approximately 18% of the Predecessor Company’s pulp sales in 2006. The specialty pulp manufactured by the Predecessor Company is used in cement siding.

Wood

The net sales of the Predecessor Company’s Wood business were approximately $163 million in 2006, $195 million in 2005 and $159 million in 2004, representing approximately 5% of the Predecessor Company’s total sales in such years. The Predecessor Company manufactures and sells softwood lumber for use in residential construction. The Predecessor Company’s Wood business also includes the timber sourcing operations and other ancillary activities.

Facilities and Properties

Prior to the Acquisition Closing Date, the Predecessor Company owned eight uncoated freesheet mills and one coated groundwood mill in the United States and Canada, all of which were integrated with pulp mills. The Predecessor Company’s mills had a total annual uncoated freesheet capacity of approximately 2.7 million tons (or 3 million tons including the Predecessor Company’s Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill, which is currently not in operation) and a coated groundwood capacity of approximately 235,000 tons as of December 31, 2006.

Prior to the Acquisition Closing Date, the Predecessor Company owned all of its production facilities with the exception of certain portions that were subject to leases with government agencies in connection with industrial development bond financings or fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements, and leased substantially all of the Predecessor Company’s sales offices, regional replenishment centers and warehouse facilities. The Predecessor Company believes its properties are in good operating condition and are suitable and adequate for the operations for which they are used. The Predecessor Company owns substantially all of the equipment used in its facilities.

 

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The following table sets forth the locations of the Predecessor Company’s principal production facilities and operating equipment as well as annual capacities of uncoated freesheet and coated groundwood manufacturing locations in the Predecessor Company’s business and production for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. Each of the listed facilities was owned by the Predecessor Company, except that portions of some of these facilities are subject to leases with government agencies in connection with industrial development bond financings or fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements.

 

     Number of
Machines
   Production
Capacity (1)
   Production (2)
     (short tons in thousands)

Uncoated Freesheet Mills:

        

Hawesville, Kentucky

   2    625    638

Marlboro, South Carolina

   1    385    392

Kingsport, Tennessee

   1    405    410

Rothschild, Wisconsin

   1    145    148

Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania

   2    360    365

Dryden, Ontario (3)

   2    315    369

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan (4)

   1       7

Plymouth, North Carolina

   2    465    468

Total Uncoated Freesheet

   12    2,700    2,797

Coated Groundwood:

        

Columbus, Mississippi

   1    235    230

(1) Production capacity reflects expected production under normal operating conditions and product mix and expected maintenance downtime in 2006. Actual production may vary.

 

(2) Production reflects actual production in 2006.

 

(3) Production at the Predecessor Company’s mill in Dryden, Ontario reflects the output of a paper machine that was shut down in 2006.

 

(4) Operations ceased at the Predecessor Company’s mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in 2006. This mill had a production capacity of approximately 290,000 short tons in 2005.

The Predecessor Company’s paper mills are supported by forms and converting operations at its uncoated freesheet mills in Rothschild, Wisconsin; Plymouth, North Carolina and Dryden, Ontario as well as at 12 other facilities that collectively have the capacity to convert approximately 1.62 million tons of roll paper into cut sized sheets, approximately 0.32 million tons of roll paper into folio sized sheets and approximately 0.27 million tons of roll paper into forms paper annually.

The Company manufactures papergrade pulp at all of the uncoated freesheet mills listed above as well as at its facility in Kamloops, British Columbia, fluff pulp at the Predecessor Company’s facility in Plymouth, North Carolina and specialty pulp at its facility in Kamloops, British Columbia.

The Predecessor Company owns chip mills in the vicinity of its uncoated freesheet mills in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania; Hawesville, Kentucky; Kingsport, Tennessee and Marlboro, South Carolina but typically lease such mills to third parties who operate them. The Predecessor Company also owns sawmills at Ear Falls, Ontario and Big River, Saskatchewan and a 51% equity interest in Wapawekka Lumber Limited Partnership, which has one sawmill in Wapawekka, Saskatchewan.

The Predecessor Company owns forest licenses covering 0.850 million cubic meters of softwood and 0.570 million cubic meters of hardwood in the proximity of its Dryden, Ontario mill and is party to a forest management agreement covering 1.846 million cubic meters of softwood and 0.976 million cubic meters of hardwood in the proximity of the Predecessor Company’s Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill.

The Predecessor Company’s operational headquarters are located at Fort Mill, South Carolina.

 

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During the first quarter of 2006, the Predecessor Company shut down indefinitely its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the sawmill in Big River, Saskatchewan due to poor market conditions. The Wapawekka sawmill also was shut down. These facilities are currently not in operation. The Company has not determined at this time whether these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed.

Supply

Wood fiber is the principal raw material in the papers segment. The primary sources of wood fiber are timber and its by-products, such as wood chips, wood shavings and sawdust. Prior to the Acquisition Transactions, Weyerhaeuser supplied the Predecessor Company’s paper mills with fiber from the Weyerhaeuser chip and saw mills as well as from third parties. Concurrent with the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company entered into a number of fiber supply agreements with Weyerhaeuser including Canadian fiber supply agreements pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser agrees to supply wood chips to the Predecessor Company’s Kamloops, British Columbia mill (and the Predecessor Company’s Prince Albert, Saskatchewan mill if it re-opens) for a period of 20 years, a pine chip supply agreement pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser will agree to supply softwood chip residuals to the Predecessor Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill for a period of five years, a pine chip supply agreement pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser will agree to supply a sufficient amount of softwood chips to allow the Predecessor Company to produce between 210 and 230 air dry tons per day of thermo mechanical pulp at the Predecessor Company’s Columbus, Mississippi mill for a period which terminated on May 31, 2007 and a slush pulp sales agreement pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser’s Columbus, Mississippi pulp mill will agree to supply 74,293 tons of slush pulp to the Predecessor Company’s Columbus, Mississippi coated groundwood mill for a period of one year, subject to annual renewal. Fiber purchased under these agreements will be purchased at fair market levels. See “The Company’s Relationship with Weyerhaeuser After the Distribution – Supply Agreements.”

The Predecessor Company supplies its paper mills with fiber that it will obtain through a combination of different sources depending on the location of the paper mills. The Predecessor Company obtains fiber from timber harvested pursuant to its forest licenses and forest management agreements and processed in its own chip and saw mills, pursuant to fiber supply contracts with Weyerhaeuser as well as pursuant to fiber supply agreements with other third parties and open market purchases.

All of the Predecessor Company’s uncoated freesheet mills have onsite pulp production facilities. The Predecessor Company’s coated groundwood mill and some of the Predecessor Company’s uncoated freesheet mills also purchase pulp from third parties. Other important raw materials used in this segment include precipitated calcium carbonate, sodium chlorate, sodium hydroxide and dyes.

The Predecessor Company’s business consumes substantial amounts of energy such as electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel (wood waste). During both 2005 and 2006, energy costs comprised approximately 8% of the aggregate amount of materials, labor and other operating costs and fiber costs. The Predecessor Company purchases substantial portions of the energy it consumes under supply contracts, most of which are between a specific plant and a specific provider. Under most of these contracts, providers are committed to provide quantities within specified ranges that provide the Predecessor Company with its needs for a particular type of energy at a specific facility. Most of the contracts have pricing mechanisms that set prices based on current market rates. Natural gas, fuel oil, coal and hog fuel are consumed primarily in the production of steam to be used in the manufacturing process or to a lesser extent to provide direct heat to be used in the chemical recovery process. Electricity is used primarily to drive motors and other equipment as well as provide lighting. Two of the Predecessor Company’s facilities have substantial co-generation capabilities and utilize steam generated from these fuels to generate and sell more electricity into the regional grids than they consume internally. The revenue from electricity sales was able to offset approximately 7% of the Predecessor Company’s total energy requirements in each of 2005 and 2006.

 

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Customers

The Predecessor Company’s largest customer was Office Depot, an independent retailer of office products, including commercial printing and business imaging papers, which represented approximately 17% of its sales revenues in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. Both Weyerhaeuser and Domtar Inc. historically supplied products to Office Depot on a per-order basis, subject to a published price list. The Company also will have other significant customers as well as a large number of other fine paper customers, which will vary in size but none of which will individually represent a material portion of the Company’s sales. The Predecessor Company’s customers include paper merchants, commercial and financial printers, paper converters, such as envelope and form manufacturers, retailers and customers who use the Predecessor Company’s paper for specialty applications, such as label and release products. The majority of these customers purchase products through individual purchase orders.

Competition

The markets in which the Predecessor Company’s business competes are generally worldwide and highly competitive. Grades of fine paper are globally traded, with numerous worldwide manufacturers. All of the Predecessor Company’s paper manufacturing facilities are located in the United States or Canada. Although the Predecessor Company sells primarily in North America, it faces competition from foreign producers, some of which have lower operating costs than the Company. In general, paper production does not rely on proprietary processes or formulas, except in highly specialized or custom grades.

Approximately five major manufacturers produce and sell uncoated freesheet in North America, and dozens more sell uncoated freesheet worldwide. Although price is the primary basis for competition in most of the Predecessor Company’s paper grades, quality and service are important competitive determinants, especially in value-added grades. The Predecessor Company’s paper products also compete with other paper grades, including coated groundwood, and electronic transmission and document storage alternatives. As the use of these alternative products continues to grow, the Predecessor Company may see a decrease in the overall demand for paper products or shifts from one type of paper to another.

Employees

The Predecessor Company had approximately 5,500 employees. Approximately 3,524, or 64%, of the Predecessor Company’s employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Intellectual Property

Most of the brand name paper products of the Predecessor Company are protected by registered trademarks. Key trademarks used in the Predecessor Company include Bobcat ® , Cougar ® , Husky ® , Jaguar ® , Lynx ® , Clarion ® , Sonora ® , Choctaw ® and First Choice ® . These brand names and trademarks are important to the business and, historically, Weyerhaeuser has vigorously pursued apparent infringements. The numerous trademarks of the Predecessor Company have been registered in the United States and/or throughout the world where the products of the Predecessor Company are sold. The current registrations of these trademarks are effective for various periods of time. These trademarks may be renewed periodically, provided that the Predecessor Company, as the registered owner, and/or their licensees comply with all applicable renewal requirements, including the continued use of the trademarks in connection with similar goods.

The Company owns a number of issued U.S. and foreign patents, some of which have expired or been abandoned and several pending U.S. patent applications. The Predecessor Company’s management regards these patents and patent applications as important but does not consider any one or group of them to be materially important to the Predecessor Company as a whole.

 

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Under the terms of the Contribution and Distribution Agreement and the intellectual property license agreement, the Company received, a fully paid-up, royalty free, non-exclusive license to use certain intellectual property and technology that is used in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business but retained by Weyerhaeuser. This license does not, however, include the right to use the Weyerhaeuser name. See “The Company’s relationship with Weyerhaeuser after the Distribution – Intellectual Property License Agreement.”

Seasonality

Demand for uncoated freesheet, the Predecessor Company’s principal product, is typically not seasonal. The most significant seasonal impact on the Predecessor Company’s uncoated freesheet operations is caused by its annual scheduled maintenance outages. During an outage period, a pulp mill and/or paper machine is taken out of operation so that maintenance can be performed. During these time periods, it is normal to incur significant maintenance expenditures as well as above normal expenditures for operating supplies. In addition, some facilities may elect to operate their paper machines on higher cost purchased fiber and incur other incremental costs to minimize the period of time that the paper machine is out of operation.

Working Capital

The Predecessor Company typically maintains 30 to 35 days of raw material inventories and 15 to 20 days of chemical inventories to support its pulp and paper operations.

The Predecessor Company maintains approximately 30 days of finished goods inventory. However, this inventory may build up in anticipation of seasonal maintenance outages. In addition, the Predecessor Company maintains paper rolls for 15 days before they are converted to freesheet to fill customer orders.

Environmental Matters

The Predecessor Company’s business is subject to a wide range of general and industry-specific laws and regulations in the United States and Canada relating to the protection of the environment, including those governing air emissions, wastewater discharges, the storage, management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, the cleanup of contaminated sites, landfill operation and closure obligations and health and safety matters. Compliance with these laws and regulations is a significant factor in the operation of the Predecessor Company’s business. The Company may encounter situations in which its operations fail to maintain full compliance with applicable environmental requirements, possibly leading to civil or criminal fines or penalties or in enforcement actions, including those that result in governmental or judicial orders that stop or interrupt the Company’s operations or require the Company to take corrective measures at substantial costs, such as the installation of additional pollution control equipment or other remedial actions.

Compliance with U.S. federal, state and local and Canadian federal and provincial environmental laws and regulations usually involves capital expenditures as well as additional operating costs. For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has promulgated regulations dealing with air emissions from pulp and paper mills, including regulations on hazardous air pollutants that require use of maximum achievable control technology and controls for pollutants that contribute to smog and haze. The Company cannot quantify future amounts of capital expenditures required to comply with these laws, regulations and demands, or the effects on operating costs, because, in some instances, compliance standards have not been developed or have not become final or definitive. In addition, compliance frequently serves other purposes, such as extension of facility life, increase in capacity, changes in raw material requirements or increase in economic value of assets or products. While it is difficult to isolate the environmental component of most manufacturing capital projects, the Predecessor Company estimated that capital expenditures for environmental compliance were approximately $4 million in 2005 and approximately $2 million in 2006.

The Predecessor Company’s air permit for its Kamloops, British Columbia pulp manufacturing facility requires that the facility reduce air emissions of particulate matter by December 31, 2007. Compliance with the

 

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permit requirements is likely to require significant capital expenditures. The Company continues to evaluate its options and is currently in discussions with the Province of British Columbia to extend the deadline for compliance. If the deadline is not extended, the facility may not be able to operate after 2007 without significantly curtailing output or incurring significant capital expenditures.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has repealed the regulations promulgated in 2000 that would have required states to develop total maximum daily load (“TMDL”) allocations for pollutants in water bodies determined to be water-quality-impaired. However, certain states continue to promulgate TMDL requirements. The state TMDL requirements may set limits on pollutants that may be discharged to a body of water to reduce the amounts of pollutants. It is not possible to estimate the capital expenditures that may be required for the Company to meet pollution allocations across the various proposed state TMDL programs until a specific TMDL is promulgated.

The Predecessor Company is involved in the environmental investigation or remediation of numerous sites. Some of the sites are on property owned by the Predecessor Company where the Predecessor Company has the sole obligation to remediate the site or shares that remediation obligation with a small number of other parties. Other sites are third-party sites involving several parties who may have a joint and several remediation obligation. Remediation efforts are currently ongoing, for example, at the Predecessor Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina facility in respect of dioxins/furans and mercury, and at the Predecessor Company’s Rothschild, Wisconsin facility in respect of pulp manufacturing byproducts. The Company’s liability for environmental investigation and remediation ranges from insignificant at some sites to substantial at others, depending on the quantity, toxicity and nature of materials deposited by the Predecessor Company at the site and, at some sites, the number and economic viability of the other potentially responsible parties. The Predecessor Company spent less than $3 million in 2005 and approximately $5 million in 2006, on environmental remediation of these sites.

During the first quarter of 2006, the Predecessor Company closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the Big River Sawmill in Saskatchewan due to poor market conditions. These facilities are currently not in operation. The Company has not determined whether either of these facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event the facilities are permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at one or both facilities, which would likely include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts.

The Predecessor Company’s forest operations in Canada are carried out on public forestlands under forest licenses and forest management agreements. All forest operations are subject to forest practices and environmental regulations, and operations under licenses also are subject to contractual requirements between the Predecessor Company and the relevant province designed to protect environmental and other social values. In Canada, the federal Species at Risk Act (“SARA”) was enacted in 2002. SARA contains protective measures for species identified as being at risk and for critical habitat. To date, SARA has not had a significant effect on the Predecessor Company’s operations; however, it is anticipated that SARA will, over time, result in some additional restrictions on timber harvests and other forest management practices and increase some operating costs for operators of forestlands in Canada. For these reasons, SARA is expected to affect timber supply and prices in the future.

Legal Proceedings

Pursuant to the Contribution and Distribution Agreement and other agreements entered into in connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company assumes responsibility for claims and litigation matters arising out of or primarily relating to the Predecessor Company whether or not asserted prior to the Acquisition Transactions. Currently, a small number of claims and litigation matters have arisen in the ordinary course of business. Although the final outcome of any legal proceeding is subject to a great many variables and cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty, management currently believes that the ultimate outcome of these legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s long-term results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

 

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BUSINESS OF DOMTAR INC.

Recent Developments

Sale of Wood Business

In June 2007, Domtar Inc. entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business, including the transfer of an estimated CDN$50 million (approximately $47 million) of working capital, to the newly created Conifex for approximately CDN$285 million (approximately $268 million). The operations being sold consist of 10 sawmills in Québec and Ontario having a production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet, and the associated 4.8 million cubic meters of annual harvesting rights, which represent the majority of Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights. Domtar Inc.’s remanufacturing facility in Sullivan, Québec and its interests in several joint ventures are also included in the transaction. Domtar Inc. has agreed in principle to extend its support to the transaction by investing in Conifex an amount equal to the lesser of CDN$35 million (approximately $33 million) or a 19.9% participation in Conifex, if requested by Conifex, and subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive shareholder agreement satisfactory to Domtar Inc. In addition, Domtar Inc. will provide Conifex with transition services, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of six to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction to facilitate the transition of the business. The transaction is subject to government approvals for the forest license rights transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

On October 11, 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that Domtar Inc. received a notice from Conifex purporting to terminate the June 2007 agreement. The alleged termination follows a written notice received by Domtar Inc. on October 1, 2007 from the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife for the province of Quebec purporting to revoke, effective as of September 14, 2007, Domtar Inc.’s forest license rights relating to the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills included in the transaction, which are closed.

Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. believe that the Minister’s action is unlawful and Domtar Inc. will vigorously defend its rights. On October 3, 2007, Domtar Inc. delivered a letter to the Minister demanding that the decision be revoked and the licenses be reinstated. On October 12, 2007, Domtar Inc. filed formal proceedings before the Quebec Superior Court to enforce its rights. Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. also believe that the purported unilateral termination of the agreement by Conifex is invalid under the terms of the agreement. While the consent of the Minister to the transfer of Grand-Remous, Malartic and other forest license rights is a condition to the closing of the transaction, Conifex would only have the right to terminate the agreement on or after December 31, 2007 in the event that Domtar Inc. was not successful in challenging the Minister’s revocation of these license rights and obtaining such consent by that date. Domtar Inc. intends to vigorously enforce all of its rights under the agreement and continues to work diligently towards the closing of this transaction.

Domtar Corp. intends to use the net cash proceeds from the transaction to reduce its outstanding debt. At July 1, 2007, Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. accounted for the assets and liabilities of the Wood business owned by Domtar Inc. as held and used in accordance with Section 3475 of the CICA Handbook, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-lived Assets and Discontinued Operations , due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly related to obtaining government approval and financing. Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. do not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

Restructuring

Domtar Corp. regularly reviews its overall production capacity with a view to adjusting its production capacity to anticipated long-term demand. In July 2007, Domtar Corp. announced the permanent closure of its paper mill in Gatineau, Québec and its converting center in Ottawa, Ontario as well as the permanent closure of two paper machines, one located at its Woodland mill in Baileyville, Maine and the other at its Port Edwards, Wisconsin mill. In total, these closures will eliminate approximately 284,000 tons of Domtar Inc.’s annual paper production capacity

 

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and will reduce its total workforce by approximately 430 employees. Domtar Corp. continues to evaluate potential adjustments to its production capacity, which may include additional closures of machines or entire mills, and Domtar Corp. could recognize cash or non-cash charges relating to any such closures in future periods.

Business

Domtar Inc.’s reporting segments correspond to the following business activities: Papers, Paper Merchants and Wood. For the year ended December 31, 2006, consolidated sales were $4 billion.

SEGMENTED SALES

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2006 AND 2005

 

LOGO    LOGO

SALES BY GEOGRAPHICAL AREA

FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2006 AND 2005

 

LOGO    LOGO

Papers

Prior to the Acquisition Transactions, Domtar Inc. was the third largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America. Domtar Inc. operates five pulp and paper facilities in Canada (reflecting the permanent closures of the Cornwall pulp and paper mill and Ottawa paper mill in the first quarter of 2006 and the permanent closure of Vancouver paper mill in the second quarter of 2006) and five in the United States, with an aggregate annual paper production capacity of approximately 2.3 million tons, complemented by strategically located warehouses and sales offices. Domtar Inc.’s Papers business is its most important segment representing 64% of consolidated sales in 2006, or 70% when including sales of Domtar Inc. paper through its own Paper Merchants business, compared to 62% of consolidated sales in 2005, or 68% when including sales of Domtar Inc. paper through Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business. The following table sets forth Domtar Inc.’s trade shipments of paper and market pulp for the years indicated:

 

     Years ended December 31,
     2006    2005    2004    2003    2002

Paper (thousands of tons)

   2,273    2,432    2,484    2,396    2,465

Market pulp (thousands of MT)

   631    574    733    698    716

 

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Approximately 65% of Domtar Inc.’s paper production capacity is located in the United States, and approximately 81% of its paper sales are made to customers in the United States. Uncoated and coated freesheet papers are used for business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty applications. The chart below illustrates the principal paper products Domtar Inc. produces and its annual paper production capacity.

 

Category

  

Business Papers

  

Commercial Printing and Publication Papers

  

Technical and
Specialty Papers

Type

  

Uncoated Freesheet

  

Coated Freesheet

  

Uncoated and
Coated Freesheet

Grade

  

·    Copy

  

·    Premium imaging / technology papers

  

·    Offset

·    Business converting

  

·    Lightweight

·    Opaques

·    Text, cover and writing

  

·    Lightweight

  

·    Flexible packaging

·    Abrasive papers

·    Decorative papers

·    Imaging papers

·    Label papers

·    Medical disposables

 

Category

  

Business Papers

  

Commercial Printing and Publication Papers

  

Technical and
Specialty Papers

Type

  

Uncoated Freesheet

  

Coated
Freesheet

  

Uncoated and
Coated Freesheet

Application

  

·    Photocopies

·    Office documents

·    Presentations

  

·    Pamphlets

·    Brochures

·    Direct mail

·    Commercial printing

·    Forms & envelopes

  

·    Stationery

·    Brochures

·    Annual reports

·    Books

·    Catalogs

  

·    Brochures

·    Annual reports

·    Books

·    Magazines

·    Catalogs

  

·    Food & candy wrappings

·    Surgical gowns

·    Repositionable note pads

·    Security check papers

Capacity ( * )

   As at February 21, 2007: approximately 2.3 million tons
  

0.8 million tons

35%

  

0.1 million tons

4%

  

0.7 million tons

31%

  

0.2 million tons

9%

  

0.1 million tons

4%

  

0.4 million tons

17%


* The allocation of production capacity may vary from period to period in order to take advantage of market conditions. Domtar Inc. permanently closed the Cornwall pulp and paper mill and Ottawa paper mill in the first quarter of 2006, and the Vancouver paper mill in the second quarter of 2006. These permanent closures, impacting 450,000 tons of paper, have been assumed to be effective as at January 1, 2006 and have been reflected in the above capacity.

 

** On July 31, 2007, we announced the permanent closure of two paper machines, one at our Port Edwards paper mill, another at our Woodland paper mill as well as our Gatineau paper mill, having a combined production capacity of 284,000 tons. The above table does not reflect these closures.

Domtar Inc.’s business papers consist mainly of uncoated freesheet papers, such as copy and premium imaging papers used in photocopy machines, laser and inkjet printers. These products are principally for home and office use and represent about 39% of Domtar Inc.’s paper production.

Domtar Inc.’s commercial printing grade papers include uncoated freesheet papers, such as offset papers, opaques and a variety of coated printing papers. These grades are used in sheet and roll fed offset presses across the spectrum of commercial printing end-uses, including digital printing. Domtar Inc.’s publication papers include tradebook and lightweight uncoated and coated papers used principally in book publishing applications such as textbooks, dictionaries, catalogs, magazines, hard cover novels and financial printing. Design papers, a sub-group of commercial printing and publication papers, have distinct features of color, brightness and texture and are targeted towards graphic artists in design and advertising agencies, for use primarily in special brochures and annual reports. Commercial printing and publication papers represent 44% of its paper production.

 

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Domtar Inc. also produces paper for several technical and specialty markets. These technical and specialty papers consist primarily of base stock used by the flexible packaging industry in the production of food and medical packaging and other specialty papers for various other industrial applications, including base stock for sandpaper, base stock for medical gowns, drapes and packaging, as well as transfer paper for printing processes. Domtar Inc. also participates in several converting grades for specialty and security applications. These technical and specialty papers represent about 17% of its paper production.

Product Development

Domtar Inc. pursues product development opportunities in order to provide customers with new or enhanced products. Domtar Inc. annually targets specific improvements for profitability and volume of new product sales. New product ideas are proactively sought and rewarded throughout the organization. Ideas are screened and products developed using the Stage-Gate process, which ensures a disciplined approach that prioritizes and plans activities to maximize benefits and minimize development costs and time to market. Technical and specialty papers are often created in partnership with product manufacturers and sold to them directly. Domtar Inc.’s various manufacturing capabilities provide it with flexibility to develop specialized products at a competitive cost advantage over the life cycle of the products.

As an example of ongoing efforts to innovate and develop new markets, Domtar Inc. developed the first antimicrobial office paper available in North America. Designed to protect paper against the growth of bacteria, odors, fungus, mold and mildew, this product is specially treated with a patented antimicrobial compound licensed from SilverCo Inc. that kills most bacteria that come into contact with it. Although conceived for general office use, the paper’s unique characteristics make it ideal for the healthcare, laboratory, hospitality, education and governmental sectors. This innovative product is a welcome addition to the continuously growing line of the Domtar EarthChoice ® family of FSC-certified, environmentally responsible papers.

During 2006, Domtar Inc. shipped approximately 1,320,000 tons of products that were improved/developed after 2003 (including the products that were transitioned to higher brightness), accounting for about 57% of Domtar Inc.’s total paper shipments. Domtar Inc. also supports fundamental research at several universities and through research institutions such as the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada.

Customers and Distribution

The following chart illustrates Domtar Inc.’s channels of distribution for its paper products:

 

Category

  

Business Papers

   Commercial Printing and
Publication Papers
   Technical and
Specialty
Papers

Domtar Inc. sells to:

  

Merchants

¯

   Office Equipment
Manufacturers /
Stationers

¯

  

Retailers

¯

   Merchants

¯

   Converters

¯

   Converters

¯

Customer sells to:

  

Printers /

 

Retailers /

 

End-users

   Retailers /

 

Stationers /

 

End-users

  

Printers /

 

End-users

   Printers /

 

Converters/

 

End-users

   Merchants/

 

Retailers

   End-users

Generally, Domtar Inc. sells business papers through paper merchants, office equipment manufacturers, stationers and retail outlets. Domtar Inc. distributes uncoated and coated commercial printing and publication papers to end-users and commercial printers, mainly through paper merchants, as well as selling directly to

 

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converters. Domtar Inc. sells its technical and specialty products mainly to converters, who apply a further production process such as coating, laminating or waxing to Domtar Inc.’s papers before selling them to a variety of specialized end-users.

Domtar Inc.’s customer service personnel work closely with sales, marketing and production staff to provide service and support to merchants, converters, end-users, stationers, printers and retailers. Domtar Inc. promotes its products directly to end-users and others who influence paper purchasing decisions in order to enhance brand recognition and increase product demand. In addition, Domtar Inc.’s sales representatives work closely with mill-based new product development personnel and undertake joint marketing initiatives with customers in order to better understand its customers’ businesses and needs and to support their future requirements.

Domtar Inc. distributed about 69% of its paper products in 2006 through a large network of paper sales merchants operating throughout North America, one of which it owns (see “Paper Merchants”). Paper merchants, who sell Domtar Inc.’s products to their own customers, represent Domtar Inc.’s largest group of customers.

In 2006, approximately 81% of Domtar Inc.’s paper sales were made to customers in the United States.

Although a five year supply agreement between Domtar Inc. and Unisource ended on June 30, 2006, Domtar Inc. continues to sell products to Unisource. The companies have mutually developed a number of initiatives that Domtar Inc. believes will continue to enhance its business relationship and maintain its volume for the foreseeable future.

Market Pulp to customers in North America is sold through a centrally located sales force while sales to overseas customers are made directly or through commission agents. Domtar Inc. maintains pulp supplies at strategically located warehouses, which allows it to respond to orders on short notice. In 2006, approximately 8% of Domtar Inc.’s sales of market pulp were made in Canada, 23% were made in the United States, 9% in Mexico and 60% overseas. Domtar Inc. also purchases pulp to optimize paper production and reduce freight costs. In 2006, Domtar Inc.’s net market pulp position (the amount of pulp produced in excess of its internal requirements) was approximately 563,000 tons.

In order to better respond to customer needs and improve the flexibility of its production network, Domtar Inc. implemented an integrated resource management system. Progressively introduced since July 2003, this system establishes a common platform and database for customer service, integrates production-planning processes in the mills and implements common financial processes and standards. As at December 31, 2006, the roll-out of the integrated system was completed across Domtar Inc.’s operations and Domtar Inc. achieved its goal of having approximately 85% of its transactions being processed by this system.

Furthermore, in 2005, Domtar Inc. introduced Domtar EarthChoice ® , a line of socially and environmentally responsible papers, endorsed by Rainforest Alliance and welcomed by Forest Ethics and the World Wildlife Fund. The Domtar EarthChoice ® line of uncoated and coated Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified papers provides customers with a product offering that is aligned with their growing preference for sustainable development.

Facilities

The following table lists the paper production facilities owned and operated by Domtar. The table also indicates the number of paper machines, the principal products manufactured and the approximate annual production capacity for each facility. Approximately 65% of Domtar Inc.’s paper production capacity is located in the United States. All of Domtar’s pulp and paper mills are certified ISO 14001 except for its Windsor mill,

 

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which is certified under the Responsible Care program. In addition, all of Domtar Inc.’s mills are FSC chain of custody certified.

 

Paper Production
Facility

   Location    Paper
Machines
  

Principal Paper Type

  

Annual
Capacity

(millions of tons)

Ashdown

   Arkansas    4    Copy, offset and technical and specialty    0.9

Windsor

   Québec    2    Copy and offset    0.6

Nekoosa

   Wisconsin    3    Uncoated printing and technical and specialty    0.2

Port Edwards (1)

   Wisconsin    4    Uncoated printing and technical and specialty    0.2

Hull

   Québec    1    Coated lightweight    0.1

Woodland (1)

   Maine    1    Copy, offset and technical and specialty    0.1

Port Huron

   Michigan    4    Technical and specialty    0.1

Espanola

   Ontario    2    Technical and specialty    0.1
               

Total

      21       2.3

(1) On July 31, 2007, we announced the permanent closure of two paper machines, one at our Port Edwards paper mill, another at our Woodland paper mill as well as our Gatineau paper mill, having a combined production capacity of 284,000 tons. The above table does not reflect these closures.

 

(2) We now refer to the Hull mill as the Gatineau mill.

Domtar Inc.’s net market pulp position principally results from production at its mills in Ashdown, Espanola and Woodland.

For a discussion on sources of raw material for paper production, see “Fiber Supply” section.

Power Facilities

Domtar Inc. owns power generating facilities at eight locations: Ashdown, Espanola, Nekoosa, Ottawa-Hull (now referred to as Gatineau), Port Edwards, Port Huron, Windsor and Woodland. Approximately 65% of Domtar Inc.’s electric power requirements are met by its own facilities. Domtar purchases the balance of its power requirements from local utilities. In addition, Domtar Inc. provides about 70% of the energy required to produce steam internally through its recovery boilers and cogeneration facilities with the remaining energy purchased in the form of bark, natural gas, oil and coal.

Paper Merchants

Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business comprises the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by Domtar Inc. and by other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products. These products are sold to a wide and diverse customer base, which includes small, medium and large commercial printers, publishers, business forms manufacturers, quick copy firms and institutional entities.

Domtar Inc.-owned paper merchants operate in the United States and Canada under a single banner and umbrella name, the Domtar Distribution Group. Ris Paper operates throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest areas from 19 locations in the United States, including 16 distribution centers. The Canadian business operates as Buntin Reid in three locations in Ontario; JBR/La Maison du Papier in two locations in Québec; and The Paper House from two locations in Atlantic Canada. Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants business represented 26% of consolidated sales in 2006, or 20% when excluding sales of Domtar Inc. paper, compared to 25% of consolidated sales in 2005, or 19% when excluding sales of Domtar Inc. paper. In 2006, approximately 30% of Paper Merchants’ sales were made to customers in Canada and 70% were made to customers in the United States.

Sales are executed through Domtar Inc.’s sales force based at branches strategically located in served markets. Domtar Inc. distributes about 54% of its paper sales from its own warehouse distribution system and

 

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about 46% of its paper sales through mill-direct deliveries (i.e., deliveries directly from manufacturers, including Domtar Inc., to its customers).

In April 2003, the Canadian Competition Bureau (the “Bureau”) began an investigation of Canada’s major Distributors of carbonless paper and other fine paper products, including Domtar Inc.’s Paper Merchants in Canada. In March 2004, the Bureau expanded its investigation to include dealings between the Corporation and Xerox Canada Limited. In December 2005, Domtar Inc. recorded a $13 million charge relating to a legal settlement with regards to the sales of carbonless sheet paper in Ontario and Québec during a one-year period in part of 1999 and 2000. With this settlement, the Canadian antitrust authorities have concluded their investigations into Domtar Inc.’s business activities.

Wood

In June 2007, Domtar Corp. announced that Domtar Inc. had reached an agreement to sell substantially all of its Wood business. For a discussion of recent developments relating to the sale, see “ – Recent Developments” above.

Domtar Inc.’s Wood business comprises the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of lumber and wood-based value-added products and the management of forest resources. It operates eight sawmills (four in Québec, following the closure of the Grand-Remous and Malartic sawmills in the second quarter of 2006, and four in Ontario) and one remanufacturing facility (in Québec), for an annual capacity of approximately 1.1 billion board feet of lumber. Domtar Inc. also has an interest in three joint ventures and an investment in one business, which all produce wood products. Domtar Inc. seeks to optimize 17 million acres of forestland directly licensed or owned by the corporation in Canada and the United States through efficient management and the application of certified sustainable forest management practices such that a continuous supply of wood is available for future needs. Domtar Inc.’s Wood business represented 10% of consolidated sales in 2006 compared to 13% of consolidated sales in 2005.

Domtar Inc. produces mainly softwood dimensional lumber used primarily in the construction industry. Products include studs and random length lumber in dimensions of 2 inches x 3 inches through 2 inches x 10 inches in lengths of 8 feet to 16 feet. Domtar Inc. operates four sawmills and one remanufacturing facility in Québec (Matagami, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Val-d’Or, Ste-Marie and Sullivan), and four sawmills in Ontario (White River, Timmins, Elk Lake (jointly-owned) and Nairn Center). As of December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had four sawmills and one remanufacturing facility in operation, for an annual capacity of approximately 460 million board feet of lumber. In 2006, approximately 95% of the lumber shipped by Domtar Inc. was kiln dried.

The following table sets forth Domtar’s trade shipments of lumber for the years indicated:

 

     2006    2005    2004    2003    2002

Lumber (millions of board feet)

   916    1,107    1,009    999    1,037
                        

In November 2005, Domtar Inc.’s decision to temporarily shut down its Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill due to unfavorable economic conditions caused it to indefinitely idle its adjacent sawmill. The Lebel-sur-Quévillon sawmill restarted temporarily in the second quarter of 2006 in order to process its roundwood inventory and shut down indefinitely again on October 11, 2006. Additionally, on October 11, 2006, Domtar Inc. announced the indefinite closures of three other sawmills (two in Abitibi, Québec, and one in Ontario). The closures, which occurred in October 2006, are primarily due to the pressure of higher timber costs and lower demand for both lumber and chips. These closures impacted approximately 360 permanent positions and reduced production capacity.

Domtar Inc. sells substantially all of its softwood lumber through its own sales office in Montreal to a wide range of retailers, distributors, manufacturers and wholesalers in Canada and the United States who sell to end-users. These wood products are consumed in the home construction, renovation and industrial markets. Domtar Inc.’s marketing efforts for lumber products are focused on providing its customers with efficient value-added supply chain integration, ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction and achieving a balanced and

 

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diversified customer base for Domtar Inc.’s products. In 2006, approximately 37% of sales of wood products were in Canada and 63% were in the United States.

In addition to producing dimensional lumber and studs, Domtar Inc. manufactures lumber that is graded according to recognized standards, such as Premium, Select, J-Grade and Machine Stress Rated lumber. Domtar Inc. also has a 50% interest in a facility in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and a 50% interest in a fully integrated sawmill, kiln and planer operation in northern Ontario with an annual capacity of approximately 60 million board feet of lumber. In early 2005, Domtar announced, in conjunction with Tembec Inc., the restructuring of its northeastern Ontario sawmill operations, resulting in the permanent closure of its Chapleau sawmill as of March 6, 2005. This initiative arose from a review of Domtar Inc.’s northeastern Ontario sawmill operations in light of prevailing challenging conditions. This initiative allowed Domtar to add a third shift at the jointly-owned Elk Lake sawmill in April 2005 to process additional fiber from the Chapleau closure and resulting fiber swap with Tembec Inc.

Fiber Supply

Domtar Inc. uses hardwood and softwood fiber for the production of paper and softwood for the production of lumber. Domtar Inc.’s forestry strategy is to optimize wood flows within its fiber supply area and to maximize value and minimize cost while securing an adequate wood supply for its operations. Domtar Inc. focuses both on the delivery of fresh, high-quality recently harvested wood (which is more resistant to staining and insect attack and has a higher moisture content, making it easier for sawmills to maximize the lumber manufactured from each log) and on the sorting of species (which helps maximize fiber use and ensures better quality downstream products).

Domtar Inc. seeks to optimize 17 million acres of forestlands for which the corporation is wholly responsible through efficient management and the application of certified sustainable forest management practices such that a continuous supply of wood is available for future needs. Site preparation, planting and harvesting techniques are continually improved through a variety of methods, including tree improvement and silvicultural research. All Domtar Inc.’s forestlands in Canada have received ISO 14001 certification. Such certification requires introducing rigorous documentation, standardized forest management practices and provisions for continuous improvement. Domtar Inc. also began in 2001, to receive FSC certification of its forest management practices, starting with Domtar Inc. private lands in central Ontario. The FSC is an independent non-profit organization that sets internationally accepted standards for environmental sustainability. As a result of this initial forest certification, Domtar Inc. began the manufacture and sale, during 2003, of paper grades certified by the FSC. Forest products may carry the FSC logo only when a required minimum of fiber content is traceable to an FSC-certified forest of origin and is documented by a full chain-of-custody review. In November 2003, Domtar Inc. undertook to attain FSC certification of all of its 17 million acres of directly licensed and owned forestlands subject to the successful completion of two boreal forest pilot projects. As of December 31, 2006, FSC certificates have been issued covering 7 million acres (or 40%) of Domtar Inc. direct licensed and owned forestland in addition to the certification of over 7 million acres on two other Domtar Inc. co-managed forests in northern Ontario. Certification is expected on the remaining landbase by the end of 2007.

In Québec and Ontario, Domtar Inc.’s harvesting rights on public lands provide an annual allowable harvest of approximately 6.9 million cubic meters of wood (both softwood and hardwood). Access to harvesting of fiber on public lands in Québec and Ontario is subject to review by the respective governmental authorities. Domtar Inc.’s freehold land of approximately 900,000 acres in Québec, Ontario and Maine provide an annual allowable harvest of approximately 0.5 million cubic meters of wood.

Québec

In Québec, Domtar Inc.’s annual allowable softwood harvest of approximately 1.8 million cubic meters, derived on a sustained yield basis from public land granted by the Ministry of Natural Resources (Québec) and from Domtar Inc.’s own freehold lands can supply most of the logs needed for two-shift operations of Domtar Inc.’s northern Québec sawmills. The chips produced by these sawmills provide approximately 72% of the fiber

 

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requirements of the pulp mill at Lebel-sur-Quévillon. The remaining required fiber is purchased under various contractual arrangements and on the open market. The Province of Québec adopted new legislation, which became effective April 1, 2005, that reduced allowable wood-harvesting volumes by an average of 20% on public lands and 25% on territories covered by an agreement between the Government of Québec and the Cree First Nations. As a result, the amount of fiber Domtar Inc. is permitted to harvest annually, under Domtar Inc.’s existing licenses from the Québec government, was reduced by approximately 500,000 cubic meters to approximately 2.0 million cubic meters, reflecting a 21% reduction. Recently, the Chief Forester of Québec has proposed a further reduction of 60,000 cubic meters, or 3%, in the total softwood annual allowable cut of forests managed by Domtar Inc. This would significantly affect the supply of fiber for Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills and market pulp operations. Resulting from the closure in November 2005 of Domtar’s pulp mill at Lebel-sur-Quévillon for unfavorable economic conditions and no alternative markets for chips produced by its sawmills, as well as the reduced allowable wood harvesting volume, Domtar Inc.’s Northern Québec softwood sawmills, including Val d’Or, Matagami and Lebel-sur-Quévillon, were closed for an indefinite period of time. These sawmill closures represent a combined annual capacity of approximately 400 million board feet of lumber. In June 2007, we restarted our Val d’Or sawmill, which has an annual capacity of approximately 120 million board feet.

Ontario

In Ontario, Domtar Inc.’s annual allowable harvest amounts to approximately 3.7 million cubic meters pursuant to Sustainable Forest Licenses, or SFLs, that has been granted by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. These SFLs are granted either directly to Domtar Inc., to SFL management companies in which Domtar Inc. is a shareholder or to SFL holders with whom Domtar Inc. has no direct association. Domtar Inc. obtains approximately 80% of the wood fiber required for its northern Ontario sawmill operations and Domtar Inc.’s Espanola pulp mill either directly or indirectly from these harvesting rights and from its own freehold lands. The remaining required fiber is purchased under various contractual arrangements and on the open market. Most of the by-product volume (sawdust and shaving) is sold to manufacturers of engineered wood and paperboard.

Other

Domtar Inc. is currently working on finding solutions such as obtaining alternate sources of fiber. The reduction in harvest volume increases the unit cost of wood delivered to the sawmills. If Domtar Inc. is unable to maintain an adequate supply of fiber and mitigate the significant cost increase and wood delivery cost, its Northern Québec softwood sawmill and market pulp operations may not reopen and may result in permanent closures or impairment of assets.

Canadian mills

Domtar Inc.’s fine paper mill at Windsor, which consumes hardwood fiber, is located in an area where the fiber supply is adequate to sustain all current fiber requirements. The Windsor mill consumes hardwood fiber originating from a variety of sources, including purchases on the open market in Canada and the United States, contracts with Québec wood producers’ marketing boards and Domtar Inc.’s private lands.

U.S. mills

The fiber used by Domtar Inc.’s pulp and paper mills in the United States is primarily hardwood, which is readily available in the market from multiple third-party sources, and secondarily softwood, which is also readily available. The Ashdown, Wisconsin and Woodland mills are sourced by a combination of long-term supply contracts, wood lot management arrangements, advance stumpage purchases, and spot market purchases.

Competition

Markets for most of Domtar Inc.’s products are also highly competitive, with a number of major companies competing in each market. Domtar Inc. competes with both Canadian and U.S. producers in all of its product lines and with global producers in certain of Domtar Inc.’s product lines, some of which may have greater

 

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financial resources and lower production costs than Domtar Inc. While the principal basis for competition is selling price, competition can be based upon quality and customer service, including, in some cases, providing technical advice to customers. Other factors, such as foreign exchange rates, cost of fiber and other input costs can also impact Domtar Inc.’s competitive position.

In addition, Domtar Inc. may compete with product substitutes, which can impact demand for its products. Domtar Inc.’s paper products compete with electronic transmission and document storage alternatives, as well as grades of paper it does not produce. As the use of these alternatives grows, demand for Domtar Inc.’s paper products may decline or shift to other paper grades. Moreover, demand for some of Domtar Inc.’s wood products may decline if customers purchase steel alternatives.

Employee Relations

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had approximately 4,700 employees in Canada of which approximately 3,600 are unionized, and approximately 3,700 employees in the United States of which approximately 2,500 are unionized, for a total of 8,400 employees.

 

Number of employees per segment

   As at December 31,
2006

Papers

   5,505

Paper Merchants

   930

Wood

   1,375

Corporate

   550
    

Total number of employees

   8,360
    

Domtar Inc.’s business strategies include supporting the personal growth and participation of employees. Domtar Inc. encourages employees to be involved in workshops aimed at producing better performance, greater operating efficiencies, safer operating procedures and lowering costs.

Safety remains one of Domtar Inc.’s core operating values. Last year, Domtar Inc. reduced its recordable case rate by 10.5% compared to 2005 and Domtar Inc.’s goal is to reduce this rate by another 15% in 2007. Domtar Inc.’s objective is to be amongst the top three companies in its industry by 2009 in term of best safety performance. The Domtar Safety Steering Team will drive the efforts of Domtar Inc. in reaching its safety objectives.

Papers

A collective agreement expired in April 2004 for Domtar Inc.’s Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill (affecting approximately 350 employees). Negotiations have ceased as the mill is closed for an indefinite period. In July 2006, a 5 year agreement, expiring April 30, 2010, was reached and ratified with the union at the Windsor mill (affecting approximately 760 employees).

Paper Merchants

The collective agreements covering four locations in the U.S. and three in Canada were renewed in 2006. A collective agreement, which effects 20 employees in the U.S., expired in March 2007.

Wood

In May 2007, a five year agreement was ratified with the union at the Company’s Val d’Or, Québec sawmill (affecting approximately 88 employees).

Negotiations for a new collective agreement for the Company’s Sullivan, Québec remanufacturing facility have ceased (affecting approximately 60 employees) because the union has been decertified.

A collective agreement expired in June 2007 for the Company’s Sainte-Marie, Québec sawmill. Negotiations for the renewal of this collective agreement (affecting approximately 70 employees) began in August 2007.

 

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A collective agreement expired in August 2005 for our Nairn Centre, Ontario sawmill. Negotiations have been suspended as the mill is shut down for an indefinite period of time.

Environmental Matters

Environmental expenditures for effluent treatment, air emission, landfill operation and closure, asbestos containment and removal, bark pile management, silvicultural activities and site remediation (together referred to as environmental matters) are expensed or capitalized depending upon their future economic benefit. In the normal course of business, Domtar Inc. incurs certain operating costs for environmental matters that are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment that prevent future environmental impacts are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over 10 to 40 years. Provisions for environmental matters are not discounted and are recorded when remediation efforts are likely and can be reasonably determined.

While Domtar Inc. believes that it has determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred, based on known information, its ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with Domtar Inc.’s former and present operations may lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts may result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar Inc. had a provision of $54 million for environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, Domtar Inc. believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on Domtar Inc.’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

The pulp and paper industry in the United States was subject to the Boiler MACT Rule that further regulated air emissions. However, a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the Boiler MACT Rule on July 30, 2007 and discussions are ongoing for alternative U.S. federal and state regulations. Domtar Corp. believes it complies with all such current air emissions regulations and anticipates spending approximately $4 million over the next year to meet such requirements.

As at December 31, 2006, anticipated undiscounted payments in each of the next five years are as follows:

 

     2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    Thereafter    Total
(In millions of Canadian dollars)                                   

Environmental provision and other asset retirement obligations

   12    10    7    3    6    16    54

Boiler MACT Rule

   4                   4
                                  
   16    10    7    3    6    16    58
                                  

In 2006, Domtar Inc.’s operating expenses for environmental matters totaled $60 million and Domtar Inc. capitalized an additional $9 million for environmental projects mainly related to the improvement of air emissions, effluent treatment and remedial actions taken to address environmental compliance. In 2007, Domtar Inc. expects to capitalize approximately $4 million for environmental projects, including Boiler MACT Rule obligations. However, a decision for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated the Boiler MACT Rule on July 30, 2007 and discussions are ongoing for alternative U.S. federal and state regulations. Domtar Inc. is unable to estimate the total amount of capital expenditures that may be required beyond 2007 for environmental compliance. However, Domtar Inc. does not expect any additional required expenditure to have a material adverse effect on its financial position, earnings or cash flows.

Social and Environmental Policies

Domtar Inc. has several social and environmental related policies including, among others, Human Rights, Forest, Environment, and Health and Safety policies. These form an integral part of its Code of Ethics.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF OTHER INDEBTEDNESS

Senior Secured Credit Facilities

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc. entered into the Credit Agreement, which consisted of an $800 million senior secured tranche B term loan facility and a $750 million senior secured revolving credit facility. In connection with the closing of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company borrowed $800 million under the tranche B term loan facility, which has subsequently been reduced to $645 million. The revolving credit facility may be used by the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Inc. for working capital needs and for general corporate purposes, and a portion will be available for letters of credit and swingline loans. Borrowings by the U.S. Borrowers under the revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars, and borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars and/or Canadian dollars and limited to $150 million (or the Canadian dollar equivalent thereof).

The tranche B term loan facility matures on March 7, 2014, and the revolving credit facility matures on March 7, 2012. The tranche B term loan facility amortizes in nominal quarterly installments (equal to one percent of the aggregate initial principal amount thereof per annum) with the balance due on the maturity date.

Amounts drawn under the tranche B term loan facility bear annual interest at either a eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.375%, or an alternate base rate plus a margin of 0.375%. Amounts drawn under the revolving credit facility bear annual interest at either a eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%, or an alternate base rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Amounts drawn under the revolving credit facility by Domtar Inc. in U.S. dollars bear annual interest at either a eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%, or an U.S. base rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Amounts drawn under the revolving credit facility by Domtar Inc. in Canadian dollars bear annual interest at the Canadian prime rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Domtar Inc. may also issue bankers’ acceptances denominated in Canadian dollars which are subject to an acceptance fee, payable on the date of acceptance, which is calculated at a rate per annum equal to 1.25% to 2.25%. The interest rate margins and the acceptance fee, in each case, with respect to the revolving credit facility are subject to adjustments based on the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio.

The Credit Agreement contains a number of covenants that, among other things, limit the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to make capital expenditures and place restrictions on other matters customarily restricted in senior secured credit facilities, including restrictions on indebtedness (including guarantee obligations), liens (including sale and leasebacks), fundamental changes, sales or disposition of property or assets, investments (including loans, advances, guarantees and acquisitions), transactions with affiliates, hedge agreements, dividends and other payments in respect of capital stock, changes in fiscal periods, environmental activity, optional payments and modifications of other material debt instruments, negative pledges and agreements restricting subsidiary distributions, changes in lines of business, and the proposed amendments to the transaction documents to the extent that any such amendment would be materially adverse to the interests of the lenders. For so long as the revolving credit commitments are outstanding, we are required to comply with a consolidated EBITDA (as defined) to consolidated cash interest coverage ratio of greater than 2.50x and a consolidated debt to consolidated EBITDA ratio of less than 4.75x, decreasing to 4.5 on December 31, 2008. The Credit Agreement contains customary events of default, provided that non-compliance with the consolidated cash interest coverage ratio or consolidated leverage ratio will not constitute an event of default under the tranche B term loan facility unless it has not been waived by the revolving credit lenders within a period of 45 days after notice.

The Company’s direct and indirect, existing and future, U.S. wholly-owned subsidiaries serve as guarantors of the senior secured credit facilities for any obligations thereunder of the U.S. borrowers, subject to exceptions for the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc. and other agreed exceptions. Presently, Domtar Paper Company, LLC is the sole subsidiary guaranteeing the Company’s obligations under the Credit Agreement. Domtar Inc.’s direct and indirect, existing and future, wholly-owned subsidiaries, as well as the Company and its subsidiaries, serve

 

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as guarantors of Domtar Inc.’s obligations as a borrower under the senior secured credit facilities, subject to agreed exceptions. Presently, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and Domtar Corp.’s subsidiaries guarantee Domtar Inc.’s obligations under the Credit Agreement. Domtar Inc. does not guarantee Domtar Corp.’s obligations under the Credit Agreement.

The obligations of the Company in respect of the senior secured credit facilities are secured by all of the equity interests of the Company’s direct and indirect U.S. subsidiaries, other than the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc., and 65% of the equity interests of the Company’s direct and indirect “first-tier” foreign subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and a perfected first priority security interest in substantially all of the Company’s and its direct and indirect U.S. subsidiaries’ tangible and intangible assets (other than the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc.). The obligations of Domtar Inc., and the obligations of the non-U.S. guarantors, in respect of the senior secured credit facilities and any hedge agreements or cash management arrangements entered into with a lender thereunder also are secured by all of the equity interests of the Company’s direct and indirect subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and a perfected first priority security interest, lien and hypothec in the inventory of Domtar Inc., its immediate parent, and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, other than its U.S. subsidiaries.

Accounts Receivable Securitization

In conjunction with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company retained Domtar Inc.’s receivable securitization program. We sell certain of our trade receivables through a securitization program, which expires in February 2010. The Company uses securitization of its receivables as a source of financing by reducing its working capital requirements. This securitization program consists of the sale of receivables, or the sale of a senior beneficial interest in them, to a special purpose trust managed by a financial institution for multiple sellers of receivables. The agreement governing the receivables securitization program normally allows the daily sale of new receivables to replace those that have been collected. It also limits the cash that can be received from the sale of the senior beneficial interest to a maximum of $190 million. The subordinated interest retained by the Company is included in “Receivables” and will be collected only after the senior beneficial interest has been settled. The book value of the retained subordinated interest approximates fair value.

As at July 1, 2007, the cash received from the transfer of receivables amounted to $130 million. The Company expects to continue selling receivables on an ongoing basis, given the attractive discount rates. Should this program be discontinued either by management’s decision or due to termination of the program by the provider, the Company’s working capital and bank debt requirements could increase.

 

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

Board of Directors

The board of directors of the Company is comprised of 13 directors. Harold MacKay serves as the non-executive chairman of the board of directors.

Of these 13 directors, each director other than Messrs. Royer and Cooper is independent under the independence requirements of the SEC, the New York Stock Exchange and the Company’s Director Independence Standards, which are available at the Company’s web site at www.domtar.com. Further, Messrs. Bingleman, Gignac, Moore, Steacy and Stivers meet the independence requirements of the SEC for audit committee members. Each of Messrs. Levitt, Onustock, Tan and Turcotte and Ms. Strobel is a “Non-employee Director” for purposes of the Exchange Act and each satisfies the requirements of an “outside director” for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Set forth below is information concerning those persons that are currently serving as the directors of the Company. The board of directors is divided into the following three classes: Class I: Jack C. Bingleman, Marvin D. Cooper, W. Henson Moore and Richard Tan; Class II: Louis P. Gignac, Harold H. MacKay, Raymond Royer and William C. Stivers; Class III: Brian M. Levitt, Michael R. Onustock, Robert J. Steacy, Pamela B. Strobel and Denis Turcotte.

The first class was elected for a term expiring at the first annual meeting of stockholders following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, the second class was elected for a term expiring at the second annual meeting of stockholders following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, and the third class was elected for a term expiring at the third annual meeting of stockholders following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions.

 

Name

  

Position

Harold H. MacKay

  

Chairman of the board of directors

Jack C. Bingleman

  

Director

Marvin D. Cooper

  

Director

Louis P. Gignac

  

Director

Brian M. Levitt

  

Director

W. Henson Moore

  

Director

Michael R. Onustock

  

Director

Raymond Royer

  

Director

Robert J. Steacy

  

Director

William C. Stivers

  

Director

Pamela B. Strobel

  

Director

Richard Tan

  

Director

Denis Turcotte

  

Director

Harold H. MacKay , age 67, has served as Counsel to the law firm MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman LLP in Regina, Saskatchewan since 2005. Prior to that, he was a partner in MacPherson from 1969 to 2004. He also served as the Clifford Clark policy advisor to the Department of Finance of Canada and chaired the Task Force on the Future of the Canadian Financial Services Sector in 1997 and 1998. He is a director of The Toronto-Dominion Bank and The Mosaic Company. Mr. MacKay is an Officer of the Order of Canada.

 

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Jack C. Bingleman , age 64, has been the president of Indian River Asset Management Inc. since 2001. Previously he held a number of executive positions with Staples Inc., including president of Staples International from 1997 to 2000. He has been a director of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since 2005; he is also a director of Tractor Supply Co.

Marvin D. Cooper , age 64, was the senior vice president, cellulose fiber, white papers and containerboard manufacturing and engineering of Weyerhaeuser from 2002 to 2006 when he stepped down to work full-time on the Acquisition Transactions. Prior to joining Weyerhaeuser in 2002, he held a number of executive positions with Willamette Industries, Inc., including executive vice president, pulp and paper mills from 1998 to 2002. His career in the pulp and paper industry spans over 36 years.

Louis P. Gignac , age 57, has been a corporate director and consultant since November 2006. Previously, he served as president and CEO of Cambior Inc. since 1986. He has been a director of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since 1995; he is also a director of Gaz Metro Inc. and St. Andrew Goldfields Ltd.

Brian M. Levitt , age 60, has been the chair of the board of Domtar Inc. since 2004 and the co-chair of the law firm Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP since 2001. Previously, he held a number of executive positions with Imasco Limited, including president and chief executive officer from 1995 to 2000. Mr. Levitt has been a director of Domtar Inc. since 1997; he is also a director of BCE Inc.

W. Henson Moore , age 67, has been until August 2006 president and CEO of the American Forest & Paper Association since 1995. Previously, he served in a number of senior U.S. government appointments and as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the Sixth District of Louisiana. Mr. Moore is a director of USEC, Inc.

Michael R. Onustock , age 67, has retired as senior vice president, pulp and white paper with Weyerhaeuser in 2004. Prior to joining Weyerhaeuser in 2002, he held a number of executive positions in Willamette Industries, Inc., including executive vice president, pulp and fine paper marketing from 1989 to 2002. He is a director of the University of Washington Pulp and Paper School Foundation.

Raymond Royer , age 68, has been the president, chief executive officer and a director of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since joining Domtar Inc. in 1996. He is also a director of Power Financial Corporation. Mr. Royer is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Commander of the Order of Léopold II of Belgium and an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec.

Robert J. Steacy , age 57, has been a corporate director since May 2005. Previously, he served as the senior financial officer of Torstar Corporation since 1989 including as executive vice-president and chief financial officer from 2002 to 2005. He has been a director of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since 2005; he is also a director of Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund.

William C. Stivers , age 69, has retired as executive vice president of Weyerhaeuser in 2003, serving as chief financial officer from 1990 to 2003. Mr. Stivers is a former director of Factory Mutual Insurance Company and a past member of Chase Manhattan Bank’s National Advisory Board. He is a director of Minerals Technologies Inc.

Pamela B. Strobel , age 54, has retired as executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Exelon Corporation in 2005. During her tenure with Exelon and its predecessor companies since 1993, she also served as president of Exelon’s Business Services Company and as chairman and CEO of Exelon Energy Delivery, the holding company for Exelon’s energy delivery businesses. She is a director of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.

Richard Tan , age 51, is the founder, president and CEO of Pacific Millennium Holdings Corporation since 1977, an investment and operating group involved over the years in various industries including pulp and paper, forest plantation, information technology, and development and global joint ventures in Asia.

 

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Denis Turcotte , age 46, has been president and CEO of Algoma Steel Inc. since 2002. Previously, he held a number of senior executive positions with companies in the pulp and paper industry, including president of the Paper Group and executive vice president of corporate development and strategy of Tembec Inc. from 1999 to 2002.

The Company’s Management

Set forth below is information concerning those persons that currently serve as the executive officers of the Company.

 

Name

  

Position

Raymond Royer

  

President and Chief Executive Officer

Marvin D. Cooper

  

Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer

Daniel Buron

  

Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer

Steven A. Barker

  

Senior Vice-President, Marketing

Roger H. Brear

  

Senior Vice-President, Southern Region Mills

Michel Dagenais

  

Senior Vice-President, Human Resources

Ghislain Dinel

  

Senior Vice-President, Northern Region Mills

Michael Edwards

  

Group Senior Vice-President, Pulp and Paper Manufacturing

James F. Lenhoff

  

Senior Vice-President, Distribution

Patrick Loulou

  

Senior Vice-President, Corporate Development

Jean-François Mérette

  

Senior Vice-President, Forest Products

Bart Nicholson

  

Senior Vice-President, Specialty Mills and Converting Operations

Yves L. Parent

  

Senior Vice-President, Information Technology

Gilles Pharand

  

Senior Vice-President, Law and Corporate Affairs

Richard L. Thomas

  

Senior Vice-President, Sales

Raymond Royer , age 68, has been the president, chief executive officer and a director of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since joining Domtar Inc. in 1996. He is also a director of Power Financial Corporation. Mr. Royer is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Commander of the Order of Léopold II of Belgium and an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec.

Marvin D. Cooper , age 64, was senior vice president, cellulose fiber, white papers and containerboard manufacturing and engineering of Weyerhaeuser from 2002 to 2006 when he stepped down to work full-time on the Acquisition Transactions. Prior to joining Weyerhaeuser in 2002, he held a number of executive positions with Willamette Industries, Inc., including executive vice president, pulp and paper mills from 1998 to 2002. His career in the pulp and paper industry spans over 36 years.

Daniel Buron , age 43, has been senior vice president and chief financial officer of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since May 2004. He joined Domtar Inc. in 1999. Prior to May 2004 he was vice president, finance, pulp and paper sales division and, prior to September 2002, he was vice president and controller. He has over 18 years of experience in finance.

Steven A. Barker , age 54, has been senior vice president pulp and paper sales and marketing of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since December 2004. He joined Domtar Inc. in 2000 following the acquisition of Ris Paper Company, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar Inc. since 2000) where he held a number of executive positions. His career in the paper industry spans over 25 years.

 

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Roger H. Brear , age 59, has been senior vice president, paper manufacturing of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since 2001 when he joined following the acquisition of four U.S. paper mills from Georgia-Pacific Corporation, where he held various senior manufacturing positions. His career in the paper industry spans over 35 years.

Michel Dagenais , age 57, has been vice president, human resources of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since 2005. Previously, he was director, human resources of the Forest Products Group since joining Domtar Inc. in 2001. During his career that spans over 36 years, he has held various management and consulting positions in human resources and labor relations.

Ghislain Dinel , age 59, has been vice president, operations, optimization and technology of the Company and/or Domtar Inc. since 2004. Since joining Domtar Inc. in 1970, he has held various management positions in the pulp and paper operations. His career in the pulp and paper industry spans over 37 years.

Michael Edwards , age 59, has been vice president, fine paper manufacturing of Weyerhaeuser since 2002. Since joining Weyerhaeuser in 1994, he has held various management positions in the pulp and paper operations. Prior to Weyerhaeuser, Mr. Edwards worked at Domtar Inc. for 11 years. His career in the pulp and paper industry spans over 44 years.

James F. Lenhoff , age 56, has been senior vice president, Domtar Distribution Group since 2004. He joined Domtar Inc. in 2000 following the acquisition of Ris Paper Company Inc. where he was vice president, sales and marketing. His career in the paper industry spans over 26 years.

Patrick Loulou , age 38, has been senior vice president, corporate development since he joined the Company in March 2007. Previously, he held a number of positions in the telecommunications sector, as well as in management consulting. He has over 10 years experience in corporate strategy and business development.

Jean-François Mérette , age 40, has been vice president, sawmills since he joined Domtar Inc. in 2005. Previously, he has held various management positions with a major forest products company. His career in the forest products industry spans over 16 years.

Bart Nicholson , age 47, has been vice president, fine paper converting operations since joining Weyerhaeuser in 2002. Previously, he held various management positions in the pulp and paper operations of Willamette Industries, Inc. since 1981. His career in the pulp and paper industry spans over 26 years.

Yves L. Parent , age 53, has been senior vice president, information technology of the Company since March 2007. He joined Domtar Inc. in 2005 as vice president, information technology. He has over 25 years of experience in IT management, including 15 years in the pulp and paper industry and 10 years as senior director, IT in an international manufacturing organization.

Gilles Pharand , age 63, joined Domtar Inc. in 1970; he has been senior vice president, corporate affairs since 1994 and general counsel since 1986, being responsible for secretariat, environmental and legal affairs, communications and government relations, internal audit and head office operations. His career in the pulp and paper industry spans over 37 years.

Richard L. Thomas , age 54, has been vice president of fine papers of Weyerhaeuser since 2005. Prior to 2005, he was vice president, business papers of Weyerhaeuser. Mr. Thomas joined Weyerhaeuser in 2002 when Willamette Industries, Inc. was acquired by Weyerhaeuser. At Willamette, he held various management positions in operations since joining in 1992. Previously, he was with Champion International Corporation for twelve years.

Annual Meeting

The Company’s by-laws provide that an annual meeting of its stockholders will be held each year on a date specified by its board of directors. The Company expects the first annual meeting of its stockholders will be held in 2008.

 

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Committees of the Board of Directors

Pursuant to the Company’s by-laws, its board of directors is permitted to establish committees of three or more directors from time to time as it deems appropriate. The Company’s board of directors currently has the following committees: audit committee, nominating and corporate governance committee, human resources committee and environment and health and safety committee. The membership and function of each committee are described below.

Audit Committee

The audit committee is comprised solely of directors who meet the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange and the Exchange Act and are financially literate, as required by the New York Stock Exchange. At least one member of the audit committee is a financial expert, as defined by the rules and regulations of the SEC.

The audit committee, through regular or special meetings with management, the director of internal audit and the Company’s independent auditors, provides oversight of the quality and integrity of the accounting, auditing and financial reporting practices of the Company, including the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and such other duties as the board of directors or the chairperson of the audit committee deems appropriate.

The audit committee is governed by the audit committee charter, which is available on the Company’s website at www.domtar.com.

The members of the audit committee currently are: Messrs. Bingleman, Gignac, Moore, Steacy and Stivers.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The nominating and corporate governance committee is comprised solely of directors who meet the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.

The nominating and corporate governance committee has a leadership role in

 

  ·  

shaping the governance of the Company;

 

  ·  

reviewing the compensation of the Company’s directors; and

 

  ·  

providing oversight and direction regarding the functioning and operation of the board of directors, including reviewing and recommending to the board of directors candidates for election as directors.

The nominating and corporate governance committee is governed by the nominating and corporate governance committee charter, which is available on the Company’s website at www.domtar.com.

The members of the nominating and corporate governance committee currently are: Messrs. Bingleman, Levitt, MacKay and Steacy and Ms. Strobel.

Human Resources Committee

The human resources committee is comprised solely of directors who meet the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, meet the requirements for a “Non-Employee Director” under the Exchange Act and meet the requirements for an “outside director” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

The human resources committee has responsibility for

 

  ·  

reviewing and approving the strategy and design of the Company’s compensation and benefits systems;

 

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  ·  

making recommendations to the board of directors with respect to incentive compensation and equity-based plans;

 

  ·  

managing the processes used by the board of directors to evaluate the Company’s chief executive officer;

 

  ·  

reviewing the compensation of the Company’s chief executive officer;

 

  ·  

reviewing and approving salaries and incentive compensation of the Company’s officers and certain other positions; and

 

  ·  

administering the Company’s stock option and incentive compensation plans.

The human resources committee is governed by the human resources committee charter, which is available on the Company’s website at www.domtar.com.

The members of the human resources committee currently are: Messrs. Levitt, Onustock, Tan and Turcotte and Ms. Strobel.

Environment and Health and Safety Committee

The environment and health and safety committee is comprised of no less than three directors.

The environment and health and safety committee has responsibility for:

 

  ·  

reviewing environment and health and safety (“EHS”) policies, and making recommendations to the Board regarding significant EHS audit and monitoring systems as well as related reports from management;

 

  ·  

reviewing EHS standards, procedures and practices against applicable regulatory requirements and overseeing compliance therewith;

 

  ·  

reviewing objectives and plans for implementing policies, procedures, practices, compliance measures and risk management programs regarding forestry, environmental protection and occupational health and safety; and

 

  ·  

discussing with management the scope and plans for the conduct of audits of EHS performance, significant results of audits, and pending or threatened material proceedings or complaints relating to EHS.

The environment and health and safety committee is governed by the environment and health and safety committee charter, which is available on the Company’s website at www.domtar.com.

The members of the environment and health and safety committee currently are: Messrs. Moore, Gignac, Onustock, Stivers and Tan.

Compensation of Executive Officers

The Company did not have any employees during the period ended December 31, 2006 and accordingly has not included any compensation information with respect to that period.

The Company’s executive compensation program consists mainly of base salary, annual cash bonus and long term equity compensation.

 

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Long Term Incentive Plan

On March 6, 2007, the Domtar Corporation 2007 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Omnibus Plan”) was approved by Weyerhaeuser, the Company’s sole shareholder at the time. The purposes of the Omnibus Plan are to promote the interests of the Company and its shareholders by (i) attracting and retaining executive personnel and other key employees and directors of outstanding ability; (ii) motivating executive personnel and other key employees and directors by means of performance-related incentives to achieve longer-range performance goals; and (iii) enabling such individuals to participate in the long-term growth and financial success of the Company. Officers and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries who are selected by the Human Resources Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “HR Committee”) are eligible to participate in the Omnibus Plan. Non-executive directors of the Company are also eligible to participate in the Omnibus Plan, subject to selection by the HR Committee.

The HR Committee may award non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, shares of restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance share units, deferred share units and other stock-based awards to plan participants. 20,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock are reserved for issuance in connection with awards granted under the Omnibus Plan. Unless otherwise determined by the HR Committee at the time of grant, time-based awards vest in approximately equal installments over four years beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date and performance-based awards vest based on achievement of pre-determined performance goals over performance periods of three years. Awards may be subject to both performance and time-based vesting. The HR Committee may accelerate the vesting of an award at any time.

The exercise price of options and stock appreciation rights is equal to the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the date of grant.

Termination of Employment

Unless otherwise determined by the HR Committee at the time of grant, upon a termination due to death, time-based awards vest in full and performance-based awards vest at target levels, and options and stock appreciation rights remain exercisable for one year. Unless otherwise determined by the HR Committee at the time of grant, upon a termination due to disability (as defined in the Omnibus Plan), time based awards vest in full and performance-based awards continue to vest in accordance with the original vesting schedule, and options and stock appreciation rights remain exercisable for one year. Unless provided otherwise in an award agreement, upon retirement, a pro-rated portion of time-based awards vest and a pro-rated portion of performance-based awards continue to vest based on actual performance during the applicable performance period, and all awards remain outstanding for five years. Unless otherwise determined by the HR Committee at the time of grant, upon a termination for cause (as defined in the Omnibus Plan) or a voluntary termination by a plan participant, all awards, including vested but unexercised awards, are forfeited without payment. Unless otherwise determined by the HR Committee at the time of grant, upon an involuntary termination by the Company for any reason other than cause, vested awards remain outstanding for 90 days and unvested awards are forfeited.

Change in Control

Upon a change in control (as defined in the Omnibus Plan), unless otherwise determined by the HR Committee, a participant’s awards will be replaced with awards of the acquiring company having the same or better terms. If there is a change in control and a participant’s employment is terminated for business reasons (as defined in the Omnibus Plan) in the three months prior to or twenty-four months after the change in control, his or her time-based awards will fully vest and performance-based awards will vest to the extent the applicable performance goals have been achieved as of the date of the change in control or the end of the fiscal quarter immediately prior to the date of termination, whichever is greater.

 

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If replacement awards are not available, unless the HR Committee determines otherwise, all time-based awards fully vest and performance-based awards vest to the extent the performance goals related to the award have been achieved as of the date of the change in control. Alternatively, the HR Committee may determine that vested awards will be canceled in exchange for a cash payment (or other form of change in control consideration) in the change in control based on the value of the change in control payment and that unvested awards will be forfeited. The Company’s Board of Directors may also accelerate the vesting of any or all awards upon a change in control.

Clawback for Financial Reporting Misconduct

If a participant in the Omnibus Plan knowingly or grossly negligently engaged in financial reporting misconduct, then all awards and gains from the exercise of options or stock appreciation rights in the 12 months prior to the date the misleading financial statements were issued as well as any awards that vested based on the misleading financial statements will be disgorged to the Company.

Annual Incentive Plan

The Domtar Corporation Annual Incentive Plan was adopted to fund performance-based annual cash incentive awards consistent with the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code (to the extent applicable). Each named executive officer of the Company and each other employee of Domtar Corp. or any of its subsidiaries selected by the HR Committee is a participant in the plan. Within 90 days after each performance period begins, but in no event later than the date on which 25% of the performance period has lapsed, the HR Committee must establish the performance goals that must be satisfied for a bonus to be payable under the plan. Performance goals may be based on a variety of metrics set forth in the plan. The maximum amount payable to any participant may not exceed $5,000,000. The HR Committee may, in its sole discretion, reduce or eliminate the amount otherwise payable to a participant under the plan. A participant must be continuously employed through the payment date to receive a payment of his or her bonus under the plan, provided that participants terminated due to death, disability or retirement prior to the payment date may be eligible for a partial bonus payment. Payment is made as soon as practicable after the HR Committee certifies that one or more of the applicable performance goals have been attained, and in any event within 2  1 / 2 months of the end of the fiscal year in which the performance period ends.

The performance measures for annual cash incentives for 2007 are based on achievement of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and health and safety improvement targets. Incentive payment targets are expressed as a percentage of base salary. Target bonus levels of 75%, 65% and 50% (and maximum bonus levels of 150%, 130% and 100%) of base salary were set for Messrs. Royer, Cooper and Buron, respectively, subject to achievement of the relevant performance measures. There is no payment for performance that does not meet the threshold performance level.

Executive Employment Agreements

Effective August 9, 2007, the Company entered into employment agreements with Mr. Raymond Royer, the Company’s principal executive officer, and Mr. Marvin Cooper, the Company’s principal operating officer. The agreements are effective until the 2009 annual meeting of the Company’s shareholders. The agreements provide for an annual base salary of CDN $1,100,000 and an annual bonus opportunity of 75 – 150% of base salary in the case of Mr. Royer and an annual base salary of U.S. $660,000 and an annual bonus opportunity of 65 – 130% of base salary in the case of Mr. Cooper. Annual bonuses (if any) for each executive are determined and paid pursuant to the Domtar Corporation Annual Incentive Plan. Under his agreement, Mr. Royer may use the company plane for business travel when necessary, subject to quarterly review by the HR Committee and is entitled to use the company plane for personal reasons for up to 24 hours per year during the employment term; provided that he must reimburse the Company for any passengers traveling with him for reasons other than business in an amount equal to a first class commercial fare. Mr. Royer is not entitled to any tax reimbursement

 

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payments with respect to his personal use of the company plane. The Company will also provide a condominium in the Fort Mill, South Carolina area for Mr. Royer’s use when his presence is required for business reasons at the Company’s Operations Center located in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Both agreements provide that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the equity award agreements previously entered into with each executive, (i) none of the time-vested restricted stock units previously granted to each executive will vest until (or be settled prior to) the date of the 2009 annual meeting of the Company’s shareholders (when the awards will vest in full without proration), (ii) in connection with a termination of employment due to retirement with prior approval of the Board or by the Company for reasons other than death, disability or cause (as such terms are defined in the applicable award agreement), in each case prior to the date of the 2009 annual meeting of the Company’s shareholders, the performance-vested restricted stock units previously granted to each executive shall be deemed vested on the vesting date provided in the applicable award agreement to the same extent as if the executive’s service had continued until such date, subject to the achievement of the applicable performance goals and (iii) restricted stock units shall be settled in cash or in shares of the Company’s common stock, as elected by the executive. In addition, Mr. Royer’s agreement provides that none of the non-statutory stock options previously granted to Mr. Royer will vest until the date of the 2009 annual meeting of the Company’s shareholders.

Mr. Royer’s agreement also provides that payment of his annual retirement benefit under the Supplementary Pension Plan for Designated Management Employees of Domtar Inc. (the “SERP”) of CDN $720,000 per annum, which ceased accruing as of March 7, 2007, will commence on the later to occur of termination of Mr. Royer’s employment and the 2009 annual meeting of the Company’s shareholders, and will otherwise be made in accordance with the terms of the SERP. Upon a termination of employment by the Company without cause (as defined in the agreements) or retirement with the prior approval of the Board, each executive is entitled to continued payment of his base salary for the remainder of the employment term and annual incentive bonus(es) for the year(s) remaining in the employment term, calculated on the basis of actual performance criteria and payable at the same time as annual bonuses are paid to other Domtar employees. Severance benefits are subject to the execution and non-revocation of a general release of claims in favor of the Company. Any post-termination benefits payable under the agreements will be delayed for a period of six months if necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 409A (“Section 409A”) of the Code.

Compensation of Directors

Each non-executive director is paid an annual retainer fee of $140,000 and the chairman of the Board is paid an annual retainer fee of $240,000. Each non-executive director that serves as the chair of a board committee (other than the chairman of the Board) is paid an additional retainer ($30,000 for audit committee, $20,000 for human resources committee, and $10,000 for any other committee). These annual retainer fees are paid 50% in cash and 50% in the form of deferred stock units (“DSUs”). There will generally be no board or committee meeting fees. However, if more than 10 board meetings are held in a calendar year, directors will be paid board meeting fees of $1,500 for each additional meeting attended. In addition, each non-executive director travelling over three or more time zones from his or her residence in connection with his or her duties as a board member is entitled to an annual long-travel allowance of $10,000.

A non-executive director may elect to defer receipt of the cash portion of his or her annual retainer fee into DSUs, subject to compliance with applicable tax requirements and rules established by the HR Committee. DSU awards will be granted under the terms of the Company’s Omnibus Plan. DSUs are settled in cash or shares of the Company’s common stock, as determined by the director, upon termination of his or her Board service, provided that if payment is required to be delayed past the date of termination pursuant to Section 409A, DSUs are settled on the first business day following the six-month anniversary of termination of the director’s service or as soon as practicable thereafter (but no later than December 31 of the year in which the six-month anniversary of termination occurs). In the event of a Change in Control (as defined in the Omnibus Plan) in which replacement awards are not available, each DSU will be settled in cash for an amount equal to the Change in Control price plus interest from the Change in Control date to the payment date.

 

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OWNERSHIP OF COMPANY COMMON STOCK

Directors and Executive Officers

The following table set forth the number of shares of Company common stock beneficially owned by each of the Company’s directors and executive officers, and all directors and executive officers as a group, based upon information available to the Company. The mailing address of each of these individuals is c/o Domtar Corporation, 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, QC Canada H3A 1L6. As used in this Schedule C, “beneficial ownership” means that a person has, or may have within 60 days, the sole or shared power to vote or direct the voting of a security and/or the sole or shared investment power with respect to a security (i.e., the power to dispose or direct the deposition of a security). Securities that can be acquired are deemed to be outstanding for purposes of computing such person’s ownership percentage, but not for purposes of computing any other person’s percentage.

 

Name

   Shares Beneficially Owned     Percent of Class

Harold MacKay

   10,014 (1)   *

Jack Bingleman

   51,169 (2)   *

Marvin Cooper

   0     0

Louis Gignac

   37,232 (3)   *

Brian Levitt

   97,540 (4)   *

W. Henson Moore

   6,023 (5)   *

Michael Onustock

   8,318 (6)   *

Robert Steacy

   30,466 (7)   *

William Stivers

   6,103 (8)   *

Pamela B. Strobel

   5,270 (9)   *

Richard Tan

   5,727 (10)   *

Denis Turcotte

   7,404 (11)   *

Raymond Royer

   908,979 (12)   *

Steven Barker

   94,854 (13)   *

Roger Brear

   147,134 (14)   *

Daniel Buron

   80,585 (15)   *

Michael Edwards

   0     0

Richard Thomas

   0     0

All Directors and Executive Officers as a group

   1,951,151 (16)   *

 * Less than 1%

 

(1) Includes 9,034 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(2) Includes 31,169 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(3) Includes 34,432 deferred share units of Company stock and 2,800 shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc., a subsidiary of the Company.

 

(4) Includes 91,740 deferred share units of Company stock and 5,800 shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc., a subsidiary of the Company.

 

(5) Consists of 6,023 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(6) Consists of 8,318 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(7) Consists of 30,466 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(8) Consists of 6,103 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(9) Consists of 5,270 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(10) Consists of 5,727 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(11) Consists of 7,404 deferred share units of Company stock.

 

(12) Includes 78,000 shares of restricted stock, 35,959 deferred share units of Company stock, 314,630 shares issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s stock and 6,250 shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc., a subsidiary of the Company.

 

(13) Includes 63,000 shares of restricted stock and 29,854 shares issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s stock.

 

(14) Includes 54,000 shares of restricted stock, 2,599 deferred share units of Company stock and 76,427 shares issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s stock.

 

(15) Includes 56,000 shares of restricted stock and 21,229 shares of Company stock issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s stock.

 

(16) Includes 363,570 shares of restricted stock, 281,500 deferred share units of Company stock and 710,948 shares issuable upon the exercise of options to purchase the Company’s stock.

 

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Domtar Corp. owns, indirectly through subsidiaries, all of the common stock of Domtar Inc.

Beneficial Owners of More than 5%

Based upon information available to the Company concerning ownership of shares of Company common stock as of September 21, 2007, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, 32 Old Slip, New York, New York 10005 beneficially owns 36,492,082 shares, or 7.08%, of the Company’s common stock. Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, 1000, Place Jean Paul Riopelle, Montreal, Québec, Canada H27 2B3, beneficially owns 35,692,933 shares, or 6.93%, of the Company’s common stock. Affiliates of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. may be deemed to beneficially own (as that term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) approximately 6% of the outstanding common stock of Domtar Corp. due to their ability to vote or dispose, or direct the voting or disposition, of the common stock of Domtar Corp. owned by others. The Company is not aware of any other beneficial owner of more than 5% of the common stock of the Company.

 

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THE COMPANY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH WEYERHAEUSER AFTER THE DISTRIBUTION

General

The Company and Weyerhaeuser, or their respective subsidiaries, entered into various agreements in connection with the Acquisition Transactions that presently govern their ongoing relationships and have provided for an orderly transition following the consummation of the Acquisition Transactions. The material agreements are summarized below. These summaries are qualified by reference to the agreements, which are filed with the SEC as exhibits to the U.S. registration statement that includes this Circular.

Tax Sharing Agreement

General Ordinary Course Taxes

The tax sharing agreement governs both the Company’s and Weyerhaeuser’s rights and obligations after the Distribution with respect to taxes for both pre- and post-Distribution periods. Under the tax sharing agreement, Weyerhaeuser is generally required to indemnify the Company for any taxes attributable to all pre-Distribution periods and the Company is required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser for any taxes attributable to its operations for all post-Distribution periods.

Distribution-Related Taxes

The Company is generally required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser against any tax resulting from the Distribution if that tax results from Disqualifying Actions, including those involving (1) an issuance, redemption, recapitalization or repurchase of the Company’s equity securities or the involvement of the Company, its subsidiaries or certain affiliates of the Company in acquisitions of the Company’s equity securities (excluding the Distribution and the Arrangement), (2) other actions or omissions (such as those described in the following paragraph) by the Company, its subsidiaries or certain of its affiliates or (3) any undertakings by the Company referred to in the tax sharing agreement being breached. If Weyerhaeuser should recognize gain on the Distribution for reasons not related to a Disqualifying Action by the Company, Weyerhaeuser will be responsible for such taxes and will not be entitled to indemnification by the Company under the tax sharing agreement.

In addition, to preserve the tax-free treatment to Weyerhaeuser of the Distribution, for a two-year period following the date of the Distribution, the following actions are subject to restrictions:

 

  ·  

the redemption, recapitalization, repurchase or acquisition by the Company of its capital stock;

 

  ·  

the issuance by the Company of capital stock or convertible debt;

 

  ·  

the liquidation of the Company;

 

  ·  

the discontinuance of the operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business;

 

  ·  

the sale or disposition of (other than in the ordinary course of business) all or a substantial part of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business; or

 

  ·  

the other actions, omissions to act or transactions that could jeopardize the tax-free status of the Distribution.

The Company is permitted to take any of the actions described above in the event that the Company receives the prior written consent of Weyerhaeuser. Should the taking of such actions by the Company undermine the tax-free status of the Distribution and result in tax-related losses to Weyerhaeuser, the Company will be generally required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser for such losses, without regard to whether Weyerhaeuser gave the Company prior consent.

 

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Administrative Matters

The tax sharing agreement sets forth the Company’s and Weyerhaeuser’s respective obligations with respect to the filing of tax returns, the administration of tax contests, assistance and cooperation and other matters.

Intellectual Property License Agreement

Pursuant to the intellectual property license agreement, Weyerhaeuser granted the Company a fully paid-up, royalty free, non-exclusive license to use certain intellectual property and technology that is used in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business but was retained by Weyerhaeuser in the Distribution. If the Company modifies or improves any licensed intellectual property, the Company will have sole and exclusive ownership of such modifications and improvements. If Weyerhaeuser modifies or improves any licensed intellectual property, Weyerhaeuser will have sole and exclusive ownership of such modifications and improvements.

Subject to Weyerhaeuser’s termination rights as specified in the intellectual property license agreement, the license granted to the Company to use intellectual property and technology extends (i) for the period during which retained patents and any renewals thereof are in force with respect to each retained patent, (ii) for the period during which retained copyrights are in force with respect to each retained copyright and (iii) indefinitely with respect to retained technology.

Transition Services Agreement

In connection with the closing of the Acquisition Transactions, the Company entered into a transition services agreement with Weyerhaeuser pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser, or certain third parties with whom Weyerhaeuser has a contractual arrangement, agreed to provide services to the Company relating to finance and administration, human resources, payroll and information technology and any other areas as they agree to enable the Company to manage an orderly transition in its operation of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business.

Under the transition services agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to provide services that are of substantially the same nature and quality that Weyerhaeuser provided for the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business during the twelve-month period prior to the Acquisition Closing Date, at substantially the same priority levels that such services had been accorded during such twelve-month period. In addition to the specific services listed in the transition services agreement, the Company may request additional services from Weyerhaeuser, which services are to be provided at cost. The transition services agreement will terminate when the terms of all of the services have expired or otherwise terminated.

The parties agreed to use their reasonable best efforts to cooperate with and assist each other in connection with phasing out the services as soon as practicable. Weyerhaeuser has agreed to provide the Company such support as necessary for phasing out the services at specified hourly rates (or if not specified, at cost), including support related to the transition of third party systems.

Generally, the transition services are initially priced at cost but the prices paid to Weyerhaeuser are subject to an escalating cost structure. With respect to human resources and payroll services, the service fee will increase by 25% after six months, and by 50% after December 31, 2007. With respect to finance and administration, the service fee will increase by 25% after 6 months and will increase by 50% after 12 months. With respect to information technology services, the service fee will increase by 25% after 18 months and by 50% after 24 months.

Supply Agreements

The Company and Weyerhaeuser entered into a pulp distribution agreement, a pine chip supply agreement, a pine in-woods chip supply agreement, a pine and hardwood roundwood supply agreement and a hog fuel supply agreement relating to the Plymouth, North Carolina facilities, a pine chip supply agreement, a pine and armory hardwood roundwood supply agreement and a slush pulp sales agreement relating to the Columbus, Mississippi

 

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facilities, a pulp distribution agreement, an agency agreement and a fiber supply agreement relating to the Kamloops, British Columbia facilities, as well as several other supply agreements relating to the Canadian facilities, including fiber supply agreements pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser supplies fiber to the Company’s mills in Kamloops, British Columbia and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, fiber supply agreements pursuant to which the Company supplies fiber to Weyerhaeuser’s mills in Carrot River and Hudson Bay in Saskatchewan and Kenora, Ontario and a hog fuel supply agreement pursuant to which Weyerhaeuser supplies hog fuel to the Company’s mill in Dryden, Ontario.

Plymouth, North Carolina Agreements

Pursuant to the Plymouth pulp distribution agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to purchase from the Company 130,000 air dry metric tons of pulp from the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill for a period commencing on March 5, 2007 and ending on December 31, 2007.

Pursuant to the Plymouth pine chip supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply approximately 350,000 tons of softwood residual chips annually to the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill for an initial period of one year, subject to renewal for an additional four year term, at a price to be negotiated annually.

Pursuant to the Plymouth pine in-woods chip supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply approximately 120,000 tons of in-wood produced chips annually to the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill for an initial period of one year, subject to renewal for an additional four year term, at a price to be negotiated annually.

Pursuant to the Plymouth pine and hardwood roundwood supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply approximately 101,000 tons of hardwood roundwood annually to the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill for an initial period of one year, subject to renewal for an additional four year term, at a price to be negotiated annually.

Pursuant to the Plymouth hog fuel supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply approximately 106,000 tons of hog fuel annually to the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill for an initial period of one year, subject to renewal for an additional four year term, at a price to be negotiated annually.

Columbus, MI Agreements

Pursuant to the Columbus pine chip supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply an amount of softwood chips sufficient to allow the Company to produce between 210 and 230 air dry tons per day of thermo mechanical pulp for purposes of its coated groundwood operations at the Company’s Columbus, Mississippi mill for a period that commenced on March 7, 2007 and ended on May 31, 2007.

Pursuant to the Columbus pine and armory hardwood roundwood supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply approximately 64,000 tons of pine roundwood and approximately 14,000 tons of hardwood roundwood annually to the Company’s Columbus, Mississippi mill for an initial period of one year, subject to renewal for an additional four year term, at a price to be negotiated annually.

Pursuant to the Columbus slush pulp sales agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to provide 74,293 tons per year of slush pulp to the Company’s Columbus, Mississippi coated groundwood mill at a market price adjusted for freight allowances, avoided bale and processing costs and a market-based discount for a period of one year, subject to annual renewal.

Kamloops, British Columbia Agreements

Pursuant to the Kamloops pulp distribution agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to purchase from the Company 64,900 air dry metric tons of pulp from the Company’s Kamloops, British Columbia mill for a period that commenced on March 5, 2007 and ended on June 3, 2007.

 

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Pursuant to the Kamloops agency agreement, Weyerhaeuser agreed to serve as a sales agent for pulp produced at the Company’s Kamloops, British Columbia mill for a period commencing on June 3, 2007 and ending on December 31, 2007.

Pursuant to the Kamloops fiber supply agreement, Weyerhaeuser’s Kamloops, British Columbia sawmill agreed to supply to the Company’s Kamloops, British Columbia pulpmill all the softwood chips and mini-chips produced by the sawmill for an initial term of 20 years and all the hog fuel produced by the sawmill for an initial term of 5 years commencing on March 7, 2007 at a price based on market rates.

Canadian Agreements

Pursuant to the other Canadian supply agreements, Weyerhaeuser agreed to supply fiber and hog fuel to the Company’s mills in Dryden, Ontario, Kamloops, British Columbia and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the Company agreed to supply fiber to Weyerhaeuser’s mills in Carrot River and Hudson Bay in Saskatchewan, Wawa, Ontario and Kenora, Ontario. The term of such Canadian supply agreements is 20 years. The volume of fiber and hog fuel to be supplied in any year is expected to be similar to the volumes supplied during the preceding five years. Actual volumes will be determined annually. Increases or decreases of allowable harvest under the relevant forest licenses will be shared proportionately among the Company and Weyerhaeuser. Prices will be negotiated in advance based on fair market value taking into account prevailing local market price for similar fiber or hog fuel on similar terms and other factors.

Site Services Agreements

The Company and Weyerhaeuser entered into site services agreements with respect to certain facilities that are owned in part by Weyerhaeuser or its subsidiaries and in part by the Company or its subsidiaries after the Acquisition Closing Date.

Columbus, Mississippi Mill

Pursuant to site services agreements relating to the Company’s Columbus, Mississippi coated groundwood mill, Weyerhaeuser agreed, subject to certain conditions, to provide the Company with certain products and services, including use of the general parking lot and entrance road, gate security, use of a chip truck dumper, use of Lake Ziegler in the event of a spill, emergency response and use of telephone and data lines on a temporary basis and road maintenance, use of contractor parking lot, fire water and steam, electricity, gas, air and water and effluent handling services on a perpetual basis, in each case at an agreed upon price. The Company retained an undivided interest in certain facilities at Columbus allowing it to transmit utilities for use at the Company’s mill on a perpetual basis, at no additional charge. In addition, pursuant to the site services agreements, the Company agreed, subject to certain conditions, to provide Weyerhaeuser with certain products and services, including log bark on a temporary basis and screen fines and return steam condensate on a perpetual basis, in each case at an agreed upon price.

The site services agreements relating to the Columbus, Mississippi coated groundwood mill will terminate when the terms of the services have expired or otherwise been terminated.

Plymouth, North Carolina Mill

Pursuant to site services agreements relating to the Company’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill, the Company agreed, subject to certain conditions, to provide Weyerhaeuser with certain products and services, including steam and security on a temporary basis and use of access road, access to exercise facilities, storeroom data, office space for third party first aid provider, fire water pump station, stormwater handling services and effluent, landfill and waste handling services on a perpetual basis, in each case at an agreed upon price. Weyerhaeuser retained an undivided interest in certain facilities at Plymouth allowing Weyerhaeuser to transmit electricity,

 

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telecommunications and other utilities for use at Weyerhaeuser’s sawmill on a perpetual basis, at no additional charge. In addition, pursuant to the site services agreements, Weyerhaeuser agreed to maintain the border ditch and certain steam lines on a perpetual basis, at no additional charge. Weyerhaeuser also agreed to provide the Company electricity for use at the mill under Weyerhaeuser’s contract with a third party supplier on a temporary basis.

The site services agreements relating to the Plymouth, North Carolina mill will terminate when the terms of the services have expired or otherwise been terminated.

Kamloops, British Columbia Mill

Pursuant to a site services agreement relating to the Company’s Kamloops, British Columbia mill, Weyerhaeuser agreed to allow the Company to use Weyerhaeuser’s weigh scales in exchange for access to the Company’s gravel pit for an indefinite period of time. Weyerhaeuser also agreed to provide the Company with required leases and rights-of-way upon the governmental approval of the division of the site and to convey ownership of the Arrow Transport real property in exchange for a future 20 acre landfill site and access to such future site. In addition, the Company agreed to provide Weyerhaeuser use of the current landfill, haul road and the emergency exit route, in each case at an agreed upon price. Weyerhaeuser also has access to (and periodically reimburses the Company for) natural gas under the Company’s contract with a third party supplier.

The site services agreement relating to the Company’s Kamloops, British Columbia mill will terminate when the terms of the services have expired or otherwise been terminated.

 

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

In connection with the Acquisition Transactions, the Company and/or certain of its subsidiaries entered into various agreements with Weyerhaeuser. For a description of these agreements, see “The Company’s relationship with Weyerhaeuser after the Distribution.”

 

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DESCRIPTION OF THE DOMTAR CORP. C$ NOTES

The following description is a summary of the terms and provisions of each series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and the Indenture (defined below) governing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. It summarizes only those portions of the Indenture that we believe will be most important to your decision to vote in respect of the Amendments. You should keep in mind, however, that it is the Indenture, and not this summary, which will define your rights as a holder of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. There may be other provisions in the Indenture which are also important to you. You should read the Indenture and the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of each series for a full description of the terms of each series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. A copy of the Indenture is filed as an exhibit to the U.S. registration statement that includes this Circular. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information” for information on how to obtain copies of the Indenture. In addition, copies of the Indenture are available for inspection at the offices of Domtar Corporation at 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec. Upon request to the Secretary of Domtar Corporation, a copy of the Indenture will be sent to any holder of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures.

In this section, “we”, “us”, “our” and “Domtar” refer only to Domtar Corporation without any of its subsidiaries. Certain defined terms used in this description but not defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

General

Domtar will issue the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes under an indenture to be dated the Issue Date, by and among Domtar, the Subsidiary Guarantor and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the “ Trustee ”) (the “ Indenture ”). The Indenture does not limit the maximum aggregate principal amount of notes Domtar may issue thereunder. Domtar will issue up to an aggregate principal amount of CDN$156.913 million of notes in two series concurrently with the consummation of the U.S. exchange offers:

 

  (1) Up to CDN$82 million of 10% Domtar Corp. C$ Notes due 2011 (the “ 2011 Canadian Notes ”) will be issued as consideration for the outstanding 10% debentures due 2011 of Domtar Inc.; and

 

  (2) Up to CDN$74.913 million of 10.85% Domtar Corp. C$ Notes due 2017 (the “ 2017 Canadian Notes ”) will be issued as consideration for the outstanding 10.85% debentures due 2017 of Domtar Inc.

Domtar is concurrently offering to exchange the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes for an equal principal amount of the Domtar Corp. U.S. notes, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes tendered in exchange. In addition, in conjunction with the exchange offers, Domtar Inc. is soliciting consents from holders of each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes to certain proposed amendments to the indentures under which the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes were issued. The Domtar Corp. U.S. notes will also be issued under the Indenture.

The 2011 Canadian Notes and the 2017 Canadian Notes are separate series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, including for purposes of, among other things, payments of principal and interest, Events of Default and consents to amendments to the Indenture and the applicable Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. Each series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes issued under the Indenture will vote on and consent to all matters arising under the Indenture or the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes that affect such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes as a separate class.

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be issued in fully registered form without coupons attached in either global or definitive form and in denominations and integral multiples of CDN$1,000 unless otherwise provided with respect to a particular series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture, as supplemented by a supplemental indenture.

The terms of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes include those expressly set forth in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

 

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Terms of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

General

Principal and interest on each series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be payable in lawful money of Canada. Interest shall be calculated on an Actual/Actual (Canadian Compound Method), which means when calculating interest for a full semi-annual fixed rate interest period, the day count convention is 30 divided by 360 and when calculating interest for a period that is shorter than a full semi-annual fixed rate interest period, the day count convention is Actual divided by 365 (Fixed). On maturity or redemption of each series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, Domtar will repay the indebtedness represented by such Domtar Corp. C$ Notes by paying the Trustee in lawful money of Canada an amount equal to the principal amount of the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon to but excluding the date of maturity or redemption, as the case may be. The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be subject to redemption only in the circumstances and upon the terms described below under “Optional redemption.”

2011 Canadian Notes

The 2011 Canadian Notes will mature on April 15, 2011. The 2011 Canadian Notes will bear interest at the rate per annum of 10%, which will be payable semi-annually in arrears on April 15 and October 15 of each year, commencing on the first such date occurring after the Issue Date, to the persons in whose names the 2011 Canadian Notes are registered at the close of business on the preceding April 1 or October 1, as the case may be. Each 2011 Canadian Note will bear interest from the Issue Date.

2017 Canadian Notes

The 2017 Canadian Notes will mature on August 5, 2017. The 2017 Canadian Notes will bear interest at the rate per annum of 10.85%, which will be payable semi-annually in arrears on February 5 and August 5 of each year, commencing on the first such date occurring after the Issue Date, to the persons in whose names the 2017 Canadian Notes are registered at the close of business on the preceding February 1 or August 1, as the case may be. Each 2017 Canadian Note will bear interest from the Issue Date.

Ranking

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be our general unsecured, senior obligations and will rank equally with all of our existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated obligations. The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be senior in right of payment to all of our future subordinated indebtedness and will be effectively subordinated to all of our secured indebtedness, including our indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such secured indebtedness.

Similarly, the Subsidiary Guarantees of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be unsecured senior indebtedness of the applicable Subsidiary Guarantor and will rank equally with all of the existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantors. The Subsidiary Guarantees will be senior in right of payment to all of the future subordinated indebtedness of the Subsidiary Guarantors and will be effectively subordinated to all of the secured indebtedness of the Subsidiary Guarantors, including their guarantees in respect of indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such secured indebtedness.

All of our operations are conducted through our subsidiaries. Unless a subsidiary is a Subsidiary Guarantor, claims of creditors of such subsidiary, including trade creditors, generally will have priority with respect to the assets and earnings of such subsidiary over the claims of our creditors, including holders of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, therefore, will be structurally subordinated to creditors (including trade creditors) of our subsidiaries that are not Subsidiary Guarantors.

 

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In the event of bankruptcy, liquidation, reorganization or other winding up of us or our Subsidiary Guarantors, or upon a default in payment with respect to, or the acceleration of, any indebtedness under our Credit Agreement or other senior secured indebtedness, our assets and the assets of the Subsidiary Guarantors that secure such senior secured indebtedness will be available to pay obligations on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees only after all indebtedness under such Credit Agreement and other senior secured indebtedness has been repaid in full from such assets. We advise you that there may not be sufficient assets remaining to pay amounts due on any or all the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

At July 1, 2007, assuming that Domtar Corp. had completed the U.S. exchange offers and that the entire outstanding principal amount of each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes had been exchanged and the entire outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures had been acquired pursuant to the Canadian proxy solicitations and assuming that Domtar Paper Company, LLC is the only guarantor:

 

  ·  

Domtar Corp. and Domtar Paper Company, LLC would have had outstanding approximately $2,422 million of indebtedness, $720 million of which would have been secured senior indebtedness, consisting of borrowings under the Credit Agreement, $38 million of which would have been owing under capital leases and $1,664 million of which would have been unsecured senior indebtedness, consisting of Domtar Corp. debt securities; and

 

  ·  

Domtar Corp.’s non-guarantor subsidiaries would have had approximately $22 million of indebtedness, $12 million for which would have been outstanding to third parties, and $10 million outstanding under capital leases.

In addition, as of July 1, 2007, assuming that Domtar had completed the exchange offers and that the entire outstanding principal amount of each series of Domtar Inc. U.S. notes had been exchanged and the entire outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures had been acquired pursuant to the Canadian proxy solicitations, we would have had $701 million (after giving effect to approximately $49 million of outstanding letters of credit) of unutilized capacity under our senior secured revolving credit facility.

The Indenture will not limit us or our subsidiaries from incurring additional indebtedness (other than secured indebtedness) under the Indenture or any other agreement that we may have entered into or enter into in the future.

Listing of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

Optional redemption

Each series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be redeemable, in whole or in part, at our option at any time. We may redeem the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of any series in part only in the amount of CDN$1,000 or integral multiples of CDN$1,000 in excess thereof and may provide for the selection for redemption of portions of the principal of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of a denomination larger than CDN$1,000. The redemption price (the “ Redemption Price ”) for each series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes is equal to the greater of:

 

  (1) 100% of the principal amount of such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, and

 

  (2) the price of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes calculated to provide a yield to maturity equal to the Government of Canada Yield plus 50 basis points on the business day preceding the date of the resolution authorizing the redemption or, if such price is being calculated for the purpose of optional purchases as described below, on the business day preceding the date of purchase,

plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the date fixed for redemption.

We will mail notice of redemption of any series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to the holders of such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes at their

 

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registered address. Unless we default in payment of the redemption price, on and after the redemption date, interest will cease to accrue on such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes or the portions thereof called for redemption. Where less than all of the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of a series are to be redeemed, the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series will be selected by the Trustee in such manner as it shall deem fair and appropriate.

Government of Canada Yield ” on any date shall mean the yield to maturity on such date compounded semi-annually which a non-callable Government of Canada bond would carry if issued, in Canadian dollars in Canada, at 100% of its principal amount on such date with a term to maturity equal to the remaining term to maturity of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. The Government of Canada Yield will be provided by two investment dealers as the Company may determine from time to time and as may be acceptable to the Trustee.

In addition, at any time when Domtar is not in default under the Indenture, Domtar may purchase for cancellation all or any Domtar Corp. C$ Notes in the market or by tender or by private contract, provided that the prices at which such Domtar Corp. C$ Notes may be purchased do not exceed the Redemption Price (including accrued interest) at which such notes could, at the time of purchase, be redeemed by Domtar at its option, plus the costs of purchase.

If at any time and for so long as any Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of a series are listed on the official list of any stock exchange, and to the extent required by the stock exchange on which such Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are listed, we will notify such stock exchange of any such notice of redemption. In addition, we will notify the stock exchange on which such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are listed of the principal amount outstanding following any partial redemption of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series.

Purchase Fund

Domtar will make all reasonable efforts to purchase for cancellation in the open market during each three-month period CDN$1,125,000 principal amount of the 2011 Canadian Notes and CDN$800,000 principal amount of the 2017 Canadian Notes, at prices not exceeding par plus accrued interest and unpaid interest and costs of purchase.

If in any three-month period, Domtar is unable to purchase such principal amount of the 2011 Canadian Notes and the 2017 Canadian Notes for any reason, including the fact that the 2011 Canadian Notes and 2017 Canadian Notes did not trade below par, such purchase fund obligation for such period, to the extent unfulfilled, will be carried forward for the succeeding seven three-month periods and will thereafter be extinguished.

The 2011 Canadian Notes and the 2017 Canadian Notes which Domtar is obligated to purchase during any three-month period will be reduced by the aggregate principal amount of the 2011 Canadian Notes and the 2017 Canadian Notes redeemed or purchased by Domtar in the same three month-period otherwise than pursuant to these provisions.

Subsidiary Guarantors

On the Issue Date, each of Domtar’s direct and indirect U.S. Subsidiaries that guarantee indebtedness of Domtar or any of its subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement (other than U.S. Subsidiaries of Domtar Inc.) will jointly and severally, fully and unconditionally guarantee Domtar’s obligations under the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and all obligations under the Indenture on a senior unsecured basis. Such Subsidiary Guarantors will agree to pay, in addition to the obligations under the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and the Indenture, any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable counsel fees and expenses) incurred by the Trustee or the holders in enforcing any rights under the Subsidiary Guarantees.

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be structurally subordinated to creditors (including trade creditors) of our subsidiaries that are not Subsidiary Guarantors. On the Issue Date, Domtar Paper Company, LLC will be the only

 

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Subsidiary Guarantor. For the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007, our subsidiaries that are not Subsidiary Guarantors collectively represented approximately 67% of our sales, 6% of our operating income and 17% of our cash flows from operating activities. At July 1, 2007, our subsidiaries that are not Subsidiary Guarantors collectively represented approximately 62% of our total assets and had approximately 61% of outstanding total liabilities, including trade payables, but excluding intercompany liabilities, all of which would have been structurally senior to the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

The obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantors under the Subsidiary Guarantees will rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of such Subsidiary Guarantors, and will be effectively subordinated to all of such Subsidiary Guarantors’ secured indebtedness, including their guarantees in respect of indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such secured indebtedness.

As of July 1, 2007, outstanding indebtedness of the Subsidiary Guarantor was $38 million (excluding intercompany liabilities and guarantees under the Credit Agreement and the Indenture), all of which represented capitalized leases.

The obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee will be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Subsidiary Guarantor (including, without limitation, any guarantees under the Credit Agreement) and after giving effect to any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee or pursuant to its contribution obligations under the Indenture, result in the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under federal or state law.

In the event a Subsidiary Guarantor is sold, conveyed, assigned or otherwise disposed of (whether by merger, consolidation, the sale of its capital stock or the sale of all or substantially all of its assets (other than by lease)) and whether or not the Subsidiary Guarantor is the surviving corporation in such transaction to a Person which is not us or a Restricted Subsidiary of us, such Subsidiary Guarantor will be automatically released from its obligations under the Indenture and its Subsidiary Guarantee if:

 

  (1) the sale or other disposition is in compliance with the Indenture, including the covenant “Certain covenants – Consolidation, merger and sale of assets;” and

 

  (2) all the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under our Credit Agreement and related documentation and under any other agreements relating to any other indebtedness of us terminate upon consummation of such transaction.

In the event that a Subsidiary Guarantor is released and discharged in full from all of its obligations under its guarantees of the Credit Agreement (including by reason of the termination of the Credit Agreement) and all other indebtedness of us (except in each case a release or discharge by or as a result of payment under such guarantee), then such Subsidiary Guarantor will be released from its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee as specified under the covenant “Future subsidiary guarantors.”

In addition, a Subsidiary Guarantor will be released from its obligations under the Indenture and its Subsidiary Guarantee in connection with any legal defeasance of the applicable Domtar Corp. C$ Notes or upon satisfaction and discharge of the Indenture, each in accordance with the terms of the Indenture.

Change of Control

If a Change of Control occurs, unless we have exercised our right to redeem all of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes as described under “Optional redemption,” each holder will have the right to require us to repurchase all or any part (equal to CDN$1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of such holder’s Domtar Corp. C$ Notes at a

 

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purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding the date of purchase (subject to the right of holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date).

Within 30 days following any Change of Control, unless we have exercised our right to redeem all of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes as described under “Optional redemption,” we will mail a notice (the “Change of Control Offer”) to each holder, with a copy to the Trustee, stating:

 

  (1) that a Change of Control has occurred and that such holder has the right to require us to purchase such holder’s Domtar Corp. C$ Notes at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount of such Domtar Corp. C$ Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding the date of purchase (subject to the right of holders of record on a record date to receive interest on the relevant interest payment date) (the “Change of Control Payment”);

 

  (2) the repurchase date (which shall be no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed) (the “Change of Control Payment Date”); and

 

  (3) the procedures determined by us, consistent with the Indenture, that a holder must follow in order to have its Domtar Corp. C$ Notes repurchased.

On the Change of Control Payment Date, we will, to the extent lawful:

 

  (1) accept for payment all Domtar Corp. C$ Notes or portions of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes (in integral multiples of CDN$1,000) properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;

 

  (2) deposit with the paying agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Domtar Corp. C$ Notes or portions of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes so tendered; and

 

  (3) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes so accepted together with an Officers’ Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes or portions of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes being purchased by us.

The paying agent will promptly mail to each holder of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes so tendered the Change of Control Payment for such Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. With respect to the unpurchased portion of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes so tendered of any series (if any), the Trustee will promptly authenticate and mail (or cause to be transferred by book entry) to each holder a new Domtar Corp. C$ Note equal in principal amount to such unpurchased portion of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes surrendered; provided that each such new Domtar Corp. C$ Note will be in a principal amount of CDN$1,000 or an integral multiple thereof.

If the Change of Control Payment Date is on or after an interest record date and on or before the related interest payment date, any accrued and unpaid interest, if any, will be paid to the Person in whose name a Domtar Corp. C$ Note is registered at the close of business on such record date, and no additional interest will be payable to holders who tender pursuant to the Change of Control Offer.

The Change of Control provisions described above will be applicable whether or not any other provisions of the Indenture are applicable. Except as described above with respect to a Change of Control, the Indenture does not contain provisions that permit the holders to require us to repurchase or redeem the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes in the event of a takeover, recapitalization or similar transaction.

Prior to mailing a Change of Control Offer, and as a condition to such mailing, (i) the requisite holders of each issue of indebtedness issued under an indenture or other agreement that may be violated by such payment shall have consented to such Change of Control Offer being made and waived the event of default, if any, caused by the Change of Control or (ii) we will repay all outstanding indebtedness issued under an indenture or other agreement that may be violated by a payment to the holders of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes under a Change of Control Offer or we must offer to repay all such indebtedness, and make payment to the holders of such

 

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indebtedness that accept such offer, and obtain waivers of any event of default from the remaining holders of such indebtedness. We covenant to effect such repayment or obtain such consent within 30 days following any Change of Control, it being a default of the Change of Control provision of the Indenture if we fail to comply with such covenant. A default under the Indenture with respect to any series of Domtar Corp. debt securities could result in a cross-default under the Credit Agreement and with respect to other series of Domtar Corp. debt securities.

We will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon a Change of Control if a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth in the Indenture applicable to a Change of Control Offer made by us and purchases all Domtar Corp. C$ Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn under such Change of Control Offer.

We will comply, to the extent applicable, with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws or regulations in connection with the repurchase of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes pursuant to this covenant. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with provisions of the Indenture, we will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached our obligations described in the Indenture by virtue of the conflict.

Our ability to repurchase Domtar Corp. C$ Notes pursuant to a Change of Control Offer may be limited by a number of factors. The occurrence of certain of the events that constitute a Change of Control would constitute a default under the Credit Agreement. In addition, certain events that may constitute a change of control under the Credit Agreement and cause a default under that agreement may not constitute a Change of Control under the Indenture. The future indebtedness of us and our subsidiaries may also contain prohibitions of certain events that would constitute a Change of Control or require such indebtedness to be repurchased upon a Change of Control. Moreover, the exercise by the holders of their right to require us to repurchase the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes could cause a default under such indebtedness, even if the Change of Control itself does not, due to the financial effect of such repurchase on us. Finally, our ability to pay cash to the holders upon a repurchase may be limited by our then existing financial resources. There can be no assurance that sufficient funds will be available when necessary to make any required repurchases.

Even if sufficient funds were otherwise available, the terms of the Credit Agreement will, and future indebtedness may, prohibit us from purchasing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes before their scheduled maturity. Consequently, if we are not able to prepay the Credit Agreement and any such other indebtedness containing similar restrictions or obtain requisite consents, as described above, we will be unable to fulfill our repurchase obligations if holders of any series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes exercise their repurchase rights following a Change of Control, resulting in a default under the Indenture. A default under the Indenture with respect to any series of Domtar Corp. debt securities could result in a cross-default under the Credit Agreement and with respect to other series of Domtar Corp. debt securities.

The Change of Control provisions described above may deter certain mergers, tender offers and other takeover attempts involving us by increasing the capital required to effectuate such transactions. The definition of “Change of Control” includes a disposition of all or substantially all of the property and assets of Domtar and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any Person. Although there is a limited body of case law interpreting the phrase “substantially all,” there is no precise established definition of the phrase under applicable law. Accordingly, in certain circumstances, there may be a degree of uncertainty as to whether a particular transaction would involve a disposition of “all or substantially all” of the property or assets of a Person. As a result, it may be unclear as to whether a Change of Control has occurred and whether a holder of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes may require us to make an offer to repurchase the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes as described above.

 

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Certain covenants

Consolidation, merger and sale of assets

We will not consolidate with or merge with or into any other Person or convey, transfer or lease our properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, and we will not permit any Person to consolidate with or merge with or into us, unless:

 

  ·  

we will be the surviving company in any merger or consolidation, or, if we consolidate with or merge into another Person or convey or transfer or lease our properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, the successor person is an entity organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and the successor entity expressly assumes our obligations relating to the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes,

 

  ·  

each Subsidiary Guarantor (unless it is the other party to the transactions above) shall have by supplemental indenture confirmed that its Subsidiary Guarantee shall apply to such successor Person’s obligations in respect of the Indenture and the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes,

 

  ·  

immediately after giving effect to the consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease, there exists no Default or Event of Default, and

 

  ·  

other conditions, including the delivery of an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, described in the Indenture are met.

This covenant would not apply to the direct or indirect conveyance, transfer or lease of all or any portion of the stock, assets or liabilities of any of our wholly owned subsidiaries to us or to our other wholly owned subsidiaries. Subject to the foregoing sentence, any debt which becomes an obligation of ours or any subsidiary as a result of any transaction described by this covenant shall be treated as having been incurred by us or such subsidiary at the time of such transaction.

For purposes of this covenant, the sale, lease, conveyance, assignment, transfer, or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of one or more of our subsidiaries, which properties and assets, if held by us instead of such subsidiaries, would constitute all or substantially all of the properties and assets of us on a consolidated basis, shall be deemed to be the transfer of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of us.

The predecessor person will be released from its obligations under the Indenture and the successor person will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, us under the Indenture, but, in the case of a lease of all or substantially all its assets, the predecessor person will not be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

Although there is a limited body of case law interpreting the phrase “substantially all,” there is no precise established definition of the phrase under applicable law. Accordingly, in certain circumstances there may be a degree of uncertainty as to whether a particular transaction would involve “all or substantially all” of the property or assets of a person. As a result, it may be unclear as to whether a sale of substantially all of our assets in breach of this covenant has occurred and whether a holder of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes would have any applicable rights under the Indenture.

Limitation on liens

With certain exceptions set forth below, the Indenture will provide that neither we nor our Restricted Subsidiaries may create, incur, assume or otherwise have outstanding any Mortgage, upon any Principal Property belonging to us or to any of our Restricted Subsidiaries or upon the shares of capital stock or debt of any of our Restricted Subsidiaries, whether such Principal Property, shares or debt are owned by us or our Restricted Subsidiaries on the date of the Indenture or acquired in the future, to secure any debt of ours or any of our Restricted Subsidiaries.

 

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The Indenture will permit us to create, incur, assume or otherwise have outstanding such Mortgage if we provide that the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be secured by a Mortgage equally and ratably with or in priority to the new secured debt, so long as such new secured debt shall be so secured. In this event, we may also provide that any of our other debt, including indebtedness guaranteed by us or by any of our Restricted Subsidiaries, will be secured equally with or in priority to the new secured debt. In addition, the Indenture will provide that the restriction on creating, incurring, assuming or permitting any Mortgage will not apply to:

 

  (1) Mortgages securing indebtedness and other obligations of Domtar or the Restricted Subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed US$1,550 million less the aggregate principal amount of all mandatory prepayments of principal thereof permanently reducing the commitments thereunder;

 

  (2) Mortgages in favor of us or any wholly-owned Restricted Subsidiary;

 

  (3) any Mortgage to secure a Purchase Money Obligation, so long as the Mortgage does not apply to other property owned by us or any Restricted Subsidiary at the time of the commencement of the construction or improvement of, or immediately prior to the consummation of the acquisition of, the property that is subject to the Purchase Money Obligation;

 

  (4) Mortgages existing upon any property or asset of a company which is merged with or into, amalgamated with, or is consolidated into, or substantially all the assets or shares of capital stock of which are acquired by, us or any of our Restricted Subsidiaries, at the time of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or acquisition, so long as any such Mortgage (1) does not extend to any other property or asset, other than improvements to the property or asset subject to such Mortgage and (2) was not created in anticipation of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or acquisition;

 

  (5) Mortgages securing obligations issued by Canada or any province or territory thereof; the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia or any territory or possession of the United States of America, or any political subdivision, agency or authority of any of the foregoing, to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of property subject to such Mortgages, including, among other things, Mortgages incurred in connection with pollution control, industrial revenue or similar financings;

 

  (6) any Mortgage required to be given or granted by any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any trust deed or similar document entered into by such Restricted Subsidiary prior to the date on which it became a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

  (7) Mortgages existing as of the date of the Indenture, except that the creating, incurring, assuming or permitting of Mortgages securing obligations of Domtar and its Restricted Subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement shall be deemed so created, incurred, assumed or permitted on the date of the Indenture under clause (1);

 

  (8) extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements of any Mortgage referred to in the preceding clauses (2) through (7); provided, however, that the principal amount of indebtedness secured thereby shall not exceed the principal amount of indebtedness so secured at the time of such extension, renewal, alteration or replacement and provided, further, however, that such extension, renewal, alteration or replacement shall be limited to all or a part of the property or other assets which secured the Mortgage so extended, renewed, altered or replaced (plus improvements on such property or other assets); and

 

  (9) a Mortgage (including successive extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements thereof) not excepted by clauses (1) through (8), provided , that after giving effect thereto, Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of Domtar.

Limitation on sale and leaseback transactions

The Indenture also restricts transactions by us or any of our Restricted Subsidiaries with any Person (other than us or a Restricted Subsidiary) providing for the leasing by us or any Restricted Subsidiary of any of our or

 

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their Principal Property or any property which together with any other property subject to the same transaction or series of related transactions would in the aggregate constitute a Principal Property, except for leases which will not exceed three years, including renewals, which property has been or is to be sold or transferred by us or any Restricted Subsidiary to such Person (other than us or a Restricted Subsidiary) more than six months after the acquisition, completion of construction, or commencement of operations of such property, with the intention of taking back a lease of such property (“sale and leaseback transaction”), unless the net proceeds of the sale or transfer of the property to be leased are at least equal to the fair market value of such property and unless:

 

  (1) the Indenture would have allowed us or any of our Restricted Subsidiaries to create a Mortgage on such property to secure debt in an amount at least equal to the Attributable Obligation in respect of such sale and leaseback transaction without securing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes pursuant to the terms of the covenant described under “– Limitation on liens” above; or

 

  (2) within 180 days, we or any Restricted Subsidiary applies an amount equal to the net proceeds of such sale or transfer to:

 

  a. the voluntary retirement of Funded Debt of us or our Restricted Subsidiaries which is senior to or ranks equally with the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes in right of payment and owing to a Person other than us or any Affiliate of us; or

 

  b. the purchase of additional property, facilities or equipment that will constitute or form a part of Principal Property, and which has a fair market value at least equal to the net proceeds of such sale or transfer.

 

  (3) Notwithstanding the provisions of clauses (1) and (2) above, we and our Restricted Subsidiaries may enter into a sale and leaseback transaction in addition to those permitted by clauses (1) and (2) above, and without any obligation to retire Funded Debt or to acquire property, facilities or equipment, provided at the time of entering into such sale and leaseback transaction and after giving effect thereto, Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of Domtar.

Future subsidiary guarantors

We will cause each U.S. Subsidiary that guarantees, on the Issue Date or any time thereafter, any indebtedness of us or any of our subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement or any other indebtedness of us to execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to which such U.S. Subsidiary will unconditionally guarantee, on a joint and several basis, the full and prompt payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest in respect of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes on a senior basis and all other obligations under the Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event a Subsidiary Guarantor is released and discharged in full from all of its obligations under its guarantees of (1) the Credit Agreement (including by reason of the termination of the Credit Agreement) and (2) all other indebtedness of us (except in each case a release or discharge by or as a result of payment under such guarantee), then the Subsidiary Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor shall be automatically and unconditionally released or discharged. For purposes of this covenant, “U.S. Subsidiary” means any subsidiary organized or existing under the laws of the United States of America or any state or territory thereof or the District of Columbia other than subsidiaries owned directly or indirectly by non-U.S. Subsidiaries. Neither this covenant nor any other provisions of the Indenture will limit the incurrence of indebtedness by our subsidiaries or the issuance of guarantees of indebtedness by our subsidiaries, except as set forth in this paragraph, and any such indebtedness or guarantees could be effectively senior to the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

The obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor will be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Subsidiary Guarantor (including, without limitation, any guarantees under the Credit Agreement) and after giving effect to any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Subsidiary Guarantor

 

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under its Subsidiary Guarantee or pursuant to its contribution obligations under the Indenture, result in the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under federal or state law.

Each future Subsidiary Guarantee shall also be released in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture described under “Subsidiary guarantees.”

In the event that a U.S. Subsidiary becomes a Subsidiary Guarantor at a time when any Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of a series are listed on the official list of any stock exchange, we will, to the extent required by the rules of the stock exchange on which such Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are listed, notify and deposit a copy of the new supplemental indenture executed by such U.S. Subsidiary with such stock exchange.

SEC reports

We will:

 

  (1) file with the Trustee, within 15 days after we are required to file the same with the SEC, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) which we may be required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

 

  (2) file with the Trustee and the SEC, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the SEC, such additional information, documents and reports with respect to compliance by us with the conditions and covenants of the Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and regulations;

 

  (3) notwithstanding that we may not be required to remain subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or otherwise report on an annual and quarterly basis on forms provided for such annual and quarterly reporting pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, continue to file with the SEC and provide the Trustee the information that is specified under Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act within the time period specified therein or in such relevant forms; and

 

  (4) transmit by mail, to all holders of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, as their names and addresses appear in the security register, within 30 days after the filing thereof with the Trustee, such summaries of any information, documents and reports required to be filed by us pursuant to clauses (1), (2) and (3) of this paragraph as may be required by rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the SEC.

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such reports shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including our compliance with any of our covenants in the Indenture (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).

Events of default

Under the terms of the Indenture, each of the following constitutes an Event of Default for a series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes:

 

  (1) default for 30 days in the payment of any interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series when due;

 

  (2) default in the payment of principal, or premium, if any, on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series when due;

 

  (3) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty in the Indenture with respect to the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series for 60 days after written notice, as provided below;

 

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  (4) the Subsidiary Guarantee of a Significant Subsidiary ceases to be in full force and effect except as otherwise permitted under the Indenture or is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding or is disaffirmed by the Subsidiary Guarantor;

 

  (5) certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization;

 

  (6) default under any Mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any indebtedness for money borrowed by Domtar or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is guaranteed by Domtar or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries), other than indebtedness owed to Domtar or a Restricted Subsidiary, whether such indebtedness or guarantee now exists, or is created after the Issue Date, which default (a) is caused by a failure to pay principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on such indebtedness prior to the expiration of the grace period provided in such indebtedness (“payment default”) or (b) results in the acceleration of such indebtedness prior to its maturity (“cross acceleration provision”) and, in each case, the principal amount of any such indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such indebtedness under which there has been a payment default or the maturity of which has been so accelerated aggregates $80 million (or its equivalent in other currencies) or more; and

 

  (7) the taking or entering against Domtar or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of a judgment or decree for the payment of money in excess of $80 million (or its equivalent in other currencies) in the aggregate, if Domtar or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, fails to file an appeal therefrom within the applicable appeal period or, if Domtar or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, does file an appeal therefrom within such period, such judgment or decree is not within a period of 60 days from the date thereof, and does not remain, vacated, discharged or stayed.

However, a default under clause (3) of this paragraph will not constitute an Event of Default for a series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes until the Trustee or the holders of 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series notify Domtar of the default and Domtar does not cure such default within the time specified in clause (3) of this paragraph after receipt of such notice.

We are required to furnish the Trustee annually with an Officers’ Certificate as to the fulfillment of our obligations under the Indenture.

The Indenture provides that if a Default occurs with respect to a series Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, the Trustee must mail to each holder of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series notice of the Default within 90 days after it occurs; provided, however, that in the case of a Default specified in clause (3) of the first paragraph above with respect to such Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, no such notice shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof. The Indenture provides that the Trustee may withhold notice to you of any Default, except in respect of the payment of principal or interest on the applicable series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, if it considers it in the interests of the holders of such Domtar Corp. C$ Notes to do so.

Effect of an event of default

If an Event of Default exists (other than an Event of Default in the case of certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) with respect to any series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, the Trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series may declare the principal amount, or, if such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are original issue discount securities, the portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series, of premium, if any, and accrued but unpaid interest and any other monetary obligations on, the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of that series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to us, and to the Trustee if given by holders. Upon that

 

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declaration, the principal (or specified) amount, premium and interest will become immediately due and payable. However, at any time after a declaration of acceleration has been made with respect to a series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained, the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of such series may, subject to conditions specified in the Indenture, rescind and annul that declaration and its consequences.

In the event of a declaration of acceleration of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes because an Event of Default described in clause (6) under “Events of default” has occurred and is continuing, the declaration of acceleration of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes shall be automatically annulled if the default triggering such Event of Default pursuant to clause (6) shall be remedied or cured by Domtar or a Restricted Subsidiary or waived by the holders of the relevant indebtedness within 20 days after the declaration of acceleration with respect thereto and if (1) the annulment of the acceleration of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction and (2) all existing Events of Default, except nonpayment of principal, premium or interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes that became due solely because of the acceleration of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, have been cured or waived.

If an Event of Default in the case of certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization exists with respect to a particular series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, the principal (or specified) amount, premium, if any, accrued but unpaid interest and any other monetary obligation of all of the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series shall automatically, and without any declaration or other action on the part of the Trustee or any holder of such outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, become immediately due and payable.

Subject to the provisions of the Indenture relating to the duties of the Trustee, if an Event of Default then exists with respect to a particular series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, the Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the Indenture (other than the payment of any amounts on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes furnished to it pursuant to the Indenture) at your (or any other person’s) request, order or direction, unless you have (or such other person has) offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity. Subject to the provisions for the security or indemnification of the Trustee, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of a series of outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee in connection with the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of that series.

Legal proceedings and enforcement of right to payment

Unless you have previously given to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of a particular series, you will not have any right to institute any proceeding for such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes in connection with the Indenture or for any remedy under the Indenture. In addition, the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of such series of the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes must have made a written request, and offered reasonable security or indemnity, to the Trustee to institute that proceeding as Trustee, and, within 60 days following the receipt of such notice, the Trustee must not have received from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of that series a direction inconsistent with that request, and the Trustee must have failed to institute a proceeding within such 60 day period. However, you will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes on or after the due dates expressed in the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the redemption date) and to institute a suit for the enforcement of that payment.

Modification of the indenture

With respect to the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of any series, we, the Subsidiary Guarantors, and the Trustee may, without the consent of any holders of such series, enter into supplemental indentures that amend, waive or supplement the terms of the Indenture, the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series and the Subsidiary Guarantees

 

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thereof for specified purposes. The purposes for which the Indenture, the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series and the Subsidiary Guarantees thereof can be amended without the consent of any holders of such series include:

 

  ·  

to evidence the succession of another Person to us or any Subsidiary Guarantor under the Indenture, the applicable series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes issued under the Indenture and the Subsidiary Guarantees;

 

  ·  

to add guarantees with respect to the applicable series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes or release a Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee or the Indenture in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Indenture;

 

  ·  

to convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any property to or with the Trustee;

 

  ·  

to surrender any right or power the Indenture may confer on us;

 

  ·  

to add to the covenants made in the Indenture for the benefit of the holders of all Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series issued under the Indenture;

 

  ·  

to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series;

 

  ·  

to add any additional Events of Default;

 

  ·  

to secure the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series issued under the Indenture;

 

  ·  

to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment by an additional or successor trustee with respect to the applicable series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes;

 

  ·  

to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the Indenture or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the Indenture as the Company and the Trustee may deem necessary and desirable, so long as the rights of any holder of the applicable series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are not adversely affected in any material respect;

 

  ·  

to comply with the SEC in connection with the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;

 

  ·  

to conform the text of the Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantees or the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series to any provision of this “Description of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes” to the extent that such provision in this “Description of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes” was intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision of the Indenture, Subsidiary Guarantee or such Domtar Corp. C$ Notes; or

 

  ·  

to maintain the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act or other applicable law.

We and the Trustee may modify and amend any of the Indenture, the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of a particular series and the Subsidiary Guarantees thereof with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes). However, no modification or amendment may, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Note of the applicable series:

 

  ·  

change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest payable on, the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series;

 

  ·  

reduce the principal amount of, or the rate of interest on, any outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series or the premium, if any, payable upon the redemption thereof, or the amount of principal of an original issue discount Canadian Note, that would be due and payable upon redemption of such Canadian Note or would be provable in bankruptcy, or adversely affect any right of repayment of the holder of the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series;

 

  ·  

reduce the premium payable upon the repurchase of any Canadian Note or change the time at which any Canadian Note may be repurchased as described above under “Change of control,” whether through an amendment or waiver of provisions in the covenants, definitions or otherwise (except amendments to the definition of “Change of Control”);

 

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  ·  

reduce the amount of principal of such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof;

 

  ·  

change the place of payment or the coin or currency in which the principal of or premium, if any, or the interest on the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series is payable;

 

  ·  

impair your right to receive payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series on or after the due dates therefor or your right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series;

 

  ·  

modify the Subsidiary Guarantees in any manner adverse to the holders of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes;

 

  ·  

reduce the percentage of the holders of outstanding debt securities necessary to modify or amend the Indenture, to waive compliance with any provision of the Indenture or certain defaults and consequences of the defaults or to reduce the quorum or voting requirements set forth in the Indenture; or

 

  ·  

modify any of these provisions or any of the provisions relating to the waiver of certain past defaults or provisions of the Indenture, except to increase the required percentage to effect such action or to provide that certain other provisions may not be modified or waived without the consent of all of the holders of such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

The holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of any series may, on behalf of the holders of all the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of that series, waive (including, without limitation, by consent obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes) compliance by us with any provision of the Indenture. The holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of any series may, on behalf of the holders of all the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of that series, waive (including, without limitation, by consent obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes) past defaults by us under certain covenants of the Indenture which relate to that series. However, a default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of that series or relating to a provision which under the Indenture cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Note of that series affected cannot be so waived.

Defeasance and covenant defeasance

The Indenture provides that we may discharge all of our obligations, other than as to transfers and exchanges and certain other specified obligations, under the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series at any time (“defeasance”). If the Company exercises its defeasance option, the Subsidiary Guarantees in effect at such time will terminate. The Indenture also provides that we may be released from our obligations described above under “Limitation on liens,” “Limitation on sale and leaseback transactions” and “Future subsidiary guarantors” and certain aspects of our obligations described above under “Consolidation, merger and sale of assets,” and from certain other obligations, and elect not to comply with those sections and obligations without creating an Event of Default and that we may terminate the operation of the cross-default upon a payment default, cross acceleration provisions and the Subsidiary Guarantor provision in “Events of default” (“covenant defeasance”).

With respect to a particular series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, defeasance and covenant defeasance may be effected to the Indenture only if, among other things:

 

  ·  

we irrevocably deposit with the Trustee money or Canadian government obligations or a combination thereof, as trust funds in an amount certified to be sufficient to pay on each date that they become due and payable, the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on all outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series;

 

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  ·  

we deliver to the Trustee an opinion of counsel in the United States to the effect that:

 

  ·  

the holders of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the defeasance or covenant defeasance; and

 

  ·  

the defeasance or covenant defeasance will not otherwise alter those holders’ United States federal income tax treatment of principal and interest payments on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series;

in the case of defeasance, this opinion must be based on a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or a change in United States federal income tax law occurring after the date of the Indenture;

 

  ·  

we deliver to the Trustee an opinion of counsel in Canada to the effect that:

 

  ·  

the holders of the debt securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Canadian federal or provincial income or other tax purposes as a result of such defeasance or covenant defeasance; and

 

  ·  

the defeasance or covenant defeasance will not otherwise alter those holders’ Canadian federal income tax treatment of principal and interest payments on the debt securities of such series;

which opinion must be based an a ruling of the Canada Revenue Agency or a change in Canadian income tax law occurring after the date of the Indenture; and

 

  ·  

no Default or Event of Default under the Indenture has occurred and is continuing;

 

  ·  

we are not “insolvent” within the meaning of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or applicable state law on the date of such deposit or at any time during the period ended on the 91st day following such deposit;

 

  ·  

such defeasance or covenant defeasance does not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any indenture or other agreement or instrument for borrowed money to which we are a party or by which we are bound;

 

  ·  

such defeasance or covenant defeasance does not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 unless such trust shall be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or exempt from registration thereunder;

 

  ·  

we deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such defeasance or covenant defeasance have been complied with; and

 

  ·  

other conditions specified in the Indenture have been met.

Satisfaction and discharge

The Indenture provides that when, among other things, all the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series not previously delivered to the Trustee for cancellation:

 

  ·  

have become due and payable, or

 

  ·  

will become due and payable at their stated maturity within one year, or

 

  ·  

are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in our name and at our expense,

and we or a Subsidiary Guarantor deposits or causes to be deposited with the Trustee, in trust, an amount of money or Canadian government obligations, or a combination thereof (such amount to the certified in the case of

 

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Canadian government obligations) sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes not previously delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for the principal and premium, if any, and interest to the date of the deposit or to the stated maturity or redemption, as the case may be, then the Indenture will cease to be of further effect, and we will be deemed to have satisfied and discharged the Indenture. However, we will continue to be obligated to pay all other sums due under the Indenture and to provide the Officers’ Certificates and Opinions of Counsel described in the Indenture.

Transfer, Exchange and Registration Procedures

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be issued in fully registered form without coupons attached (“Definitive Notes”) in the name of the registered holder of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures which are being exchanged for Domtar Corp. C$ Notes or in such other name as the registered holder of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures may indicate in the applicable Letter of Transmittal.

Registered holders of Definitive Notes may transfer such notes by executing and delivering a form of transfer endorsed thereon fully executed together with the Definitive Notes to the Trustee for the notes at its principal office in the City of New York, in the City of Toronto or such other city or cities as may from time to time be designated by Domtar, whereupon new Definitive Notes will be issued in authorized denominations in the same aggregate principal amount as the Definitive Notes so transferred, registered in the name of the transferees. No transfer or exchange of any Definitive Debenture which have been selected or called for redemption will be registered. No service charge will be made for any transfer of the Definitive Notes, but Domtar may require a sum to cover any transfer tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith. Such transfer will be effected upon the Trustee being satisfied with the documents of title and the identity of the person making the request.

If Definitive Notes are issued, interest will be paid by cheque and sent by prepaid mail to the registered holder, by wire transfer or by such other means as may become customary for the payment of interest. If Definitive Notes are issued, payment of principal and interest due, at maturity or on a redemption date, will be paid upon surrender thereof at any office of the Trustee or as otherwise specified in the Indenture.

Payment and paying agents

We will pay principal of, premium, if any, and interest on your Domtar Corp. C$ Notes at the office of the Trustee in the City of New York, or at the office of an affiliate of the Trustee in the City of Toronto or at the office of any paying agent that we may designate. We may at any time designate additional paying agents or rescind the designation of any paying agent. We must maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

We will pay any interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes to the registered owner of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest, except in the case of defaulted interest.

Any moneys deposited with the Trustee or any paying agent, or then held by us in trust, for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on any Domtar Corp. C$ Notes that remain unclaimed for two years after the principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will, at our request, be repaid to us. After repayment to us, you are entitled to seek payment only from us as a general unsecured creditor.

Governing law

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes and the Indenture will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

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Information concerning the Trustee

The Trustee under the Indenture will have all the duties and responsibilities of an indenture trustee specified in the Trust Indenture Act. The Trustee is not required to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur financial liability in performing its duties or exercising its rights and powers if it reasonably believes that it is not reasonably assured of repayment or adequate indemnity.

The Bank of New York is the Trustee under the Indenture. The Trustee’s current address is 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, Attention: Global Finance Americas.

The Trustee under the Indenture acts as depositary for funds of, makes loans to, and/or performs other services for, us and our subsidiaries in the normal course of business.

Certain definitions

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person, directly or indirectly, controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

“Attributable Obligation” means, in respect of a sale and leaseback transaction, the present value (discounted at the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, if known, or at the rate of 10% if such implicit rate is not known) of the obligation of the lessee for the Net Rental Payments during the remaining term of the lease (including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended) entered into in connection therewith, such present value to be established as at the date as of which the amount of the payment is determined and in accordance with U.S. GAAP as in effect from time to time.

“Change of Control” means:

 

  (1) any “person” or “group” of related persons (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that such person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all shares that any such person or group has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time), directly or indirectly, of more than 40% of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of Domtar (or its successor by merger, consolidation or purchase of all or substantially all of its assets) (for the purposes of this clause, such person or group shall be deemed to beneficially own any Voting Stock of Domtar held by a parent entity, if such person or group “beneficially owns” (as defined above), directly or indirectly, more than 40% of the voting power of the Voting Stock of such parent entity); or

 

  (2) the first day on which a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of Domtar are not Continuing Directors; or

 

  (3) the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of Domtar and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act); or

 

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  (4) Domtar consolidates with, or merges with or into, any person, or any person consolidates with, or merges with or into, Domtar, in any such event pursuant to a transaction in which any of the outstanding Voting Stock of Domtar is converted into or exchanged for cash, securities or other property, other than any such transaction where the Voting Stock of Domtar outstanding immediately prior to such transaction is converted into or exchanged for Voting Stock of the surviving or transferee Person constituting a majority of the outstanding shares of such Voting Stock of such surviving or transferee person immediately after giving effect to such issuance; or

 

  (5) the adoption by the stockholders of Domtar of a plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of Domtar.

“Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” means, with respect to any Person, the total of all assets appearing on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of such Person, less the sum of the following amounts appearing on such consolidated balance sheet:

 

  ·  

amounts, if any, at which goodwill, trademarks, trade names, copyrights, patents and other similar intangible assets (other than timber licenses) and unamortized stock or debt commission, discount, expense and premium shall appear as assets,

 

  ·  

all amounts at which investments in Persons which are not being consolidated shall appear on such consolidated balance sheet as assets,

 

  ·  

the amount of all liabilities appearing on such consolidated balance sheet as current liabilities, and

 

  ·  

any minority interest appearing on such consolidated balance sheet,

all as determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with U.S. GAAP as in effect from time to time.

“Continuing Director” means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Board of Directors of Domtar who: (1) was a member of such Board of Directors on the Issue Date; or (2) was nominated for election or elected to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of such Board at the time of such nomination or election.

“Credit Agreement” means the Credit Agreement, dated as of March 7, 2007, among Domtar, Domtar Paper Company, LLC, Domtar Inc., the banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties thereto, Bank of America, N.A., Royal Bank of Canada and The Bank of Nova Scotia, as co-documentation agents, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., as syndication agent, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced or refinanced in whole or in part from time to time (and whether or not with the original administrative agent and lenders or another administrative agent or agents or other lenders and whether provided under the original Credit Agreement or any other credit or other agreement or indenture).

“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default with respect to the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of a series.

“Exempted Debt” means without duplication (a) all indebtedness of Domtar and its Restricted Subsidiaries which is secured by a Mortgage described in clause 9 under “Certain covenants – Limitation on liens” and (b) all Attributed Obligations in respect of sale and leaseback transactions, described in clause (3) under “Certain covenants – Limitation on sale and leaseback transactions.”

“Funded Debt” of any Person means any indebtedness, whether issued, assumed or guaranteed by any Person, maturing by its terms more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof or which is extendible or renewable at the sole option of the obligor in such manner that it may become payable more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof by such Person.

 

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“Issue Date,” for each series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, means the date on which such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are originally issued.

“Mortgage” means any mortgage, hypothec, privilege, pledge, security interest, floating charge or other similar lien or encumbrance.

“Net Rental Payments” under any lease for any period means the sum of the rental and other payments required to be paid in such period by the lessee thereunder, not including, however, any amounts required to be paid by such lessee (whether or not designated as rental or additional rental) on account of indemnities (other than any constituting basic rent) or maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates, utilities or similar charges required to be paid by such lessee thereunder or any amounts required to be paid by such lessee thereunder contingent upon the amount of sales, production or other measures of economic performance.

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by (i) the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice President, and (ii) the Treasurer, any Associate Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, of Domtar, and delivered to the Trustee. One of the officers signing the annual Officers’ Certificate provided to the Trustee shall be the principal executive, financial or accounting officer of Domtar.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel for (and an employee of) Domtar, and who shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, government or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.

“Principal Facility” means any mill, converting plant or manufacturing plant owned or leased at the date of the Indenture or acquired or leased by us or any subsidiary after such date and which is located within Canada or the United States, other than any mill or plant the fair market value of which as determined by our board of directors does not at the time exceed 1% of our Consolidated Net Tangible Assets.

“Principal Property” means, as the context may require, any real or immovable property forming part of or constituting any or all of the following: any Principal Facility or Timberlands.

“Purchase Money Obligation” means any indebtedness, whether or not secured, incurred in respect of the cost of acquisition of any property (including shares of capital stock or debt) or of the cost of construction or improvement of any property acquired, constructed or improved after the date of the Indenture, which indebtedness existed at the time of acquisition or was created, issued, incurred, assumed or guaranteed contemporaneously with the acquisition, construction or improvement or within 120 days after the completion thereof (or subsequently if created pursuant to a firm commitment financing arrangement obtained within such 120-day period, provided that the related indebtedness is created within 90 days after the expiration of such 120-day period) and includes any extension, renewal or refunding of any such indebtedness if the principal amount thereof outstanding on the date of such extension, renewal or refunding is not increased.

“Restricted Subsidiary” means (a) a subsidiary which, as at the end of our then most recently completed fiscal quarter, had Consolidated Net Tangible Assets representing 5% or more of our Consolidated Net Tangible Assets (including such subsidiary) and owns or leases any interest in a Principal Property and (b) any other subsidiary which our board of directors shall have determined to be a Restricted Subsidiary. Any determination mentioned in (b) shall be irrevocable, provided, however , that our board of directors may determine that a

 

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Restricted Subsidiary described in (b) shall cease to be a Restricted Subsidiary and shall become an Unrestricted Subsidiary if:

 

  ·  

a Person other than us or a Restricted Subsidiary shall hold a minority interest in such Restricted Subsidiary of at least 15% of the common shareholders’ equity (or equivalent equity interests) of such Restricted Subsidiary, and

 

  ·  

immediately after such Restricted Subsidiary becomes an Unrestricted Subsidiary, no Default or Event of Default shall exist.

“Significant Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary that would be a “Significant Subsidiary” of Domtar within the meaning of Rule 1-02 under Regulation S-X promulgated by the SEC.

“Subsidiary Guarantee” means, individually, any guarantee of payment of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes pursuant to the terms of the Indenture and any supplemental indenture thereto, and, collectively, all such guarantees. Each such Subsidiary Guarantee will be in the form prescribed by the Indenture.

“Subsidiary Guarantors” means each subsidiary of ours in existence on the Issue Date that provides a Subsidiary Guarantee on the Issue Date and any other subsidiary of ours that provides a Subsidiary Guarantee in accordance with the Indenture; provided that upon the release or discharge of such subsidiary from its Subsidiary Guarantee in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, such subsidiary shall cease to be a Subsidiary Guarantor.

“Timberlands” means any real or immovable property located within Canada or the United States and (a) which is owned by us or any subsidiary and contains, or (b) with respect to which we or any subsidiary is entitled under any lease, license or similar agreement to cut and remove, standing timber which is (or upon completion of a growth cycle then in process is expected to become) of a commercial quantity and of merchantable quality, other than (i) any such property which at the time of determination is not held primarily for the production of lumber or other wood products, (ii) any such property the fair market value of which as determined by our board of directors does not at the time exceed 1% of our Consolidated Net Tangible Assets or (iii) any reserves of oil and gas located under such property.

“Unrestricted Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of Domtar which is not a Restricted Subsidiary at the time of determination.

“Voting Stock” of any Person means capital stock of any class of such Person then outstanding and which ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors or other governing body of such Person.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DOMTAR INC. CANADIAN DEBENTURES AND THE DOMTAR CORP. C$ NOTES

The following is a summary comparison of the material terms of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures and of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be issued under an indenture which will be substantially the same as the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures under which the corresponding Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures were issued except for the terms described below. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable Domtar Inc. Canadian Indenture with respect to each series of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures and the Domtar Corporation indenture. Copies of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures and the Domtar Corporation indenture may be obtained from Georgeson, the information agent and are also filed as exhibits to the U.S. registration statement that includes this Circular. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information” for information as to how you can obtain copies of the Indenture and the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures. In addition, copies of the Indenture and Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures are available for inspection at the offices of Domtar Corporation at 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec. Upon request to the Secretary of Domtar Corporation, a copy of the Indenture will be sent to any holder of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures.

The description below of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures reflects those debentures and the related indenture as currently in effect, before any changes that would result from the amendments described under “Purpose of the Debentureholders’ Meetings” in the Circular to which this Schedule C is attached.

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures

 

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

Issuer

Domtar Inc.

 

Issuer

Domtar Corporation

Trustee

Computershare Trust Company of Canada (formerly, Montreal Trust Company)

 

Trustee

The Bank of New York

Governing Law

Quebec

 

Governing Law

New York

Guarantors

None

 

Guarantors

Each U.S. subsidiary of Domtar Corporation that guarantees, on the issue date or any time thereafter, any indebtedness of Domtar Corporation or any of its subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement or any other indebtedness of Domtar Corporation (other than U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Corp.’s non-U.S. subsidiaries) will fully and unconditionally guarantee, on a joint and several basis, the full and prompt payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest in respect of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes on a senior basis and all other obligations under the Domtar Corporation indenture.

 

In the event a subsidiary guarantor is sold, conveyed, assigned or otherwise disposed of (whether by merger, consolidation, the sale of its capital stock or the sale of all or substantially all of its assets (other than by lease)) and whether or not the subsidiary guarantor is the surviving corporation in such transaction to a person that is not Domtar Corporation

 

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The Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures

 

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

 

or a restricted subsidiary, such subsidiary guarantor will be automatically released from its obligations under the Domtar Corporation indenture and its subsidiary guarantee if: (1) the sale or other disposition is in compliance with the Domtar Corporation indenture and (2) all the obligations of such subsidiary guarantor under the Credit Agreement and related documentation and under any other agreements relating to any other indebtedness of Domtar Corporation terminate upon consummation of such transaction.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event a subsidiary guarantor ceases to be guarantor of the Credit Agreement and all other indebtedness of Domtar Corporation, such subsidiary guarantor will also be released as a guarantor of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

 

Change of Control

 

There is no comparable provision in the Domtar Inc. Canadian indentures providing holders of the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures issued under such indentures with a right to require Domtar Inc. to repurchase such notes upon a change of control.

 

 

Change of Control

 

If a “Change of Control” occurs, holders of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will have the right to require Domtar Corporation to repurchase all or any part of such holder’s Domtar Corp. C$ Notes at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding the date of purchase.

 

The following events would constitute a “Change of Control”:

 

(1)    any “person” or “group” of related persons (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that such person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all shares that any such person or group has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time), directly or indirectly, of more than 40% of the total voting power of the voting stock of Domtar Corporation (or its successor) (such “person” or “group” shall be deemed to beneficially own any voting stock of Domtar Corporation held by a parent entity, if such person or group beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, more than 40% of the voting power of the voting stock of such parent entity); or

 

(2)    a majority of the members of the board of directors of Domtar Corporation are not

 

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The Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures

 

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

 

continuingdirectors (those directors who were members of the board of directors on the issue date of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes or nominated with the approval of continuing directors); or

 

(3)    the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation) of all or substantially all of the assets of Domtar Corporation and its restricted subsidiaries taken as a whole to any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act); or

 

(4)    Domtar Corporation consolidates with, or merges with or into, any person, or any person consolidates with, or merges with or into, Domtar Corporation, as a result of which any of the outstanding voting stock of Domtar Corporation is converted into or exchanged for cash, securities or other property, other than any such transaction where the voting stock of Domtar Corporation outstanding immediately prior to such transaction is converted into or exchanged for voting stock of the surviving or transferee Person constituting a majority of the outstanding shares of such voting stock of such surviving or transferee person immediately after giving effect to such issuance; or

 

(5)    the adoption by the stockholders of Domtar Corporation of a plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of Domtar Corporation.

 

Meetings of Holders of Securities

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures provide that a meeting of holders of securities may be called at any time and from time to time to make, give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action authorized by the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures to be made, given or taken by holders of securities.

 

Except where a Majority Securityholder’s Act (1) is required or as otherwise provided in the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures, resolutions shall be effective if

 

 

Meetings of Holders of Securities

 

There are no provisions for meetings in the Domtar Corporation indenture, which provides for the consent in writing of holders for the purposes specified in the Indenture.

 


(1) “Majority Securityholders Act” is defined in the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures as any act by the holders of securities which has been (a) signed by or for the holders of not less than two-thirds in principal amount of the outstanding securities; or (b) adopted by the holders of two-thirds in principal amount of the outstanding securities voting thereon at a meeting of the holders of securities duly held pursuant to the provisions of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures.

 

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passed by persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of outstanding securities represented and voting at such meeting. The persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the outstanding securities will constitute a quorum at a meeting of holders. At the reconvening of any meeting adjourned for lack of quorum, persons present and entitled to vote constitute a quorum.

 

 

Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance or Transfer

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures provide that Domtar Inc. may not consolidate with, amalgamate with or merge into any other corporation or convey or transfer its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any person, unless:

 

(1)    the corporation formed by such consolidation or amalgamation or into which Domtar Inc. is merged or the person which acquires by operation of law or by conveyance or transfer the properties and assets of Domtar Inc. is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Canada or any Province or Territory thereof, and (except where assumption occurs by operation of law) expressly assumes Domtar Inc.’s obligations relating to the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures;

 

Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets

 

Domtar Corporation will not consolidate with or merge with or into any other person or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any person, and Domtar Corporation will not permit any person to consolidate with or merge with or into Domtar Corporation, unless:

 

·         Domtar Corporation is the surviving company or the successor person is an entity organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and the successor entity expressly assumes Domtar Corporation’s obligations relating to the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes;

 

(2)    immediately after giving effect to the consolidation, amalgamation, merger, conveyance or transfer, there exists no event of default; and

 

(3)    Domtar Inc. will have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel each stating that such consolidation, merger, amalgamation, conveyance or transfer and such supplemental indenture, if any, comply with the indenture.

 

Upon any consolidation, or merger, or amalgamation, or any conveyance or transfer of the properties and assets of Domtar Inc. substantially as an entirety, the successor corporation will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, Domtar Inc. under such Domtar Inc. indentures, provided that no such conveyance or transfer has the effect of releasing Domtar Inc. or any successor corporation from its liability as obligor and maker on any of the securities or coupons unless such conveyance or transfer is followed by the complete liquidation of Domtar Inc. and substantially all the assets of Domtar Inc.

 

 

·         each subsidiary guarantor (unless it is the other party to the transactions above) shall have by supplemental indenture confirmed that its subsidiary guarantee will apply to such successor person’s obligations in respect of the Domtar Corporation indenture and the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes;

 

·         immediately after giving effect to the consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease, there exists no default or event of default; and

 

·         other conditions described in the Domtar Corporation indenture are met.

 

This covenant will not apply to the direct or indirect conveyance, transfer or lease of all or any portion of the stock, assets or liabilities of any of Domtar Corporation’s wholly owned subsidiaries to Domtar Corporation or to Domtar Corporation’s other wholly owned subsidiaries. Subject to the foregoing sentence, any debt which becomes an obligation of Domtar Corporation’s or any subsidiary as a result of any transaction described by this covenant will be treated

 

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as having been incurred by Domtar Corporation or such subsidiary at the time of such transaction.

 

The predecessor person will be released from its obligations under the Domtar Corporation indenture and the successor person will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, Domtar Corporation under the Domtar Corporation indenture, but, in the case of a lease of all or substantially all its assets, the predecessor person will not be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

 

For purposes of this covenant, the sale, lease, conveyance, assignment, transfer, or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of one or more of Domtar Corporation’s subsidiaries, which properties and assets, if held by Domtar Corporation instead of such subsidiaries, would constitute all or substantially all of the properties and assets of Domtar Corporation on a consolidated basis, shall be deemed to be the transfer of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of Domtar Corporation.

 

Limitation on Liens (Negative Pledge)

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures provide that Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries may not create any mortgage, hypothec, privilege, pledge, security interest, floating charge, or any other similar lien or encumbrance (“ Mortgage ”) upon any Principal Property (2) of Domtar Inc. or any of its restricted subsidiaries, or upon the shares of capital stock or debt of any restricted subsidiaries whether such principal property, shares or debt are owned by Domtar Inc. or any of Domtar Inc.’s restricted subsidiaries on the date of the Domtar Inc. indenture or acquired in the future, to secure any debt of Domtar Inc. or any of Domtar Inc.’s restricted subsidiaries unless the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures are secured by a mortgage ranking equally and ratably with such debt for so long as such debt is secured.

 

 

Limitation on Liens

 

The Domtar Corporation indenture provides that Domtar Corporation and its restricted subsidiaries may not create, incur, assume or otherwise have outstanding any mortgage (defined the same as in the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures), other than permitted mortgages listed below, upon any “principal property” (definition is similar to the definition in the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures, substituting Domtar Corporation for Domtar Inc. removing mining properties and replacing mills or plants the fair value of which does not exceed 1% of Domtar Corporation’s consolidated net tangible assets for any such mill or plant which is not of material importance to the business of Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries as an entirety) belonging to Domtar Corporation or any of Domtar Corporation’s restricted subsidiaries or upon the shares of capital

 


(2) “Principal Property” is defined in the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures as any real or immoveable property forming part of or constituting any or all of any (a) mill, converting plant or manufacturing plant owned, leased or acquired by Domtar Inc. or any subsidiary located within Canada or the U.S., other than (x) any such mill or plant which in the opinion of the Board of Directors is not of material importance to the total business conducted by Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries as an entirety or (y) any portion of any such mill or plant which is similarly found not to be of material importance to the use or operation of such mill or plant, (b) mining property, or (c) timberlands of Domtar Inc.

 

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Permitted Mortgages under the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures include:

 

(1)    Mortgages in favor of Domtar Inc. or its wholly-owned restricted subsidiaries;

 

(2)    any Mortgage to secure indebtedness incurred in respect of the cost of acquisition of any property (including shares of capital stock or debt) or the cost of construction or improvement of such property or the refinancing of such indebtedness, provided that (A) in the case of any construction or improvement of property, the Mortgage shall not apply to any property owned by Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary at the time of the commencement of the construction or improvement, other than any real or immoveable property which is substantially unimproved for the purposes of Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary and on which the property so constructed or the improvement is located, and other than any machinery or equipment installed at any time so as to constitute immoveable property or a fixture on the real property on which the property so constructed, or the improvement, is located and (B) in the case of any acquisition of property, the Mortgage will not apply to any property owned by Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary immediately prior to the consummation of the acquisition;

 

(3)    Mortgages securing obligations issued by Canada or the United States of America (or any subdivisions or agency thereof) to finance the acquisition, construction, or improvement of property subject to such Mortgages;

 

(4)    Mortgages of restricted subsidiaries of Domtar Inc. pursuant to the terms of a trust deed or similar document entered into before it became a restricted subsidiary;

 

(5)    Mortgages under the Debenture Trust Deed dated June 1, 1958 between Domtar Inc. and National Trust Company, as amended;

 

(6)    any extension, renewal or replacement of a Mortgage referred to under (1) through (5) above so long as the principal amount of the indebtedness secured does not exceed the principal amount of the indebtedness so secured at the time of the extension, renewal or replacement; and

 

stock or debt of any of Domtar Corporation’s restricted subsidiaries, whether such principal property, shares or debt are owned by Domtar Corporation, or any of Domtar Corporation’s restricted subsidiaries on the date of the Domtar Corporation indenture or acquired in the future, to secure any debt of Domtar Corporation or any of its restricted subsidiaries, unless the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are secured by a mortgage equally and ratably with or in priority to such debt for so long as such debt is secured.

 

Permitted mortgages under the Domtar Corporation indenture include:

 

(1)    mortgages securing indebtedness and other obligations of Domtar Corporation or its restricted subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed $1,550 million less the aggregate principal amount of all mandatory prepayments of principal thereof permanently reducing the commitments thereunder;

 

(2)    mortgages in favour of Domtar Corporation or its wholly-owned restricted subsidiaries;

 

(3)    any mortgage to secure indebtedness incurred in respect of the cost of acquisition of any property (including shares of capital stock or debt) or the cost of construction or improvement of such property or the refinancing of such indebtedness, so long as the mortgage does not apply to other property owned by Domtar Corporation or any of its restricted subsidiaries at the time of the commencement of the construction or improvement of, or immediately prior to the consummation of the acquisition of, the property that is subject to such mortgage;

 

(4)    mortgages on property which exist at the time a company merges with or into, amalgamates with or consolidates into Domtar Corporation or any of its restricted subsidiaries, so long as any such mortgage (a) does not extend to any other property or asset, other than improvements to the property or asset subject to such mortgage and (b) was not created in anticipation of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or acquisition;

 

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(7)    a Mortgage not excepted by clauses (1) through (6) above provided that after giving effect thereto exempted debt (as defined in the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures) does not exceed 10% of the consolidated net tangible assets of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries.

 

(5)    mortgages securing obligations issued by Canada or the United States of America (or any subdivisions thereof) to finance acquisition, construction, or improvement of property subject to such mortgages;

(6)    mortgages of restricted subsidiaries of Domtar Corporation pursuant to the terms of a trust deed or similar document entered into before it became a restricted subsidiary;

 

(7)    mortgages existing at the date of the Domtar Corporation indenture, except mortgages under the Credit Agreement, which shall be deemed created, incurred, assumed or permitted on the date of the Domtar Corporation indenture under clause (1); and

 

(8)    extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements of a mortgage referred to under (2) through (7) above so long as (a) the principal amount of indebtedness secured thereby shall not exceed the principal amount of indebtedness so secured at the time of the extension, renewal, alteration or replacement and (b) the extension, renewal, alteration or replacement is limited to the property which secured the mortgage so extended, renewed, altered or replaced (plus improvements).

 

Exception for Sale and Leaseback Transactions

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures provide that Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries may enter into sale and leaseback transactions without being required to secure the Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures issued under the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures or repay within 100 days senior Funded Debt (as defined below) of Domtar Inc. or any Funded Debt of any restricted subsidiary or acquire property so long as Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the consolidated net tangible assets of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries.

 

 

Exception for Specified Secured Debt and Sale and Leaseback Transactions

 

The Domtar Corporation indenture provides that Domtar Corporation and its restricted subsidiaries may create additional mortgages securing debt (including extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements thereof) or enter into sale and leaseback transactions without being required to secure the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes issued under such indenture or repay (within 180 days) indebtedness or acquire property, facilities or equipment so long as the sum of the aggregate amount of the secured debt not otherwise permitted under the Domtar Corporation indenture and the value of all sale and leaseback transactions not otherwise permitted under the Domtar Corporation indenture does not exceed 10% of the consolidated net tangible assets of Domtar Corporation.

 

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Limitation on Funded Debt (3)

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures provide that Domtar Inc. will not and will not permit any restricted subsidiary to incur or otherwise become liable for any Funded Debt unless, after giving effect thereto, the consolidated net tangible assets of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries will be at least equal to 200% of

the principal amount of the consolidated Funded Debt of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries.

The above will not prevent:

 

(1)    Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt for the purpose of extending, renewing or refunding, in whole or in part, any Funded Debt of Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary then outstanding, so long as the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding consolidated Funded Debt of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries is not increased;

 

(2)    Domtar Inc. from becoming liable for any Funded Debt to a wholly-owned restricted subsidiary;

 

(3)    any restricted subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt to Domtar Inc. or to a wholly-owned restricted subsidiary;

 

(4)    the assumption by Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary of any Funded Debt of a corporation at the time such corporation becomes a restricted subsidiary or at the time such corporation is merged into (by transfer of assets or otherwise), or amalgamated with, Domtar Inc. or such restricted subsidiary; and

 

(5)    the issue or assumption by Domtar Inc. or any restricted subsidiary of purchase money obligations.

 

Domtar Inc. will not permit any restricted subsidiary to incur or otherwise become liable for any Funded Debt, provided that this will not prevent:

 

(1)    a restricted subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt referred to in paragraphs (3), (4) or (5) above;

 

 

 

Limitation on Funded Debt

 

There is no comparable limitation on Funded Debt in the Domtar Corporation indenture.

 

 


(3) “Funded Debt” is defined in the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures as debt, whether issued, assumed or guaranteed by such person, maturing by its terms more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof or which is extendible or renewable at the sole option of the obligor in such manner that it may become payable more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof by such person; provided, however, that when determining the principal amount of Funded Debt outstanding at any date, there shall be excluded any amount due within one year of such date.

 

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(2)    a restricted subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt for the purpose of extending, renewing or refunding, in whole or in part, any Funded Debt of such restricted subsidiary then outstanding, so long as the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding consolidated Funded Debt of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries is not thereby increased;

 

(3)    any restricted subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt in respect of or in connection with obligations issued by Canada or the United States (or any subdivisions or agency thereof), to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of property, provided that, after giving effect to such Funded Debt, the consolidated net tangible assets of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries will be at least equal to 200% of the principal amount of the consolidated Funded Debt of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries,

 

(4)    any restricted subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt if, after giving effect thereto, (i) the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Funded Debt as described in this paragraph (4) does not exceed 10% of the consolidated net tangible assets of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries and (ii) the consolidated net tangible assets of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries will be at least equal to 200% of the principal amount of the consolidated Funded Debt of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries; or

 

(5)    any restricted subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt elected to be incurred as Exempted Debt if, after giving effect thereto, (i) Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the consolidated net tangible assets of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries and (ii) the consolidated net tangible assets of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries will be at least equal to 200% of the principal amount of the consolidated Funded Debt of Domtar Inc. and its restricted subsidiaries.

 

 

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Restrictions on Dividends and Acquisition

of Shares

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures provide that Domtar Inc. will not declare or pay any dividends (other than stock dividends) on any shares of its capital stock or purchase, redeem, reduce or otherwise pay off any shares of its capital stock, unless, after giving effect to such action, the sum of (a) the aggregate amounts declared and/or paid as dividends (other than stock dividends) on any shares of its capital stock subsequent to December 31, 1985 and (b) the aggregate amounts distributed and/or paid on the purchase, redemption, reduction or other payment off of any shares of its capital stock subsequent to December 31, 1985 will not be in excess of an amount equal to the sum of the consolidated net income (whether positive or negative) of Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries earned subsequent to December 31, 1985, plus the aggregate amounts received by Domtar Inc. subsequent to December 31, 1985 as the net proceeds of sales of shares of its capital stock plus $100,000,000; provided, however, that this covenant shall not prevent Domtar Inc. from paying dividends on or satisfying mandatory retirement provisions in respect of any of the preferred shares of its capital stock issued at the date of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indenture or subsequently issued.

 

Restrictions on Dividends and Acquisition

of Shares

 

There are no comparable restrictions on dividends and acquisition of shares in the Domtar Corporation indenture.

Limitation on Sale of Funded Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures provide that Domtar Inc. will not, nor will it permit any restricted subsidiary to, sell or otherwise dispose of (other than to Domtar Inc. or a restricted subsidiary) any Funded Debt of a restricted subsidiary which is owned by Domtar Inc. or by such restricted subsidiary until such time as the restricted subsidiary whose Funded Debt is so owned has ceased to be a subsidiary.

 

Limitation on Sale of Funded Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries

 

There is no comparable limitation on sale of Funded Debt of restricted subsidiaries in the Domtar Corporation indenture.

 

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Events of Default

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures provide that each of the following constitutes an event of default:

 

·         default for 30 days in the payment of any interest on the securities when due;

 

·         default in the payment of the principal on the securities when due;

 

·         default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty in the indenture for 60 days after written notice;

 

·         a default under any one or more indentures or instruments evidencing or under which Domtar Inc. has at the time outstanding indebtedness for borrowed money in an aggregate principal amount of at least $10 million shall happen and be continuing and (i) consists of a failure to make any payment of principal at maturity or (ii) results in the acceleration of such indebtedness so that the same shall be or become due and payable prior to the date on which the same would otherwise have become due and payable or shall have resulted in the enforcement of any security for such indebtedness, unless such default is cured or waived; and

 

·         certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization.

 

Events of Default

 

The Domtar Corporation indenture will provide that each of the following will constitute an event of default:

 

·         default for 30 days in the payment of any interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes when due;

 

·         default in the payment of principal, or premium, if any, on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes when due;

 

·         default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty in the Domtar Corporation indenture for 60 days after written notice;

 

·         the subsidiary guarantee of a significant subsidiary ceases to be in full force and effect or is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding or is disaffirmed by the subsidiary guarantor;

 

·         default under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any indebtedness for money borrowed by Domtar Corporation or any of its restricted subsidiaries (or the payment of which is guaranteed by Domtar Corporation or any of its restricted subsidiaries), other than indebtedness owed to Domtar Corporation or a restricted subsidiary, whether such indebtedness or guarantee now exists, or is created after the Issue Date, which default (a) is caused by a failure to pay principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on such indebtedness prior to the expiration of the grace period provided in such indebtedness (“payment default”) or (b) results in the acceleration of such indebtedness prior to its maturity (“cross acceleration provision”) and, in each case, the principal amount of any such indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such indebtedness under which there has been a payment default or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, aggregates $80 million (or its equivalent in other currencies) or more;

 

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·         judgments or decrees in excess of $80 million (or its equivalent in other currencies) in the aggregate against Domtar Corporation and its restricted subsidiaries, and Domtar Corporation or any of its restricted subsidiary fails to file a timely appeal or files an appeal but the judgment is not vacated, stayed or discharged within 60 days; and

 

·         certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization.

 

Effect of Event of Default

 

Under the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures, if an event of default occurs and is continuing then the trustee itself or on request of holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debentures of the applicable series may declare the principal amount of all such debentures due and payable immediately by written notice to Domtar Inc.

 

Holders by Majority Securityholders’ Act may, subject to conditions, rescind and annul a declaration of acceleration prior to a judgment or decree for payment of the money due.

 

Subject to certain conditions, holders by Majority Securityholders’ Act may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee.

 

 

Effect of Event of Default

 

If an Event of Default in the case of certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization exists, the principal amount, premium, if any, accrued but unpaid interest and any other monetary obligations of all of the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the series shall automatically become immediately due and payable. The acceleration provisions with respect to other events of default are similar to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures except that holders must request the trustee to make the declaration and except that premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest and any other monetary obligations will also be due upon an acceleration.

 

Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of a series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes may, subject to conditions, rescind and annul a declaration of acceleration and its consequences prior to a judgment or decree for payment of the money due.

 

However, under the Domtar Corporation indenture, a declaration of acceleration due to an event of default arising from a payment default or a cross acceleration will be automatically annulled if the default triggering such event of default is remediated or cured or waived by the holders of the relevant indebtedness within 20 days after the declaration of acceleration with respect thereto and if (1) the annulment of the acceleration of the notes of the applicable series would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction and (2) all existing events of default, except nonpayment of principal, premium or interest on the notes of the applicable series that became due solely because of the acceleration of such notes, have been cured or waived.

 

Subject to the provisions for the security or indemnification of the Trustee, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of a series of

 

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outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee.

 

Holders will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes in accordance with the Domtar Corp. indenture and to institute a suit for the enforcement of that payment.

Modification of the Indenture

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures provide that Domtar Inc. and the Trustee may, without the consent of holders of any securities, enter into one or more supplemental indentures for the following purposes:

 

(1)    for the benefit of the holders of the securities to provide for any additional covenant or covenants of Domtar Inc. or any security for or guarantee of the securities or to surrender any right or power conferred upon Domtar Inc.; or

 

(2)    to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision which may be inconsistent with any other provision, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures which shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures, provided that such action will not in the judgment of the trustee affect the interests of the holders of the securities or coupons in any material respect;

 

(3)    to modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures to such extent as shall be necessary to effect the qualifications of the indentures under any applicable law of Canada or of any Province or Territory; or

 

(4)    as required in the event Domtar Inc. consolidates with, amalgamates with or merges into any other corporation as provided for in the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indenture.

 

When authorized or permitted by a Majority Securityholders’ Act delivered to Domtar Inc. and the Trustee, Domtar Inc. and the Trustee may enter into supplemental indentures for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures or of modifying in any manner the rights of holders of the securities and coupons under the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the

 

Modification of the Indenture

 

Domtar Corporation, the Subsidiary Guarantors, and the Trustee may, without the consent of any holders of a series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, enter into supplemental indentures that amend, waive or supplements the terms of the Domtar Corp. indenture, the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of a series and the subsidiary guarantees for the following purposes:

 

·         to evidence the succession of another person to Domtar Corporation or any subsidiary guarantor under the indenture, the applicable series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes issued under the indenture and the subsidiary guarantees;

 

·         to add guarantees with respect to the applicable series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes or release a subsidiary guarantor from its obligations under its subsidiary guarantee or the indenture;

 

·         to convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any property to or with the Trustee;

 

·         to surrender any right or power the indenture may confer on Domtar Corporation;

 

·         to add to the covenants made in the indenture for the benefit of the holders of all Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series;

 

·         to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series;

 

·         to add any additional Events of Default;

 

·         to secure the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series issued under the indenture;

 

·         to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment by an additional or successor trustee with respect to the applicable series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes;

 

 

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consent of the holder of each outstanding security affected thereby,

 

(1)    reduce the requirements for quorum or voting or reduce the percentage in principal amount of the outstanding securities, the consent of whose holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose holders is required for any Majority Securityholders’ Act or for any waiver of compliance with provisions of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures or of defaults under the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures and their consequences; or

 

(2)    modify any of the provisions of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures concerning supplemental indentures, waiver of past defaults or waiver of covenants, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of each security affected thereby.

 

Domtar Inc. may omit to comply with a covenant if such breach has been waived by a Majority Securityholders’ Act.

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures provide that the securityholders, by way of a Majority Securityholders’ Act, may on behalf of the holders of all the securities waive any past default and its consequences, except a default in respect of a covenant or provision that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding security affected.

 

·         to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the Domtar Corporation indenture as Domtar Corporation and the Trustee may deem necessary and desirable, so long as the rights of any holder of the applicable series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are not adversely affected in any material respect;

 

·         to comply with the SEC in connection with the qualification of the indenture under the U.S. Trust Indenture Act;

 

·         to conform the text of the indenture, the subsidiary guarantees or the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series to any provision of the “Description of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes” to the extent that such provision in the “Description of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes” was intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision of the indenture, subsidiary guarantee or such Domtar Corp. C$ Notes; or

 

·         to maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act or other applicable law.

 

Domtar Corporation and the Trustee may modify and amend any of the indenture, the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of a particular series and the subsidiary guarantees with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of then outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series. However, no modification or amendment may, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Note of the applicable series:

 

·         change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest payable on, the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series;

 

·         reduce the principal amount of, or the rate of interest on, any outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series or the premium, if any, payable upon the redemption thereof, or the amount of principal of an original issue discount Canadian Note, that would be due and payable upon redemption of such Canadian Note or would be provable in bankruptcy, or adversely affect any right of repayment of the holder of the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series;

 

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The Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures

 

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

 

 

·         reduce the premium payable upon the repurchase of any Canadian Note or change the time at which any Canadian Note may be repurchased as described under “change of control”, whether through an amendment or waiver of provisions in the covenants, definitions or otherwise (except amendments to the definition of “change of control”);

 

·         reduce the amount of principal of such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes payable upon acceleration of maturity thereof;

 

·         change the place of payment or the coin or currency in which the principal of or premium, if any, or the interest on the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series is payable,

 

·         impair the right to receive payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series on or after the due dates therefor or the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to the outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series;

 

·         modify the subsidiary guarantees in any manner adverse to the holders of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes;

 

·         reduce the percentage of the holders of outstanding debt securities necessary to modify or amend the indenture, to waive compliance with any provision of the indenture or certain defaults and consequences of the defaults or to reduce the quorum or voting requirements; or

 

·         modify any of these provisions or any of the provisions relating to the waiver of certain past defaults or provisions of the Domtar Corporation indenture, except to increase the required percentage to effect such action or to provide that certain of the provisions may not be modified or waived without the consent of all the holder of such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

 

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The Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures

 

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

   

The holders of not less than a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the outstanding Domtar Corp.
C$ Notes of any series may, on behalf of the holders
of all the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of that series, waive
(including, without limitation, by consent obtained in
connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or
exchange offer for, such series of Domtar Corp. C$
Notes) compliance by Domtar Corporation with any
provision of the indenture. The holders of not less
than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of any series
may, on behalf of the holders of all the Domtar Corp.
C$ Notes of that series, waive (including, without
limitation, by consent obtained in connection with a
purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for,
such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes) past defaults
by Domtar Corporation under certain covenants of the
indenture which relate to that series. However, a
default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if
any, or interest on, any of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes
of that series or relating to a provision which under
the indenture cannot be modified or amended without
the consent of the holder of each outstanding Domtar
Corp. C$ Note of that series affected cannot be so
waived.

 

Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance

 

There are no provisions for defeasance and covenant defeasance in the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures.

 

Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance

 

The Domtar Corp. indenture provides Domtar Corporation may discharge all of its obligations, other than as to transfers and exchanges and certain other specified obligations, under the notes of the applicable series at any time (“defeasance”). The indenture also provides that Domtar Corporation may be released from its obligations described in the indenture under “Limitation on liens,” “Limitation on sale and leaseback transactions” and “Future subsidiary guarantors” and certain aspects of Domtar Corporation’s obligations described above under “Consolidation, merger and sale of assets,” and from certain other obligations, and elect not to comply with those sections and obligations without creating an Event of Default and that Domtar Corporation may terminate the operation of the cross-default upon a payment default, cross acceleration provisions and the subsidiary guarantor provision in “Events of default” (“covenant defeasance”). If Domtar Corporation exercises its defeasance option, the subsidiary guarantees in effect at such time will terminate.

 

With respect to a particular series of notes, defeasance and covenant defeasance may be effected to the indenture only if, among other things:

 

·         Domtar Corporation irrevocably deposits with the Trustee money or Canadian

 

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The Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures

 

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

 

         government obligations or a combination thereof, as trust funds in an amount certified to be sufficient to pay on each date that they become due and payable, the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on all outstanding Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series;

 

·         Domtar Corporation delivers to the Trustee an opinion of counsel in the United States (based, in certain cases, on a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or a change in U.S. federal income tax law occurring after the date of the Domtar Corporation indenture) to the effect that:

 

·         the holders of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the defeasance or covenant defeasance; and

 

·         the defeasance or covenant defeasance will not otherwise alter those holders’ United States federal income tax treatment of principal and interest payments on the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of such series;

 

·         Domtar Corporation delivers to the Trustee an opinion of counsel in Canada (based, in certain cases, on a ruling of the Canada Revenue Agency or a change in Canadian income tax law occurring after the date of the Domtar Corporation indenture) to the effect that:

 

·         the holders of the debt securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Canadian federal or provincial income or other tax purposes as a result of such defeasance or covenant defeasance;

 

and

 

·         the defeasance or covenant defeasance will not otherwise alter those holders’ Canadian federal income tax treatment of principal and interest payments on the debt securities of such series;

 

and

 

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The Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures

 

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

 

 

·         no Default or Event of Default under the indenture has occurred and is continuing;

 

·         Domtar Corporation is not an “insolvent” within the meaning of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on the date of such deposit, or at any time during the period ended on the 91 st day following such deposit;

 

·         such defeasance or covenant defeasance does not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any indenture or other agreement or instrument for borrowed money to which Domtar Corporation is a party or by which Domtar Corporation is bound;

 

·         such defeasance or covenant defeasance does not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940 unless such trust shall be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or exempt from registration thereunder;

 

·         Domtar Corporation delivers to the Trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such defeasance or covenant defeasance have been complied with; and

 

·         other conditions specified in the indenture have been met.

Satisfaction and Discharge

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures provide that the indentures shall cease to be of further effect (except with respect to certain provisions relating to registration, transfer or exchange or purchase fund obligations) when either:

 

(1)    all securities and coupons (with limited exceptions) have been delivered to the trustee cancelled or for cancellation; or

 

(2)    when Domtar Inc. deposits or makes provision for the payment of any amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness of the securities and coupons (with limited exceptions) not delivered to the trustee cancelled or for cancellation, for the principal and interest to the date of the deposit or to the stated maturity or redemption, as the case may be, any sums of money or securities to be deposited with the trustee in trust,

 

 

Satisfaction and Discharge

 

The Domtar Corporation indenture provides that when, among other things, all the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the applicable series not previously delivered to the Trustee for cancellation:

 

·         have become due and payable, or

 

·         will become due and payable at their stated maturity within one year, or

 

·         are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in Domtar Corporation’s name and at Domtar Corporation’s expense,

 

and Domtar Corporation or a Subsidiary Guarantor deposits or causes to be deposited with the Trustee, in trust, an amount of money or Canadian government obligations, or a combination thereof (such amount to

 

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The Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures

 

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes

and

 

(1)    Domtar Inc. has paid or made due provision for the payment of all other sums payable under the indenture by Domtar Inc.; and

 

(2)    Domtar Inc. has delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel each stating that all conditions precedent relating to the satisfaction and discharge of the indenture have been complied with.

 

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of the indenture, the obligations of Domtar Inc. to the trustee with respect to compensation and reimbursement shall continue.

 

Domtar Inc. shall be deemed to have made such due provision for payment if it shall have deposited or caused to be deposited with the trustee securities issued or guaranteed by the Government of Canada or by any province of Canada or other securities or instruments acceptable to the trustee, the principal of and interest on which, when due, without any reinvestment, will provide moneys which will be sufficient to pay to the holders of the securities, when due, all amounts owing in respect of the principal of and interest on the securities, and also for the payment of all other moneys payable under the indenture by Domtar Inc.

 

 

 

the certified in the case of Canadian government obligations) sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such series of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes not previously delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for the principal and premium, if any, and interest to the date of the deposit or to the stated maturity or redemption, as the case may be, then the indenture will cease to be of further effect, and Domtar Corporation will be deemed to have satisfied and discharged the indenture. However, Domtar Corporation will continue to be obligated to pay all other sums due under the indenture and to provide the officers’ certificates and opinions of counsel described in the indenture.

Delivery & Form

 

The Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures provide that the
notes may be in fully registered form, registered as to
principal only or in unregistered (bearer) form.

 

Delivery & Form

 

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be represented by
fully registered notes.

Listing

 

None of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures are
listed on any stock exchange.

 

 

Listing

 

The Domtar Corp. C$ Notes have been approved for
listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Company has filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 under the Securities Act, of which this Circular forms a part, to register with the SEC the Domtar Corp. debt securities.

This Circular does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits to the registration statement. For further information pertaining to the Company, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc., reference is made to the registration statement and its exhibits.

Statements contained in this Circular as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to within this Circular are not necessarily complete and reference is made to the copy of the applicable contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the SEC. Each statement in this Circular regarding an agreement or other document is qualified in all respects by such agreement or other document.

You may read and copy all or any portion of the registration statement at the offices of the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information about the public reference rooms. The SEC maintains a website, www.sec.gov, that contains reports, proxy and prospectuses and other information regarding registrants, such as the Company, Weyerhaeuser and Domtar Inc., that file electronically with the SEC. The Company is subject to the information and periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance therewith, files periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Domtar Inc. files certain reports and other information with the SEC and with Canada’s System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) pursuant to the multi-jurisdictional disclosure system for certain Canadian registrants. These periodic reports, proxy statements and other information are available for inspection and copying at the SEC’s public reference rooms and the SEC’s website. You can also find additional information about the Company at www.domtar.com and Weyerhaeuser at www.weyerhaeuser.com.

 

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Table of Contents

Index to financial statements

 

     Page

Domtar Corporation (formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc.)

  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   C-F-3

Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2006

   C-F-4

Notes to Balance Sheet

   C-F-5

Review Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm—PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

   C-F-7

Review Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm—KPMG LLP

   C-F-8

Consolidated Statements of Income for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 (unaudited) and June 25, 2006 (unaudited)

   C-F-9

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of July 1, 2007 (unaudited) and December 31, 2006

   C-F-10

Consolidated Statement of Shareholders’ Equity as at July 1, 2007 (unaudited)

   C-F-11

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 (unaudited) and June 25, 2006 (unaudited)

   C-F-11

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 (unaudited) and June 25, 2006 (unaudited)

   C-F-12

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

   C-F-13

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   C-F-57

Combined Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005

   C-F-58

Combined Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

   C-F-59

Combined Statements of Business Unit Equity for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

   C-F-60

Combined Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

   C-F-61

Notes to Combined Financial Statements

   C-F-62

Domtar Inc.

  

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

   C-F-98

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   C-F-99

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005

   C-F-101

Consolidated Earnings for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004

   C-F-102

Consolidated Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004

   C-F-103

Consolidated Retained Earnings for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004

   C-F-104

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

   C-F-105

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006

   C-F-170

Consolidated Earnings for the three and six months ended June 30, 2006 and June 30, 2007 and for the periods from January 1 to March 6, 2007 and March 7 to June 30, 2007

   C-F-171

Consolidated Retained Earnings for the three and six months ended June 30, 2006 and June 30, 2007 and for the periods from January 1 to March 6, 2007 and from March 7 to June 30, 2007

   C-F-171

 

C-F-1


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     Page

Consolidated Cash Flows for the three and six months ended June 30, 2006 and June 30, 2007 and for the periods from January 1 to March 6, 2007 and March 7 to June 30, 2007

   F-172

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2006 and June 30, 2007 and for the periods from January 1 to March 6, 2007 and March 7 to June 30, 2007

   F-173

Consolidated Statements of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2006 and June 30, 2007 and for the periods from January 1 to March 6, 2007 and March 7 to June 30, 2007

   F-173

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

   F-174

 

C-F-2


Table of Contents

Report of independent registered public accounting firm

The Board of Directors and Sole Stockholder

Domtar Corporation:

We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Domtar Corporation (formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006. This financial statement is the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on this financial statement based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the balance sheet is free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the balance sheet. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall balance sheet presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the balance sheet referred to above presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Domtar Corporation (formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Seattle, Washington

January 25, 2007

 

C-F-3


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

(Formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary of

Weyerhaeuser Company)

Balance sheet

 

      

December 31,

2006

 
   

Assets

  

Cash

   $ —  
      

Stockholder’s Equity

  

Common shares, $.01 par value; 1,000 shares authorized; 1,000 shares issued and outstanding

   $ 10  

Amount receivable from Weyerhaeuser Company

   (10 )
      

Stockholders’ equity

   $ —  
   

 

See accompanying notes to balance sheet.

 

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Domtar Corporation

(Formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary of

Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to balance sheet

December 31, 2006

1. Organization

Domtar Corporation (formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc.) (the “Company”) was organized in the State of Delaware on August 16, 2006, and is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company (“Weyerhaeuser”). The Company is a holding company organized for the sole purpose of holding Weyerhaeuser’s Fine Paper Business and consummating a combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. (“Domtar”). The Company has had no operations to date.

Following the combination, the Company will be an independent public company, owned approximately 55% by current and former Weyerhaeuser shareholders and approximately 45% by former Domtar shareholders, in each case on a fully diluted basis.

The shares of Company common stock will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

2. Liquidity and capital resources

The Company has obtained commitments from financial institutions to provide an aggregate amount of up to $2.775 billion in financing consisting of:

 

 

A five-year senior secured revolving credit facility in a principal amount of $750 million, up to $350 million of which may be borrowed or utilized for letters of credit by Domtar; and

 

 

A three-month unsecured loan facility in the principal amount of $1.35 billion, which, upon consummation of the combination, will be refinanced, in part, by a new seven–year senior secured term loan facility in an aggregate amount of up to $1.7 billion, which may be increased at the option of the Company by incremental loans available to the Company and Domtar of up to $325 million to the extent necessary to refinance the existing accounts receivable securitization of Domtar and/or to redeem notes if tendered pursuant to a potential change of control offer with respect to Domtar’s $125 million 9.5% debentures due August 2016.

The three-month loan facility is expected to be used to finance a $1.35 billion cash payment to Weyerhaeuser as consideration for Weyerhaeuser’s contribution of the Fine Paper Business.

3. Existing Weyerhaeuser and Domtar equity awards

Weyerhaeuser employees that hold equity awards and who will become employees of the Company may elect to continue to hold their Weyerhaeuser equity awards, or may surrender those awards in exchange for Company equity awards.

Domtar stock options that have an exercise price equal to or less than the volume weighted average trading price of the Domtar common shares on the New York Stock Exchange as

 

C-F-5


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

(Formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary of

Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to balance sheet—(continued)

December 31, 2006

 

reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets on the last trading day prior to the Distribution, will be exchanged for an option to purchase that number of shares of Company common stock equal to the number of Domtar common shares subject to the Domtar stock option. The exercise price will be equal to the exercise price per share of such option immediately prior to the exchange. Domtar stock options that have an exercise price greater than the volume weighted average trading price of the Domtar common shares on the New York Stock Exchange as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets on the last trading day prior to the Distribution, will be exchanged for an option to purchase a number of shares of Company common stock of equivalent value determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Other Domtar equity awards will be exchanged for Company equity awards on a one–for–one basis.

4. Taxes

Weyerhaeuser and the Company will enter into a tax sharing agreement whereby Weyerhaeuser will generally be required to indemnify the Company for any taxes attributable to all pre-distribution periods and the Company will be required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser for any taxes attributable to its operations for all post-distribution periods.

5. Transition services

Weyerhaeuser, its affiliates, or certain third parties will provide services to the Company relating to finance and administration, human resources, payroll and information technology, and other areas the Company may request. The agreement will terminate when all of the terms of the services have expired or otherwise terminated.

6. Site services agreements

The Company and Weyerhaeuser will enter into site services agreements with respect to certain facilities that are jointly owned between the Company and Weyerhaeuser. The site service agreements will include parking, office space, temporary use of roads, chips, steam, natural gas, and electricity.

7. Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

C-F-6


Table of Contents

Review of PWC

Review Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Domtar Corporation:

We have reviewed the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Domtar Corporation as of July 1, 2007, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the thirteen-week and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007. These interim financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management.

We conducted our review in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.

Based on our review, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the accompanying consolidated interim financial statements for them to be in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Richmond, Virginia

August 9, 2007, except Note 20, as to which the date is September 25, 2007

 

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Table of Contents

Review of KPMG

Review Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Shareholders

Domtar Corporation:

We have reviewed the consolidated balance sheet of Domtar Corporation (formerly the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company, and the predecessor of Domtar Corporation) as of June 25, 2006 (not presented herein) and the related consolidated statements of income, shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended June 25, 2006. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of Domtar Corporation’s management.

We conducted our review in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.

Based on our review, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the consolidated financial statements referred to above for them to be in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We have previously audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the combined balance sheet of Domtar Corporation (formerly the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company, and the predecessor of Domtar Corporation) as of December 31, 2006 and the related statements of operations, business unit equity, and cash flows for the year then ended; and in our report dated March 29, except as to notes 17 and 20, which are as of June 19, 2007, and note 21, which is as of September 24, 2007, we expressed an unqualified opinion on those combined financial statements. In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2006, is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the combined balance sheet from which it has been derived.

The consolidated balance sheet as of July 1, 2007 and the related consolidated statements of income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007, were not reviewed or audited by us, and accordingly, we do not express an opinion or any form of assurance on them.

/s/    KPMG LLP

Seattle, Washington

August 9, 2007, except as to note 20,

    which is as of September 24, 2007

 

C-F-8


Table of Contents

Part I Financial information

Item 1. Financial statements (unaudited)

Domtar Corporation

Consolidated financial statements

Consolidated statements of income

 

      

Thirteen

weeks ended

   

Twenty-six

weeks ended

 
    

July 1

2007

   June 25
2006
    July 1
2007
   June 25
2006
 
            
    

(Unaudited)

 
(In millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)    $    $     $    $  
   

Sales

   1,620    809     2,671    1,638  

Operating expenses

          

Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization

   1,317    711     2,172    1,418  

Depreciation and amortization

   131    76     209    152  

Selling, general and administrative

   103    43     150    87  

Impairment of goodwill (Note 10)

             749  
      
   1,551    830     2,531    2,406  
      

Operating income (loss)

   69    (21 )   140    (768 )

Interest expense

   47        58     
      

Income (loss) before income taxes

   22    (21 )   82    (768 )

Income tax expense (recovery) (Note 7)

   11    (9 )   22    (9 )
      

Net income (loss)

   11    (12 )   60    (759 )
      

Per common share (in dollars) (Note 5)

          

Net income (loss)

          

Basic

   0.02    (0.04 )   0.14    (2.67 )

Diluted

   0.02    (0.04 )   0.14    (2.67 )

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

          

Basic

   515.2    284.1     431.7    284.1  

Diluted

   516.3    284.1     432.3    284.1  
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

C-F-9


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Consolidated financial statements

Consolidated balance sheets

 

       As at  
    

July 1

2007

    December 31
2006
 
      
     (Unaudited)        
(In millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)    $     $  
   

Assets

    

Current assets

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   80     1  

Receivables, less allowances of $9 and $2 (Note 8)

   528     340  

Inventories (Note 9)

   1,004     520  

Prepaid expenses

   27     6  

Income and other taxes receivable

   9      

Deferred income taxes

   61     22  
      

Total current assets

   1,709     889  

Property, plant and equipment, at cost

   9,751     6,696  

Accumulated depreciation

   (3,857 )   (3,631 )
      

Net property, plant and equipment

   5,894     3,065  

Goodwill (Note 10)

   134     14  

Intangible assets, net of amortization

   29      

Other assets (Note 11)

   123     30  
      

Total assets

   7,889     3,998  
      

Liabilities and shareholders’ equity

    

Current liabilities

    

Bank indebtedness

   74      

Trade and other payables

   708     250  

Income and other taxes payable

   37     6  

Long-term debt due within one year (Note 13)

   19     12  
      

Total current liabilities

   838     268  

Long-term debt (Note 13)

   2,425     32  

Deferred income taxes

   1,093     758  

Other liabilities and deferred credits (Note 14)

   439     25  

Commitments and contingencies (Note 16)

    

Shareholders’ equity

    

Business Unit equity

       2,852  

Common stock (Note 15)

   5      

Exchangeable shares (Note 15)

   362      

Additional paid-in capital

   2,478      

Retained earnings

   37      

Accumulated other comprehensive income

   212     63  
      

Total shareholders’ equity

   3,094     2,915  
      

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

   7,889     3,998  
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

C-F-10


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Consolidated financial statements

Consolidated statement of shareholders’ equity

 

      Issued and
outstanding
common and
exchangeable
stock
(millions of
shares)
 

Common
stock,

at par

  Exchangeable
shares
    Business
unit
equity
    Additional
paid in
capital
  Retained
earnings
  Accumulated
other
comprehensive
income
  Total
shareholders’
equity
 
     
    (Unaudited)  
(In millions of US dollars, unless
otherwise noted)
      $   $     $     $   $   $   $  
   

Balance as at December 31, 2006

          2,852         63   2,915  

Contribution of Weyerhaeuser fine paper business to Domtar Corporation

  284.1   3                 3  

Net income to March 6, 2007

          23           23  

Distribution to Weyerhaeuser Co prior to March 7, 2007

          (1,431 )         (1,431 )

Acquisition of Domtar Inc.

  230.9   2   500         1,032       1,534  

Post closing adjustments

    (Note 1)

          (138 )       5   (133 )

Transfer of business unit equity

          (1,306 )   1,306        

Conversion of exchangeable shares

      (138 )       138        

Issuance of common shares

  0.2             2       2  

Net income from March 7 to July 1, 2007 (Note 1)

                37     37  

Foreign currency translation adjustments

                  140   140  

Losses and prior service cost related to pension and postretirement benefit plans

                  4   4  
     

Balance as at July 1, 2007

  515.2   5   362         2,478   37   212   3,094  
   

Comprehensive income

 

      

Thirteen

weeks ended

   

Twenty-six

weeks ended

 
    

July 1

2007

   June 25
2006
   

July 1

2007

   June 25
2006
 
      
     (Unaudited)  
(In millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)    $    $     $    $  
   

Net income (loss)

   11    (12 )   60    (759 )

Other comprehensive income (loss)

          

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   136    11     140    26  

Losses and prior service cost related to pension and postretirement benefit plans

   4        4     

Net change in cash flow fair value adjustments, net of tax

      (4 )      (13 )
      

Comprehensive income (loss)

   151    (5 )   204    (746 )
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

C-F-11


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Consolidated financial statements

Consolidated statements of cash flows

 

      

Thirteen

weeks ended

   

Twenty-six

weeks ended

 
     July 1
2007
    June 25
2006
    July 1
2007
    June 25
2006
 
      
     (Unaudited)  
(In millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)    $     $     $     $  
   

Operating activities

        

Net income (loss)

   11     (12 )   60     (759 )

Adjustments to reconcile income to cash flows from operating activities

        

Depreciation and amortization

   131     76     209     152  

Deferred income taxes

   (4 )   2     (15 )   2  

Impairment of goodwill

               749  

Other

           1      

Changes in assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisition

        

Receivables

   39     20     (56 )   (1 )

Inventories

   9     44     17     63  

Prepaid expenses

   (2 )   (3 )   (7 )   (7 )

Trade and other payables

   (1 )   (12 )   45     (17 )

Income and other taxes

   9         31      

Other assets and other liabilities

   (3 )   (4 )   (5 )    
      

Cash flows provided from operating activities

   189     111     280     182  
      

Investing activities

        

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (32 )   (20 )   (46 )   (41 )

Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment

   22         22      

Business acquisitions—cash acquired

           573      

Other

   (4 )       (4 )    
      

Cash flows provided from (used for) investing activities

   (14 )   (20 )   545     (41 )
      

Financing activities

        

Change in bank indebtedness

   (23 )       (3 )    

Repayment of revolving bank credit

   (90 )            

Issuance of short-term debt

           1,350      

Issuance of long-term debt

           800      

Repayment of short-term debt

           (1,350 )    

Repayment of long-term debt

   (81 )   (2 )   (81 )   (3 )

Debt issue costs

           (24 )    

Distribution to Weyerhaeuser prior to March 7, 2007

       (88 )   (1,431 )   (137 )

Other

   (4 )       (5 )    
      

Cash flows used for financing activities

   (198 )   (90 )   (744 )   (140 )
      

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

   (23 )   1     81     1  

Translation adjustments related to cash and cash equivalents

   (7 )       (2 )    

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

   110     1     1     1  
      

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

   80     2     80     2  
      

Supplemental cash flow information

        

Net cash payments for:

        

Interest

   43         43      

Income taxes

   18         21      
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

C-F-12


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

Note 1. Summary of significant accounting policies

Background

Domtar Corporation (“the Company”) was incorporated on August 16, 2006 for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (the “Business Unit”) and consummating the combination of the Business Unit with Domtar Inc. (the “Transaction”). The Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business was operated by Weyerhaeuser Company (“Weyerhaeuser”) prior to the completion of the Transaction.

On August 22, 2006, Weyerhaeuser and certain wholly owned subsidiaries entered into an agreement with Domtar Inc. providing for:

 

 

A series of transfers and other transactions resulting in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business becoming wholly owned by the Company (the “Contribution”);

 

 

The distribution of shares of the Company to Weyerhaeuser shareholders (the “Distribution”); and

 

 

The combination of Domtar Inc., treated as a purchase for accounting purposes, with the Company.

The Transaction was consummated on March 7, 2007. Domtar Corporation had no operations prior to March 7, 2007 when, upon the completion of the Transaction, it became an independent public holding company that, directly or indirectly through its subsidiaries, owns the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and Domtar Inc. We refer to Domtar Corporation as of the date of consummation of the Transaction as the “Successor”.

Domtar Inc. is an integrated manufacturer of uncoated free sheet with pulp, paper and converting facilities in Canada and the United States. Domtar’s paper business is its most important segment. In addition to its paper business, Domtar manufactures and markets lumber and wood-based value-added products and engages in the paper merchants business, which involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various paper products made by Domtar and by other manufacturers.

The Business Unit consists of pulp and paper mills, converting operations, sawmills, forest management licenses and related assets. These facilities are principally engaged in the harvesting of timber and the manufacture, distribution and sale of paper, pulp, and forest products, including softwood lumber.

Although Weyerhaeuser Company does not have a continuing proprietary interest in Domtar Corporation, the Company entered into several agreements with Weyerhaeuser Company and/or certain of its subsidiaries in connection with the Transaction, including a tax sharing agreement, an intellectual property licensing agreement, a transition services agreement, fiber and pulp supply agreements and site services agreements. These agreements enable the Company to continue to operate the Business Unit efficiently following the completion of the Transaction.

 

C-F-13


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Basis of presentation

The Contribution constituted a transfer of net assets between entities under common control, and as a result, the Company reports the accounts of the Business Unit at their historical cost or carry over basis as of the date of the Contribution. The agreements giving effect to the spin-off of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, provide for various post-closing transaction adjustments and the resolution of outstanding matters, which are expected to be addressed by the parties during 2007. The post-closing adjustments made were as follows: $41 million increase in long term liabilities and decrease in Business Unit Equity related to the recognition of post-retirement benefit obligations that were assumed as part of the Transaction but were not reflected in the historical carve out financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business; assumed $48 million increase in deferred tax liabilities and decrease in Business Unit Equity related to the contribution of Canadian assets with a tax basis that was different Post-Transaction than was assumed in the carve out financial statements; $44 million decrease in property plant and equipment related to differences in the carve out basis of shared assets versus the basis of assets actually transferred in the transaction. Certain balance sheet matters remain under discussion with Weyerhaeuser. Resolution of these discussions may lead to an adjustment to Business Unit Equity or results of operations.

The combination of Domtar Inc. with the Company constituted, for accounting purposes, the acquisition of Domtar Inc. by Domtar Corporation and, as a result, the Company reports the results of Domtar Inc. starting on March 7, 2007.

For accounting and financial reporting purposes, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business is considered to be the surviving entity following the Transaction and, as a result, the Company is required to present historical financial statements as though it owned only the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and not Domtar Inc. Because the Company was a shell company with no operations and substantially no assets, the “Predecessor” financial statements are those of the Business Unit. Accordingly, the results reported for the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006 include only the results of operations of the Predecessor for the entire period and the results reported for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 include the results of operations of the Predecessor for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and the results of operations of the Successor for the period from March 7, 2007 to July 1, 2007.

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financials statements of the Company, prepared in accordance with the applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly Domtar Corporation’s financial position as at July 1, 2007 and as at December 31, 2006 as well as its results of operations and its cash flows for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007 and June 25, 2006. While management believes that the disclosures presented are adequate, these unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and notes do not include all of the information and disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America for annual financial statements. Additional information is contained in the Predecessor annual combined financial statements and notes, filed on Form 8-K/A on June 22, 2007.

 

C-F-14


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

To conform with the basis of presentation adopted in the current period, certain figures previously reported have been reclassified. For purposes of comparability between periods as well as ease of readability, the Predecessor financial statements included herein have been renamed to conform to the conventions used for the July 1, 2007 interim financial statements including the reference to “consolidated financial statements”.

Predecessor financial statements for periods prior to March 7, 2007

The combined financial statements of the Business Unit have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for the purpose of presenting the Business Unit’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Other than the audited carve out financial statements for the periods of 2003 through 2006, separate financial statements historically have not been prepared for the Business Unit. The combined financial statements have been derived from historical accounting records of Weyerhaeuser. The historical operating results and cash flows of the Business Unit may not be indicative of what they would have been had the Business Unit been a stand-alone entity, nor are they necessarily indicative of what the Business Unit’s operating results and cash flows may be in the future.

The combined statements of operations for the Business Unit include allocations of certain costs from Weyerhaeuser directly related to the operations of the Business Unit, including an apportionment of certain centralized general and administrative costs for accounting, human resources, purchasing, information systems, transaction services, payroll processing costs, legal fees and other overhead costs. These centralized costs were allocated to the Business Unit using a three-part apportionment factor based on relative headcount, assets and certain revenue. Weyerhaeuser pension and post-retirement benefits expense was allocated based on relative salaried headcount, with the exception of pension expense of four Canadian pension plans related solely to the Business Unit which are directly included in the combined statements of operations.

Management believes the methodology applied for the allocation of these costs is reasonable. Except for an immaterial amount of interest on capital leases and debt that was assumed by the Company, interest expense has not been allocated to the Business Unit.

Certain of the Business Unit’s working capital assets and liabilities were common assets and liabilities shared with Weyerhaeuser facilities not part of the Business Unit. Allocations were performed in order to reflect the appropriate portion of each asset and liability in the accounts of the Business Unit. The allocations were based on third party sales percentages, headcount percentages or a three-part apportionment factor based on relative headcount, assets and certain revenue. Goodwill is allocated based on relative fair value. Management believes the methodology used for the asset and liability allocations is reasonable.

Significant differences in the funding and operation of the Business Unit may have existed if it operated as an independent, stand-alone entity, including the need for debt and the incurrence of interest expense, which could have had a significant impact on its financial position and results of operations.

 

C-F-15


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Use of estimates

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP, which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the year, the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to environmental matters, useful lives, impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill, pension and other employee future benefit plans, income taxes, closure and restructuring costs and asset retirement obligations, based on currently available information. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Translation of foreign currencies

Self-sustaining foreign operations

For foreign subsidiaries that are considered financially and operationally self-sustaining, the current rate method of translation of foreign currencies has been used. Under this method, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rate in effect at the balance sheet date and revenues and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates during the year. All gains and losses arising from the translation of the financial statements of these foreign subsidiaries are included in the “Accumulated other comprehensive income” account under “Shareholders’ equity.”

Variable interest entities

Variable interest entities (VIE) are entities in which equity investors do not have a controlling financial interest or the equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support provided by other parties. Domtar Corporation consolidates the VIE if Domtar Corporation is considered the VIE’s primary beneficiary, defined as the party that receives the majority of the expected residual returns and/or that absorbs the majority of the entity’s expected losses. As a result, Domtar Corporation consolidates the operations of Wapawekka Lumber LP (“Wapawekka”). Wapawekka is a 51 percent owned limited partnership that operates a sawmill in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Revenue recognition

Domtar Corporation recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, when goods are shipped, when there are no uncertainties surrounding product acceptance, when the related revenue is fixed or determinable, when collection is considered reasonably assured and when the customer takes title and assumes the majority of the risks and rewards of ownership.

 

C-F-16


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Shipping and handling costs

The Company classifies shipping and handling costs as a component of cost of sales in the consolidated statement of income.

Income taxes

Domtar Corporation uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined according to differences between the carrying amounts and tax bases of the assets and liabilities. The change in the net deferred tax asset or liability is included in earnings. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates and laws expected to apply in the years in which the assets and liabilities are expected to be recovered or settled.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to income tax matters in “Income tax expense.”

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and short-term investments with original maturities of less than three months and are presented at cost.

Receivables

Receivables are recorded at cost net of a provision for doubtful accounts that is based on expected collectibility. Gains or losses on securitization of receivables are calculated as the difference between the carrying amount of the receivables sold and the sum of the cash proceeds on sale and the fair value of the retained subordinate interest in such receivables on the date of transfer. Fair value is determined on a discounted cash flow basis. Costs related to the sales of receivables are recognized in earnings under “Interest expense” in the period when the sale occurs.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost includes labor, materials and production overhead. The last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method is used to cost certain domestic raw materials, in process and finished goods inventories. The balance of domestic raw material inventories, all materials and supplies inventories and all foreign inventories are costed at either the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) or average cost methods.

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation including asset impairment write-downs. Interest costs are capitalized for capital projects in excess of $5 million or having a duration in excess of two years. For timber limits and timberlands, amortization is

 

C-F-17


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

calculated using the unit of production method. For all other assets, amortization is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Buildings are amortized over periods of 10 to 40 years and machinery and equipment over periods of 3 to 20 years. The depreciation expense is reported net of the amount of the amortization of deferred credits related to property, plant and equipment. No depreciation is recorded on assets under construction.

Impairment of long-lived assets

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances indicating that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable, as measured by comparing their net book value to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows generated by their use. Impaired assets are recorded at fair value, determined principally by using discounted future cash flows expected from their use and eventual disposition.

Goodwill

Goodwill is not amortized and is subject to an annual impairment test, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it might be impaired. Testing for impairment is accomplished mainly by determining whether the fair value of a reporting unit, based upon discounted cash flows, exceeds the net carrying amount of that reporting unit as of the assessment date. If the fair value is greater than the net carrying amount, no impairment is necessary. In the event that the net carrying amount exceeds the sum of the discounted cash flows, a second test must be performed whereby the fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill must be estimated to determine if it is less than its net carrying amount. Fair value of goodwill is estimated in the same way as goodwill was determined at the date of the acquisition in a business combination, that is, the excess of the fair value of the reporting unit over the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the reporting unit.

Other assets

Other assets are recorded at cost. Direct financing costs related to the issuance of long-term debt are deferred and amortized using the effective interest rate method.

Environmental costs

Environmental expenditures for effluent treatment, air emission, landfill operation and closure, asbestos containment and removal, bark pile management, silvicultural activities and site remediation (together referred to as environmental matters) are expensed or capitalized depending on their future economic benefit. In the normal course of business, Domtar Corporation incurs certain operating costs for environmental matters that are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment that prevent future environmental impacts are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over 10 to 40 years. Provisions for environmental matters are not discounted and are recorded when remediation efforts are likely and can be reasonably determined.

 

C-F-18


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Asset retirement obligations

Asset retirement obligations are recognized, at fair value, in the period in which Domtar Corporation incurs a legal obligation associated to the retirement of an asset. Conditional asset retirement obligations are recognized, at fair value, when the fair value of the liability can be reasonably estimated. The associated costs are capitalized as part of the carrying value of the related asset and depreciated over its remaining useful life. The liability is accreted using a credit adjusted risk-free interest rate.

Stock-based compensation and other stock-based payments

Domtar Corporation uses the fair value based approach of accounting for stock-based payments to directors and employees and for stock options granted to its employees. Any consideration paid by plan participants on the exercise of share options or the purchase of shares is credited to additional paid-in capital.

Stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the vesting period of the options. The contributed surplus component of the stock-based compensation is transferred to common shares upon the issuance of shares of common stock.

Deferred Share Units are amortized over their vesting periods and remeasured at each reporting period, until settlement, using the quoted market value. The cost of the common stock acquired by the Company under the Restricted Stock Plan is amortized over the restricted period. Deferred Share Units and common stock acquired under the Restricted Stock Plan are accounted for in compensation expense, in “Other liabilities and deferred credits” and “Other assets.”

Derivative instruments

Derivative instruments are contracts that require or provide an option to exchange cash flows or payments determined by applying certain rates, indices or changes therein to notional contract amounts. Derivative instruments are utilized by Domtar Corporation in the management of its foreign currency, price risk on certain purchases and sales and interest rate exposures.

Derivatives designated for hedge accounting

In order for a derivative to qualify for hedge accounting, the hedge relationship must be designated and formally documented at its inception, outlining the particular risk management objective and strategy, the specific asset, liability or cash flow being hedged, as well as how effectiveness is assessed. The derivative must be effective in accomplishing the objective of offsetting either changes in the fair value or cash flow attributable to the risk being hedged both at inception and over the term of the hedging relationship.

When derivative instruments have been designated within a hedge relationship and are highly effective in offsetting the identified risk characteristics of specific financial assets and liabilities, or group of financial assets and liabilities, hedge accounting is applied to these derivative instruments.

 

C-F-19


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

In a fair value hedge, hedging activities are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of income. The changes in fair value of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk is also recorded in the consolidated statement of income by way of a corresponding adjustment of the carrying amount of the hedged items recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

In a cash flow hedge, the changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments is recorded in other comprehensive income. These amounts are reclassified in the consolidated statement of income in the periods in which results are affected by the cash flows of the hedged item. Hedges of net investments in self-sustaining operations are treated in a manner similar to cash flow hedges. Any hedge ineffectiveness is recorded in the consolidated statement of income.

Derivatives not designated for hedge accounting

In conjunction with the Transaction, the various financial instruments of Domtar Inc. were recorded at fair value and, as such, did not meet the requirements for hedge accounting. As a result, Domtar Corporation accounts for these contracts at their fair value with resulting gains and losses being included in “Selling, general and administrative” expenses.

Pensions

Domtar Corporation’s plans include funded and unfunded defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans. Domtar Corporation recognizes the overfunded or underfunded status of defined benefit pension as an asset or liability in its statement of financial position. The net periodic benefit cost includes the following:

 

 

The cost of pension benefits provided in exchange for employees’ services rendered during the year,

 

 

The interest cost of pension obligations,

 

 

The expected long-term return on pension fund assets based on a market-related value determined using a five-year moving average market value for equity securities and fair value for other asset classes,

 

 

Gains or losses on settlements and curtailments,

 

 

The straight-line amortization of past service costs and plan amendments over the average remaining service period of approximately 13 years of the active employee group covered by the plans,

 

 

The amortization of cumulative net actuarial gains and losses in excess of 10% of the greater of the accrued benefit obligation or market-related value of plan assets at the beginning of the year over the average remaining service period of approximately 13 years of the active employee group covered by the plans.

The defined benefit plans obligations are determined in accordance with the projected benefit method prorated on services.

 

C-F-20


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Other employee future benefit plans

Domtar Corporation recognizes the overfunded or underfunded status of other post-retirement plans (other than multiemployer plans) as an asset or liability in its statement of financial position. These benefits, which are funded by Domtar Corporation as they become due, include life insurance programs, medical and dental benefits and short-term and long-term disability programs. Domtar Corporation amortizes the cumulative net actuarial gains and losses in excess of 10% of the accrued benefit obligation at the beginning of the year over the average remaining service period of approximately 15 years of the active employee group covered by the plans.

Investment tax credits

Investment tax credits are recognized in earnings as a reduction of income tax expenses when Domtar Corporation has made the qualifying expenditures and has a reasonable assurance that the credits will be realized.

Guarantees

A guarantee is a contract or an indemnification agreement that contingently requires Domtar Corporation to make payments to the other party of the contract or agreement, based on changes in an underlying item that is related to an asset, a liability or an equity security of the other party or on a third party’s failure to perform under an obligating agreement. It could also be an indirect guarantee of the indebtedness of another party, even though the payment to the other party may not be based on changes in an underlying item that is related to an asset, a liability or an equity security of the other party. Guarantees are accounted for at fair value.

Note 2. Accounting changes

Accounting for planned major maintenance

In September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued FASB Staff Position AUG AIR-1, “Accounting for Planned Major Maintenance Activities.” This Staff Position prohibits the use of the previously acceptable accrue-in-advance method of accounting for planned major maintenance activities in annual and interim financial reporting periods. The three accounting methods permitted under the Staff Position are: 1) direct expensing method, 2) built-in overhaul method and 3) deferral method. On January 1, 2007 the Company adopted retroactively with retrospective adjustment of prior periods the direct expensing method. The Company previously used the accrue-in-advance method for interim periods. The adoption of this Staff Position had no significant impact on the annual consolidated financial statements.

Uncertainty in income taxes

In June 2006, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109” (FIN 48). This interpretation, which the Company adopted on January 1, 2007, clarifies the accounting for uncertain tax positions

 

C-F-21


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

recognized in a company’s financial statements in accordance with Statement 109. FIN 48 prescribes a more likely than not recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification of a liability for unrecognized tax benefits, accounting for interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, and expanded income tax disclosures. The adoption of this Interpretation had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Impact of accounting pronouncements not yet implemented

Fair value option

In February 2007, the FASB issued Statement No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (FAS 159). FAS 159 permits an entity to measure certain financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value. Under FAS 159, entities that elect the fair value option will report unrealized gains and losses in earnings at each subsequent reporting date. The fair value option may be elected on an instrument-by-instrument basis, with few exceptions, as long as it is applied to the instrument in its entirety. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that FAS 159 will have on its financial position and results of operations for fair value measurements incurred after its adoption in fiscal 2008.

Fair value measurements

In September 2006, the FASB issued Statement No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements” (FAS 157). FAS 157 establishes a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that FAS 157 will have on its financial position and results of operations for fair value measurements incurred after its adoption in fiscal 2008.

Note 3. Business combination

As discussed in Note 1, on March 7, 2007, Domtar Corporation completed the Transaction to combine the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. Under the Transaction, Domtar Corporation issued 155,947,307 common stock and 75,004,303 exchangeable shares to acquire Domtar Inc. Domtar Inc. is an integrated manufacturer of uncoated freesheet in North America with four pulp and paper mills in Canada and five in the United States. This Transaction was considered, for accounting purposes, as the acquisition of Domtar Inc. by Domtar Corporation and has been accounted for using the purchase method. Accordingly, the purchase price is based upon the estimated fair value of Domtar Corporation common stock issued plus acquisition costs directly related to the Transaction. Since no quoted market price existed for the shares of the Company’s common stock, the purchase price is based on the fair value of the net assets acquired on August 23, 2006, the date on which the terms of the Transaction were agreed to and announced. The fair value of Domtar Inc. common shares of $6.63 per share used in the calculation of the purchase price is based upon the average closing price of Domtar Inc. common

 

C-F-22


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the five trading days beginning August 21, 2006 and ended August 25, 2006, converted at the average daily foreign exchange rate of the Bank of Canada. The number of outstanding Domtar Inc. common shares used in the calculation of the fair value is based on the same periods.

The following table summarizes the components of the total purchase price (in millions of dollars):

 

       (Unaudited)
     $
 

231,436,850 common shares of Domtar Inc. outstanding at an average closing price of $6.63 per share

   1,534

Direct acquisition costs

   28
    

Estimated total purchase price, net of assumed debt

   1,562
 

The total purchase price is allocated to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the Company’s preliminary estimates of their fair value, which are based on information currently available. The Company is in the process of completing its valuation of certain assets and liabilities. Accordingly, the final allocation of the fair value to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed could differ materially from the amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements. The principal significant elements for which the fair value could be modified include inventories, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, goodwill, deferred income taxes, pension plans and other employee future benefit plans.

The Company has refined its preliminary purchase price allocation in the second quarter of 2007 to reflect, amongst other things, the impact of the restructuring measures described in Note 12 and to refine the fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed of its wood business. The Company has assumed an agreement in principle to sell substantially all of its Wood business as described in Note 19. As a result, the fair value allocated to inventories was decreased by $7 million, the fair value of property, plant and equipment was increased by $80 million, the fair value of trade and other payables was increased by $18 million, the fair value of other liabilities and deferred credits was increased by $5 million and the fair value of deferred income tax liability—non current was increased by $13 million. This resulted in a $37 million decrease in goodwill.

 

C-F-23


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The table below illustrates the preliminary purchase price allocation, as adjusted:

 

       (Unaudited)
(In millions of US dollars)    $
 

Fair value of net assets acquired at the date of acquisition

  

Cash and cash equivalents

   573

Receivables

   166

Inventories

   495

Prepaid expenses

   12

Income and other taxes receivable

   7

Deferred income taxes—current

   18

Property, plant and equipment

   2,822

Intangible assets

   29

Deferred income tax assets—non-current

   107

Goodwill

   106

Other assets

   60
    

Total assets

   4,395

Less: Liabilities

  

Bank indebtedness

   67

Trade and other payables

   388

Income and other taxes payable

   15

Long-term debt due within one year

   1

Long-term debt

   1,660

Deferred income tax liability—non-current

   363

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   311

Minority interests

   28
    

Total liabilities

   2,833
    

Fair value of net assets acquired at the date of acquisition

   1,562
 

The two main components of the preliminary intangible asset amount are $10 million for customer relationships and $19 million for favorable natural gas contracts. The customer relationships have estimated useful life of 5 years and the natural gas contracts will be amortized over a period of 3 years.

 

C-F-24


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following unaudited pro forma information for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007, the twenty six weeks ended July 1, 2007, the thirteen weeks ended June 25, 2006 and the twenty six weeks ended June 25, 2006 presents a summary of consolidated results of operations of the Company as if the combination had occurred at the beginning of the respective fiscal periods. These pro forma results have been prepared for comparative purpose only.

 

       Thirteen weeks
ended
    Twenty-six weeks
ended
 
    

July 1

2007

  

June 25

2006

    July 1
2007
  

June 25

2006

 
      
     (Unaudited)  
(In millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)    $    $     $    $  
   

Sales

   1,620    1,679     3,244    3,387  

Operating expenses, excluding depreciation and amortization

   1,421    1,559     2,865    3,893  

Depreciation and amortization

   133    122     248    243  
                      

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

   66    (2 )   131    (749 )

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

   19    (52 )   42    (842 )

Net income (loss) from continuing operations applicable to common stock

   8    (36 )   27    (808 )
                      

Basic income (loss) per share

   0.02    (0.07 )   0.05    (1.57 )

Diluted income (loss) per share

   0.02    (0.07 )   0.05    (1.57 )

Basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

   515.1    515.1     515.1    515.1  

Diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

   515.1    515.1     515.1    515.1  
   

The above includes a charge of $749 million for the impairment of goodwill in the first quarter of 2006, not deductible for tax. The above also includes a charge of $29 million for transaction related costs of Domtar Inc. incurred in the first quarter of 2007.

 

C-F-25


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 4. Stock-based compensation

Changes in the number of options outstanding were as follows:

 

      

Number of
options

 

   

Weighted
average
exercise
price

 

  

Weighted

average

remaining

life (in years)

 

  

Aggregate

intrinsic

value

(in millions)

 

    
     Unaudited
           $         $
    

Outstanding as at January 1, 2007

            

Exchanged pursuant to the Transaction

   4,869,502     7.33      

Granted

   615,900     10.64      

Exercised

   (247,157 )   8.04      

Cancelled

   (28,829 )   8.04      
    

Outstanding as at July 1, 2007

   5,209,416     7.68    5.3    16
    

Options exercisable as at July 1, 2007

   2,072,201     8.84    3.8    6
 

2007 Omnibus stock incentive plan

Under the Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan (the “Omnibus Plan”), the Company may award to executives and other key employees non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, shares of restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance conditioned restricted stock units, performance shares, deferred share units and other stock-based awards. A total of 20,000,000 common shares are reserved for issuance in connection with awards granted under the Omnibus Plan. Unless otherwise determined at the time of the grant, time-based awards vest in approximately equal installments over four years beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date and performance-based awards vest based on achievement of pre-determined performance goals over performance periods of three years. Awards may be subject to both performance and time-based vesting. The Company may accelerate the vesting of an award at any time.

The exercise price of options and stock appreciation rights is equal to the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the date of grant.

During the second quarter of 2007, the Company granted awards under the Omnibus Plan as follows:

Performance conditioned restricted stock units (“PCRSUS”)

On June 27, 2007, the Company granted 1,381,100 PCRSUs, having a weighted average grant date fair value of $10.44 and a weighted average remaining contractual life of approximately 2 years as of July 1, 2007. Each PCRSU is equivalent in value to one common share and is subject to service, performance and market conditions. The PCSRUs time-vest over the period beginning on the grant date and ending on December 31, 2009.

 

C-F-26


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

As of July 1, 2007, none of the performance and market conditions were met.

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, compensation expense relating to PCSRUs recognized in the Company’s results of operations was not significant. Compensation cost related to nonvested PCRSUs not yet recognized amounted to approximately $14 million as of July 1, 2007 and will be recognized over the remaining service period.

Restricted stock units (“RSUs”)

On June 27, 2007, the Company granted 818,250 RSUs having a weighted average grant date fair value of $10.64 and a weighted average remaining contractual life of approximately 2 years as of July 1, 2007. The Company will deliver one share of common stock in settlement of each outstanding RSU that has vested in January of the fiscal year following the employee’s termination of employment (see discussion below). The RSUs cliff vest up to February 28, 2010 and are subject to service conditions.

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, compensation expense relating to RSUs recognized in the Company’s results of operations was not significant. Compensation cost related to nonvested RSUs not yet recognized amounted to approximately $9 million as of July 1, 2007 and will be recognized over the remaining service period.

Non-qualified stock options

On June 27, 2007, the Company granted 615,900 stock options, having a weighted average exercise price of $10.64 and grant date fair value of $2.88. The weighted average remaining contractual life is approximately 2 years as of July 1, 2007. The stock options are exercisable if certain market conditions are met in addition to a service period. The stock options vest equally over a period of 3 years from the date of grant except for the June 27, 2007 grant which vests equally on February 28, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

The fair value of the stock options granted was estimated at the date of grant using an option pricing model that incorporated the market conditions as well as the following weighted average assumptions:

 

     (Unaudited)
 

Dividend yield

   0.00%

Expected volatlity

   30.00%

Risk-free interest rate

   5.05%

Expected life

   4 years
 

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, the total compensation expense recognized in the Company’s results of operations was not significant in connection with the non-qualified stock option plans. Compensation cost not yet recognized related to nonvested stock options amounted to approximately $2 million as of July 1, 2007 and will be recognized over the remaining service period.

 

C-F-27


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Termination of employment

Upon a termination due to death, time-based awards vest in full and performance-based awards vest at target levels, and options and stock appreciation rights remain exercisable for one year. Upon a termination due to disability, time-based awards vest in full and performance-based awards continue to vest in accordance with the original vesting schedule, and options and stock appreciation rights remain exercisable for one year. Upon retirement, a pro rated portion of time-based awards vest and a pro rated portion of performance-based awards continue to vest based on actual performance during the applicable performance period, and all awards remain outstanding for 5 years. Upon a termination for cause or a voluntary termination by a plan participant, all awards, including vested but unexercised awards, are forfeited without payment. Upon an involuntary termination for any reason other than cause, vested awards remain outstanding for 90 days and unvested awards are forfeited.

Change in control

Upon a change in control, unless otherwise determined by the Company, a participant’s awards will be replaced with awards of the acquiring company having the same or better terms. If there is a change in control and a participant’s employment is terminated for business reasons in the three months prior to or twenty-four months after the change in control, his or her time-based awards will fully vest and performance-based awards will vest to the extent the applicable performance goals have been achieved as of the date of the change in control or the end of the fiscal quarter immediately prior to the date of termination, whichever is greater.

If replacement awards are not available, unless the Company determines otherwise, all time-based awards fully vest and performance-based awards vest to the extent the performance goals related to the award have been achieved as of the date of the change in control. Alternatively, the Committee may determine that vested awards will be cancelled in exchange for a cash payment (or other form of change in control consideration) based on the value of the change in control payment and that unvested awards will be forfeited. The Company’s Board of Directors may also accelerate the vesting of any or all awards upon a change in control.

Clawback for financial reporting misconduct

If a participant in the Omnibus Plan knowingly engages in financial reporting misconduct or such misconduct results from the participant’s gross negligence, then all awards and gains from the exercise of options or stock appreciation rights in the 12 months prior to the date the misleading financial statements were issued as well as any awards that vested based on the misleading financial statements will be disgorged to the Company.

Replacement plans for awards to former employees of Weyerhaeuser

Prior to the consummation of the Transaction, employees of Weyerhaeuser who were being transferred to the Company were given the opportunity to exchange their outstanding

 

C-F-28


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Weyerhaeuser equity awards for awards of the Company having the same terms and conditions as their prior Weyerhaeuser awards. The Company has adopted three plans to provide for the grant of the Company’s equity awards in exchange for the prior plan awards. These three plans mirror the three Weyerhaeuser plans under which the prior plan awards were initially granted.

Awards were made under these plans in connection with the consummation of the Transaction only to those employees who elected to exchange their prior Weyerhaeuser plan awards for the Company’s equity awards.

On March 7, 2007, 220,798 common shares were acquired and are held in trust in exchange for the former Weyerhaeuser Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, the total expense recognized in the Company’s results of operations related to these equity plans is not significant. No new awards have been or will be made under any of the replacement equity plans.

Replacement of Domtar Inc. equity awards

Options granted to Domtar Inc. employees, whether vested or unvested, were exchanged on the same terms and conditions for options to purchase a number of shares of common stock of Domtar Corporation equal to the number of Domtar Inc.’s common shares or a number of shares of Domtar Corporation common stock that would provide the equivalent value to the Domtar Inc. common shares determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, depending if the exercise price was higher, equal or less than the market value at the time of the exchange.

Each outstanding award of restricted Domtar Inc. common shares was exchanged on a one-for-one basis, and on the same terms and conditions as applied to Domtar Inc. restricted share awards, for awards of restricted shares of the Company’s common shares. On March 7, 2007, 654,935 common shares were acquired and were held in trust in exchange for the former Domtar Inc. restricted awards.

Each outstanding grant of deferred share units (DSUs) with respect to Domtar Inc. common shares were exchanged on a one-for-one basis, on the same terms and conditions as applied to the Domtar Inc. deferred share units, for deferred share units with respect to shares of the Company’s common stock. On March 7, 2007, 351,718 DSUs and 45,815 DSUs were issued to outside directors and executives, respectively, in exchange for Domtar Inc. DSUs. During the second quarter, 131,573 DSUs were exercised (including 24,686 DSUs settled in cash) by the outside directors. As at July 1, 2007, 220,145 DSUs are outstanding for the outside directors and 45,815 for the executives.

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, the total expense recognized in the Company’s results of operations related to these equity awards is not significant. No new awards have been or will be made under any of these equity plans.

 

C-F-29


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Changes in the number of Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) of the Company outstanding were as follows:

 

         
     Number
of
options
   Weighted
average
exercise
price
  

Weighted

average

remaining

life (in years)

  

Aggregate

intrinsic

value

(in millions)

    
     Unaudited
          $         $
 

Outstanding as at January 1, 2007

           

Exchanged pursuant to the Transaction

   195,395    6.58      
          

Outstanding as at July 1, 2007

   195,395    6.58    8.0    1
          

SARs exercisable as at July 1, 2007

   14,644    6.27    7.3   
 

Fair value

The fair value of each replacement stock option and SAR award was estimated on the date of grant which under the circumstances is being considered the date of the replacement of awards, using a Black-Scholes based option valuation model that uses the weighted-average assumptions noted in the following table. Expected volatility was based on implied volatilities from traded options on the Company’s stock or similar companies, historical volatility of the Company’s stock or similar companies, and other factors. The Company used historical data of Weyerhaeuser and Domtar Inc. to estimate option exercise and employee termination within the valuation model. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option was based on the United States Treasury yield curve for the former Weyerhaeuser stock options and SARs and on zero coupon Canada government bonds for the former Domtar Inc. stock options over a period matching the expected term in effect at the time of grant.

 

       (Unaudited)
 

Risk-free interest rate

     4.0% to 5.0%

Annual dividends per shares (in dollars)

    

Expected life

     6.1

Volatility

     35.0%

Estimated realization percentage of performance-based options

     56.2%

Weighted average fair value of options granted during the period (in dollars per option)

   $ 3.27
 

 

C-F-30


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 5. Earnings (loss) per share

The following table provides the reconciliation between basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share:

 

      

Thirteen

weeks ended

   

Twenty-six

weeks ended

 
         July 1        June 25         July 1        June 25  
     2007    2006     2007    2006  
      
     (Unaudited)  
     $    $     $    $  
   

Net earnings (loss)

   11    (12 )   60    (759 )

Weighted average number of common and exchangeable shares outstanding (millions)

   515.2    284.1     431.7    284.1  

Effect of dilutive securities (millions)

   1.1        0.6     
      

Weighted average number of diluted common and exchangeable shares outstanding (millions)

   516.3    284.1     432.3    284.1  
      

Basic net income (loss) per share (in dollars)

   0.02    (0.04 )   0.14    (2.67 )

Diluted net income (loss) per share (in dollars)

   0.02    (0.04 )   0.14    (2.67 )
   

The following table includes the potential maximum awards of certain performance-based awards that were not included in the computation of diluted income per share for 2007 due to performance targets not being satisfied at the end of the period:

 

      

July 1

2007

  

June 25

2006

    
     (Unaudited)
 

Performance-based awards

   3,738,479   
 

The calculation of earnings per common share for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 is based on the weighted-average number of Domtar Corporation common stock outstanding during the period. The calculation for diluted earnings per common share for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007 recognizes the effect of all potential dilutive common stock that were outstanding immediately after the Contribution on March 5, 2007.

Prior to the Transaction, Domtar Corporation did not have publicly traded common stock or stock options outstanding. The weighted average number of common stock of Domtar Corporation outstanding for the thirteen weeks and the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 assumes that all such common stock outstanding immediately after the Contribution but before the acquisition of Domtar Inc. were outstanding since January 1, 2007. The effect of dilutive securities for the thirteen weeks and the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 assumes that stock options of Domtar Corporation were outstanding immediately after the Contribution on March 5, 2007.

The weighted average number of shares of Domtar Corporation common stock outstanding for the thirteen weeks and the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006 assumes that all such common

 

C-F-31


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

stock outstanding immediately after the contribution of the Business Unit but before the acquisition of Domtar Inc. were outstanding since December 26, 2005. The effect of dilutive securities for the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006 assumes that stock options of Domtar Corporation were outstanding immediately after the Contribution on March 5, 2007.

Note 6. Pension plans and other employee future benefit plans

Defined contribution plans

As part of the acquisition of Domtar Inc., the Company now has several additional defined contribution, multi-employer and 401(k) plans. The incremental pension expense under these new plans is $2.4 million and $3.9 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, in addition to the expense of $0.8 million ($0.7 million in the first quarter) for the existing plan.

Defined benefit plans and other employee future benefit plans

As part of the acquisition of Domtar Inc., the Company now has several additional defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all employees. The defined benefit plans are generally contributory in Canada and non-contributory in the United States. The Company also provides post-retirement and post-employment plans to eligible Canadian and US employees; both plans are unfunded and include life insurance programs, medical and dental benefits and short-term and long-term disability programs. As at March 7, 2007, the funded status acquired by the Company was a net liability of $152 million for the pension plans and $74 million for other employee future benefit plans. Post-retirement benefits were accounted for in the Predecessor financial statements using a multi-employer approach. As a result, an additional net liability of $41 million was recorded on March 7, 2007. Pension liabilities, other than the ones related to the four Canadian pension plans, were retained by Weyerhaeuser.

 

      

Thirteen weeks ended

July 1 2007

  

Twenty-six weeks ended

July 1 2007

         
     Pension
plans
   

Other

employee

future benefit

plans

  

Pension

plans

   

Other

employee

future benefit

plans

    
     (Unaudited)
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost    $     $    $     $
 

Service cost for the period

   12     1    17     2

Interest expense

   21     2    30     3

Expected return on plan assets

   (24 )      (37 )  

Amortization of prior year service costs

          1    
    

Cost arising during the period

   9     3    11     5
 

The Company contributed $37 million and $43 million for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 to the pension plans. The Company also contributed $1 million and $2 million

 

C-F-32


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 to the other employee future benefit plans. In conjunction with a partial wind-up declared in 2006 related to the pension plans of Domtar Inc, an estimated amount of $218 million of plan assets and liabilities is expected to be settled from the pension funds in 2007. The Company will be required to make an augmented contribution to the plan in that year in the amount of approximately $39 million. This amount will not have an impact on the expense of the period.

Note 7. Income taxes

On January 1, 2007, the Company adopted the provisions of FIN 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes.” The adoption of FIN 48 had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Company.

As at July 1, 2007, the Company had unrecognized tax benefits of $31 million. If recognized, these tax benefits would impact the effective tax rate or the goodwill. The Company does not expect a significant change to the amount of unrecognized tax benefits over the next 12 months.

The Company and its subsidiaries file U.S. federal income tax returns as well as returns in various state and foreign jurisdictions. As at July 1, 2007, the Company’s subsidiaries may be subject to U.S. and Canadian federal income tax examinations for the tax years 2002 through 2006, with years prior to 2003 being closed from a cash tax liability standpoint in the U.S. In addition, the Company’s subsidiaries are undergoing tax audits in various state and foreign jurisdictions for the years 2000 to 2006. The Company does not anticipate that adjustments stemming from these audits would result in a significant change to the results of its operations, financial condition or liquidity.

During the second quarter, the Company reversed $2 million of interest expense related to uncertain tax positions following the receipt by Domtar Inc. of a notice of assessment from a Canadian tax authority. The reversal was applied against goodwill since the assessment was related to a tax year prior the acquisition of Domtar Inc. by Domtar Corporation.

During the second quarter, the Company has provided current income taxes under APB No. 23, “Accounting for Income Taxes—Special Areas,” (“APB23”) for the presumed repatriation to the United States of earnings from all non-U.S. subsidiaries and unconsolidated affiliates. As such, the Company has recorded an amount of $4 million for U.S withholding taxes payable on future distributions from the U.S subsidiaries to the ultimate parent company.

Tax attributes

As a result of the Transaction, the Company has inherited federal net operating loss carry forwards and scientific research and experimental development expenditures not previously deducted of approximately of $1,147 million ($603 million in Canada and $544 million in the U.S).

 

C-F-33


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

First quarter adjustments

The first quarter 2007 income tax expense included an out-of-period adjustment which decreased the expense by approximately $6 million. This out-of-period adjustment is the result of an omission to account for a change in Canadian federal tax rates which occurred in the second quarter of 2006. The Company’s management has concluded, through a quantitative and qualitative analysis, that this adjustment is not material to the first quarter of 2007 or to the prior periods affected and, therefore, financial information for 2006 has not been restated.

Tax sharing agreement

In conjunction with the Transaction, the Company signed a Tax Sharing Agreement that governs both Weyerhaeuser and the Company’s rights and obligations after the Transaction with respect to taxes for both pre and post-Distribution periods in regards to ordinary course taxes, and also covers related administrative matters. The Distribution refers to the distribution of shares of the Company to Weyerhaeuser shareholders. The Company will generally be required to indemnify Weyerhaeuser and Weyerhaeuser shareholders against any tax resulting from the Distribution if that tax results from an act or omission to act by the Company after the Distribution. If Weyerhaeuser, however, should recognize a gain on the Distribution for reasons not related to an act or omission to act by the Company after the Distribution, Weyerhaeuser would be responsible for such taxes and would not be entitled to indemnification by the Company under the Tax Sharing Agreement. In addition, to preserve the tax-free treatment of the Distribution to Weyerhaeuser, the following actions will be subject to restrictions for a two-year period following the date of the Distribution:

 

 

the redemption, recapitalization, repurchase or acquisition by the Company of its capital stock;

 

 

the issuance by the Company of capital stock or convertible debt;

 

 

the liquidation of the Company;

 

 

the discontinuance of the operations of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business;

 

 

the sale or disposition (other than in the ordinary course of business) of all or a substantial part of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business; or

 

 

other actions, omissions to act or transactions that could jeopardize the tax-free status of the Distribution.

Note 8. Receivables

Receivables securitization

In conjunction with the Transaction, the Company retained Domtar Inc.’s receivable securitization program. The Company uses securitization of its receivables as a source of financing by reducing its working capital requirements. The Company’s securitization program consists of the sale of receivables, or the sale of a senior beneficial interest in them, to a special purpose trust managed

 

C-F-34


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

by a financial institution for multiple sellers of receivables. The agreement governing the Company receivables securitization program normally allows the daily sale of new receivables to replace those that have been collected. The agreement also limits the cash that can be received from the sale of the senior beneficial interest. The subordinated interest retained by the Company is included in “Receivables” and will be collected only after the senior beneficial interest has been settled. The book value of the retained subordinated interest approximates fair value.

The Company retains responsibility for servicing the receivables sold but does not record a servicing asset or liability as the fees received by the Company for this service approximate the fair value of the services rendered.

Accounts receivable program

The Company has a three-year agreement maturing in 2010, including both U.S. and Canadian receivables. The maximum cash consideration that can be received from the sale of receivables under this combined agreement is US$190 million.

As at July 1, 2007, the senior beneficial interest in receivables held by third parties amounted to $130 million.

Note 9. Inventories

 

      

July 1

2007

  

December 31

2006

    
     (Unaudited)
     $    $
 

Work in process and finished goods

   601    335

Raw materials and operating and maintenance supplies

   403    185
    

Balance at end of period

   1,004    520
 

Note 10. Goodwill

The carrying value of goodwill and changes in the carrying value are as follows:

 

      

July 1

2007

  

December 31

2006

 
      
     (Unaudited)  
     $    $  
   

Beginning of period

   14    763  

Impairment of goodwill

      (749 )

Business acquisition (Note 3)

   120     
      

End of period

   134    14  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

In April 2006, Weyerhaeuser announced that it was considering alternatives for the Business Unit that ranged from continuing to hold and operate the assets to a possible sale or other disposition. In connection with the announcement, Weyerhaeuser received information that indicated that the carrying value of certain business units of the Company exceeded the fair value. Based on an evaluation of the assets and liabilities of the Company, it was concluded that the implied value of the Company’s goodwill relating to the paper reportable segment, excluding the Pulp business unit, was zero. As a result of the above, a charge of $749 million was recorded in the first quarter of 2006.

The goodwill impairment was not deductible for income tax purposes and represents a permanent book-tax difference. As a result, no tax benefit had been recognized for the goodwill impairment charge.

Note 11. Other assets

 

      

July 1

2007

  

December 31

2006

    
     (Unaudited)
     $    $
 

Pension asset—defined benefit pension plans

   54    16

Unamortized debt issue costs

   22   

Deferred income tax assets

   28   

Investments and advances

   11   

Other

   8    14
    
   123    30
 

Note 12. Closure and restructuring costs

On July 31, 2007, Domtar Corporation announced that it will permanently close two paper machines, one at its Woodland, Maine paper mill and another at its Port Edwards, Wisconsin paper mill as well as its Gatineau, Quebec paper mill and its converting center in Ottawa, Ontario. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees.

The closure and restructuring cost provision identified below relates to operations and activities of Domtar Inc., which was acquired by Domtar Corporation on March 7, 2007, and was part of a plan that had begun to be assessed and formulated by management at that date. As a result, these costs represent assumed liabilities and costs incurred as of the acquisition date and were treated as part of the purchase price allocation in accordance with EITF 95-3, Recognition of Liabilities in Connection with a Purchase Business Combination. These closures also impacted the fair value of certain property, plant and equipment as part of the Domtar Inc. purchase price allocation as described in Note 3.

At July 1, 2007, the closure and restructuring cost provision related to the above plan was $20 million, related entirely to the Papers segment.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table provides the components of closure and restructuring cost provisions:

 

       As at
    

July 1

2007

  

June 25

2006

    
     (Unaudited)
     $    $
 

Labor costs

   13    8

Environmental liabilities

   5    1

Contract termination costs

   2    3
    

Balance, end of period

   20    12
 

Further costs related to the above closures expected to be incurred over 2007 and 2008 include $1 million for training, relocation and outplacement costs. These costs will be expensed as incurred.

Closure and restructuring costs are based on management’s best estimates as at July 1, 2007. Although the Company does not anticipate significant changes, the actual costs may differ from these estimates due to subsequent developments such as the results of environmental studies, the ability to find a buyer for assets set to be dismantled and demolished and other business developments. As such, additional costs and further write-downs may be required in future periods.

Note 13. Long-term debt

 

       Maturity    Nominal
Amount
   Currency    July 1
2007
   December 31
2006
         
                    (Unaudited)
                    $    $
 

Unsecured debentures and notes

              

10% Debentures

   2011    82    CDN    86   

7.875% Notes

   2011    600    US    634   

5.375% Notes

   2013    350    US    321   

7.125% Notes

   2015    400    US    398   

9.5% Notes

   2016    125    US    139   

10.85% Debentures

   2017    75    CDN    86   

Secured term loan facility

   2014       US    720   

Capital lease obligations

   2007 – 2028          48    39

Other

            12    5
             
            2,444    44

Less: Due within one year

            19    12
             

Balance at end of period

            2,425    32
 

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Principal long-term debt repayments, including capital lease obligations, in each of the next five years amounted to:

 

       Long-term
debt
   Capital
leases
 
      
     (Unaudited)  
     $    $  
   

2008

   13    10  

2009

   8    9  

2010

   10    9  

2011

   8    6  

2012

   686    4  

Thereafter

   1,630    27  
      
   2,355    65  

Less: Amounts representing interest

      (17 )
      

Total payments, excluding the fair value increment of $41 million

   2,355    48  
   

Unsecured debentures and notes

The 10% and 10.85% debentures each have purchase fund requirements, whereby the Company undertakes to make all reasonable efforts to purchase quarterly, for cancellation, a portion of the aggregate principal amount of the debentures at prices not exceeding par.

Bank facility

On March 7, 2007, the Company entered into a new credit agreement, which consists of a seven-year senior secured Term loan B facility of $800 million and a five-year senior secured $750 million revolving secured loan facility. Borrowings by the Company and Domtar Paper Company LLC (the U.S. borrowers) under the senior revolving credit facility will make available in U.S. dollars and borrowings by Domtar Inc. under the senior revolving credit facility will be made available in U.S. dollars and/or Canadian dollars and limited to $150 million (or the Canadian equivalent thereof). Upon the closing of the Transactions, the Company borrowed $800 million under the Term loan B facility and $60 million under the revolving loan facility. The borrowing proceeds from the new credit facility, combined with cash on hand that was advanced from Domtar Inc., served mainly to repay a temporary borrowing of $1.35 billion incurred by the Company as part of the Transaction. The Term loan B facility amortizes in nominal quarterly installments (not exceeding one percent of the aggregate initial principal amount thereof per annum) with the balance due on the maturity date.

Amounts drawn under the Term loan B facility bear annual interest at either a Eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.375%, or at the prime rate plus a margin of 0.375%. Amounts drawn under the revolving loan facility bear annual interest at either a Eurodollar rate plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%, or at prime rates in US dollars, and in Canadian dollars (for borrowings by Domtar Inc.), plus a margin of 0.25% to 1.25%. Domtar Inc. can also issue bankers’ acceptances denominated

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

in Canadian dollars, which are discounted at bankers’ acceptance rates in Canada, and are subject to an acceptance fee, payable on the date of acceptance, which is calculated at a rate per annum equal to 1.25% to 2.25%. The interest rate margins and the acceptance fee are subject to adjustments based on the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio.

As at July 1, 2007, there was no drawing under the revolving credit facility and no borrowings outstanding in the form of overdraft. In addition, as at July 1, 2007, the Company had outstanding letters of credit pursuant to this bank credit for an amount of $49 million. The Company also has other outstanding letters of credit for an amount of $2 million.

The credit agreement contains a number of restrictive covenants. In particular, the Company’s secured revolving facilities require compliance with a consolidated cash interest coverage ratio and a consolidated leverage ratio on a quarterly basis. The credit agreement contains customary events of default provided the non-compliance with the consolidated cash interest coverage ratios or consolidated leverage ratio will not constitute an event of default under the Term loan B facility unless it has not been waived by the revolving credit lenders within a period of 45 days after the notice.

The Company’s U.S. subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, serve as guarantors of the obligations of the U.S. borrowers under the senior secured credit facilities. The Company and its subsidiaries, including Domtar Inc.’s subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, serve as guarantors of Domtar Inc.’s obligations under this facility.

The obligations of both the Company and Domtar Inc., in respect of the senior secured credit facilities, are secured by equity interests in the Company’s subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and are secured by the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries’ tangible and intangible assets (other than those of the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar Inc.). The obligations of Domtar Inc. also are secured by the equity interests in its subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions, and by the inventory of Domtar Inc., other than its U.S. subsidiaries.

Certain debt agreements require the Company to indemnify investors in the event of changes in elements such as withholding tax regulations. As the nature and scope of such indemnifications are contingent on future events, none of which can be foreseen as at July 1, 2007, no provisions have been recorded in the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 14. Other liabilities and deferred credits

 

       July 1
2007
   December 31
2006
    
     (Unaudited)
     $    $
 

Liability—other employee future benefit plans

   122   

Pension liability—defined benefit pension plans

   177   

Provision for environment and other asset retirement obligations
(Note 16)

   77    20

Minority interest

   24   

Worker’s compensation

   6   

Other

   33    5
    
   439    25
 

Note 15. Shareholders’ equity

The authorized stated capital consists of the following:

Preferred shares

Twenty million preferred shares, par value $0.01 per share. The Board of Directors of the Company will determine the voting powers (if any) of the shares, and the preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, if any, and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of the shares at the time of issuance.

Common stock

On August 22, 2006, the Company was authorized to issue 1,000 shares of common stock par value, $0.01 per share. On March 7, 2007, the certificate of incorporation of the Company was amended to authorize the issuance of two billion shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share. Holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote per share.

Special voting stock

One share of special voting stock, par value $0.01 per share. The share of special voting stock is held by Computershare Trust Company of Canada (“the Trustee”) for the benefit of the holders of exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. in accordance with the voting and exchange trust agreement. The trustee holder of the share of special voting stock is entitled to vote on each matter which stockholders generally are entitled to vote, and the trustee holder of the share of special voting stock will be entitled to cast on each such matter a number of votes equal to the number of outstanding exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. for which the trustee holder has received voting instructions. The trustee holder will not be entitled to receive dividends or distributions in its capacity as holder or owner thereof.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Shareholder rights plan

Subsequent to the Transaction, the Company entered into a rights agreement under which the shares of the Company’s common stock will include certain attached rights associated with a significant change in beneficial ownership of the Company. Under the rights agreement, one right is attached to each share of the Company’s common stock outstanding, but is not detachable until a distribution triggering event.

Under the rights agreement, the rights will detach from the shares of the Company’s common stock upon the earlier to occur of (a) a person, together with its affiliates and associates acquired beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock; or (b) an acquirer commencing or announcing its intention to commence a tender or exchange offer, the consummation of which would result in beneficial ownership of such acquirer of 10% or more of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock.

No cash dividend has been declared on these shares since the beginning of 2007. The changes in the number of outstanding common stock and their aggregate stated value from January 1, 2007 to July 1, 2007, were as follows:

 

       July 1 2007
     Number of
shares
      
         
     (Unaudited)      $
 

Common stock

       

Balance at beginning of the period

   1,000     

Shares issued

       

Business Unit (Note 1)

   284,067,852      3

Domtar Inc. (Note 1)

   155,947,307      2

Stock option

   247,157     

DSU conversion

   106,887     

Conversion of Exchangeable Shares

   20,726,969     
    

Balance at the end of the period

   461,097,172      5
 

On March 7, 2007, upon the consummation of the Transaction as described in Note 1, the Company issued one share of special voting stock to the Trustee, which is held in Trust for the benefit of the holders of exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Exchangeable shares

Upon the consummation of the Transaction as described in Note 1, Domtar Inc. shareholders could either receive common stock of the Company or shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. that are exchangeable for common stock of the Company. As such, a total of 54,277,334 common stock remains reserved for future issuance for the exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. outstanding as at July 1, 2007. The exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. are intended to be substantially economic equivalent to shares of the Company’s common stock. The rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to the exchangeable shares include the following:

 

 

The exchangeable shares are exchangeable at any time, at the option of the holder on a one-for-one basis for shares of common stock of the Company;

 

 

In the event the Company declares a dividend on its common stock, the holders of exchangeable shares are entitled to receive from Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. the same dividend, or an economically equivalent dividend, on their exchangeable shares;

 

 

The holders of the exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. are not entitled to receive notice of or to attend any meeting of the shareholders of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. or to vote at any such meeting, except as required by law or as specifically provided in the exchangeable share conditions;

 

 

The exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. may be redeemed by Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. on a redemption date to be set by the board of directors of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc., which date cannot be prior to July 31, 2023 (or earlier upon the occurrence of certain specified events) in exchange for one share of Company common stock for each exchangeable share presented and surrendered by the holder thereof, together with all declared but unpaid dividends on each exchangeable share.

The holders of exchangeable shares of Domtar (Canada) Paper Inc. are entitled to instruct the Trustee to vote the special voting stock as described above.

Note 16. Commitments and contingencies

Environment

The Company is subject to environmental laws and regulations enacted by federal, provincial, state and local authorities.

During the first quarter of 2006, the Company closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and its Big River sawmill in Saskatchewan due to poor market conditions. The Company has not determined at this time whether the facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event the facilities are permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at one or both facilities. In the event decommissioning and reclamation is required at either facility, the work is likely to include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007, the Company’s operating expenses for environmental matters amounted to $26 million and $38 million, respectively.

The Company made capital expenditures for environmental matters of $4 million and $5 million, respectively, in the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 (2006 – $1 million and $1 million, respectively), for the improvement of air emissions, effluent treatment and remedial actions to address environmental compliance. At this time, the Company cannot reasonably estimate the additional capital expenditures that may be required. However, management expects any additional required expenditure would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

The Company is also a party to various proceedings relating to the cleanup of hazardous waste sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as “Superfund,” and similar state laws. The EPA and/or various state agencies have notified the Company that it may be a potentially responsible party with respect to other hazardous waste sites as to which no proceedings have been instituted against the Company. The Company continues to take remedial action under its Care and Control Program at a number of former operating sites, especially in the wood preserving sector, due to possible soil, sediment or groundwater contamination. The investigation and remediation process is lengthy and subject to the uncertainties of changes in legal requirements, technological developments and the allocation of liability among potentially responsible parties.

While the Company believes that it has determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred based on known information, the Company’s ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with its properties may lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts may result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

Domtar Inc. was issued a Request for Response Action (“RFRA”) by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) for the clean-up of tar seeps and soils at a former coal tar distillation plant located in Duluth, Minnesota. On March 27, 1996, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) issued a Request for Response Action (“RFRA”) to Domtar Inc., Interlake Corp., Allied-Signal, Inc. and Beazer East, Inc. requiring the investigation and potential remediation of a portion of an industrial site located in Duluth, Minnesota, believed to contain contaminated sediments originating from former coke and gas plants and coal tar distillation plants. Domtar Inc. formerly operated one coal tar distillation plant. The total cost of the likely remediation is estimated to be approximately $90 million. Allocation of responsibility among the parties is ongoing under an agreed final and binding arbitration process which we expect will be determined in the third quarter of 2007.

As at July 1, 2007, the Company had a provision of $82 million for environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, management believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

In addition, the pulp and paper industry in the United States is subject to Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) Rules that further regulate effluent and air emissions. The Company complies with all present regulations and anticipates spending approximately $3 million over the next year to meet such requirements.

Contingencies

In the normal course of operations, the Company becomes involved in various legal actions mostly related to contract disputes, patent infringements, environmental and product warranty claims, and labour issues. While the final outcome with respect to actions outstanding or pending as at July 1, 2007, cannot be predicted with certainty, it is management’s opinion that their resolution will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

Domtar Inc. is subject to a motion by Joachim Laferrière Électricien Inc., filed in the Quebec Superior Court on January 9, 2006, for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others for alleged damages relating to a conspiracy to fix prices of carbonless sheets during the period of January through December 2000 in the Province of Quebec, Canada. The claim seeks estimated compensatory damages in the amount of $47 million (CAN$50 million) plus estimated exemplary damages in the amount of $1 million to $4 million (CAN$1 million to CAN$5 million). Domtar is also subject to a motion by McLay & Company Inc. filed in Ontario Superior Court on January 11, 2006 for authorization to bring a class action suit against Domtar Inc. and others, for alleged inflated prices of carbonless sheets paper during the period of October 1999 through September 2000 in the Province of Ontario, Canada. These class actions have been settled in principle for an insignificant amount and are subject to Court approval. The amount had been previously provided for in prior period.

E.B. Eddy acquisition

On July 31, 1998, Domtar Inc. acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc. (E.B. Eddy), an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of Domtar Inc. in specified circumstances, Domtar Inc. may have had to pay up to a maximum of $113 million (CAN$120 million), an amount which is gradually declining over a 25-year period. As at March 7, 2007, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was $103 million (CAN$110 million). No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

On March 14, 2007, the Company received a letter from George Weston Limited (the previous owner of E.B. Eddy and a party to the purchase agreement) demanding payment of $103 million (CAN$110 million) as a result of the consummation of the Transaction. On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited against Domtar Inc. in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada, claiming that the consummation of the Transaction triggered the purchase price adjustment and seeking a purchase price adjustment of $103 million

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

(CAN$110 million) as well as additional compensatory damages. The Company does not believe that the consummation of the Transaction triggers an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price adjustment and intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, the Company may not be successful in the defense of such claims, and if the Company is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on the liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Guarantees

Indemnifications

In the normal course of business, the Company offers indemnifications relating to the sale of its businesses and real estate. In general, these indemnifications may relate to claims from past business operations, the failure to abide by covenants and the breach of representations and warranties included in the sales agreements. Typically, such representations and warranties relate to taxation, environmental, product and employee matters. The terms of these indemnification agreements are generally for an unlimited period of time. As at July 1, 2007, the Company is unable to estimate the potential maximum liabilities for these types of indemnification guarantees as the amounts are contingent upon the outcome of future events, the nature and likelihood of which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. Accordingly, no provisions have been recorded. These indemnifications have not yielded significant expenses in the past.

Note 17. Related party

Prior to the Transaction, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Papers Business was engaged in various transactions with Weyerhaeuser that were characteristic of a consolidated group under common control. For the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006, the Business Unit purchased from Weyerhaeuser pulp, fiber and corrugated boxes for an amount of $44 million and $90 million, respectively, and sold pulp, paper and lumber for an amount of $59 million and $92 million, respectively.

Note 18. Segmented disclosures

Following the Transaction, the Company operates in the three reportable segments described below. Each reportable segment offers different products and services and requires different technology and marketing strategies. The following summary briefly describes the operations included in each of the Company’s reportable segments:

 

 

Papers —represents the aggregation of the manufacturing and distribution of business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty papers, as well as pulp.

 

 

Paper Merchants —involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by the Company and by other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

 

Wood —comprises the manufacturing and marketing of lumber and wood-based value-added products and the management of forest resources.

The Company evaluates performance based on operating income, which represents sales, reflecting transfer prices between segments at fair value, less allocable expenses before financing expenses and income taxes. Segment assets are those directly used in segment operations.

 

      

Thirteen

weeks ended

    Twenty-six
weeks ended
 
            
Segmented Data    July 1
2007
    June 25
2006
    July 1
2007
    June 25
2006
 
   
     (Unaudited)  
     $     $     $     $  
   

Sales

        

Papers

   1,365     774     2,320     1,545  

Paper Merchants

   226     —       302     —    

Wood

   90     48     137     137  
      

Total for reportable segments

   1,681     822     2,759     1,682  

Intersegment sales – Papers

   (50 )   —       (74 )   —    

Intersegment sales – Paper Merchants

   (1 )   —       (1 )   —    

Intersegment sales – Wood

   (10 )   (13 )   (13 )   (44 )
      

Consolidated sales

   1,620     809     2,671     1,638  
      

Depreciation and amortization and impairment loss

        

Papers

   125     74     197     148  

Paper Merchants

   —       —       1     —    

Wood

   6     2     11     4  
      

Total for reportable segments

   131     76     209     152  

Impairment loss – Papers

   —       —       —       749  
      

Consolidated depreciation and amortization and impairment loss

   131     76     209     901  
      

Operating income (loss)

        

Papers

   92     (16 )   163     (764 )

Paper Merchants

   2     —       6     —    

Wood

   (20 )   (5 )   (24 )   (4 )

Corporate

   (5 )   —       (5 )   —    
      

Consolidated operating income (loss)

   69     (21 )   140     (768 )

Interest expense

   47     —       58     —    
      

Income (loss) before income taxes

   22     (21 )   82     (768 )

Income tax expense

   11     (9 )   22     (9 )
      

Net income (loss)

   11     (12 )   60     (759 )
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Segmented Assets    July 1
2007
   December 31
2006
 
    

(Unaudited)

     $    $
 

Papers

   7,062    3,933

Paper Merchants

   104    —  

Wood

   405    65
    

Total for reportable segments

   7,571    3,998

Corporate

   318    —  
    

Consolidated assets

   7,889    3,998
 

Note 19. Sale of forest products business

On June 22, 2007, Domtar announced an agreement in principle to sell substantially all of its Wood business to the newly created Conifex Inc. for approximately $268 million including an estimated $47 million of working capital. The operations being sold consist of substantially all of the Company’s Wood business, except for its sawmills in Saskatchewan and some forestlands. The transaction is subject to governmental approval for the forest license transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The sale is expected to close before the end of the year.

Domtar has accepted, in principle, to extend its support by investing in Conifex Inc. an amount equal to the lesser of $35 million or a 19.9% participation, subject to the conclusion of a definitive agreement to its satisfaction.

Domtar will provide Conifex Inc. with transition services after the close, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of 6 to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction.

At July 1, 2007, the assets and liabilities of the forest products business are accounted for as held and used in accordance with SFAS 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly related to obtaining government approval and financing. The Company does not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

Note 20. Condensed consolidating financial information

The following information is presented as required under Rule 3.10 of Regulation S-X, in connection with the Company anticipated issuance of debt securities in exchange for outstanding debt securities of Domtar Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Pursuant to this exchange transaction, the securities that will be issued (the “Guaranteed Debt”) will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Domtar Paper Company, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Guarantor Subsidiary”) and the successor to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business U.S. Operations. The Guaranteed Debt will not be guaranteed by the Guarantor Subsidiary’s own wholly-owned subsidiaries; namely Domtar Delaware Investments Inc., Domtar Delaware

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Holdings LLC and Domtar Delaware Holdings Inc. (and subsidiaries including Domtar Inc.) (collectively the “Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries” and the successor to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business Canadian Operations).

The following supplemental condensed consolidating financial information sets forth, on an unconsolidated basis, the balance sheets as at July 1, 2007 and December 31, 2006 and the statements of income and cash flows for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007 and June 25, 2006 for Domtar Corporation (the “Parent Company”), and for the Guarantor Subsidiary and, on a combined basis, the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries. The supplemental condensed consolidating financial information reflects, for 2007 fiscal periods, the investments of the Parent Company in the Guarantor Subsidiary as well the investments of the Guarantor Subsidiary in the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries, in both cases using the equity method. The Parent Company’s purchase price allocation adjustments, including applicable intangible assets, arising from the business acquisition in note 3 have been pushed to the applicable subsidiary columns.

Condensed consolidating statement of income for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007

 

(Unaudited)   

Parent

   

Guarantor
subsidiary

   

Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries

   

Consolidating
adjustments

    Consolidated
 
         $       $            $   

Sales

       551     1,111     (42 )   1,620

Operating expenses

          

Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization

       386     973     (42 )   1,317

Depreciation and amortization

       62     69         131

Selling, general and administrative

   3     35     65       103
    
   3     483     1,107     (42 )   1,551
    

Operating income (loss)

   (3 )   68     4         69

Interest expense

   16     2     29         47
    

Income (loss) before income taxes

   (19 )   66     (25 )       22

Income tax expense (recovery)

   (7 )   22     (4 )       11

Share in earnings of equity accounted investees

   23     (21 )       (2 )  
    

Net income (loss)

   11     23     (21 )   (2 )   11
 

 

C-F-48


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating statement of income for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007

 

(Unaudited)   

Parent

   

Guarantor
subsidiary

   

Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries

   

Consolidating
adjustments

   

Consolidated

 
     $       $        $        $       $   

Sales

       1,094     1,677     (100 )   2,671

Operating expenses

          

Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization

       797     1,475     (100 )   2,172

Depreciation and amortization

       114     95         209

Selling, general and administrative

   3     70     77       150
    
   3     981     1,647     (100 )   2,531
    

Operating income (loss)

   (3 )   113     30         140

Interest expense

   21     2     35         58
    

Income (loss) before income taxes

   (24 )   111     (5 )       82

Income tax expense (recovery)

   (9 )   35     (4 )       22

Share in earnings of equity accounted investees

   75     (1 )       (74 )  
    

Net income (loss)

   60     75     (1 )   (74 )   60
 

Condensed consolidating statement of income for the thirteen weeks ended June 25, 2006

 

(Unaudited)   

Guarantor
subsidiary

   

Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries

   

Consolidating
adjustments

    Consolidated  
   
     $       $       $       $    

Sales

   639     238     (68 )   809  

Operating expenses

        

Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization

   531     247     (67 )   711  

Depreciation and amortization

   57     19         76  

Selling, general and administrative

   37     6         43  
      
   625     272     (67 )   830  
      

Operating income (loss)

   14     (34 )   (1 )   (21 )
      

Income (loss) before income taxes

   14     (34 )   (1 )   (21 )

Income tax recovery

   (9 )           (9 )
      

Net income (loss)

   23     (34 )   (1 )   (12 )
   

 

C-F-49


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating statement of income for the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
    Consolidated  
   
   $        $       $        $     
        

Sales

   1,285     530     (177 )   1,638  

Operating expenses

        

Cost of sales, excluding depreciation and amortization

   1,072     520     (174 )   1,418  

Depreciation and amortization

   113     39         152  

Selling, general and administrative

   77     10         87  

Impairment of goodwill

   749             749  
      
   2,011     569     (174 )   2,406  
      

Operating loss

   (726 )   (39 )   (3 )   (768 )
      

Loss before income taxes

   (726 )   (39 )   (3 )   (768 )

Income tax recovery

   (9 )           (9 )
      

Net income (loss)

   (717 )   (39 )   (3 )   (759 )
   

 

C-F-50


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating balance sheet as at July 1, 2007

 

(Unaudited)    Parent    Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
    Consolidated  
   
   $       $        $        $        $     

Assets

           

Current assets:

           

Cash and cash equivalents

   31    12     37         80  

Receivables

      339     189         528  

Inventories

      413     591         1,004  

Prepaid expenses

   3    1     23         27  

Income and other taxes receivable

   27        (18 )       9  

Intercompany accounts

      182     219     (401 )    

Deferred income taxes

      16     45         61  
      

Total current assets

   61    963     1,086     (401 )   1,709  

Property, plant and equipment

      4,184     5,567         9,751  

Accumulated depreciation

      (2,030 )   (1,827 )       (3,857 )
      

Net property, plant and equipment

      2,154     3,740         5,894  

Goodwill

      12     122         134  

Intangibles assets

   22        7         29  

Investments in affiliates

   3,348    1,050         (4,398 )    

Intercompany advances

          1,111     (1,111 )    

Other assets

          123         123  
      

Total assets

   3,431    4,179     6,189     (5,910 )   7,889  
      

Liabilities and Shareholders’ equity

           

Current liabilities:

           

Bank indebtedness

      28     46         74  

Trade and other payables

   12    201     495         708  

Intercompany accounts

   179    40     182     (401 )    

Income and other taxes payable

      33     4         37  

Long-term debt due within one year

   8    6     5         19  
      

Total current liabilities

   199    308     732     (401 )   838  

Long-term debt

   712    32     1,681         2,425  

Intercompany long-term loans

      1,111         (1,111 )    

Deferred income taxes

      762     331         1,093  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   2    57     380         439  

Shareholders’ equity

   2,518    1,909     3,065     (4,398 )   3,094  
      

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

   3,431    4,179     6,189     (5,910 )   7,889  
   

 

C-F-51


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating balance sheet as at December 31, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
    Consolidated  
   
     $        $            $     

Assets

        

Current assets:

        

Cash and cash equivalents

       1         1  

Receivables

   300     40         340  

Inventories

   428     102     (10 )   520  

Prepaid expenses

   3     3         6  

Deferred income taxes

   21     1         22  
      

Total current assets

   752     147     (10 )   889  

Property, plant and equipment

   4,233     2,463         6,696  

Accumulated depreciation

   (1,916 )   (1,715 )       (3,631 )
      

Net property, plant and equipment

   2,317     748         3,065  

Goodwill

   11     3         14  

Other assets

       30         30  
      

Total assets

   3,080     928     (10 )   3,998  
      

Liabilities and Shareholders’ equity

        

Current liabilities:

        

Trade and other payables

   191     59         250  

Income and other taxes payable

       6         6  

Long-term debt due within one year

   6     6         12  
      

Total current liabilities

   197     71         268  

Long-term debt

   32             32  

Deferred income taxes

   698     60         758  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   13     12         25  

Shareholders’ equity

   2,140     785     (10 )   2,915  
      

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

   3,080     928     (10 )   3,998  
   

 

C-F-52


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating statement of cash flows for the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2007

 

(Unaudited)    Parent     Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
    Consolidated  
   
     $           $            

Operating activities

          

Net income (loss)

   11     23     (21 )   (2 )   11  

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net income (loss)

   141     (18 )   53     2     178  
      

Cash flows provided from operating activities

   152     5     32         189  
      

Investing activities

          

Additions to property, plant and equipment

       (12 )   (20 )       (32 )

Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment

           22         22  

Other

           (4 )       (4 )
      

Cash flows used for investing activities

       (12 )   (2 )       (14 )
      

Financing activities

          

Change in bank indebtedness

           (23 )       (23 )

Repayment of revolving bank credit

   (90 )               (90 )

Repayment of long-term debt

   (80 )       (1 )       (81 )

Other

           (4 )       (4 )
      

Cash flows used for financing activities

   (170 )       (28 )       (198 )
      

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

   (18 )   (7 )   2         (23 )

Translation adjustments related to cash and cash equivalents

           (7 )       (7 )

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

   49     19     42         110  
      

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

   31     12     37         80  
   

 

C-F-53


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating statement of cash flows for the twenty-six weeks ended July 1, 2007

 

(Unaudited)   Parent     Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
    Consolidated  
   
    $       $           $       $    

Operating activities

         

Net income (loss)

  60     75     (1 )   (74 )   60  

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net income (loss)

  43     78     25     74     220  
     

Cash flows provided from (used for) operating activities

  103     153     24         280  
     

Investing activities

         

Additions to property, plant and equipment

      (14 )   (32 )       (46 )

Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment

          22         22  

Business acquisitions—cash acquired

          573         573  

Increase in long-term advances to related parties

      (663 )   (508 )       (1,171 )

Decrease in long-term advances to related parties

  663     508             1,171  

Other

          (4 )       (4 )
     

Cash flows provided from investing activities

  663     (169 )   51         545  
     

Financing activities

         

Change in bank indebtedness

      28     (31 )       (3 )

Issuance of short-term debt

  1,350                 1,350  

Issuance of long-term debt

  800                 800  

Repayment of short-term debt

  (1,350 )               (1,350 )

Repayment of long-term debt

  (80 )       (1 )       (81 )

Debt issue costs

  (24 )               (24 )

Distribution to (or contribution from) Weyerhaeuser prior to March 7, 2007

  (1,431 )               (1,431 )

Other

          (5 )       (5 )
     

Cash flows provided from (used for) financing activities

  (735 )   28     (37 )         (744 )
     

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

  31     12     38         81  

Translation adjustments related to cash and cash equivalents

          (2 )       (2 )

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

          1         1  
     

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

  31     12     37         80  
   

 

C-F-54


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating statement of cash flows for the thirteen weeks ended June 25, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
    Consolidated
 
   
     $       $           $    

Operating activities

        

Net income (loss)

   23     (34 )   (1 )   (12 )

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net income (loss)

   89     33     1     123  
      

Cash flows provided from (used for) operating activities

   112     (1 )       111  
      

Investing activities

        

Investments in affiliates

        

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (20 )           (20 )
      

Cash flows used for investing activities

   (20 )           (20 )
      

Financing activities

        

Repayment of long-term debt

   (2 )           (2 )

Distribution to (or contribution from) Weyerhaeuser

   (90 )   2         (88 )
      

Cash flows provided from (used for) financing activities

   (92 )   2         (90 )
      

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

       1         1  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

       1         1  
      

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

       2         2  
   

 

C-F-55


Table of Contents

Domtar Corporation

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of US dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Condensed consolidating statement of cash flows for the twenty-six weeks ended June 25, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Guarantor
subsidiary
    Non-
guarantor
subsidiaries
    Consolidating
adjustments
   

Consolidated

 
   
     $        $           $     

Operating activities

        

Net loss

   (717 )   (39 )   (3 )   (759 )

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net loss

   879     59     3     941  
      

Cash flows provided from operating activities

   162     20         182  
      

Investing activities

        

Investments in affiliates

        

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (34 )   (7 )       (41 )
      

Cash flows used for investing activities

   (34 )   (7 )       (41 )
      

Financing activities

        

Repayment of long-term debt

   (3 )           (3 )

Distribution to Weyerhaeuser

   (125 )   (12 )       (137 )
      

Cash flows used for financing activities

   (128 )   (12 )       (140 )
      

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

       1         1  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

       1         1  
      

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

       2         2  
   

 

C-F-56


Table of Contents

Report of independent registered public accounting firm

The Board of Directors and Shareholders

Domtar Corporation:

We have audited the accompanying combined balance sheets of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, and the related combined statements of operations, Business Unit equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2006. These combined financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these combined financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the combined financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2006, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Seattle, Washington

March 29, 2007, except as to notes 17 and 20,

    which are as of June 19, 2007, and note 21

    which is as of September 24, 2007.

 

C-F-57


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Combined balance sheets (Note 2(a))

(Dollar amounts in millions)

 

      

December 31,
2006

  December 25,
2005
 

Assets

    

Current assets:

    

Cash

   $       1   $       1

Receivables, less allowances of $2 and $2

   340   321

Inventories (Note 3)

   520   562

Prepaid expenses

   6   4

Deferred income taxes (Note 7)

   22   20
    

Total current assets

   889   908

Property, plant and equipment, net (Notes 4 and 15)

   3,051   3,219

Construction in progress

   14   51

Goodwill (Note 5)

   14   763

Deferred pension and other assets (Note 12)

   30   29
    

Total assets

   $3,998   $4,970
    

Liabilities and Business Unit Equity

    

Current liabilities:

    

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (Notes 6 and 16)

   $   256   $   318

Debt and current portion of capital leases (Notes 8 and 15)

   12   12
    

Total current liabilities

   268   330

Environmental and landfill reserves (Notes 14 and 15)

   20   26

Other liabilities (Note 15)

   37   24

Deferred income taxes (Note 7)

   758   817
    

Total liabilities

   1,083   1,197

Contingencies and commitments (Note 15)

    

Business Unit equity (Note 9)

   2,915   3,773
    

Total liabilities and Business Unit equity

   $3,998   $4,970
 

 

See accompanying notes to combined financial statements.

 

C-F-58


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Combined statements of operations (Note 2(a))

(Dollar amounts in millions)

 

      

Year ended

December 31,

2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Sales (a)

   $3,306     $3,267     $3,026  

Costs and expenses:

      

Cost of products sold (b)

   2,649     2,760     2,485  

Depreciation and amortization

   311     357     348  

Taxes other than payroll and income taxes

   25     24     22  

Selling, general and administrative including allocated Weyerhaeuser Company costs

   174     174     192  

Charges for restructuring (Note 16)

       3     17  

Charges for closure of facilities (Note 16)

   15     534      

Impairment of goodwill (Note 5)

   749     1      

Refund of countervailing and anti-dumping deposits (Note 19)

   (65 )        

Other operating costs (income)

   4     (8 )   3  
      

Total costs and expenses

   3,862     3,845     3,067  
      

Operating loss

   (556 )   (578 )   (41 )

Income tax expense (benefit) (Note 7)

   53     (100 )   (24 )
      

Net loss

   $  (609 )   $  (478 )   $    (17 )
      

Per common share (in dollars) (Note 20)

      

Net loss

      

Basic

   (2.14 )   (1.68 )   (0.06 )

Diluted

   (2.14 )   (1.68 )   (0.06 )

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

      

Basic

   284.1     284.1     284.1  

Diluted

   284.1     284.1     284.1  
   

 

(a)   Includes sales of $91, $132 and $146 to related parties (note 10).
(b)   Includes purchases of $209, $355 and $299 from related parties (note 10).

 

See accompanying notes to combined financial statements.

 

C-F-59


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Combined statements of business unit equity (Note 2(a))

(Dollar amounts in millions)

 

      

Year ended

December 31,

2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Balance, beginning

   $3,773     $4,261     $4,316  

Net loss

   (609 )   (478 )   (17 )

Other comprehensive income (loss):

      

Foreign currency translation adjustment

   19     (50 )   38  

Additional minimum pension liability adjustment, net of tax expense (benefit) of $4 in 2006, $(4) in 2005 and $1 in 2004

   6     (6 )   2  

Net change in cash flow hedge fair value adjustments, net of tax expense (benefit) of $(11) in 2006, $6 in 2005 and $1 in 2004

   (16 )   9     2  
      

Comprehensive income (loss)

   (600 )   (525 )   25  

Adjustment to initially adopt FASB Statement No. 158 (Notes 2(u) and 12)

   (12 )        

Net payments to Weyerhaeuser

   (287 )   (76 )   (121 )

Net non-cash contributions from Weyerhaeuser

   41     113     41  
      

Balance, ending

   $2,915     $3,773     $4,261  
   

 

See accompanying notes to combined financial statements.

 

C-F-60


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Combined statements of cash flows (Note 2(a))

(Dollar amounts in millions)

 

      

Year ended

December 31,

2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Cash provided by (used in):

      

Operations:

      

Net loss

   $(609 )   $(478 )   $(17 )

Items not involving cash:

      

Depreciation and amortization

   311     357     348  

Deferred income taxes, net (Note 7)

   (52 )   (135 )   (48 )

Impairment of goodwill (Note 5)

   749     1      

Charges for closures and restructurings
(Note 16)

   15     537     17  

Loss on disposition of assets

   4          

Changes in non-cash operating working capital:

      

Receivables

   (19 )   (40 )   (19 )

Inventories

   43     (25 )   (56 )

Prepaid expenses

   (2 )   (4 )   4  

Deferred pension and other assets

   (1 )   (12 )   2  

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

   (79 )   (9 )   (13 )

Other liabilities

   (3 )   (2 )   (9 )
      

Net cash provided by operating activities

   357     190     209  

Investments:

      

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (64 )   (113 )   (89 )

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

   1     4     7  
      

Net cash used in investing activities

   (63 )   (109 )   (82 )

Financing:

      

Net payments to Weyerhaeuser

   (287 )   (76 )   (121 )

Debt and capital lease payments

   (7 )   (6 )   (5 )
      

Net cash used in financing activities

   (294 )   (82 )   (126 )
      

Change in cash

       (1 )   1  

Cash, beginning

   1     2     1  
      

Cash, ending

   $      1     $      1     $    2  
   

 

See accompanying notes to combined financial statements.

 

C-F-61


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

1. Background and nature of operations:

On August 22, 2006, Weyerhaeuser Company and certain wholly-owned subsidiaries (“WY”) entered into an agreement providing for:

 

 

a series of transfers and other transactions resulting in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (the “Business Unit”) becoming wholly-owned by Domtar Corporation (“Spinco”). As of the date of these combined financial statements, Spinco was a wholly-owned subsidiary of WY;

 

 

the distribution of shares of Spinco to WY’s shareholders; and

 

 

the acquisition of Domtar, Inc. (“Domtar”) by Spinco.

The transactions described above were consummated on March 7, 2007.

The Business Unit consists of pulp and paper mills, converting operations, sawmills, forest management licenses and related assets of WY. These facilities are principally engaged in the harvesting of timber and the manufacture, distribution and sale of forest products, including softwood lumber and pulp and paper products.

The Business Unit’s segments are:

 

 

Pulp and Fine Paper, which manufactures and sells pulp and coated and uncoated paper to wholesalers, retailers and industrial users in North America, the Pacific Rim and Europe.

 

 

Softwood Lumber, which manufactures and sells softwood lumber products in North American markets.

 

 

Other, which includes Forest Management Agreements in Canada and ancillary activities.

These combined financial statements do not reflect any effects of the transaction with Domtar.

2. Significant accounting policies:

(a) Basis of presentation of financial statements:

These combined financial statements include the accounts of WY’s Fine Paper operations, one pulp operation and certain Canadian logging, forest management and sawmill operations. All significant transactions and balances between operations within the Business Unit have been eliminated.

The accompanying combined financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for the purpose of presenting the Business Unit’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Financial statements historically have not been prepared for the Business Unit. The accompanying

 

C-F-62


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

combined financial statements have been derived from historical accounting records of WY. The historical operating results and cash flows of the Business Unit may not be indicative of what they would have been had the Business Unit been a stand-alone entity, nor are they necessarily indicative of what the Business Unit’s operating results and cash flows may be in the future.

The combined statements of operations for the Business Unit include allocations of certain costs from WY directly related to the operations of the Business Unit, including an apportionment of central general and administrative costs for accounting, human resources, purchasing, information systems, transaction services, payroll processing costs, legal fees and other overhead costs. These centralized costs were allocated to the Business Unit using a three-part apportionment factor based on relative headcount, assets and certain revenue. WY pension and post-retirement benefits expense was allocated based on relative salaried headcount, with the exception of pension expense of four Business Unit Canadian pension plans which are directly included in the combined statements of operations.

Management believes the methodologies applied for the allocation of these costs are reasonable. Except for an immaterial amount of interest on capital leases and debt that will be assumed by Spinco, interest expense has not been allocated to the Business Unit.

Certain of the Business Unit’s working capital assets, property, plant and equipment and liabilities are common assets and liabilities shared with WY facilities not part of the Business Unit. Allocations were performed in order to reflect the appropriate portion of each asset and liability in the accounts of the Business Unit. The allocations were based on third party sales percentages, headcount percentages or a three-part apportionment factor based on relative headcount, assets and certain revenue. Goodwill is allocated based on relative fair value. Management believes the methodologies used for the asset and liability allocations are reasonable.

Significant changes could have occurred in the funding and operation of the Business Unit if it operated as an independent, stand-alone entity, including the need for debt and the incurrence of interest expense, which could have a significant impact on its financial position and results of operations.

(b) Use of estimates:

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Significant areas requiring the use of estimates and measurement uncertainty include the allocation of assets and costs as described in notes 2(a), 10, 12 and 13; the determination of net realizable value for receivables and inventory; the depreciation rates for property, plant and equipment; assessment of impairment for property, plant, equipment and goodwill; environmental matters; pension and

 

C-F-63


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

other postretirement benefit plans; income taxes; and asset retirement obligations. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates based on currently available information. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

(c) Fiscal year end:

The Business Unit’s fiscal year ends on the last Sunday of each calendar year. The Business Unit’s fiscal years in 2005 and 2004 each had 52 weeks. The Business Unit’s fiscal year in 2006 had 53 weeks.

(d) Business unit equity:

Business Unit equity represents WY’s interest in the carrying value of the net assets of the Business Unit. WY uses a centralized approach to cash management and financing of operations. As a result, none of WY’s cash, cash equivalents or direct indebtedness has been allocated to the Business Unit in the combined financial statements. All transactions between the Business Unit and WY, including the allocation of centralized costs, income taxes and cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments flow through the Business Unit equity account.

(e) Trade accounts receivable:

Trade accounts receivable are stated net of allowances for doubtful accounts.

(f) Inventories:

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost includes labor, materials and production overhead. The last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method is used to cost certain domestic raw materials, in process and finished goods inventories. LIFO inventories were $284 million and $283 million at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, respectively. The balance of domestic raw material and product inventories, all materials and supplies inventories and all foreign inventories is costed at either the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) or moving average cost methods. Had the FIFO method been used to cost all inventories, the amounts at which product inventories are stated would have been $98 million and $65 million greater at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, respectively.

(g) Property, plant and equipment:

The Business Unit’s property accounts are maintained on an individual basis. Improvements to and replacements of major units are capitalized. Maintenance, repairs and minor replacements are expensed. Depreciation is provided on the straight-line method at rates based on estimated service lives. Property under capital leases are stated at the present value of minimum lease payments and amortized over the shorter of the lease term or estimated useful life of the assets.

 

C-F-64


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The cost and accumulated depreciation of property sold or retired are removed from the accounts and the gain or loss is included in the combined statements of operations.

(h) Forest management licenses:

The Business Unit holds forest management licenses in two Canadian provinces. The provincial governments grant these licenses for initial periods of 5-20 years, and the licenses are renewable every five years, provided the Business Unit meets normal reforestation, operating and management guidelines. Calculation of fees payable on harvested volumes varies between the two provinces, but is tied to product market pricing and the allocation of land management responsibilities agreed to in the licenses.

(i) Goodwill:

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over fair value of net assets acquired in business combinations. Goodwill is assessed for impairment annually, or whenever events indicate a potential impairment, using a fair-value-based approach. The annual assessment is performed as of the beginning of the fourth quarter of the fiscal year.

(j) Revenue recognition:

The Business Unit recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an agreement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, price to the buyer is fixed and determinable and collectibility is reasonably assured. The timing of revenue recognition is dependent on shipping terms. Substantially all product sales are sold free on board (“FOB”) shipping point and revenue is recognized at the time of shipment except for export sales where revenue is recognized when title transfers at the foreign port. For sales transactions that are designated FOB destination, revenue is recognized when the product is delivered to the customer’s delivery site.

(k) Concentration of credit risk

Net sales to the Business Unit’s two largest customers accounted for approximately 28 percent of total sales in the year ended December 31, 2006 and 27 percent of total sales in each of the years ended December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004. No other customer accounted for more than 10 percent of net sales for any of these periods.

(l) Shipping and handling costs:

The Business Unit classifies shipping and handling costs as a component of costs of products sold in the combined statements of operations.

 

C-F-65


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

(m) Impairment of long-lived assets:

The Business Unit accounts for long-lived assets in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Statement No. 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. Statement 144 requires management to review long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying value or fair value less cost to sell. The primary method used to estimate fair value is discounted cash flows.

(n) Stock-based employee compensation:

Some of the Business Unit’s employees participate in Weyerhaeuser Company’s Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Incentive Compensation Plan”) as described in note 11. Through December 25, 2005, WY applied the intrinsic-value method for stock-based compensation to employees prescribed by Accounting Principles Board (“APB”), Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees , and related interpretations.

As described in “accounting pronouncements implemented,” APB Opinion No. 25 was superseded by FASB Statement No. 123 (revised 2004), Share Based Payment , as of the beginning of fiscal 2006. Employee awards issued, modified, repurchased or cancelled after implementation of Statement 123R under share-based payment arrangements are measured at fair value as of the grant dates and the resulting costs are recognized in the combined statements of operations over the service period.

(o) Foreign currency translation:

The local currency is considered the functional currency for the Business Unit’s operations in Canada. Assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. Dollars at the rate of exchange in effect at the balance sheet date. Revenues and expenses are translated into U.S. Dollars at average monthly exchange rates.

(p) Income taxes:

The Business Unit is a business unit of WY and, for purposes of federal, state and provincial taxes, is not subject to separate income taxes, as its results of operations are included in WY’s consolidated tax returns. For purposes of these combined financial statements, the Business Unit’s tax expense (benefit) for federal, state and provincial income taxes has been determined on a separate return basis. All income tax expense (benefit) of the Business Unit is recorded in the combined statements of operations with the offset recorded through the Business Unit equity account or deferred tax accounts.

 

C-F-66


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Income taxes are accounted for under the liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, and for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

(q) Pension plans:

The Business Unit participates in WY pension plans covering most of its employees. Both U.S. and Canadian plans covering salaried employees provide pension benefits based on each employee’s highest monthly earnings for five consecutive years during the final 10 years before retirement. Plans covering hourly employees generally provide benefits of stated amounts for each year of service. The benefit levels for these plans are typically set through collective bargaining agreements with the unions representing the employees participating in the plans. Contributions to U.S. plans are based on funding standards established by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Contributions to Canadian plans are based on funding standards established by the applicable Provincial Pension Benefits Act and by the Income Tax Act.

(r) Derivatives:

The Business Unit accounts for its derivatives in accordance with FASB Statement No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, as amended. The Business Unit participates in a WY hedging program whereby WY utilizes derivative financial instruments to fix the price of forecasted natural gas purchases. The Business Unit does not hold or issue financial instruments for speculative or trading purposes. See note 13 for additional information.

(s) Environmental Costs:

Liabilities for loss contingencies, including environmental costs not within the scope of FASB Statement No. 143, Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations , arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines and penalties and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the assessment and/or remediation can be reasonably estimated. Legal costs incurred in connection with loss contingencies are expensed as incurred. Such accruals are adjusted as further information develops or circumstances change. Costs of future expenditures for environmental remediation obligations are not discounted to their present value. Recoveries of environmental remediation costs from third parties, which are probable of realization, are separately recorded as assets, and are not offset against the related environmental liability, in accordance with FASB Interpretation No. 39, Offsetting of Amounts Related to Certain Contracts .

 

C-F-67


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

(t) Advertising costs:

Advertising costs are charged to expense in the period incurred. Advertising expense was $5 million, $7 million and $6 million for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004, respectively.

(u) Accounting pronouncements implemented:

Consolidation of variable interest entities —WY adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation No. 46 (revised December 2003), Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities, in 2004. Interpretation 46R addresses consolidation of certain entities in which equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. The Business Unit consolidated one entity, Wapawekka Lumber LP (“Wapawekka”), as a result of adopting Interpretation 46R. Wapawekka is a 51 percent owned limited partnership that operates a sawmill in Saskatchewan, Canada. Wapawekka had net liabilities of $5 million and $3 million at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, respectively. The adoption of FIN 46R did not have a material effect on the Business Unit’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Accounting for share-based compensation —WY adopted Statement 123R as of the beginning of fiscal year 2006. Statement 123R is a revision of FASB Statement No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation , and supersedes APB Opinion No. 25. Statement 123R requires the fair value of employee awards issued, modified, repurchased or cancelled to be measured as of the grant dates. The resulting cost is then recognized in the combined statements of operations over the required service period. See note 11.

Accounting for inventory costs —WY adopted FASB Statement No. 151, Inventory Costs—An Amendment of ARB No. 43, Chapter 4, as of the beginning of 2006. Statement 151 amends the guidance in ARB No. 43, Chapter 4, Inventory Pricing , to clarify the accounting for abnormal amounts of idle facility expense, freight, handling costs, and wasted material (spoilage). Among other provisions, Statement 151 requires that items such as idle facility expense, excessive spoilage, double freight, and rehandling costs be recognized as current period charges regardless of whether they meet the criterion of “so abnormal” as stated in ARB No. 43. Additionally, Statement 151 requires that the allocation of fixed production overheads to the costs of conversions be based on normal capacity of the production facilities. Adoption of Statement 151 did not have a material effect on the Business Unit’s financial position or results of operations.

Accounting changes and error corrections —WY adopted FASB Statement No. 154, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections as of the beginning of fiscal year 2006. This pronouncement applies to all voluntary changes in accounting principle and revises the requirements for accounting for and reporting a change in accounting principle. Statement 154 requires

 

C-F-68


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

retrospective application to prior periods’ financial statements of voluntary changes in accounting principle and changes required by new accounting standards when the standard does not provide specific transition provisions, unless it is impracticable to do so. The statement does not change the transition provisions of any existing accounting pronouncements, including those that were in a transition phase as of the effective date of Statement 154.

Accounting for defined benefit pension and other post retirement plans —WY adopted FASB Statement No. 158, Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans—an Amendment of FASB Statements No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R), in the fourth quarter of 2006. Statement 158 requires an employer to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans (other than multiemployer plans) as an asset or liability in its statement of financial position through comprehensive income. Statement 158 does not allow prior balance sheets to be adjusted and also requires an employer to measure the funded status of a plan as of the date of its year-end statement balance sheet. Statement 158 also requires additional disclosures in the notes to financial statements. See Note 12 for additional information including the effects of adopting Statement 158.

Quantifying financial statement misstatements —The Business Unit adopted SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 108, Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements (“SAB 108”) in the fourth quarter of 2006. SAB 108 provides guidance on the consideration of the effects of prior year misstatements in quantifying current year misstatements for the purpose of a materiality assessment. The guidance requires public companies to quantify errors using both a balance sheet and income statement approach and evaluate whether either approach results in quantifying a misstatement as material, when all relevant quantitative and qualitative factors are considered. The implementation of SAB 108 did not have a material effect on the Business Unit’s combined financial statements.

The adoption of the following recent accounting pronouncements did not have a material effect on the Business Unit’s results of operations or financial condition:

 

 

FASB Statement No. 153, Exchanges of Nonmonetary Assets—An Amendment of APB Opinion No. 29, Accounting for Nonmonetary Transactions.

 

 

FASB Interpretation No. 47, Accounting for Conditional Asset Retirement Obligations .

(v) Prospective accounting pronouncements:

Fair value measurements —the FASB issued Statement No. 157, Fair Value Measurements, in September 2006. Statement 157 establishes a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The Business Unit is currently evaluating the effect that Statement 157 will have on its financial position and results of operations for fair value measurements incurred after the adoption of Statement 157 in fiscal 2008.

 

C-F-69


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Uncertainty in income taxes —The FASB issued Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109, in June 2006. Interpretation 48 clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements in accordance with Statement 109. The Interpretation prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The Interpretation also provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition. The Business Unit does not believe that Interpretation 48 will have a material effect on its financial position and results of operations when the Interpretation is adopted in the first quarter of 2007.

Accounting for planned major maintenance activities —In September 2006, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position AUG AIR-1, Accounting for Planned Major Maintenance Activities (“FSP AUG AIR-1”). FSP AUG AIR-1 amends the guidance on accounting for planned major maintenance activities; specifically it precludes the use of the previously acceptable “accrue in advance” method. The Business Unit applied the “accrue in advance” method of accounting for planned annual maintenance costs in its primary manufacturing mills through 2006. The Business Unit will be required to adopt FSP AUG AIR-1 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2007. The implementation of this standard will not have a material effect on the Business Unit’s combined financial position or annual results of operations. However, in accordance with Statement 154 discussed in “Accounting Pronouncements Implemented” above, the Business Unit will be required to retrospectively apply FSP AUG AIR-1 to its prior period financial statements, which will result in an adjustment to the Business Unit’s 2006 quarterly results of operations in its comparative quarterly combined financial statements for fiscal year 2007. The Business Unit does not expect any adjustment to its future annual results of operations as a result of implementation or retrospective application of FSP AUG AIR-1.

3. Inventories:

 

       December 31,
2006
  

December 25,

2005

 
   

Logs and chips

   $  15    $  40  

Lumber

   2    4  

Pulp and paper

   333    354  

Materials and supplies

   170    164  
      
   $520    $562  
   

 

C-F-70


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

4. Property, plant and equipment:

 

       Range of
Lives
   December 31,
2006
   

December 25,

2005

 
   

Land

      $      33     $       33  

Buildings and improvements

   10-40    831     823  

Machinery and equipment

   2-25    5,718     5,646  

Other

   3    98     48  
         
      6,680     6,550  

Less allowance for depreciation and amortization

      (3,631 )   (3,335 )

Allocated property, plant and equipment

      2     4  
         
      $ 3,051     $ 3,219  
   

5. Goodwill:

 

      

Pulp and

Fine Paper

    Softwood
Lumber
    Total  
   

Balance as of December 26, 2004

   $ 765     $ 4     $769  

Impairment of goodwill

       (1 )   (1 )

Foreign exchange impact on goodwill

   (5 )       (5 )
      

Balance as of December 25, 2005

   760     3     763  

Impairment of goodwill

   (749 )       (749 )
      

Balance as of December 31, 2006

   $   11     $ 3     $  14  
   

WY announced in April 2006 that it was considering alternatives for Fine Paper that range from continuing to hold and operate the assets to a possible sale or other disposition. In connection with this announcement, WY received information that indicated that the carrying value of the Fine Paper reporting unit exceeded the fair value of the reporting unit. Based on an evaluation of the value of the assets and liabilities within the reporting unit, WY concluded that the implied value of the Fine Paper reporting unit’s goodwill was zero. Goodwill of the pulp reporting unit, which is part of Pulp and Fine Paper, was not impaired.

The goodwill impairment is not deductible for income tax purposes and represents a permanent book-tax difference. As a result, no tax benefit has been recognized for the goodwill impairment charge.

 

C-F-71


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

6. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities:

 

      

December 31,

2006

  

December 25,

2005

 

Accounts payable

   $118    $151

Payroll — wages and salaries, incentive awards, retirement and vacation pay

   74    98

Taxes — Social Security and real and personal property

   6    8

Other

   58    61
   $256    $318
 

7. Income taxes:

Operating loss is comprised of the following:

 

      

Year ended

December 31,

2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Domestic earnings (loss)

   $(541 )   $46     $50  

Foreign loss

   (15 )   (624 )   (91 )
      

Operating loss

   $(556 )   $(578 )   $(41 )
   

Provisions for income taxes include the following:

 

      

Year ended

December 31,

2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Federal:

      

Current

   $ 85     $   27     $   9  

Deferred

   (45 )   (32 )   (8 )

State

      

Current

   20     8     4  

Deferred

   (10 )   (8 )   (1 )

Foreign

      

Current

       2     3  

Deferred

   3     (97 )   (31 )
      

Income tax expense (benefit)

   $ 53     $(100 )   $(24 )
   

 

C-F-72


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The provisions for income taxes of the Business Unit differs from the amount computed by applying the statutory income tax rate of 35% to operating loss before income taxes due to the following:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
                    

US federal statutory income tax

   $(195 )   $(202 )   $(14 )

State income taxes

   7     1     1  

Foreign income taxes

   (2 )   120     4  

Tax credits

   (12 )   (16 )   (15 )

Goodwill impairment

   262          

Tax rate changes and other

   (7 )   (3 )    
      

Income tax expense (benefit)

   $   53     $(100 )   $(24 )
   

During 2006, the Business Unit recognized a one-time deferred tax benefit of $3 million resulting from a change in the Texas state tax rate. During 2005, the Business Unit recognized one-time deferred tax benefits of $3 million and $1 million resulting from a change in the Ohio state income tax law and a one-time reduction in the British Columbia provincial corporate income tax rate, respectively. The benefits were due to the effect of the lower tax rates on accumulated temporary differences.

Deferred tax assets (liabilities) are comprised of the following:

 

      

December 31,

2006

    December 25,
2005
 
   

Inventories

   $   10     $   10  

Vacation pay

   7     8  

Environmental and landfill reserves

   8     10  

Severance and closure reserves

   3     13  

Asset impairments

   144     145  

Net operating loss carryforwards

   121     109  

Other

   12      
      

Gross deferred tax assets

   305     295  

Valuation allowance

   (109 )   (108 )
      

Net deferred tax assets

   196     187  
      

Depreciation

   (928 )   (979 )

Pension

   (4 )   (5 )
      

Total deferred tax liabilities

   (932 )   (984 )
      

Total net deferred taxes

   $(736 )   $(797 )
   

 

C-F-73


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

As of December 31, 2006, the Business Unit had foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $353 million that expire from 2008 to 2026.

In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during periods in which temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. Management believes that it is more likely than not that the results of future operations will generate sufficient taxable income to realize the net deferred tax assets.

The valuation allowance increased $1 million and $106 million in the years ended December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, respectively. The increase is due primarily to reserves established in 2005 for facility closures and an increase in the foreign net operating loss carryforward.

8. Debt:

The Business Unit’s consolidated variable interest entity (“VIE”), Wapawekka, has a demand loan from a bank outstanding in the amount of $4 million at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005. The loan is repayable in full on demand or before June 30, 2007 at an interest rate equal to the bank’s prime interest rate plus 1%. A letter of undertaking regarding duties recoverable pursuant to a letter of commitment with Weyerhaeuser Company Limited (“WY Ltd.”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of WY, has been pledged as specific security.

Wapawekka also has a demand loan from a bank outstanding in the amount of $1 million at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005. The loan is repayable in full on demand or before June 30, 2007 at an interest rate equal to the bank’s prime interest rate plus 1%, with interest payable monthly. A $1 million guarantee from Weyerhaeuser Saskatchewan Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of WY Ltd., has been pledged as specific security.

 

C-F-74


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

9. Cumulative other comprehensive income:

Business Unit equity contains the following items:

 

      

December 31,

2006

    December 25,
2005
 
   

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   $80     $61  

Additional minimum pension liability adjustments

       (6 )

Net pension loss not yet recognized in earnings

   (7 )    

Prior service cost not yet recognized in earnings

   (5 )    

Cash flow hedge fair value adjustments

   (5 )   11  
      
   $63     $66  
   

10. Related party transactions:

The Business Unit engages in various transactions with WY that are characteristic of a consolidated group under common control. The receipts, disbursements and net cash position of the Business Unit are currently managed by WY through a centralized treasury system. Accordingly, both cash generated by and cash requirements of the Business Unit flow through Business Unit equity in the accompanying combined financial statements of the Business Unit.

Expenses in the amount of $94 million, $93 million and $109 million of WY were allocated to the Business Unit for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004, respectively. See notes 2(a) and 12 for nature of costs allocated and the allocation methodologies.

The Business Unit purchased the following from WY:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 

Pulp and fiber

   $164    $322    $283

Corrugated boxes

   45    33    16
    

Total purchases

   $209    $355    $299
 

These purchases were at current market values with the exception of purchases from WY timberlands (which represent 39 percent, 55 percent and 44 percent of purchases) and certain pulp purchases in 2006 and 2005 (which represent 12 percent and 7 percent of purchases) which were at a fully absorbed cost basis. One of the Business Unit’s facilities also purchases energy at cost from WY.

 

C-F-75


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The Business Unit sold the following to WY:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 

Pulp and fiber

   $  2    $  12    $    7

Paper

   20    33    52

Lumber

   69    87    87
    

Total sales

   $91    $132    $146
 

These sales were at current market values.

11. Stock-based compensation plan:

Some of the Business Unit’s employees participate in the Incentive Compensation Plan. The Incentive Compensation Plan provides for the award of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares and performance share units. The exercise prices of stock options and stock appreciation rights granted under the Incentive Compensation Plan is required to be at market price on the date of grant.

WY applied the intrinsic value method for stock-based compensation to employees prescribed by APB Opinion No. 25 through December 25, 2005.

Compensation costs required to be disclosed by Statement 123 would have an immaterial effect on the Business Unit’s results from operations for 2005 and 2004. As disclosed in note 2(n), Statement 123R required WY to measure the fair value as of the grant dates of employee awards issued, modified, repurchased or cancelled after December 25, 2005 and to recognize the resulting cost in the combined statements of operations over the service period. In the year ended December 31, 2006, the Business Unit recognized compensation cost for stock-based compensation of $2 million.

12. Employee benefit plans:

(a) Pension plans and postretirement benefits

The Business Unit participates in several retirement programs for its employees which are sponsored by WY. In the United States, this includes pension plans that are qualified under the Internal Revenue Code (“qualified”) as well as a plan that provides benefits in addition to those provided under the qualified plans for a select group of employees, which is not qualified under the Internal Revenue Code (“unqualified”). In Canada, plans are registered under the Income Tax Act and under their respective provincial pension acts (“registered”), or plans may provide additional benefits to a select group of employees, and not be registered under the Income Tax Act or provincial pension acts (“non-registered”). WY also provides benefits under a

 

C-F-76


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

postretirement health care and life insurance plan to eligible salaried employees in both countries. Benefits provided under the postretirement health care and life insurance plan are currently funded by the general assets of WY. The measurement date for all plans sponsored by WY is the end of the fiscal year.

Other than four Canadian pension plans (“Canadian Plans”) that will be transferred to Domtar at closing, management determined that it was not practical to allocate a portion of WY’s pension assets or to prepare detailed employee benefit plan disclosures for the stand-alone combined financial statements of the Business Unit in a manner that would be consistent with the level of detail provided in WY’s consolidated financial statements. Disclosures related to the Canadian Plans are included in this note.

The defined benefit pension expense (other than the Canadian Plans) relating to certain hourly employees and salaried employees and postretirement benefits expense is based on an allocation method described in note 2(a) and is charged to the Business Unit. The defined benefit pension expense related to the Canadian Plans is charged directly to the Business Unit. The expense (income) recognized for such plans by the Business Unit is as follows:

 

      

Year ended

December 31,

2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Pension, net—allocated

   $  4     $  9    $  6  

Pension, net—direct

   (5 )      5  

Postretirement benefits

   11     9    8  
      

Net charge

   $10     $18    $19  
   

The Business Unit adopted the provisions of Statement 158 as of December 31, 2006, which requires that the funded status of pension and other postretirement benefit plans be presented on the balance sheet. No adjustments were made to the combined balance sheet as of December 25, 2005. See note 2(u).

 

C-F-77


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

(b) Canadian plans

The following tables provide a reconciliation of the changes in the Canadian Plans’ benefit obligations and fair value of plan assets over the two year period ended December 31, 2006:

 

       December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
 
   

Reconciliation of benefit obligation:

    

Benefit obligation as of prior year-end

   $310     $253  

Service cost

   6     5  

Interest cost

   15     15  

Plan participants’ contributions

   2     2  

Actuarial loss

   1     40  

Foreign currency exchange rate changes

       18  

Benefits paid

   (16 )   (12 )

Plan amendments

       10  

Curtailments

   (1 )   (22 )

Special termination benefits

   1     1  
      

Benefit obligation at end of year

   $318     $310  
      

Reconciliation of fair value of plan assets:

    

Fair value of plan assets as of beginning of year (actual)

   $292     $235  

Actual return on plan assets

   47     37  

Foreign currency exchange rate changes

       16  

Employer contributions

   8     9  

Plan participants’ contributions

   2     2  

Benefits paid

   (16 )   (12 )
      

Fair value of plan assets at end of year (estimated)

   $333     $287  
   

WY funds its registered pension plans. The expected funding of the Canadian Plans in 2007 is $5 million.

 

C-F-78


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The Business Unit estimates the projected benefit payments as of December 31, 2006 under the Canadian Plans over the next ten years will be as follows:

 

2007

   $  40

2008

   14

2009

   14

2010

   14

2011

   14

2012-2016

   84
    
   $180
 

The accumulated benefit obligation for the Canadian Plans was $294 million and $286 million at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, respectively.

The funded status of the Canadian Plans at December 25, 2005 under prior accounting rules is as follows:

 

       December 25,
2005
 
   

Funded status

   $(23 )

Unrecognized prior service cost

   10  

Unrecognized net loss

   37  
      

Prepaid benefit cost

   $  24  
   

Amounts recognized in the combined balance sheet consist of:

 

       December 25,
2005
 
   

Prepaid benefit cost

   $18  

Accrued liability

   (3 )

Cumulative other comprehensive loss

   9  
      

Net amount recognized

   $24  
   

The funded status of the Canadian Plans and amounts recognized in the combined balance sheet as of December 31, 2006 under Statement 158 is as follows:

 

       December 31,
2006
 
   

Noncurrent assets

   $16  

Current liabilities

    

Noncurrent liabilities

   (1 )
      

Funded status

   $15  
   

 

C-F-79


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Pretax amounts included in cumulative other comprehensive income (loss) at December 31, 2006 were as follows:

 

       December 31,
2006
 
   

Net pension loss

   $(11 )

Prior service cost

   (9 )
      

Net amount recognized (pretax)

   $(20 )
   

The incremental effect of applying the provisions of Statement 158 on the combined balance sheet as of December 31, 2006 is as follows:

 

       December 31, 2006  
     Before Application
of Statement 158
   Adjustment     After Application of
Statement 158
 
   

Assets:

       

Deferred pension and other assets:

       

Noncurrent pension asset

   $35    $(19 )   $16  
      

Liabilities:

       

Other liabilities

   $—    $(1 )   $(1 )
      

Business Unit equity:

       

Cumulative other comprehensive loss (pretax)

   $—    $(20 )   $(20 )

Tax benefit

      8     8  
      

Cumulative other comprehensive loss (net of tax)

   $—    $(12 )   $(12 )
   

Estimated amounts that will be amortized from other comprehensive income during 2007 are as follows:

 

Net loss

   $
    

Prior service cost

   $  1
 

 

C-F-80


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The components of net periodic benefit costs for the Canadian Plans are as follows:

 

      

Year ended

December 31,
2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Service cost

   $   7     $   5     $   6  

Interest cost

   15     15     14  

Expected return on plan assets

   (26 )   (22 )   (18 )

Prior service cost recognized

   1     2     2  

Actuarial loss recognized

           1  
      
   (3 )       5  

(Gain) loss due to closure, sale, plan termination and other

       (8 )   6  
      
   $  (3 )   $  (8 )   $ 11  
   

Registered Plans The investment strategy of the Canadian pension trust is to concentrate direct investments into cash and cash equivalents while gaining return exposures through financial instruments, such as total return and index swaps. WY has not established target allocations for the direct investment portfolio or the derivatives.

The Canadian registered plans are exposed to the risk of nonperformance by counterparties to the indirect investments but the Business Unit does not expect any counterparty to fail to meet its obligations. However, because there are no exchanges of principal on the indirect investments, only the amount of unsettled net receivables is at risk. The Business Unit manages this risk through selection of counterparties with a defined minimum credit quality, diversification, settlement provisions and documented agreements. Investments in hedge funds and private partnerships are controlled through selection and diversification of managers and strategies and use of limited liability vehicles. Portfolio risk is managed through diversification and by constraining the risk profile of the portfolio within defined boundaries.

In all periods presented, the discount rate is based on yields for corporate bonds rated AA or better, by matching cash flows to a spot rate yield curve.

 

C-F-81


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The assets of the Canadian Plans are held in a master trust that also holds assets of other WY-sponsored plans. The allocation of the net assets held by the Canadian master trust and the U.S. master trust combined are as follows:

 

       December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
 
   

Private equity and related funds

   26.3%     23.6%  

Real estate and related funds

   3.9     5.2  

Common stock and equity index instruments

   0.9     1.0  

Fixed income

   15.5     27.5  

Hedge funds

   53.4     43.0  

Net receivables

   0.4     0.1  

Accrued liabilities

   (0.4 )   (0.4 )
      
   100.0%     100.0%  
   

The assumptions used in the measurement of the Canadian Plans’ benefit obligations are as follows:

 

       December 31,
2006
   December 25,
2005
 

Discount rate

   5.15%    5.15%

Rate of compensation increase

   3.25%    3.25%
 

The assumptions used in the measurement of the Canadian Plans’ net pension costs are as follows:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
 

Discount rate

   5.15%    6.00%

Expected return on plan assets

   9.50%    9.50%

Rate of compensation increase

   3.25%    3.50%
 

The expected return on plan assets assumption reflects WY’s best estimate regarding the long-term expected return on the U.S. portfolio. The expected return assumption is based on historical fund returns. The Canadian fund’s investment strategy has mirrored that of the U.S. plan since 1998. The determination of the expected return on plan assets assumption requires a high degree of judgment and places weight on more recent pension plan asset performances.

(c) Defined contribution plan

The Business Unit participates in various defined contribution plans for salaried and hourly employees. The basis for determining plan contributions varies by plan. The amounts contributed

 

C-F-82


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

to the plans for participating employees were $7 million, $8 million and $7 million in the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004, respectively.

13. Derivatives:

(a) Hedging:

The Business Unit purchases natural gas at the prevailing market price at the time of delivery. In order to manage the cash flow risk associated with purchases of natural gas, the Business Unit participates in a WY hedging program whereby WY utilizes derivative financial instruments to fix the price of up to 30 percent of forecasted natural gas purchases for periods up to 18 months into the future. WY formally documents the hedge relationships, including identification of the hedging instruments and the hedged items, the risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking the hedge transactions, and the methodologies used to assess effectiveness and measure ineffectiveness. Changes in the fair value of the derivative financial instruments are allocated by WY to individual facilities based on projected usage of natural gas. The Business Unit recognizes its allocable share of the gains and losses on WY’s derivative financial instruments in earnings when the forecasted purchases occur. A summary of amounts related to the Business Unit’s participation in the WY hedging program follows:

 

      Year ended
December 31,
2006
    Year ended
December 25,
2005
  Year ended
December 26,
2004
 

Net gain recognized in cost of products sold

  $ —     $12   $1

Unrealized gains (losses) not yet recognized in the combined statements of operations at the end of the period

  $ (9 )   $18   $3
 

(b) Other:

The Business Unit is a party to purchase and sale contracts for commodities that meet the definition of a derivative. However, the arrangements are accounted for as normal purchases and normal sales, not derivatives, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2004 because the Business Unit expects to take delivery on the purchase contracts and to ship product on the sales contracts. Losses recognized in the Business Unit’s combined statements of operations for the contracts were $3 million in the year ended December 26, 2004.

14. Asset retirement obligations:

The Business Unit’s asset retirement obligations principally include landfill capping obligations and asbestos removal obligations. The Business Unit has estimated the net present value of its

 

C-F-83


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

asset retirement obligations to be $16 million and $17 million at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, respectively. The majority of the asset retirement obligations are estimated to be settled by 2030. However, some settlement scenarios call for obligations to be settled as late as 2048. There were no significant changes in the asset retirement obligations for the periods presented.

The Business Unit has not recognized a liability under Interpretation 47 for certain legal obligations, primarily special handling for the removal and disposal of encapsulated asbestos from facilities and equipment. The fair value cannot be reasonably estimated because the settlement dates are unknown.

15. Legal proceedings, commitments and contingencies:

(a) Legal proceedings

The Business Unit is subject to a small number of claims and litigation matters that have arisen in the ordinary course of business. Although the final outcome of any legal proceeding is subject to a great many variables and cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty, management currently believes that the ultimate outcome of these legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the Business Unit’s long-term results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

(b) Environmental matters

During the first quarter of 2006 the Business Unit closed its pulp and paper mill in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and the Big River sawmill in Saskatchewan due to poor market conditions. These facilities are currently not in operation. Spinco has not determined at this time whether the facilities will be reopened, sold or permanently closed. In the event the facilities are permanently closed, the Province of Saskatchewan may require active decommissioning and reclamation at one or both facilities. In the event decommissioning and reclamation is required at either facility, the work is likely to include investigation and remedial action for areas of significant environmental impacts.

The Business Unit is a party to various proceedings relating to the cleanup of hazardous waste sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as “Superfund,” and similar state laws. The EPA and/or various state agencies have notified the Business Unit that it may be a potentially responsible party with respect to other hazardous waste sites as to which no proceedings have been instituted against the Business Unit. As of December 31, 2006, the Business Unit has established reserves totaling $4 million for estimated remediation costs on the three active sites across its operations. Environmental remediation reserves totaled $9 million at the end of 2005. The decrease in environmental remediation reserves reflects the incorporation of new information on all sites concerning

 

C-F-84


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

remediation alternatives, updates on prior cost estimates and new sites, and the costs incurred to remediate these sites during this period. Based on currently available information and analysis, the Business Unit believes that it is reasonably possible that costs associated with all identified sites may exceed current accruals by up to $20 million, which may be incurred over several years. This estimate of the upper end of the range of reasonably possible additional costs is much less certain than the estimates upon which accruals are currently based, and utilizes assumptions less favorable to the Business Unit among the range of reasonably possible outcomes. In estimating both its current accruals for environmental remediation and the possible range of additional future costs, the Business Unit has assumed that it will not bear the entire cost of remediation of every site to the exclusion of other known potentially responsible parties who may be jointly and severally liable. The ability of other potentially responsible parties to participate has been taken into account, generally based on each party’s financial condition and probable contribution on a per-site basis. No amounts have been recorded for potential recoveries from insurance carriers.

(c) Purchase obligations

Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding on the Business Unit and that specify all significant terms, including: fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable price provisions; and the approximate timing of the transaction. Purchase obligations exclude arrangements that the Business Unit can cancel without penalty. As of December 31, 2006, the Business Unit’s commitments under non-cancelable purchase obligations were $32 million in 2007 and $6 million thereafter.

(d) Commitments

The Business Unit leases various equipment, warehouse space and office space under operating leases. The equipment leases cover light duty vehicles, forklifts and office equipment. The Business Unit recognized rent expense of approximately $16 million, $20 million and $18 million in the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004, respectively. The Business Unit also leases certain equipment under capital leases. During 2006, the Business Unit entered into new capital leases of $17 million.

 

C-F-85


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

The Business Unit’s future commitments under operating and capital leases as of December 31, 2006 are as follows:

 

       Capital
Leases
   Operating
Leases
   Total  
   

2007

   $  9    $4    $13  

2008

   8    2    10  

2009

   8    1    9  

2010

   5       5  

2011

   3       3  

Thereafter

   12    1    13  
      
   45    $8    $53  
         

Less amounts representing interest

   6      
          

Present value of minimum lease payments

   39      

Less current portion of capital lease obligations

   7      
          

Long-term portion of capital lease obligations

   $32      
   

Equipment under capital leases are as follows:

 

       Range of
Lives
   December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
 
   

Equipment under capital lease

   3–11    $ 67     $ 47  

Accumulated depreciation

      (30 )   (22 )
         
      $ 37     $ 25  
   

16. Charges for restructuring and closure of facilities:

(a) Restructuring charges:

As WY has acquired businesses and consolidated them into existing operations, WY has incurred charges associated with the transition and integration of those activities. Certain of those charges were incurred by the Business Unit. The charges reflected in the following table are primarily associated with WY’s 2002 acquisition of Willamette Industries, Inc., which included Fine Paper facilities and restructuring activities at the Dryden, Ontario and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan facilities:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Severance and outplacement costs

   $ —    $2    $10  

Pension curtailment

      1    6  

Professional services

         1  
      
   $ —    $3    $17  
   

 

C-F-86


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

As of December 25, 2005, the Business Unit’s accrued liabilities included approximately $5 million of severance accruals related to integration and restructuring charges.

(b) Closures of facilities:

Facilities that do not represent a long-term strategic fit for the Business Unit, or that cannot achieve top-quartile performance without significant capital investments, are assessed for closure or sale. Changing market conditions and increasing productivity at many of the Business Unit’s operating facilities have provided the Business Unit with opportunities to rationalize its production capacity while retaining its ability to fulfill customer needs.

Closure charges recognized in 2005 include costs related to the closure of a pulp and paper facility and a fine paper machine. Additionally, the Business Unit recognized impairment charges for Wapawekka and a sawmill as they sell chips and hog fuel to the closed pulp and paper facility and do not have an alternate market for such residuals.

The Business Unit does not expect to incur any additional material charges related to these closures. Charges for closure of facilities include:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Asset impairments

   $—     $499     $ —  

Termination benefits

       43      

Other closure costs

   19          

(Gain) loss on curtailment of pension benefits

   2     (8 )    

Reversals of closure charges recorded in prior periods

   (6 )        
      
   $15     $534     $ —  
   

Changes in accrued termination benefits related to facility closures during the years ended December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005 were as follows:

 

       December 31,
2006
    December 25,
2005
 
      

Accrued severance—beginning balance

   $43     $—  

Costs incurred and charged to expense

       43  

Payments

   (24 )    

Other adjustments

   (5 )    
      

Accrued severance—ending balance

   $14     $43  
   

 

C-F-87


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

17. Business segments:

Following the Transaction, the Business Unit operates in the two reportable segments described below. Each reportable segment offers different products and services and requires different technology and marketing strategies. The following summary briefly describes the operations included in each of the Business Unit’s reportable segments:

 

 

Papers—represents the aggregation of the manufacturing and distribution of business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty papers, as well as pulp.

 

 

Wood—comprises the manufacturing and marketing of lumber and wood-based value-added products and the management of forest resources.

The Business Unit evaluates performance based on operating income, which represents sales, reflecting transfer prices between segments at fair value, less allocable expenses before financing expenses and income taxes. Segment assets are those directly used in segment operations.

An analysis and reconciliation of the Business Unit’s business segment information to the respective information in the combined financial statements is as follows:

 

      

Year ended

December 31,
2006

    Year ended
December 25,
2005
    Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Sales to and revenues from customers external to the Business Unit:

      

Papers

   $ 3,143     $ 3,072     $ 2,867  

Wood

     163       195       159  
        
     3,306       3,267       3,026  
        

Intersegment sales:

      

Papers

           2       1  

Wood

     71       143       126  
        
     71       145       127  
        

Total sales and revenues

     3,377       3,412       3,153  

Inter segment eliminations

     (71 )     (145 )     (127 )
        
   $ 3,306     $ 3,267     $ 3,026  
        

Contribution (charge) to earnings:

      

Papers

   $ (608 )   $ (492 )   $ (39 )

Wood

     52       (86 )     (2 )
        

Operating loss

     (556 )     (578 )     (41 )

Income tax expense (benefit)

     53       (100 )     (24 )
        

Net loss

   $ (609 )   $ (478 )   $ (17 )
   

 

C-F-88


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Depreciation and amortization:

        

Papers

   $302    $341    $335  

Wood

   9    16    13  
      
   $311    $357    $348  
   

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
    Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Charges for restructuring, closure of facilities and goodwill impairment:

       

Papers

   $765     $461    $16  

Wood

   (1 )   77    1  
      
   $764     $538    $17  
   

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Capital expenditures:

        

Papers

   $64    $108    $84  

Wood

      5    5  
      
   $64    $113    $89  
   

 

       December 31,
2006
   December 25,
2005
 
   

Total assets:

     

Papers

   $3,933    $4,883  

Wood

   65    87  
      
   $3,998    $4,970  
   

18. Geographical areas:

The Business Unit attributes sales to and revenues from customers in different geographical areas on the basis of the location of the customer.

Export sales from the United States consist principally of pulp. Long-lived assets consist of goodwill and property and equipment used in the generation of revenues in the different geographical areas.

 

C-F-89


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Selected information related to the Business Unit’s operations by geographical area is as follows:

 

       Year ended
December 31,
2006
   Year ended
December 25,
2005
   Year ended
December 26,
2004
 
   

Sales to and revenues from customers external to the Business Unit:

        

United States

   $2,791    $2,663    $2,737  

Canada

   515    559    288  

Other foreign countries

      45    1  
      
   $3,306    $3,267    $3,026  
   

 

      

December 31,
2006

   December 25,
2005
 
   

Long-lived assets:

     

United States

   $2,324    $3,164  

Canada

   755    869  
      
   $3,079    $4,033  
   

19. Countervailing and antidumping duties:

The U.S. and Canada reached a final settlement in 2006 to a long-standing trade dispute over Canadian exports of softwood lumber into the U.S. Under the settlement agreement, a Canadian export tax was instituted that replaced countervailing and antidumping duties imposed by the U.S., and Canadian softwood lumber exporters received refunds of approximately 81% of countervailing and antidumping duties paid between 2002 and 2006. The Business Unit received its refund of countervailing and antidumping duties of $65 million and recognized the refund as other income in the fourth quarter of 2006.

20. Earnings (loss) per share

The following table provides the reconciliation between basic and diluted loss per share:

 

      

Year ended
December 31,

2006

   

Year ended
December 25,

2005

   

Year ended

December 26,

2004

 
   

Net loss applicable to common shares

   $  (609 )   $  (478 )   $    (17 )

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

   284.1     284.1     284.1  

Effect of dilutive securities (millions)

            
      

Weighted average number of diluted common shares outstanding (millions)

   284.1     284.1     284.1  
      

Basic net loss per share (in dollars)

   $ (2.14 )   $ (1.68 )   $ (0.06 )

Diluted net loss per share (in dollars)

   (2.14 )   (1.68 )   (0.06 )
   

 

C-F-90


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Prior to the Transaction, Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business did not have common stock or stock options outstanding. The weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004 assumes that all common stock outstanding immediately after the Contribution of the Business Unit were outstanding for the entire prior years. The effect of dilutive securities for the years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004 was not considered in prior years as the impact would be antidilutive.

21. Condensed combining financial information.

The following information is presented as required under Rule 3.10 of Regulation S-X, in connection with Domtar Corporation anticipated issuance of debt securities in exchange for outstanding debt securities of Domtar Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar Corporation. Pursuant to this exchange transaction, the securities that will be issued (the “Guaranteed Debt”) will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Domtar Paper Company, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar Corporation (“Guarantor Subsidiary”) and the successor to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business U.S. Operations. The Guaranteed Debt will not be guaranteed by the Guarantor Subsidiary’s own wholly-owned subsidiaries; namely Domtar Delaware Investments Inc., Domtar Delaware Holdings LLC and Domtar Delaware Holdings Inc. (and subsidiaries including Domtar Inc.), (collectively the “Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries” and the successor to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business Canadian Operations).

The following supplemental condensed combining financial information sets forth, on an uncombined basis, the balance sheets as at December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005 and the statements of operations and cash flows for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004 for the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business U.S. Operations, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business Canadian Operations, and, on a combined basis, the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business.

 

C-F-91


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Condensed combining balance sheet as at December 31, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
   Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
   Combining
adjustments
    Combined
 
     $    $    $     $

Assets

          

Current assets:

          

Cash

      1        1

Receivables

   300    40        340

Inventories

   428    102    (10 )   520

Prepaid expenses

   3    3        6

Deferred income taxes

   21    1        22
    

Total current assets

   752    147    (10 )   889

Property, plant and equipment, net

   2,306    745        3,051

Construction in progress

   11    3        14

Goodwill

   11    3        14

Deferred pension and other assets

      30        30
    

Total assets

   3,080    928    (10 )   3,998
    

Liabilities and Business Unit Equity

          

Current liabilities:

          

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

   191    65        256

Debt and current portion of capital leases

   6    6        12
    

Total current liabilities

   197    71        268

Environmental and landfill reserves

   11    9        20

Other liabilities

   34    3        37

Deferred income taxes

   698    60        758
    

Total liabilities

   940    143        1,083

Business Unit equity

   2,140    785    (10 )   2,915
    

Total liabilities and Business Unit equity

   3,080    928    (10 )   3,998
 

 

C-F-92


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Condensed combining balance sheet as at December 25, 2005

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
   Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
   Combining
adjustments
    Combined
 
     $       $           $   

Assets

          

Current assets:

          

Cash

      1        $1

Receivables

   255    66        321

Inventories

   419    148    (5 )   562

Prepaid expenses

   2    2        4

Deferred income taxes

   17    3        20
    

Total current assets

   693    220    (5 )   908

Property, plant and equipment, net

   2,413    806        3,219

Construction in progress

   44    7        51

Goodwill

   760    3        763

Deferred pension and other assets

      29        29
    

Total assets

   3,910    1,065    (5 )   4,970
    

Liabilities and Business Unit Equity

          

Current liabilities:

          

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

   174    144        $318

Debt and current portion of capital leases

   5    7        12
    

Total current liabilities

   179    151        330

Environmental and landfill reserves

   17    9        26

Other liabilities

   24           24

Deferred income taxes

   755    62        817
    

Total liabilities

   975    222        1,197

Business Unit equity

   2,935    843    (5 )   3,773
    

Total liabilities and Business Unit equity

   3,910    1,065    (5 )   4,970
 

 

C-F-93


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Condensed combining statement of operations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
    Combining
adjustments
    Combined  
   
     $         $       $       $      

Sales

   2,656     978     (328 )   3,306  

Costs and expenses:

        

Cost of products sold

   2,084     888     (323 )   2,649  

Depreciation and amortization

   232     79         311  

Taxes other than payroll and income taxes

   11     14         25  

Selling, general and administrative including allocated Weyerhaeuser Company costs

   144     30         174  

Charges for closure of facilities

   1     14       15  

Impairment of goodwill

   749             749  

Refund of countervailing and antidumping deposits

       (65 )       (65 )

Other operating costs (income)

   5     (1 )     4  
      

Total costs and expenses

   3,226     959     (323 )   3,862  
      

Operating income (loss)

   (570 )   19     (5 )   (556 )

Income tax expense

   50     3         53  
      

Net income (loss)

   (620 )   16     (5 )   (609 )
   

Condensed combining statement of operations for the fiscal year ended December 25, 2005

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
    Combining
adjustments
    Combined  
   
     $         $         $       $      

Sales

   2,570     1,078     (381 )   3,267  

Costs and expenses:

        

Cost of products sold

   2,096     1,047     (383 )   2,760  

Depreciation and amortization

   235     122         357  

Taxes other than payroll and income taxes

   10     14         24  

Selling, general and administrative including allocated Weyerhaeuser Company costs

   150     24         174  

Charges for restructuring

   1     2         3  

Charges for closure of facilities

       534         534  

Impairment of goodwill

       1         1  

Other operating costs (income)

   2     (10 )       (8 )
      

Total costs and expenses

   2,494     1,734     (383 )   3,845  
      

Operating income (loss)

   76     (656 )   2     (578 )

Income tax benefit

   (5 )   (95 )       (100 )
      

Net income (loss)

        81      (561 )   2     (478 )
   

 

C-F-94


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Condensed combining statement of operations for the fiscal year ended December 26, 2004

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
   Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
    Combining
adjustments
    Combined  
                         
     $        $         $       $      

Sales

   2,372    1,004     (350 )   3,026  

Costs and expenses:

         

Cost of products sold

   1,937    895     (347 )   2,485  

Depreciation and amortization

   235    113     —       348  

Taxes other than payroll and income taxes

   11    11     —       22  

Selling, general and administrative including allocated Weyerhaeuser Company costs

   159    33     —       192  

Charges for restructuring

   —      17     —       17  

Other operating costs

   —      3     —       3  
      

Total costs and expenses

   2,342    1,072     (347 )   3,067  
      

Operating income (loss)

   30    (68 )   (3 )   (41 )

Income tax expense (benefit)

   4    (28 )   —       (24 )
      

Net income (loss)

   26    (40 )   (3 )   (17 )
   

Condensed combining statement of cash flows for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
    Combining
adjustments
    Combined  
   
     $               $    

Cash provided by (used in):

        

Operations:

        

Net income (loss)

   (620 )   16     (5 )   (609 )

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net income (loss)

   892     69     5     966  
      

Net cash provided by operating activities

   272     85         357  

Investments:

        

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (50 )   (14 )       (64 )

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

   1             1  
      

Net cash used in investing activities

   (49 )   (14 )       (63 )

Financing:

        

Net payments to Weyerhaeuser

   (218 )   (69 )       (287 )

Debt and capital lease payments

   (5 )   (2 )       (7 )
      

Net cash used in financing activities

   (223 )   (71 )       (294 )
      

Change in cash

                

Cash, beginning

       1         1  
      

Cash, ending

       —       1              1  
   

 

C-F-95


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Condensed combining statement of cash flows for the fiscal year ended December 25, 2005

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
    Combining
adjustments
    Combined  
   
Cash provided by (used in):    $       $       $       $    

Operations:

        

Net income (loss)

   81     (561 )   2     (478 )

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net income (loss)

   115     555     (2 )   668  
      

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

   196     (6 )       190  

Investments:

        

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (71 )   (42 )       (113 )

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

   4             4  
      

Net cash used in investing activities

   (67 )   (42 )       (109 )

Financing:

        

Net contributions from (payments to) Weyerhaeuser

   (124 )   48         (76 )

Debt and capital lease payments

   (5 )   (1 )       (6 )
      

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

   (129 )   47         (82 )
      

Change in cash

       (1 )       (1 )

Cash, beginning

       2         2  
      

Cash, ending

    —           1               1  
   

 

C-F-96


Table of Contents

Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business

(A business unit of Weyerhaeuser Company)

Notes to combined financial statements—(continued)

(Dollar amounts in millions)

Years ended December 31, 2006, December 25, 2005 and December 26, 2004

 

Condensed combining statement of cash flows for the fiscal year ended December 26, 2004

 

(Unaudited)    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business U.S.
operations
    Weyerhaeuser
Fine Paper
Business
Canadian
operations
    Combining
adjustments
    Combined  
   
Cash provided by (used in):    $       $       $       $    

Operations:

        

Net income (loss)

   26     (40 )   (3 )   (17 )

Changes in operating and intercompany assets and liabilities and non cash items, included in net income (loss)

   154     69     3     226  
      

Net cash provided by operating activities

   180     29         209  

Investments:

        

Additions to property, plant and equipment

   (46 )   (43 )       (89 )

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

   7             7  
      

Net cash used in investing activities

   (39 )   (43 )       (82 )

Financing:

        

Net contributions from (payments to) Weyerhaeuser

   (136 )   15         (121 )

Debt and capital lease payments

   (5 )           (5 )
      

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

   (141 )   15         (126 )
      

Change in cash

       1         1  

Cash, beginning

       1         1  
      

Cash, ending

           2             2  
   

 

C-F-97


Table of Contents

Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting

Management of Domtar is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 15a-15(d) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Domtar’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision of Domtar’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of the Company’s financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in Canada.

As of December 31, 2006, management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this assessment, management concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006 was effective.

Management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent auditor.

 

Raymond Royer   Daniel Buron
President and Chief Executive Officer   Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Montreal, Quebec

February 22, 2007

 

C-F-98


Table of Contents

Report of independent registered public accounting firm

To the Shareholders of Domtar Inc.

We have completed an integrated audit of the consolidated financial statements and internal control over financial reporting of Domtar Inc. as of December 31, 2006 and audits of its December 31, 2005 and December 31, 2004 consolidated financial statements. Our opinions, based on our audits, are presented below.

Consolidated financial statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Domtar Inc. as at December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005 and the related consolidated statements of earnings, retained earnings and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2006. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Corporation’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits of the Corporation’s financial statements as at December 31, 2006 and 2005 and for the three-year period then ended in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards and the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform an audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit of financial statements includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. A financial statement audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Corporation as at December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2006 in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.

Internal control over financial reporting

We have also audited management’s assessment, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, that the Corporation maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The Corporation’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express opinions on management’s assessment and on the effectiveness of the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit of internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. An audit of internal control over financial reporting includes obtaining an understanding of internal

 

C-F-99


Table of Contents

control over financial reporting, evaluating management’s assessment, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control, and performing such other procedures as we consider necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinions.

A Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Corporation; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Corporation are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Corporation; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Corporation’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, management’s assessment that the Corporation maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as at December 31, 2006 is fairly stated, in all material respects, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the COSO. Furthermore, in our opinion, the Corporation maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006 based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the COSO.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Chartered Accountants

Montreal, Quebec

February 22, 2007

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Consolidated balance sheets

As at December 31

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005  
      
$     $  
   

Assets

    

Current assets

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   649     83  

Receivables (Note 9)

   305     294  

Inventories (Note 10)

   575     715  

Prepaid expenses

   14     11  

Income and other taxes receivable

   18     16  

Future income taxes (Note 7)

   45     38  
      
   1,606     1,157  

Property, plant and equipment (Note 11)

   3,044     3,634  

Assets held for sale (Note 4)

   24      

Goodwill

   6     92  

Other assets (Note 12)

   275     309  
      
   4,955     5,192  
      

Liabilities and shareholders’ equity

    

Current liabilities

    

Bank indebtedness

   62     21  

Trade and other payables (Note 13)

   533     651  

Income and other taxes payable

   20     29  

Long-term debt due within one year (Note 14)

   2     2  
      
   617     703  

Long-term debt (Note 14)

   1,889     2,257  

Future income taxes (Note 7)

   285     292  

Other liabilities and deferred credits (Note 15)

   223     331  

Commitments and contingencies (Note 16)

    

Shareholders’ equity

    

Preferred shares (Note 17)

   32     36  

Common shares (Note 17)

   1,788     1,783  

Contributed surplus (Note 17)

   15     14  

Retained earnings (deficit)

   308     (19 )

Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments (Note 19)

   (202 )   (205 )
      
   1,941     1,609  
      
   4,955     5,192  
   

Approved by the Board:

Brian M. Levitt, Director Raymond Royer, Director

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Consolidated earnings

Years ended December 31

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
           Restated
(Note 4)
    Restated
(Note 4)
 
        
     $     $     $  
   

Sales

   3,989     4,247     4,403  

Operating expenses

      

Cost of sales

   3,392     3,720     3,798  

Selling, general and administrative

   218     231     245  

Amortization

   284     329     325  

Antidumping and countervailing duties refund

   (164 )        

Closure and restructuring costs (Note 5)

   35     317     49  

Net gains on disposals of property, plant and equipment

   (13 )   (1 )   (37 )
      
   3,752     4,596     4,380  
      

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

   237     (349 )   23  

Financing expenses (Note 6)

   150     144     141  
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

   87     (493 )   (118 )

Income tax expense (recovery) (Note 7)

   24     (183 )   (55 )
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

   63     (310 )   (63 )

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations (Note 4)

   265     (78 )   21  
      

Net earnings (loss)

   328     (388 )   (42 )
      

Per common share (in dollars) (Note 8)

      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

      

Basic

   0.27     (1.36 )   (0.28 )

Diluted

   0.27     (1.36 )   (0.28 )

Net earnings (loss)

      

Basic

   1.42     (1.69 )   (0.19 )

Diluted

   1.42     (1.69 )   (0.19 )
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Consolidated cash flows

Years ended December 31

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

      2006     2005     2004  
     
          Restated
(Note 4)
    Restated
(Note 4)
 
             
    $     $     $  
                   

Operating activities

     

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  63     (310 )   (63 )

Non-cash items:

     

Amortization and write-down of property, plant and equipment (Note 5)

  284     554     336  

Future income taxes (Note 7)

  25     (193 )   (68 )

Closure and restructuring costs, excluding write-down of property, plant and equipment (Note 5)

  35     92     38  

Net gains on disposals of property, plant and equipment

  (13 )   (1 )   (37 )

Other

  (5 )   (1 )   1  
                 
  389     141     207  
                 

Changes in working capital and other items

     

Receivables (Note 9)

  (113 )   (79 )   (37 )

Inventories

  45     (23 )   (66 )

Prepaid expenses

  (2 )   4     8  

Trade and other payables

  (12 )   (27 )   (44 )

Income and other taxes

  1     1     16  

Early settlement of interest rate swap contracts (Note 18)

          20  

Other

  (19 )   (20 )   (8 )

Payments of closure and restructuring costs, net of proceeds on disposition

  (67 )   (38 )   (10 )
                 
  (167 )   (182 )   (121 )
                 

Cash flows provided from (used for) operating activities of continuing operations

  222     (41 )   86  
                 

Investing activities

     

Additions to property, plant and equipment

  (108 )   (139 )   (167 )

Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment

  17     10     41  

Proceeds from disposal of business (Note 4)

  560          

Business acquisition

          (2 )

Other

  2     (3 )   (1 )
                 

Cash flows provided from (used for) investing activities of continuing operations

  471     (132 )   (129 )
                 

Financing activities

     

Dividend payments

  (1 )   (56 )   (56 )

Change in bank indebtedness

  47     10      

Change in revolving bank credit, net of expenses

  (160 )   21     105  

Issuance of long-term debt, net of expenses

      482     2  

Repayment of long-term debt

  (2 )   (266 )   (7 )

Premium on redemption of long-term debt

      (7 )    

Common shares issued, net of expenses

  4     7     19  

Redemptions of preferred shares

  (3 )   (3 )   (3 )
                 

Cash flows provided from (used for) financing activities of continuing operations

  (115 )   188     60  
                 

Cash flow from discontinued operations (Note 4)

     

Operating activities

  26     31     36  

Investing activities

  (554 )   (55 )   (54 )

Financing activities

  514     38     4  
                 

Cash flows provided from (used for) discontinued operations

  (14 )   14     (14 )
                 

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

  564     29     3  

Translation adjustments related to cash and cash equivalents

  2     2     1  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

  83     52     48  
                 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

  649     83     52  
                 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year, related to:

     

Continuing operations

  649     83     52  

Discontinued operations (Note 4)

           
                 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

  649     83     52  
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Consolidated retained earnings

Years ended December 31

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
                    

Retained earnings (deficit) at beginning of year—as reported

   (19 )   412     512  

Cumulative effect of change in accounting policy (Note 2)

           (3 )
      

Retained earnings (deficit) at beginning of year—as restated

   (19 )   412     509  

Net earnings (loss)

   328     (388 )   (42 )

Dividends on common shares

       (42 )   (54 )

Dividends on preferred shares

   (1 )   (1 )   (1 )
      

Retained earnings (deficit) at end of year

   308     (19 )   412  
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

Note 1. Summary of significant accounting policies

The consolidated financial statements are expressed in Canadian dollars and have been prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (Canadian GAAP). These financial statements differ in certain respects from those prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) and are not intended to provide certain disclosures which would typically be found in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The significant differences are described in Note 23. These consolidated financial statements are dated February 22, 2007.

Basis of consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries (the Corporation) as well as its joint ventures (collectively Domtar). Investments over which the Corporation exercises significant influence are accounted for using the equity method. The Corporation’s interests in joint ventures are accounted for using the proportionate consolidation method.

Use of estimates

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with Canadian GAAP, which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the year, the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to environmental matters, useful lives, impairment of long-lived assets and goodwill, pension and other employee future benefit plans, income taxes, closure and restructuring costs and asset retirement obligations, based on currently available information. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Translation of foreign currencies

Self-sustaining foreign operations

For foreign subsidiaries that are considered financially and operationally self-sustaining, the current rate method of translation of foreign currencies has been used. Under this method, assets and liabilities are translated into Canadian dollars at the rate in effect at the balance sheet date and revenues and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates during the year. All gains and losses arising from the translation of the financial statements of these foreign subsidiaries are included in the “Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments” account under “Shareholders’ equity.”

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Foreign currency transactions and integrated foreign operations

For foreign currency transactions and foreign subsidiaries that are considered financially and operationally integrated, the temporal method of translation of foreign currencies has been used. Monetary items are translated at the rate in effect at the balance sheet date, non-monetary items are translated at their historical rate (as well as the related amortization) and revenues and expenses are translated at the rate in effect at the transaction date or at the average exchange rates during the year as appropriate. Translation gains and losses, except those on long-term debt, are included in “Selling, general and administrative” expenses.

Foreign currency long-term debt

For the Corporation’s long-term debt designated as a hedge of the net investment in self-sustaining foreign subsidiaries, exchange gains and losses are included in the “Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments” account under “Shareholders’ equity.” Prior to the fourth quarter of 2004, a portion of the foreign currency denominated long-term debt of the Corporation was designated as a hedge of future U.S. dollar revenue stream and exchange gains and losses were deferred and were recognized when the designated revenue is earned or when it becomes probable that the forecasted transaction will not occur, as the hedge then ceases to be effective.

Variable interest entities

Variable interest entities (VIE) are entities in which equity investors do not have a controlling financial interest or the equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support provided by other parties. Domtar consolidates the VIE if Domtar is considered the VIE’s primary beneficiary, defined as the party that receives the majority of the expected residual returns and/or that absorbs the majority of the entity’s expected losses.

Revenue recognition

Domtar recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, when goods are shipped, when there are no uncertainties surrounding product acceptance, when the related revenue is fixed or determinable, when collection is considered reasonably assured and when the customer takes title and assumes the majority of the risks and rewards of ownership.

Income taxes

Domtar uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, future tax assets and liabilities are determined according to differences between the carrying amounts and tax bases of the assets and liabilities. The change in the net future tax asset or liability is included in earnings and in the “Accumulated foreign currency translation

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

adjustments” account under “Shareholders’ equity.” Future tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted or substantively enacted tax rates and laws expected to apply in the years in which the assets and liabilities are expected to be recovered or settled. Domtar does not provide for income taxes on undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries that are not expected to be repatriated in the foreseeable future.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and short-term investments with original maturities of less than three months and are presented at cost.

Receivables

Receivables are recorded at cost net of a provision for doubtful accounts that is based on expected collectibility. Gains or losses on securitization of receivables are calculated as the difference between the carrying amount of the receivables sold and the sum of the cash proceeds on sale and the fair value of the retained subordinate interest in such receivables on the date of transfer. Fair value is determined on a discounted cash flow basis. Costs related to the sales of receivables are recognized in earnings in the period when the sale occurs.

Inventories

Inventories of operating and maintenance supplies and raw materials are valued at the lower of average cost and replacement cost. Work in process and finished goods are valued at the lower of average cost and net realizable value, and include the cost of raw materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead expenses.

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated amortization including asset impairment write-down. Interest costs are capitalized for capital projects in excess of $10 million and having a duration in excess of one year. For timber limits and timberlands, amortization is calculated using the unit of production method. For all other assets, amortization is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Buildings are amortized over periods of 10 to 40 years and machinery and equipment over periods of 3 to 20 years. The amortization expense is reported net of the amount of the amortization of deferred credits related to property, plant and equipment. No amortization is recorded on assets under construction.

Impairment of long-lived assets

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances indicating that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable, as

 

C-F-107


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

measured by comparing their net book value to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows generated by their use. Impaired assets are recorded at fair value, determined principally by using discounted future cash flows expected from their use and eventual disposition.

Goodwill

Goodwill is not amortized and is subject to an annual impairment test, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it might be impaired. Testing for impairment is accomplished mainly by determining whether the fair value of a segment, based upon discounted cash flows, exceeds the net carrying amount of that segment as of the assessment date. If the fair value is greater than the net carrying amount, no impairment is necessary. In the event that the net carrying amount exceeds the sum of the discounted cash flows, a second test must be performed whereby the fair value of the segment’s goodwill must be estimated to determine if it is less than its net carrying amount. Fair value of goodwill is estimated in the same way as goodwill was determined at the date of the acquisition in a business combination, that is, the excess of the fair value of the segment over the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the segment.

Other assets

Other assets are recorded at cost. Expenses and discounts related to the issuance of long-term debt are deferred and amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the related obligation.

Deferred credits

Deferred credits comprise the deferred net gain on early settlements of interest rate swap contracts and grants and investment tax credits obtained upon the acquisition of property, plant and equipment and, in periods prior to Domtar’s sale of its interest in Norampac, the deferred gain on the contribution of net assets to Norampac. The deferred gain on the contribution of net assets to Norampac was amortized on a straight-line basis over 15 years. The deferred net gain on early settlements of interest rate swap contracts is amortized as an adjustment to “Financing expenses” over the initially designated periods of the respective interest payments. Investment tax credits are amortized on the same basis as the related property, plant and equipment.

Environmental costs

Environmental expenditures for effluent treatment, air emission, landfill operation and closure, asbestos containment and removal, bark pile management, silvicultural activities and site remediation (together referred to as environmental matters) are expensed or capitalized depending on their future economic benefit. In the normal course of business, Domtar incurs certain operating costs for environmental matters that are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for property, plant and equipment that prevent future environmental impacts are capitalized and

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

amortized on a straight-line basis over 10 to 40 years. Provisions for environmental matters are not discounted and are recorded when remediation efforts are likely and can be reasonably determined.

Asset retirement obligations

Asset retirement obligations are recognized, at fair value, in the period in which Domtar incurs a legal obligation associated to the retirement of an asset. Conditional asset retirement obligations are recognized, at fair value, when the fair value of the liability can be reasonably estimated. The associated costs are capitalized as part of the carrying value of the related asset and depreciated over its remaining useful life. The liability is accreted using a credit adjusted risk-free interest rate.

Stock-based compensation and other stock-based payments

Domtar uses the fair value based approach of accounting for stock-based payments to directors and for stock options granted to its employees. Any consideration paid by plan participants on the exercise of share options or the purchase of shares is credited to stated capital together with any related stock-based compensation expense.

Stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the vesting period of the options, share purchase rights and bonus shares. For employee share purchase discounts, compensation expense is recognized when employees purchase shares. The contributed surplus component of the stock-based compensation is transferred to capital stock upon the issuance of common shares.

Deferred Share Units are amortized over their vesting periods and remeasured at each reporting period, until settlement, using the quoted market value. The cost of the common shares acquired by the Corporation under the Restricted Stock Plan is amortized over the restricted period. Deferred Share Units and common shares acquired under the Restricted Stock Plan are accounted for in compensation expense, in “Other liabilities and deferred credits” and “Other assets.”

Derivative instruments

Derivative instruments are contracts that require or provide an option to exchange cash flows or payments determined by applying certain rates, indices or changes therein to notional contract amounts. Derivative instruments are utilized by Domtar in the management of its foreign currency, price risk and interest rate exposures. Except for two interest rate swap contracts of Norampac, which were assumed through business acquisitions, Domtar does not use derivative instruments for speculative purposes. On December 29, 2006, Domtar sold its interest in Norampac.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Derivatives designated for hedge accounting

In order for a derivative to qualify for hedge accounting, the hedge relationship must be designated and formally documented at its inception, outlining the particular risk management objective and strategy, the specific asset, liability or cash flow being hedged, as well as how effectiveness is assessed. The derivative must be effective in accomplishing the objective of offsetting either changes in the fair value or cash flow attributable to the risk being hedged both at inception and over the term of the hedging relationship.

When derivative instruments have been designated within a hedge relationship and are highly effective in offsetting the identified risk characteristics of specific financial assets and liabilities, or group of financial assets and liabilities, hedge accounting is applied to these derivative instruments. Hedge accounting requires that gains, losses, revenues and expenses of a hedging item be recognized in the same period that the associated gains, losses, revenues and expenses of the hedged item are recognized.

Realized and unrealized gains or losses associated with hedging instruments for which the underlying hedged items are either sold, paid or terminated are recognized to earnings. Realized and unrealized gains or losses when hedging instruments have ended or ceased to be effective prior to their maturity are deferred and recognized in earnings concurrently with the recognition of the item being hedged.

Domtar hedges its foreign exchange exposure on anticipated sales denominated in U.S. dollars through the use of options and forward contracts. Resulting gains and losses, including premiums on options, are recognized when the designated sale is recognized and are included in “Sales.”

Domtar hedges its exposure to price risk associated with purchases of bunker oil through the use of cash settled commodity swaps. Norampac hedged its exposure to price risk associated with purchases of electricity through the use of cash settled commodity swaps. Resulting gains and losses are recognized when the designated purchase is recognized and are included in “Cost of sales.”

Domtar hedges its exposure to interest rate on its long-term debt through the use of interest rate swap contracts. Amounts accounted for under interest rate swap contracts are included in “Financing expenses.”

Derivatives not designated for hedge accounting

For the exposure to price risk associated with sales of Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp swap contracts, as well as old corrugated containers, unbleached kraft linerboard and semi-chemical medium paper, Domtar does not meet the requirements for hedge accounting. As a result, Domtar accounts for these contracts at their fair value with resulting gains and losses being included in “Selling, general and administrative” expenses or, for items related to Norampac, as part of discontinued operations.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

For the two interest rate swap contracts of Norampac, which were used for speculative purposes, the change in their fair value was recorded in discontinued operations.

Pensions

Domtar’s plans include funded and unfunded defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans. Domtar accrues the cost of defined benefit plans as determined by independent actuaries. The net periodic benefit cost includes the following:

 

 

the cost of pension benefits provided in exchange for employees’ services rendered during the year,

 

 

the interest cost of pension obligations,

 

 

the expected long-term return on pension fund assets based on a market-related value determined using a five-year moving average market value for equity securities and fair value for other asset classes,

 

 

gains or losses on settlements and curtailments,

 

 

the straight-line amortization of past service costs and plan amendments over the average remaining service period of approximately 13 years of the active employee group covered by the plans,

 

 

the amortization of cumulative unrecognized net actuarial gains and losses in excess of 10% of the greater of the accrued benefit obligation or market-related value of plan assets at the beginning of the year over the average remaining service period of approximately 13 years of the active employee group covered by the plans.

The defined benefit plans obligations are determined in accordance with the projected benefit method prorated on services.

Other employee future benefit plans

Domtar accrues the cost of post-retirement benefits other than pensions as determined by independent actuaries. These benefits, which are funded by Domtar as they become due, include life insurance programs, medical and dental benefits and short-term and long-term disability programs. Domtar amortizes the cumulative unrecognized net actuarial gains and losses in excess of 10% of the accrued benefit obligation at the beginning of the year over the average remaining service period of approximately 15 years of the active employee group covered by the plans.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Investment tax credits

Investment tax credits are recognized in earnings as a reduction of research and development expenses when Domtar has made the qualifying expenditures and has a reasonable assurance that the credits will be realized.

Disclosure of guarantees

A guarantee is a contract or an indemnification agreement that contingently requires Domtar to make payments to the other party of the contract or agreement, based on changes in an underlying item that is related to an asset, a liability or an equity security of the other party or on a third party’s failure to perform under an obligating agreement. It could also be an indirect guarantee of the indebtedness of another party, even though the payment to the other party may not be based on changes in an underlying item that is related to an asset, a liability or an equity security of the other party.

Countervailing and antidumping duties

Prior to the Softwood Lumber Agreement 2006 that was rendered effective October 12, 2006, cash deposits for countervailing and antidumping duties (lumber duties) made, were expensed as the deposits for softwood lumber export sales to the United States were made. The lumber duties expensed were presented in “Cost of sales.” Recoveries of cash deposits for lumber duties are only recognized when the amounts are reasonably measurable and their recovery is virtually certain. Recoveries resulting from the Softwood Lumber Agreement 2006 were recorded in “Antidumping and countervailing duties refund.” The 18.06% special charge imposed by the Canadian Government relating to this refund is provided for in “Trade and other payables.” Export taxes imposed by the Government of Canada are expensed as softwood lumber export sales to the United States are made. These export taxes are presented in “Cost of sales.”

Note 2. Accounting changes

2006

Stock-based compensation for employees eligible to retire before the vesting date

In July 2006, the Emerging Issues Committee of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (“CICA”) issued EIC 162, “Stock-based Compensation for Employees Eligible to Retire before the Vesting Date.” EIC-162 clarifies the accounting for compensation costs relating to stock-based awards granted to employees. EIC-162 requires that: i) compensation costs attributable to stock-based awards granted to employees who are eligible to retire on the grant date be recognized on the grant date; and ii) compensation cost attributable to stock-based awards granted to employees who will become eligible to retire during the vesting period be recognized over the period from the grant date to the date of retirement eligibility. This abstract is to be applied

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

retroactively, with restatement of prior periods, and is effective for the year ended December 31, 2006. The adoption of this guideline had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements under Canadian GAAP.

2004

Asset retirement obligations

On January 1, 2004, Domtar adopted retroactively with restatement of prior periods the new CICA Handbook Section 3110 “Asset Retirement Obligations,” which requires entities to record a liability at fair value, in the period in which it incurs a legal obligation associated to the retirement of an asset. The associated costs are capitalized as part of the carrying value of the related asset and depreciated over its remaining useful life. The liability is accreted using a credit adjusted risk-free interest rate. Section 3110 is analogous to the requirements of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) 143 “Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations,” which was adopted for U.S. GAAP purposes on January 1, 2003. Asset retirement obligations in connection with the adoption of Section 3110 were primarily linked to landfill capping obligations, asbestos removal obligations and demolition of certain abandoned buildings. For such assets, a liability is initially recognized in the period in which sufficient information exists to estimate a range of possible settlement dates. The adoption of Section 3110 has decreased the December 31, 2003 retained earnings by $3 million, $0.01 per common share, decreased assets by $7 million and decreased liabilities by $4 million.

Impact of accounting pronouncements not yet implemented

Accounting changes

On July 1, 2006, the Accounting Standards Board (“AcSB”) issued a replacement of Handbook Section 1506 “Accounting Changes.” The new standard allows for voluntary changes in accounting policy only when they result in the financial statements providing reliable and more relevant information, requires changes in accounting policy to be applied retrospectively unless doing so is impracticable, requires prior period effects of changes in accounting policies, estimates and errors on the financial statements. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2007, with earlier adoption encouraged. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Financial instruments

In April 2005, the CICA issued three new Handbook Sections related to financial instruments: Section 3855 “Financial Instruments—Recognition and Measurement,” Section 3865 “Hedges” and Section 1530 “Comprehensive Income.” These Sections apply to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2006.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Financial instruments—recognition and measurement

Section 3855 expands on Handbook Section 3860 “Financial Instruments—Disclosure and Presentation,” by prescribing when a financial instrument is to be recognized on the balance sheet and at what amount. It also specifies how financial instrument gains and losses are to be presented. Under this new Section:

 

 

All financial assets and liabilities will be carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, except loans and receivables, investments held-to-maturity and non-trading financial liabilities, which will be carried at amortized cost.

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains and losses on trading financial assets and liabilities will be recognized immediately in the consolidated statement of income.

 

 

Unrealized gains and losses on financial assets that are available for sale will be recognized in other comprehensive income until their realization, after which these amounts will be recognized in the consolidated statement of income.

 

 

All derivatives financial instruments will be carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, including those derivatives that are embedded in other contracts but are not closely related to the host contract.

 

 

Gains and losses on instruments designated as cash flow hedges are recognized in other comprehensive income, except for the ineffective portion of the hedges which will be recognized in net income.

Hedges

Section 3865 provides alternative accounting treatments to those found in Section 3855 for entities who choose to designate qualifying transactions as hedges for accounting purposes. It replaces and expands on AcG-13 “Hedging Relationships,” and the hedging guidance in Section 1650 “Foreign Currency Translation” by specifying how hedge accounting is applied and what disclosures are necessary when it is applied. Under this new statement:

 

 

In a fair value hedge, hedging derivatives are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of income. The changes in the fair value of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk will also be recorded in consolidated income by way of a corresponding adjustment of the carrying amount of the hedged items recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

 

 

In a cash flow hedge, the changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments will be recorded in other comprehensive income. These amounts will be reclassified in the consolidated statement of income in the periods in which results are affected by the cash flows of the hedged item.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

 

Hedges of net investments in self-sustaining foreign operations are treated in a manner similar to cash flow hedges.

 

 

Any hedge ineffectiveness will be recorded in the consolidated statement of income.

Comprehensive income

Section 1530 introduces a new requirement to present certain revenues, expenses, gains and losses, that otherwise would not be immediately recorded in income, in a comprehensive income statement with the same prominence as other statements that constitute a complete set of financial statements.

Domtar is currently completing its evaluation of the impact that these accounting pronouncements will have on its first quarter 2007 financial statements. Domtar expects the more significant impacts of applying these new Sections to relate to:

 

 

the requirement to present a new statement entitled “Comprehensive income,”

 

 

the recognition of the fair value of cash flow hedges on the balance sheet with the offset to other comprehensive income,

 

 

the reclassification of foreign currency translation adjustments from Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments to Other comprehensive income,

 

 

the reclassification of the deferred gains on the early settlement of interest rate swap contracts from Other liabilities and deferred credits to Long-term debt,

 

 

the reclassification of unamortized debt issue costs and long-term debt discounts from Other asset to Long-term debt.

As such, as at January 1, 2007, Domtar expects Other assets to decrease by approximately $26 million, Future income tax asset to increase by approximately $2 million, Other long-term liabilities and deferred credits to decrease by $5 million, Long-term debt to decrease by $14 million, Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments to be nil and Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to be a loss of $207 million.

Financial instrument—disclosures and presentation

In April 2005, the AcSB issued Handbook Section 3861 “Financial instruments—Disclosure and presentation.” This section establishes standards for presentation of financial instruments and non-financial derivatives and identifies information that should be disclosed about them. This section applies to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2006. In December 2006, the AcSB issued Handbook Section 3862 “Financial instruments—Disclosures” and Handbook Section 3863 “Financial instruments—Presentation.” These standards revise Section 3861. Under these new sections, entities will be required to disclose information that enables users to evaluate the

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

significance of a financial instrument to an entity’s financial position and performance. These sections apply to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2007. Domtar does not expect the initial adoption of these standards to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Capital disclosure

In December 2006, the AsCB issued Handbook Section 1535 “Capital Disclosures,” which establishes guidelines for the disclosure of information regarding an entity’s capital and how it is managed. This standard requires disclosure of an entity’s objectives, policies and processes for managing capital, quantitative data about what the entity regards as capital and whether the entity has complied with any capital requirements and, if it has not complied, the consequences of such non-compliance. This standard is effective for interim and annual financial statements relating to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2007. Domtar does not expect the initial adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Note 3. Measurement uncertainty

Impairment of long-lived assets

Domtar reviews the carrying amount of long-lived assets when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable through future operations. This is accomplished by determining whether projected undiscounted future cash flows from operations exceed the net carrying amount of the assets as of the assessment date (Step I test). Impaired assets are recorded at fair value, determined principally by using discounted future cash flows expected from their use and eventual disposition (Step II test). Estimates of future cash flows and fair value require judgment and may change over time.

During the fourth quarter of 2006, Domtar conducted Step I impairment tests on most of the Canadian Pulp and Paper manufacturing facilities and the Wood segment.

Estimates of future cash flows used to test the recoverability of a long-lived asset included key assumptions related to trend prices, the 10 to 15 years forecasted exchange rate for the U.S. dollar and the estimated useful life of the long-lived assets.

The trend prices were based on an analysis of external price trends, including Resource Information Systems, Inc. (RISI), as well as normalized pulp, paper and wood pricing over a business cycle at the mills subjected to the impairment tests.

The forecasted Canadian-U.S. foreign exchange rate assumptions were based on independent market information, as well as analysis of historical data, trends and cycles. Management expects the 10 to 15 years average rate to be approximately CAN$1.00 = US$0.75.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Domtar concluded that the recognition of an impairment loss for the business units analyzed was not required.

Given the inherent imprecision and corresponding importance of the key assumptions used in the impairment test, it is reasonably possible that changes in future conditions may lead management to use different key assumptions, which could require a material change in the net carrying amount of the assets tested for impairment. The total net carrying amount of these assets was $873 million as at December 31, 2006.

Note 4. Discontinued operations and assets held for sale

In December 2006, Domtar announced that it had reached an agreement in principle to sell its 50% interest in Norampac Inc. to Cascades Inc. for a cash consideration of $560 million. The sale was finalized on December 29, 2006, accordingly Norampac will no longer be included in the Packaging segment but classified as discontinued operations in the consolidated earnings and cash flows.

In November 2005, as part of its restructuring program, Domtar announced its intention to sell the Vancouver, British Columbia paper mill. Effective in the second quarter of 2006, the Vancouver paper mill was permanently closed. Considering the fact that its major product line will not continue to be sold, the Vancouver paper mill will no longer be included in the Papers segment but classified as discontinued operations in the consolidated earnings and cash flows and the property, plant and equipment as held for sale in the consolidated balance sheet. In July 2006, Domtar reached an agreement to sell the Vancouver paper mill property, subject to a number of closing conditions.

The consolidated earnings and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004 have been restated for purposes of comparability.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table provides selected financial information related to discontinued operations:

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Sales

   673     719     712  
      

Operating expenses

   610     717     687  

Closure and restructuring costs

   22     116     (1 )
      

Operating profit (loss) from discontinued operations

   41     (114 )   26  

Financing expenses

   13     11     7  

Amortization of deferred gain

       (5 )   (5 )

Gain on disposal of business

   (299 )        
      

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations before income taxes

   327     (120 )   24  

Income tax expense (recovery)

   62     (42 )   3  
      

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations

   265     (78 )   21  

Basic earnings (loss) from discontinued operations per share (in dollars)

   1.15     (0.33 )   0.09  

Diluted earnings (loss) from discontinued operations per share (in dollars)

   1.15     (0.33 )   0.09  
   

Note 5. Closure and restructuring costs

In 2005, Domtar’s management announced a series of targeted measures aimed at returning the Corporation to profitability. The plan included closures of the Cornwall and Ottawa, Ontario paper mills, the Grand-Remous and Malartic, Quebec sawmills, the sale of the Vancouver, British Columbia paper mill and cost-cutting initiatives. This workforce reduction and restructuring plan is in addition to the plans announced in 2004, which covered the Corporation’s paper and merchant operations in Canada and the United States.

In 2004, Domtar sold the St. Catharines, Ontario paper mill, which was closed in 2002, for $1 million to a third party who agreed to purchase it in its existing state. As such, the majority of the remaining closure cost provision was reversed.

In 2004, Domtar's management decided to permanently shut down the sawmill located in Chapleau, Ontario.

As at December 31, 2006, the balance of the provision was $26 million (2005—$83 million), which includes $20 million (2005—$75 million) related to the Papers segment and $6 million (2005—$8 million) related to the Wood segment.

Estimates of cash flows and fair value relating to closures and restructurings require judgment. Closure and restructuring costs are based on management’s best estimates of future events at December 31, 2006. Closure costs and restructuring estimates are dependent on future events. Although Domtar does not anticipate significant changes, the actual costs may differ from these

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

estimates due to subsequent developments such as the results of environmental studies, the ability to find a buyer for assets set to be dismantled and demolished and other business developments. As such, additional costs and further working capital and property, plant and equipment write-downs may be required in future periods.

The following table provides a reconciliation of all closure and restructuring costs:

 

       2006     2005     2004  
     Papers     Wood    Total     Papers     Wood    Total     Papers     Wood    Total  
      
                $                $                $  
   

Labor costs

   18     1    19     60     4    64     41     3    44  

Write-down of certain inventory items

   10        10     12     1    13             

Write-down of property, plant and equipment

              201     23    224         11    11  

Other closure related costs

   9        9     17     2    19     1        1  

Reversal of provision

   (3 )      (3 )   (3 )      (3 )   (7 )      (7 )
      

Closure and restructuring costs

   34     1    35     287     30    317     35     14    49  
   

Further costs related to the plans expected to be incurred over 2007 and thereafter are not significant.

The following table provides a reconciliation of all closure and restructuring cost provisions:

 

       2006     2005  
      
     $     $  
   

Balance at beginning of year from continuing operations

   83     36  

Severance payments

   (45 )   (27 )

Reclass to pension plans

   (15 )    

Reversal of provision

   (3 )   (1 )

Other

       1  

Additions

    

Labor costs

   5     64  

Environmental costs

       10  

Other

   1      
      

Balance at end of year from continuing operations

   26     83  

Discontinued operations

   1     16  
      

Balance at end of year

   27     99  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 6. Financing expenses

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Interest on long-term debt

   150     148     149  

Exchange gains on long-term debt

       (4 )    

Receivables securitization

   14     8     6  

Net interest recoveries related to interest rate swap contracts

           (2 )

Refinancing expenses(a)

       7      

Amortization of deferred net gain on early settlements of interest rate swap contracts

   (12 )   (14 )   (14 )

Amortization of debt issue costs and other

   2     2     6  
      
   154     147     145  

Less: Income from short-term investments

   3     2     1  

Capitalized interest

   1     1     3  
      
   150     144     141  
      

Cash payments (cash receipts)

      

Interest, net of interest income and amounts capitalized

   145     137     147  

Net cash receipts related to interest rate swap contracts

           (20 )
      
   145     137     127  
   

 

(a)   In 2005, the Corporation recorded $7 million for a call premium paid to redeem the 8.75% notes.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 7. Income taxes

The following table provides a reconciliation of income taxes computed at the Canadian statutory rate to income tax recovery presented on the Consolidated earnings:

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Combined basic Canadian federal and provincial tax rate (statutory income tax rate)

   33.9%     33.6%     33.7%  

Income tax expense (recovery) based on statutory income tax rate

   29     (166 )   (40 )

Large corporation tax

       4     6  

Canadian manufacturing and processing activities

   2     4      

Foreign rate differential

   (7 )   (19 )   (22 )

Reassessment of prior years by tax authorities

   (10 )   (10 )   (4 )

Impact of increase (decrease) in income tax rate on future income taxes

   (2 )   8      

Permanent difference on foreign exchange losses (gains)

   15         (1 )

Other

   (3 )   (4 )   6  
      

Income tax expense (recovery)

   24     (183 )   (55 )
      

Income tax expense (recovery)

      

Current

   (1 )   10     13  

Future

   25     (193 )   (68 )
      
   24     (183 )   (55 )
   

Net cash receipts for income taxes in 2006 amounted to $12 million (2005—net payments amounted to $6 million; 2004—net payments amounted to $9 million).

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table provides the geographic distribution of the income tax expense (recovery):

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Earnings (loss) before income taxes

      

Canada

   (133 )   (549 )   (231 )

Foreign

   220     56     113  
      
   87     (493 )   (118 )
      

Current income taxes

      

Canada

   (8 )   3     2  

Foreign

   7     7     11  
      
   (1 )   10     13  
      

Future income taxes

      

Canada

   (33 )   (174 )   (57 )

Foreign

   58     (19 )   (11 )
      
   25     (193 )   (68 )
   

 

       2006     2005  
      
     $     $  
   

Components of future income tax assets and liabilities

    

Future income tax assets

    

Accounting provisions not deductible for tax purposes

   68     66  

Losses and other deductions carryforward

   441     533  

Deferred credits

   11     33  
      
   520     632  
      

Future income tax liabilities

    

Property, plant and equipment

   (673 )   (786 )

Pension and other employee future benefit plans

   (33 )   (22 )

Impact of foreign exchange on long-term debt

   (51 )   (60 )

Other

   (1 )   (6 )
      
   (758 )   (874 )
      

Total net future income tax liability

   (238 )   (242 )
      

Net current future income tax asset

   45     38  

Net non-current future income tax asset

   2     18  

Net current future income tax liability

       (6 )

Net non-current future income tax liability

   (285 )   (292 )
      
   (238 )   (242 )
   

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar had federal net operating losses carryforward of $1,158 million. These federal net operating losses carryforward are set to expire between 2010 and 2025.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 8. Earnings (loss) per share

The basic net earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net earnings (loss) applicable to common shares by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year.

The diluted net earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net earnings (loss) applicable to common shares by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year, plus the effects of dilutive common share equivalents such as options and share purchase loans. The diluted net earnings (loss) per share is calculated using the treasury method, as if all common share equivalents had been exercised at the beginning of the year, or the date of the issuance, as the case may be, and that the funds obtained thereby were used to purchase common shares of Domtar at the average trading price of the common shares during the year. Stock options to purchase common shares are not included in the computation of diluted net earnings (loss) per share in years when net losses are recorded given that they are anti-dilutive.

The following table provides the reconciliation between basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share:

 

       2006    2005     2004  
      
     $    $     $  
   

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

   63    (310 )   (63 )

Dividend requirements of preferred shares

   1    1     1  
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations applicable to common shares

   62    (311 )   (64 )

Net earnings (loss)

   328    (388 )   (42 )

Dividend requirements of preferred shares

   1    1     1  
      

Net earnings (loss) applicable to common shares

   327    (389 )   (43 )

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (millions)

   230.5    229.7     228.7  

Effect of dilutive securities (millions)

   0.1         
      

Weighted average number of diluted common shares outstanding (millions)

   230.6    229.7     228.7  
      

Basic earnings (loss) from continuing operations per share (in dollars)

   0.27    (1.36 )   (0.28 )

Diluted earnings (loss) from continuing operations per share (in dollars)

   0.27    (1.36 )   (0.28 )

Basic net earnings (loss) per share (in dollars)

   1.42    (1.69 )   (0.19 )

Diluted net earnings (loss) per share (in dollars)

   1.42    (1.69 )   (0.19 )
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table provides the securities that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share in the future but that were not included in the computation of diluted earnings (loss) per share because to do so would have been anti-dilutive for the years presented:

 

       2006    2005    2004
 

Number of shares:

        

Options

   4,023,607    4,833,126    5,306,553

Bonus shares

   80,000    136,675    226,693

Rights

   84,500    84,500    84,500
 

Note 9. Receivables

 

       2006     2005  
      
     $     $  
   

Trade receivables

   5     139  

Subordinate interest in securitized receivables

   285     108  

Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts

   (13 )   (14 )
      
   277     233  

Silvicultural credits receivable

   5     6  

Sales taxes receivable

   9     14  

Other receivables

   14     41  
      

Receivables

   305     294  
   

Receivables securitization

Domtar uses securitization of its receivables as a source of financing by reducing its working capital requirements. Domtar’s securitizations consist of the sale of receivables, or the sale of senior beneficial interest in them, to special purpose trusts managed by financial institutions for multiple sellers of receivables. The agreements normally allow the daily sale of new receivables to replace those that have been collected. They also limit the cash that can be received from the sale of the senior beneficial interest. Such sales of receivables are contingent upon annual renewals and retaining specified credit ratings. The subordinate interest retained by Domtar is included in “Receivables” and will be collected only after the senior beneficial interest has been settled. The book value of the retained subordinated interests approximates fair value.

Domtar retains responsibility for servicing the receivables sold but does not record a servicing asset or liability as the fees received by Domtar for this service approximate the fair value of the services rendered.

In 2006, a net charge of $14 million (2005—$8 million; 2004—$6 million) resulted from the programs described below and was included in “Financing expenses.”

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

U.S. and Canadian accounts receivable program

In January 2002, Domtar entered into an agreement, which was renewed in December 2004 and was scheduled to mature in December 2005 for the securitization of U.S. receivables. The agreement has been extended by the administrator of the program until the new settlement. In February 2006, Domtar entered into a three-year agreement, including both U.S. and Canadian receivables. The maximum cash consideration that can be received from the sale of receivables under this combined agreement is $221 million (US$190 million).

At December 31, the following balances were outstanding under this program:

 

       2006     2005  
            
     $     US$     $     US$  
   

Securitized receivables

   308     265     271     232  

Senior beneficial interest held by third parties

   (23 )   (20 )   (163 )   (140 )
      

Subordinate interest in securitized receivables retained by Domtar

   285     245     108     92  
   

In 2006, the net cash outflow from the sale of senior beneficial interests in the U.S. and Canadian receivables was $140 million (US$120 million) (2005—cash outflow from the sale of U.S. receivables of $9 million (US$8 million); 2004—cash inflow from the sale of U.S. receivables of $17 million (US$14 million)) and was included in the Consolidated cash flows as a use or source of cash from receivables.

Canadian accounts receivable program

In December 2000, Domtar entered into an agreement, which was renewed in December 2003, for the securitization of Canadian receivables for a maximum cash consideration of $75 million. On December 15, 2005, the parties agreed not to renew the agreement, which expired in December 2005. Since February 2006, Canadian receivables are sold in the new combined program mentioned above.

In 2006, the net cash inflow from the sale of senior beneficial interests in the Canadian receivables was nil (2005—cash outflow of $58 million; 2004—cash inflow of $5 million) and was included in the Consolidated cash flows as a use or source of cash from receivables.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 10. Inventories

 

       2006    2005
    
     $    $
     

Work in process and finished goods

   342    376

Raw materials

   107    182

Operating and maintenance supplies

   126    157
    
   575    715
 

Note 11. Property, plant and equipment

 

       2006    2005
    
     Cost    Accumulated
Amortization
   Net
Carrying
Amount
   Cost    Accumulated
Amortization
   Net
Carrying
Amount
 
     $    $    $    $    $    $

Machinery and equipment

   4,540    2,090    2,450    5,604    2,683    2,921

Buildings

   780    424    356    979    504    475

Timber limits and land

   189    32    157    209    30    179

Assets under construction

   81       81    59       59
    
   5,590    2,546    3,044    6,851    3,217    3,634
 

As at December 31, 2006, a net carrying amount of $7 million (2005—$7 million) included in Buildings is held under capital leases ($9 million for cost (2005—$9 million) and $2 million for accumulated amortization (2005—$2 million)) and a net carrying amount of $4 million (2005—$4 million) included in Timber limits and land is held under capital leases.

As at December 31, 2006, the net carrying amount of idled and permanently closed facilities amounted to $37 million (2005—$5 million).

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 12. Other assets

 

       2006    2005
    
     $    $
 

Accrued benefit asset—defined benefit pension plans (Note 21)

   213    204

Investment tax credits receivable

   29    33

Unamortized debt issue costs

   17    23

Future income tax assets

   2    18

Investments and advances

   5    12

Discount on long-term debt

   9    10

Other

      9
    
   275    309
 

Note 13. Trade and other payables

 

       2006    2005
    
     $    $
 

Trade payables

   286    335

Payroll-related accruals

   116    119

Accrued interest

   39    40

Payables on capital projects

   9    8

Rebates accruals

   27    15

Accrued benefit liability—defined benefit pension plans (Note 21)

   2    2

Accrued benefit liability—other employee future benefit plans (Note 21)

   4    6

Provision for environment and other asset retirement obligations (Note 15)

   14    21

Closure and restructuring costs excluding costs for defined benefit pension plans and site remediation (Note 5)

   15    75

Other

   21    30
    
   533    651
 

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 14. Long-term debt

 

       Maturity    2006    2005
    
          $    $
 

The Corporation

        

Unsecured debentures and notes

        

10% Debentures

   2011    82    82

7.875% Notes (2006 and 2005—US$600)

   2011    699    700

5.375% Notes (2006 and 2005—US$350)

   2013    408    408

7.125% Notes (2006 and 2005—US$400)

   2015    466    466

9.5% Debentures (2006 and 2005—US$125)

   2016    146    146

10.85% Debentures

   2017    75    75

Unsecured revolving credit facility

   2010       160

Capital lease obligations

   2028    11    11

Other

      4    5
       
      1,891    2,053
 

Norampac

        

Unsecured notes

        

6.75% Notes (2006—nil and 2005—US$125)

   2013       146

Secured revolving credit facility

        

(2006—nil; 2005—CAN$49 and 7)

   2008       58

Other

         2
       
         206
       
      1,891    2,259

Less: Due within one year

      2    2
       
      1,889    2,257
 

As at December 31, 2006, principal long-term debt repayments, including capital lease obligations, in each of the next five years amounted to:

 

2007   2008   2009   2010   2011
 
$   $   $   $   $

2

    3     781
 

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The corporation

Unsecured debentures and notes

On August 5, 2005, the Corporation issued $487 million (US$400 million) 7.125% notes due in 2015 at an issue price of $482 million (US$396 million). The gross proceeds from the sale of the notes was used to redeem the 8.75% notes due in August 2006 for an amount of approximately $176 million (US$150 million) and to repay most of the unsecured revolving credit facility then outstanding. Issuance expenses for the new notes of $5 million (US$4 million) were deferred and will be amortized over the duration of the notes.

The 10% and 10.85% debentures each have purchase fund requirements, whereby the Corporation undertakes to make all reasonable efforts to purchase quarterly, for cancellation, a portion of the aggregate principal amount of the debentures at prices not exceeding par.

Bank facility

The Corporation has an unsecured revolving credit facility of US$600 million that expires in 2010.

Borrowings under this unsecured revolving credit facility bear interest at a rate based on the Canadian dollar bankers’ acceptance or U.S. dollar LIBOR rate or on the Canadian or U.S. prime rate, each with an added spread that varies with Domtar’s credit rating. This credit facility also requires commitment fees that vary with Domtar’s credit rating.

As at December 31, 2006, there were no borrowings (2005—$175 million, of which $15 million was in the form of overdraft and included in “Bank indebtedness,” and $160 million was included in “Long-term debt”) under the unsecured revolving credit facility that was outstanding. In addition, as at December 31, 2006, the Corporation had outstanding letters of credit pursuant to this bank credit for an amount of $18 million (2005—$21 million). The Corporation also has other outstanding letters of credit for an amount of $3 million (2005—$5 million). A provision of $4 million (2005—$4 million) was recorded related to letters of credits.

In 2006, the interest rates on outstanding borrowings under the bank facilities ranged from 5.00% to 6.50% (2005—from 3.21% to 7.25%).

The Corporation’s borrowing agreements contain restrictive covenants. In particular, the Corporation’s bank facility requires compliance with certain financial ratios on a quarterly basis.

Certain debt agreements require the Corporation to indemnify the parties in the event of changes in elements such as withholding tax regulations. As the nature and scope of such indemnifications are contingent on future events, none of which can be foreseen as at December 31, 2006, and the structure of such transactions makes these events unlikely, no provisions have been recorded in the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Norampac

In December 2006, the Corporation sold its investment of Norampac Inc. The information below is for comparative purposes relating to 2005.

Norampac’s debt is non-recourse to the Corporation. The following amounts represent the Corporation’s proportionate share.

Unsecured notes

The 6.75% unsecured notes issued in 2003 are redeemable in whole or in part at Norampac’s option under certain conditions and subject to payment of a redemption premium.

Bank facility

Norampac has a five-year secured revolving credit facility of $175 million maturing in 2008. The revolving credit facility is secured by all the inventories and receivables of Norampac Inc. and its North American subsidiaries and by property, plant and equipment at two of its containerboard mills and three of its converting facilities. Also, this facility requires compliance with certain covenants. As at December 31, 2005, the Corporation’s proportionate share of assets secured under this revolving credit facility relating to receivables, inventories and property, plant and equipment amounted to $98 million, $69 million and $223 million, respectively. Borrowings under this credit facility bear interest at floating rates plus a borrowing margin based on Norampac’s credit rating. Standby fees are payable on Norampac’s available unused credit lines at an annual rate that varies according to Norampac’s credit rating.

As at December 31, 2005, $58 million of borrowings under the secured revolving credit facility were outstanding. In addition, as at December 31, 2005, Norampac had outstanding letters of credit pursuant to this bank credit for an amount of $4 million. No provision was recorded related to outstanding letters of credits.

In 2005, the interest rates on outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility ranged from 3.44% to 5.56%.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 15. Other liabilities and deferred credits

 

       2006    2005
     $    $
 

Other liabilities

     

Accrued benefit liability—other employee future benefit plans (Note 21)

   68    94

Accrued benefit liability—defined benefit pension plans (Note 21)

   26    30

Provision for environment and other asset retirement obligations

   40    42

Other

   27    45

Deferred credits

     

Deferred gain on contribution of net assets to Norampac

      34

Deferred net gain on early settlements of interest rate swap contracts

   12    24

Deferred foreign exchange gain on translation of long-term debt(a)

   41    48

Investment tax credits and other

   9    14
    
   223    331
 

 

(a)

 

In 2006, $7 million of the gain was recognized to earnings and the remaining $41 million will be recognized to earnings in 2016.

Asset retirement obligations

The asset retirement obligations are principally linked to landfill capping obligations, asbestos removal obligations and demolition of certain abandoned buildings. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar has estimated the net present value of its asset retirement obligations to be $21 million (2005—$23 million); the present value was based on probability weighted undiscounted cash outflow of $50 million (2005—$41 million). The majority of asset retirement obligations are estimated to be settled prior to December 31, 2025. However, some settlement scenarios call for obligations to be settled as late as December 31, 2046. Domtar’s credit adjusted risk-free rates were used to calculate the net present value of the asset retirement obligations. The rates used vary between 4.50% and 9.40%, based on the prevailing rate at the moment of recognition of the liability and on its settlement period.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table reconciles Domtar’s asset retirement obligations:

 

       2006     2005  
     $     $  
   
    

Asset retirement obligations, beginning of year

   23     25  

Liabilities incurred during the year

       2  

Revisions to estimated cash flows

   (1 )   (1 )

Revisions to estimated cash flows related to restructurings (Note 5)

   (1 )   (3 )

Discontinued operations (Note 4)

   (1 )    

Accretion expense

   1     1  

Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change

       (1 )
      

Asset retirement obligations, end of year

   21     23  
   

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 16. Commitments and contingencies

Environment

Domtar is subject to environmental laws and regulations enacted by federal, provincial, state and local authorities.

In 2006, Domtar’s operating expenditures for environmental matters, as described in Note 1, amounted to $60 million (2005—$68 million; 2004—$69 million).

Domtar made capital expenditures for environmental matters of $9 million in 2006 (2005—$17 million; 2004—$22 million) for the improvement of air emissions, effluent treatment and remedial actions to address environmental compliance. At this time, Domtar cannot reasonably estimate the additional capital expenditures that may be required. However, management expects any additional required expenditure would not have a material adverse effect on Domtar’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

Domtar continues to take remedial action under its Care and Control Program at a number of former operating sites, especially in the wood preserving sector, due to possible soil, sediment or groundwater contamination. The investigation and remediation process is lengthy and subject to the uncertainties of changes in legal requirements, technological developments and the allocation of liability among potentially responsible parties.

While Domtar believes that it has determined the costs for environmental matters likely to be incurred based on known information, Domtar’s ongoing efforts to identify potential environmental concerns that may be associated with its properties may lead to future environmental investigations. These efforts may result in the determination of additional environmental costs and liabilities, which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

As at December 31, 2006, Domtar had a provision of $54 million (2005—$63 million) for environmental matters and other asset retirement obligations. Additional costs, not known or identifiable, could be incurred for remediation efforts. Based on policies and procedures in place to monitor environmental exposure, management believes that such additional remediation costs would not have a material adverse effect on Domtar’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

In addition, the pulp and paper industry in the United States is subject to the Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) Rules that further regulate effluent and air emissions. Domtar complies with all present regulations and anticipates spending approximately $4 million over the next year to meet such requirements.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

As at December 31, 2006, anticipated undiscounted payments in each of the next five years were as follows:

 

       2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    Thereafter    Total
     $    $    $    $    $    $    $
 

Environmental provision and other asset retirement obligations

   12    10    7    3    6    16    54

Boiler MACT Rules

   4                   4
 

Contingencies

In the normal course of operations, Domtar becomes involved in various legal actions mostly related to contract disputes, patent infringements, environmental and product warranty claims, and labour issues. While the final outcome with respect to actions outstanding or pending as at December 31, 2006, cannot be predicted with certainty, it is management’s opinion that their resolution will not have a material adverse effect on Domtar’s financial position, earnings or cash flows.

E.B. Eddy acquisition

On July 31, 1998, the Corporation acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc. (E.B. Eddy), an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of the Corporation in specified circumstances, the Corporation may have had to pay up to a maximum of $120 million, an amount which is gradually declining over a 25-year period. As at December 31, 2006, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was $110 million. No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

Lease and other commercial commitments

The Corporation has entered into operating leases for property, plant and equipment. The Corporation also has commitments to purchase property, plant and equipment, roundwood, wood chips, gas, electricity and certain chemicals. Minimum future payments under these operating leases and other commercial commitments, determined as at December 31, 2006, were as follows:

 

       2007    2008    2009    2010    2011    Thereafter    Total
     $    $    $    $    $    $    $
 

Operating leases

   20    17    13    11    9    17    87

Other commercial commitments

   85    34    25    9    7    6    166
 

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Total operating lease expense amounted to $28 million in 2006 (2005—$35 million; 2004—$38 million).

Guarantees

Indemnifications

In the normal course of business, the Corporation offers indemnifications relating to the sale of its businesses and real estate. In general, these indemnifications may relate to claims from past business operations, the failure to abide by covenants and the breach of representations and warranties included in the sales agreements. Typically, such representations and warranties relate to taxation, environmental, product and employee matters. The terms of these indemnification agreements are generally for an unlimited period of time. As at December 31, 2006, the Corporation is unable to estimate the potential maximum liabilities for these types of indemnification guarantees as the amounts are contingent upon the outcome of future events, the nature and likelihood of which cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. Accordingly, no provisions have been recorded. These indemnifications have not yielded significant expenses in the past.

Note 17. Stated capital and stock based compensation

Preferred shares

The outstanding preferred shares at December 31, were as follows:

 

       2006    2005
         
     Number of
shares
   $    Number
of shares
   $
 

Preferred shares

           

Series A

   67,476    1    68,176    2

Series B

   1,230,000    31    1,350,000    34
    
      32       36
 

The authorized preferred shares consist of preferred shares issuable in an unlimited number of series, ranking equal with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets.

The Series A Preferred shares are non-voting and redeemable at the Corporation’s option at $25.00 per share since April 1, 1994. These shares carry a cumulative cash dividend per share of $2.25 per annum.

The Series B Preferred shares are non-voting and redeemable at the Corporation’s option at $25.00 per share. These shares carry a cumulative cash dividend equivalent to 72% of the bank prime rate.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The Corporation has undertaken to make all reasonable efforts to purchase quarterly, for cancellation, 1% of the number of Series A and Series B Preferred shares outstanding on April 2, 1992, at prices not exceeding $25.00 per share. In connection therewith, preferred shares purchased for cancellation were as follows:

 

       2006    2005    2004
              
     Number
of shares
   Average price
per share
   Number
of
shares
   Average price
per share
   Number
of
shares
   Average price
per share
          $         $         $
 

Series A

   700    25.05    1,400    25.00      

Series B

   120,000    20.91    120,000    22.57    120,000    24.68
 

Common shares

The Corporation is authorized to issue an unlimited number of common shares. In 2006, no cash dividend has been declared on these shares (2005—$0.18 per share; 2004—$0.24 per share). The changes in the number of outstanding common shares and their aggregate stated value from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2006, were as follows:

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     Number of
shares
    $     Number of
shares
    $     Number of
shares
    $  
   

Balance at beginning of year

   230,967,490     1,795     230,237,356     1,788     228,860,806     1,768  

Shares issued

            

Stock option and share purchase plans

   609,212     5     730,134     7     1,376,550     20  
      

Balance before share purchase financing agreements

   231,576,702     1,800     230,967,490     1,795     230,237,356     1,788  

Share purchase financing agreements

   (828,755 )   (12 )   (845,770 )   (12 )   (947,105 )   (13 )
      

Balance at end of year

   230,747,947     1,788     230,121,720     1,783     229,290,251     1,775  
      

Book value per common share at end of year

     8.27       6.84       8.75  
   

Book value per common share is the sum of the stated value of common shares, contributed surplus, retained earnings and accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments divided by the number of common shares outstanding at year-end.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

As at December 31, 2006, the Corporation had a receivable from its employees of $12 million (2005—$12 million; 2004—$13 million) related to share purchase loans granted to them. These shares are held in trust as security for the loans that are interest bearing at the dividend rate and with defined repayment terms not exceeding 10 years. At the end of the year, there were 828,755 shares (2005—845,770 shares; 2004—947,105 shares) held in trust in respect to employee loans for which the market value was $9.85 (2005—$6.71; 2004—$14.50) per share. These loans were included as a reduction of “Common shares.”

Restricted stock plan

The Restricted Stock Plan (RSP), was introduced in 2005. Under the RSP, Domtar’s common shares may be granted to executive and other key employees. The Corporation or a trustee selected by the Corporation in its discretion will acquire, on the secondary market, the number of common shares granted. The common shares granted pursuant to the RSP shall be held in trust for the benefit of the participant with a trust company for a period which may not exceed three years from the date of each grant. At the end of the restricted period, and provided that the participant has remained in continuous employment with the Corporation since the date of grant, the participant will be entitled to receive a share certificate representing 1) the number of shares of the initial grant, and 2) the additional shares accumulated in the participant’s account by reinvestment of dividends, if any. During the restricted period, no participant shall be entitled to exercise voting rights or any other rights attaching to the ownership of the shares, nor shall any participant be considered the beneficial owner of any shares until they become fully vested upon termination of the applicable restricted period.

During 2006, 341,765 common shares were acquired and are held in trust pursuant to the RSP (2005—394,080). The total expense recognized in Domtar’s results of operations related to these common shares amounted to $2 million in 2006 (2005—$1 million).

Executive stock option and share purchase plan

Under the Executive Stock Option and Share Purchase Plan (Plan), options may be granted to selected eligible employees. Options are granted at a price equal to the market value on the day immediately preceding the date the options were granted and generally expire 10 years after the date of the grant. Normally, one quarter of the options may be exercised at each anniversary date of the grant. In 2005, the rights feature of the Plan was eliminated. Previously granted rights were not affected by this measure. The actual granted rights permit eligible employees to purchase shares at 90% of the quoted market value on the day immediately preceding the date the rights were granted, and provide for a one-for-four bonus share to be issued on the third anniversary date of the grant of the rights.

In 2005, a new feature was introduced to the Plan for all grants starting with 2005 going-forward. Options granted before 2005 are not affected by this new feature. Pursuant to this new

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

feature, the granted stock options will vest in four increments of 25% on each anniversary date of the grant. When vested, the relevant annual portion will be available for exercise provided the price of Domtar’s common shares on the exercise date has increased by at least 20% over the grant price. Upon exercise, 60% of the difference between the fair market value of Domtar’s common shares at the time of exercise and the grant price must be converted in common share of Domtar which must be held by the participant for at least 12 months after the date of exercise. Any annual portion that has not been exercised on or before the expiry date of the option will automatically lapse on such expiry date. The option has been granted for a period of six years, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

In 2003, a new performance feature was introduced to the Plan for all grants starting with 2003 going-forward. Options granted before 2003 are not affected by this new feature. Pursuant to this new feature, the granted stock options will vest in four increments of 25% on each anniversary date of the grant, provided the performance of Domtar’s common share price is equal to or exceeds the average performance of an index composed of the S&P 500 Materials (U.S.) index (50%) and the S&P/TSX Materials (Canada) index (50%). On each anniversary date of the grant, the average closing price of Domtar’s common shares, during the 20 consecutive trading days on the Toronto Stock Exchange immediately preceding each anniversary date of the grant, is used to measure the performance of Domtar’s common share price and is compared to the average performance of the index during the same reference period. The relevant annual portion only vests on a given anniversary date if the performance of Domtar’s common share price equals or exceeds the average index during the relevant reference period. Should this not be the case, the annual portion will not vest but may vest on any following anniversary date if the foregoing test, applied on a cumulative basis, is satisfied on a subsequent anniversary date over the vesting period of four years. Any annual portion which has not vested on or before the end of the vesting period of the option will automatically lapse on the expiry date. The new performance options have a term of 10 years and will expire in February 2013.

In June 2001, 1,050,000 stock options were granted to members of the Management Committee. Pursuant to this grant, and except in certain specified circumstances, there was no prorata or early vesting prior to January 1, 2004, at which time the options became fully vested if the holder of the options was still an employee of Domtar. After vesting, the options may not be exercised unless both of the following two conditions have been met: 1) at any time between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2003, the weighted average trading price of the Domtar’s common shares during 20 consecutive trading days on the Toronto Stock Exchange has reached or exceeded $16.70, $18.51 or $20.32, whereupon 25%, 50% or 100%, respectively, of the options granted become exercisable; and 2) the appreciation in the market value of the Domtar’s common shares between January 1, 2001 and the exercise date is equal to or exceeds the increase in the Standard & Poor’s U.S. Paper & Forest Products index during the same period. As at December 31, 2006, only 14% of the options are exercisable, provided the above-mentioned conditions are met, and the remaining 86% have been cancelled, as the objectives of the program have not been attained.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The fair value of options granted during the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004 was estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:

 

       2006    2005    2004
 

Risk-free interest rate

   4.0%    4.0%    4.2%

Annual dividends per shares (in dollars)

      $    0.24    $    0.24

Expected lives (years)

   6    6    6

Volatility

   34.3%    30.6%    33.4%

Estimated realization percentage-performance options

   84.5%    61.4%    69.8%

Weighted average fair value of options granted during the year
(in dollars per option)

   $    5.24    $    2.95    $    3.68
 

Changes in the number of options outstanding were as follows:

 

       2006    2005    2004
    
     Number of
options
    Weighted
average
exercise
price
   Number of
options
    Weighted
average
exercise
price
   Number of
options
    Weighted
average
exercise
price
           $          $          $
 

Outstanding at beginning of year

   4,833,126     14.38    5,306,553     14.83    5,688,264     14.22

Granted

   528,250     6.23    495,250     11.44    1,266,000     15.53

Exercised

          (21,847 )   11.12    (540,270 )   11.57

Cancelled

   (515,218 )   14.45    (946,830 )   15.44    (1,107,441 )   14.08

Expired

   (321,301 )   11.67              
    

Outstanding at end of year

   4,524,857     13.62    4,833,126     14.38    5,306,553     14.83
    

Options exercisable at end of year

   2,171,257     14.27    2,424,793     13.77    2,287,587     13.79
 

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table summarizes the information about options outstanding and exercisable as at December 31, 2006:

 

       Options outstanding    Options exercisable
Range of exercise prices    Number of
options
   Weighted
average
remaining
contractual
life
   Weighted
average
exercise
price
   Number of
options
   Weighted
average
exercise
price
 
               $         $

$6.23 - $9.18

   512,250    5.1    6.29    11,000    9.18

$9.19 - $13.26

   1,306,382    3.1    11.60    925,882    11.66

$13.27 - $16.52

   2,706,225    5.6    15.98    1,234,375    16.27
    
   4,524,857    4.8    13.62    2,171,257    14.27
 

During the year, no shares (2005—nil; 2004—353,900) were issued pursuant to the exercise of rights and 61,425 bonus shares (2005 — 70,393; 2004—52,730) were issued. The total expense recognized in Domtar’s results of operations related to these rights and bonus shares amounted to $3 million in 2006 (2005—$4 million; 2004—$2 million). As at December 31, 2006, 80,000 bonus shares could be issued over the next year.

As at December 31, 2006, 16,000,000 common shares (2005—16,000,000; 2004—16,000,000) were authorized for issuance under the Plan. Since its inception, 6,119,260 shares have been issued under this plan. These common shares are issued from treasury.

During the year, under the Executive Stock Option and Share Purchase Plan and the Employee Share Purchase Plan, as described below, $3 million (2005—$5 million; 2004—$4 million) was included in “Contributed surplus” in conjunction with the recognition of stock-based compensation expense. The total compensation cost related to non-vested Executive Stock Option and Shares Purchase Plans not yet recognized is $2 million as at December 31, 2006. The weighted average period over which this cost is expected to be recognized is one year.

Deferred share unit plans

Outside directors

Under the Deferred Share Unit Plan for Outside Directors of the Corporation, deferred share units (DSUs), equivalent in value to a common share, may be granted to eligible directors. In addition, participants may elect to receive their annual retainer and attendance fees in DSUs. A participant shall receive, not later than the 31st of January following the end of the year during which the participant ceases to be a member of the Board of Directors, a lump sum payment in cash equal to the number of DSUs recorded in the participant’s account on the termination date multiplied by the termination date value of the common shares or, if the participant so elects, a number of common shares to be purchased on the open market equal to the number of DSUs

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

then recorded in the participant’s account less, in either case, any applicable withholding tax. A participant account shall be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional DSUs when normal cash dividends are paid on common shares. Upon payment in full of the DSUs, they shall be cancelled. The total expense (reversal) recognized in Domtar’s results of operations amounted to $1.9 million in 2006 (2005—$(0.3) million; 2004—$0.4 million). In 2006, 116,644 DSUs (2005—99,389; 2004—37,940) were issued and no DSUs (2005—nil; 2004—45,334) were redeemed. As at December 31, 2006, 346,166 DSUs (2005—229,523; 2004—130,134) were outstanding.

Executives

Under the Executive Deferred Share Unit Plan of the Corporation, DSUs may be granted to eligible executives. A participant shall receive, no later than the 31st of January following the end of the year during which occurred the participant’s date of retirement, death, determination of long-term disability or termination of employment at the end of a continuous period that started on or after January 1, 1999 and represents at least seven years of tenure as a member of the Management Committee, a lump sum payment in cash equal to the number of DSUs recorded in the participant’s account on one of these dates multiplied by the redemption value of the common shares or, if the participant so elects, a number of common shares to be purchased on the open market equal to the number of DSUs then recorded in the participant’s account less, in either case, any applicable withholding tax. A participant account shall be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional DSUs when normal cash dividends are paid on common shares. Upon payment in full of the DSUs, they shall be cancelled. In 2005, the Executive Deferred Share Unit Plan was eliminated. Previously granted DSUs are not affected by this change. The total expense (reversal) recognized in Domtar’s results of operation amounted to $0.2 million in 2006 (2005—$(0.5) million; 2004—$(0.6) million). As at December 31, 2006, 46,128 DSUs (2005—56,443; 2004—66,178) were outstanding under this plan.

Under the Executive Performance Share Unit Plan approved in December 2003, Performance Share Units (PSUs) may be granted to eligible executives and other key employees of Domtar or any of its affiliates. Each PSUs, subject to the vesting conditions (including certain conditions relating to the relative performance of the Domtar’s common shares) set out in each grant being fulfilled, gives a participant the right to receive one common share of Domtar or, at his option, the cash equivalent at the time of vesting. In the event a participant elects to receive common shares, Domtar will make arrangements for delivery of such shares through purchases on the open market then recorded in the participant’s account less, in either case, any applicable withholding tax. A participant account shall be credited with dividend equivalents in the form of additional PSUs when normal cash dividends are paid on common shares. The total expense recognized in Domtar’s results of operations amounted to $0.1 million in 2006 (2005—$0.1 million; 2004—$0.1 million), representing 551,497 (2005—740,812; 2004—725,989) units authorized and issued since the inception of the plan. In February 2007, 504,044 PSUs were cancelled.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Employee share purchase plans

Under the Employee Share Purchase Plans, all employees are eligible to purchase common shares at a price of 90% of the quoted market value. Common shares are purchased under the plans on monthly investment dates. Shares purchased under the Canadian plan are subject to a mandatory twelve-month holding period. Employees who hold the shares for 18 months following the date of acquisition (U.S. plan) or who hold the shares purchased in any calendar year until June 30 of the following year (Canadian plan) are entitled to receive additional common shares equivalent to 10% of the cost of such shares. As at December 31, 2006, 6,050,000 common shares (2005—6,050,000; 2004—6,050,000) were authorized for issuance under the plans. During the year, 547,787 common shares (2005—637,894; 2004—421,825) were issued under the plans at an average price of $7.12 (2005—$9.08; 2004—$15.77) per share. Since their inception, 5,687,049 shares have been issued under these plans.

Note 18. Financial instruments

Fair value of financial instruments

 

       2006    2005
     Fair
value
   Carrying
amount
   Fair
value
   Carrying
amount
         
     $    $    $    $
 

Long-term debt

   1,918    1,891    2,064    2,259
 

The fair value of the long-term debt, including the portion due within one year, is principally based on quoted market prices.

Due to their short-term maturity, the carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, bank indebtedness, trade and other payables and income and other taxes approximate their fair values.

Interest rate risk

Domtar is exposed to interest rate risk arising from fluctuations in interest rates on its cash and cash equivalents, its bank indebtedness, its bank credit facility and its long-term debt. Domtar may manage this interest rate exposure by the use of derivative instruments such as interest rate swap contracts.

In 2004, the Corporation terminated, prior to maturity, interest rate swap contracts for net cash proceeds of $20 million (US$15 million). The resulting gain of $17 million recorded under “Other liabilities and deferred credits” was deferred and is recognized against financing expenses over the period ending November 2013, the term of the underlying 5.375% notes.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

In 2002, the Corporation terminated, prior to maturity, interest rate swap contracts for net cash proceeds of $40 million (US$26 million). The net gain of $40 million recorded under “Other liabilities and deferred credits” was deferred and is recognized against financing expenses over the period of the interest rate payments ending October 2003 and October 2006, the original designated hedging period of the underlying 7.875% notes. In 2006, the net amount of $10 million (2005—$13 million) was recognized against “Financing expenses.”

Credit risk

Domtar is exposed to credit risk on the accounts receivable from its customers. In order to reduce this risk, Domtar reviews new customers’ credit histories before granting credit and conducts regular reviews of existing customers’ credit performance. As at December 31, 2006, one of Domtar’s paper segment customers located in the United States represented 5% ($16 million) (2005—4% ($18 million)) of the receivables, prior to the effect of the receivables securitization.

Domtar is also exposed to credit risk in the event of non-performance by counterparties to its financial instruments. Domtar minimizes this exposure by entering into contracts with counterparties that are believed to be of high credit quality. Collateral or other security to support financial instruments subject to credit risk is usually not obtained. The credit standing of counterparties is regularly monitored.

Foreign currency risk

In order to reduce the potential negative effects of a fluctuating Canadian dollar, Domtar has entered into various arrangements to stabilize anticipated future net cash inflows denominated in U.S. dollars. The following table provides the detail of the arrangements used as hedging instruments:

 

       2006    2005    2006    2005
    
     Average exchange rate    Contractual amounts
    
     (CAN$/US$)    (In millions of U.S. dollars)
 

Forward foreign exchange contracts

           

0 to 12 months

      1.24       295

Currency options purchased

           

0 to 12 months

   1.12       360   

Currency options sold

           

0 to 12 months

   1.19       360   
 

Forward foreign exchange contracts are contracts whereby Domtar has the obligation to sell U.S. dollars at a specific rate.

Currency options purchased are contracts whereby Domtar has the right, but not the obligation, to sell U.S. dollars at the strike rate if the U.S. dollar trades below that rate. Currency options sold are contracts whereby Domtar has the obligation to sell U.S. dollars at the strike rate if the U.S. dollar trades above that rate.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The fair value of derivative financial instruments generally reflects the estimated amounts that Domtar would receive or pay to settle the contracts at December 31, 2006 and 2005. As at these dates, the spot exchange rates were $1.17 and $1.17, respectively, and the fair value of the above derivative financial instruments used as hedging items was as follows:

 

       2006    2005
    
     $    $
 

Unrealized gains on forward foreign exchange contracts

      22
 

In addition, in 2006, the Corporation entered into forward foreign exchange swap contracts of US$490 million to manage the effects of a fluctuating Canadian dollar for a period ending January 2007. These contracts are not designated as hedging instruments and they are accounted for at their fair value. The fair value of these instruments as at December 31, 2006 represented an unrealized loss of $3 million included in “Selling, general and administration” expenses.

Price risk

In 2006, the Corporation entered into cash settled commodity swap agreements to manage price risk associated with purchases of bunker oil covering a period starting January 2007 and ending December 2007. These agreements fix the purchase price of bunker oil for 10,000 barrels per month. These agreements are in addition to the 2005 and 2004 contracts, which fix the purchase price of bunker oil for 20,000 and 7,000 barrels per month, respectively, ending December 2006. These contracts are designated as hedging instruments and hedge approximately 12% of estimated bunker oil purchases of 2007. The fair value of these instruments as at December 31, 2006 represented an unrealized loss of $1 million (2005—unrealized gain of $1 million).

During 2004, the Corporation entered into a cash settled commodity swap agreement to manage price risk associated with sales of NBSK pulp covering a period starting July 2004 and ending June 2007. The agreement fixes the sale price of NBSK pulp for 1,000 tonnes per month for 36 months. This agreement is in addition to the 2003 and 2002 contracts, which fix the sale price of NBSK pulp for 1,500 tonnes per month for 36 months and expired in April 2006 and October 2005, respectively. These contracts are not designated as hedging instruments and they are accounted for at their fair value. The fair value of these remaining instruments as at December 31, 2006, was negative $1 million (2005—negative $1 million).

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 19. Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Balance at beginning of year

   (205 )   (190 )   (145 )

Disposal of business (Note 4)

   4          

Effect of changes in exchange rates during the year:

      

On net investment in self-sustaining foreign subsidiaries

   (1 )   (69 )   (141 )

On certain long-term debt denominated in foreign currencies designated as a hedge of net investment in self-sustaining foreign subsidiaries

   1     65     117  

Future income taxes thereon

   (1 )   (11 )   (21 )
      

Balance at end of year

   (202 )   (205 )   (190 )
   

Note 20. Interests in joint ventures

The following amounts represent the Corporation’s proportionate interests in its joint ventures (Anthony-Domtar Inc. and Gogama Forest Products Inc.):

 

       2006    2005
    
     $    $
 

Assets

     

Current assets

   16    12

Long-term assets

   15    17

Norampac (Note 4)

      668

Liabilities

     

Current liabilities

   6    4

Long-term liabilities

   1    1

Norampac (Note 4)

      403
 

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Earnings

      

Sales

   29     10     14  

Operating expenses

   (26 )   (12 )   (15 )
      

Operating profit (loss)

   3     (2 )   (1 )

Financing expenses

   2     1     1  
      

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations

   1     (3 )   (2 )

Net earnings (loss) from Norampac, excluding gain on disposal (Note 4)

   37     (2 )   34  
      

Net earnings (loss)

   38     (5 )   32  
      

Cash flows

      

Cash flows provided from (used for) operating activities

   8     (4 )   (2 )

Cash flows used for investing activities

   (1 )       (11 )

Cash flows provided from (used for) financing activities

   (1 )   (1 )   9  

Cash flows provided from Norampac (Note 4)

       38     13  
   

Note 21. Pension plans and other employee future benefit plans

Defined contribution plans

Domtar contributes to several defined contribution, multi-employer and 401(k) plans. The pension expense under these plans is equal to Domtar’s contribution. The 2006 pension expense was $15 million (2005—$17 million; 2004—$17 million) ($4 million related to discontinued operations (2005—$4 million; 2004—$4 million)).

Defined benefit plans

Domtar has several defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all employees, including one closed plan for certain non-unionized employees in Canada. Non-unionized employees in Canada joining Domtar after June 1, 2000 participate in defined contribution plans. The defined benefit plans are generally contributory in Canada and non-contributory in the United States. The pension expense and the obligation related to the defined benefit plans are actuarially determined using management’s most probable assumptions.

In 2006, pursuant to the decision in November 2005 to close the Cornwall and Ottawa, Ontario paper mills, the Corporation has declared a partial wind-up of the non-unionized and unionized plans related to the Ontario participants in the plan.

Other employee future benefit plans

The post-retirement and post-employment plans are unfunded.

 

C-F-146


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Components of net periodic benefit cost

 

       Pension plans     Other employee
future benefit plans
 
     2006     2005     2004     2006     2005     2004  
            
     $     $     $     $     $     $  
   

Service cost for the year

   34     35     35     3     4     3  

Interest expense

   79     78     74     6     7     7  

Actual return on plan assets

   (118 )   (131 )   (104 )            

Recognized actuarial loss (gain)

   (31 )   164     34     (10 )   3     3  

Plan amendments

   12     44     3     (4 )   (5 )   1  

Curtailment and settlement loss (gain)
(Note 5)

   6     17     2     (5 )   (1 )   1  
      

Costs arising in the period

   (18 )   207     44     (10 )   8     15  

Difference between costs arising in the period and costs recognized in the period in respect of:

            

Return on plan assets

   38     47     23              

Actuarial loss (gain)

   55     (151 )   (22 )   11     (2 )   (1 )

Plan amendments

   (6 )   (39 )   (1 )   3     5     (1 )
      

Net periodic benefit cost

   69     64     44     4     11     13  
      

Net periodic benefit cost, related to:

            

Continuing operations

   64     62     40     2     10     10  

Discontinued operations (Note 4)

   5     2     4     2     1     3  
      

Net periodic benefit cost

   69     64     44     4     11     13  
   

Domtar’s funding policy is to contribute annually the amount required to provide for benefits earned in the year and to fund past service obligations over periods not exceeding those permitted by the applicable regulatory authorities. Past service obligations primarily arise from improvements to plan benefits.

The latest actuarial valuations were conducted as at:

 

 

March 31, 2006, for plans representing approximately 74% of the total plans asset fair value,

 

 

December 31, 2005, for plans representing approximately 20% of the total plans asset fair value,

 

 

January 1, 2006, for plans representing approximately 5% of the total plans asset fair value,

 

 

January 1, 2004, for plans representing approximately 1% of the total plans asset fair value.

These valuations indicated a funding deficiency. The next actuarial valuations will be completed between December 31, 2006 and January 1, 2009. Domtar expects to contribute a total amount of $88 million in 2007 compared to $86 million in 2006 (2005—$85 million; 2004—$80 million) to the pension plans. The contributions made in 2006 to the other employee future benefit plans amounted to $7 million (2005—$9 million; 2004—$8 million).

 

C-F-147


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Change in accrued benefit obligation

The following table represents the change in the accrued benefit obligation as determined by independent actuaries:

 

       Pension plans     Other employee
future benefit plans
 
     2006     2005     2006     2005  
      
     $     $     $     $  
   

Accrued benefit obligation at beginning of year

   1,582     1,323     125     121  

Service cost for the year

   29     35     3     4  

Interest expense

   70     78     4     7  

Plan participants' contributions

   8     13          

Actuarial loss (gain)

   (23 )   173     (3 )   9  

Plan amendments

   12     44     (4 )   (5 )

Benefits paid

   (71 )   (74 )   (7 )   (9 )

Disposal of business (Note 4)

   (171 )       (27 )    

Settlement

   (7 )   (4 )        

Curtailment

   (2 )   (3 )   (6 )   (6 )

Acquisitions

               5  

Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change

       (3 )       (1 )
      

Accrued benefit obligation at end of year

   1,427     1,582     85     125  
   

Change in fair value of assets

The following table represents the change in the fair value of assets reflecting the actual return on plan assets, the contributions and the benefits paid during the year:

 

       Pension plans     Other employee
future benefit plans
 
     2006     2005     2006     2005  
      
     $     $     $     $  
   

Fair value of assets at beginning of year

   1,300     1,151          

Actual return on plan assets

   103     131          

Employer contributions

   86     85     7     9  

Plan participants’ contributions

   8     13          

Benefits paid

   (71 )   (74 )   (7 )   (9 )

Disposal of business (Note 4)

   (159 )            

Settlement

   (7 )   (4 )        

Effect of foreign currency exchange rate change

       (2 )        
      

Fair value of assets at end of year

   1,260     1,300          
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Description of assets of the pension plans

The assets of the pension plans are held by a number of independent trustees and are accounted for separately in the Domtar pension funds. The investment strategy for the assets in the pension plans is to maintain a diversified portfolio of assets, invested in a prudent manner to maintain the security of funds while maximizing returns within the guidelines provided in the investment policy. The Corporation’s pension funds are not permitted to own any of the Corporation’s shares or debt instruments. The target asset allocation is based on the expected duration of the benefit obligation, which includes the impact of a partial wind-up related to the mill closures.

The following table shows the allocation of the plan assets, based on the fair value of the assets held at December 31, 2006 and 2005 and the target allocation for 2006:

 

       Target
allocation
   Percentage plan
assets as
at December 31
          2006    2005
 

Fixed income securities

   58% - 68%    63%    63%

Equity securities

   32% -42%    37%    37%
    

Total

      100%    100%
 

Domtar has indemnified and held harmless the trustees of Domtar pension funds, and the respective officers, directors, employees and agents of such trustees, from any and all costs and expenses arising out of the performance of their obligations under the relevant trust agreements, including in respect of their reliance on authorized instructions of Domtar or for failing to act in the absence of authorized instructions. These indemnifications survive the termination of such agreements. As at December 31, 2006, Domtar has not recorded a liability associated with these indemnifications, as Domtar does not expect to make any payments pertaining to these indemnifications.

Reconciliation of funded status to amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets

The following tables present the difference between the fair value of assets and the actuarially determined accrued benefit obligation as at December 31, 2006 and 2005. This difference is also referred to as either the deficit or surplus, as the case may be, or the funded status of the plans.

The tables further reconcile the amount of the surplus or deficit (funded status) to the net amount recognized in the Consolidated balance sheets. This difference between the funded status and the net amount recognized in the Consolidated balance sheets represents the portion of the surplus or deficit not yet recognized for accounting purposes. Deferred recognition is a guiding principle of these recommendations. This approach allows for a gradual recognition of

 

C-F-149


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

changes in accrued benefit obligations and plan performance over the expected average remaining service life of the employee group covered by the plans.

 

       Pension plans     Other employee
future benefit
plans
 
     2006     2005     2006     2005  
      
     $     $     $     $  
   

Accrued benefit obligation at end of year

   1,427     1,582     85     125  

Fair value of assets at end of year

   (1,260 )   (1,300 )        
      

Funded status

   (167 )   (282 )   (85 )   (125 )

Reconciliation of funded status to amounts recognized in the Consolidated balance sheets

        

Unrecognized experience losses (gains):

        

Deferred investment gains due to use of market-related value to determine net benefit cost

   (19 )   (31 )        

Unrecognized net actuarial loss(a)

   319     436     21     28  

Unrecognized past service costs

   52     49     (8 )   (3 )
      

Net amount recognized in the Consolidated balance sheets

   185     172     (72 )   (100 )
   
(a)   The amount to which these losses exceed the 10% corridor (representing 10% of the accrued benefit obligation) amounted to $176 million as at December 31, 2006 (2005—$288 million) for pension plans and $14 million as at December 31, 2006 (2005—$17 million) for other employee future benefit plans. Any such excess is amortized, commencing in the following year, over the expected average remaining service period of active employees expected to receive benefits under the plans.

 

       Pension plans     Other employee
future benefit
plans
 
     2006     2005     2006     2005  
      
     $     $     $     $  
   

Accrued benefit asset (Note 12)

   213     204          

Accrued benefit liability (Notes 13 and 15)

   (28 )   (32 )   (72 )   (100 )
      

Net amount recognized in the Consolidated balance sheets

   185     172     (72 )   (100 )
   

As at December 31, 2006, the accrued benefit obligation and the fair value of defined benefit plan assets with an accrued benefit obligation in excess of fair value plan assets were $1,197 million and $1,015 million, respectively (2005—$1,546 million and $1,263 million, respectively).

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Estimated future benefit payments from the plans

Estimated future benefit payments from the plans for the next 10 years as at December 31, 2006 were as follows:

 

       Pension plans    Other employee
future benefit
plans
    
     2006    2006
    
     $    $
 

2007

   70    5

2008(a)

   310    6

2009

   73    5

2010

   74    6

2011

   76    6

2012-2016

   426    27
    

Total estimated future benefit payments from the plans

   1,029    55
 

 

(a)   Includes estimated future benefit payments from the plans of $239 million related to the partial wind-up of the non-unionized and unionized plans related to the Ontario participants in the plan in 2006.

Weighted-average assumptions

Domtar used the following key assumptions to measure the accrued benefit obligation and the net periodic benefit cost. These assumptions are long-term, which is consistent with the nature of employee future benefits.

 

       Pension plans   

Other employee future
benefit

plans

    
     2006    2005    2004    2006    2005    2004
 

Accrued benefit obligation as at December 31:

                 

Discount rate

   5.2%    5.0%    5.8%    5.2%    5.0%    5.8%

Rate of compensation increase

   2.7%    2.7%    3.4%    2.9%    3.5%    3.5%

Net periodic benefit cost for years ended December 31:

                 

Discount rate

   5.1%    5.8%    6.1%    5.2%    5.8%    6.1%

Rate of compensation increase

   2.7%    3.4%    3.8%    3.3%    3.5%    3.5%

Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets

   6.2%    7.2%    7.7%    N/A    N/A    N/A
 

Effective January 1, 2007, Domtar will use 6.3% as the expected return on plan assets, which reflects the current view of long-term investment returns.

 

C-F-151


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The expected return on plan assets assumption is based on an analysis of the target asset allocation and expected return by asset class. This rate is adjusted for an equity risk premium and by 0.5% to take into consideration the active investment management of the plan assets.

For measurement purposes, 6.0% weighted-average annual rate of increase in the per capita cost of covered health care benefits was assumed for 2007. The rate was assumed to decrease gradually to 3.7% by 2012 and remain at that level thereafter. An increase or decrease of 1% of this rate would have the following impact:

 

       Increase
of 1%
   Decrease
of 1%
 
      
     $    $  
   

Impact on net periodic benefit cost for other employee future benefit plans

   1    (1 )

Impact on accrued benefit obligation

   6    (5 )
   

Note 22. Segmented disclosures

Domtar operates in the three reportable segments described below. Each reportable segment offers different products and services and requires different technology and marketing strategies. The following summary briefly describes the operations included in each of Domtar’s reportable segments:

 

 

Papers —represents the aggregation of the manufacturing and distribution of business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty papers, as well as pulp.

 

 

Paper Merchants —involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by Domtar and by other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products.

 

 

Wood —comprises the manufacturing and marketing of lumber and wood-based value-added products and the management of forest resources.

The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as described in Note 1. Domtar evaluates performance based on operating profit, which represents sales, reflecting transfer prices between segments at fair value, less allocable expenses before financing expenses and income taxes. Segment assets are those directly used in segment operations.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       

Segmented data

      
     2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Sales from continuing operations

      

Papers

   2,796     2,900     3,086  

Paper Merchants

   1,051     1,047     1,057  

Wood

   461     697     671  
      

Total for reportable segments

   4,308     4,644     4,814  

Intersegment sales—Papers

   (269 )   (273 )   (281 )

Intersegment sales—Wood

   (50 )   (124 )   (130 )
      

Consolidated sales from continuing operations

   3,989     4,247     4,403  
      

Amortization, write-down of property, plant and equipment and impairment loss from continuing operations

      

Papers(a)

   245     482     274  

Paper Merchants

   3     4     3  

Wood(a)

   36     68     59  
      

Consolidated amortization, write-down of property, plant and equipment and impairment loss from continuing operations

   284     554     336  
   

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

      

Papers(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)

   121     (329 )   17  

Paper Merchants(b)

   13     3     20  

Wood(a)(g)

   117     (33 )   (27 )
      

Total for reportable segments

   251     (359 )   10  

Corporate(c)

   (14 )   10     13  
      

Consolidated operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

   237     (349 )   23  
      

Segment assets

      

Papers

   3,304     3,423     3,826  

Paper Merchants

   148     146     125  

Wood

   408     476     510  
      

Total for reportable segments

   3,860     4,045     4,461  

Corporate

   1,071     430     418  

Discontinued operations (Note 4)

   24     717     802  
      

Consolidated assets

   4,955     5,192     5,681  
      

Additions to property, plant and equipment from continuing operations

      

Papers

   76     112     136  

Paper Merchants

   1     1     2  

Wood

   16     19     18  
      

Total for reportable segments

   93     132     156  

Corporate

   21     3     3  
      

Consolidated additions to property, plant and equipment

   114     135     159  

Add: Change in payables on capital projects

   (6 )   4     8  
      

Consolidated additions to property, plant and equipment per Consolidated cash flows from continuing operations

   108     139     167  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Geographic information               
     2006    2005    2004
    
     $    $    $
 

Sales from continuing operations (h)(i)

        

Canada

   719    702    733

United States

   3,053    3,369    3,470

Other foreign countries

   217    176    200
    
   3,989    4,247    4,403
    

Property, plant and equipment and goodwill

        

Canada

   1,385    1,886    2,324

United States

   1,665    1,822    1,953

Other foreign countries

      18    22
    
   3,050    3,726    4,299
 
(a)   Refer to Note 5 for amounts related to closure and restructuring costs.
(b)   The operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2005 reflects a $12.5 million charge relating to a legal settlement with regards to the sales of carbonless paper in Ontario and Quebec during a one-year period spanning part of 1999 and 2000.
(c)   The operating profit (loss) for the year ended December 31, 2006 includes a loss of $4 million (2005—gain of $5 million; 2004 —loss of $3 million) representing the loss on the marked to market of the pulp swap contracts.
(d)   The operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2006 includes the recognition of $15 million (2005—$4 million; 2004—$4 million) for investment tax credits related to research and development expenses of current and prior years, reflected as a reduction of the “Cost of sales.”
(e)   The operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2006 includes a gain on the sale of land in the amount of $10 million.
(f)   The operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2004 includes gains on sales of timberlands in the amount of $33 million.
(g)   The operating profit for the year ended December 31, 2006 includes antidumping and countervailing duties refund in the amount of $164 million.
(h)   Sales are attributed to countries based on the location of the external customers.
(i)   In 2006, export sales from Canada were $1,031 million (2005 – $1,444 million; 2004—$1,492 million).

Note 23. Reconciliation of canadian and united states generally accepted accounting principles

The Consolidated earnings and Consolidated balance sheets have been prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP, which differ in some respects from U.S. GAAP. The following are the significant differences in accounting principles as they pertain to the Consolidated earnings and the Consolidated balance sheets.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

(A) Net earnings adjustments

The following table provides a reconciliation of the net earnings (loss) from Canadian to U.S. GAAP:

 

       2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations in accordance with Canadian GAAP

   63     (310 )   (63 )

Adjustments with respect to the following items:

      

Pension plans cost(1)

   (7 )   (13 )   (1 )

Other employee future benefit plans cost(2)

   1     5     1  

Revenue stream hedge(3)

   (7 )       4  

Foreign currency hedging contracts(4)

           (12 )

Commodity hedging contracts(5)

           (2 )

Interest rate swap contracts(6)

   (10 )   (13 )   (13 )

Acquisition of E.B. Eddy(8)

   (21 )   (80 )   (6 )

Tax effect of the above adjustments

   12     12     9  
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations in accordance with U.S. GAAP

   31     (399 )   (83 )

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes(10)

   225     (103 )   7  
      

Net earnings (loss) in accordance with U.S. GAAP

   256     (502 )   (76 )

Dividend requirements of preferred shares

   1     1     1  
      

Net earnings (loss) applicable to common shares in accordance with U.S. GAAP

   255     (503 )   (77 )
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations per common share in accordance with U.S. GAAP (in dollars)

      

Basic

   0.13     (1.74 )   (0.37 )

Diluted

   0.13     (1.74 )   (0.37 )

Net earnings (loss) per common share in accordance with U.S. GAAP (in dollars)

      

Basic

   1.11     (2.19 )   (0.34 )

Diluted

   1.11     (2.19 )   (0.34 )
   

 

C-F-155


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

(B) Balance sheet adjustments

The following table presents the Consolidated balance sheets under Canadian and U.S. GAAP:

 

       2006     2005  
     $     $     $     $  
     Canadian
GAAP
    U.S.
GAAP
    Canadian
GAAP
    U.S.
GAAP
 
   

Assets

        

Current assets

        

Cash and cash equivalents

   649     642     83     68  

Receivables

   305     318     294     212  

Inventories

   575     570     715     641  

Prepaid expenses

   14     14     11     8  

Income and other taxes receivable

   18     18     16     15  

Future income taxes

   45     45     38     38  
      
   1,606     1,607     1,157     982  

Property, plant and equipment

   3,044     3,075     3,634     3,304  

Assets held for sale

   24     24          

Goodwill

   6     6     92     23  

Investments in joint ventures(7)

       22         289  

Other assets

   275     23     309     243  
      
   4,955     4,757     5,192     4,841  
      

Liabilities and shareholders' equity

        

Current liabilities

        

Bank indebtedness

   62     62     21     14  

Trade and other payables

   533     533     651     564  

Income and other taxes payable

   20     19     29     29  

Long-term debt due within one year

   2     1     2     1  
      
   617     615     703     608  

Long-term debt

   1,889     1,863     2,257     2,017  

Future income taxes

   285     198     292     180  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   223     338     331     464  

Shareholders’ equity

        

Preferred shares

   32     32     36     36  

Common shares

   1,788     1,788     1,783     1,783  

Contributed surplus

   15     15     14     14  

Retained earnings (deficit)

   308     290     (19 )   35  

Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments

   (202 )       (205 )    

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

       (382 )       (296 )
      
   1,941     1,743     1,609     1,572  
      
   4,955     4,757     5,192     4,841  
   

See section (F) for the reconciliation of the Consolidated balance sheets items.

 

C-F-156


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table presents the Consolidated earnings under Canadian and U.S. GAAP:

 

       2006     2005     2004  
     $     $     $     $     $     $  
     Canadian
GAAP
    U.S.
GAAP
    Canadian
GAAP
    U.S.
GAAP
    Canadian
GAAP
    U.S.
GAAP
 
      

Sales

   3,989     3,961     4,247     4,237     4,403     4,389  

Operating expenses

            

Cost of sales

   3,392     3,391     3,720     3,718     3,798     3,788  

Selling, general and administrative

   218     218     231     230     245     245  

Amortization

   284     302     329     406     325     329  

Antidumping and countervailing duties refund

   (164 )   (164 )                

Closure and restructuring costs

   35     35     317     323     49     49  

Net gains on disposals of property, plant and equipment

   (13 )   (13 )   (1 )   (1 )   (37 )   (37 )
      
   3,752     3,769     4,596     4,676     4,380     4,374  
      

Operating profit (loss) from continuing operations

   237     192     (349 )   (439 )   23     15  

Financing expenses

   150     156     144     143     141     136  

Share of joint ventures' net (earnings) loss (7 & 9)

       (1 )       3         3  

Derivative instruments loss (4 to 6)

       10         13         27  
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

   87     27     (493 )   (598 )   (118 )   (151 )

Income tax expense (recovery)

   24     (4 )   (183 )   (199 )   (55 )   (68 )
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

   63     31     (310 )   (399 )   (63 )   (83 )

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes (10)

   265     225     (78 )   (103 )   21     7  
      

Net earnings (loss)

   328     256     (388 )   (502 )   (42 )   (76 )

Dividend requirements of preferred shares

   1     1     1     1     1     1  
      

Net earnings (loss) applicable to common shares

   327     255     (389 )   (503 )   (43 )   (77 )
      

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations per common share (in dollars)

            

Basic

   0.27     0.13     (1.36 )   (1.74 )   (0.28 )   (0.37 )

Diluted

   0.27     0.13     (1.36 )   (1.74 )   (0.28 )   (0.37 )

Net earnings (loss) per common share (in dollars)

            

Basic

   1.42     1.11     (1.69 )   (2.19 )   (0.19 )   (0.34 )

Diluted

   1.42     1.11     (1.69 )   (2.19 )   (0.19 )   (0.34 )
   

See section (E) for the reconciliation of the Consolidated earnings items.

 

C-F-157


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

(C) Differences between Canadian and U.S. GAAP

Significant differences between Canadian and U.S. GAAP are described below.

(1) Pension plans cost

On January 1, 2000, Domtar adopted the Canadian accounting recommendations for employee future benefit costs. These recommendations essentially harmonized Canadian GAAP with U.S. GAAP in effect at the time and were applied retroactively without restating prior years.

In the fourth quarter of 2006, Domtar adopted Statement No. 158, "Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans – an Amendment of FASB Statements No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R)" (FAS 158) which requires employers to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of defined benefit pension plans as an asset or liability in its Consolidated balance sheet. Prior to the adoption of FAS 158, under U.S. GAAP, an additional minimum pension liability was recorded for plans where the accumulated benefit obligation exceeds the fair value of plan assets. The concept of additional minimum liability does not exist under Canadian GAAP. For these plans, an intangible asset was recorded up to the extent of unrecognized past service costs. The balance was recorded in “Other comprehensive income,” net of applicable income taxes. The requirement to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of defined benefit pension plans does not exist under Canadian GAAP.

Differences between Canadian and U.S. GAAP remain with respect to the amortization of actuarial gains and losses and past service costs arising prior to January 1, 2000. Differences also arise from the fact that the straight-line method is used to amortize actuarial gains and losses for U.S. GAAP purposes while the corridor method is used for Canadian GAAP purposes.

(2) Other employee future benefit plans cost

On January 1, 2000, Domtar adopted the Canadian accounting recommendations for employee future benefit costs. These recommendations essentially harmonize Canadian GAAP with U.S. GAAP in effect at the time and were applied retroactively without restating prior years. In the fourth quarter of 2006, Domtar adopted FAS 158 which requires employers to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of postretirement plans as an asset or liability in its Consolidated balance sheet with an offsetting amount in accumulated other comprehensive income. The requirement to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of postretirement plans does not exist under Canadian GAAP.

Differences between Canadian and U.S. GAAP remain with respect to the amortization of actuarial gains and losses arising prior to January 1, 2000.

(3) Revenue stream hedge

In connection with the adoption of the Canadian accounting recommendations relating to the accounting for foreign currency translation, the Corporation elected to designate certain

 

C-F-158


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

U.S. dollar denominated long-term debt as a hedge of its U.S. dollar revenue stream. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2004, this U.S. dollar denominated long-term debt was no longer designated as a hedge of future U.S. dollar revenue stream. The exchange gain deferred under Canadian GAAP was recorded to earnings under U.S. GAAP, as such designation is not possible under U.S. GAAP.

(4) Foreign currency hedging contracts

On January 1, 2004, Domtar adopted the Canadian accounting recommendations relating to hedging relationships for the foreign currency contracts. These recommendations essentially harmonize Canadian GAAP with U.S. GAAP and were applied prospectively. For contracts initiated prior to that date, Domtar has elected not to designate these contracts as hedging instruments for U.S. GAAP reporting purposes. Accordingly, these contracts are marked to market and resulting unrealized gains and losses are recorded to earnings. Under Canadian GAAP, gains and losses related to these contracts are included in “Sales”.

(5) Commodity hedging contracts

On January 1, 2004, Domtar adopted the Canadian accounting recommendations relating to hedging relationships for the commodity contracts. These recommendations essentially harmonize Canadian GAAP with U.S. GAAP and were applied prospectively. For contracts initiated prior to that date, Domtar has elected not to designate these contracts as hedging instruments for U.S. GAAP reporting purposes. Accordingly, these contracts are marked to market and the resulting unrealized gains and losses are recorded to earnings.

Under Canadian GAAP, the commodity contracts are not designated for hedge accounting, except for the bunker oil and electricity contracts. Contracts that are not designated for hedge accounting are marked to market and the resulting gains and losses are recorded in earnings. Domtar has to account for these at fair value. The fair value is re-evaluated on a regular basis and a gain or loss is recorded in earnings. For contracts that are designated for hedge accounting, the realized gains and losses are included in “Sales” or “Cost of sales” as appropriate. Gains and losses on commodity contracts relating to Norampac are included, net of taxes, in “Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations”.

(6) Interest rate swap contracts

Under Canadian GAAP, unrealized gains and losses on interest rate swap contracts designated as hedges are not recognized in the consolidated financial statements. Under U.S. GAAP, certain interest rate swap contracts cannot be designated as a hedge and are marked to market. Therefore, any fluctuations of the fair value are recorded to earnings.

In 2002, the Corporation terminated prior to maturity its interest rate swap contracts for net cash proceeds of $40 million.

 

C-F-159


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Under Canadian GAAP, the net gain is deferred and recognized as a deduction of “Financing expenses” over the period of the interest rate payments initially designated as being hedged by these interest rate swap contracts.

For the year ended December 31, 2006, the amortization of the net deferred gain and related interest was $10 million under Canadian GAAP and nil under U.S. GAAP (2005 – $13 million and nil, respectively; 2004 – $13 million and nil, respectively).

(7) Joint ventures

Interests in joint ventures are accounted for using the proportionate consolidation method for Canadian GAAP and using the equity method under U.S. GAAP. This difference does not affect “Net earnings (loss)” or “Shareholders’ equity.”

On December 29, 2006, Domtar sold its interest in Norampac, accordingly, Norampac was classified under discontinued operations. Prior to the sale of Domtar’s interest in Norampac on December 29, 2006, under Canadian GAAP, a portion of the gain on the contribution to Norampac was deferred and amortized. Under U.S. GAAP, this gain was fully recognized in earnings upon the formation of Norampac.

(8) Acquisition of E.B. Eddy

The E.B. Eddy acquisition has been accounted for under Canadian GAAP, which at the time differed from U.S. GAAP in the accounting for income taxes, pension benefits cost and accounting for business integration provisions.

In 2005, in conjunction with the closure and restructuring costs discussed in Note 5, Domtar recorded an additional $11 million write-down on property, plant and equipment (including $2 million relating to discontinued operations) created at the time of the E.B. Eddy acquisition under U.S. GAAP.

During the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, Domtar conducts its annual impairment test on the goodwill recognized under U.S. GAAP. Accordingly, Domtar recorded a $17 million (2005—$85 million, including $20 million relating to discontinued operations) impairment loss related to the impairment of this goodwill. The impairment losses are attributable to the impact of sustained operating losses, mill closures and restructuring efforts. The fair value of the associated reporting units was determined using a combination of valuation methods including the expected present value of future cash flows. Impairment losses are included in “Amortization”.

(9) Formation of norampac

On January 1, 2000, Domtar adopted the Canadian accounting recommendations for income taxes. These recommendations essentially harmonize Canadian with U.S. GAAP and were applied

 

C-F-160


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

retroactively without restating prior years. Accordingly, certain property, plant and equipment acquired at the formation of Norampac remained recorded at a lower value under Canadian GAAP. On December 29, 2006, Domtar sold its interest in Norampac, accordingly, Norampac was classified under discontinued operations.

(10) Investment tax credits

Under U.S. GAAP, the income tax expense has been reduced by $15 million in 2006 (2005—$4 million; 2004—$4 million) for investment tax credits related to research and development expenses, which had been recognized as a reduction of “Cost of sales” under Canadian GAAP.

(11) Long-term debt discount and debt issue costs

Under Canadian GAAP, long-term debt discount and debt issue costs are presented in “Other assets” as a deferred charge. U.S. GAAP requires that long-term debt discount and debt issue cost be reported as a direct reduction of long-term debt.

(12) Foreign currency translation adjustments

Under U.S. GAAP, foreign currency translation adjustments are included as a component of “Comprehensive income.” Under Canadian GAAP, the concept of comprehensive income exists but applies to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2006. Foreign currency translation adjustments are included as a component of “Shareholders’ equity.”

(13) Comprehensive income

U.S. GAAP requires the disclosure of “Comprehensive income” (section (D)—IV)). The concept of comprehensive income exists under Canadian GAAP, but applies to fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2006.

(14) Consolidated cash flows

Under U.S. GAAP, the Consolidated cash flows would not be significantly different from the presentation under Canadian GAAP, except that the joint ventures would be shown as an equity investment and not proportionately consolidated.

 

C-F-161


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

(D) Supplementary disclosures

I) Accounting changes and recent accounting pronouncements

Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Post Retirement Plans

In the fourth quarter, Domtar adopted Statement No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans—an Amendment of FASB Statements No. 87, 88, 106 and 132(R)” which was issued by the FASB in September 2006. This Statement requires an employer to recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans (other than multiemployer plans) as an asset or liability in its statement of financial position.

At December 31, 2006, just prior to the adoption of FAS 158, Domtar had an additional minimum pension liability of $162 million and an intangible asset of $59 million, with an offsetting amount in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” ($71 million, net of applicable taxes of $32 million).

On adoption of FAS 158, Domtar recognized the funded status of its defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans as follows:

 

 

Reversed the additional minimum pension liability of $162 million, the intangible asset of $59 million and the future income tax asset of $32 million that was recorded prior to adoption.

 

 

Adjusted its prepaid benefit cost asset and accumulated benefit liability by reducing “Other assets” by $104 million, increasing “Other liabilities and deferred credits” by $152 million and a reducing “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” by $175 million, net of applicable taxes of $79 million. Domtar recorded a future income tax asset of $79 million.

At December 31, 2006, subsequent to the adoption of FAS 158, Domtar has the following pension and post retirement related balances:

 

       2006  
     $  
   

Other assets

   15  

Future income tax assets

   78  
      
   93  
      

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   264  

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

   (175 )

Retained earnings

   4  
      
   93  
   

At December 31, 2006, “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” includes unrecognized prior service costs of $52 million and unrecognized net actuarial loss of $123 that have not yet been recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost.

 

C-F-162


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

In accordance with the transitional provisions of the new standard, prior period financial statements were not restated.

Quantifying financial statement misstatements

In September 2006, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 108 “Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in the Current Year Financial Statements" (SAB 108) to address diversity in practice in quantifying financial statement misstatements. SAB 108 requires consideration of the effects of prior year misstatements in quantifying current year misstatements for the purpose of a materiality assessment. SAB 108 did not have an impact on the Company’s financial statements.

II) Defined benefit pension plans

The projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets for the pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets were $1,428 million, $1,349 million and $1,260 million, respectively, as at December 31, 2006 and $1,582 million, $1,475 million and $1,300 million, respectively, as at December 31, 2005.

Domtar expects the 2007 net periodic benefit cost to be approximately $56 million. The components of the expense are as follows:

 

       $  
   

Service cost

   27  

Interest cost

   73  

Expected return on plan assets

   (75 )

Amortization of prior service costs

   11  

Recognized actuarial loss (gain)

   20  
      

Net periodic benefit cost

   56  
   

III) Inventories

Inventories under U.S. GAAP are comprised of the following:

 

       2006    2005
    
     $    $
 

Work in process and finished goods

   338    352

Raw materials

   106    160

Operating and maintenance supplies

   126    129
    
   570    641
 

 

C-F-163


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

IV) Comprehensive income and accumulated other comprehensive income

Under U.S. GAAP, Domtar is required to disclose certain information about comprehensive income. This information is as follows:

 

Comprehensive income (loss)    2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Net earnings (loss) in accordance with U.S. GAAP

   256     (502 )   (76 )

Other comprehensive income

      

Additional minimum liability of defined benefit pension plans, net of taxes recovery of $57 million (2005—expense of $50 million; 2004—recovery of $16 million) (see (C) (1) above)

   110     (95 )   27  

Unrealized gains (losses) on commodity hedging contracts

   (2 )   1      

Unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency hedging contracts, net of taxes recovery of $8 million (2005—recovery of $7 million; 2004—expense of $13 million)

   (18 )   (12 )   26  

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   (1 )   (11 )   (45 )
      

Comprehensive income (loss)

   345     (619 )   (68 )
   

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)    2006     2005     2004  
      
     $     $     $  
   

Additional minimum liability of defined benefit pension plans

       (110 )   (15 )

Accounting change—Pension and other post retirement benefit plans (1 & 2)

   (175 )        

Unrealized gains (losses) on commodity hedging contracts

   (1 )   1      

Unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency hedging contracts

   (4 )   14     26  

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   (202 )   (201 )   (190 )
      

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

   (382 )   (296 )   (179 )
   

V) Impact of accounting pronouncements not yet implemented

Fair Value Measurements

In September 2006, FASB issued Statement No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements.” Statement 157 (FAS 157) establishes a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. Domtar is currently evaluating the effect that FAS 157 will have on its financial position and results of operations for fair value measurements incurred after the adoption of FAS 157 in fiscal 2008.

Uncertainty in Income Taxes

In June 2006, FASB issued Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109 (FIN 48).” This interpretation which is in effect for

 

C-F-164


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2006, clarifies the accounting for uncertain tax positions recognized in a company’s financial statements in accordance with Statement 109. FIN 48 prescribes a more likely than not recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification of a liability for unrecognized tax benefits, accounting for interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, and expanded income tax disclosures. While Domtar is currently evaluating the impact of this interpretation on its first quarter 2007 financial statements, Domtar does not believe that the impact will be significant.

Accounting for planned major maintenance activities

In September 2006, FASB issued Staff Position AUG AIR—1, “Accounting for Planned Major Maintenance Activities.” This Staff Position prohibits the use of the accrue-in-advance method of accounting for planned major maintenance activities in annual and interim financial reporting periods. The three accounting methods permitted under the Staff Position are: 1) direct expensing method, 2) built-in overhaul method and 3) deferral method. Domtar currently uses the accrue-in-advance method to allocate planned major maintenance costs within a given year. Domtar is required to adopt the Staff Position in the first quarter of 2007 and will reflect major maintenance costs in the periods incurred for all interim periods presented after the effective date of the Staff Position.

(E) Reconciliation of the consolidated earnings items from Canadian GAAP to U.S. GAAP

 

       2006     2005     2004  
     $     $     $  
   

Sales —Canadian GAAP

   3,989     4,247     4,403  

Joint ventures(7)

   (28 )   (10 )   (14 )
      

Sales—U.S. GAAP

   3,961     4,237     4,389  
      

Cost of sales—Canadian GAAP

   3,392     3,720     3,798  

Pension plans cost(1)

   7     5     1  

Other employee future benefit plans cost(2)

   (1 )   (3 )   (1 )

Investment tax credits(10)

   15     4     4  

Joint ventures(7)

   (22 )   (8 )   (14 )
      

Cost of sales —U.S. GAAP

   3,391     3,718     3,788  
      

Selling, general and administrative - Canadian GAAP

   218     231     245  

Joint ventures(7)

       (1 )    
      

Selling, general and administrative—U.S. GAAP

   218     230     245  
      

Amortization - Canadian GAAP

   284     329     325  

Acquisition of E.B. Eddy(8)

   21     80     6  

Joint ventures(7)

   (3 )   (3 )   (2 )
      

Amortization—U.S. GAAP

   302     406     329  
      

Closure and restructuring costs—Canadian GAAP

   35     317     49  

Pension plans cost(1)

       8      

Other employee future benefit plans cost(2)

       (2 )    
      

Closure and restructuring costs—U.S. GAAP

   35     323     49  
   

 

C-F-165


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005     2004  
     $     $     $  
   

Financing expenses—Canadian GAAP

   150     144     141  

Revenue stream hedge(3)

   7         (4 )

Joint ventures(7)

   (1 )   (1 )   (1 )
      

Financing expenses—U.S. GAAP

   156     143     136  
      

Share of joint ventures’ net (earnings) loss—Canadian GAAP

            

Joint ventures(7)

   (1 )   3     3  
      

Share of joint ventures’ net (earnings) loss—U.S. GAAP

   (1 )   3     3  
      

Derivative instrument loss—Canadian GAAP

            

Foreign currency hedging contracts(4)

           12  

Commodity hedging contracts(5)

           2  

Interest rate swap contracts(6)

   10     13     13  
      

Derivative instrument loss—U.S. GAAP

   10     13     27  
      

Income tax expense (recovery)—Canadian GAAP

   24     (183 )   (55 )

Tax effect of the adjustments

   (12 )   (12 )   (9 )

Investment tax credits(10)

   (15 )   (4 )   (4 )

Joint ventures(7)

   (1 )        
      

Income tax expense (recovery) - U.S. GAAP

   (4 )   (199 )   (68 )
   

(F) Reconciliation of the consolidated balance sheets items from Canadian GAAP to U.S. GAAP

 

       2006     2005  
     $     $  
   

Cash and cash equivalents—Canadian GAAP

   649     83  

Joint ventures(7)

   (7 )   (15 )
      

Cash and cash equivalents—U.S. GAAP

   642     68  
      

Receivables—Canadian GAAP

   305     294  

Joint ventures(7)

   13     (82 )
      

Receivables—U.S. GAAP

   318     212  
      

Inventories—Canadian GAAP

   575     715  

Joint ventures(7)

   (5 )   (74 )
      

Inventories—U.S. GAAP

   570     641  
      

Prepaid expenses - Canadian GAAP

   14     11  

Joint ventures(7)

       (3 )
      

Prepaid expenses—U.S. GAAP

   14     8  
      

Income and other taxes receivable - Canadian GAAP

   18     16  

Joint ventures(7)

       (1 )
      

Income and other taxes receivable—U.S. GAAP

   18     15  
      

Property, plant and equipment - Canadian GAAP

   3,044     3,634  

Acquisition of E.B. Eddy(8)

   46     50  

Formation of Norampac(9)

       18  

Joint ventures(7)

   (15 )   (398 )
      

Property, plant and equipment—U.S. GAAP

   3,075     3,304  
      

Goodwill - Canadian GAAP

   6     92  

Acquisition of E.B. Eddy(8)

       17  

Joint ventures(7)

       (86 )
      

Goodwill—U.S. GAAP

   6     23  
   

 

C-F-166


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005  
     $     $  
   

Other assets—Canadian GAAP

   275     309  

Pension plans cost(1)

   (200 )   (93 )

Intangible assets related to additional minimum liability(1)

       77  

Commodity hedging contracts(5)

   (1 )    

Unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency hedging contracts(4)

   (6 )   20  

Long-term debt discount and debt issue costs(11)

   (26 )   (33 )

Joint ventures(7)

   (19 )   (37 )
      

Other assets—U.S. GAAP

   23     243  
      

Bank indebtedness—Canadian GAAP

   62     21  

Joint ventures(7)

       (7 )
      

Bank indebtedness—U.S. GAAP

   62     14  
      

Trade and other payables—Canadian GAAP

   533     651  

Pension plans cost(1)

   3      

Other employee future benefit plan cost(2)

   6      

Joint ventures(7)

   (9 )   (87 )
      

Trade and other payables—U.S. GAAP

   533     564  
      

Income and other taxes payable—Canadian GAAP

   20     29  

Joint ventures(7)

   (1 )    
      

Income and other taxes payable—U.S. GAAP

   19     29  
      

Long-term debt due within one year—Canadian GAAP

   2     2  

Joint ventures(7)

   (1 )   (1 )
      

Long-term debt due within one year—U.S. GAAP

   1     1  
      

Long-term debt—Canadian GAAP

   1,889     2,257  

Long-term debt discount and debt issue costs(11)

   (26 )   (33 )

Joint ventures(7)

       (207 )
      

Long-term debt—U.S. GAAP

   1,863     2,017  
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

       2006     2005  
     $     $  
   

Future income taxes—Canadian GAAP

   285     292  

Tax effect of the adjustments

   (87 )   (35 )

Joint ventures(7)

       (77 )
      

Future income taxes—U.S. GAAP

   198     180  
      

Other liabilities and deferred credits—Canadian GAAP

   223     331  

Pension plans cost(1)

   149      

Additional minimum liability of defined benefit pension plans(1)

       244  

Other employee future benefit plans cost(2)

   7     13  

Revenue stream hedge(3)

   (41 )   (48 )

Interest rate swap contracts(6)

       (10 )

Deferred gain on contribution of net assets to Norampac(7)

       (34 )

Joint ventures(7)

       (32 )
      

Other liabilities and deferred credits—U.S. GAAP

   338     464  
      

Retained earnings (deficit)—Canadian GAAP

   308     (19 )

Pension plans cost(1)

   (65 )   (63 )

Other employee future benefit plans cost(2)

   (11 )   (10 )

Revenue stream hedge(3)

   26     32  

Foreign currency hedging contracts(4)

       (2 )

Commodity hedging contracts(5)

       (1 )

Interest rate swap contracts(6)

       6  

Deferred gain on contribution of net assets to Norampac(7)

       22  

Acquisition of E.B. Eddy(8)

   32     52  

Formation of Norampac(9)

       18  
      

Retained earnings—U.S. GAAP

   290     35  
      

Accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments—Canadian GAAP

   (202 )   (205 )

Additional minimum liability of defined benefit pension plans(1)

       (110 )

Accounting change—Pension and other post retirement benefit plans(1 & 2)

   (175 )    

Unrealized gains (losses) on commodity hedging contracts(5)

   (1 )   1  

Unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency hedging contracts(4)

   (4 )   14  

Joint ventures(7)

       4  
      

Accumulated other comprehensive income—U.S. GAAP

   (382 )   (296 )
   

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

December 31, 2006

(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 24. Proposed combination

In August 2006, Domtar signed a definitive agreement to combine with Weyerhaeuser’s fine paper business and related assets. Under the terms of the transaction, Weyerhaeuser’s fine paper business, consisting of 10 primary pulp and paper mills (seven in the United States and three in Canada), converting, forming and warehousing facilities, sales offices, two sawmills and logging and forest management operations will be transferred into a newly formed company for stock and a cash payment of US$1.35 billion to be provided by the new company through borrowings under a temporary credit facility. Weyerhaeuser intends to distribute the shares of the new company to its shareholders through an exchange offer. Domtar will combine with the newly formed company to create “Domtar Corporation.” At the time of the closing, the combined company will be owned approximately 55% by former Weyerhaeuser shareholders and 45% by former Domtar shareholders. The combination is subject to approvals by: the shareholders of Domtar by a special resolution; appropriate regulatory and other authorities (all of which have been obtained); as well as customary closing conditions. The transaction will be submitted to Domtar’s shareholders at a special meeting to be held on February 26, 2007 and is expected to close in March 2007. As a result of this transaction, Domtar will become an indirect subsidiary of the “Domtar Corporation,” a Delaware corporation.

Note 25. Comparative figures

To conform with the basis of presentation adopted in the current year, certain figures previously reported have been reclassified.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Consolidated financial statements

 

Consolidated balance sheets (Note 3) As at    June 30
2007
    December 31
2006
 
      
     (Unaudited)  
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)    $     $  
   

Assets

    

Current assets

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   43     649  

Receivables

   154     305  

Receivables from related parties (Note 9)

   23      

Inventories

   526     575  

Prepaid expenses

   17     14  

Income and other taxes receivable

   13     18  

Future income taxes

   45     45  
      
   821     1,606  

Property, plant and equipment

   3,131     3,044  

Assets held for sale

       24  

Goodwill

   127     6  

Long-term advances to related parties (Note 9)

   653      

Intangibles

   31      

Other assets

   92     275  
      
   4,855     4,955  
      

Liabilities and shareholders’ equity

    

Current liabilities

    

Bank indebtedness

   45     62  

Trade and other payables

   426     533  

Payables to related parties (Note 9)

   2      

Income and other taxes payable

   21     20  

Long-term debt due within one year

   1     2  
      
   495     617  

Long-term debt (Note 5)

   1,782     1,889  

Future income taxes

   357     285  

Other liabilities and deferred credits

   357     223  

Contingencies (Note 10)

    

Shareholders’ equity

    

Preferred shares

   28     32  

Common shares

   1,837     1,788  

Contributed surplus

       15  

Retained earnings

   11     308  

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

   (12 )   (202 )
      
   1,864     1,941  
      
   4,855     4,955  
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.

 

C-F-170


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Consolidated financial statements

 

Consolidated earnings

  Three months
ended June 30
    From January
1 to March 6
    From March
7 to June 30
  Six months
ended June 30
 
  2007     2006     2007     2007   2007     2006  
     
    (Unaudited)  

(In millions of Canadian dollars,

unless otherwise noted)

  $     $     $     $   $     $  
   
                Note 3  

Combined

Note 1

       

Sales

  892     998     684     1,178   1,862     2,037  

Operating expenses

           

Cost of sales

  754     876     564     992   1,556     1,807  

Selling, general and administrative

  57     43     85     65   150     96  

Amortization

  53     69     51     62   113     141  
     
  864     988     700     1,119   1,819     2,044  
     

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

  28     10     (16 )   59   43     (7 )

Financing expenses

  24     40     24     28   52     75  
     

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

  4     (30 )   (40 )   31   (9 )   (82 )

Income tax expense (recovery)

  9     (8 )   (8 )   19   11     (32 )
     

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  (5 )   (22 )   (32 )   12   (20 )   (50 )

Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations

      13     (1 )     (1 )   17  
     

Net earnings (loss)

  (5 )   (9 )   (33 )   12   (21 )   (33 )
   

 

Consolidated retained earnings

  Three months
ended June 30
    From January
1 to March 6
    From March
7 to June 30
    Six months
ended June 30
 
  2007     2006     2007     2007     2007     2006  
     
    (Unaudited)  

(In millions of Canadian dollars,

unless otherwise noted)

  $     $     $     $     $     $  
   
                Note 3    

Combined

Note 1

       

Retained earnings (deficit) at beginning of period

  17     (43 )   308     275     308     (19 )

Net earnings (loss)

  (5 )   (9 )   (33 )   12     (21 )   (33 )

Comprehensive revaluation (Note 3)

              (275 )   (275 )    

Dividends on preferred shares

  (1 )   (1 )       (1 )   (1 )   (1 )
     

Retained earnings (deficit) at end of period

  11     (53 )   275     11     11     (53 )
   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Consolidated financial statements

 

Consolidated cash flows   Three
months
ended
June 30
    From
January
1 to
March 6
    From
March
7 to
June 30
    Six months
ended June 30
 
     
(In millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)   2007     2006     2007     2007     2007     2006  
     
                                     
    (Unaudited)  
    $     $     $     $     $     $  
   
                Note 3    

Combined

Note 1

       

Operating activities

           

Earnings (loss) from continuing operations

  (5 )   (22 )   (32 )   12     (20 )   (50 )

Non-cash items:

           

Amortization of property, plant and equipment

  53     69     51     62     113     141  

Future income taxes

  6     (6 )   (8 )   16     8     (34 )

Other

  (1 )       4     (10 )   (6 )   1  
     
  53     41     15     80     95     58  
     

Changes in working capital and other items

           

Receivables

  19     7     113     4     117     8  

Inventories

  31     46     (6 )   42     36     60  

Prepaid expenses

  3     2         (3 )   (3 )   (7 )

Trade and other payables

  (53 )   (46 )   (99 )   (2 )   (101 )   (90 )

Income and other taxes

  4     (4 )   4     2     6     1  

Other

  (18 )       2     (27 )   (25 )   (5 )
     
  (14 )   5     14     16     30     (33 )
     

Cash flows provided from operating activities of continuing operations

  39     46     29     96     125     25  
     

Investing activities

           

Additions to property, plant and equipment

  (25 )   (26 )   (15 )   (31 )   (46 )   (44 )

Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment

  1     1         1     1     2  

Increase in long-term advances to related parties (Note 9)

  6             (653 )   (653 )    

Other

  (2 )   (1 )       (2 )   (2 )   (4 )
     

Cash flows used for investing activities of continuing operations

  (20 )   (26 )   (15 )   (685 )   (700 )   (46 )
     

Financing activities

           

Dividend payments

  (1 )   (1 )       (1 )   (1 )   (1 )

Change in bank indebtedness

  (29 )   23     17     (37 )   (20 )   37  

Change in revolving bank credit, net of expenses

      (40 )       (1 )   (1 )   5  

Repayment of long-term debt

  (1 )   (1 )   (1 )   (1 )   (2 )   (1 )

Common shares issued, net of expenses

      1     2         2     2  

Redemptions of preferred shares

              (4 )   (4 )   (1 )

Other

  (1 )       (1 )   (1 )   (2 )    
     

Cash flows provided from (used for) financing activities of continuing operations

  (32 )   (18 )   17     (45 )   (28 )   41  
     

Cash flows from discontinued operations

           

Operating activities

  (22 )   5         (22 )   (22 )   11  

Investing activities

  22     (7 )       22     22     (14 )

Financing activities

      (1 )               (3 )
     

Cash flows used for discontinued operations

      (3 )               (6 )
     

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

  (13 )   (1 )   31     (634 )   (603 )   14  

Translation adjustments related to cash and cash equivalents

  (3 )   (3 )       (3 )   (3 )   (3 )

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

  59     98     649     680     649     83  
     

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

  43     94     680     43     43     94  
     

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period, related to:

           

Continuing operations

  43     88     680     43     43     88  

Discontinued operations

      6                 6  
     

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

  43     94     680     43     43     94  
   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Consolidated financial statements

 

       Three months
ended June 30
    From January 1
to March 6
    From March 7
to June 30
    Six months
ended June 30
 
                        
Consolidated statements of
comprehensive income
   2007     2006     2007     2007     2007     2006  
      
(In millions of Canadian dollars,
unless otherwise noted)
  

(Unaudited)

 
     $     $     $     $     $     $  
   
                             Combined        
                 Note 3           Note 1        

Net earnings (loss)

   (5 )   (9 )   (33 )   12     (21 )   (33 )

Other comprehensive income

            

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   (13 )       (5 )   (12 )   (17 )    
      

Comprehensive income (loss)

   (18 )   (9 )   (38 )       (38 )   (33 )
   

 

Consolidated statements of
accumulated other comprehensive
income
   March 6
2007
   

Fresh start

adjustments
2007

   Opening March 7
2007
   June 30
2007
    December 31
2006
 
      
(In millions of Canadian dollars,
unless otherwise noted)
   (Unaudited)  
     $     $    $    $     $  
   
     Note 3                  

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

            

Accounting change—financial instruments, net of income tax expense (recovery) of $2 million

   (5 )   5            

Foreign currency translation adjustments

   (207 )   207       (12 )   (202 )
      

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

   (212 )   212       (12 )   (202 )
   

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.

 

C-F-173


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

Note 1. Basis of presentation

Domtar Inc. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar Corporation. Domtar Corporation was organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 16, 2006, and was, until March 7, 2007, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company. Domtar Corporation is a holding company organized for the sole purpose of holding the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business and consummating the combination of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business with Domtar Inc. (“Domtar”). Domtar Corporation had no operations prior to March 7, 2007.

On August 22, 2006, Weyerhaeuser Company and certain wholly-owned subsidiaries entered into an agreement with Domtar providing for:

 

 

A series of transfers and other transactions resulting in the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business becoming wholly-owned by Domtar Corporation;

 

 

The distribution of shares of Domtar Corporation to Weyerhaeuser shareholders; and

 

 

The combination of Domtar with Domtar Corporation.

The transaction (“Transaction”) was consummated on March 7, 2007. In conjunction with the Transaction and in accordance with Section 1625 of the CICA Handbook, Comprehensive Revaluation of Assets and Liabilities (“CICA 1625”), Domtar undertook a comprehensive revaluation (or “Push Down”) of its assets and liabilities as at March 7, 2007. In accordance with CICA 1625, prior period financial information has not been restated to reflect the impact of the fair value adjustments, and accordingly, certain amounts in the prior periods are not directly comparable. See Note 3 for comprehensive revaluation of assets and liabilities.

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements, prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (Canadian GAAP), contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly Domtar’s financial position as at June 30, 2007 as well as results of operations and its cash flows from March 7 to June 30, 2007. While management believes that the disclosures presented are adequate, these unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with Domtar’s annual consolidated financial statements and notes.

Domtar’s combined statement of consolidated earnings, retained earnings, cash flows and comprehensive income for the period ended June 30, 2007 represent the combination of the consolidated earnings, retained earnings, cash flows and comprehensive income from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 (period prior to the application of fresh start reporting) and the consolidated earnings, retained earnings, cash flows and comprehensive income from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 (period that reflects the application of fresh start reporting). Such combined consolidated earnings, retained earnings, cash flows and comprehensive income along with the comparative six-month period ended June 30, 2006 and the consolidated balance sheet and accumulated other comprehensive income as at December 31, 2006 are for illustrative purposes and are provided for the convenience of the reader only. As a result of the application of fresh start reporting that started on March 7, 2007, the financial condition and results of operations and the financial position following that date are not comparable to those prior to

 

C-F-174


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

that date. The financial condition and results of operations for the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and the financial condition and results of operations for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 with the comparative six-month period should not be viewed as a continuum since they were prepared using different bases of accounting and different accounting policies and, therefore, are not comparable.

As of the date of the Transaction, Domtar adopted all of Domtar Corporation’s accounting policies, other than the last-in, first-out method (LIFO) used by Domtar Corporation to cost certain U.S. raw materials, in-process and finished goods inventories. Prior period financial information has not been restated to reflect the impact of this change in accounting policy. Accordingly, certain amounts in the prior periods are not directly comparable.

Note 2. Accounting changes

Accounting changes

In July 2006, the Accounting Standards Board (“AcSB”) issued a replacement of Handbook Section 1506 “Accounting Changes.” The new standard, effective January 1, 2007, allows for voluntary changes in accounting policy only when they result in the financial statements providing reliable and more relevant information and requires changes in accounting policy to be applied retrospectively unless doing so is impracticable. The initial adoption of this section had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements under Canadian GAAP.

Financial instruments

In April 2005, the CICA issued three new Handbook Sections in relation with financial instruments: Section 3855 “Financial Instruments—Recognition and Measurement,” Section 3865 “Hedges” and Section 1530 “Comprehensive Income.” The Corporation adopted the provisions of these sections on January 1, 2007.

Financial instruments—recognition and measurement

Section 3855 expands on Handbook Section 3860 “Financial Instruments—Disclosure and Presentation,” by prescribing when a financial instrument is to be recognized on the balance sheet and at what amount. It also specifies how financial instrument gains and losses are to be presented. Under this new statement:

 

 

All financial assets and liabilities are carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, except loans and receivables, investments held-to-maturity and non-trading financial liabilities, which are carried at amortized cost. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on trading financial assets and liabilities are recognized immediately in the consolidated statement of income while unrealized gains and losses on financial assets that are available for sale are recognized in other comprehensive income until their realization, after which these amounts are recognized in the consolidated statement of income.

 

C-F-175


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

 

All derivatives financial instruments are carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet, including those derivatives that are embedded in other contracts but are not closely related to the host contract.

Hedges

Section 3865 provides alternative accounting treatments to those found in Section 3855 for entities who choose to designate qualifying transactions as hedges for accounting purposes. It replaces and expands on AcG-13 “Hedging Relationships,” and the hedging guidance in Section 1650 “Foreign Currency Translation” by specifying how hedge accounting is applied and what disclosures are necessary when it is applied. Under this new statement:

 

 

In a fair value hedge, hedging activities are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of income. The changes in the fair value of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk is also recorded in consolidated income by way of a corresponding adjustment of the carrying amount of the hedged items recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

 

 

In a cash flow hedge, the changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments is recorded in other comprehensive income. These amounts are reclassified in the consolidated statement of income in the periods in which results are affected by the cash flows of the hedged item.

 

 

Hedges of net investments in self-sustaining foreign operations are treated in a manner similar to cash flow hedges.

 

 

Any hedge ineffectiveness is recorded in the consolidated statement of income.

Comprehensive income

Section 1530 introduced a new requirement to present certain revenues, expenses, gains and losses, that otherwise would not be immediately recorded in income, in a comprehensive income statement with the same prominence as other statements that constitute a complete set of financial statements.

On January 1, 2007, the initial adoption of this standard resulted in a decrease in other assets of $26 million, an increase in future income tax assets of $2 million, a decrease in other long-term liabilities and deferred credits of $5 million, a decrease in long-term debt of $14 million and an accumulated other comprehensive loss of $5 million.

Uncertainty in income taxes

In June 2006, FASB issued Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes—An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109” (FIN 48). This interpretation, which the Company adopted on January 1, 2007, clarifies the accounting for uncertain tax positions recognized in a company’s financial statements in accordance with Statement 109. FIN 48 prescribes a more likely than not recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return.

 

C-F-176


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification of a liability for unrecognized tax benefits, accounting for interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, and expanded income tax disclosures. Domtar adopted this Interpretation in conjunction with the fresh start reporting and the adoption of the accounting policies of Domtar Corporation (other than LIFO). Domtar considers FIN 48 is an appropriate source of Canadian GAAP under Section 1100, “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.” The adoption of FIN 48 was not reflected as a change in accounting policy with retrospective adjustment of retained earnings nor were comparative amounts for prior periods restated given the fresh start reporting on March 7, 2007. The initial adoption of this Interpretation had no significant impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Impact of accounting pronouncements not yet implemented

Inventories

In March 2007, the Accounting Standards Board (“AcSB”) approved Handbook Section 3031 “Inventories.” The standard provides guidance on the determination of cost and its subsequent recognition as an expense, including any write-down to net realizable value. The standard also permits the reversal of previous write-downs where there is a subsequent increase in the value of inventories. Finally, the standard provides guidance on the cost formulas that are used to assign costs to inventories and requires the consistent use of inventory policies by type of inventory with similar nature and use. The standard is effective for interim and annual financial statements relating to fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2008, with earlier adoption encouraged. An entity may either apply this standard to the opening inventory for the period and adjust opening retained earnings by the difference in the measurement of opening inventory and prior periods are not restated; or an entity may apply this standard retrospectively and restate prior periods in accordance with Handbook Section 1506 “Accounting Changes.” We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Note 3. Comprehensive revaluation

Following the consummation of the Transaction described in Note 1, Domtar Inc. applied fresh start reporting on March 7, 2007. In the case of an acquisition of an enterprise, the application of push-down accounting results in comparable accounting to that which would result had the acquirer either purchased the assets and assumed the liabilities of the enterprise directly or established a new legal entity to hold the assets and assume the liabilities of the acquired enterprise and to continue its operations. As a result, the financial condition and results of operations reflect the accounting activities before and after the Transaction, being the period from January 1, 2007 to March 6, 2007 and the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007, respectively. All assets and liabilities have been reported at fair values, except for future income taxes, which are reported in accordance with Section 3465 of the CICA Handbook, Income Taxes.

The fair values of the assets and liabilities have been based on Management’s best estimates at March 7, 2007. Domtar is in the process of completing its valuation of certain assets and

 

C-F-177


Table of Contents

Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

liabilities. Accordingly, the fair value of assets and liabilities could differ materially from the amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements. The principal significant elements for which the fair value could be modified include inventories, property, plant and equipment, intangible assets (including actual depreciation and amortization expense), goodwill and future income taxes.

Domtar Corporation has refined its preliminary purchase price allocation presented in its first quarter financial statements to reflect the impact of the restructuring measures described in Note 4 and the agreement in principle for the sale of substantially all of its Wood business as described in Note 11 on the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. As a result, Domtar has revised its valuation of certain assets and liabilities as of the date of the application of push-down accounting. As such, inventories decreased by $8 million, property, plant and equipment increased by $95 million, trade and other payables increased by $22 million, other liabilities and deferred credits increased by $6 million and deferred income taxes – non current increased by $15 million. This resulted in a $44 million decrease in goodwill. These represent the significant changes to the fresh start adjustments.

Note 4. Closure and restructuring costs

On July 31, 2007, Domtar announced that it will permanently close two paper machines, one situated at its Woodland, Maine paper mill and another at its Port Edwards, Wisconsin paper mill as well as its mill in Gatineau, Quebec and its converting center in Ottawa, Ontario. In total, these closures will result in the permanent curtailment of approximately 284,000 tons of paper capacity per year and will affect approximately 430 employees.

The closure and restructuring cost provision identified below relates to operations and activities of Domtar Inc., which was acquired by Domtar Corporation on March 7, 2007 and was part of a plan that had begun to be assessed and formulated by management at that date. As a result, these costs represent assumed liabilities and costs incurred as of the acquisition date and were treated as part of the purchase price allocation in accordance with EIC-114, Liability Recognition for Costs Incurred on Purchase Business Combinations. These closures also impacted the fair value of certain property, plant and equipment as part of Domtar Inc. purchase price allocation.

At June 30, 2007, the closure and restructuring cost provision related to the above plan was $24 million, related entirely to the Papers segment.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

The following table provides the components of closure and restructuring cost provisions:

 

       As at
June 30
2007
    
     (Unaudited)
  
     $
 

Labor costs

   15

Environmental liabilities

   6

Contract termination costs

   3
    

Balance, end of period

   24
 

Further costs related to the above closures expected to be incurred over 2007 and 2008 include $1 million for training, relocation and outplacement costs. These costs will be expensed as incurred.

Estimates of cash flows and fair value relating to closures and restructurings require judgment. Closure and restructuring costs are based on management’s best estimates as at June 30, 2007. Although Domtar does not anticipate significant changes, the actual costs may differ from these estimates due to subsequent developments such as the results of environmental studies, the ability to find a buyer for assets set to be dismantled and demolished and other business developments. As such, additional costs and further write-downs may be required in future periods.

Note 5. Long-term debt

Bank facility

On March 7, 2007, Domtar, along with its parent Domtar Corporation, entered into a new credit agreement, which consist of a seven-year senior secured term loan, of US$800 million, borrowed by Domtar Corporation, and a five-year US$750 million secured revolving credit facility of which Domtar can borrow a maximum US$150 million. The unsecured revolving credit facility of US$600 million in favour of Domtar that was due to expire in 2010, was cancelled.

Domtar’s obligations are guaranteed by its subsidiaries as well as by Domtar Corporation and its subsidiaries, subject to agreed exceptions.

The obligations of Domtar in respect of the senior secured credit facilities are secured by all of the equity interests of Domtar Corporation’s subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions, and a perfected first priority security interest in substantially all of Domtar Corporation’s and its U.S. subsidiaries’ tangible and intangible assets (other than the U.S. subsidiaries of Domtar). Lenders to Domtar Corporation, under the senior secured credit facilities, share this security package, subject to certain exceptions.

In addition, the obligations of Domtar are secured by the Canadian inventory of Domtar.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 6. Stated capital

Equity awards

Domtar’s common shares under the Restricted Stock Plan as well as each outstanding grant of deferred share units and each outstanding grant of performance share units with respect to Domtar common shares were exchanged, on a one-for-one basis and on the same terms and conditions, for awards of Domtar Corporation common shares.

Options granted under the Executive Stock Option Plan, whether vested or unvested, were exchanged on the same terms and conditions for an option to purchase a number of shares of common stock of Domtar Corporation equal to the number of Domtar common shares or of equivalent value determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, depending if the exercise price was higher, equal or less than the market value at the time of the exchange.

Employee share purchase plans

The Employee Share Purchase Plans have been terminated in February 2007.

Note 7. defined benefit plans and other employee future benefit plans

 

      Three months
ended June 30
  From January
1 to March 6
  From March
7 to June 30
  Six
months
ended
June 30
    2007   2006   2007   2007   2007   2006
   
    (Unaudited)
    $   $   $   $   $   $
 
            Note 3   Combined
Note 1

Net periodic benefit cost for defined benefit plans

  7   14   7   10   17   29

Net periodic benefit cost for other employee future benefit plans

  2   3   1   3   4   5
 

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 8. Segmented disclosures

Domtar operates in the three reportable segments described below. Each reportable segment offers different products and services and requires different technology and marketing strategies. The following summary briefly describes the operations included in each of Domtar’s reportable segments:

 

 

Papers—represents the aggregation of the manufacturing and distribution of business, commercial printing and publication, and technical and specialty papers, as well as pulp.

 

 

Paper Merchants—involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of various products made by Domtar and by other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers and certain industrial products.

 

 

Wood—comprises the manufacturing and marketing of lumber and wood-based value-added products and the management of forest resources.

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Domtar evaluates performance based on operating income, which represents sales, reflecting transfer prices between segments at fair value, less allocable expenses before financing expenses and income taxes.

 

       Three
months
ended
June 30
   

From
January 1

to
March 6

    From
March 7
to
June 30
    Six months ended
June 30
 
                  
SEGMENTED DATA    2007     2006     2007     2007     2007     2006  
                                    
     (Unaudited)  
     $     $     $     $     $     $  
   
                 Note 3    

Combined

Note 1

       

Sales from continuing operations

            

Papers

   633     693     501     830     1,331     1,405  

Paper Merchants

   250     256     184     337     521     533  

Wood

   83     130     58     109     167     278  
      

Total for reportable segments

   966     1,079     743     1,276     2,019     2,216  

Intersegment sales - Papers

   (61 )   (68 )   (53 )   (83 )   (136 )   (151 )

Intersegment sales - Paper Merchants

   (1 )           (1 )   (1 )    

Intersegment sales - Wood

   (12 )   (13 )   (6 )   (14 )   (20 )   (28 )
      

Consolidated sales from continuing operations

   892     998     684     1,178     1,862     2,037  
      

Amortization of property, plant and equipment from continuing operations

            

Papers

   48     59     44     54     98     122  

Paper Merchants

           1         1     1  

Wood

   5     10     6     8     14     18  
      

Consolidated amortization of property, plant and equipment from continuing operations

   53     69     51     62     113     141  
      

Operating income (loss) from continuing operations

            

Papers

   49     17     32     76     108     (1 )

Paper Merchants

   3     3     2     7     9     7  

Wood

   (19 )   (10 )   (13 )   (19 )   (32 )   (15 )
      

Total for reportable segments

   33     10     21     64     85     (9 )

Corporate

   (5 )       (37 )   (5 )   (42 )   2  
      

Consolidated operating income (loss) from continuing operations

   28     10     (16 )   59     43     (7 )
   

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

Note 9. Related party transactions

In conjunction with the consummation of the Transaction, as described in Note 1, a Canadian subsidiary of Domtar Inc. advanced $589 million (US$500 million) to a Canadian subsidiary of Domtar Corporation and a U.S. subsidiary of Domtar Inc. advanced $64 million (US$60 million) to a U.S. subsidiary of Domtar Corporation to pay down indebtedness incurred in the Transaction. The Canadian advance is for five years, bears interest at a variable rate based on the Canadian prime rate and is repayable at any time. The U.S. advance is for five years, bears interest at a variable rate based on the U.S. prime rate and is repayable at any time.

Domtar Corporation’s Canadian and U.S. subsidiaries have advanced certain funds to Domtar’s Canadian and U.S. subsidiaries in the normal course of business to finance its short-term liquidity needs. Ris Paper Company, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar, purchases paper from Domtar Corporation under the same commercial terms as any other merchant who purchases paper from Domtar Corporation.

Domtar Corporation exchanges fees with Domtar Inc. for management fees related to services rendered such as Finance, Legal, Human Resources, etc. The management fee is charged at cost or at cost plus, depending on the nature of the service rendered. The management fee for the period from March 7, 2007 to June 30, 2007 was not significant.

Note 10. Contingencies

E.B. Eddy acquisition

On July 31, 1998, Domtar acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of E.B. Eddy Limited and E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc. (E.B. Eddy), an integrated producer of specialty paper and wood products. The purchase agreement includes a purchase price adjustment whereby, in the event of the acquisition by a third party of more than 50% of the shares of Domtar in specified circumstances, Domtar may have had to pay up to a maximum of $120 million, an amount which is gradually declining over a 25-year period. As at March 7, 2007, the maximum amount of the purchase price adjustment was $110 million. No provision was recorded for this potential purchase price adjustment.

On March 14, 2007, Domtar received a letter from George Weston Limited (the previous owner of E.B. Eddy and a party to the purchase agreement) demanding payment of $110 million as a result of the consummation of the Transaction described in Note 1. On June 12, 2007, an action was commenced by George Weston Limited against Domtar in the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada, claiming that the consummation of the Transaction triggered the purchase price adjustment and seeking a purchase price adjustment of $110 million as well as additional compensatory damages. Domtar does not believe that the consummation of the Transaction triggers an obligation to pay an increase in consideration under the purchase price

 

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Domtar Inc.

Notes to consolidated financial statements—(continued)

Second quarter 2007 (in millions of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted)

 

adjustment and intends to defend itself vigorously against any claims with respect thereto. However, Domtar may not be successful in its defense of such claims and if Domtar is ultimately required to pay an increase in consideration, such payment may have a material adverse effect on the liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

Note 11. Sale of forest products business

On June 22, 2007, Domtar announced an agreement in principle to sell substantially all of its Wood business to the newly created Conifex Inc. for approximately $285 million including an estimated $50 million of working capital. The operations being sold consist of substantially all of Domtar’s Wood business, except for its sawmills in Saskatchewan and some forestlands. The transaction is subject to governmental approval for the forest license transfers, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The sale is expected to close before the end of the year.

Domtar has accepted, in principle, to extend its support by investing in Conifex Inc. an amount equal to the lesser of $35 million or a 19.9% participation, subject to the conclusion of a definitive agreement to its satisfaction.

Domtar will provide Conifex Inc. with transition services after the close, including information technology, human resources management and finance, for a period of 6 to 12 months following the consummation of the transaction.

At June 30, 2007, the assets and liabilities of the Wood business are accounted for as held and used in accordance with Section 3475 of the CICA Handbook, Disposal of Long-lived Assets and Discontinued Operations, due to uncertainty surrounding the closing of the transaction, mainly regarding getting government approval and financing. Domtar does not expect to recognize a gain or loss from the sale upon closing.

Note 12. Comparative figures

To conform with the basis of presentation adopted in the current period, certain figures previously reported have been reclassified.

 

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SCHEDULE D

CONSENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP

LOGO

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

We hereby consent to the use in this Debentureholder Information Circular/Prospectus (Domtar Inc. and Domtar Corporation Solicitation of Proxies to Amend the Indentures relating to Domtar Inc.’s Canadian Dollar Denominated Debentures) of our auditor’s report dated February 22, 2007 on the consolidated balance sheets of Domtar Inc. as at December 31, 2006 and 2005 and the consolidated statements of earnings, retained earnings and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2006 and on management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Information Circular/Prospectus.

/ S /    P RICEWATERHOUSE C OOPERS LLP

Chartered Accountants

Montréal, Quebec

September 25, 2007

PricewaterhouseCoopers refers to the Canadian firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP/s.r.l./s.e.n.c.r.l. and the other member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.

 

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If you have any questions about the information contained in this document or require assistance in completing your proxy form, please contact:

The Information Agent at:

LOGO

100 University Avenue

11th Floor, South Tower

Toronto, Ontario

M5J 2Y1

North American Toll Free Number: 1-888-605-8384

or the Dealer Manager at:

LOGO

SCOTIA CAPITAL INC.

40 King Street West

Toronto, Ontario

M5W 2X6

Phone: (416) 863-7257

Attention:  Larry Small, Director, Head of Syndication


Table of Contents

Part II

Information not required in prospectus and consent solicitation statement

Item 20. Indemnification of directors and officers

The following summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the statutes referred to below and the Registrants’ certificate of incorporation and by-laws.

Domtar Corporation

Limitation of liability of directors

The Registrant is a Delaware corporation. The Registrant’s certificate of incorporation limits the liability of its directors to the maximum extent permitted by Delaware law. Delaware law provides that directors of a corporation will not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duties as directors, except for liability:

 

 

for any breach of their duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders;

 

 

for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

 

under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law relating to unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions; or

 

 

for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

The limitation of liability does not apply to liabilities arising under the federal or state securities laws and does not affect the availability of equitable remedies, such as injunctive relief or rescission.

Indemnification of officers and directors

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. Section 145 further provides that a corporation similarly may indemnify any such person serving in any such capacity who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor, or a derivative action, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the

 

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corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

As permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Registrant’s certificate of incorporation provides that each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that such person, or a person of whom such person is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Registrant or, while a director or officer of the Registrant, is or was serving at the Registrant’s request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, whether the basis of such proceeding is an alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee or agent, will be indemnified and held harmless by the Registrant to the fullest extent authorized by the Delaware General Corporation Law against all expense, liability and loss reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection therewith, except that the Registrant’s certificate of incorporation provides for indemnification in a derivative action or suit initiated by any such person only if, subject to certain exceptions, the Registrant’s board of directors authorized such proceeding. Such indemnification continues as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and inures to the benefit of such person’s heirs, executors and administrators.

The Registrant maintains insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any such expense, liability or loss, whether or not it would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the Delaware General Corporation Law.

Director indemnification agreements

On the Acquisition Closing Date, the Company entered into an indemnification agreement with each of the individuals who became a director upon consummation of the Acquisition Transactions, including Raymond Royer and Marvin D. Cooper, who are also the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, respectively. Each indemnification agreement provides that the Company will indemnify and hold harmless the individual (the “Indemnitee”) to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law against losses incurred by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company. In addition, the Company will advance to the Indemnitee certain expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in defending against an indemnifiable claim. The Indemnitee agrees to repay to the Company all amounts advanced to the Indemnitee by the Company if the Indemnitee is ultimately determined not to be entitled to indemnification in respect of such claim.

 

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Domtar Paper Company LLC

Domtar Paper Company, LLC is a limited liability company organized under the laws of Delaware.

Section 18-108 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (the “DLLCA”) empowers a limited liability company to indemnify and hold harmless any member or manager or other person from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever.

In accordance with this provision, the Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Domtar Paper Company, LLC provides that none of Domtar Paper Company, LLC’s directors, officers, employees, shareholders, agents or representatives will be liable to Domtar Paper Company, LLC for any loss, liability, damage or claim incurred by reason of any act or omission performed or omitted by such persons in good faith and on behalf of Domtar Paper Company, LLC, and that Domtar Paper Company, LLC will, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify such persons for any such loss, damage or claim, except that no such person will be indemnified for any loss, damage or claim incurred by such person by reason of such person’s gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to such acts or omissions. Any indemnity shall be provided out of and to the extent of Domtar Paper Company, LLC assets only, and no member thereof shall have any personal liability on account thereof.

In addition, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Domtar Paper Company, LLC may from time to time and at the discretion of the board of directors advance to directors, officers, employees, shareholders, agents or representatives expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees, disbursements, fines and amounts paid in settlement) incurred in defending any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding relating to or arising out of such person’s performance of his or her duties on behalf of Domtar Paper Company, LLC prior to the final disposition of such claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding upon the receipt by Domtar Paper Company, LLC of an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified.

The Registrant maintains insurance, at its expense, which protects, among others, the directors, officers, employees and agents of Domtar Paper Company, LLC, against any loss, liability, damage or claim described above.

 

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Item 21. Exhibits and financial statement schedules

The following exhibits are included as exhibits to this Registration Statement.

 

Exhibit No.      

Description

    1.1     Form of U.S. Dealer Manager Agreement
    1.2     Form of Canadian Dealer Manager Agreement
    3.1     Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 7, 2007)
    3.2     Amended and Restated By-Laws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 7, 2007)
  *3.3     Amended certificate of formation of Domtar Paper Company, LLC
  *3.4     Second amended and restated limited liability company agreement of Domtar Paper Company, LLC
    4.1     Form of Indenture among Domtar Corp., Domtar Paper Company, LLC and The Bank of New York., as trustee, relating to Domtar Corp., relating to Domtar Corp.’s (i) 7.125% Notes due 2015, (ii) 5.375% Notes due 2013, (iii) 7.875% Notes due 2011, (iv) 9.5% Notes due 2016, (v) 10% Notes due 2011 and (vi) 10.85% Notes due 2017
    4.2     Indenture, dated as of November 18, 2003, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York (as successor to J.P. Morgan Trust Company, N.A.), as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 7  1 / 8 % notes due 2015 and 5.375% notes due 2013
    4.3     Indenture, dated as of October 16, 2001, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York (as successor to The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 7.875% Notes due 2011
    4.4     Indenture, dated as of July 31, 1996, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 9  1 / 2 % debentures due 2016
    4.5     Indenture, dated as of August 5, 1987, between Domtar Inc. and Computershare Trust Company of Canada (as successor to Montreal Trust Company), as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 10.85% Debentures due 2017
    4.6     Indenture, dated as of April 15, 1987, between Domtar Inc. and Computershare Trust Company of Canada (as successor to Montreal Trust Company), as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 10% Debentures due 2011
    4.7     Form of Supplemental Indenture to the Indenture, dated as of November 18, 2003, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York (as successor to J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.), as Trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s (i) $400 million 7  1 / 8 % Notes due 2015 and (ii) $350 million 5.375% Notes due 2013
    4.8     Form of Supplemental Indenture to the Indenture, dated as of October 16, 2001, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York (as successor to The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A.), as Trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s $600 million 7.875% Notes due 2011
    4.9     Form of Supplemental Indenture to the Indenture, dated as of July 31, 1996, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York as Trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s $125 million 9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2011

 

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Exhibit No.      

Description

    4.10     Form of Supplemental Indenture to the Indenture, dated as of August 5, 1987, between Domtar Inc. and Computershare Trust Company of Canada (as successor to Montreal Trust Company), as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 10.85% Debentures due 2017
    4.11     Form of Supplemental Indenture to the Indenture, dated as of April 15, 1987, between Domtar Inc. and Computershare Trust Company of Canada (as successor to Montreal Trust Company), as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 10% Debentures due 2011
    5.1     Opinion of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP regarding the validity of the securities of Domtar Corp. being registered
    5.2     Opinion of Richards, Layton & Finger P.A. regarding the validity of the guarantees of Domtar Paper Company, LLC being registered
    9.1     Form of Voting and Exchange Trust Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 9.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.1     Form of Rights Agreement between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.2     Form of Tax Sharing Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.3     Form of Transition Services Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.4     Form of Pine Chip Supply Agreement (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.5     Form of Hog Fuel Supply Agreement (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.6     Form of Slush Pulp Sales Agreement (Columbus, Mississippi) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.7     Form of Pine Chip Supply Agreement (Columbus, Mississippi) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.8     Form of Site Services Agreement (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.9     Form of Site Services Agreement (Kamloops, British Columbia) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)

 

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Exhibit No.      

Description

  10.10     Form of Site Services Agreement (Columbus, Mississippi) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.11     Form of Fiber Supply Agreement (Princeton, British Columbia) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.12     Form of Fiber Supply Agreement (Okanagan Falls, British Columbia) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.13     Form of Fiber Supply Agreement (Kamloops, British Columbia) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.14     Form of Fiber Supply Agreement (Carrot River and Hudson Bay) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.15     Form of Fiber Supply Agreement (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.14 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.16     Form of Fiber Supply Agreement (White River, Ontario) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.17     Form of Site Services Agreement (Utilities) (Columbus, Mississippi) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.18     Form of Site Services Agreement (Utilities) (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.17 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.19     Pine and Hardwood Roundwood Supply Agreement (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.20     Agreement for the Purchase and Supply of Pulp (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.19 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.21     Pine In-Woods Chip Supply Agreement (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.20 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.22     Pine and Amory Hardwood Roundwood Supply Agreement (Columbus, Mississippi) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.21 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.23     Agreement for the Purchase and Sale of Pulp (Kamloops, British Columbia) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)

 

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Exhibit No.      

Description

  10.24     Agency Agreement (Kamloops, British Columbia) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.25     OSB Supply Agreement (Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.26     Hog Fuel Supply Agreement (Kenora, Ontario) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.25 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.27     Fiber Supply Agreement (Trout Lake and Wabigoon, Ontario) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.26 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.28     Form of Intellectual Property License Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.29     Form of Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.28 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.30     Domtar Corporation 2007 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.29 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.31     Domtar Corporation 2004 Replacement Long-Term Incentive Plan for Former Employees of Weyerhaeuser Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.30 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.32     Domtar Corporation 1998 Replacement Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plan for Former Employees of Weyerhaeuser Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.31 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.33     Domtar Corporation Replacement Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plan for Former Employees of Weyerhaeuser Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.32 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.34     Domtar Corporation Executive Stock Option and Share Purchase Plan (applicable to eligible employees of Domtar Inc. for grants prior to March 7, 2007) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.33 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.35     Domtar Corporation Executive Deferred Share Unit Plan (applicable to members of the Management Committee of Domtar Inc. prior to March 7, 2007) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.34 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.36     Domtar Corporation Deferred Share Unit Plan for Outside Directors (for former directors of Domtar Inc.) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.35 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.37     Supplementary Pension Plan for Senior Executives of Domtar Corporation (for certain designated senior executives) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.36 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)

 

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Exhibit No.      

Description

  10.38     Supplementary Pension Plan for Designated Management Employees of Domtar Corporation (for certain designated management employees) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.37 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.39     Domtar Retention Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.38 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.40     Domtar Corporation Restricted Stock Plan (applicable to eligible employees of Domtar Inc. for grants prior to March 7, 2007) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.39 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.41     Domtar Severance Policy for Senior Executives (applicable to members of the Management Committee of Domtar Inc. prior to March 7, 2007) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.40 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.42     Director Deferred Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 24, 2007)
  10.43     Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 24, 2007)
  10.44     Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 24, 2007)
  10.45     Senior Executive Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 24, 2007)
  10.46     Performance Condition Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 24, 2007)
  10.47     Domtar Corporation Annual Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 24, 2007)
  10.48     Credit Agreement among the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC, Domtar Inc., J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., as syndication agent, Bank of America, N.A., Royal Bank of Canada and The Bank of Nova Scotia, as co-documentation agents, and the lenders from time to time parties thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.45 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.49     Employment Agreement, effective as of August 9, 2007, between the Company and Raymond Royer (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 15, 2007)
  10.50     Employment Agreement, effective as of August 9, 2007, between the Company and Marvin Cooper (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 15, 2007)
  15.1     Awareness Letter of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm—PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
  15.2     Awareness Letter of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm – KPMG LLP
*21.1     Subsidiaries of Domtar Corporation
  23.1     Consent of KPMG LLP relating to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business
  23.2     Consent of KPMG LLP relating to Domtar Corporation

 

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Exhibit No.      

Description

  23.3     Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP relating to Domtar Inc.
*24.1     Powers of Attorney
  25.1     Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of The Bank of New York
  99.1     Form of Letter of Transmittal and Consent
  99.2     Form of Letter to Clients
  99.3     Form of Letter to Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Bank, Trust Companies and Other Nominees
  99.4    

Form of Canadian Letter of Transmittal and Consent

 


*   Previously filed.

 

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Item 22. Undertakings

The undersigned registrants hereby undertake:

 

(1)   To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

  (a)   To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

 

  (b)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

 

  (c)   To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.

 

(2)   That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offering therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3)   To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(4)   The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

  (a)   Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

  (b)   Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

  (c)   The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

  (d)   Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

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(5)   Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers or controlling persons of the registrants pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrants have been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is therefore unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than payment by the registrants of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrants in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrants will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

(6)   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to supply by means of a post-effective amendment all information concerning a transaction, and the company being acquired involved therein, that was not the subject of and included in the registration statement when it became effective.

 

(7)   The undersigned registrants hereby undertake that, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of this registration statement shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in this registration statement or prospectus that is part of this registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

 

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Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Montreal, Québec, Canada on October 15, 2007.

 

Domtar Corporation

By:

 

/s/    R AYMOND R OYER        

Name:   Raymond Royer
Title:   President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated

 

Signature       Title       Date

/s/    R AYMOND R OYER        

Raymond Royer

   

President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) and Director

    October 15, 2007

/s/    D ANIEL B URON        

Daniel Buron

   

Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

    October 15, 2007

*

Harold H. MacKay

    Director     October 15, 2007

*

Jack C. Bingleman

    Director     October 15, 2007

*

Marvin D. Cooper

    Director     October 15, 2007

*

Louis P. Gignac

    Director     October 15, 2007

*

Brian M. Levitt

    Director     October 15, 2007

*

W. Henson Moore

    Director     October 15, 2007

*

Michael R. Onustock

    Director     October 15, 2007

*

Robert J. Steacy

    Director     October 15, 2007

*

William C. Stivers

    Director     October 15, 2007

 

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Signature       Title       Date

*

Pamela B. Strobel

    Director     October 15, 2007

*

Richard Tan

    Director     October 15, 2007

*

Denis Turcotte

    Director     October 15, 2007

 

 

* by:

 

/s/    R AZVAN L. T HEODORU        

  Attorney-In-Fact

 

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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Fort Mill, South Carolina on October 15, 2007.

 

Domtar Paper Company, LLC

By:

 

/s/    M ARVIN D. C OOPER        

Name:   M ARVIN D. C OOPER
Title:   President

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated

 

Signature        Title       Date

/s/    R AYMOND R OYER

Raymond Royer

     Director     October 15, 2007

/s/    M ARVIN D. C OOPER

Marvin D. Cooper

     Director     October 15, 2007

/s/    M ICHAEL E DWARDS

Michael Edwards

     Director     October 15, 2007

 

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Exhibit list

 

Exhibit No.      

Description

    1.1     Form of U.S. Dealer Manager Agreement
    1.2     Form of Canadian Dealer Manager Agreement
    3.1     Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 7, 2007)
    3.2     Amended and Restated By-Laws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 7, 2007)
  *3.3     Amended certificate of formation of Domtar Paper Company, LLC
  *3.4     Second amended and restated limited liability company agreement of Domtar Paper Company, LLC
    4.1     Form of Indenture among Domtar Corp., Domtar Paper Company, LLC and The Bank of New York, as trustee, relating to Domtar Corp., relating to Domtar Corp.’s (i) 7.125% Notes due 2015, (ii) 5.375% Notes due 2013, (iii) 7.125% Notes due 2011, (iv) 9.5% Notes due 2016, (v) Cdn 10% Notes due 2011 and (vi) Cdn 10.85% Notes due 2017
    4.2     Indenture, dated as of November 18, 2003, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York (as successor to J.P. Morgan Trust Company, N.A.), as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 7  1 / 8 % notes due 2015 and 5.375% notes due 2013
    4.3     Indenture, dated as of October 16, 2001, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York (as successor to The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 7.875% Notes due 2011
    4.4     Indenture, dated as of July 31, 1996, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 9  1 / 2 % debentures due 2016
    4.5     Indenture, dated as of August 5, 1987, between Domtar Inc. and Computershare Trust Company of Canada (as successor to Montreal Trust Company), as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 10.85% Debentures due 2017
    4.6     Indenture, dated as of April 15, 1987, between Domtar Inc. and Computershare Trust Company of Canada (as successor to Montreal Trust Company), as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 10% Debentures due 2011
    4.7     Form of Supplemental Indenture to the Indenture, dated as of November 18, 2003, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York (as successor to J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.), as Trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s (i) $400 million 7 1/8% Notes due 2015 and (ii) $350 million 5.375% Notes due 2013
    4.8     Form of Supplemental Indenture to the Indenture, dated as of October 16, 2001, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York (as successor to The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A.), as Trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s $600 million 7.875% Notes due 2011
    4.9     Form of Supplemental Indenture to the Indenture, dated as of July 31, 1996, between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, as Trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s $125 million 9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2011

 

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Exhibit No.      

Description

    4.10     Form of Supplemental Indenture to the Indenture, dated as of August 5, 1987, between Domtar Inc. and Computershare Trust Company of Canada (as successor to Montreal Trust Company), as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 10.85% Debentures due 2017
    4.11     Form of Supplemental Indenture to the Indenture, dated as of April 15, 1987, between Domtar Inc. and Computershare Trust Company of Canada (as successor to Montreal Trust Company), as trustee, relating to Domtar Inc.’s 10% Debentures due 2011
    5.1     Opinion of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP regarding the validity of the securities of Domtar Corp. being registered
    5.2     Opinion of Richards, Layton & Finger P.A. regarding the validity of the guarantees of Domtar Paper Company, LLC being registered
    9.1     Form of Voting and Exchange Trust Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 9.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.1     Form of Rights Agreement between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.2     Form of Tax Sharing Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.3     Form of Transition Services Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.4     Form of Pine Chip Supply Agreement (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.5     Form of Hog Fuel Supply Agreement (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.6     Form of Slush Pulp Sales Agreement (Columbus, Mississippi) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.7     Form of Pine Chip Supply Agreement (Columbus, Mississippi) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.8     Form of Site Services Agreement (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.9     Form of Site Services Agreement (Kamloops, British Columbia) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)

 

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Exhibit No.      

Description

  10.10     Form of Site Services Agreement (Columbus, Mississippi) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.11     Form of Fiber Supply Agreement (Princeton, British Columbia) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.12     Form of Fiber Supply Agreement (Okanagan Falls, British Columbia) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.13     Form of Fiber Supply Agreement (Kamloops, British Columbia) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.14     Form of Fiber Supply Agreement (Carrot River and Hudson Bay) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.15     Form of Fiber Supply Agreement (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.14 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.16     Form of Fiber Supply Agreement (White River, Ontario) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.17     Form of Site Services Agreement (Utilities) (Columbus, Mississippi) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.18     Form of Site Services Agreement (Utilities) (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.17 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.19     Pine and Hardwood Roundwood Supply Agreement (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.20     Agreement for the Purchase and Supply of Pulp (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.19 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.21     Pine In-Woods Chip Supply Agreement (Plymouth, North Carolina) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.20 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.22     Pine and Amory Hardwood Roundwood Supply Agreement (Columbus, Mississippi) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.21 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.23     Agreement for the Purchase and Sale of Pulp (Kamloops, British Columbia) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)

 

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Exhibit No.      

Description

  10.24     Agency Agreement (Kamloops, British Columbia) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.25     OSB Supply Agreement (Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.26     Hog Fuel Supply Agreement (Kenora, Ontario) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.25 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.27     Fiber Supply Agreement (Trout Lake and Wabigoon, Ontario) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.26 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.28     Form of Intellectual Property License Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Amendment No. 2 filed with the SEC on January 26, 2007)
  10.29     Form of Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.28 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.30     Domtar Corporation 2007 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.29 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.31     Domtar Corporation 2004 Replacement Long-Term Incentive Plan for Former Employees of Weyerhaeuser Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.30 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.32     Domtar Corporation 1998 Replacement Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plan for Former Employees of Weyerhaeuser Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.31 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.33     Domtar Corporation Replacement Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plan for Former Employees of Weyerhaeuser Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.32 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.34     Domtar Corporation Executive Stock Option and Share Purchase Plan (applicable to eligible employees of Domtar Inc. for grants prior to March 7, 2007) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.33 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.35     Domtar Corporation Executive Deferred Share Unit Plan (applicable to members of the Management Committee of Domtar Inc. prior to March 7, 2007) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.34 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.36     Domtar Corporation Deferred Share Unit Plan for Outside Directors (for former directors of Domtar Inc.) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.35 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)

 

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Exhibit No.      

Description

  10.37     Supplementary Pension Plan for Senior Executives of Domtar Corporation (for certain designated senior executives) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.36 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.38     Supplementary Pension Plan for Designated Management Employees of Domtar Corporation (for certain designated management employees) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.37 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.39     Domtar Retention Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.38 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.40     Domtar Corporation Restricted Stock Plan (applicable to eligible employees of Domtar Inc. for grants prior to March 7, 2007) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.39 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.41     Domtar Severance Policy for Senior Executives (applicable to members of the Management Committee of Domtar Inc. prior to March 7, 2007) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.40 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.42     Director Deferred Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 24, 2007)
  10.43     Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 24, 2007)
  10.44     Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 24, 2007)
  10.45     Senior Executive Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 24, 2007)
  10.46     Performance Condition Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 24, 2007)
  10.47     Domtar Corporation Annual Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 24, 2007)
  10.48     Credit Agreement among the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC, Domtar Inc., J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., as syndication agent, Bank of America, N.A., Royal Bank of Canada and The Bank of Nova Scotia, as co-documentation agents, and the lenders from time to time parties thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.45 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on May 9, 2007)
  10.49     Employment Agreement, effective as of August 9, 2007, between the Company and Raymond Royer (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 15, 2007)
  10.50     Employment Agreement, effective as of August 9, 2007, between the Company and Marvin Cooper (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 15, 2007)
  15.1     Awareness Letter of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm – PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
  15.2     Awareness Letter of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm – KPMG LLP

 

II-19


Table of Contents
Exhibit No.      

Description

*21.1     Subsidiaries of Domtar Corporation
  23.1     Consent of KPMG LLP relating to the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business
  23.2     Consent of KPMG LLP relating to Domtar Corporation
  23.3     Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP relating to Domtar Inc.
*24.1     Powers of Attorney
  25.1     Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of The Bank of New York
  99.1     Form of Letter of Transmittal and Consent
  99.2     Form of Letter to Clients
  99.3     Form of Letter to Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Bank, Trust Companies and Other Nominees
  99.4    

Form of Canadian Letter of Transmittal and Consent

 


*   Previously filed.

 

II-20

Exhibit 1.1

Dealer Managers Agreement

[            ], 2007

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

c/o J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

270 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10017

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), proposes (i) to make offers (together with any amendments, supplements or extensions thereof, each an “ Offer ” and collectively, the “ Offers ”) for any and all of the outstanding 7.875% Notes due 2011 (the “ 2011 Notes ”), 5.375% Notes due 2013 (the “ 2013 Notes ”), 7  1 / 8 % Notes due 2015 (the “ 2015 Notes ”) and 9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2016 (the “ 2016 Debentures ,” and together with the 2011 Notes, the 2013 Notes and the 2015 Notes, the “ Outstanding Notes ”) of Domtar Inc., a corporation organized under the federal laws of Canada and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, in exchange for consideration consisting of, with respect to each series of the Outstanding Notes, an equal aggregate principal amount of a series of newly issued debt securities of the Company, each bearing the same interest rate and payment and maturity dates as the series of Outstanding Notes for which it is offered to be exchanged (collectively, the “ Exchange Notes ”). Domtar Paper Company, LLC (the “Guarantor”) will guarantee the Company’s obligations under the Exchange Notes (the “ Guarantee ”). The Exchange Notes are to be issued under an indenture among the Company, the Guarantor and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the “ Trustee ”), to be dated the Settlement Date (as defined in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement (defined below)) (the “ Indenture ”). The Offers will be on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement dated [            ], 2007 (the “ Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement ”) and the related Letter of Transmittal and Consent (the “ Letter of Transmittal ”), copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibits A and B, respectively.

In conjunction with the Offers, the Company proposes to solicit (each, a “ Solicitation ,” and collectively, the “ Solicitations ”) consents (the “ Consents ”) of (i) the holders of 2011 Notes to the adoption of certain proposed amendments (the “ 2001 Indenture Proposed Amendments ”) to the Indenture dated as of October 16, 2001 (the “ 2001 Indenture ”), between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation (“The Bank of New York”) (as successor trustee), as heretofore amended and supplemented; (ii) the holders of 2013 Notes and 2015 Notes to the adoption of certain proposed amendments (the “ 2003 Indenture Proposed Amendments ”) to the Indenture dated as of November 18, 2003 (the “ 2003 Indenture ”), between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York (as successor trustee), as heretofore amended and supplemented; and (iii) the holders of 2016 Notes to the adoption of certain proposed amendments (the “ 1996 Indenture Proposed Amendments ,” and together with the 2001 Indenture


Proposed Amendments and the 2003 Indenture Proposed Amendments, the “ Proposed Amendments ”) to the Indenture dated as of July 31, 1996 (the “ 1996 Indenture ,” and together with the 2001 Indenture and the 2003 Indenture, the “ Existing Indentures ”), between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, as trustee, as heretofore amended and supplemented.

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) a registration statement on Form S-4 (No. 333-146322) on September 26, 2007 providing for the registration of the Exchange Notes (the “ Initial Registration Statement ”) under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission thereunder (the “ Act ”). The Initial Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, including exhibits to such registration statements, has become effective. The Initial Registration Statement, including any exhibits, as of the time it became effective is referred to herein as the “ Registration Statement .” The Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement which is contained within the Registration Statement at the time it became effective or which is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act is referred to herein as the “ Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement .”

In Canada, the Offers and Solicitations will be made on a basis that is exempt from the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws, rules, regulations, instruments, orders and published policy statements applicable in any province or territory of Canada (“ Canadian Securities Laws ”). The Company has prepared a confidential offering memorandum (the “Offering Memorandum”) which consists of the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement and a Canadian wrapper for use by you in connection with the Offers and Solicitations in Canada.

The Registration Statement, the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, Letter of Transmittal, Offering Memorandum and all other documents, if any, filed or to be filed by the Company with the Commission or any other U.S. or Canadian federal, state, provincial, territorial or local or other governmental or regulatory agency or authority relating to the Offers or the Solicitations or sent to holders of Outstanding Notes and such other documents (including, without limitation, any electronic roadshow or investor presentation, advertisements, press releases or summaries relating to the Offers and any forms of letters to brokers, dealers, banks, trust companies and other nominees relating to the Offers or the Solicitations) as the Company may authorize for use in connection with the Offers and the Solicitations, as amended or supplemented from time to time, are collectively referred to as the “ Offer and Solicitation Materials .”

All funds referred to in this Agreement shall be in U.S. dollars unless otherwise specified.

1. Engagement . (a) The Company hereby engages you to act as its exclusive dealer managers and consent solicitation agents (the “ Dealer Managers ”) in connection with the Offers and Solicitations, and, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements contained herein, you hereby accept such engagement upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement.

 

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(b) As Dealer Managers, each of you agree, in accordance with your firm’s customary practice, to perform those services in connection with the Offers and Solicitations as are customarily performed by investment banks in connection with exchange offers and consent solicitations of like nature, including, without limitation, using reasonable best efforts to solicit tenders of Outstanding Notes in exchange for Exchange Notes and deliveries of Consents in the United States and Canada pursuant to the Offers and Solicitations and communicating generally in the United States and Canada regarding the Offers and Solicitations with brokers, dealers, commercial banks and trust companies and other holders of the Outstanding Notes.

(c) The Company authorizes you to communicate with Global Bondholder Services Corporation, who has been engaged to serve as the depositary and Global Bondholder Services Corporation, who has been engaged to serve as the information agent, with respect to matters relating to the Offers and Solicitations. Global Bondholder Services Corporation is hereinafter referred to as the “ Depositary ” and Global Bondholder Services Corporation is hereinafter referred to as the “ Information Agent ” as the context requires. The Company has instructed or will instruct the Depositary to advise you at least daily as to the principal amount of Outstanding Notes that have been tendered pursuant to the Offers and as to which Consents have been delivered pursuant to the Solicitations, and such other matters in connection with the Offers and Solicitations as you may reasonably request.

(d) The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to cause you to be provided with lists or other records in such form as you may reasonably request showing the names and addresses of, and the principal amount of Outstanding Notes held by, the holders of the Outstanding Notes as of a recent date and will use its reasonable best efforts to cause you to be advised from day to day during the period of the Offers and the Solicitations as to any transfers of Outstanding Notes.

(e) The Offer and Solicitation Materials have been or will be prepared and approved by, and are the sole responsibility of, the Company. The Company will furnish you, at its expense, with as many copies as you may reasonably request of the Offer and Solicitation Materials, including the Offering Memorandum, and you are authorized to use copies of the Offer and Solicitation Materials in connection with the performance of your duties hereunder. The Company agrees that, a reasonable time prior to using or filing with the Commission or with any other U.S. or Canadian federal, state, provincial, territorial or local or other governmental or regulatory agency, authority or instrumentality or court or arbitrator (“ Other Agency ”), or sending to any holder of Outstanding Notes, any Offer and Solicitation Materials or any amendments thereto, it will submit copies of such materials to you and will not use, permit the use of or file such materials with the Commission or any Other Agency to which you reasonably object. In the event that the Company uses or permits the use of, or files with the Commission or any Other Agency, any Offer and Solicitation Materials (i) which have not been submitted to you for your comments, or (ii) with respect to which you reasonably object, then each of you shall be entitled, at any time upon one day notice to the Company, to withdraw as a dealer manager in connection with the Offers and the Solicitations without any liability or penalty to you or any other Indemnified Person (as defined in Annex A hereof) and without loss of any right to the payment of all fees and expenses payable hereunder which have accrued or been incurred to the date of such withdrawal.

 

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(f) The Company will cause copies of the Offer and Solicitation Materials to be mailed or otherwise delivered or made available to each holder of the Outstanding Notes as soon as practicable after the date of the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, and thereafter, to the extent practicable and until the expiration of the Offers and the Solicitations (the “ Expiration Date ”), to each person who becomes a holder of the Outstanding Notes. You hereby agree, as Dealer Managers, that you will not disseminate any written material for or in connection with the solicitation of tenders of Outstanding Notes or Consents pursuant to the Offers and Solicitations other than the Offer and Solicitation Materials.

(g) The Company will advise you promptly, after it receives notice, or otherwise becomes aware, of (i) the occurrence of any event that could reasonably be expected to cause the Company to withdraw, rescind or terminate any of the Offers or Solicitations or would permit the Company to exercise any right not to exchange Outstanding Notes tendered pursuant to any of the Offers for Exchange Notes or not to pay for Consents delivered pursuant to any of the Solicitations, (ii) the occurrence of any event, or the discovery of any fact, the occurrence or existence of which would require the making of any change in any of the Offer and Solicitation Materials then being used or would cause any representation or warranty contained in this Agreement to be untrue or inaccurate in any material respect or as a result of which the Offer and Solicitation Materials as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading, (iii) any proposal by the Company or requirement to make, amend or supplement any Offer and Solicitation Materials or any filing in connection with any of the Offers or Solicitations pursuant to the Act, the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission under the Act and the Exchange Act (the “ Regulations ”) or any other applicable law, rule or regulation, (iv) the issuance by the Commission or any Other Agency of any comment or order or the taking of any other action concerning any of the Offers or Solicitations (and, if in writing, the Company will furnish you with a copy thereof), (v) any material developments in connection with any of the Offers or Solicitations, including, without limitation, the commencement of any lawsuit concerning any of the Offers or the Solicitations, and (vi) any other information relating to any of the Offers, Solicitations, the Offer and Solicitation Materials or this Agreement that you may from time to time reasonably request. In the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or effect compliance with such requirement.

(h) The Company acknowledges and agrees that you shall have no liability (in tort, contract or otherwise) to the Company, its affiliates or any other person for any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (each a “ Loss ” and, collectively, the “ Losses ”) arising from any act or omission on the part of any broker or dealer in securities (a “ Dealer ”), bank or trust company, or any other person in connection with the Offers or Solicitations, and neither a Dealer Manager nor any of its affiliates shall be liable for any Losses arising from its own acts or omissions in performing its obligations as a dealer manager or as a Dealer in connection with the Offers and Solicitations, except for any such Losses that are finally judicially determined to have resulted primarily from its bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct. In soliciting or obtaining tenders of Outstanding Notes for Exchange Notes and deliveries of Consents to the Proposed Amendments, no Dealer (including each other), bank or trust company is to be deemed to be acting as your agent or the agent of the Company or any of its affiliates, and you shall not be deemed the agent of any Dealer, bank or trust company or a fiduciary of the Company or an agent or fiduciary of any of its affiliates, equity holders, creditors or of any other person. In

 

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soliciting or obtaining tenders of Outstanding Notes for Exchange Notes and deliveries of Consents to the Proposed Amendments, you shall not be nor shall you be deemed for any purpose to act as a partner or joint venturer of, or a member of a syndicate or group with, the Company or any of its affiliates in connection with the Offers or Solicitations and the obtaining of necessary funds therefor, any exchange of Outstanding Notes for Exchange Notes, any payment for Consents or otherwise, and neither the Company nor any of its affiliates shall be deemed to act as your agents. The Company shall have sole authority for the acceptance or rejection of any and all tenders of Outstanding Notes and all deliveries of Consents to the Proposed Amendments.

(i) The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) you have been retained solely to provide the services set forth herein, and in rendering such services you shall act as an independent contractor and any duties arising out of your engagement hereunder shall be owed solely to the Company; (ii) you may perform the services contemplated hereby through or in conjunction with your affiliates, and any of your affiliates performing services hereunder shall be entitled to the benefits and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement (it is contemplated that J.P. Morgan Securities Canada Inc., an affiliate of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., will perform certain services in Canada in connection with the Offers and Solicitations); (iii) you are a securities firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities and providing investment banking and financial advisory services, and in the ordinary course of business, you and your affiliates may at any time hold long or short positions, and may trade or otherwise effect transactions, for your own account or the accounts of customers, in debt or equity securities of the Company, Domtar Inc., their respective affiliates or other entities that may be involved in the transactions contemplated hereby; and (iv) you are not an advisor as to legal, tax, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction, and Domtar Inc. and the Company must consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and will be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and you shall have no responsibility or liability to Domtar Inc. or the Company with respect thereto.

(j) The Company has made, or instructed the Depositary to make, appropriate arrangements with The Depository Trust Company (“ DTC ”) to allow for the book-entry movement of Outstanding Notes tendered for exchange between DTC participants and the Depositary and the delivery of Consents pursuant to an omnibus proxy.

(k) No broker, investment banker, financial advisor or other person, other than the Dealer Managers, are entitled to any broker’s, finder’s, financial advisor’s or other similar fee or commission in connection with the Offers and Solicitations based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of the Company and any of its subsidiaries.

2. Compensation and Expenses . (a) The Company agrees to pay the Dealer Managers, as compensation for their services as Dealer Managers in connection with the Offers and Solicitations, a fee equal to $[              ] per $1,000 principal amount of Outstanding Notes validly tendered and accepted for exchange in the Offers. Of the fees payable, the Company shall pay [              ]% to J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and [              ]% to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. In the event the Company is required to withhold any amounts otherwise payable to the Dealer Managers in respect of taxes, levies or other charges imposed by the Canada Revenue Agency or

 

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any equivalent authority in a jurisdiction of Canada, the Company agrees to remit or cause to be remitted any such withholdings to the applicable authority in accordance with applicable law and to provide evidence of such remittances to the Dealer Managers. The Company agrees to pay the Dealer Managers such additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the net amount of the payments made to the Dealer Managers, after provision for payment of any such taxes, levies or charges shall be equal to the amount which such Dealer Managers would have received had there been no such taxes, levies or charges.

The foregoing fee and any additional amounts will be payable on the Settlement Date concurrently with the exchange of Outstanding Notes for Exchange Notes and the payments for Consents pursuant to the Offers or such other date as may be agreed by the Company and you.

(b) The Company further agrees to pay directly or reimburse you, as the case may be, for (i) all expenses incurred in relation to the preparation, printing, filing, mailing or other distribution of all Offer and Solicitation Materials, (ii) all fees and expenses of the Depositary and the Information Agent, (iii) all advertising charges in connection with the Offers and Solicitations, including those of any public relations firm or other person or entity rendering services in connection therewith, (iv) all fees, if any, payable to Dealers (including you) and banks and trust companies as reimbursement for their customary mailing and handling fees and expenses incurred in forwarding the Offer and Solicitation Materials to their customers, (v) the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and delivery of the Exchange Notes, including any stamp, transfer or similar taxes in connection with the original issuance and exchange for Outstanding Notes of the Exchange Notes, (vi) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement, the Indenture and supplemental indentures to the Existing Indentures (the “ Supplemental Indentures ”) effecting the Proposed Amendments, any blue sky memorandum and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with the Offers and Solicitations, (vii) any registration or qualification of the Exchange Notes for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of the several states, provinces and territories of the United States and Canada (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Dealer Managers relating to such registration and qualification), (viii) any filings required to be made with the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Dealer Managers relating to such filings), (ix) the transportation and other expenses incurred by or on behalf of representatives of the Company and Domtar Inc. and the Dealer Managers in connection with presentations to prospective participants in the Offers and Solicitations, (x) the fees and expenses of the accountants of the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Predecessor Company (as defined in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement) and the fees and expenses of counsel (including U.S. and Canadian local and special counsel) for the Company and Domtar Inc., (xi) the fees and expenses of the Trustee and the trustee under each of the Supplemental Indentures and transfer agent, (xii) the expenses payable to rating agencies in connection with the rating of the Exchange Notes, (xiii) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Exchange Notes on the New York Stock Exchange and (xiv) all other fees and expenses reasonably incurred by you in connection with the Offers and Solicitations or otherwise in connection with the performance of your services hereunder (including all fees and disbursements of your outside U.S. and Canadian legal counsel). All payments to be made by the Company pursuant to this Section 2(b) shall be made reasonably promptly after the expiration or termination of the Offers and the Solicitations or your withdrawal as a Dealer Manager, against delivery to the Company of statements therefor. The

 

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Company shall perform its obligations set forth in this Section 2 whether or not the Offers and Solicitations are commenced or the Company exchanges any Outstanding Notes of any series for Exchange Notes pursuant to the Offers or the Proposed Amendments are consented to by the holders of any series of Outstanding Notes.

3. Covenants of the Company . The Company covenants and agrees with you that:

(a) Each of the Company and Domtar Inc. shall (i) file promptly all reports with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement and until the Settlement Date; (ii) advise you promptly when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission and shall have become effective, and when any amendment to the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement shall have been filed; (iii) advise you promptly of the receipt of any comments from the Commission; (iv) advise you promptly of any request by the Commission to amend the Registration Statement or to amend or supplement the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement or for any additional information; (v) advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission or any Other Agency of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement or the Offering Memorandum or of the suspension of the qualification of the Exchange Notes for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Offer and Solicitation Materials or for additional information; and (vi) in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement or the Offering Memorandum or suspending any such qualification, promptly use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of such stop order and to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal of such order, if issued.

(b) The Company will furnish to the Dealer Managers and counsel for the Dealer Managers, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus is required under the Act or the Exchange Act, as many copies of the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement and any supplement thereto as the Dealer Managers may reasonably request; and the Company will furnish to the Dealer Managers and to counsel for the Dealer Managers, without charge, during the period beginning on the Commencement Date (as defined herein) and continuing to and including the Settlement Date (as defined in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement), as many copies of the other Offer and Solicitation Materials, including the Offering Memorandum, and any amendments and supplements thereto as the Dealer Managers may reasonably request.

(c) The Company will fully comply in a timely manner with the applicable provisions of Rule 424 under the Act.

(d) The Company will arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Exchange Notes for offer and sale under the laws of such jurisdictions in the United States and Canada as you may designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the consummation of the Offers and Solicitations; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take

 

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any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or exchange of the Exchange Notes, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject. The Company will also supply you with such information as is necessary for the determination of the legality of the Exchange Notes for investment under the laws of such jurisdictions as you may request.

(e) As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to you an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.

(f) The Company and Domtar Inc. will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act, the rules and procedures established under the Canadian Securities Laws, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company or Domtar Inc. to facilitate Offers or encourage tenders or Consents by holders of Outstanding Notes in the Offers and Solicitations.

(g) The Company will, and will cause its subsidiaries to, cooperate with the Dealer Managers and use its best efforts to permit the Exchange Notes to be eligible for clearance and settlement through DTC.

(h) So long as the Exchange Notes are outstanding, the Company will furnish to the Dealer Managers copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Exchange Notes, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission (collectively, the “ Filings ”), except for all such Filings filed by the Company with the Commission in electronic format on the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System.

(i) The Company will use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Exchange Notes on the New York Stock Exchange.

4. Representations, Warranties and Agreements of the Company . The Company represents, warrants and agrees (i) on and as of the date on which the Offers and Solicitations are commenced (the “ Commencement Date ”), (ii) on and as of any date on which Offer and Solicitation Materials are distributed to holders of the Outstanding Notes, (iii) on the Expiration Date and (iv) on and as of the Settlement Date that:

(a) The Registration Statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form delivered to the Dealer Managers, has become effective under the Act in such form; and any request on the part of the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Offer and Solicitation Materials or for additional information has been complied with.

(b) The Company has caused the Trustee to prepare and file with the Commission a Statement of Eligibility and Qualification of the Trustee with respect to the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission

 

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thereunder (the “ TIA ”), on Form T-1 (the “ Form T-1 ”). No registration, filing or recording of the Indenture under the laws of the Province of Québec or the federal laws of Canada applicable therein is necessary in order to preserve or protect the validity or enforceability of the Indenture or the Exchange Notes issued thereunder.

(c) The Offer and Solicitation Materials comply and at all times during the period of the Offers and Solicitations will comply, in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, the Exchange Act and the TIA and with all applicable rules or regulations of the Commission and any Other Agency, including applicable “blue sky” or similar securities laws, and the Offer and Solicitation Materials do not, and at all times during the Offers and Solicitations, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.

(d) The Company and each subsidiary of the Company which meets the definition of a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Act (each, a “Significant Subsidiary,” and collectively, the “Significant Subsidiaries”), (i) has been duly incorporated or formed, is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership, as applicable, and is in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation with full corporate, limited liability company or limited partnership, as applicable, power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement and (ii) is duly qualified to do business as a foreign entity or an extra provincial corporation, as applicable, and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction which requires such qualification, other than, with respect to clause (ii), where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business or on the making and consummation of the Offers and the Solicitations and the transactions contemplated hereby (a “ Material Adverse Effect ”).

(e) All the outstanding shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, and, except as otherwise set forth in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, all outstanding shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary are owned by the Company either directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries free and clear of any perfected security interest or any other security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances, other than where such security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(f) The subsidiaries listed in Annex B hereto are the only Significant Subsidiaries of the Company.

(g) There are no contracts, documents or other materials required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement or to be filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described, referred to or filed or incorporated by reference as required and, in the case of those documents filed, delivered to the Dealer Managers.

 

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(h) The outstanding common shares of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, and, except as set forth in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement and except for any options granted pursuant to the Company’s stock option plans since the most recent date that the number of outstanding options is presented within the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue, or rights to convert any obligations into or exchange any securities for, shares of capital stock of or ownership interests in the Company are outstanding.

(i) The Company has the corporate power and authority to take, and has taken, all necessary action to authorize (i) the Offers and Solicitations and the obtaining of the necessary funds therefor, (ii) the issuance of the Exchange Notes, (iii) the exchange of the Exchange Notes for the Outstanding Notes pursuant to the Offers, (iv) the payments for Consents by the Company pursuant to the Solicitations, (v) the execution, delivery and performance of the Indenture and (vi) the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Offer and Solicitation Materials; and the Company has taken or will take all necessary corporate action to authorize any amendments or supplements to, or modification of, the Offers and the Solicitations and the Offer and Solicitation Materials.

(j) Domtar Inc. has the corporate power and authority to take, and has taken, all necessary action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of the Supplemental Indentures effecting the Proposed Amendments; and Domtar Paper Company, LLC has the limited liability company power and authority to take, and has taken, all necessary action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Indenture.

(k) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC and, assuming that this Agreement is a valid and legally binding obligation of you, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC, enforceable against them in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing (the “ Enforceability Exceptions ”) and except as the enforceability of the indemnity provisions thereof may be limited by considerations of public policy.

(l) The Exchange Notes, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the Offers, will have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms (subject to the Enforceability Exceptions) entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture; the Indenture (including the Guarantee set forth therein) has been duly qualified under the TIA and, when the Indenture (including the Guarantee set forth therein) has been duly executed and delivered by the Company, the Guarantor and the Trustee, will constitute a valid and binding instrument, enforceable against the Company and the Guarantor in accordance with its terms (subject to the Enforceability Exceptions); and the Exchange Notes and the Indenture (including the Guarantee set forth therein) conform or will conform, in all material respects, to the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement.

 

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(m) The Guarantee has been duly authorized by the Guarantor, and, when the Exchange Notes have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and this Agreement, will constitute a valid and legally binding obligation of the Guarantor, enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with its terms (subject to the Enforceability Exceptions), and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture; the Guarantee is in the form contemplated by the Indenture and the Guarantee conforms or will conform, in all material respects, to the description thereof in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement.

(n) Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, or any development involving a prospective Material Adverse Effect, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement; except as set forth in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement since such date neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.

(o) The Supplemental Indentures, when duly executed and delivered in accordance with their terms and the terms of the Existing Indentures by each of the parties thereto, will constitute valid and legally binding agreements of Domtar Inc., enforceable against Domtar Inc. in accordance with their terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions. The Supplemental Indentures will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Offer and Solicitation Materials.

(p) The Offers, the Solicitations, the financing for the Offers, the execution, delivery and performance by the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC of this Agreement, the issuance of the Exchange Notes by the Company, the issuance of the Guarantee by the Guarantor, the exchange of the Exchange Notes for Outstanding Notes pursuant to the Offers, the payment for Consents by the Company, the execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Company and the Guarantor and the compliance by the Company and the Guarantor with all of the provisions of the Indenture, the consummation by the Company and the Guarantor, as applicable, of the transactions contemplated hereby and under the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement and the execution and delivery of the Supplemental Indentures by Domtar Inc. and the compliance by Domtar Inc. with all of the provisions of the Supplemental Indentures do not and will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, note, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the

 

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charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of the Commission or any Other Agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(q) No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, qualification or other action of, or filing with or notice to, the Commission or any Other Agency is required in connection with the issuance of the Exchange Notes by the Company, the issuance of the Guarantee by the Guarantor, the exchange of the Exchange Notes for Outstanding Notes, the payment for Consents by the Company, the execution, delivery and performance by the Company, and Domtar Paper Company, LLC of this Agreement or the Indenture, the execution, delivery and performance by Domtar Inc. of the Supplemental Indentures, the making or consummation of the Offers and the Solicitations or the consummation of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Offer and Solicitation Materials, except such as have been obtained or made under the Act and the TIA and such as may be required under the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the exchange of the Exchange Notes for Outstanding Notes pursuant to the Offers and the payment for Consents pursuant to the Solicitations.

(r) The Company has, or has made arrangements to obtain, funds sufficient to enable the Company to pay promptly, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offers and the Solicitations, the consent payments which the Company will offer to pay in connection with the Solicitations, and such arrangements comply with Canadian Securities Laws and Section 7 of the Exchange Act to the extent applicable. The Company hereby agrees that it will pay promptly, or cause Domtar Inc. to pay promptly, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Offers and Solicitations and this Agreement, the consideration (and related costs) for Consents that the Company has offered and that the Company may be required to pay for pursuant to the Offers and the Solicitations, and the fees and expenses payable hereunder.

(s) No stop order, restraining order or denial of an application for approval has been issued and no proceedings, litigation or investigation have been initiated or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened before a Canadian Regulatory Authority, the Commission or any Other Agency or court with respect to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement or the Offering Memorandum or the making or consummation of any of the Offers or the Solicitations (including the obtaining or use of funds to pay for Consents) or the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Offer and Solicitation Materials or with respect to the issuance of Exchange Notes by the Company and the exchange of the Exchange Notes for Outstanding Notes pursuant to the Offers and Solicitations.

(t) In connection with the Offers and the Solicitations, the Company has complied, and will continue to comply, in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the Regulations, including, without limitation, Sections 10 and 14 of the Exchange Act and Rules 10b-5 and 14e-1 thereunder.

 

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(u) The historical financial statements of the Company and the Predecessor Company (as defined in the Offer and Solicitation Materials) included in the Offer and Solicitation Materials, present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company and the Predecessor Company, respectively, on a consolidated basis (in the case of the Company) and a combined basis (in the case of the Predecessor Company), as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and have been prepared in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles of the United States (“ U.S. GAAP ”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein).

(v) The consolidated historical financial statements of Domtar Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Offer and Solicitation Materials, present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and Canadian Securities Laws, have been reconciled to U.S. GAAP in accordance with Item 17 of Form 20-F under the Exchange Act and have been prepared in conformity with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (“ Canadian GAAP ”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein).

(w) The historical consolidated financial data set forth in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement under the headings “Selected historical financial data of the Company” and “Selected historical financial data of Domtar Inc,” when read in conjunction with the financial statements and the related notes of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, Domtar Inc. and the Company, respectively, included in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement and on the basis stated therein, fairly present the financial results and financial condition of the Company and Domtar Inc., respectively, and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the corresponding financial statements included in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement (except as otherwise noted therein).

(x) The pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto included in the Offer and Solicitation Materials have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Act, and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are reasonable and are set forth in the Offer and Solicitation Materials.

(y) The statements in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement under the headings “Certain material United States federal income tax consequences,” “Description of the Domtar Corp. notes” and “Description of differences between the Domtar Inc. U.S. notes and the Domtar Corp. notes,” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings.

(z) Neither the Company nor Domtar Paper Company, LLC is or, after giving effect to the exchange of the Exchange Notes for the Outstanding Notes and the consummation of the Offers as described in the Offer and Solicitation Materials, will be an “investment company” (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

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(aa) No action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries, its property or property of its subsidiaries is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened that (i) is of a character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, (ii) could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement by the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC or on the performance of the Indenture or the Exchange Notes by the Company or the Guarantor or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby, (iii) could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on Domtar Inc.’s ability to enter into and perform its obligations under the Supplemental Indentures or (iv) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Offer and Solicitation Materials.

(bb) The Company and its subsidiaries own or lease all such properties as are necessary to the conduct of the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole as presently conducted and as described in the Offer and Solicitation Materials.

(cc) Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary is, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both would be, in violation or default of (i) any provision of its charter or by-laws or other constituting documents, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or such subsidiary or any of its or their properties, as applicable which violation or default would, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, either individually or in the aggregate with all other violations and defaults referred to in this paragraph (if any), have a Material Adverse Effect.

(dd) (i) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who has audited the financial statements of Domtar Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries as of and for the year ended December 31, 2006 and delivered their report with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc. included in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, are, and during the periods covered by their report were, independent chartered accountants with respect to Domtar Inc. within the meaning of the Canada Business Corporations Act , Canadian Securities Laws, the Code of Ethics of the Ordre des comptables agrées du Québec and an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the rules and regulations of the PCAOB; (ii) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who has reviewed the interim financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and delivered their report with respect to the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007 included in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, is, and during the periods covered by their report was, an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the rules and regulations of the PCAOB; and (iii) KPMG LLP, who has audited certain financial statements of the Company and the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) and delivered their report with respect to the audited balance sheet of the Company as of December 31, 2006

 

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and their report with respect to the audited combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of and for the year ended December 31, 2006 and who has reviewed the interim financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and delivered their report with respect to the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended June 25, 2006, each included in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, is, and during the periods covered by their reports was, an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the rules and regulations of the PCAOB.

(ee) No stamp duty, registration or documentary taxes, duties or similar charges imposed under the laws of the United States or Canada are payable (other than any such taxes, duties or similar charges that are payable by a tendering holder of Outstanding Notes as contemplated by the Letter of Transmittal) in connection with the making or the consummation of the Offers, the issuance of the Exchange Notes, the authorization, execution, delivery and performance by the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC of this Agreement, the authorization, execution, delivery and performance by the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC of the Indenture or by the Company of the Offer and Solicitation Materials or the authorization, execution, delivery and performance by Domtar Inc. of the Supplemental Indentures.

(ff) Each of the Company and Domtar Inc. has filed all U.S. and foreign federal, state, provincial, territorial and local tax returns that are required to be filed or has requested extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not have a Material Adverse Effect), except as set forth in the Prospectus and the Consent Solicitation Statement and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement.

(gg) Except as set forth in or contemplated in Registration Statement and Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, no labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened or imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor dispute by the employees of any of its subsidiaries, or to the knowledge of the Company, its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, that could have a Material Adverse Effect.

(hh) The Company and each of its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; and there are no material claims by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement.

 

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(ii) No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except as described in or contemplated in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement.

(jj) The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by the appropriate federal, state, provincial or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement.

(kk) The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under Canadian Securities Laws, the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company or Domtar Inc. to facilitate the Offers or encourage tenders or Consents by holders of Outstanding Notes in the Offers and Solicitations.

(ll) The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, Canadian federal, provincial and local, and U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“ Environmental Laws ”), (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses as presently conducted and as described in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, and (iii) except as set forth in or contemplated in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, have not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except where such non-compliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals, or liability would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been named as a “potentially responsible party” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, except in instances where (A) the Company has made adequate provision for such event in the reserves on its balance sheet or (B) being so named would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(mm) In the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such

 

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associated costs and liabilities would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement.

(nn) The Company and its subsidiaries own, possess, are licensed to use or have other sufficient legal rights to use all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, technology, know-how and other intellectual property (collectively, the “ Intellectual Property ”) necessary for the conduct of the Company’s business as presently conducted and as described in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement. Except as set forth in or contemplated in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, (i) there are no rights of third parties to any such Intellectual Property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries; (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no material infringement by third parties of any such Intellectual Property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries; (iii) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s rights in or to any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iv) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and (v) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company infringes or otherwise violates any Intellectual Property or other proprietary rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim.

(oo) Each of the Company and Domtar Inc. is a reporting issuer not in default of any requirements under the Exchange Act or the Canadian Securities Laws.

(pp) None of the Company’s subsidiaries nor any of its or their properties or assets has any immunity from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution or otherwise) under the federal laws of Canada or the laws of the Province of Québec.

(qq) The Company is not aware of any defects in title to its material properties or its material assets and facilities which are used in the production and marketing of pulp and paper, lumber and wood products and corrugated products that would, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(rr) There is and has been no failure on the part of either the Company, Domtar Inc., or their respective directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects, in the case of the Company, with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “ Sarbanes-Oxley Act ”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications, and, in the case of Domtar Inc., with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

(ss) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, the Company and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, and Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, maintain an effective system of “disclosure

 

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controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company and Domtar Inc., including with respect to their respective subsidiaries, in the respective reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s and Domtar Inc.’s respective management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Each of the Company and Domtar Inc. has carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of itself and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.

(tt) The Company and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, and Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, including, but not limited to internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, there are no material weaknesses in the internal controls of the Company and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, or Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis.

(uu) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement and Registration Statement, each defined benefit pension plan sponsored by Company or Domtar Inc. or for which either of them could have any liability has been maintained in compliance with the terms thereof and with the requirements prescribed by applicable law, except where such non-compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Dealer Managers or counsel for the Dealer Managers in connection with the Offers and Solicitations shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to the Dealer Managers.

5. Conditions to Obligations of the Dealer Managers . Your obligation to act as Dealer Managers hereunder shall at all times be subject to the following conditions:

(a) All representations, warranties and other statements of the Company contained herein are now, and at all times during the period of the Offers and Solicitations (including as of the Settlement Date) shall be, true and correct, and the Company at all times shall have performed in all material respects all of its obligations hereunder.

 

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(b) The Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement will have been either (i) filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing under the Act or (ii) included in the Registration Statement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof will have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose will have been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission will have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction.

(c) On the Commencement Date and on each Settlement Date, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, special counsel to you, will have furnished to you, as Dealer Managers, an opinion or opinions and negative assurance letter, dated the respective date of delivery thereof, with respect to such matters as you may reasonably request and such counsel will have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass on such matters.

(d) On the Commencement Date and on each Settlement Date, Gilles Pharand, Senior Vice President, Law and Corporate Affairs of the Company, will have furnished to you, as Dealer Managers, his opinion or opinions, dated the respective date of delivery thereof substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto.

(e) On the Commencement Date and on each Settlement Date, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, U.S. counsel to the Company, will have furnished to you, as Dealer Managers, an opinion or opinions and negative assurance letter dated the respective date of delivery thereof substantially in the form of Exhibits D-1 and D-2 hereto.

(f) On the Commencement Date and on each Settlement Date, Ogilvy Renault LLP, Canadian counsel to the Company, will have furnished to you, as Dealer Managers, an opinion or opinions dated the respective date of delivery thereof substantially in the form of Exhibit E hereto.

(g) On the Commencement Date and on each Settlement Date, Richards, Layton & Finger, a Professional Association, special Delaware counsel to the Company, will have furnished to you, as Dealer Managers, an opinion or opinions dated the respective date of delivery thereof substantially in the form of Exhibit F hereto.

(h) On the Commencement Date and on each Settlement Date, KPMG LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm of the Predecessor Company (as defined in the Offer and Solicitation Materials), will have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the respective date of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ comfort letters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Offer and Solicitation Materials.

(i) On the Commencement Date and on each Settlement Date, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company and the independent chartered accountants of Domtar Inc., will have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the respective date of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ comfort letters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Offer and Solicitation Materials.

 

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(j) The Company will have furnished or caused to be furnished to you, on the Commencement Date and on each Settlement Date, a certificate or certificates of an executive officer of the Company, with specific knowledge about the Company’s financial matters, satisfactory to the Dealer Managers, in which such officer, to the best of his knowledge after reasonable investigation, shall state: that the representations and warranties in this Agreement are true and correct at and as of such dates; that subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company which are contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, there has been no material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, or any development involving a prospective Material Adverse Effect except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement; that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions to be performed or satisfied hereunder by the Company at or prior to such dates; that the matters set forth in subsection (b) of this Section 5 are true and correct; and to the accuracy as to such other matters as you may reasonably request.

(k) It shall not have become unlawful under any U.S. or Canadian or other foreign law or regulation, federal, state, provincial, territorial or local, for the Dealer Managers to render services pursuant to this Agreement, or to continue so to act, as the case may be.

(l) The Exchange Notes to be delivered on the Settlement Date shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to official notice of issuance.

(m) Prior to the Commencement Date and each Settlement Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Dealer Managers such further information, certificates and documents as the Dealer Managers may reasonably request.

6. Indemnification and Contribution . In consideration of the engagement hereunder, the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and the Dealer Managers agree to the indemnification and contribution provisions set forth in Annex A hereto, which provisions are incorporated by reference herein and constitute a part hereof.

7. Termination . This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of (i) the consummation, expiration, termination or withdrawal of the Offers and the Solicitations and (ii) the date one year from the date hereof, and may be terminated by either the Company or you at any time, with or without cause, effective upon receipt by the other party of written notice to that effect.

8. Survival . The provisions of Sections 2, 3, 4, 6 (including Annex A hereto), 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 hereof shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any failure by the Company to commence, or the withdrawal, termination or consummation of, the Offers or Solicitations, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any party hereto, (iii) any withdrawal by either of you as a Dealer Manager and (iv) any termination of this Agreement.

 

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9. Notices . All notices and other communications required or permitted to be given under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given (and shall be deemed to have been given upon receipt) by delivery in person, by telecopy, by telex or by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the applicable party at the addresses indicated below:

 

  (a) if to J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.:

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

270 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Telecopy No.: (212) 270-1063

Confirmation No.: (212) 270-7967

Attention: Timothy P. Collins

with a copy to:

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Telecopy No.: (212) 455-2502

Confirmation No.: (212) 455-2000

Attention: Walter A. Looney, Esq.

 

  (b) if to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.:

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

60 Wall Street

New York, NY 10005

Telecopy No.: (212) 797-5171

Confirmation No.: (212) 250-2955

Attention: Liability Management Group

with a copy to:

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Telecopy No.: (212) 455-2502

Confirmation No.: (212) 455-2000

Attention: Walter A. Looney, Esq.

 

  (c) if to the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC:

395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West

Montreal, QC

Canada H3A 1L6

Telecopy No.: (514) 848-6850

Confirmation No.: (514) 848-5555

Attention: Corporate Secretary

 

21


with a copy to:

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

919 Third Avenue

New York, New York 10022

Telecopy No.: (212) 909-6836

Confirmation No.: (212) 909-6000

Attention: Alan H. Paley, Esq.

10. Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial; Submission to Jurisdiction . This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and you irrevocably agree to waive trial by jury in any action, proceeding, claim or counterclaim brought by or on behalf of any party related to or arising out of this Agreement or the performance of services hereunder. The Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC hereby (a) submits to the jurisdiction of any New York State or Federal court sitting in New York County with respect to any actions and proceedings arising out of, or relating to, this Agreement, (b) agrees that all claims with respect to such actions or proceedings may be heard and determined in such New York State or Federal court, (c) waives the defense of an inconvenient forum and (d) agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.

11. Benefit . This Agreement, including any right to indemnity or contribution hereunder and Annex A hereto, shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC, you and the other Indemnified Persons, and their respective successors and assigns. Subject to the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement is intended, or shall be construed, to give to any other person or entity any right hereunder or by virtue hereof.

12. Miscellaneous . This Agreement contains the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior understandings, agreements and arrangements, written or oral, with respect thereto. This Agreement may not be amended or modified except by a writing executed by each of the parties hereto. Section headings herein are for convenience only and are not a part of this Agreement. In the event that any provision hereof shall be determined to be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such determination shall not affect such provision in any other respect or any other provision hereof, which shall remain in full force and effect. This Agreement may not be assigned by any party hereto without the prior written consent of each other party. None of the parties hereto shall be responsible or have any liability to any other party for any indirect, special or consequential damages arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, even if advised of the possibility thereof. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original, but all of which taken together will constitute one and the same instrument. The division of this Agreement into sections and other subdivisions and the insertion of headings are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of

 

22


this Agreement. Unless something in the subject matter or context is inconsistent herewith, references herein to sections are to sections of this Agreement.

13. Guarantee by Domtar Paper Company, LLC. Domtar Paper Company, LLC hereby guarantees, as primary obligor and not only as surety, the obligations of the Company under this Agreement.

 

23


Please indicate your willingness to act as a Dealer Manager and your acceptance of the foregoing provisions by signing in the space provided below for that purpose and returning to us a copy of this Agreement so signed, whereupon this Agreement and your acceptance shall constitute a binding agreement among the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and you.

 

Very truly yours,
DOMTAR CORPORATION
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  
DOMTAR PAPER COMPANY, LLC
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

24


Accepted as of the

date first above written:

 

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

25


EXHIBIT A

[PROSPECTUS AND CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT]

 

A-1


EXHIBIT B

[LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL]

 

B-1


EXHIBIT C

Matters to be Addressed in the Opinion of Gilles Pharand

 

C-1


Exhibit D-1

Matters to be Addressed in the Opinion of

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, as counsel to the Company

 

D-1-1


Exhibit D-2

Negative Assurance Letter of

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, as counsel to the Company

 

D-2-1


Exhibit E

Matters to be Addressed in the Opinion of

Ogilvy Renault LLP, as Canadian counsel to the Company and Domtar Inc.

 

E-1


ANNEX A

Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Annex A have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Dealer Managers Agreement to which this Annex A is attached (the “ Agreement ”)

The Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC jointly and severally agree to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Dealer Managers, its affiliates and its respective officers, directors, employees, agents of and each other entity or person, if any, controlling (within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) you or any such other persons (each an “ Indemnified Person ”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) and to reimburse you and any other Indemnified Person for all expenses (including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of counsel) reasonably incurred by you or any such other Indemnified Person in connection with investigating, preparing, or defending any such action, claim, or proceeding, whether or not in connection with pending or threatened litigation to which you (or any other Indemnified Person) may be a party, in each case as such expenses are incurred or paid, (i) arising out of or based upon (A) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Offer and Solicitation Materials, or (B) the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, (C) any breach by the Company of any representation or warranty or failure to comply with any of the agreements set forth in the Agreement, (D) any withdrawal, termination, rescission or modification of, or the failure to issue Exchange Notes for Outstanding Notes tendered pursuant to the Offers by the Company or (ii) otherwise arising out of, relating to or in connection with or alleged to arise out of, relate to or be in connection with the Offers and Solicitations, the transactions contemplated by the Agreement or the engagement of, and services performed by, the Dealer Managers under the Agreement, or any claim, litigation, investigation or proceedings relating to the foregoing (“ Proceedings ”) regardless of whether any of such Indemnified Persons is a party thereto, and to reimburse such Indemnified Persons for any reasonable legal or other out-of-pocket expenses as they are incurred in connection with investigating, responding to or defending any of the foregoing, provided that the indemnification in clause (ii) above will not, as to any Indemnified Person, apply to losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses to the extent that they are finally judicially determined to have resulted primarily from the bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnified Person.

If for any reason the foregoing indemnification is unavailable to any Indemnified Person or insufficient to hold it harmless, then the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC, jointly and severally, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC, on the one hand, and by such Indemnified Person, on the other hand, from the Offers and Solicitations and the transactions contemplated thereby, or (ii) if the allocation provided by the foregoing clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing clause (i), but also the relative fault of the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC, on the one hand, and of such Indemnified Person, on the other hand, in connection with the statements, actions, or omissions which resulted in such

 

A-1


loss, claim, damage, liability, or expense, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC on the one hand and by all Indemnified Persons on the other hand shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as (i) the aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes bears to (ii) the aggregate fee paid to each of you pursuant to Section 2(a) of the Agreement. The relative fault of the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC on the one hand and of the Indemnified Persons on the other hand (i) in the case of an untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or an omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether such statement or omission relates to information supplied by the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC or by such Indemnified Persons and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission, and (ii) in the case of any other action or omission, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether such action or omission was taken or omitted to be taken by the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC or by such Indemnified Persons and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to prevent such action or omission. The Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and you agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Annex A were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this paragraph. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses referred to in this paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.

Promptly after the receipt by an Indemnified Person of notice of the commencement of any Proceedings, such Indemnified Person will, if a claim is to be made hereunder against the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC in respect thereof, notify the Company in writing of the commencement thereof; provided that (i) the failure to so notify the Company will not relieve the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC from any liability which it may have hereunder except to the extent it has been materially prejudiced by such failure and (ii) the failure to so notify the Company will not relieve the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC from any liability which it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In case any such Proceedings are brought against any Indemnified Person and it notifies the Company of the commencement thereof, the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that they may elect by written notice delivered to such Indemnified Person, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, provided that if the defendants in any such Proceedings include both such Indemnified Person and the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC and such Indemnified Person shall have concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC, such Indemnified Person shall have the right to select separate counsel to assert such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such Proceedings on behalf of such Indemnified Person. Upon receipt of notice from the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC to such Indemnified Person of their election so to assume the defense of such Proceedings and approval by such Indemnified Person of counsel, the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC shall not be liable to such Indemnified Person for expenses incurred by such Indemnified

 

A-2


Person in connection with the defense thereof (other than reasonable costs of investigation) unless (i) such Indemnified Person shall have employed separate counsel in connection with the assertion of legal defenses in accordance with the proviso to the immediately preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel), approved by J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., representing the Indemnified Persons who are parties to such Proceedings), (ii) the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person to represent such Indemnified Person within a reasonable time after notice to the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC, as applicable, of commencement of the Proceedings or (iii) the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC has authorized in writing the employment of counsel for such Indemnified Person.

Neither the Company nor Domtar Paper Company, LLC shall be liable for any settlement of any Proceedings effected without the Company’s written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), but if settled with the Company’s written consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff in any such Proceedings, the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC jointly and severally agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnified Person from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC to reimburse such Indemnified Person for legal or other expenses in connection with investigating, responding to or defending any Proceedings as contemplated by this Annex A, the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC shall be jointly and severally liable for any settlement of any Proceedings effected without their written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC of such request for reimbursement and (ii) the Company or Domtar Paper Company, LLC shall not have reimbursed such Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. Neither the Company nor Domtar Paper Company, LLC shall, without the prior written consent of an Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceedings in respect of which indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person unless (i) such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person in form and substance satisfactory to such Indemnified Person from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceedings and (ii) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.

The indemnity, reimbursement and contribution obligations of the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC under this Annex A shall be in addition to any liability which the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC may otherwise have to an Indemnified Person and shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of any successors, assigns, heirs and personal representatives of the Company and Domtar Paper Company, LLC and any Indemnified Person.

 

A-3


ANNEX B

Domtar Paper Company, LLC

Domtar Pulp & Paper Products Inc.

4388216 Canada Inc.

Domtar Enterprises

Domtar A.W. Corp.

Domtar Inc.

 

B-1

Exhibit 1.2

Dealer Managers Agreement

 

  

[                 ], 2007

Scotia Capital Inc.    Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.
Scotia Plaza, 66th Floor    One Liberty Plaza
40 King Street West    165 Broadway – 25 th Floor
Box 4085, Station “A”    New York, NY 10006
Toronto, Ontario M5W 2X6      
Attention:    Larry Small, Director,    Attention:    Paul McKeown, Director,
   Head of Syndication       Debt Capital Markets
Fax:    416-863-7527    Fax:    212-225-6550

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Domtar Inc., a corporation organized under the federal laws of Canada, is making a proposal (together with any amendments, supplements or extensions thereof, each a “ Proposal ” and collectively, the “ Proposals ”) to the holders of its outstanding 10% debentures due 2011 (the “ 2011 Debentures ”) and 10.85% debentures due 2017 (the “ 2017 Debentures ”, and together with the 2011 Debentures, the “ Outstanding Debentures ”) to adopt certain proposed amendments, with respect to the holders of the 2011 Debentures, to the Indenture dated as of April 15, 1987, between Domtar Inc. and Montreal Trust Company (now Computershare Trust Company of Canada), as trustee, as heretofore amended and supplemented (the “ April 1987 Indenture ”), and with respect to the holders of the 2017 Debentures, to the Indenture dated as of August 5, 1987, between Domtar Inc. and Montreal Trust Company (now Computershare Trust Company of Canada), as trustee, as heretofore amended and supplemented (the “ August 1987 Indenture ”, and together with the April 1987 Indenture, the “ Existing Indentures ”). The proposed amendments to the Existing Indentures will permit Domtar Corporation (the “ Company ”), a Delaware corporation and parent company of Domtar Inc., to purchase any and all Outstanding Debentures in exchange for consideration consisting of, with respect to each series of the Outstanding Debentures, an equal aggregate principal amount of a series of newly issued Canadian dollar denominated debt securities of the Company (each, an “Exchange”, and together, the “ Exchanges ”), each bearing the same interest rate and payment and maturity dates as the series of Outstanding Debentures for which it is exchanged (collectively, the “ Exchange Notes ”).

Domtar Paper Company, LLC (the “ Guarantor ”) will guarantee the Company’s obligations under the Exchange Notes (the “ Guarantee ”). The Exchange Notes are to be issued under an indenture among the Company, the Guarantor and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the “ Trustee ”), to be dated the Settlement Date (as defined in the Registration Statement (defined below)) (the “ Indenture ”). The Proposals will be on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the debentureholder information circular dated [                 ], 2007 (the “ Proxy Circular ”) and the related letter of transmittal and form of proxy (the “ Letter of Transmittal ”), copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibits A and B, respectively.


Domtar Inc. has filed with the Autorité des marchés financiers (the “ AMF ”), together with the other securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada (the “ Canadian Regulatory Authorities ”), the Proxy Circular. The Exchange Notes will be issued in reliance on exemptions from prospectus and registration requirements of applicable Canadian Securities Laws (as defined below), and the resale of such Exchange Notes will have no statutory hold period under applicable Canadian Securities Laws.

In the United States, the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) a registration statement on Form S-4 (No. 333-146322) on September 26, 2007 providing for the registration of the Exchange Notes (the “ Initial Registration Statement ”) under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission thereunder (the “ Act ”). The Initial Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, including exhibits to such registration statements, has become effective. The Initial Registration Statement, including any exhibits, as of the time it became effective is referred to herein as the “ Registration Statement .” With respect to the United States only, the Proxy Circular refers to the proxy circular which is contained within the Registration Statement at the time it became effective or which is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act.

The Proxy Circular, Registration Statement, Letter of Transmittal and all other documents, if any, filed or to be filed by Domtar Inc. or the Company with the Canadian Regulatory Authorities or the Commission, or any other U.S. or Canadian federal, state, provincial, territorial or local or other governmental or regulatory agency or authority relating to the Proposals, or sent to holders of Outstanding Debentures and such other documents (including, without limitation, any electronic roadshow or investor presentation, advertisements, press releases or summaries relating to the Proposals and any forms of letters to brokers, dealers, banks, trust companies and other nominees relating to the Proposals) as Domtar Inc. or the Company may authorize for use in connection with the Proposals, as amended or supplemented from time to time, are collectively referred to as the “ Proposal Materials .”

All funds referred to in this Agreement shall be in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified.

1. Engagement . (a) Domtar Inc. hereby engages you to act as its exclusive dealer managers (the “ Dealer Managers ”) in connection with the Proposals, and, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements contained herein, you hereby accept such engagement upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement.

(b) As Dealer Managers, each of you agree, in accordance with your firm’s customary practice, to perform those services in connection with the Proposals as are customarily performed by investment banks in connection with proxy solicitations of like nature, including, without limitation, using reasonable best efforts to solicit affirmative votes from holders of Outstanding Debentures to the proposed amendments to the Existing Indentures which will permit the Company to purchase the Outstanding Debentures in exchange for Exchange Notes in Canada and in the United States further to the Proposals and communicating generally in Canada and in the United States regarding the Proposals with brokers, dealers, commercial banks and

 

2


trust companies and other holders of the Outstanding Debentures. For greater certainty, it is hereby agreed that Scotia Capital Inc. shall perform its services pursuant to this Agreement only in Canada, and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. shall perform its services pursuant to this Agreement only in the United States.

(c) Domtar Inc. authorizes you to communicate with Computershare Trust Company of Canada, who is the current trustee under the Existing Indentures and Georgeson Shareholder Communications Canada Inc., who has been engaged to serve as the information agent, with respect to matters relating to the Proposals. Computershare Trust Company of Canada is hereinafter referred to as the “ Depositary ” and Georgeson Shareholder Communications Canada Inc. is hereinafter referred to as the “ Information Agent ” as the context requires. Domtar Inc. has instructed or will instruct the Depositary to advise you at least daily as to the principal amount of Outstanding Debentures that have submitted proxies pursuant to the Proposals, and such other matters in connection with the Proposals as you may reasonably request.

(d) Domtar Inc. will use its reasonable best efforts to cause you to be provided with lists or other records in such form as you may reasonably request showing the names and addresses of, and the principal amount of Outstanding Debentures held by, the holders of the Outstanding Debentures as of a recent date and will use its reasonable best efforts to cause you to be advised from day to day prior to the Expiration Date (as defined below) as to any transfers of Outstanding Debentures.

(e) The Proposal Materials have been or will be prepared and approved by, and are the sole responsibility of, Domtar Inc. and the Company. Domtar Inc. or the Company will furnish you, at its expense, with as many copies as you may reasonably request of the Proposal Materials, and you are authorized to use copies of the Proposal Materials in connection with the performance of your duties hereunder. The Company and Domtar Inc. agree that, a reasonable time prior to using or filing with the Canadian Regulatory Authorities, the Commission or with any other Canadian or U.S. federal, state, provincial, territorial or local or other governmental or regulatory agency, authority or instrumentality or court or arbitrator (“ Other Agency ”), or sending to any holder of Outstanding Debentures, any Proposal Materials or any amendments thereto, it will submit copies of such materials to you and will not use, permit the use of or file such materials with the Canadian Regulatory Authorities, the Commission or any Other Agency to which you reasonably object. In the event that Domtar Inc. or the Company uses or permits the use of, or files with the Canadian Regulatory Authorities, the Commission or any Other Agency, any Proposal Materials (i) which have not been submitted to you for your comments, or (ii) with respect to which you reasonably object, then each of you shall be entitled, at any time upon one day notice to Domtar Inc., to withdraw as a dealer manager in connection with the Proposals without any liability or penalty to you or any other Indemnified Person (as defined in Annex A hereof) and without loss of any right to the payment of all fees and expenses payable hereunder which have accrued or been incurred to the date of such withdrawal.

(f) Domtar Inc. or the Company, as applicable, will cause copies of the Proposal Materials to be mailed or otherwise delivered or made available to each holder of the Outstanding Debentures as soon as practicable after the date of the Proxy Circular, and thereafter, to the extent practicable and until the meeting called to consider the Proposals or any

 

3


adjournment thereof (the “ Expiration Date ”), to each person who becomes a holder of the Outstanding Debentures. You hereby agree, as Dealer Managers, that you will not disseminate any written material for or in connection with the solicitation of votes in favour of the proposed amendments to the Existing Indentures (each, a “ Consent ”, and together, the “ Consents ”) pursuant to the Proposals other than the Proposal Materials.

(g) Domtar Inc. will advise you promptly, after it receives notice, or otherwise becomes aware, of (i) the occurrence of any event that could reasonably be expected to cause Domtar Inc. or the Company to withdraw, rescind or terminate any of the Proposals or the Exchanges or not to pay for Consents delivered pursuant to any of the Proposals, (ii) the occurrence of any event, or the discovery of any fact, the occurrence or existence of which would require the making of any change in any of the Proposal Materials then being used or would cause any representation or warranty contained in this Agreement to be untrue or inaccurate in any material respect or as a result of which the Proposal Materials as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading, (iii) any proposal by Domtar Inc. or the Company or requirement to make, amend or supplement any Proposal Materials or any filing in connection with the Proposals pursuant to applicable securities laws, rules, regulations, instruments, orders and published policy statements applicable in any province or territory of Canada (“ Canadian Securities Laws ”), the Act, the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”) or the rules and regulations promulgated by the Canadian Regulatory Authorities under Canadian Securities Laws or the Commission under the Act and the Exchange Act or any other applicable law, rule or regulation, (iv) the issuance by the Canadian Regulatory Authorities, the Commission or any Other Agency of any comment or order or the taking of any other action concerning any of the Proposals or Exchanges (and, if in writing, Domtar Inc. will furnish you with a copy thereof), (v) any material developments in connection with any of the Proposals or Exchanges, including, without limitation, the commencement of any lawsuit concerning any of the Proposals or Exchanges, and (vi) any other information relating to any of the Proposals or Exchanges, the Proposal Materials or this Agreement that you may from time to time reasonably request. In the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, Domtar Inc. and/ or the Company will prepare and file with the Canadian Regulatory Authorities and the Commission an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or effect compliance with such requirement.

(h) Domtar Inc. and the Company acknowledge and agree that you shall have no liability (in tort, contract or otherwise) to Domtar Inc., the Company, their affiliates or any other person for any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (each a “ Loss ” and, collectively, the “ Losses ”) arising from any act or omission on the part of any broker or dealer in securities (a “ Dealer ”), bank or trust company, or any other person in connection with the Proposals, and neither a Dealer Manager nor any of its affiliates shall be liable for any Losses arising from its own acts or omissions in performing its obligations as a dealer manager or if applicable as a Dealer in connection with the Proposals, except for any such Losses that are finally judicially determined to have resulted primarily from its bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct. In soliciting holders of Outstanding Debentures to vote in favour of the proposed amendments to the Existing Indentures (the “ Solicitation ”), no Dealer, bank or trust company is to be deemed to be acting as your agent or the agent of Domtar Inc. or the Company or any of their affiliates, and

 

4


you shall not be deemed the agent of any Dealer, bank or trust company or a fiduciary of Domtar Inc. or the Company or an agent or fiduciary of any of their affiliates, equity holders, creditors or of any other person. In engaging in the Solicitation, you shall not be nor shall you be deemed for any purpose to act as a partner or joint venturer of, or a member of a syndicate or group with, Domtar Inc., the Company or any of their affiliates in connection with the Proposals or the obtaining of necessary funds therefor, any exchange of Outstanding Debentures for Exchange Notes, any payment for Consents or otherwise, and none of Domtar Inc., the Company or any of their affiliates shall be deemed to act as your agents. Domtar Inc. shall have sole authority for the acceptance or rejection of any and all proxies from holders of Outstanding Debentures.

(i) Domtar Inc. acknowledges and agrees that (i) you have been retained solely to provide the services set forth herein, and in rendering such services you shall act as an independent contractor and any duties arising out of your engagement hereunder shall be owed solely to Domtar Inc.; (ii) you may perform the services contemplated hereby through or in conjunction with your affiliates, and any of your affiliates performing services hereunder shall be entitled to the benefits and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement; (iii) you are a securities firm engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities and providing investment banking and financial advisory services, and in the ordinary course of business, you and your affiliates may at any time hold long or short positions, and may trade or otherwise effect transactions, for your own account or the accounts of customers, in debt or equity securities of Domtar Inc., the Company, their respective affiliates or other entities that may be involved in the transactions contemplated hereby; and (iv) you are not an advisor as to legal, tax, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction, and Domtar Inc. and the Company must consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and will be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and you shall have no responsibility or liability to Domtar Inc. or the Company with respect thereto.

(j) The Company has made, or instructed the Depositary to make, appropriate arrangements if an Exchange is completed for registration and delivery of the Exchange Notes as consideration for the Outstanding Debentures. Domtar Inc. has made, or instructed the Depositary to make, appropriate arrangements if an Exchange is completed to pay to holders of Outstanding Debentures or coupons relating thereto an amount in cash representing accrued and unpaid interest relating to the Outstanding Debentures up to (but not including) the date of acquisition of the Outstanding Debentures by the Company.

(k) No broker, investment banker, financial advisor or other person, other than the Dealer Managers or the Information Agent are entitled to any broker’s, finder’s, financial advisor’s or other similar fee or commission in connection with the Proposals based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of the Company, Domtar Inc. or any of its subsidiaries.

2. Compensation and Expenses . (a) Domtar Inc. agrees to pay the Dealer Managers, as compensation for their services as Dealer Managers in connection with the Proposals, including assisting in the preparation of the Proxy Circular, soliciting acceptances of Consents and performing administrative work in connection with the Proposals, a fee equal to $[        ] per $1,000 principal amount of Outstanding Debentures that are acquired by the Company pursuant to the Exchanges, if any. The Company hereby represents and covenants to the Dealer

 

5


Managers that in the event one or more of the exchange offers in the United States by the Company for outstanding US dollar denominated notes of Domtar Inc. is consummated, the Company intends to acquire the Outstanding Debentures in exchange for the Exchange Notes concurrently with the consummation of such exchange offer or exchange offers in the United States. All payments to be made by the Company to Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. as compensation hereunder shall be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever provided that Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. deals at arm’s length with Domtar Inc. (as such term is understood for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada)), any such commission or fee is payable in respect of services rendered by Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. wholly outside of Canada that are performed in the ordinary course of business carried on by Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. that includes the performance of such services for a fee and any such amount is reasonable in the circumstances.

The foregoing fee will be payable on the settlement date for the Exchanges (the “ Canadian Settlement Date ”) concurrently with the exchange of Outstanding Debentures for Exchange Notes or such other date as may be agreed by Domtar Inc. and you.

(b) Domtar Inc. further agrees to pay directly or reimburse you, as the case may be, for (i) all expenses incurred in relation to the preparation, printing, filing, mailing or other distribution of all Proposal Materials, (ii) all fees and expenses of the Depositary and the Information Agent, (iii) all advertising charges in connection with the Proposals, including those of any public relations firm or other person or entity rendering services in connection therewith, (iv) all fees, if any, payable to you, Dealers and banks and trust companies as reimbursement for their customary mailing and handling fees and expenses incurred in forwarding the Proposal Materials to their customers, (v) the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and delivery of the Exchange Notes, including any stamp, transfer or similar taxes in connection with the original issuance and exchange for Outstanding Debentures of the Exchange Notes, (vi) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement, the Indenture and supplemental indentures to the Existing Indentures (the “ Supplemental Indentures ”) effecting the Proposals and Exchanges, any blue sky memorandum and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with the Proposals and Exchanges, (vii) any registration or qualification of the Exchange Notes for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of the several provinces, territories and states of Canada and the United States (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Dealer Managers relating to such registration and qualification), (viii) any filings required to be made with the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Dealer Managers relating to such filings), (ix) the transportation and other expenses incurred by or on behalf of representatives of Domtar Inc., the Company and the Dealer Managers in connection with presentations to holders of Outstanding Debentures in connection with the Proposals, (x) the fees and expenses of the accountants of Domtar Inc., the Company and the Predecessor Company (as defined in the Proxy Circular) and the fees and expenses of counsel (including Canadian and U.S. local and special counsel) for Domtar Inc. and the Company, (xi) the fees and expenses of the Trustee and the trustee under each of the Supplemental Indentures and transfer agent, (xii) the expenses payable to rating agencies in connection with the rating of the Exchange Notes, (xiii) all expenses and application fees relating to the listing of the Exchange Notes on the New York Stock Exchange and (xiv) all other fees

 

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and expenses reasonably incurred by you in connection with the Proposals or otherwise in connection with the performance of your services hereunder (including all fees and disbursements of your outside Canadian and U.S. legal counsel). All payments to be made by Domtar Inc. pursuant to this Section 2(b) shall be made reasonably promptly after the termination of the Proposals or the Expiration Date or your withdrawal as a Dealer Manager, against delivery to Domtar Inc. of statements therefor. Domtar Inc. shall perform its obligations set forth in this Section 2 whether or not the Proposals are made or the proposed amendments are consented to by holders of any series of Outstanding Debentures or the Company exchanges any Outstanding Debentures of any series for Exchange Notes pursuant to the Exchanges.

3. Covenants of Domtar Inc. and the Company . Domtar Inc. and the Company covenant and agree with you that:

(a) Each of Domtar Inc. and the Company shall (i) file promptly all reports with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Proxy Circular and until the Canadian Settlement Date; (ii) advise you promptly when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission and shall have become effective, and when any amendment to the Proxy Circular shall have been filed in Canada or in the United States; (iii) advise you promptly of the receipt of any comments from the Canadian Regulatory Authorities or the Commission; (iv) advise you promptly of any request by the Commission to amend the Registration Statement or to amend or supplement the Proxy Circular or for any additional information; (v) advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Canadian Regulatory Authorities, the Commission or any Other Agency of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Proxy Circular or the Registration Statement, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Exchange Notes for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Canadian Regulatory Authorities or the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Proposal Materials or for additional information; and (vi) in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Proxy Circular or the Registration Statement, or suspending any such qualification, promptly use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of such stop order and to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal of such order, if issued.

(b) Domtar Inc. and the Company will furnish to the Dealer Managers and counsel for the Dealer Managers, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and, in the United States, so long as delivery of a prospectus is required under the Act or the Exchange Act, and in Canada, as many copies of the Proxy Circular and any supplement thereto as the Dealer Managers may reasonably request; and Domtar Inc. and the Company will furnish to the Dealer Managers and to counsel for the Dealer Managers, without charge, during the period beginning on the Commencement Date (as defined herein) and continuing to and including the Canadian Settlement Date, as many copies of the other Proposal Materials, and any amendments and supplements thereto as the Dealer Managers may reasonably request.

(c) The Company will fully comply in a timely manner with the applicable provisions of Rule 424 under the Act.

 

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(d) The Company will arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Exchange Notes for offer and sale under the laws of such jurisdictions in the United States and Canada as you may designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the consummation of the Proposals and the Exchange; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or exchange of the Exchange Notes, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject. Domtar Inc. and the Company will also supply you with such information as is necessary for the determination of the legality of the Exchange Notes for investment under the laws of such jurisdictions as you may request.

(e) As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to you an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.

(f) The Company and Domtar Inc. will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the rules and procedures established under the Canadian Securities Laws, the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of Domtar Inc. or the Company to facilitate the Proposals or Exchanges.

(g) The Company will, and will cause its subsidiaries to, cooperate with the Dealer Managers and use its best efforts to permit the Exchange Notes to be eligible for clearance and settlement through The Depository Trust Company (“ DTC ”) and available to holders through CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc., a participant in DTC.

(h) So long as the Exchange Notes are outstanding, the Company will furnish to the Dealer Managers copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Exchange Notes, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission (collectively, the “ Filings ”), except for all such Filings filed by the Company with the Commission in electronic format on the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System.

(i) The Company will use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Exchange Notes on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

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4. Representations, Warranties and Agreements of Domtar Inc. and the Company . Domtar Inc. and the Company represent, warrant and agree (i) on and as of the earlier of the date on which the Proxy Circular is mailed to holders of Outstanding Debentures or filed with the Canadian Regulatory Authorities (the “ Commencement Date ”), (ii) on and as of any date on which Proposal Materials are distributed to holders of the Outstanding Debentures, (iii) on the Expiration Date and (iv) on and as of the Canadian Settlement Date that:

(a) The Proxy Circular and any amendments thereto, each in the form delivered to the Dealer Managers, has been filed with the Canadian Regulatory Authorities and delivered to holders of Outstanding Debentures in accordance with Canadian Securities Laws and no other document with respect to the Proxy Circular, other than the Letter of Transmittal, was required to be filed with the Canadian Regulatory Authorities by or on behalf of Domtar Inc. The Exchange Notes will be issued in reliance on exemptions from prospectus and registration requirements of applicable Canadian Securities Laws, and such Exchange Notes will have no statutory hold period under such applicable Canadian Securities Laws.

(b) The Registration Statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form delivered to the Dealer Managers, has become effective under the Act in such form; and any request on the part of the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Proposal Materials or for additional information has been complied with. The Proxy Circular included in the Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective conformed to the final Proxy Circular filed with the Canadian Regulatory Authorities and delivered to holders of Outstanding Debentures.

(c) The Company has caused the Trustee to prepare and file with the Commission a Statement of Eligibility and Qualification of the Trustee with respect to the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “ TIA ”), on Form T-1 (the “ Form T-1 ”). No registration, filing or recording of the Indenture under the laws of the Province of Québec or the federal laws of Canada applicable therein is necessary in order to preserve or protect the validity or enforceability of the Indenture or the Exchange Notes issued thereunder. The form of the certificates of the Exchange Notes have been duly approved by the Company.

(d) The Proposal Materials comply and at all times to the Canadian Settlement Date will comply, in all material respects with the applicable requirements of Canadian Securities Laws, the Act, the Exchange Act and the TIA and with all applicable rules or regulations of the Canadian Regulatory Authorities, the Commission and any Other Agency, including applicable “blue sky” or similar securities laws, and the Proposal Materials do not, and at all times to the Canadian Settlement Date, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.

(e) The Company and each subsidiary of the Company which meets the definition of a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Act (each, a “Significant Subsidiary,” and collectively, the “Significant Subsidiaries”), (i) has been duly incorporated or formed, is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership, as applicable, and is in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation with full corporate, limited liability company or limited partnership, as applicable, power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Proxy Circular and (ii) is duly qualified to do business as an extra provincial corporation or a foreign entity, as applicable, and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction which requires such qualification, other than, with respect to clause (ii), where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not have a

 

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material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business or on the making and consummation of the Proposals and the transactions contemplated hereby (a “ Material Adverse Effect ”).

(f) All the outstanding shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, and, except as otherwise set forth in the Proxy Circular, all outstanding shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary are owned by the Company either directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries free and clear of any perfected security interest or any other security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances, other than where such security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(g) The subsidiaries listed in Annex B hereto are the only Significant Subsidiaries of the Company.

(h) There are no contracts, documents or other materials required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement or the Proxy Circular or to be filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described, referred to or filed or incorporated by reference as required and, in the case of those documents filed, delivered to the Dealer Managers.

(i) The outstanding common shares of Domtar Inc. and the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, and, except as set forth in the Proxy Circular and except for any options granted pursuant to either Domtar Inc.’s or the Company’s stock option plans since the most recent date that the number of outstanding options is presented within the Proxy Circular, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue, or rights to convert any obligations into or exchange any securities for, shares of capital stock of or ownership interests in Domtar Inc. or the Company are outstanding.

(j) Domtar Inc. and the Company have the corporate power and authority to take, and have taken, all necessary action to authorize (i) the Proposals and the obtaining of the necessary funds therefor, (ii) the issuance of the Exchange Notes by the Company, (iii) the exchange of the Exchange Notes for the Outstanding Debentures by the Company further to the Exchanges, (iv) the payments for Consents by Domtar Inc. pursuant to the Proposals, (v) the execution, delivery and performance of the Indenture by the Company and (vi) the execution, delivery and performance by Domtar Inc. and the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Proposal Materials; and Domtar Inc. and the Company have taken or will take all necessary corporate action to authorize any amendments or supplements to, or modification of, the Proposals and the Proposal Materials.

(k) Domtar Inc. has the corporate power and authority to take, and has taken, all necessary action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance by Domtar Inc. of the Supplemental Indentures effecting the amendments to the Existing Indentures; and the Guarantor has the limited liability company power and authority to take, and has taken, all necessary action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance by the Guarantor of this Agreement and the Indenture.

 

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(l) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor and, assuming that this Agreement is a valid and legally binding obligation of you, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor enforceable against them in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing (the “ Enforceability Exceptions ”) and except as the enforceability of the indemnity provisions thereof may be limited by considerations of public policy.

(m) The Exchange Notes, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the Exchanges, will have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms (subject to the Enforceability Exceptions) entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture; the Indenture (including the Guarantee set forth therein) has been duly qualified under the TIA and, when the Indenture (including the Guarantee set forth therein) has been duly executed and delivered by the Company, the Guarantor and the Trustee, will constitute a valid and binding instrument, enforceable against the Company and the Guarantor in accordance with its terms (subject to the Enforceability Exceptions); and the Exchange Notes and the Indenture (including the Guarantee set forth therein) conform or will conform, in all material respects, to the descriptions thereof in the Proxy Circular.

(n) The Guarantee has been duly authorized by the Guarantor, and, when the Exchange Notes have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and this Agreement, will constitute a valid and legally binding obligation of the Guarantor, enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with its terms (subject to the Enforceability Exceptions), and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture; the Guarantee is in the form contemplated by the Indenture and the Guarantee conforms or will conform, in all material respects, to the description thereof in the Proxy Circular.

(o) Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement and Proxy Circular, there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, or any development involving a prospective Material Adverse Effect, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Proxy Circular; except as set forth in the Proxy Circular since such date neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.

 

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(p) The Supplemental Indentures, when duly executed and delivered in accordance with their terms and the terms of the Existing Indentures by each of the parties thereto, will constitute valid and legally binding agreements of Domtar Inc., enforceable against Domtar Inc. in accordance with their terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions. The Supplemental Indentures will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Proposal Materials.

(q) The Proposals, the financing for the Exchanges, the execution, delivery and performance by the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor of this Agreement, the issuance of the Exchange Notes by the Company, the issuance of the Guarantee by the Guarantor, the exchange of the Exchange Notes for Outstanding Debentures further to the Exchanges, the payment for Consents by Domtar Inc., the execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Company and the Guarantor and the compliance by the Company and the Guarantor with all of the provisions of the Indenture, the consummation by the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor, as applicable, of the transactions contemplated hereby and under the Proxy Circular and the execution and delivery of the Supplemental Indentures by Domtar Inc. and the compliance by Domtar Inc. with all of the provisions of the Supplemental Indentures do not and will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, note, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of the Canadian Regulatory Authorities, the Commission or any Other Agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(r) No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, qualification or other action of, or filing with or notice to, the Canadian Regulatory Authorities, the Commission or any Other Agency is required in connection with the issuance of the Exchange Notes by the Company, the issuance of the Guarantee by the Guarantor, the exchange of the Exchange Notes for Outstanding Debentures, the payment for Consents by Domtar Inc., the execution, delivery and performance by the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor of this Agreement, the execution, delivery and performance by the Company and the Guarantor of the Indenture, the execution, delivery and performance by Domtar Inc. of the Supplemental Indentures, or the making or consummation of the Proposals or the Exchanges or the consummation of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Proposal Materials, except such as have been obtained or made under Canadian Securities Laws, the Act and the TIA and such as may be required under the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the exchange of the Exchange Notes for Outstanding Debentures further to the Exchanges and the payment for Consents.

 

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(s) Domtar Inc. has, or has made arrangements to obtain, funds sufficient to enable Domtar Inc. to pay promptly, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Proposals, the consent payments which Domtar Inc. will offer to pay for Consents, and such arrangements comply with Canadian Securities Laws and Section 7 of the Exchange Act to the extent applicable. Domtar Inc. hereby agrees that it will pay promptly, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Proposals and this Agreement, the consideration (and related costs) for such Consents that Domtar Inc. has offered and that Domtar Inc. may be required to pay for pursuant to the Proposals, and the fees and expenses payable hereunder.

(t) No stop order, restraining order or denial of an application for approval has been issued and no proceedings, litigation or investigation have been initiated or, to the best of Domtar Inc.’s or the Company’s knowledge, threatened before a Canadian Regulatory Authority, the Commission or any Other Agency with respect to the Registration Statement, the Proxy Circular or the making or consummation of any of the Proposals or the Exchanges (including the obtaining or use of funds to pay for Consents) or the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Proposal Materials or with respect to the issuance of Exchange Notes by the Company and the exchange of the Exchange Notes for Outstanding Debentures further to the Exchanges.

(u) In connection with the Proposals and the Exchanges, Domtar Inc. and the Company, as applicable, have complied, and will continue to comply, in all material respects with the applicable provisions of Canadian Securities Laws, the Exchange Act and the Regulations, including, without limitation, Sections 10 and 14 of the Exchange Act and Rules 10b-5 and 14e-1 thereunder.

(v) The historical financial statements of the Company and the Predecessor Company (as defined in the Proxy Circular) included in the Proxy Circular, present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company and the Predecessor Company, respectively, on a consolidated basis (in the case of the Company) and a combined basis (in the case of the Predecessor Company), as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and have been prepared in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles of the United States (“ U.S. GAAP ”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein).

(w) The consolidated historical financial statements of Domtar Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Proxy Circular, present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and Canadian Securities Laws, have been reconciled to U.S. GAAP in accordance with Item 17 of Form 20-F under the Exchange Act and have been prepared in conformity with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (“ Canadian GAAP ”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein).

 

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(x) The historical consolidated financial data set forth in the Proxy Circular under the headings “Selected Historical Financial Data of the Company” and “Selected Historical Financial Data of Domtar Inc.”, when read in conjunction with the financial statements and the related notes of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business, Domtar Inc. and the Company, respectively, included in the Proxy Circular and on the basis stated therein, fairly present the financial results and financial condition of the Company and Domtar Inc., respectively, and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the corresponding financial statements included in the Proxy Circular (except as otherwise noted therein).

(y) The pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto included in the Proxy Circular have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of Canadian Securities Laws, the Act, and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are reasonable and are set forth in the Proxy Materials.

(z) The statements in the Proxy Circular under the headings “Certain Canadian Federal Income Tax Consequences”, “Certain United States Federal Income and Estate Tax Consequences,” “Description of the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes” and “Description of Differences Between the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures and the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes”, insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings.

(aa) Neither the Company nor the Guarantor is or, after consummating the Exchanges in the manner contemplated in the Proposal Materials, will be an “investment company” (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(bb) No action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries, its property or property of its subsidiaries is pending or, to the knowledge of Domtar Inc. or the Company, threatened that (i) is of a character required to be disclosed in the Proxy Circular, (ii) could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement by Domtar Inc., the Company or the Guarantor or on the performance of the Indenture or the Exchange Notes by the Company or the Guarantor or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby, (iii) could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on Domtar Inc.’s ability to enter into and perform its obligations under the Supplemental Indentures or (iv) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Proposal Materials.

(cc) The Company and its subsidiaries own or lease all such properties as are necessary to the conduct of the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole as presently conducted and as described in the Proposal Materials.

(dd) Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary is, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both would be, in violation or default of (i) any provision of its charter or by-laws or other constituting documents, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation,

 

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condition, covenant or instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or such subsidiary or any of its or their properties, as applicable which violation or default would, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, either individually or in the aggregate with all other violations and defaults referred to in this paragraph (if any), have a Material Adverse Effect.

(ee) (i) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who has audited the financial statements of Domtar Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries as of and for the year ended December 31, 2006 and delivered their report with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements of Domtar Inc. included in the Registration Statement and Proxy Circular, are, and during the periods covered by their report were, independent chartered accountants with respect to Domtar Inc. within the meaning of the Canada Business Corporations Act , Canadian Securities Laws, the Code of Ethics of the Ordre des comptables agrées du Québec and an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the rules and regulations of the PCAOB; (ii) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who has reviewed the interim financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and delivered their report with respect to the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the thirteen and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007 included in the Registration Statement and Proxy Circular, is, and during the periods covered by their report was, an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and the rules and regulations of the PCAOB; and (iii) KPMG LLP, who has audited certain financial statements of the Company and the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) and delivered their report with respect to the audited balance sheet of the Company as of December 31, 2006 and their report with respect to the audited combined financial statements of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of and for the year ended December 31, 2006 and who has reviewed the interim financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and delivered their report with respect to the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the thirteen and twenty six week periods ended June 25, 2006, each included in the Registration Statement and Proxy Circular, is, and during the periods covered by their reports was, an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the rules and regulations of the PCAOB.

(ff) No stamp duty, registration or documentary taxes, duties or similar charges imposed under the laws of the United States or Canada are payable in connection with the making or the consummation of the Proposals, the issuance of the Exchange Notes, the authorization, execution, delivery and performance by the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor of this Agreement, the authorization, execution, delivery and performance by the Company or the Guarantor of the Indenture or by Domtar Inc. and the Company of the Proposal Materials or the authorization, execution, delivery and performance by Domtar Inc. of the Supplemental Indentures.

 

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(gg) Each of the Company and Domtar Inc. has filed all U.S. and foreign federal, state, provincial, territorial and local tax returns that are required to be filed or has requested extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not have a Material Adverse Effect), except as set forth in the Proxy Circular and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in the Proxy Circular.

(hh) Except as set forth in or contemplated in Registration Statement and Proxy Circular, no labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of Domtar Inc. or the Company, is threatened or imminent, and neither Domtar Inc. nor the Company is aware of any existing or imminent labor dispute by the employees of any of its subsidiaries, or to the knowledge of Domtar Inc. or the Company, its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, that could have a Material Adverse Effect.

(ii) The Company and each of its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; and there are no material claims by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement and Proxy Circular.

(jj) No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except as described in or contemplated in the Registration Statement and Proxy Circular.

(kk) The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by the appropriate federal, state, provincial or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Proxy Circular.

(ll) Neither Domtar Inc. nor the Company has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under Canadian Securities Laws, the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of Domtar Inc. or the Company to facilitate the Proposals or the Exchanges.

 

16


(mm) The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, Canadian federal, provincial and local, and U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“ Environmental Laws ”), (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses as presently conducted and as described in the Proxy Circular, and (iii) except as set forth in or contemplated in the Proxy Circular, have not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except where such non-compliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals, or liability would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth in the Proxy Circular, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been named as a “potentially responsible party” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, except in instances where (A) the Company has made adequate provision for such event in the reserves on its balance sheet or (B) being so named would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(nn) In the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Proxy Circular.

(oo) The Company and its subsidiaries own, possess, are licensed to use or have other sufficient legal rights to use all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, technology, know-how and other intellectual property (collectively, the “ Intellectual Property ”) necessary for the conduct of the Company’s business as presently conducted and as described in the Proxy Circular. Except as set forth in or contemplated in the Proxy Circular, (i) there are no rights of third parties to any such Intellectual Property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries; (ii) to the knowledge of Domtar Inc. and the Company, there is no material infringement by third parties of any such Intellectual Property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries; (iii) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of Domtar Inc. and the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s rights in or to any such Intellectual Property, and Domtar Inc. and the Company are unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iv) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of Domtar Inc. and the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property, and Domtar Inc. and the Company are unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and (v) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of Domtar Inc. and the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company infringes or otherwise violates any Intellectual Property or other proprietary rights of others, and Domtar Inc. and the Company are unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim.

 

17


(pp) Each of the Company and Domtar Inc. is a reporting issuer not in default of any requirements under the Exchange Act or the Canadian Securities Laws.

(qq) None of the Company’s subsidiaries nor any of its or their properties or assets has any immunity from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution or otherwise) under the federal laws of Canada or the laws of the Province of Québec.

(rr) The Company is not aware of any defects in title to its material properties or its material assets and facilities which are used in the production and marketing of pulp and paper, lumber and wood products and corrugated products that would, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(ss) There is and has been no failure on the part of either the Company, Domtar Inc., or their respective directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects, in the case of the Company, with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “ Sarbanes-Oxley Act ”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications, and, in the case of Domtar Inc., with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

(tt) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and Proxy Circular, the Company and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, and Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company and Domtar Inc., including with respect to their respective subsidiaries, in the respective reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s and Domtar Inc.’s respective management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Each of the Company and Domtar Inc. has carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of itself and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.

(uu) The Company and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, and Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, including, but not limited to internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific

 

18


authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Proxy Circular, there are no material weaknesses in the internal controls of the Company and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, or Domtar Inc. and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis.

(vv) Except as disclosed in the Proxy Circular and Registration Statement, each defined benefit pension plan sponsored by the Company or Domtar Inc. or for which either of them could have any liability has been maintained in compliance with the terms thereof and with the requirements prescribed by applicable law, except where such non-compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

Any certificate signed by any officer of Domtar Inc. or the Company and delivered to the Dealer Managers or counsel for the Dealer Managers in connection with the Proposals shall be deemed a representation and warranty by Domtar Inc. or the Company, as applicable, as to matters covered thereby, to the Dealer Managers.

5. Conditions to Obligations of the Dealer Managers . Your obligation to act as Dealer Managers hereunder shall at all times be subject to the following conditions:

(a) All representations, warranties and other statements of Domtar Inc. and the Company contained herein are now, and at all times to and as of the Canadian Settlement Date shall be, true and correct, and Domtar Inc. and the Company at all times shall have performed in all material respects all of its obligations hereunder.

(b) The Proxy Circular will have been either (i) filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing under the Act or (ii) included in the Registration Statement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof will have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose will have been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission will have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction.

(c) The Proxy Circular will have been filed with the Canadian Regulatory Authorities and prepared and delivered to holders of Outstanding Debentures in accordance with applicable Canadian Securities Laws; and no order suspending the use of the Proxy Circular or any part thereof will have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose will have been initiated or, to the knowledge of Domtar Inc. or the Company, threatened by the Canadian Regulatory Authorities.

(d) On the Commencement Date and on each Canadian Settlement Date, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, special counsel to you, will have furnished to you, as Dealer Managers, an opinion or opinions and negative assurance letter, dated the respective date of delivery thereof, with respect to such matters as you may reasonably request and such counsel will have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass on such matters.

 

19


(e) On the Commencement Date and on each Canadian Settlement Date, Gilles Pharand, Senior Vice President, Law and Corporate Affairs of the Company, will have furnished to you, as Dealer Managers, his opinion or opinions, dated the respective date of delivery thereof substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto.

(f) On the Commencement Date and on each Canadian Settlement Date, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, U.S. counsel to the Company, will have furnished to you, as Dealer Managers, an opinion or opinions and negative assurance letter dated the respective date of delivery thereof substantially in the form of Exhibits D-1 and D-2 hereto.

(g) On the Commencement Date and on each Canadian Settlement Date, Ogilvy Renault LLP, Canadian counsel to the Company and Domtar Inc., will have furnished to you, as Dealer Managers, an opinion or opinions dated the respective date of delivery thereof substantially in the form of Exhibit E hereto.

(h) On the Commencement Date and on each Canadian Settlement Date, Richards, Layton & Finger, a Professional Association, special Delaware counsel to the Guarantor, will have furnished to you, as Dealer Managers, an opinion or opinions dated the respective date of delivery thereof substantially in the form of Exhibits F-1 and F-2 hereto.

(i) On the Commencement Date and on each Canadian Settlement Date, KPMG LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm of the Predecessor Company (as defined in the Proposal Materials), will have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the respective date of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ comfort letters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Proposal Materials.

(j) On the Commencement Date and on each Canadian Settlement Date, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company and the independent chartered accountants of Domtar Inc., will have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the respective date of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ comfort letters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Proposal Materials.

(k) The Company will have furnished or caused to be furnished to you, on the Commencement Date and on each Canadian Settlement Date, a certificate or certificates of an executive officer of the Company, with specific knowledge about the Company’s financial matters, satisfactory to the Dealer Managers, in which such officer, to the best of his knowledge after reasonable investigation, shall state: that the representations and warranties in this Agreement are true and correct at and as of such dates; that subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company which are contained in the Registration Statement

 

20


and the Proxy Circular, there has been no material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, or any development involving a prospective Material Adverse Effect except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Proxy Circular; that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions to be performed or satisfied hereunder by the Company at or prior to such dates; that the matters set forth in subsection (b) of this Section 5 are true and correct; and to the accuracy as to such other matters as you may reasonably request.

(l) Domtar Inc. will have furnished or caused to be furnished to you, on the Commencement Date and on each Canadian Settlement Date, a certificate or certificates of an executive officer of Domtar Inc., with specific knowledge about Domtar Inc.’s financial matters, satisfactory to the Dealer Managers, in which such officer, to the best of his knowledge after reasonable investigation, shall state: that the representations and warranties in this Agreement are true and correct at and as of such dates; that Domtar Inc. has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions to be performed or satisfied hereunder by Domtar Inc. at or prior to such dates; and to the accuracy as to such other matters as you may reasonably request.

(m) It shall not have become unlawful under any Canadian, U.S. or other foreign law or regulation, federal, state, provincial, territorial or local, for the Dealer Managers to render services pursuant to this Agreement, or to continue so to act, as the case may be.

(n) The Exchange Notes to be delivered on the Canadian Settlement Date shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to official notice of issuance.

(o) Prior to the Commencement Date and each Canadian Settlement Date, the Company and Domtar Inc. shall have furnished to the Dealer Managers such further information, certificates and documents as the Dealer Managers may reasonably request.

6. Indemnification and Contribution . In consideration of the engagement hereunder, the Company, Domtar Inc., the Guarantor and the Dealer Managers agree to the indemnification and contribution provisions set forth in Annex A hereto, which provisions are incorporated by reference herein and constitute a part hereof.

7. Termination . This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of (i) the consummation, termination, expiration or withdrawal of the Proposals or the Canadian Settlement Date and (ii) the date one year from the date hereof, and may be terminated by either Domtar Inc. or you at any time, with or without cause, effective upon receipt by the other party of written notice to that effect.

8. Survival . The provisions of Sections 2, 3, 4, 6 (including Annex A hereto), 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 hereof shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any failure by Domtar Inc. to commence, or the withdrawal, termination or consummation of, the Proposals, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any party hereto, (iii) any withdrawal by either of you as a Dealer Manager and (iv) any termination of this Agreement.

 

21


9. Notices . All notices and other communications required or permitted to be given under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given (and shall be deemed to have been given upon receipt) by delivery in person, by telecopy, by telex or by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the applicable party at the addresses indicated below:

 

  (a) if to Scotia Capital Inc.:

Scotia Capital Inc.

Scotia Plaza, 66th Floor

40 King Street West

Box 4085, Station “A”

Toronto, Ontario M5W 2X6

Attention:         Larry Small, Director, Head of Syndication

Fax:                   416-863-7527

with a copy to:

McMillan Binch Mendelsohn LLP

Brookfield Place, Suite 4400

Bay Wellington Tower

181 Bay Street

Toronto, Ontario M5J 2T3

Attention:         Kimberly Poster

Fax:                   416-865-7048

 

  (b) if to Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.:

Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.

One Liberty Plaza

165 Broadway – 25 th Floor

New York, NY 10006

Attention:         Paul McKeown, Director, Debt Capital Markets

Fax:                   (212) 225-6550

with a copy to:

McMillan Binch Mendelsohn LLP

Brookfield Place, Suite 4400

Bay Wellington Tower

181 Bay Street

Toronto, Ontario M5J 2T3

Attention:         Kimberly Poster

Fax:                   416-865-7048

 

22


  (c) if to the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor:

395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West

Montreal, QC

Canada H3A 1L6

Fax No.: 514-848-6850

Confirmation No.: 514-848-5555

Attention: Corporate Secretary

with a copy to:

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

919 Third Avenue

New York, New York 10022

Fax No.: (212) 909-6836

Confirmation No.: (212) 909-6000

Attention: Alan H. Paley, Esq.

and with a copy to:

Ogilvy Renault

Suite 1100

1981 McGill College Avenue

Montréal, Quebec H3A 3C1

Fax No.: (514) 847-4747

Attention: Sol Sananes

10. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and is to be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Province of Québec and the laws of Canada applicable in the Province of Québec. Each of the parties irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of Québec.

11. Benefit . This Agreement, including any right to indemnity or contribution hereunder and Annex A hereto, shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company, Domtar Inc., the Guarantor, you and the other Indemnified Persons, and their respective successors and assigns. Subject to the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement is intended, or shall be construed, to give to any other person or entity any right hereunder or by virtue hereof.

12. Miscellaneous . This Agreement contains the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior understandings, agreements and arrangements, written or oral, with respect thereto. This Agreement may not be amended or modified except by a writing executed by each of the parties hereto. Section headings herein are for convenience only and are not a part of this Agreement. In the event that any provision hereof shall be determined to be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such determination shall not affect such provision in any other respect or any other provision hereof, which shall remain in full force and effect. This Agreement may not be assigned by any party hereto without the prior written consent of each other party. None of the parties hereto shall be responsible or have any

 

23


liability to any other party for any indirect, special or consequential damages arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, even if advised of the possibility thereof. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original, but all of which taken together will constitute one and the same instrument. The division of this Agreement into sections and other subdivisions and the insertion of headings are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement. Unless something in the subject matter or context is inconsistent herewith, references herein to sections are to sections of this Agreement.

13. Guarantee by Domtar Paper Company, LLC . The Guarantor hereby guarantees, as primary obligor and not only as surety, the obligations of the Company and Domtar Inc. under this Agreement.

Please indicate your willingness to act as a Dealer Manager and your acceptance of the foregoing provisions by signing in the space provided below for that purpose and returning to us a copy of this Agreement so signed, whereupon this Agreement and your acceptance shall constitute a binding agreement among the Company, Domtar Inc., the Guarantor and you.

 

Very truly yours,
DOMTAR CORPORATION
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
DOMTAR INC.
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
DOMTAR PAPER COMPANY, LLC
By:    
  Name:
  Title:

 

24


Accepted as of the

date first above written:

 

SCOTIA CAPITAL INC.
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
SCOTIA CAPITAL (USA) INC.
By:    
  Name:
  Title:

 

25


EXHIBIT A

[PROXY CIRCULAR]

 

A-1


EXHIBIT B

[LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL]

 

B-1


EXHIBIT C

Matters to be Addressed in the Opinion of Gilles Pharand

 

C-1


Exhibit D-1

Matters to be Addressed in the Opinion of

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, as counsel to the Company

 

D-1


Exhibit D-2

Negative Assurance Letter of

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, as counsel to the Company

 

D-2


Exhibit E

Matters to be Addressed in the Opinion of

Ogilvy Renault LLP, as Canadian counsel to the Company and Domtar Inc.

 

E-1


Exhibit F

Matters to be Addressed in the Opinion of

Richards, Layton & Finger, a Professional Association,

as special Delaware counsel to the Guarantor

 

F-1


Exhibit F-2

Matters to be Addressed in the Opinion of

Richards, Layton & Finger, a Professional Association,

as special Delaware counsel to the Guarantor

 

F-2-1


ANNEX A

Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Annex A have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Dealer Managers Agreement to which this Annex A is attached (the “ Agreement ”).

The Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor jointly and severally agree to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Dealer Managers, its affiliates and its respective officers, directors, employees, agents of and each other entity or person, if any, controlling (within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) you or any such other persons (each an “ Indemnified Person ”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) and to reimburse you and any other Indemnified Person for all expenses (including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of counsel) reasonably incurred by you or any such other Indemnified Person in connection with investigating, preparing, or defending any such action, claim, or proceeding, whether or not in connection with pending or threatened litigation to which you (or any other Indemnified Person) may be a party, in each case as such expenses are incurred or paid, (i) arising out of or based upon (A) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Proposal Materials, or (B) the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, (C) any breach by Domtar Inc. or the Company of any representation or warranty or failure to comply with any of the agreements set forth in the Agreement, (D) any withdrawal, termination, rescission or modification of, or the failure to issue Exchange Notes for Outstanding Debentures further to, the Proposals or the Exchanges or (ii) otherwise arising out of, relating to or in connection with or alleged to arise out of, relate to or be in connection with the Proposals and the Exchanges, the transactions contemplated by the Agreement or the engagement of, and services performed by, the Dealer Managers under the Agreement, or any claim, litigation, investigation or proceedings relating to the foregoing (“ Proceedings ”) regardless of whether any of such Indemnified Persons is a party thereto, and to reimburse such Indemnified Persons for any reasonable legal or other out-of-pocket expenses as they are incurred in connection with investigating, responding to or defending any of the foregoing, provided that the indemnification in clause (ii) above will not, as to any Indemnified Person, apply to losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses to the extent that they are finally judicially determined to have resulted primarily from the bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnified Person.

If for any reason the foregoing indemnification is unavailable to any Indemnified Person or insufficient to hold it harmless, then the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor, jointly and severally, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor, on the one hand, and by such Indemnified Person, on the other hand, from the Proposals and the Exchanges and the transactions contemplated thereby, or (ii) if the allocation provided by the foregoing clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing clause (i), but also the relative fault of the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor, on the one hand, and of such Indemnified Person, on the other

 

A-1


hand, in connection with the statements, actions, or omissions which resulted in such loss, claim, damage, liability, or expense, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor on the one hand and by all Indemnified Persons on the other hand shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as (i) the aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debentures bears to (ii) the aggregate fee paid to each of you pursuant to Section 2(a) of the Agreement. The relative fault of the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor on the one hand and of the Indemnified Persons on the other hand (i) in the case of an untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or an omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether such statement or omission relates to information supplied by the Company, Domtar Inc., the Guarantor or by such Indemnified Persons and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission, and (ii) in the case of any other action or omission, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether such action or omission was taken or omitted to be taken by the Company, Domtar Inc., the Guarantor or by such Indemnified Persons and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to prevent such action or omission. The Company, Domtar Inc., the Guarantor and you agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Annex A were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this paragraph. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses referred to in this paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.

Promptly after the receipt by an Indemnified Person of notice of the commencement of any Proceedings, such Indemnified Person will, if a claim is to be made hereunder against the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor in respect thereof, notify the Company in writing of the commencement thereof; provided that (i) the failure to so notify the Company will not relieve the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor from any liability which it may have hereunder except to the extent it has been materially prejudiced by such failure and (ii) the failure to so notify the Company will not relieve the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor from any liability which it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In case any such Proceedings are brought against any Indemnified Person and it notifies the Company of the commencement thereof, the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that they may elect by written notice delivered to such Indemnified Person, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, provided that if the defendants in any such Proceedings include both such Indemnified Person and the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor and such Indemnified Person shall have concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor, such Indemnified Person shall have the right to select separate counsel to assert such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such Proceedings on behalf of such Indemnified Person. Upon receipt of notice from the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor to such Indemnified Person of their election so to assume the defense of such Proceedings and approval by such Indemnified Person of counsel, the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor shall not be liable to such Indemnified Person for expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with the defense thereof (other than reasonable costs of investigation) unless (i) such

 

A-2


Indemnified Person shall have employed separate counsel in connection with the assertion of legal defenses in accordance with the proviso to the immediately preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel), approved by Scotia Capital Inc. and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. representing the Indemnified Persons who are parties to such Proceedings), (ii) the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person to represent such Indemnified Person within a reasonable time after notice to the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor, as applicable, of commencement of the Proceedings or (iii) the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor has authorized in writing the employment of counsel for such Indemnified Person.

Neither the Company, Domtar Inc. nor the Guarantor shall be liable for any settlement of any Proceedings effected without the Company’s written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), but if settled with the Company’s written consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff in any such Proceedings, the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor jointly and severally agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnified Person from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor to reimburse such Indemnified Person for legal or other expenses in connection with investigating, responding to or defending any Proceedings as contemplated by this Annex A, the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor shall be jointly and severally liable for any settlement of any Proceedings effected without their written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor of such request for reimbursement and (ii) the Company, Domtar Inc. or the Guarantor shall not have reimbursed such Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. Neither the Company, Domtar Inc. nor the Guarantor shall, without the prior written consent of an Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceedings in respect of which indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person unless (i) such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person in form and substance satisfactory to such Indemnified Person from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceedings and (ii) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.

The indemnity, reimbursement and contribution obligations of the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor under this Annex A shall be in addition to any liability which the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor may otherwise have to an Indemnified Person and shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of any successors, assigns, heirs and personal representatives of the Company, Domtar Inc. and the Guarantor and any Indemnified Person.

 

A-3


ANNEX B

List of Significant Subsidiaries

Domtar Paper Company, LLC

Domtar Pulp & Paper Products Inc.

4388216 Canada Inc.

Domtar Enterprises

Domtar A.W. Corp.

Domtar Inc.

 

B-1

Exhibit 4.1

 


DOMTAR CORPORATION,

THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS PARTIES HERETO

AND

THE BANK OF NEW YORK

Trustee

SENIOR INDENTURE

Dated as of [            ], 2007

 



TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page

ARTICLE ONE DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION

   1

SECTION 101.

   Definitions    1

SECTION 102.

   Compliance Certificates and Opinions    13

SECTION 103.

   Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee    14

SECTION 104.

   Acts of Holders; Record Dates    15

SECTION 105.

   Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company    17

SECTION 106.

   Notice to Holders; Waiver    17

SECTION 107.

   Conflict with Trust Indenture Act    18

SECTION 108.

   Effect of Headings and Table of Contents    18

SECTION 109.

   Successors and Assigns    18

SECTION 110.

   Separability Clause    19

SECTION 111.

   Benefits of Indenture    19

SECTION 112.

   Governing Law; Trust Indenture Act    19

SECTION 113.

   Legal Holidays    19

SECTION 114.

   Computations    19

SECTION 115.

   Agency for Service; Submission to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunities    20

SECTION 116.

   Incorporators, Shareholders, Officers and Directors of the Company Exempt from Individual Liability    20

ARTICLE TWO SECURITY FORMS

   21

SECTION 201.

   Forms Generally    21

SECTION 202.

   Form of Legend for Global Securities    22

SECTION 203.

   Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication    22

ARTICLE THREE THE SECURITIES

   23

SECTION 301.

   Title; Terms    23

SECTION 302.

   Denominations    25

SECTION 303.

   Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating    25

SECTION 304.

   Temporary Securities    27

SECTION 305.

   Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange    27

SECTION 306.

   Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities    30

SECTION 307.

   Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved    31

SECTION 308.

   Persons Deemed Owners    32

SECTION 309.

   Cancellation    33

SECTION 310.

   Computation of Interest    33

SECTION 311.

   CUSIP or ISIN Numbers    33

 

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ARTICLE FOUR SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

   34

SECTION 401.

   Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture    34

SECTION 402.

   Application of Trust Money    35

ARTICLE FIVE REMEDIES

   36

SECTION 501.

   Events of Default    36

SECTION 502.

   Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment    38

SECTION 503.

   Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee    39

SECTION 504.

   Trustee May File Proofs of Claim    40

SECTION 505.

   Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities    41

SECTION 506.

   Application of Money Collected    41

SECTION 507.

   Limitation on Suits    41

SECTION 508.

   Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest    42

SECTION 509.

   Restoration of Rights and Remedies    42

SECTION 510.

   Rights and Remedies Cumulative    43

SECTION 511.

   Delay or Omission Not Waiver    43

SECTION 512.

   Control by Holders    43

SECTION 513.

   Waiver of Past Defaults    43

SECTION 514.

   Undertaking for Costs    44

SECTION 515.

   Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws    44

ARTICLE SIX THE TRUSTEE

   45

SECTION 601.

   Certain Duties and Responsibilities    45

SECTION 602.

   Notice of Defaults    45

SECTION 603.

   Certain Rights of Trustee    45

SECTION 604.

   Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities    47

SECTION 605.

   May Hold Securities    48

SECTION 606.

   Money Held in Trust    48

SECTION 607.

   Compensation and Reimbursement    48

SECTION 608.

   Disqualification; Conflicting Interests    49

SECTION 609.

   Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility    49

SECTION 610.

   Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor    49

SECTION 611.

   Acceptance of Appointment by Successor    51

SECTION 612.

   Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business    52

SECTION 613.

   Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company    53

SECTION 614.

   Appointment of Authenticating Agent    53

 

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ARTICLE SEVEN HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

   55

SECTION 701.

   Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders    55

SECTION 702.

   Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders    55

SECTION 703.

   Reports by Trustee    55

SECTION 704.

   Reports by Company    56

ARTICLE EIGHT CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE

   57

SECTION 801.

   Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms    57

SECTION 802.

   Successor Person Substituted    59

ARTICLE NINE AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER

   59

SECTION 901.

   Without Consent of Holders    59

SECTION 902.

   With Consent of Holders    60

SECTION 903.

   Execution of Supplemental Indentures    62

SECTION 904.

   Effect of Supplemental Indentures    62

SECTION 905.

   Conformity with Trust Indenture Act    62

SECTION 906.

   Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures    63

ARTICLE TEN COVENANTS

   63

SECTION 1001.

   Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest    63

SECTION 1002.

   Maintenance of Office or Agency    63

SECTION 1003.

   Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust    64

SECTION 1004.

   Statement by Officers as to Default    65

SECTION 1005.

   Existence    65

SECTION 1006.

   Maintenance of Properties    66

SECTION 1007.

   Payment of Taxes    66

SECTION 1008.

   Limitation on Liens    66

SECTION 1009.

   Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions    68

SECTION 1010.

   Calculations    69

SECTION 1011.

   Future Subsidiary Guarantors    70

ARTICLE ELEVEN REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

   71

SECTION 1101.

   Company’s Right of Redemption    71

SECTION 1102.

   Applicability of Article    71

SECTION 1103.

   Election to Redeem; Notices to Trustee and any Stock Exchange    71

SECTION 1104.

   Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed    72

SECTION 1105.

   Notice of Redemption    73

SECTION 1106.

   Deposit of Redemption Price    73

SECTION 1107.

   Securities Payable on Redemption Date    74

 

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SECTION 1108.

   Securities Redeemed in Part    74

ARTICLE TWELVE RIGHT TO REQUIRE REPURCHASE

   74

SECTION 1201.

   Change of Control    74

ARTICLE THIRTEEN DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

   77

SECTION 1301.

   Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance    77

SECTION 1302.

   Defeasance and Discharge    77

SECTION 1303.

   Covenant Defeasance    78

SECTION 1304.

   Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance    78

SECTION 1305.

   Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Miscellaneous Provisions    80

SECTION 1306.

   Reinstatement    81

SECTION 1307.

   Qualifying Trustee    81

ARTICLE FOURTEEN SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES

   81

SECTION 1401.

   Subsidiary Guarantees    81

SECTION 1402.

   Limitation on Liability; Termination, Release and Discharge Limitation on Subsidiary Guarantor Liability    83

SECTION 1403.

   Right of Contribution    84

SECTION 1404.

   No Subrogation    85

 

iv


CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THIS INDENTURE RELATING

TO SECTIONS 310 THROUGH 318,

INCLUSIVE OF THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939:

 

TRUST INDENTURE ACT SECTION

  

INDENTURE SECTION

SECTION 310(a)(1)

   609, 610

(a)(2)

   609

(a)(3)

   NOT APPLICABLE

(a)(4)

   NOT APPLICABLE

(a)(5)

   609

(b)

   608, 610

(c)

   NOT APPLICABLE

SECTION 311(a)

   613

(b)

   613

(c)

   NOT APPLICABLE

SECTION 312(a)

   701, 702

(b)

   702

(c)

   702

SECTION 313(a)

   703

(b)(1)

   NOT APPLICABLE

(b)(2)

   703

(c)

   703

(d)

   703

SECTION 314(a)

   704

(a)(4)

   101, 1004

(b)

   NOT APPLICABLE

(c)(1)

   102

(c)(2)

   102

(c)(3)

   NOT APPLICABLE

(d)

   NOT APPLICABLE

(e)

   102

(f)

   NOT APPLICABLE

SECTION 315(a)

   601

(b)

   602

(c)

   601

(d)

   601

(e)

   514

SECTION 316(a)

   101

(a)(1)(A)

   502, 512

(a)(1)(B)

   513

(a)(2)

   NOT APPLICABLE

(b)

   508

(c)

   104

NOTE: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of the Indenture.

 

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SECTION 317(a)(1)

   503

(a)(2)

   504

(b)

   1003

SECTION 318(a)

   107

(b)

   NOT APPLICABLE

(c)

   107

 

vi


SENIOR INDENTURE, dated as of                               , 2007, among Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation (herein called the “Company”), having its principal office at 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1L6, the Subsidiary Guarantors party hereto and The Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”).

RECITALS OF THE COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS

WHEREAS, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors have duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of the Company’s unsecured senior debt securities in one or more series (the “Securities”) of substantially the tenor hereinafter provided, and to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Securities are to be authenticated, issued and delivered; and

WHEREAS, all things necessary to make the Securities, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered hereunder and duly issued by the Company, the valid obligations of the Company, and to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done; and

WHEREAS, all things necessary to make the Subsidiary Guarantees, when duly issued by the Subsidiary Guarantors, the valid obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantors, and to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Subsidiary Guarantors, in accordance with its terms, have been done.

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of a series thereof, as follows:

ARTICLE ONE

DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS

OF GENERAL APPLICATION

SECTION 101. Definitions.

For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the singular;


(2) all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;

(3) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term “generally accepted accounting principles” with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted at the time of such computation; provided , that when two or more principles are so generally accepted, it shall mean that set of principles consistent with those in use by the Company;

(4) unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an “Article” or a “Section” refers to an Article or a Section, as the case may be, of this Indenture; and

(5) the words “herein”, “hereinafter”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

“Act” when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 104.

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person, directly or indirectly, controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

“Attributable Obligation” means, in respect of a Sale and Leaseback Transaction, the present value (discounted at the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, if known, or at the rate of 10% if such implicit rate is not known) of the obligation of the lessee for the Net Rental Payments during the remaining term of the lease (including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended) entered into in connection therewith, such present value to be established as at the date as of which the amount of the payment is determined and in accordance with U.S. GAAP as in effect from time to time.

“Authenticating Agent” means any Person authorized by the Trustee pursuant to Section 614 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities.

“Board of Directors” means either the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee of that board.

 

2


“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors, and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

“Business Day” means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York, the Corporate Trust Office or any Place of Payment are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

“Capital Stock” of any Person means any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock of such Person.

“Capitalized Lease Obligation” means, with respect to any Person, any obligation of such Person as lessee with respect to any lease that is required to be capitalized on its balance sheet in accordance with U.S. GAAP as in effect from time to time. The amount of any Capitalized Lease Obligation at any time shall be the amount at which it is carried on the balance sheet of the lessee at such time in accordance with such principles.

“Change of Control” means:

(1) any “person” or “group” of related persons (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that such person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all shares that any such person or group has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time), directly or indirectly, of more than 40% of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company (or its successor by merger, consolidation or purchase of all or substantially all of its assets) (for the purposes of this clause, such person or group shall be deemed to beneficially own any Voting Stock of the Company held by a parent entity, if such person or group “beneficially owns” (as defined above), directly or indirectly, more than 40% of the voting power of the Voting Stock of such parent entity); or

(2) the first day on which a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company are not Continuing Directors; or

(3) the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act); or

 

3


(4) the Company consolidates with, or merges with or into, any person, or any person consolidates with, or merges with or into, the Company, in any such event pursuant to a transaction in which any of the outstanding Voting Stock of the Company is converted into or exchanged for cash, securities or other property, other than any such transaction where the Voting Stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such transaction is converted into or exchanged for Voting Stock of the surviving or transferee Person constituting a majority of the outstanding shares of such Voting Stock of such surviving or transferee person immediately after giving effect to such issuance; or

(5) the adoption by the stockholders of the Company of a plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

“Change of Control Offer” has the meaning specified in Section 1201.

“Change of Control Payment” has the meaning specified in Section 1201.

“Change of Control Payment Date” has the meaning specified in Section 1201.

“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any time after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.

“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person.

“Company Request” and “Company Order“ mean, respectively, a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by (i) its Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice President, and (ii) its Treasurer, any Associate Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, its Controller, its Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee or, with respect to Sections 303, 304, 305 and 603, any other employee of the Company named in an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee.

“Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” means, with respect to any Person(s), the total of all assets appearing on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of such Person(s), less the sum of the following amounts appearing on such consolidated balance sheet:

(1) amounts, if any, at which goodwill, trademarks, trade names, copyrights, patents and other similar intangible assets (other than timber licenses) and unamortized stock or debt commission, discount, expense and premium shall appear as assets;

 

4


(2) all amounts at which investments in Persons which are not being consolidated shall appear on such consolidated balance sheet as assets;

(3) the amount of all liabilities appearing on such consolidated balance sheet as current liabilities; and

(4) any minority interest appearing on such consolidated balance sheet,

all as determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with U.S. GAAP as in effect from time to time.

“Continuing Director” means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Board of Directors who: (1) was a member of such Board of Directors on the Original Issue Date; or (2) was nominated for election or elected to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of such Board of Directors at the time of such nomination or election.

“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the date hereof is located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, Attention: Global Finance Americas.

“corporation” means a corporation, association, company, joint-stock company or business trust.

“Covenant Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 1303.

“Credit Agreement” means the Credit Agreement, dated as of March 7, 2007, among the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC, Domtar Inc., the banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties thereto, Bank of America, N.A., Royal Bank of Canada and The Bank of Nova Scotia, as co-documentation agents, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., as syndication agent, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced or refinanced in whole or in part from time to time (and whether or not with the original administrative agent and lenders or another administrative agent or agents or other lenders and whether provided under the original Credit Agreement or any other credit or other agreement or indenture).

 

5


“Debt” means all Capitalized Lease Obligations, any undischarged indebtedness for money borrowed and guarantees of indebtedness for borrowed money, whether or not evidenced by any note, bond, debenture or other instrument; provided, however, that Debt shall not include any Debt for the payment or redemption of which money in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in irrevocable trust either at or before the maturity or Redemption Date thereof.

“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or the passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series.

“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 307.

“Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 1302.

“Depositary” means the clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act that is designated by the Company in Section 301 to act as depositary for any series of Securities with respect to such series (or any successor to such clearing agency).

“Event of Default,” unless otherwise specified with respect to Securities of a series pursuant to Section 301, has the meaning specified in Section 501.

“Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.

“Exempted Debt” means without duplication (a) all Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries which is secured by a Mortgage described in paragraph (i) of Section 1008 and (b) all Attributable Obligations in respect of Sale and Leaseback Transactions described in paragraph (b) of Section 1009.

“Expiration Date” has the meaning specified in Section 104.

“Funded Debt” of any Person means any Debt, whether issued, assumed or guaranteed by any Person, maturing by its terms more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof or which is extendible or renewable at the sole option of the obligor in such manner that it may become payable more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof by such Person.

“Global Security” means a Security that evidences all or part of a series of Securities issued to the Depositary or its nominee for such series, and registered in the name of such Depositary or its nominee and except as specified with respect to the Securities of a series as contemplated by Section 301, bearing the legend set forth in Section 202.

“Guarantor Obligations” has the meaning specified in Section 1401.

 

6


“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.

“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into, or one or more Board Resolutions adopted, pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof, and shall include the terms of each particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 301, including, for all purposes of this instrument, any such supplemental indenture or Board Resolution, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a part of and govern this instrument, any such supplemental indenture and any such Board Resolution, respectively.

“Interest Payment Date” means as to each series of Securities the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Securities.

“Interest Rate” means the rate of interest specified or determined as specified in each Security as being the rate of interest payable on such Security.

“Investment Company Act” means the United States Investment Company Act of 1940 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.

“Maturity” when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as provided in the Securities or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.

“Mortgage” means any mortgage, hypothec, privilege, pledge, security interest, floating charge or other similar lien or encumbrance.

“Net Rental Payments” under any lease for any period means the sum of the rental and other payments required to be paid in such period by the lessee thereunder, not including, however, any amounts required to be paid by such lessee (whether or not designated as rental or additional rental) on account of indemnities (other than any constituting basic rent) or maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates, utilities or similar charges required to be paid by such lessee thereunder or any amounts required to be paid by such lessee thereunder contingent upon the amount of sales, production or other measures of economic performance.

“Notice of Default” means a written notice of the kind specified in Section 501(3).

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by (i) the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice President, and (ii) the Treasurer, any Associate Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, the Secretary

 

7


or any Assistant Secretary, of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee. One of the officers signing an Officers’ Certificate given pursuant to Section 1004 shall be the principal executive, financial or accounting officer of the Company.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel for (and an employee of) the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company or, with respect to Section 801, any Person, and who shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

“Original Issue Date” means the date of issuance specified as such in each Security.

“Original Issue Discount Security” means any security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502.

“Outstanding” when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:

(1) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

(2) Securities, or portions thereof, for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;

(3) Securities, except to the extent provided in Sections 1302 and 1303, with respect to which the Company has effected defeasance and/or covenant defeasance as provided in Article Thirteen; and

(4) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 306 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by Holders in whose hands such Securities are valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company;

provided , however , that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Outstanding Securities have given, made or taken any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action hereunder as of any date,

 

8


(A) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount of the principal thereof which would be due and payable as of such date upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof to such date pursuant to Section 502, (B) if, as of such date, the principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of a Security is not determinable, the principal amount of such Security which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount as specified or determined as contemplated by Section 301, and (C) Securities beneficially owned by the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors or of such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, only Securities which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors or of such other obligor.

“Paying Agent” means the Trustee or any other Person (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) authorized by the Company to pay the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.

“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability or joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, government or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.

“Place of Payment” means, with respect to the Securities of any series, the place or places where the principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities of such series are payable as specified as contemplated by Section 301.

“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 306 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security.

“Principal Facility” means any mill, converting plant or manufacturing plant owned or leased at the date of this Indenture or acquired or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary after such date and which is located within Canada or the United States, other than any mill or plant the fair market value of which as determined by the Board of Directors does not at the time exceed 1% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company.

 

9


“Principal Property” means, as the context may require, any real or immoveable property forming part of or constituting any or all of the following: any Principal Facility or Timberlands.

“Purchase Money Obligation” means any indebtedness, whether or not secured, incurred in respect of the cost of acquisition of any property (including shares of Capital Stock or Debt) or of the cost of construction or improvement of any property acquired, constructed or improved after the date of this Indenture, which indebtedness existed at the time of acquisition or was created, issued, incurred, assumed or guaranteed contemporaneously with the acquisition, construction or improvement or within 120 days after the completion thereof (or subsequently if created pursuant to a firm commitment financing arrangement obtained within such 120-day period, provided that the related indebtedness is created within 90 days after the expiration of such 120-day period) and includes any extension, renewal or refunding of any such indebtedness if the principal amount thereof outstanding on the date of such extension, renewal or refunding is not increased.

“Redemption Date” when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.

“Redemption Price” when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.

“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of a series means, unless otherwise provided pursuant to Section 301 with respect to Securities of a series, the date which is fifteen days next preceding such Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day).

“Responsible Officer,” when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer of the Trustee with direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture, located at the Corporate Trust Office and assigned by the Trustee from time to time to administer its corporate trust matters.

“Restricted Subsidiary” means (a) a Subsidiary which, as at the end of the Company’s then most recently completed fiscal quarter, had Consolidated Net Tangible Assets representing 5% or more of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company (including such Subsidiary) and owns or leases any interest in a Principal Property and (b) any other Subsidiary which the Board of Directors shall have determined to be a Restricted Subsidiary. Any determination mentioned in (b) shall be irrevocable; provided , however , that the Board of Directors may determine that a Restricted

 

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Subsidiary described in (b) shall cease to be a Restricted Subsidiary and shall become an Unrestricted Subsidiary if (i) a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary shall hold a minority interest in such Restricted Subsidiary of at least 15% of the common shareholders’ equity (or equivalent equity interests) of such Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) immediately after such Restricted Subsidiary becomes an Unrestricted Subsidiary, no Default or Event of Default shall exist.

“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” has the meaning specified in Section 1009.

“Securities” or “Security” means any debt securities or debt security, as the case may be, authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

“Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.

“Security Register” and “Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 305.

“Significant Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary that would be a “Significant Subsidiary” of the Company within the meaning of Rule 1-02 under Regulation S-X promulgated by the Commission.

“Special Record Date” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.

“Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable, in the case of such principal or installment of principal, as such date may be extended or shortened as provided pursuant to the terms of such Security.

“Subsidiary” of any Person means any corporation of which more than 50% of the Voting Stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by or for the benefit of the Company or by or for any corporation in like relation to the Company and includes any corporation in like relation to a Subsidiary.

“Subsidiary Guarantee” means, individually, any guarantee of payment of the Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture and any supplemental indenture thereto, and, collectively, all such guarantees.

“Subsidiary Guarantors” means each subsidiary of the Company in existence on the Issue Date that provides a Subsidiary Guarantee on the Issue Date and any other subsidiary of the Company that provides a Subsidiary Guarantee in accordance with this Indenture; provided that upon the release or discharge of such subsidiary from its Subsidiary Guarantee in accordance with this Indenture, such subsidiary shall cease to be a Subsidiary Guarantor.

 

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“Timberlands” means any real or immovable property located within Canada or the United States and (a) which is owned by the Company or any Subsidiary and contains, or (b) with respect to which the Company or any Subsidiary is entitled under any lease, license or similar agreement to cut and remove, standing timber which is (or upon completion of a growth cycle then in process is expected to become) of a commercial quantity and of merchantable quality, other than (i) any such property which at the time of determination is not held primarily for the production of lumber or other wood products, (ii) any such property the fair market value of which as determined by the Board of Directors does not at the time exceed 1% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company or (iii) any reserves of oil and gas located under such property.

“Trust Indenture Act” means the United States Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in force at the date as of which this instrument was executed; provided , however , that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “Trust Indenture Act” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.

“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and, if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to the Securities of that series.

“U.S. Dollar” or “U.S.$” means the currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.

“U.S. GAAP” means, at any particular time, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America at such time.

“U.S. Government Obligations” means, with respect to the Securities of any series, securities which are (i) direct obligations of the United States of America or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed by the United States of America and which, in either case, are full faith and credit obligations of the United States of America and are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act) as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of

 

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such depository receipt; provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

“U.S. Subsidiary” means any subsidiary organized or existing under the laws of the United States of America or any state or territory thereof or the District of Columbia other than subsidiaries owned directly or indirectly by non-U.S. Subsidiaries.

“Unrestricted Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company which is not a Restricted Subsidiary at the time of determination.

“Vice President” when used with respect to the Company or the Trustee, means any vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title “Vice President”.

“Voting Stock” of any Person means Capital Stock of any class of such Person then outstanding and which ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors or other governing body of such Person.

“Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary” means a Restricted Subsidiary all of whose Voting Stock (other than shares required to be owned by directors under any applicable law) are owned by the Company and/or one or more of its Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiaries.

SECTION 102. Compliance Certificates and Opinions.

Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee such certificates and opinions as may be required under the Trust Indenture Act. Each such certificate or opinion shall be given in the form of an Officers’ Certificate, if to be given by an officer of the Company, or an Opinion of Counsel, if to be given by counsel, and shall comply with the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and any other requirements set forth in this Indenture. In the case of an application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.

Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than the certificates provided pursuant to Section 1004) shall comply with the provisions of Section 314(e) of the Trust Indenture Act and shall include:

(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;

 

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(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

SECTION 103. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.

In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers, or other management employee of the Company or any Subsidiary stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company or such Subsidiary, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.

Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company or of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to accounting matters, upon a certificate or opinion of or representations by an accountant or firm of accountants in the employ of the Company, unless such officer or counsel, as the case may be, knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the accounting matters upon which such certificate or opinion may be based are erroneous. Any certificate or opinion of any independent firm of public accountants filed with the Trustee shall contain a statement that such firm is independent.

 

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Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.

SECTION 104. Acts of Holders; Record Dates.

(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given, made or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 601) conclusive and may be relied upon by the Trustee, the Company, and any agent of the Trustee or the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.

(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of any notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by a Person acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority.

(c) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient and in accordance with such reasonable rules as the Trustee may determine.

(d) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register.

(e) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action by the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.

 

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(f) The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities entitled to give, make or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given, made or taken by Holders of Securities, provided that the Company may not set a record date for, and the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply with respect to, the giving or making of any notice, declaration, request or direction referred to in the next paragraph. If any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding Securities on such record date, and no other Holders, shall be entitled to take the relevant action, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided that no such action shall be effective hereunder unless taken on or prior to the applicable Expiration Date (as defined below) by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities on such record date. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent the Company from setting a new record date for any action for which a record date has previously been set pursuant to this paragraph (whereupon the record date previously set shall automatically and with no action by any Person be cancelled and of no effect), and nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any action taken by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities on the date such action is taken. Promptly after any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Company, at its own expense, shall cause notice of such record date, the proposed action by Holders and the applicable Expiration Date to be given to the Trustee in writing and to each Holder of Securities in the manner set forth in Section 106.

The Trustee may set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities entitled to join in the giving or making of (i) any Notice of Default, (ii) any declaration of acceleration referred to in Section 502, (iii) any request to institute proceedings referred to in Section 507(2) or (iv) any direction referred to in Section 512. If any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding Securities on such record date, and no other Holders, shall be entitled to join in such notice, declaration, request or direction, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided that no such action shall be effective hereunder unless taken on or prior to the applicable Expiration Date by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities on such record date. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent the Trustee from setting a new record date for any action for which a record date has previously been set pursuant to this paragraph (whereupon the record date previously set shall automatically and with no action by any Person be cancelled and of no effect), and nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any action taken by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities on the date such action is taken. Promptly after any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Trustee, at the Company’s expense, shall cause notice of such record date, the proposed action by Holders and the applicable Expiration Date to be given to the Company in writing and to each Holder of Securities in the manner set forth in Section 106.

 

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With respect to any record date set pursuant to this Section, the party hereto which sets such record dates may designate any day as the “Expiration Date” and from time to time may change the Expiration Date to any earlier or later day; provided that no such change shall be effective unless notice of the proposed new Expiration Date is given to the other party hereto in writing, and to each Holder of Securities in the manner set forth in Section 106, on or prior to the existing Expiration Date. If an Expiration Date is not designated with respect to any record date set pursuant to this Section, the party hereto which set such record date shall be deemed to have initially designated the 180th day after such record date as the Expiration Date with respect thereto, subject to its right to change the Expiration Date as provided in this paragraph. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Expiration Date shall be later than the 180th day after the applicable record date.

Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled hereunder to take any action hereunder with regard to any particular Security may do so with regard to all or any part of the principal amount of such Security or by one or more duly appointed agents each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with regard to all or any part of such principal amount.

SECTION 105. Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company.

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with:

(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed to or with the Trustee in writing at its Corporate Trust Office, or

(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class, postage prepaid, to the Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company, Attention: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Neither the Company nor the Trustee shall be deemed to have received any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders unless given, furnished or filed as provided in this Section 105.

SECTION 106. Notice to Holders; Waiver.

Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and

 

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mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date (if any), and not earlier than the earliest date (if any), prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. Any notice mailed to a Holder in the manner herein prescribed shall be conclusively deemed to have been received by such Holder, whether or not such Holder actually receives such notice. Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.

In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the written approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.

SECTION 107. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.

If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act which is required under such Act to be a part of and govern this Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be. Each Subsidiary Guarantor in addition to performing its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee shall perform such other obligations as may be imposed upon it with respect to this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.

SECTION 108. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.

The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

SECTION 109. Successors and Assigns.

All covenants and agreements in this Indenture and the Securities by the Company and each Subsidiary Guarantor shall bind their respective successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

 

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SECTION 110. Separability Clause.

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

SECTION 111. Benefits of Indenture.

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar and their successors and assigns, and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

SECTION 112. Governing Law; Trust Indenture Act.

This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. This Indenture is subject to the provisions of The Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.

SECTION 113. Legal Holidays.

In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Maturity or Stated Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities (other than a provision of any Security which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section)) payment of interest or principal (and premium, if any) need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date, or at the Maturity or Stated Maturity and no interest shall accrue for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Maturity or Stated Maturity, as the case may be, if such payment is made or duly provided for on the next succeeding Business Day.

SECTION 114. Computations.

Unless otherwise specifically provided, the certificate or opinion of any independent firm of public accountants of recognized standing selected by the Board of Directors shall be conclusive evidence of the correctness of any computation made under the provisions of this Indenture. The Company shall furnish to the Trustee upon its request a copy of any such certificate or opinion.

 

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SECTION 115. Agency for Service; Submission to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunities.

(a) By the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors (i) acknowledge that they have, by separate written instrument, irrevocably designated and appointed CT Corporation System, as their authorized agent for service of process in any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the Securities of any series, the Subsidiary Guarantees thereof or this Indenture that may be instituted in any federal or state court located in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York, or brought under United States federal or state securities laws or brought by the Trustee, and acknowledges that CT Corporation System has accepted such designation, (ii) irrevocably submit to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) agree that service of process upon CT Corporation System and written notice of said service to the Company (mailed or delivered to the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at its principal office in Montreal, Canada as specified in Section 105(2) in this Indenture) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon it in any such suit, action or proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all actions, including the execution and filing of any and all such documents and instruments, as may be necessary to continue such designation and appointment of CT Corporation System in full force and effect so long as this Indenture shall be in full force and effect.

(b) To the extent that the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor has or hereafter may acquire any immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution, execution or otherwise) with respect to itself or its property, the Company or any such Subsidiary Guarantor hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of its obligations under this Indenture, the Securities and the Subsidiary Guarantees, to the extent permitted by law.

SECTION 116. Incorporators, Shareholders, Officers and Directors of the Company Exempt from Individual Liability.

No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantees or in any Security of any series, or because of any indebtedness evidenced thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, as such or against any past, present or future shareholder, officer or director, as such, of the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors or of any successor thereof, either directly or through the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors or any successor thereof, under any rule of law, statute or constitutional provision or by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise, all such liability being expressly waived and released by the acceptance of the Securities by the Holders and as part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

 

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ARTICLE TWO

SECURITY FORMS

SECTION 201. Forms Generally.

The Securities of each series shall be substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A, or in such other form or forms as shall be established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in each case with such appropriate provisions as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with applicable laws or the rules of any securities exchange or Depositary therefor or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution thereof. If the form of Securities of any series is established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 303 with respect to the authentication and delivery of such Securities.

The Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form set forth in this Article.

The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved on a steel engraved border or on steel engraved borders or produced by any combination of these methods, if required by any securities exchange on which the Securities may be listed, or may be produced in any other manner permitted by the rules of any securities exchange on which the Securities may be listed, all as determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, the Securities of each series will initially be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities. Each such Global Security shall represent such of the Outstanding Securities of such series as shall be specified therein and each shall provide that it shall represent the aggregate amount of Outstanding Securities of such series from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate amounts of Outstanding Securities of such series represented thereby may from time to time be reduced or increased, as appropriate. Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for the Securities of any series the Global Security or Global Securities evidencing the Securities of a series (and all Securities issued in exchange therefore) shall bear the legend indicated in Section 202.

 

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SECTION 202. Form of Legend for Global Securities.

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for a Depositary other than the Depositary Trust Company, every Global Security authenticated and delivered hereunder shall, in addition to the provisions contained in Exhibit A, bear a legend in substantially the following form:

UNLESS THIS SECURITY IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY SECURITY ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF DTC OR A NOMINEE THEREOF. THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR A SECURITY REGISTERED, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IN WHOLE OR IN PART MAY BE REGISTERED, IN THE NAME OF ANY PERSON OTHER THAN DTC OR SUCH NOMINEE, EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE.

SECTION 203. Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.

The Trustee’s certificates of authentication shall be in substantially the following form:

Certificate of Authentication

This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Dated:

 

The Bank of New York
as Trustee
By:    
  Authorized Officer

 

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ARTICLE THREE

THE SECURITIES

SECTION 301. Title; Terms.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.

The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of a series:

(a) the title of the securities of such series, which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from all other Securities;

(b) the limit, if any, upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration or transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the same series pursuant to Sections 304, 305, 306, 906 or 1108 or Article 12 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 303, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder); provided , however , except as otherwise specified as contemplated by this Section 301 with respect to the Securities of any series, that the authorized aggregate principal amount of such series may be increased above such amount by a Board Resolution to such effect;

(c) the Stated Maturity or Maturities on which the principal of the Securities of such series is payable or the method of determination thereof;

(d) the rate or rates, if any, at which the Securities of such series shall bear interest or the method of determining such rate or rates, the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be payable, the right, if any, of the Company to defer or extend an Interest Payment Date, the Regular Record Date (if other than as defined in this Indenture) for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date and the dates from which interest shall accrue and the method of determining these dates;

(e) the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities of such series shall be payable, the place or places where the Securities of such series may be presented for registration of transfer or exchange, and the place or places where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such series may be made;

 

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(f) the period or periods within or the date or dates on which, if any, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of such series may be redeemed or prepaid, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

(g) the obligation or the right, if any, of the Company to redeem, repay or purchase the Securities of such series pursuant to any sinking fund, purchase fund, amortization or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which, the currency or currencies (including currency unit or units) in which and the other terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series shall be redeemed, repaid or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation or right;

(h) the denominations in which any Securities of such series shall be issuable, if other than denominations of U.S.$1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;

(i) if other than U.S. Dollars, the currency or currencies (including currency unit or units) in which the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities of the series shall be payable, or in which the Securities of the series shall be denominated and if other than U.S. Government Obligations, the securities permitted to be deposited with the Trustee under Articles Four and Thirteen of the Indenture or deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent or then held by the Company under Section 1003 and any conforming changes to such section as are necessary;

(j) the additions, modifications or deletions, if any, in the Events of Default or covenants of the Company set forth herein with respect to the Securities of such series;

(k) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of such series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof;

(l) the additions or changes, if any, to this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such series as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the issuance of the Securities of such series in bearer form, registrable or not registrable as to principal, and with or without interest coupons;

(m) any index or indices used to determine the amount of payments of principal of and premium, if any, on the Securities of such series or the manner in which such amounts will be determined;

(n) the issuance of a temporary Security (which may include a Global Security) representing all of the Securities of such series and the terms upon which such temporary Global Security may be exchanged for definitive Securities of such series;

 

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(o) whether the Securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case, the identity of the Depositary for such Global Securities and the legends to be placed on such Global Securities;

(p) the appointment of any Paying Agent or Agents for the Securities of such series;

(q) the obligation of the Company in addition to those set forth in Article Four (if any) that shall not be extinguished upon the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture pursuant to Article Four or the Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance of the Securities pursuant to Article Thirteen;

(r) the terms and conditions of any right or obligation on the part of the Company, or any option on the part of the Holders, to convert or exchange Securities of such series into cash or any other securities or property of the Company or any other Person, and the additions or changes, if any, to this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such series to permit or facilitate such conversion or exchange; and

(s) any other terms of the Securities of such series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture).

All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided herein or in or pursuant to such Board Resolution and set forth in such Officers’ Certificate or in any such indenture supplemental hereto.

If any of the terms of Securities of any series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 303 with respect to the authentication and delivery of such Securities.

SECTION 302. Denominations.

The Securities of each series shall be in registered form without coupons and shall be issuable in denominations of U.S.$1,000 and any integral multiples thereof, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301.

SECTION 303. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.

The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice President and attested by its Treasurer, any Associate Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or any Assistant Secretary. The signature of any of these officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.

 

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Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of such Securities.

At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in accordance with the Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities.

Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, if all Securities of a series are not to be originally issued at one time, it shall not be necessary to deliver the Company Order otherwise required pursuant to such preceding paragraph at or prior to the authentication of each Security of such series if such Company Order is delivered at or prior to the authentication upon original issuance of the first Security of such series to be issued.

Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose, unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein executed by the Trustee by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section 309, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.

Minor typographical and other minor errors in the text of any Security shall not affect the validity and enforceability of such Security if it has been duly authenticated and delivered by the Trustee.

Except in the case of Securities of any series (in whole or in part) as to which it is specified, as contemplated by Section 301, that such Securities shall be issued initially in individual certificated form, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate

 

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and deliver one or more Global Securities with respect to each series of Securities that (i) shall represent an aggregate amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the initially issued Securities of such series, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction, (iv) shall bear a legend substantially in the form required in Section 202 and (v) shall bear such other legends or endorsements as contemplated by Section 201. If such form or terms have been so established, the Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

The Depositary must, at all times while it serves as such Depositary, be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and any other applicable statute or regulation.

SECTION 304. Temporary Securities.

Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities of any series in lieu of which they are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.

If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities of such series to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities, the temporary Securities shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities upon surrender of the temporary Securities at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Securities of the same series of authorized denominations and having the same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and having the same terms as such temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities.

SECTION 305. Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.

The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee a register (the register maintained in such office or in any other office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment being herein sometimes referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the

 

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Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and of transfers and exchanges of Securities. The Trustee is hereby appointed “Security Registrar” for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Securities as herein provided.

Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series of any authorized denominations and of a like tenor and aggregate principal amount, of the same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and having the same terms.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual Securities represented thereby, a Global Security representing all or a portion of the Securities may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of such Depositary, or by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary, or by such Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or nominee of such successor Depositary.

At the option of the Holder, Securities may be exchanged for other Securities, of the same series of any authorized denominations, of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, of the same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and having the same terms, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at such office or agency of the Company at a Place of Payment. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.

If at any time the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary or if at any time the Depositary shall cease to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act as provided in Section 303, the Company shall appoint a successor Depositary. If a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such ineligibility, the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities, will authenticate and make available for delivery, individual Securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security or Securities representing the Securities in exchange for such Global Security or Securities.

The Company may at any time and in its sole discretion determine that individual Securities issued in the form of one or more Global Securities shall no longer be represented by such Global Security or Securities. In such event the Company will

 

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execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities, will authenticate and make available for delivery, individual Securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security or Securities representing the Securities in exchange for such Global Security or Securities.

The Depositary may surrender a Global Security in exchange in whole or in part for individual Securities on such terms as are acceptable to the Company, the Trustee and such Depositary. Thereupon, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, without service charge:

(1) to each Person specified by such Depositary a new individual Security or Securities of any authorized denomination as requested by such Person in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for such Person’s beneficial interest in the Global Security; and

(2) to such Depositary a new Global Security in a denomination equal to the difference, if any, between the principal amount of the surrendered Global Security and the aggregate principal amount of individual Securities delivered to Holders thereof.

Upon the exchange of a Global Security for individual Securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of such Global Security, such Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Individual Securities issued in exchange for a Global Security pursuant to this Section shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary for such Global Security, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall make available for delivery such individual Securities to the Persons in whose names such Securities are so registered.

All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Security Registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed, by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

No service charge shall be made to a Holder for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company or the Trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Sections 304, 906 or 1108 or Article 12 not involving any transfer.

 

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Neither the Company nor the Trustee shall be required, pursuant to the provisions of this Section: (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Security of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 Business Days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of any such Securities selected for redemption of Securities pursuant to Article Eleven and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing of notice of redemption; or (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except, in the case of any Security to be redeemed in part, any portion thereof that is not redeemed.

SECTION 306. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.

If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee together with such security or indemnity as may be required by the Company or the Trustee to save each of them harmless, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same issue and series, of like tenor and principal amount, having the same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and bearing the same Interest Rate as such mutilated Security, and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

If there shall be delivered to the Company and to the Trustee (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a protected purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same issue and series of like tenor and principal amount, having the same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and bearing the same Interest Rate as such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company or the Trustee may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

 

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Every new Security issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor (if applicable) and any other obligor upon the Securities whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities duly issued hereunder.

The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

SECTION 307. Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.

Interest on any Security of any series which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest in respect of Securities of such series. The initial payment of interest on any Security of any series which is issued between a Regular Record Date and the related Interest Payment Date shall be payable as provided in such Security or in the Board Resolution pursuant to Section 301 with respect to the related series of Securities.

Any interest on any Security which is payable, but is not timely paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of such series (herein called “Defaulted Interest”), shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered Holder on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in Clause (1) or (2) below:

(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series in respect of which interest is in default (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this Clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the

 

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notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first class, postage prepaid, to each Holder of a Security of such series at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Security Register not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so mailed, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following Clause (2).

(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of the series in respect of which interest is in default may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange (or by the Trustee if the Securities are not listed), if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this Clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

SECTION 308. Persons Deemed Owners.

The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name any Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and any premium and (subject to Section 307) any interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

None of the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a Global Security or maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.

 

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SECTION 309. Cancellation.

All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee, and any such Securities and Securities surrendered directly to the Trustee for any such purpose shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of by the Trustee in accordance with its customary procedures unless by Company Order the Company shall direct that cancelled Securities be delivered to it or that a certification of their disposal be delivered to the Company. Acquisition by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor of any Security shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Security unless and until the same is delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

SECTION 310. Computation of Interest.

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.

SECTION 311. CUSIP or ISIN Numbers.

The Company in issuing Securities may use “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use for the Securities “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers in notices to the Holders as a convenience to such Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such notice shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any changes in the “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers.

 

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ARTICLE FOUR

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

SECTION 401. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.

This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further effect (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities herein expressly provided for or as specified as contemplated by Section 301) and the Trustee at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when:

(1) either

(A) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 306 and (ii) Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor and thereafter repaid to the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 1003) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(B) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation:

(i) have become due and payable, or

(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year of the date of deposit, or

(iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company,

and the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, in the case of Clause (B)(i), (ii) or (iii) above, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds: (A) money in an amount; (B) U.S. Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount; or (C) a combination thereof, in each case sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee of such series (but such opinion need only be delivered if any U.S. Government Obligations have been so deposited), to pay and discharge, and

 

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which shall be applied by the Trustee to pay and discharge, the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal (and premium, if any) and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be;

(2) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors; and

(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against any U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 401 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of Outstanding Securities.

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under this Section 401 and Section 607, the obligations of the Company to any Authenticating Agent under Section 614 and, if money and/or U.S. Government Obligations shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of Clause (1) of this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 402 and the last paragraph of Section 1003 shall survive.

SECTION 402. Application of Trust Money.

Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, all money and U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401 and all proceeds of such U.S. Government Obligations and the interest thereon, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal and any premium and interest for whose payment such money and U.S. Government Obligations have been deposited with the Trustee.

 

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ARTICLE FIVE

REMEDIES

SECTION 501. Events of Default.

“Event of Default”, wherever used herein with respect to the Securities of any series, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):

(1) default in the payment of any interest upon any Security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 30 days; or

(2) default in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, on any Security of that series at its Maturity; or

(3) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty a default in the performance of which or the breach of which is specifically dealt with elsewhere in this Section), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or

(4) any Subsidiary Guarantee of a Significant Subsidiary ceases to be in full force and effect (except as contemplated by the terms of this Indenture) or is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding or any Subsidiary Guarantor denies or disaffirms its obligations under this Indenture or its Subsidiary Guarantee; or

(5) the making of an order or judgment by a court having jurisdiction adjudging the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary bankrupt or insolvent or ordering the winding up or liquidation or rearrangement of its affairs, or the seizure or attachment of all or a substantial part of the Company’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s property at the instance of a creditor, or the appointment of a Person to take possession or control under an agreement subjecting the property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to a security interest or pursuant to an order of any court having jurisdiction of all or a substantial part of the property or the inventory of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, such Person to include a receiver, a receiver-manager, an agent, a sequestrator, a trustee under a trust indenture, a creditor in possession or any Person or

 

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corporation authorized to act on their behalf, provided that such order, judgment, seizure or attachment remains in force or such taking of possession or control continues in effect for a period of 90 consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement shall not be in effect; or

(6) the making by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of an assignment for the benefit of its creditors, the filing by it of a petition for the declaration of its own bankruptcy, the consenting by it to the institution of, or the granting by a court of, bankruptcy or other insolvency proceedings against it, the admission by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to some or all of its creditors at a meeting or by other means of communication that it is insolvent or the commencement by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any proceeding relative to its indebtedness under any reorganization, arrangement, compromise, adjustment or postponement of debt, dissolution, winding up, composition or liquidation law or statute of any jurisdiction, whether now or hereafter in effect; or

(7) default under any Mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is guaranteed by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries), other than indebtedness owed to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, whether such indebtedness or guarantee now exists, or is created after the Original Issue Date, which default (a) is caused by a failure to pay principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on such indebtedness prior to the expiration of the grace period provided in such indebtedness (“payment default”) or (b) results in the acceleration of such indebtedness prior to its maturity (“cross acceleration provision”) and, in each case, the principal amount of any such indebtedness, together with the principal amount of any other such indebtedness under which there has been a payment default or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, aggregates U.S. $80,000,000 (or its equivalent in other currencies) or more; or

(8) the taking or entering against the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of a judgment or decree for the payment of money in excess of U.S. $80,000,000 (or its equivalent in other currencies) in the aggregate, if the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, fails to file an appeal therefrom within the applicable appeal period or, if the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, does file an appeal therefrom within such period, such judgment or decree is not within a period of 60 days from the date thereof, and does not remain, vacated, discharged or stayed; or

(9) any other Event of Default specified with respect to Securities of that series as contemplated in Section 301.

 

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SECTION 502. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.

If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 501(5) or 501(6)) with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series may declare the principal amount (or, if the Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) of, premium, if any, and accrued but unpaid interest and any other monetary obligations on all of the Securities of that series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount), premium and interest shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 501(5) or 501(6) with respect to Securities of a series at the time Outstanding occurs, the principal amount of all the Securities of such series (or specified amount), premium, if any, accrued but unpaid interest and any other monetary obligations shall automatically, and without any declaration or other action on the part of the Trustee or any Holder, become immediately due and payable.

In the event of a declaration of acceleration of the Securities because an Event of Default described in clause (7) of Section 501 has occurred and is continuing, the declaration of acceleration of the Securities shall be automatically annulled if the default triggering such Event of Default pursuant to clause (7) of Section 501 shall be remedied or cured by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or waived by the holders of the relevant indebtedness within 20 days after the declaration of acceleration with respect thereto and if (1) the annulment of the acceleration of the Securities would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction and (2) all existing Events of Default, except nonpayment of principal, premium or interest on the Securities that became due solely because of the acceleration of the Securities, have been cured or waived.

At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:

(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay

(A) all overdue interest on all Securities of that series,

 

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(B) the principal of, and premium, if any, on, any Securities of that series which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and any interest thereon at the rate or rates borne by such Securities,

(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue installments of interest at the rate or rates borne by or prescribed therefor in such Securities, and

(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel; and

(2) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that series, other than the non-payment of the principal (or a specified portion of the principal) of and interest on Securities of that series which has become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 513.

No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

SECTION 503. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.

The Company covenants that if:

(1) default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or

(2) default is made in the payment of the principal or premium, if any, on any Security at the Maturity thereof,

the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal, including any sinking fund payment or analogous obligations (and premium, if any) and interest, including, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal or premium, if any, and on any overdue interest, at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel and all the amounts due to the Trustee under Section 607 hereof.

If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or

 

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any other obligor upon the Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities, wherever situated.

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

SECTION 504. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

In case of any judicial proceeding relative to the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), its property or its creditors:

(a) the Trustee shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

(i) to take any and all actions authorized under the Trust Indenture Act in order to have claims of the Holders and the Trustee allowed in any such proceeding, and

(ii) in particular, the Trustee shall be authorized to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same in accordance with Section 506; and

(b) any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee for distribution in accordance with Section 506, and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 607.

No provision of this Indenture shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding; provided , however , that the Trustee may, on behalf of the Holders, vote for the election of a trustee in bankruptcy or similar official and be a member of a creditors’ or other similar committee.

 

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SECTION 505. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.

All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

SECTION 506. Application of Money Collected.

Any money or property collected or to be applied by the Trustee with respect to a series of Securities pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money or property on account of principal or premium, if any, or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee under Section 607;

SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon such series of Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such series of Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, respectively; and

THIRD: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company, its successors or assigns or to whomsoever may be lawfully entitled to receive the same or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.

SECTION 507. Limitation on Suits.

No Holder of any Securities of any series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:

(1) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that series;

 

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(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series;

it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such Holders.

SECTION 508. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest.

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Section 307) interest on such Security on the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

SECTION 509. Restoration of Rights and Remedies.

If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

 

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SECTION 510. Rights and Remedies Cumulative.

Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last paragraph of Section 306, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

SECTION 511. Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

SECTION 512. Control by Holders.

The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such series, provided that:

(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture, involve the Trustee in personal liability or be unduly prejudicial to the Holders of the Securities not joining in the action; and

(2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.

SECTION 513. Waiver of Past Defaults.

Subject to Section 502 hereof, the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series may, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such series, waive (including, without limitation, by consent obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, such series of Securities) any past default hereunder with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default:

(1) in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any Security of such series; or

 

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(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article Nine cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.

Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.

SECTION 514. Undertaking for Costs.

All parties to this Indenture agree, and each holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, any party litigant in such suit to file an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any such party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant, in the manner and to the extent provided in the Trust Indenture Act; provided, that neither this Section nor the Trust Indenture Act shall be deemed to authorize any court to require such an undertaking or to make such an assessment in any suit instituted by the Company or by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security on or after the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date).

SECTION 515. Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws.

The Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors covenant (to the extent that they may lawfully do so) that they will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any usury, stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors (to the extent that they may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waive all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenant that they will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

 

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ARTICLE SIX

THE TRUSTEE

SECTION 601. Certain Duties and Responsibilities.

The duties, responsibilities, protections, privileges, and immunities of the Trustee shall be as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, particularly Sections 315 and 316 thereof, unless expressly excluded as provided in this Article Six. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.

SECTION 602. Notice of Defaults.

If a Default occurs hereunder with respect to the Securities of a series, the Trustee within 90 days of such Default shall give the Holders of such Securities notice of such Default as and to the extent provided by the Trust Indenture Act; provided , however , that in the case of any Default of the character specified in Section 501(3) with respect to such Securities, no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof; and provided , further , that the Trustee may withhold notice to the Holders, of any Default with respect to Securities of a series (except any Default of the character specified in Section 501(1) and (2)), if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determine that the withholding of the notice is in the interest of the Holders of such Securities.

SECTION 603. Certain Rights of Trustee.

Subject to the provisions of Section 601:

(1) the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

 

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(2) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order, and any resolution of the Board of Directors shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;

(3) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officers’ Certificate and may at its discretion secure such further evidence deemed necessary or advisable, but shall in no case be bound to secure the same;

(4) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;

(5) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney;

(6) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;

(7) the Trustee’s immunities and protections from liability and its rights to compensation and indemnification in connection with the performance of its duties under this Indenture shall extend to the Trustee’s officers, directors, agents and employees and its services as Paying Agent, Security Registrar or any other role assumed by the Trustee hereunder or to which it has been appointed with respect to the Securities issued hereunder. Such immunities and protections and right to indemnification, together with the Trustee’s right to compensation, shall survive the Trustee’s resignation or removal and final payment of the Securities;

(8) the Trustee is not required to give any bond or surety with respect to the performance of its duties or the exercise of its powers under this Indenture;

 

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(9) the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any Default or Event of Default hereunder except (i) during any period it is serving as Paying Agent for the Securities of a series, any Event of Default pursuant to Section 501(1) or (2), or (ii) any Default or Event of Default of which a Responsible Officer shall have received written notification from the Company or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series with respect to which such Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or obtained “actual knowledge.” The term “actual knowledge” as used herein shall mean the actual fact or statement of knowing by a Responsible Officer without independent investigation with respect thereto;

(10) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture (other than the payment of debt service on the Securities from moneys furnished to it pursuant hereto), whether at the request or direction of the Holders or any other Person, pursuant to this Indenture or otherwise, unless it shall have been offered reasonable indemnity or security against the fees, advances, costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in connection with the exercise of any such rights or powers;

(11) the permissive rights of the Trustee enumerated herein shall not be construed as duties; and

(12) the Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officers’ Certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded.

Notwithstanding anything else herein contained, (i) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by any officer of the Trustee unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was grossly negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts and (ii) no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if it believes the repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

SECTION 604. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.

The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the Trustee’s certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent assumes any responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. Neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent shall be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.

 

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SECTION 605.  May Hold Securities.

The Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 608 and 613, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or such other agent.

SECTION 606. Money Held in Trust.

Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as agreed with the Company herein or otherwise.

SECTION 607. Compensation and Reimbursement.

The Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors, jointly and severally, agree:

(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);

(2) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the reasonable expenses and disbursements of its agents or attorneys), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to the negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of it or of its agents or attorneys;

(3) to indemnify, defend and to hold the Trustee harmless against any loss, liability or expense (including the reasonable compensation and the reasonable expenses and disbursements of its agents or attorneys) incurred without negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection therewith or with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder;

(4) that the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities upon all property and funds held by it hereunder for any amount owing it or any predecessor Trustee pursuant to this Section 607, except with respect to funds held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of particular Securities; and

 

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(5) without limiting any rights available to the Trustee under applicable law, that when the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 501(5) or Section 501(6), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.

The provisions of this Section 607 shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee and the satisfaction, discharge or termination of this Indenture.

SECTION 608. Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.

If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall either eliminate such interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture. To the extent permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have a conflicting interest by virtue of being a Trustee under this Indenture with respect to Securities of more than one series.

SECTION 609. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.

There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall (i) be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, (ii) be authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, (iii) have a combined capital and surplus of at least U.S. $50,000,000, and (iv) be subject to supervision or examination by Federal, State, territorial or District of Columbia authority. If such corporation files reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so filed. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article Six. Neither the Company nor any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Company shall serve as Trustee for the Securities of any series issued hereunder.

SECTION 610. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.

No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 611.

 

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The Trustee may resign as Trustee at any time with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 611 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.

The Trustee may be removed as Trustee hereunder at any time with respect to the Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.

If at any time:

(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 608 after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months; or

(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 609 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Holder; or

(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,

then, in any such case, (A) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee, or (B) subject to Section 514, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees.

If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause with respect to the Securities of one or more series, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Securities of that or those series and shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 611. If, within one year after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the

 

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applicable requirements of Section 611, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 611, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, subject to Section 514, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.

The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series by mailing written notice of such event by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the Holders of Securities of such series as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.

SECTION 611. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.

(a) In the case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of all series, every such successor Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.

(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor trustee shall accept such appointment and which (1) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, (2) if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to all Securities, shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (3)

 

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shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust and that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein and each such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts, and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates.

(c) Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, as the case may be.

(d) No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.

SECTION 612. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.

Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities. In case any of the Securities shall not have been authenticated by such predecessor Trustee, any successor Trustee may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor Trustee. In all such cases such certificates shall have the full force and effect that this Indenture provides for the certificate of authentication of the Trustee; provided , however , that the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee or to authenticate Securities in the name of any predecessor Trustee shall apply only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.

 

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SECTION 613. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.

Subject to the provisions of Section 311(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, if and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company (or any such other obligor).

SECTION 614. Appointment of Authenticating Agent.

The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents with respect to one or more series of Securities which shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon original issue and upon exchange, registration of transfer or partial redemption thereof or pursuant to Section 306, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the Trustee or the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any State, territory or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than U.S. $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority. If such Authenticating Agent files reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such Authenticating Agent shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so filed.

If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, such Authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Section.

Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall be the successor Authenticating Agent hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.

 

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An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall give notice of such appointment in the manner provided in Section 106 to all Holders of Securities of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will serve. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent.

No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section.

The Company agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section.

If an appointment with respect to one or more series is made pursuant to this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternative certificate of authentication in the following form:

This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

The Bank of New York,

as Trustee

By:    
  As Authenticating Agent
By:    
  Authorized Signatory

 

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ARTICLE SEVEN

HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

SECTION 701. Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.

The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee:

(1) semi-annually, not more than 15 days after each Regular Record Date, a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Holders as of such Regular Record Date; and

(2) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished; provided , that no such list need be provided in any case to the extent it would include names and addresses received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar.

SECTION 702. Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders.

The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, the names and addresses of Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to the Trustee as provided in Section 701 and the names and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 701 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.

The rights of Holders to communicate with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and the corresponding rights and privileges of the Trustee, shall be as provided by Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.

Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of any disclosure of information as to names and addresses of Holders made pursuant to Section 312(c) of the Trust Indenture Act.

SECTION 703. Reports by Trustee.

The Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant thereto. If required by Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall, within 60 days after each May 15 following the

 

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date of this Indenture, deliver to Holders a brief report, dated as of such May 15, which complies with the provisions of such Section 313(a). The Trustee shall also comply with Section 313(b) and Section 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act.

A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange upon which any Securities are listed in accordance with Section 313(d) of the Trust Indenture Act, with the Commission and with the Company (Attn: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer). The Company will notify the Trustee whenever any Securities are listed on any stock exchange.

SECTION 704. Reports by Company.

The Company shall:

(1) file with the Trustee, within 15 days after the Company is required to file the same with the Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Commission may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company may be required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

(2) file with the Trustee and the Commission, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission, such additional information, documents and reports with respect to compliance by the Company with the conditions and covenants of this Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and regulations;

(3) notwithstanding that the Company may not be required to remain subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or otherwise report on an annual and quarterly basis on forms provided for such annual and quarterly reporting pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission, continue to file with the Commission and provide the Trustee:

(A) on or before the date on which such reports would be required to be filed by the Company with the Commission, annual reports on Form 10-K (or any successor or comparable form) containing the information required to be contained therein (or required in such successor or comparable form),

(B) on or before the date on which such reports would be required to be filed by the Company with the Commission, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q (or any successor or comparable form) containing the information required to be contained therein (or required in such successor or comparable form),

 

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(C) promptly from time to time after the occurrence of an event required to be therein reported (and in any event within the time period specified for filing current reports on Form 8-K by the Commission), reports on Form 8-K (or any successor or comparable form), and

(D) any other information, documents and other reports which the Company would be required to file with the Commission if it were subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

provided , however , that the Company shall not be so obligated to file such reports, information and documents with the Commission if the Commission does not permit such filings (but in such event the Company will nevertheless provide such reports, information and documents to the Trustee).

(4) transmit by mail, to all Holders, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register, within 30 days after the filing thereof with the Trustee, such summaries of any information, documents and reports required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Clauses (1), (2) and (3) of this Section as may be required by rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission.

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such reports shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).

ARTICLE EIGHT

CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE

SECTION 801. Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.

(a) Subject to Section 801(c), the Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into any other Person or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, and the Company shall not permit any Person to consolidate with or merge with or into the Company, unless:

(1) the Company is the surviving corporation in a merger or consolidation; or

(2) in case the Company shall consolidate with or merge into another Person or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, the Person formed by or continuing from such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance or transfer, or which

 

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leases, the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety shall be a corporation, partnership, trust or limited liability company, organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia and shall (except where such assumption is deemed to have occurred by the sole operation of law) expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and any premium and interest on all the Securities and the performance or observance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed; and

(3) if the Company is not the surviving Person, each Subsidiary Guarantor, unless it is the other party to the transactions described above (in which case clause (2) shall apply), shall have by supplemental indenture confirmed that its Subsidiary Guarantee shall apply to such successor Person’s obligations under this Indenture and the Securities;

(4) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have happened and be continuing; and

(5) the Company or such Person has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

(b) Subject to Section 801(c) any Debt which becomes an obligation of the Company or any Subsidiary as a result of any such transaction shall be treated as having been incurred by the Company or such Subsidiary at the time of such transaction.

(c) The provisions of Section 801(a) and (b) shall not be applicable to the direct or indirect conveyance, transfer or lease of all or any portion of the stock, assets or liabilities of any of the Company’s wholly owned Subsidiaries to the Company or to other wholly owned Subsidiaries of the Company.

For purposes of this Section 801, the sale, lease, conveyance, assignment, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of one or more subsidiaries of the Company, which properties and assets, if held by the Company instead of such subsidiaries, would constitute all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Company on a consolidated basis, shall be deemed to be the transfer of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Company.

 

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SECTION 802. Successor Person Substituted.

Upon any consolidation of the Company with, or merger of the Company into, any other Person or any conveyance, transfer or lease of the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 801, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein, and in the event of any such conveyance or transfer, the Company (which term shall for this purpose mean the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture or any successor Person which shall theretofore become such in the manner described in Section 801) shall thereafter, except in the case of any lease, be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities and may be dissolved and liquidated.

In case of any such consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease, such changes in phraseology and form may be made in the Securities thereafter to be issued as may be appropriate.

ARTICLE NINE

AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER

SECTION 901. Without Consent of Holders.

Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:

(1) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors herein and in the Securities and the Subsidiary Guarantees; or

(2) to add guarantees with respect to the Securities or release a Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee or the Indenture in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Indenture; or

(3) to convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any property to or with the Trustee; or

 

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(4) to provide for the issuance under this Indenture of Securities in bearer form (including securities registrable as to principal only) and to provide for exchangeability of such Securities for Securities issued hereunder in fully registered form, and to make all appropriate changes for such purpose; or

(5) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 201 or 301; or

(6) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of all Securities or any series of Securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor; or

(7) to add any additional Events of Default; or

(8) to secure the Securities; or

(9) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by an additional or successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee pursuant to the requirements of Section 611(b); or

(10) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture as the Company and the Trustee may deem necessary and desirable, provided that such action pursuant to this Clause (10) shall not adversely affect the rights of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect; or

(11) to conform any provision hereof to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act or otherwise as necessary to comply with applicable law of the United States or any State thereof.

SECTION 902. With Consent of Holders.

With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, such series of Securities), by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing

 

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in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture. The Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors may omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision, covenant or condition of the Indenture, the Subsidiary Guarantees or the Securities of any series if before or after the time for such compliance the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders either waive (including, without limitation, by consent obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, such series of Securities) such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision, covenant or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision, covenant or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision, covenant or condition shall remain in full force and effect. However, no such supplemental indenture or waiver shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby:

(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest payable on, any Outstanding Security, or reduce the principal amount of or the rate of interest thereon or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon redemption or acceleration or would be provable in bankruptcy, or adversely affect any right of repayment of the Holder of any Outstanding Security or change the Place of Payment or the coin or currency in which, any Outstanding Security or any principal (and premium, if any) or interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date); or

(2) reduce the premium payable upon the repurchase of any Security or change the time at which any Security may be repurchased as described under Article 12, whether through an amendment or waiver of provisions in the covenants, definitions or otherwise (except amendments to the definition of “Change of Control”); or

(3) modify the Subsidiary Guarantees in any manner adverse to the Holders; or

(4) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver of compliance with any term, provision, covenant or condition of this Indenture or certain defaults hereunder and their consequences or reduce the quorum or voting requirements provided for in this Indenture; or

 

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(5) modify any of the provisions of this Section or Section 513, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby; provided , however , that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section and Section 513, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 611 and 901(9).

A supplemental indenture or waiver which changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.

It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.

SECTION 903. Execution of Supplemental Indentures.

In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the documents required by Section 102, and (subject to Section 601) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture, and that all conditions precedent have been complied with. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties, protections, privileges, indemnities, liabilities or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

SECTION 904. Effect of Supplemental Indentures.

Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and, subject to Section 902, every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby.

SECTION 905. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.

Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.

 

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SECTION 906. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.

Securities authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture or approval of a waiver pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Company, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture or waiver. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, to any such supplemental indenture or waiver may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series.

ARTICLE TEN

COVENANTS

SECTION 1001. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.

The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of that series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.

Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301, the Company shall pay interest on overdue amounts at the rate set forth in the first paragraph of the Securities, and it shall pay interest on overdue interest at the same rate (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), which interest on overdue interest shall accrue from the date such amounts became overdue.

SECTION 1002. Maintenance of Office or Agency.

The Company will maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York and each other Place of Payment for any series, an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented or surrendered for payment, and an office or agency where Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served. The Company initially appoints the Trustee, acting through its Corporate Trust Office, as its agent for said purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of any such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

 

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The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided , however , that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York and each other Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

SECTION 1003. Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.

If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any of the Securities of such series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal, premium, if any, and any interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents, it will, prior to each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on any Securities, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

The Company will cause each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will:

(1) comply with the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act applicable to it as a Paying Agent,

(2) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities) in the making of any payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest, and

(3) at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.

The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such

 

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Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by the Company or any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.

Any money or U.S. Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof and the interest thereon) deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Security and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company at its option on Company Request (unless otherwise required by mandatory provision of applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law) or (if then held by the Company) shall (unless otherwise required by mandatory provision of applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law) be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided , however , that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published on each Business Day and of general circulation in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.

SECTION 1004. Statement by Officers as to Default.

The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company ending after the date hereof, an Officers’ Certificate covering the preceding fiscal year, stating whether or not, to the best knowledge of the signers thereof, the Company is in default in the performance and observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture (without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided hereunder) and, if the Company shall be in default, specifying all such defaults and the nature and status thereof of which they may have knowledge.

SECTION 1005. Existence.

Subject to Article Eight, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its legal existence, rights (charter and statutory) and franchises of the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and any Restricted Subsidiary; provided , however , that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise if the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.

 

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SECTION 1006. Maintenance of Properties.

The Company will cause all material properties of the Company used or useful in the conduct of its business or the business of any Subsidiary Guarantor and any Restricted Subsidiary to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment and will cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the Company may be necessary so that the Company, each Subsidiary Guarantor and each Restricted Subsidiary may properly and advantageously conduct their respective businesses at all times; provided , however , that nothing in this Section shall prevent the Company from selling, abandoning or otherwise disposing of, or discontinuing the operation or maintenance of, any of such properties if such action is, in the judgment of the Company, desirable in the conduct of its business or the business of any Restricted Subsidiary.

SECTION 1007. Payment of Taxes.

The Company will pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same shall become delinquent, all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any Restricted Subsidiary or upon the income, profits or property of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any Restricted Subsidiary, and lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies, which, if unpaid, might by law become a Mortgage upon the property of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided , however , that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment or governmental charge whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings or where the failure to effect such payment is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders of the Securities.

SECTION 1008. Limitation on Liens.

The Company will not itself and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or otherwise have outstanding any Mortgage, upon any Principal Property of the Company or of any Restricted Subsidiary or upon the shares of Capital Stock or Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary, whether owned at the date of this Indenture or hereafter acquired by the Company or by any Restricted Subsidiary, to secure any Debt of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, without making effective provision concurrently with the creation of any such Mortgage whereby the Securities (together with any other Debt of the Company ranking equally with or in priority to the Securities and then existing or thereafter created if the Company shall determine such is required by

 

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the terms of such Debt) shall be secured by a Mortgage equally and ratably with or prior to such Debt, so long as such Debt shall be so secured; provided , however , that this covenant shall not apply to any of the following:

(a) Mortgages securing indebtedness and other obligations of the Company or the Restricted Subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed $1,550,000,000 less the aggregate principal amount of all mandatory prepayments of principal thereof permanently reducing the commitments thereunder;

(b) Mortgages in favor of the Company or any Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary;

(c) any Mortgage to secure a Purchase Money Obligation, provided that: (i) in the case of any construction or improvement of any property, the Mortgage shall not apply to any property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary at the time of the commencement of such construction or improvement, other than any real or immovable property which is substantially unimproved for the purposes of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary and on which the property so constructed or improved is located, and other than any machinery or equipment installed at any time so as to constitute immovable property or a fixture on the real property on which the property so constructed or improved is located and (ii) in the case of any acquisition of property, the Mortgage shall not apply to any property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary immediately prior to the consummation of the acquisition;

(d) any Mortgage existing upon any property or asset of a company which is merged with or into, amalgamated with, or consolidated into, or substantially all the assets or shares of Capital Stock of which are acquired by, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, at the time of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or acquisition; provided that (i) the Mortgage shall not apply to any other property or asset, other than improvements to the property or asset subject to such Mortgage and (ii) the Mortgage shall not have been created in anticipation of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or acquisition;

(e) Mortgages securing obligations issued by Canada or any province or territory thereof; the United States of America, any State thereof, the District of Columbia or any territory or possession of the United States of America; or any political subdivision, agency or authority or any of the foregoing, to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of property subject to such Mortgages, including without limitation Mortgages incurred in connection with pollution control, industrial revenue or similar financings;

 

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(f) any Mortgage required to be given or granted by any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any trust deed or similar document entered into by such Restricted Subsidiary prior to the date it became a Restricted Subsidiary;

(g) Mortgages existing as of the date of this Indenture, except that the creating, incurring, assuming or permitting of Mortgages securing obligations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement shall be deemed so created, incurred, assumed or permitted on the date of this Indenture under Clause (a);

(h) any extension, renewal, alteration or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements) of any Mortgage referred to in paragraphs (b) through (g) above; provided , however , that the principal amount of Debt secured thereby shall not exceed the principal amount of Debt so secured at the time of such extension, renewal, alteration or replacement and provided further , however , that such extension, renewal, alteration or replacement shall be limited to all or a part of the property or other assets which secured the Mortgage so extended, renewed, altered or replaced (plus improvements on such property or other assets); and

(i) a Mortgage (including successive extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements thereof) not excepted by clauses (a) through (h) above; provided , that after giving effect thereto, Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company.

SECTION 1009. Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions.

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to, enter into any arrangement with any Person (other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) providing for the leasing by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any Principal Property, or any property which together with any other property subject to the same transaction or series of related transactions would in the aggregate constitute a Principal Property, whether owned at the date of this Indenture or thereafter acquired (except for leases for a term of not more than three years, including renewals), which property has been or is to be sold or transferred by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary to such Person (other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary), more than six months after the acquisition, completion of construction, or commencement of operations of such property, with the intention of taking back a lease of such property (herein referred to as a “Sale and Leaseback Transaction”) unless the net proceeds of the sale or transfer of the property to be leased are at least equal to the fair market value of such property and unless:

(1) The Company or such Restricted Subsidiary would, at the time of entering into such arrangement, be entitled, without equally and ratably securing the Securities, to create a Mortgage on such property to secure Debt in an amount at least equal to the Attributable Obligation in respect of such Sale and Leaseback Transaction pursuant to the provisions of Section 1008, or

 

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(2) The Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall apply an amount equal to the net proceeds of such sale or transfer within 180 days after receipt thereof to (A) the retirement (other than mandatory retirement or by way of payment at maturity) of Funded Debt of the Company or any Funded Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary ranking equally with, or senior to, the Securities and owing to a Person other than the Company or any Affiliate of the Company, or (B) the purchase of property, facilities or equipment (other than the property, facilities or equipment involved in such sale) forming part of or constituting Principal Property having a fair market value at least equal to the net proceeds of such sale or transfer.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this Section 1009, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may enter into a Sale and Leaseback Transaction in addition to those permitted by paragraph (a) of this Section 1009, and without any obligation to retire Funded Debt or to acquire property, facilities or equipment, provided at the time of entering into such Sale and Leaseback Transaction and after giving effect thereto, Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company.

SECTION 1010. Calculations.

For the purposes of the calculations required to be made under Section 1008 and 1009:

(1) when determining any ratio between Exempted Debt and Consolidated Net Tangible Assets, such determination (which may stipulate such Consolidated Net Tangible Assets to be not less than a stated amount without stipulating the exact amount thereof) shall be made by a financial officer of the Company, on the basis of the most recent available financial statements or financial data, as at a date not more than 120 days prior to the date on which the Exempted Debt in respect of which such ratio is being determined is to be incurred or, in the case of an Attributable Obligation, the date on which the Sale and Leaseback Transaction is to be entered into, and there shall be taken into calculation all issues and retirements of Funded Debt and Exempted Debt (without duplication) and of shares of Capital Stock and the proceeds of such issues and the expenditures on such retirements made and received, as the case may be, and such change in the value of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as

 

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shall be deemed material, subsequent to the date as of which such determination is being made up to and including the first date on which any of the Exempted Debt in respect of which such determination is being made is to be incurred or entered into and including all the other Exempted Debt which have been concurrently authorized for issue and the estimated net proceeds to be received on the issue of such other Exempted Debt;

(2) there shall be excluded from such calculations all Exempted Debt of the Company payable to a Restricted Subsidiary or of any Restricted Subsidiary payable to the Company or to any other Restricted Subsidiary;

(3) all such calculations and determinations shall be made in accordance with U.S. GAAP; and

(4) the Trustee shall not be obligated to recalculate, recompute or confirm any such calculations.

SECTION 1011. Future Subsidiary Guarantors.

The Company shall cause each U.S. Subsidiary that guarantees, on the Original Issue Date or any time thereafter, any indebtedness of the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement or any other indebtedness of the Company to execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to which such U.S. Subsidiary will unconditionally guarantee, on a joint and several basis, the full and prompt payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities on a senior basis and all other obligations under this Indenture. In addition, such U.S. Subsidiary shall deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that:

(1) such Subsidiary Guarantee has been duly executed and authorized; and

(2) such Subsidiary Guarantee constitutes a valid, binding and enforceable obligation of such U.S. Subsidiary, except insofar as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers) and except insofar as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity.

In the event that a U.S. Subsidiary becomes a Subsidiary Guarantor at a time when any Securities of a series are listed on the official list of any stock exchange, the Company will, to the extent required by the rules of the stock exchange on which such Securities are listed, notify and deposit a copy of the new supplemental indenture executed by such U.S. Subsidiary pursuant to this Section 1011 with such stock exchange.

 

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ARTICLE ELEVEN

REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

SECTION 1101. Company’s Right of Redemption.

Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of a particular series, and notwithstanding any additional redemption rights that may be so specified, the Company may, at its option, redeem the Securities of any series after their date of issuance in whole or in part at any time and from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Section 1101 and the other provisions of this Article Eleven. Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of a particular series, the redemption price for any Security so redeemed shall be equal to 100% of the principal amount of such Securities then Outstanding plus accrued and unpaid interest up to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption; provided , however , that installments of accrued and unpaid interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Regular Record Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 307.

SECTION 1102. Applicability of Article.

Redemption of Securities, as permitted or required by any form of Security issued pursuant to this Indenture or the documentation providing therefor, shall be made in accordance with such form of Security or documentation and this Article Eleven; provided, however , that if any provision of any such form of Security or documentation shall conflict with any provision of this Article, the provision of such form of Security or documentation shall govern. Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 or as set forth in the form of Security for such series or such documentation, each Security shall be subject to partial redemption only in the amount of U.S. $1,000 or integral multiples of U.S. $1,000.

SECTION 1103. Election to Redeem; Notices to Trustee and any Stock Exchange.

The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by or pursuant to a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of the Securities of a series, the Company shall, at least 45 days but not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date, of the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed and, if applicable, of the tenor of the Securities to be redeemed. In the case of any redemption of Securities (a) prior to the

 

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expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or (b) pursuant to an election of the Company which is subject to a condition specified in the terms of such Securities, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel evidencing compliance with such restriction or condition.

If at any time and for so long as any Securities of a series are listed on the official list of any stock exchange, and to the extent required by the stock exchange on which such Securities are listed, the Company will notify such stock exchange of any such notice of redemption. In addition, the Company will notify the stock exchange on which such Securities are listed of the principal amount outstanding following any partial redemption of the Securities.

SECTION 1104. Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.

If less than all the Securities are to be redeemed (unless such redemption affects only a single Security), the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 45 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee in its sole discretion shall deem fair and appropriate and which may provide for the selection for redemption of a portion of the principal amount of any Security, provided that the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of any Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security. If less than all the Securities and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed (unless such redemption affects only a single Security), the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 45 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities and specified tenor not previously called for redemption in accordance with the preceding sentence.

The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption as aforesaid and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption as aforesaid, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

The provisions of the two preceding paragraphs shall not apply with respect to any redemption affecting only a single Security, whether such Security is to be redeemed in whole or in part. In the case of any such redemption in part, the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of the Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security.

For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be redeemed. If the Company shall so direct, Securities registered in the name of the Company, any Affiliate or any Subsidiary thereof shall not be included in the Securities selected for redemption.

 

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SECTION 1105. Notice of Redemption.

Notice of redemption shall be given by first-class mail, postage prepaid, mailed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed, at its address appearing in the Security Register. Unless the Company defaults in payment of the Redemption Price, on and after the Redemption Date, interest shall cease to accrue on the Securities.

All notices of redemption shall state:

(1) the Redemption Date;

(2) the Redemption Price, or if not then ascertainable, the manner of calculation thereof;

(3) if less than all the Outstanding Securities consisting of more than a single Security are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption of any such Securities, the principal amounts) of the particular Securities to be redeemed and, if less than all the Outstanding Securities consisting of a single Security are to be redeemed, the principal amount of the particular Security to be redeemed;

(4) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date; and

(5) the place or places where each such Security is to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price.

Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company and shall be irrevocable. The notice if mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice In any case, a failure to give such notice by mail or any defect in the notice to the Holder of any Security designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Security.

SECTION 1106. Deposit of Redemption Price.

On the Business Day prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its

 

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own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 1003) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date.

SECTION 1107. Securities Payable on Redemption Date.

Notice of redemption having been given pursuant to Section 1105, the Securities to be so redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest) such Securities shall cease to bear or accrue any interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with any accrued but unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date; provided , however , that installments of accrued and unpaid interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Regular Record Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 307.

If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal and any premium shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.

SECTION 1108. Securities Redeemed in Part.

Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of like tenor, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.

ARTICLE TWELVE

RIGHT TO REQUIRE REPURCHASE

SECTION 1201. Change of Control.

Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, unless the Company has exercised its right to redeem all of the Securities pursuant to Article 11, each Holder shall

 

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have the right to require the Company to repurchase all or any part (equal to U.S.$1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of such Holder’s Securities at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount of the Securities plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding the date of purchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Regular Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date).

Within 30 days following any Change of Control, unless the Company has exercised its right to redeem all of the Securities pursuant to Article 11, the Company shall mail a notice (the “ Change of Control Offer ”) to each Holder, with a copy to the Trustee, stating:

(1) that a Change of Control has occurred and that such Holder has the right to require the Company to purchase such Holder’s Securities at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount of such Securities plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to but excluding the date of purchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on a Regular Record Date to receive interest on the relevant Interest Payment Date) (the “ Change of Control Payment ”);

(2) the repurchase date (which shall be no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed) (the “ Change of Control Payment Date ”); and

(3) the procedures determined by the Company, consistent with this Indenture, that a Holder must follow in order to have its Securities repurchased.

On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company shall, to the extent lawful:

(1) accept for payment all Securities or portions of Securities (in integral multiples of U.S.$1,000) properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;

(2) deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Securities or portions of Securities so tendered; and

(3) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Securities so accepted together with an Officers’ Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Securities or portions of Securities being purchased by the Company.

 

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The Paying Agent shall promptly mail to each Holder of Securities so tendered the Change of Control Payment for such Securities. With respect to the unpurchased portion of the Securities so tendered of any series, the Trustee shall promptly authenticate and mail (or cause to be transferred by book entry) to each Holder a new Security equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of the Securities surrendered, if any; provided that each such new Security shall be in a principal amount of U.S.$1,000 or an integral multiple thereof.

If the Change of Control Payment Date is on or after a Regular Record Date and on or before the related Interest Payment Date, any accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall be paid to the Person in whose name a Security is registered at the close of business on such Regular Record Date, and no additional interest shall be payable to Holders who tender pursuant to the Change of Control Offer.

Prior to mailing a Change of Control Offer, and as a condition to such mailing, (i) the requisite holders of each issue of indebtedness issued under an indenture or other agreement that may be violated by such payment shall have consented to such Change of Control Offer being made and waived the event of default, if any, caused by the Change of Control or (ii) the Company shall repay all outstanding indebtedness issued under an indenture or other agreement that may be violated by a payment to the Holders of Securities under a Change of Control Offer or (iii) the Company must offer to repay all such indebtedness, and make payment to the holders of such indebtedness that accept such offer, and obtain waivers of any event of default from the remaining holders of such indebtedness. The Company covenants to effect such repayment or obtain such consent within 30 days following any Change of Control, it being a default of the Change of Control provisions of this Indenture if the Company fails to comply with such covenant.

The Company shall not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon a Change of Control if a third party makes the Change of Control Offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth in this Indenture applicable to a Change of Control Offer made by the Company and purchases all Securities validly tendered and not withdrawn under such Change of Control Offer.

The Company shall comply, to the extent applicable, with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws or regulations in connection with the repurchase of Securities pursuant to this covenant. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations described in this Indenture by virtue of the conflict.

 

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If at any time of such Change of Control, any Securities of a series are listed on the official list of any stock exchange, to the extent required by the stock exchange on which such Securities are listed, the Company will notify such stock exchange that a Change of Control has occurred and any relevant details relating to such Change of Control.

ARTICLE THIRTEEN

DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

SECTION 1301. Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, the provisions of this Article Thirteen shall apply to each series of Securities, and the Company may elect, at its option at any time, to have Section 1302 or Section 1303 applied to any Securities upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article. Any such election shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution.

SECTION 1302. Defeasance and Discharge.

Upon the Company’s exercise of its option (if any) to have this Section applied to any Securities, the Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations with respect to such Securities as provided in this Section on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 1304 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by such Securities and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Securities and this Indenture insofar as such Securities are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company and upon Company Request, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), subject to the following, which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (1) the rights of Holders of Outstanding Securities to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 1304 and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments in respect of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such Securities when such payments are due, (2) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Securities under Sections 304, 305, 306, 1002 and 1003; (3) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder; and (4) this Article. Subject to compliance with this Article, the Company may exercise its option (if any) to have this Section applied to any Securities notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option (if any) to have Section 1303 applied to such Securities.

Upon the Company’s exercise of its Defeasance option, the Subsidiary Guarantees in effect at such time shall terminate.

 

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SECTION 1303. Covenant Defeasance.

Upon the Company’s exercise of its option (if any) to have this Section applied to any Securities (1) the Company shall be released from its obligations under paragraph (a)(4) of Section 801, paragraph (c) of Section 801, Sections 1006 to 1009, inclusive, Section 1011, and any covenants provided pursuant to 901(6) for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities; and (2) the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 501(3) (with respect to any of paragraphs (a)(4) of Section 801, paragraph (c) of Section 801, Sections 1006 to 1009, Section 1011, and any such covenants provided pursuant to Section 901(6)) shall be deemed not to be or result in an Event of Default, in each case with respect to such Securities as provided in this Section on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 1304 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Covenant Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to such Securities, the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such specified Section (to the extent so specified in the case of Section 501(3)), whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such Section or by reason of any reference in any such Section to any other provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities shall be unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Company’s exercise of its option (if any) to have this Section applied to any Securities, Sections 501(4), and 501(7) and 501(8) hereof shall not constitute Events of Default.

SECTION 1304. Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

The following shall be the conditions to the application of Section 1302 or Section 1303 to any Securities:

(1) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee which satisfies the requirements contemplated by Section 609 and agrees to comply with the provisions of this Article applicable to it) as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefits of the Holders of such Securities, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (C) a combination thereof, in each case sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or any such other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal of and any premium and interest on such Securities on the respective Stated Maturities or on the Redemption Date, in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and such Securities.

 

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(2) In the event of an election to have Section 1302 apply to any Securities, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States stating that (A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (B) since the date of this instrument, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in the case of either (A) or (B) to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of such Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, Defeasance and discharge to be effected with respect to such Securities and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit, Defeasance and discharge were not to occur.

(3) In the event of an election to have Section 1303 apply to any Securities, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States to the effect that the Holders of such Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and Covenant Defeasance to be effected with respect to such Securities and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit and Covenant Defeasance were not to occur.

(4) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in Canada or a ruling from the Canada Revenue Agency to the effect that the Holders of the Outstanding Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for Canadian federal or provincial income or other tax purposes as a result of such defeasance and will be subject to Canadian federal or provincial income and other tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case had such defeasance not occurred (and for the purposes of such opinion, such Canadian counsel shall assume that Holders of the Outstanding Securities include Holders who are not resident in Canada).

(5) No Default or Event of Default with respect to such Securities or any other Securities shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such deposit or, with regard to any such event specified in Sections 501(5) and (6), at any time on or prior to the 123 rd day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until after such 123 rd day).

(6) The Company is not “insolvent” within the meaning of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or applicable state law on the date of such deposit or at any time during the period ended on the 91st day following such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period).

(7) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any indenture or other agreement or instrument for borrowed money to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.

 

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(8) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act unless such trust shall be registered under the Investment Company Act or exempt from registration thereunder.

(9) If such Securities are to be redeemed prior to Stated Maturity (other than from mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments), notice of such redemption shall have been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee shall have been made.

(10) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.

SECTION 1305. Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Miscellaneous Provisions.

Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, all money and U.S. Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof and the interest thereon) deposited with the Trustee or other qualifying trustee (solely for purposes of this Section and Section 1306, the Trustee and any such other trustee are referred to collectively as the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 1304 in respect of any Securities shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any such Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal and any premium and interest, but money so held in trust need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 1304 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of Outstanding Securities.

Anything in this Article to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money or U.S. Government Obligations held by it as provided in Section 1304 with respect to any Securities which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect the Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance, as the case may be, with respect to such Securities.

 

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SECTION 1306. Reinstatement.

If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in accordance with this Article with respect to any Securities by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the obligations under this Indenture and such Securities from which the Company and each Subsidiary Guarantor has been discharged or released pursuant to Section 1302 or 1303 shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article with respect to such Securities, until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all money held in trust pursuant to Section 1305 with respect to such Securities in accordance with this Article; provided , however , that if the Company or the Subsidiary Guarantors make any payment of principal of or any premium or interest on any such Security following such reinstatement of its obligations, the Company or the Subsidiary Guarantors, as the case may be, shall be subrogated to the rights (if any) of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money so held in trust.

SECTION 1307. Qualifying Trustee.

Any trustee appointed pursuant to Section 1305 for the purpose of holding trust funds deposited pursuant to that Section shall be appointed under an agreement in form acceptable to the Trustee and shall provide to the Trustee a certificate of such trustee, upon which certificate the Trustee shall be entitled to conclusively rely, that all conditions precedent provided for herein to the related Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance have been complied with. In no event shall the Trustee be liable for any acts or omissions of said trustee.

ARTICLE FOURTEEN

SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES

SECTION 1401. Subsidiary Guarantees .

Subject to the provisions of this Article 14, each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby fully, unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees, as primary obligor and not merely as surety, jointly and severally with each other Subsidiary Guarantor, to each Holder of the Securities and the Trustee, the full and punctual payment when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, by redemption or otherwise, of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities and all other obligations and liabilities of the Company under this Indenture (including without limitation interest accruing after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy, or the commencement of any insolvency, reorganization or like proceeding, relating to the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor whether or not a claim for post-filing or post-petition interest is allowed in such proceeding and the obligations

 

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under Section 607) (all the foregoing being hereinafter collectively called the “ Guarantor Obligations ”). Each Subsidiary Guarantor agrees that the Guarantor Obligations will rank equally in right of payment with other indebtedness of such Subsidiary Guarantor, except to the extent such other indebtedness is subordinate to the Guarantor Obligations. Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees (to the extent permitted by law) that the Guarantor Obligations may be extended or renewed, in whole or in part, without notice or further assent from it, and that it will remain bound under this Article 14 notwithstanding any extension or renewal of any Guarantor Obligation.

Each Subsidiary Guarantor waives presentation to, demand of payment from and protest to the Company of any of the Guarantor Obligations and also waives notice of protest for nonpayment. Each Subsidiary Guarantor waives notice of any default under the Securities or the Guarantor Obligations.

Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that its Subsidiary Guarantee herein constitutes a Guarantee of payment when due (and not a Guarantee of collection) and waives any right to require that any resort be had by any Holder to any security held for payment of the Guarantor Obligations.

Except as set forth in Section 1402 , the obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment or termination for any reason (other than payment of the Guarantor Obligations in full), including any claim of waiver, release, surrender, alteration or compromise, and shall not be subject to any defense of setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever or by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of the Guarantor Obligations or otherwise. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor herein shall not be discharged or impaired or otherwise affected by (a) the failure of any Holder to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any right or remedy against the Company or any other person under this Indenture, the Securities or any other agreement or otherwise; (b) any extension or renewal of any thereof; (c) any rescission, waiver, amendment or modification of any of the terms or provisions of this Indenture, the Securities or any other agreement; (d) the release of any security held by any Holder or the Trustee for the Guarantor Obligations or any of them; (e) the failure of any Holder to exercise any right or remedy against any other Subsidiary Guarantor; (f) any change in the ownership of the Company; (g) any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of the Guarantor Obligations; or (h) by any other act or thing or omission or delay to do any other act or thing which may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of any Subsidiary Guarantor or would otherwise operate as a discharge of such Subsidiary Guarantor as a matter of law or equity.

Each Subsidiary Guarantor agrees that its Subsidiary Guarantee herein shall remain in full force and effect until payment in full of all the Guarantor Obligations or such Subsidiary Guarantor is released from its Subsidiary Guarantee in compliance with

 

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Section 1402 . Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that its Subsidiary Guarantee herein shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of principal of or interest on any of the Guarantor Obligations is rescinded or must otherwise be restored by any Holder upon the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company or otherwise.

In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right which any Holder has at law or in equity against any Subsidiary Guarantor by virtue hereof, upon the failure of the Company to pay any of the Guarantor Obligations when and as the same shall become due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, by redemption or otherwise, each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby promises to and will, upon receipt of written demand by the Trustee, forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, in cash, to the Holders an amount equal to the sum of (i) the unpaid amount of such Guarantor Obligations then due and owing and (ii) accrued and unpaid interest on such Guarantor Obligations then due and owing (but only to the extent not prohibited by law).

Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that, as between such Subsidiary Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Holders, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the Guarantor Obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in this Indenture for the purposes of its Subsidiary Guarantee herein, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the Guarantor Obligations guaranteed hereby and (y) in the event of any such declaration of acceleration of such Guarantor Obligations, such Guarantor Obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Subsidiary Guarantor for the purposes of this Subsidiary Guarantee.

Each Subsidiary Guarantor also agrees to pay, in addition to the obligations under the Securities and this Indenture, any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by the Trustee or the Holders in enforcing any rights under this Article 14.

SECTION 1402. Limitation on Liability; Termination, Release and Discharge Limitation on Subsidiary Guarantor Liability .

(a) Any term or provision of this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, the obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder will be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Subsidiary Guarantor (including, without limitation, any guarantees of indebtedness under the Credit Agreement) and after giving effect to any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee or pursuant to its contribution obligations under this Indenture, result in the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under federal or state law and not otherwise being void or voidable under any similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally.

 

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(b) In the event a Subsidiary Guarantor is sold, conveyed, assigned or otherwise disposed of (whether by merger, consolidation, the sale of its capital stock or the sale of all or substantially all of its assets (other than by lease)) and whether or not the Subsidiary Guarantor is the surviving corporation in such transaction to a Person which is not the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, such Subsidiary Guarantor will be automatically released from all its obligations under this Indenture and its Subsidiary Guarantee and such Subsidiary Guarantee will terminate; provided , that (x) the sale or other disposition is in compliance with this Indenture, including Article 8 of this Indenture and (y) all the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under the Credit Agreement and related documentation and under any other agreements relating to any other indebtedness of the Company terminate upon consummation of such transaction.

(c) A Subsidiary Guarantor will be automatically released from all its obligations under this Indenture and its Subsidiary Guarantee and such Subsidiary Guarantee will terminate upon the release and discharge of any such Subsidiary Guarantor in full from all of its obligations under its guarantees of (x) indebtedness under the Credit Agreement (including by reason of the termination of the Credit Agreement) and (y) all other indebtedness of the Company (except in each case a release or discharge by or as a result of payment under such guarantee), in the case of each of clauses (x) and (y) if such Subsidiary Guarantor would not then otherwise be required to guarantee the Securities pursuant to this Indenture.

(d) Each Subsidiary Guarantor shall be deemed released from all its obligations under this Indenture and such Subsidiary Guarantee shall terminate upon the Defeasance of the Securities pursuant to the provisions of Article Thirteen hereof or upon the Company’s and the Subsidiary Guarantors’ Obligations under this Indenture being discharged in accordance with Article Four hereof.

SECTION 1403. Right of Contribution .

Each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby agrees that to the extent that any Subsidiary Guarantor shall have paid more than its proportionate share of any payment made on the obligations under the Subsidiary Guarantees, such Subsidiary Guarantor shall be entitled to seek and receive contribution from and against the Company, or any other Subsidiary Guarantor who has not paid its proportionate share of such payment. The provisions of this Section 1403 shall in no respect limit the obligations and liabilities of each Subsidiary Guarantor to the Trustee and the Holders and each Subsidiary Guarantor shall remain liable to the Trustee and the Holders for the full amount guaranteed by such Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder.

 

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SECTION 1404. No Subrogation .

Notwithstanding any payment or payments made by each Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder, no Subsidiary Guarantor shall be entitled to be subrogated to any of the rights of the Trustee or any Holder against the Company or any other Subsidiary Guarantor or any collateral security or guarantee or right of offset held by the Trustee or any Holder for the payment of the Guarantor Obligations, nor shall any Subsidiary Guarantor seek or be entitled to seek any contribution or reimbursement from the Company or any other Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of payments made by such Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder, until all amounts owing to the Trustee and the Holders by the Company on account of the Guarantor Obligations are paid in full. If any amount shall be paid to any Subsidiary Guarantor on account of such subrogation rights at any time when all of the Guarantor Obligations shall not have been paid in full, such amount shall be held by such Subsidiary Guarantor in trust for the Trustee and the Holders, segregated from other funds of such Subsidiary Guarantor, and shall, forthwith upon receipt by such Subsidiary Guarantor, be turned over to the Trustee in the exact form received by such Subsidiary Guarantor (duly endorsed by such Subsidiary Guarantor to the Trustee, if required), to be applied against the Guarantor Obligations.

*        *        *

 

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This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.

 

DOMTAR CORPORATION
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  
DOMTAR PAPER COMPANY, LLC
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  
THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
as Trustee
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

87


EXHIBIT A

[SPECIMEN BOND]

(FORM OF FACE OF SECURITY)

[If the Security is an Original Issue Discount Security or is considered to be issued with original issue discount for United States federal income tax purposes, insert—THIS SECURITY HAS BEEN ISSUED WITH ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT (“OID”) FOR PURPOSES OF SECTIONS 1271 ET SEQ. OF THE UNITED STATES INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, AS AMENDED. THE ISSUE DATE OF THIS SECURITY IS [            ]. FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE ISSUE PRICE, THE YIELD TO MATURITY AND THE AMOUNT OF OID PER [U.S.]$1,000 OF PRINCIPAL AMOUNT, PLEASE CONTACT THE COMPANY AT DOMTAR CORPORATION, 395 DE MAISONNEUVE BLVD. WEST, MONTREAL, QUEBEC H3A 1L6, ATTENTION: CORPORATE SECRETARY.]

[Insert Other Legends As Applicable, Including Legend Required by Section 202 of the Indenture]

DOMTAR CORPORATION

[Title of Security]

[Date of Issuance]

CUSIP: _______________

ISIN: _______________

 

No.                     

   [U.S.]$ __________[, as revised by the
   Schedule of Increases and Decreases
   in Global Security attached hereto]

DOMTAR CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (hereinafter called the “Company”, which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to [Insert if Global Security-Cede & Co.], or registered assigns, the principal sum of $                      (______________________________ [United States Dollars])[, revised by the Schedule of Increases and Decreases in Global Security attached hereto,] on _____________ [If the Security is to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert — , and to pay interest thereon

 

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from _____________ or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually in arrears on __________ and __________ in each year, commencing __________, at the rate of __ % per annum, on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months, until the principal hereof is paid or duly provided for or made available for payment] [(If applicable insert – , and (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable) at the rate of __% per annum on any overdue principal and premium and on any overdue installment of interest)].

[If the Security is to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert — The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in the Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the date which is fifteen days next preceding such Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day). Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture].

[If the Security is not to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert – The principal of this Security shall not bear interest except in the case of a default in payment of principal upon acceleration, upon redemption or at Stated Maturity and in such case the overdue principal of this Security shall bear interest at the rate of ___% per annum (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), which shall accrue from the date of such default in payment to the date payment of such principal has been made or duly provided for. Interest on any overdue principal shall be payable on demand. Any such interest on any overdue principal that is not so paid on demand shall bear interest at the rate of __% per annum (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), which shall accrue from the date of such demand for payment to the date payment of such interest has been made or duly provided for, and such interest shall also be payable on demand.]

Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and [if applicable, insert—any interest] on this Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in The City of New York, in such coin or currency of [the United States of America] as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts [if applicable, insert — ; provided , however , that at the option of the Company

 

A-2


payment of interest may be made by (i) check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (ii) by transfer to an account maintained by the payee in the United States].

Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed as of the date first set forth above.

 

DOMTAR CORPORATION
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

Attest:
 
Name:  
Title:  

Certificate of Authentication

This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

The Bank of New York,
as Trustee
By:    
  Authorized Officer

 

A-4


(FORM OF REVERSE OF SECURITY)

 

1. INDENTURE

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company (herein called the “Securities”), issued and to be issued in one or more series under an Indenture, dated as of ___________, 2007 as supplemented and amended from time to time (herein called the “Indenture”), among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantor and The Bank of New York, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor and the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof [if applicable insert —, limited in aggregate principal amount to [U.S.]$___________].

All terms used in this Security that are defined in the Indenture shall have the meaning assigned to them in the Indenture.

 

2. OPTIONAL REDEMPTION

[If applicable, insert - The Securities of this series are subject to redemption upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice by mail, at any time [on or after ____________, 20__], as a whole or in part, at the election of the Company. The Redemption Price for any Security so redeemed shall be equal to 100% of the principal amount of such Securities then Outstanding plus accrued and unpaid interest up to, but not including, the date fixed for redemption. In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of this series for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.]

[Installments of accrued and unpaid interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of the Securities of this series, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Regular Record Dates according to their terms and the provision of the Indenture.]

 

3. MANDATORY REDEMPTION

[The Company shall not be required to make any mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Securities.]

 

A-5


4. OFFER TO PURCHASE

If a Change of Control occurs, unless the Company has exercised its right to redeem all of the Securities, then the Company shall be obligated to offer to repurchase from each Holder all or any part (equal to [U.S.]$1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of such Holder’s Securities at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of repurchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date) as provided in, and subject to the terms of, the Indenture.

 

5. SATISFACTION, DISCHARGE AND DEFEASANCE

The Indenture contains provisions for satisfaction, discharge and defeasance of (a) the entire indebtedness on this Security and (b) certain restrictive covenants and the related Events of Default, upon compliance by the Company with certain conditions set forth therein.

 

6. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

The Events of Default relating to the Securities of this series are set forth in the Indenture. [If the Security is not an Original Issue Discount Security, – If an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of, premium, if any, accrued but unpaid interest and any other monetary obligations of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.] [If the Security is an Original Issue Discount Security, – If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, an amount of principal, premium, if any, accrued but unpaid interest and any other monetary obligations of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture. Such principal amount shall be equal to – insert formula for determining the amount.]

If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then Outstanding Securities of this series by written notice to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by holders) may declare the principal of, premium, if any, accrued but unpaid interest and any other monetary obligations on all the then Outstanding Securities of such series to be due and payable immediately. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Event of Default arising from certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency, all Outstanding Securities of such series will automatically become due and payable immediately without further action or notice on part of the Trustee or any Holder.

 

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Upon payment of the amount of principal so declared due and payable [if applicable insert – and of interest on any overdue principal and overdue interest (in each case to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable)], all of the Company’s obligations in respect of the payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of this series shall terminate.]

 

7. AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series to be affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of this series (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, such series of Securities) may, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of this series, waive compliance with any term, provision, covenant or condition of the Indenture, any Subsidiary Guarantee or the Securities of this series. Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of this series (including, without limitation, by consent obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, such series of Securities) may, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of this series, waive past defaults under certain covenants of the Indenture which relate to this series. However, a default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any of the Securities of this series or relating to a provision which under the Indenture cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holders of each Outstanding Security of this series affected cannot be so waived. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.

 

8. DENOMINATIONS, TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in any place

 

A-7


where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this Security are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities of this series, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.

The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of [U.S.]$______ and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series of any authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.

No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company or the Trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

 

9. TRUSTEE DEALINGS WITH THE COMPANY

Subject to certain limitations set forth in the Indenture, the Trustee under the Indenture, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with and collect obligations owed to it by the Company or its Affiliates and may otherwise deal with the Company or its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee.

 

10. AUTHENTICATION

This Security shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the Trustee (or an authenticating agent acting on its behalf) manually signs the certificate of authentication on the other side of this Security.

 

11. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS

The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes.

 

12. CUSIP AND ISIN NUMBERS

The Company has caused CUSIP or ISIN numbers, if applicable, to be printed on the Securities and have directed the Trustee to use CUSIP or ISIN numbers, if applicable, in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers placed thereon and any such notice shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.

 

A-8


13. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS

No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement contained in this Security, or because of any indebtedness evidenced thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, as such or against any past, present or future shareholder, officer or director, as such, of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor or of any successor, either directly or through the Company or any successor, under any rule of law, statute or constitutional provision or by the enforcement or any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise, all such liability being expressly waived and released by the acceptance of the Securities of this series by the Holders as part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities of this series.

 

14. GOVERNING LAW

THIS SECURITY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

The Company will furnish to any Holder upon written request and without charge a copy of the Indenture. Requests may be made to the Company at the following address:

c/o Domtar Corporation

395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West

Montreal, Quebec H3A 1L6

Fax No.: (514) 848-6850

Attention: Corporate Secretary

 

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ASSIGNMENT FORM

To assign this Security, fill in the form below:

(I) or (we) assign and transfer this Security to:______________________________________________________________________

(Insert assignee’s legal name)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)                                             

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)                                             

and irrevocably appoint ______________________________________________________________________________________

to transfer this Security on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

Date: _____________________

 

Your Signature:      
   

(Sign exactly as your name

appears on the face of this

Security)

Signature Guarantee*: __________________________________

 

* Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).

 

A-10


OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

If you want to elect to have this Security purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 1201 of the Indenture, check the following box: [        ]

If you want to elect to have only part of this Security purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 1201 of the Indenture, state the amount you elect to have purchased:

[U.S.]$_______________

Date: _____________________

Your Signature:____________________________________

(Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Security)

Tax Identification No.:_______________________________

Signature Guarantee*: __________________________________

 

* Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee).

 

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[TO BE ATTACHED TO GLOBAL SECURITIES]

SCHEDULE OF INCREASES AND DECREASES IN GLOBAL SECURITY

The following increases and decreases in this Global Security have been made:

 

Date of

Decrease or

Increase

  

Amount of decrease in Principal
Amount of this Global Security

  

Amount of increase in Principal
Amount of this Global Security

  

Principal Amount of this Global
Security following such

decrease or increase

  

Signature of authorized signatory
of Trustee or Securities Custodian

 

A-12

Exhibit 4.2

 


DOMTAR INC.

TO

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK

Trustee

SENIOR INDENTURE

Dated as of November 18, 2003

 


 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

             Page
ARTICLE ONE   DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION    1
  SECTION 101.   Definitions.    1
 

Act

   2
 

Additional Amounts

   2
 

Affiliate

   2
 

Attributable Obligation

   2
 

Authenticating Agent

   3
 

Base Currency

   3
 

Board of Directors

   3
 

Board Resolution

   3
 

Business Day

   3
 

Canadian GAAP

   3
 

Capitalized Lease Obligation

   3
 

Capital Stock

   3
 

Commission

   3
 

Company

   3
 

Company Request and Company Order

   3
 

Consolidated Net Tangible Assets

   4
 

Corporate Trust Office

   4
 

corporation

   4
 

Covenant Defeasance

   4
 

Debt

   4
 

Defaulted Interest

   4
 

Defeasance

   5
 

Depositary

   5
 

Event of Default

   5
 

Exchange Act

   5
 

Excluded Holder

   5
 

Exempted Debt

   5
 

Expiration Date

   5
 

Funded Debt

   5
 

Global Security

   5
 

Holder

   5
 

Indenture

   5
 

Interest Payment Date

   5
 

Interest Rate

   6
 

Investment Company Act

   6
 

Judgment Currency

   6

 

i


 

Maturity

   6
 

Mortgage

   6
 

Notice of Default

   6
 

Officers’ Certificate

   6
 

Opinion of Counsel

   6
 

Original Issue Date

   6
 

Original Issue Discount Security

   6
 

Outstanding

   6
 

Paying Agent

   7
 

Person

   8
 

Place of Payment

   8
 

Predecessor Security

   8
 

Principal Facility

   8
 

Principal Property

   8
 

Purchase Money Obligation

   8
 

rate(s) of exchange

   8
 

Redemption Date

   8
 

Redemption Price

   9
 

Regular Record Date

   9
 

Responsible Officer

   9
 

Restricted Subsidiary

   9
 

Sale and Leaseback Transaction

   9
 

Securities or Security

   9
 

Securities Act

   9
 

Security Register and Security Registrar

   9
 

Special Record Date

   9
 

Stated Maturity

   9
 

Subsidiary

   10
 

Tax Act

   10
 

Taxes

   10
 

Timberlands

   10
 

Trust Indenture Act

   10
 

Trustee

   10
 

U.S. Dollar

   10
 

U.S. Government Obligations

   10
 

Vice President

   11
 

Voting Stock

   11
 

Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary

   11
  SECTION 102.   Compliance Certificates and Opinions.    11
  SECTION 103.   Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.    12
  SECTION 104.   Acts of Holders; Record Dates.    13
  SECTION 105.   Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company.    15
  SECTION 106.   Notice to Holders; Waiver.    15

 

ii


  SECTION 107.   Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.    16
  SECTION 108.   Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.    16
  SECTION 109.   Successors and Assigns.    16
  SECTION 110.   Separability Clause.    16
  SECTION 111.   Benefits of Indenture.    17
  SECTION 112.   Governing Law.    17
  SECTION 113.   Legal Holidays.    17
  SECTION 114.   Computations.    17
  SECTION 115.   Conversion of Currency.    17
  SECTION 116.   Agency for Service; Submission to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunities.    19
  SECTION 117.   Incorporators, Shareholders, Officers and Directors of the Company Exempt from Individual Liability.    19
ARTICLE TWO   SECURITY FORMS    20
  SECTION 201.   Forms Generally.    20
  SECTION 202.   Form of Legend for Global Securities.    21
  SECTION 203.   Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.    21
ARTICLE THREE   THE SECURITIES    22
  SECTION 301.   Title; Terms.    22
  SECTION 302.   Denominations.    24
  SECTION 303.   Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.    24
  SECTION 304.   Temporary Securities.    26
  SECTION 305.   Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.    26
  SECTION 306.   Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.    29
  SECTION 307.   Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.    29
  SECTION 308.   Persons Deemed Owners.    31
  SECTION 309.   Cancellation.    31
  SECTION 310.   Computation of Interest.    32
ARTICLE FOUR   SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE    32
  SECTION 401.   Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.    32
  SECTION 402.   Application of Trust Money.    34
ARTICLE FIVE   REMEDIES    34
  SECTION 501.   Events of Default.    34
  SECTION 502.   Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.    35
  SECTION 503.   Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.    36
  SECTION 504.   Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.    37
  SECTION 505.   Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.    38

 

iii


  SECTION 506.   Application of Money Collected.    38
  SECTION 507.   Limitation on Suits.    39
  SECTION 508.   Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest.    39
  SECTION 509.   Restoration of Rights and Remedies.    40
  SECTION 510.   Rights and Remedies Cumulative.    40
  SECTION 511.   Delay or Omission Not Waiver.    40
  SECTION 512.   Control by Holders.    40
  SECTION 513.   Waiver of Past Defaults.    41
  SECTION 514.   Undertaking for Costs.    41
  SECTION 515.   Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws.    41
ARTICLE SIX   THE TRUSTEE    42
  SECTION 601.   Certain Duties and Responsibilities.    42
  SECTION 602.   Notice of Defaults.    42
  SECTION 603.   Certain Rights of Trustee.    43
  SECTION 604.   Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.    45
  SECTION 605.   May Hold Securities.    45
  SECTION 606.   Money Held in Trust.    45
  SECTION 607.   Compensation and Reimbursement.    45
  SECTION 608.   Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.    46
  SECTION 609.   Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.    46
  SECTION 610.   Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.    47
  SECTION 611.   Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.    48
  SECTION 612.   Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.    49
  SECTION 613.   Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.    50
  SECTION 614.   Appointment of Authenticating Agent.    50
ARTICLE SEVEN   HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY    52
  SECTION 701.   Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.    52
  SECTION 702.   Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders.    52
  SECTION 703.   Reports by Trustee.    53
  SECTION 704.   Reports by Company.    53
ARTICLE EIGHT   CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE    54
  SECTION 801.   Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.    54
  SECTION 802.   Successor Person Substituted.    56

 

iv


ARTICLE NINE   SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES    56
  SECTION 901.   Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.    56
  SECTION 902.   Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders.    57
  SECTION 903.   Execution of Supplemental Indentures.    58
  SECTION 904.   Effect of Supplemental Indentures.    59
  SECTION 905.   Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.    59
  SECTION 906.   Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.    59
ARTICLE TEN   COVENANTS    59
  SECTION 1001.   Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.    59
  SECTION 1002.   Maintenance of Office or Agency.    60
  SECTION 1003.   Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.    60
  SECTION 1004.   Statement by Officers as to Default.    62
  SECTION 1005.   Existence.    62
  SECTION 1006.   Maintenance of Properties.    62
  SECTION 1007.   Payment of Taxes.    62
  SECTION 1008.   Negative Pledge.    63
  SECTION 1009.   Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions.    64
  SECTION 1010.   Calculations.    65
  SECTION 1011.   Waiver of Certain Covenants.    66
  SECTION 1012.   Additional Amounts.    66
ARTICLE ELEVEN   REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES    68
  SECTION 1101.   Company’s Right of Redemption.    68
  SECTION 1102.   Applicability of Article.    68
  SECTION 1103.   Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.    69
  SECTION 1104.   Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.    69
  SECTION 1105.   Notice of Redemption.    70
  SECTION 1106.   Deposit of Redemption Price.    71
  SECTION 1107.   Securities Payable on Redemption Date.    71
  SECTION 1108.   Securities Redeemed in Part.    71
ARTICLE TWELVE   DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE    72
  SECTION 1201.   Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.    72
  SECTION 1202.   Defeasance and Discharge.    72
  SECTION 1203.   Covenant Defeasance.    72
  SECTION 1204.   Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.    73
  SECTION 1205.   Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Miscellaneous Provisions.    75
  SECTION 1206.   Reinstatement.    75
  SECTION 1207.   Qualifying Trustee.    76

 

v


CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THIS INDENTURE RELATING

TO SECTIONS 310 THROUGH 318,

INCLUSIVE OF THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939:

 

TRUST INDENTURE ACT SECTION    INDENTURE SECTION
SECTION 310(a)(1)    609, 610
(a)(2)    609
(a)(3)    NOT APPLICABLE
(a)(4)    NOT APPLICABLE
(a)(5)    609
(b)    608, 610
SECTION 311(a)    613
(b)    613
SECTION 312(a)    701, 702
(b)    702
(c)    702
SECTION 313(a)    703
(b)    703
(c)    703
(d)    703
SECTION 314(a)    704
(a)(4)    101, 1004
(b)    NOT APPLICABLE
(c)(1)    102
(c)(2)    102
(c)(3)    NOT APPLICABLE
(d)    NOT APPLICABLE
(e)    102
SECTION 315(a)    601
(b)    602
(c)    601
(d)    601
(e)    514
SECTION 316(a)    101
(a)(1)(A)    502, 512
(a)(1)(B)    513
(a)(2)    NOT APPLICABLE
(b)    508
(c)    104
SECTION 317(a)(1)    503
(a)(2)    504
(b)    1003
SECTION 318(a)    107

NOTE: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture.

 

vi


SENIOR INDENTURE, dated as of                      , 2003, between Domtar Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the federal laws of Canada (herein called the “Company”), having its principal office at 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1L6, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, a New York banking corporation, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”).

RECITALS OF THE COMPANY

The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its unsecured senior debt securities in one or more series (the “Securities”) of substantially the tenor hereinafter provided, and to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Securities are to be authenticated, issued and delivered; and

all things necessary to make the Securities, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered hereunder and duly issued by the Company, the valid obligations of the Company, and to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of a series thereof, as follows:

ARTICLE ONE

DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS

OF GENERAL APPLICATION

SECTION 101. Definitions .

For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the singular;

(2) all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;

(3) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term “generally accepted accounting


principles” with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted at the time of such computation; provided , that when two or more principles are so generally accepted, it shall mean that set of principles consistent with those in use by the Company;

(4) unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an “Article” or a “Section” refers to an Article or a Section, as the case may be, of this Indenture; and

(5) the words “herein”, “hereinafter”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

“Act” when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 104.

“Additional Amounts” has the meaning specified in Section 1012.

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

“Attributable Obligation” means, in respect of a Sale and Leaseback Transaction, the present value (discounted at the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, if known, or at the rate of 10% if such implicit rate is not known) of the obligation of the lessee for the net rental payments (as described below) during the remaining term of the lease (including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended) entered into in connection therewith, such present value to be established as at the date as of which the amount of the payment is determined and in accordance with Canadian GAAP as in effect from time to time. The term “net rental payments” under any lease for any period means the sum of the rental and other payments required to be paid in such period by the lessee thereunder, not including, however, any amounts required to be paid by such lessee (whether or not designated as rental or additional rental) on account of indemnities (other than any constituting basic rent) or maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates, utilities or similar charges required to be paid by such lessee thereunder or any amounts required to be paid by such lessee thereunder contingent upon the amount of sales, production or other measures of economic performance.

 

2


“Authenticating Agent” means any Person authorized by the Trustee pursuant to Section 614 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities.

“Base Currency” has the meaning specified in Section 115.

“Board of Directors” means either the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee of that board.

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors, and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

“Business Day” means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York, the Corporate Trust Office or any Place of Payment are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

“Canadian GAAP” means, at any particular time, accounting principles generally accepted in Canada at such time.

“Capitalized Lease Obligation” means, with respect to any Person, any obligation of such Person as lessee with respect to any lease that is required to be capitalized on its balance sheet in accordance with Canadian GAAP as in effect from time to time. The amount of any Capitalized Lease Obligation at any time shall be the amount at which it is carried on the balance sheet of the lessee at such time in accordance with such principles.

“Capital Stock” of any Person means any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock of such Person.

“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any time after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.

“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person.

“Company Request” and “Company Order” mean, respectively, a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by (i) its Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice President, and (ii) its Treasurer,

 

3


any Associate Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, its Controller, its Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee or, with respect to Sections 303, 304, 305 and 603, any other employee of the Company named in an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee.

“Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” means, with respect to any Person(s), the total of all assets appearing on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of such Person(s), less the sum of the following amounts appearing on such consolidated balance sheet:

(1) amounts, if any, at which goodwill, trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other similar intangible assets (other than timber licenses) and unamortized stock or debt commission, discount, expense and premium shall appear as assets;

(2) all amounts at which investments in Subsidiaries which are not being consolidated shall appear on such consolidated balance sheet as assets;

(3) the amount of all liabilities appearing on such consolidated balance sheet as current liabilities; and

(4) any minority interest appearing on such consolidated balance sheet,

all as determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with Canadian GAAP as in effect from time to time, except that the Company’s investment in Norampac Inc. shall be accounted for as an equity investment.

“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the date hereof is located at 4 New York Plaza, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10004.

“corporation” means a corporation, association, company, joint-stock company or business trust.

“Covenant Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 1203.

“Debt” means all Capitalized Lease Obligations and any undischarged indebtedness for money borrowed, whether or not evidenced by any note, bond, debenture or other instrument; provided, however, that Debt shall not include any Debt for the payment or redemption of which money in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in irrevocable trust either at or before the maturity or Redemption Date thereof.

“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 307.

 

4


“Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 1202.

“Depositary” means the clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act that is designated by the Company in Section 301 to act as depositary for any series of Securities with respect to such series (or any successor to such clearing agency).

“Event of Default,” unless otherwise specified with respect to Securities of a series pursuant to Section 301, has the meaning specified in Section 501.

“Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.

“Excluded Holder” has the meaning specified in Section 1012.

“Exempted Debt” means without duplication (a) all Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries which is secured by a Mortgage described in clause (h) of Section 1008 and (b) all Attributable Obligations in respect of Sale and Leaseback Transactions described in paragraph (b) of Section 1009.

“Expiration Date” has the meaning specified in Section 104.

“Funded Debt” of any Person means any Debt, whether issued, assumed or guaranteed by any Person, maturing by its terms more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof or which is extendible or renewable at the sole option of the obligor in such manner that it may become payable more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof by such Person.

“Global Security” means a Security that evidences all or part of a series of Securities issued to the Depositary or its nominee for such series, and registered in the name of such Depositary or its nominee and bearing the legend set forth in Section 202.

“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.

“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof, and shall include the terms of each particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 301, including, for all purposes of this instrument and any such supplemental indenture, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a part of and govern this instrument and any such supplemental indenture, respectively.

“Interest Payment Date” means as to each series of Securities the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Securities.

 

5


“Interest Rate” means the rate of interest specified or determined as specified in each Security as being the rate of interest payable on such Security.

“Investment Company Act” means the United States Investment Company Act of 1940 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.

“Judgment Currency” has the meaning specified in Section 115.

“Maturity” when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as provided in the Securities or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.

“Mortgage” means any mortgage, hypothec, privilege, pledge, security interest, floating charge or other similar lien or encumbrance.

“Notice of Default” means a written notice of the kind specified in Section 501(3).

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by (i) the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice President, and (ii) the Treasurer, any Associate Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee. One of the officers signing an Officers’ Certificate given pursuant to Section 1004 shall be the principal executive, financial or accounting officer of the Company.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel for (and an employee of) the Company, and who shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

“Original Issue Date” means the date of issuance specified as such in each Security.

“Original Issue Discount Security” means any security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502.

“Outstanding” when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:

(1) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

 

6


(2) Securities, or portions thereof, for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;

(3) Securities, except to the extent provided in Sections 1202 and 1203, with respect to which the Company has effected defeasance and/or covenant defeasance as provided in Article Twelve; and

(4) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 306 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by Holders in whose hands such Securities are valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company;

provided , however , that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Outstanding Securities have given, made or taken any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action hereunder as of any date, (A) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount of the principal thereof which would be due and payable as of such date upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof to such date pursuant to Section 502, (B) if, as of such date, the principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of a Security is not determinable, the principal amount of such Security which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount as specified or determined as contemplated by Section 301, and (C) Securities beneficially owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, only Securities which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor.

“Paying Agent” means the Trustee or any other Person (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) authorized by the Company to pay the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.

 

7


“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability or joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

“Place of Payment” means, with respect to the Securities of any series, the place or places where the principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities of such series are payable as specified as contemplated by Section 301.

“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 306 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security.

“Principal Facility” means any mill, converting plant or manufacturing plant owned or leased at the date of this Indenture or acquired or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary after such date and which is located within Canada or the United States, other than any mill or plant the fair value of which as determined by the Board of Directors does not at the time exceed 1% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company.

“Principal Property” means, as the context may require, any real or immoveable property forming part of or constituting any or all of the following: any Principal Facility or Timberlands.

“Purchase Money Obligation” means any indebtedness, whether or not secured, incurred in respect of the cost of acquisition of any property (including shares of Capital Stock or Debt) or of the cost of construction or improvement of any property acquired, constructed or improved after the date of this Indenture, which indebtedness existed at the time of acquisition or was created, issued, incurred, assumed or guaranteed contemporaneously with the acquisition, construction or improvement or within 120 days after the completion thereof (or subsequently if created pursuant to a firm commitment financing arrangement obtained within such 120-day period, provided that the related indebtedness is created within 90 days after the expiration of such 120-day period) and includes any extension, renewal or refunding of any such indebtedness if the principal amount thereof outstanding on the date of such extension, renewal or refunding is not increased.

“rate(s) of exchange” has the meaning specified in Section 115.

“Redemption Date” when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.

 

8


“Redemption Price” when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.

“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of a series means, unless otherwise provided pursuant to Section 301 with respect to Securities of a series, the date which is fifteen days next preceding such Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day).

“Responsible Officer,” when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer of the Trustee with direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture, located at the Corporate Trust Office and assigned by the Trustee from time to time to administer its corporate trust matters.

“Restricted Subsidiary” means (a) a Subsidiary which, as at the end of the Company’s then most recently completed fiscal quarter, had Consolidated Net Tangible Assets representing 5% or more of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company (including such Subsidiary) and owns or leases any interest in a Principal Property and (b) any other Subsidiary which the Board of Directors shall have determined to be a Restricted Subsidiary. Any determination mentioned in (b) shall be irrevocable provided , however , that the Board of Directors may determine that a Restricted Subsidiary described in (b) shall cease to be a Restricted Subsidiary and shall become an unrestricted Subsidiary if (i) a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary shall hold a minority interest in such Restricted Subsidiary of at least 15% of the common shareholders’ equity of such Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) immediately after such Restricted Subsidiary becomes an unrestricted Subsidiary, no Event of Default or event which, with time or the giving of notice or both, would become an Event of Default, shall exist.

“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” has the meaning specified in Section 1009.

“Securities” or “Security” means any debt securities or debt security, as the case may be, authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

“Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.

“Security Register” and “Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 305.

“Special Record Date” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.

“Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the

 

9


fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable, in the case of such principal or installment of principal, as such date may be extended or shortened as provided pursuant to the terms of such Security.

“Subsidiary” of any Person means any corporation of which more than 50% of the Voting Stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by or for the benefit of the Company or by or for any corporation in like relation to the Company and includes any corporation in like relation to a Subsidiary.

“Tax Act” means the Income Tax Act (Canada).

“Taxes” has the meaning specified in Section 1012.

“Timberlands” means any real or immovable property located within Canada or the United States and (a) which is owned by the Company or any Subsidiary and contains, or (b) with respect to which the Company or any Subsidiary is entitled under any lease, license or similar agreement to cut and remove, standing timber which is (or upon completion of a growth cycle then in process is expected to become) of a commercial quantity and of merchantable quality, other than (i) any such property which at the time of determination is not held primarily for the production of lumber or other wood products, (ii) any such property the fair value of which as determined by the Board of Directors does not at the time exceed 1% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company or (iii) any reserves of oil and gas located under such property.

“Trust Indenture Act” or “TIA” means the United States Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in force at the date as of which this instrument was executed; provided , however , that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “Trust Indenture Act” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.

“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and, if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to the Securities of that series.

“U.S. Dollar” means the currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.

“U.S. Government Obligations” means, with respect to the Securities of any series, securities which are (i) direct obligations of the United States of America or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or

 

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instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed by the United States of America and which, in either case, are full faith and credit obligations of the United States of America and are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act) as custodian with respect to any such Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depository receipt; provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal of the Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

“Vice President” when used with respect to the Company or the Trustee, means any vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title “Vice President”.

“Voting Stock” of any Person means Capital Stock of any class of such Person which ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors, whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of stock has such voting power by reason of any contingency.

“Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary” means a Restricted Subsidiary all of whose Voting Stock (other than shares required to be owned by directors under any applicable law) are owned by the Company and/or one or more of its Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiaries.

SECTION 102. Compliance Certificates and Opinions .

Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee such certificates and opinions as may be required under the Trust Indenture Act. Each such certificate or opinion shall be given in the form of an Officers’ Certificate, if to be given by an officer of the Company, or an Opinion of Counsel, if to be given by counsel, and shall comply with the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and any other requirements set forth in this Indenture. In the case of an application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.

Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than the certificates provided pursuant to Section 1004) shall include:

(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;

 

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(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

SECTION 103. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee .

In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers, or other management employee of the Company or any Subsidiary stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company or such Subsidiary, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.

Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company or of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to accounting matters, upon a certificate or opinion of or representations by an accountant or firm of accountants in the employ of the Company, unless such officer or counsel, as the case may be, knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the accounting matters upon which such certificate or opinion may be based are erroneous. Any certificate or opinion of any independent firm of public accountants filed with the Trustee shall contain a statement that such firm is independent.

 

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Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.

SECTION 104. Acts of Holders; Record Dates .

(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given, made or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 601) conclusive and may be relied upon by the Trustee, the Company, and any agent of the Trustee or the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.

(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of any notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by a Person acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority.

(c) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient and in accordance with such reasonable rules as the Trustee may determine.

(d) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register.

(e) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action by the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.

 

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(f) The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities entitled to give, make or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given, made or taken by Holders of Securities, provided that the Company may not set a record date for, and the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply with respect to, the giving or making of any notice, declaration, request or direction referred to in the next paragraph. If any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding Securities on such record date, and no other Holders, shall be entitled to take the relevant action, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided that no such action shall be effective hereunder unless taken on or prior to the applicable Expiration Date (as defined below) by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities on such record date. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent the Company from setting a new record date for any action for which a record date has previously been set pursuant to this paragraph (whereupon the record date previously set shall automatically and with no action by any Person be cancelled and of no effect), and nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any action taken by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities on the date such action is taken. Promptly after any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Company, at its own expense, shall cause notice of such record date, the proposed action by Holders and the applicable Expiration Date to be given to the Trustee in writing and to each Holder of Securities in the manner set forth in Section 106.

The Trustee may set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities entitled to join in the giving or making of (i) any Notice of Default, (ii) any declaration of acceleration referred to in Section 502, (iii) any request to institute proceedings referred to in Section 507(2) or (iv) any direction referred to in Section 512. If any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding Securities on such record date, and no other Holders, shall be entitled to join in such notice, declaration, request or direction, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided that no such action shall be effective hereunder unless taken on or prior to the applicable Expiration Date by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities on such record date. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent the Trustee from setting a new record date for any action for which a record date has previously been set pursuant to this paragraph (whereupon the record date previously set shall automatically and with no action by any Person be cancelled and of no effect), and nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any action taken by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities on the date such action is taken. Promptly after any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Trustee, at the Company’s expense, shall cause notice of such record date, the proposed action by Holders and the applicable Expiration Date to be given to the Company in writing and to each Holder of Securities in the manner set forth in Section 106.

 

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With respect to any record date set pursuant to this Section, the party hereto which sets such record dates may designate any day as the “Expiration Date” and from time to time may change the Expiration Date to any earlier or later day; provided that no such change shall be effective unless notice of the proposed new Expiration Date is given to the other party hereto in writing, and to each Holder of Securities in the manner set forth in Section 106, on or prior to the existing Expiration Date. If an Expiration Date is not designated with respect to any record date set pursuant to this Section, the party hereto which set such record date shall be deemed to have initially designated the 180th day after such record date as the Expiration Date with respect thereto, subject to its right to change the Expiration Date as provided in this paragraph. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Expiration Date shall be later than the 180th day after the applicable record date.

Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled hereunder to take any action hereunder with regard to any particular Security may do so with regard to all or any part of the principal amount of such Security or by one or more duly appointed agents each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with regard to all or any part of such principal amount.

SECTION 105. Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company .

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with:

(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed to or with the Trustee in writing at its Corporate Trust Office, Attention: Institutional Trust Services, or

(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class, postage prepaid, to the Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company, Attention: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Neither the Company nor the Trustee shall be deemed to have received any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders unless given, furnished or filed as provided in this Section 105.

SECTION 106. Notice to Holders; Waiver .

Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and

 

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mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date (if any), and not earlier than the earliest date (if any), prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. Any notice mailed to a Holder in the manner herein prescribed shall be conclusively deemed to have been received by such Holder, whether or not such Holder actually receives such notice. Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.

In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the written approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.

SECTION 107. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act .

If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act which is required under such Act to be a part of and govern this Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.

SECTION 108. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents .

The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

SECTION 109. Successors and Assigns .

All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

SECTION 110. Separability Clause .

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

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SECTION 111. Benefits of Indenture .

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar and their successors and assigns, and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

SECTION 112. Governing Law .

This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. This Indenture is subject to the provisions of The Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.

SECTION 113. Legal Holidays .

In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Maturity or Stated Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities (other than a provision of any Security which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section)) payment of interest or principal (and premium, if any) need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date, or at the Maturity or Stated Maturity and no interest shall accrue for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Maturity or Stated Maturity, as the case may be, if such payment is made or duly provided for on the next succeeding Business Day.

SECTION 114. Computations .

Unless otherwise specifically provided, the certificate or opinion of any independent firm of public accountants of recognized standing selected by the Board of Directors shall be conclusive evidence of the correctness of any computation made under the provisions of this Indenture. The Company shall furnish to the Trustee upon its request a copy of any such certificate or opinion.

SECTION 115. Conversion of Currency .

The Company covenants and agrees that the following provisions shall apply to conversion of currency in the case of the Securities and this Indenture:

(a) (i) If for the purpose of obtaining judgment in, or enforcing the judgment of, any court in any country, it becomes necessary to convert into a currency (the “Judgment Currency”) an amount due in any other currency (the “Base Currency”), then the conversion shall be made at the rate of exchange prevailing on the Business Day before the day on which the judgment is given or the order of enforcement is made, as the case may be (unless a court shall otherwise determine).

 

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(ii) If there is a change in the rate of exchange prevailing between the Business Day before the day on which the judgment is given or an order of enforcement is made, as the case may be (or such other date as a court shall determine), and the date of receipt of the amount due, the Company will pay such additional (or, as the case may be, such lesser) amount, if any, as may be necessary so that the amount paid in the Judgment Currency when converted at the rate of exchange prevailing on the date of receipt will produce the amount in Base Currency originally due.

(b) In the event of the winding-up of the Company at any time while any amount or damages owing under the Securities and this Indenture, or any judgment or order rendered in respect thereof, shall remain outstanding, the Company shall indemnify and hold the Holders and the Trustee harmless against any deficiency arising or resulting from any variation in rates of exchange between (i) the date as of which the equivalent of the amount in Base Currency due or contingently due under the Securities and this Indenture (other than under this paragraph (b)) is calculated for the purposes of such winding-up and (ii) the final date for the filing of proofs of claim in such winding-up. For the purpose of this paragraph (b) of Section 115, the final date for the filing of proofs of claim in the winding-up of the Company shall be the date fixed by the liquidator or otherwise in accordance with the relevant provisions of applicable law as being the latest practicable date as at which liabilities of the Company may be ascertained for such winding-up prior to payment by the liquidator or otherwise in respect thereto.

(c) The obligations contained in paragraphs (a)(ii) and (b) of this Section 115 shall constitute separate and independent obligations of the Company from its other obligations under the Securities and this Indenture, shall give rise to separate and independent causes of action against the Company, shall apply irrespective of any waiver or extension granted by any Holder or the Trustee or either of them from time to time and shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding any judgment or order or the filing of any proof of claim in the winding-up of the Company for a liquidated sum in respect of amounts due hereunder (other than under paragraph (b) above) or under any such judgment or order. Any such deficiency as aforesaid shall be deemed to constitute a loss suffered by the Holders or the Trustee, as the case may be, and no proof or evidence of any actual loss shall be required by the Company or its liquidator. In the case of paragraph (b) above, the amount of such deficiency shall not be deemed to be increased or reduced by any variation in rates of exchange occurring between the said final date and the date of any liquidation distribution.

 

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(d) The term “rate(s) of exchange” shall mean the Bank of Canada noon rate for purchase of Base Currency with the Judgment Currency as reported by REUTERS on screens BOFC and BOFD.

(e) The Trustee shall have no duty or liability with respect to monitoring or enforcing this Section 115.

SECTION 116. Agency for Service; Submission to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunities .

(a) By the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company (i) acknowledges that it has, by separate written instrument, irrevocably designated and appointed CT Corporation System, as its authorized agent for service of process in any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the Securities of any series or this Indenture that may be instituted in any federal or state court located in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York, or brought under United States federal or state securities laws or brought by the Trustee, and acknowledges that CT Corporation System has accepted such designation, (ii) irrevocably submits to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) agrees that service of process upon CT Corporation System and written notice of said service to it (mailed or delivered to the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at its principal office in Montreal, Canada as specified in Section 105(2) in this indenture) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon it in any such suit, action or proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all actions, including the execution and filing of any and all such documents and instruments, as may be necessary to continue such designation and appointment of CT Corporation System in full force and effect so long as this Indenture shall be in full force and effect.

(b) To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution, execution or otherwise) with respect to itself or its Property, the Company hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of its obligations under this Indenture and the Securities, to the extent permitted by law.

SECTION 117. Incorporators, Shareholders, Officers and Directors of the Company Exempt from Individual Liability .

No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture, or in any Security of any series, or because of any indebtedness evidenced thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, as such or against any past, present or future shareholder, officer or director, as such, of the Company or of any successor, either directly or through the Company or any successor, under any rule of law, statute or

 

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constitutional provision or by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise, all such liability being expressly waived and released by the acceptance of the Securities by the Holders and as part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

ARTICLE TWO

SECURITY FORMS

SECTION 201. Forms Generally .

The Securities of each series shall be substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A, or in such other form or forms as shall be established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in each case with such appropriate provisions as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with applicable tax laws or the rules of any securities exchange or Depositary therefor or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution thereof. If the form of Securities of any series is established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 303 with respect to the authentication and delivery of such Securities.

The Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form set forth in this Article.

The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved on a steel engraved border or on steel engraved borders or produced by any combination of these methods, if required by any securities exchange on which the Securities may be listed, or may be produced in any other manner permitted by the rules of any securities exchange on which the Securities may be listed, all as determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, the Securities of each series will initially be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities. Each such Global Security shall represent such of the Outstanding Securities of such series as shall be specified therein and each shall provide that it shall represent the aggregate amount of Outstanding Securities of such series from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate amounts of Outstanding Securities of such series represented thereby may from time to time be reduced or increased, as appropriate. The Global Security or Securities evidencing the Securities of a series (and all Securities issued in exchange therefore) shall bear the legend indicated in Section 202.

 

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SECTION 202. Form of Legend for Global Securities .

Every Global Security authenticated and delivered hereunder shall, in addition to the provisions contained in Exhibit A, bear a legend in substantially the following form:

UNLESS THIS SECURITY IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY SECURITY ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF DTC OR A NOMINEE THEREOF. THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR A SECURITY REGISTERED, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IN WHOLE OR IN PART MAY BE REGISTERED, IN THE NAME OF ANY PERSON OTHER THAN DTC OR SUCH NOMINEE, EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE.

SECTION 203. Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication .

The Trustee’s certificates of authentication shall be in substantially the following form:

Certificate of Authentication

This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Dated:

 

JPMorgan Chase Bank
as Trustee
By:  

 

  Authorized Officer

 

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ARTICLE THREE

THE SECURITIES

SECTION 301. Title; Terms .

The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.

The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of a series:

(a) the title of the securities of such series, which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from all other Securities;

(b) the limit, if any, upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration or transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the same series pursuant to Section 304, 305, 306, 906 or 1108 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 303, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder); provided , however , that the authorized aggregate principal amount of such series may be increased above such amount by a Board Resolution to such effect;

(c) the Stated Maturity or Maturities on which the principal of the Securities of such series is payable or the method of determination thereof;

(d) the rate or rates, if any, at which the Securities of such series shall bear interest or the method of determining such rate or rates, the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be payable, the right, if any, of the Company to defer or extend an Interest Payment Date, the Regular Record Date (if other than as defined in this Indenture) for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date and the dates from which interest shall accrue and the method of determining these dates;

(e) the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities of such series shall be payable, the place or places where the Securities of such series may be presented for registration of transfer or exchange, and the place or places where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such series may be made;

 

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(f) the period or periods within or the date or dates on which, if any, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of such series may be redeemed or prepaid, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

(g) the obligation or the right, if any, of the Company to redeem, repay or purchase the Securities of such series pursuant to any sinking fund, amortization or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which, the currency or currencies (including currency unit or units) in which and the other terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series shall be redeemed, repaid or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;

(h) the denominations in which any Securities of such series shall be issuable, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;

(i) if other than U.S. Dollars, the currency or currencies (including currency unit or units) in which the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities of the series shall be payable, or in which the Securities of the series shall be denominated;

(j) the additions, modifications or deletions, if any, in the Events of Default or covenants of the Company set forth herein with respect to the Securities of such series;

(k) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of such series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof;

(l) the additions or changes, if any, to this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such series as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the issuance of the Securities of such series in bearer form, registrable or not registrable as to principal, and with or without interest coupons;

(m) any index or indices used to determine the amount of payments of principal of and premium, if any, on the Securities of such series or the manner in which such amounts will be determined;

(n) the issuance of a temporary Global Security representing all of the Securities of such series and the terms upon which such temporary Global Security may be exchanged for definitive Securities of such series;

(o) whether the Securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case, the identity of the Depositary for such Global Securities;

 

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(p) the appointment of any Paying Agent or Agents for the Securities of such series;

(q) the terms and conditions of any right or obligation on the part of the Company, or any option on the part of the Holders, to convert or exchange Securities of such series into cash or any other securities or property of the Company or any other Person, and the additions or changes, if any, to this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such series to permit or facilitate such conversion or exchange; and

(r) any other terms of the Securities of such series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture).

All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided herein or in or pursuant to such Board Resolution and set forth in such Officers’ Certificate or in any such indenture supplemental hereto.

If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officers’ Certificate setting forth the terms of the series.

SECTION 302. Denominations .

The Securities of each series shall be in registered form without coupons and shall be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiples thereof, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301.

SECTION 303. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating .

The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Vice President and attested by its Treasurer, any Associate Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or any Assistant Secretary. The signature of any of these officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.

Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of such Securities.

At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities executed by the Company to the Trustee

 

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for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in accordance with the Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities.

Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, if all Securities of a series are not to be originally issued at one time, it shall not be necessary to deliver the Company Order otherwise required pursuant to such preceding paragraph at or prior to the authentication of each Security of such series if such Company Order is delivered at or prior to the authentication upon original issuance of the first Security of such series to be issued.

Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose, unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein executed by the Trustee by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section 309, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.

Minor typographical and other minor errors in the text of any Security shall not affect the validity and enforceability of such Security if it has been duly authenticated and delivered by the Trustee.

Except in the case of Securities of any series as to which it is specified, as contemplated by Section 301, that such Securities shall be issued initially in individual certificated form, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver one or more Global Securities with respect to each series of Securities that (i) shall represent an aggregate amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the initially issued Securities of such series, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially in the form required in Section 202. If such form or terms have been so established, the Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

 

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The Depositary must, at all times while it serves as such Depositary, be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and any other applicable statute or regulation.

SECTION 304. Temporary Securities .

Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities of any series in lieu of which they are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.

If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities of such series to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities, the temporary Securities shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities upon surrender of the temporary Securities at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Securities of the same series of authorized denominations and having the same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and having the same terms as such temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities.

SECTION 305. Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange .

The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee a register (the register maintained in such office or in any other office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment being herein sometimes referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and of transfers and exchanges of Securities. The Trustee is hereby appointed “Security Registrar” for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Securities as herein provided.

Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series of any authorized denominations and of a like tenor and aggregate principal amount, of the same original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and having the same terms.

 

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Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual Securities represented thereby, a Global Security representing all or a portion of the Securities may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of such Depositary, or by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary, or by such Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or nominee of such successor Depositary.

At the option of the Holder, Securities may be exchanged for other Securities, of the same series of any authorized denominations, of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, of the same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and having the same terms, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.

If at any time the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary or if at any time the Depositary shall cease to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act as provided in Section 303, the Company shall appoint a successor Depositary. If a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such ineligibility, the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities, will authenticate and make available for delivery, individual Securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security or Securities representing the Securities in exchange for such Global Security or Securities.

The Company may at any time and in its sole discretion determine that individual Securities issued in the form of one or more Global Securities shall no longer be represented by such Global Security or Securities. In such event the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities, will authenticate and make available for delivery, individual Securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security or Securities representing the Securities in exchange for such Global Security or Securities.

The Depositary may surrender a Global Security in exchange in whole or in part for individual Securities on such terms as are acceptable to the Company, the Trustee and such Depositary. Thereupon, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, without service charge:

(1) to each Person specified by such Depositary a new individual Security or Securities of any authorized denomination as requested by such Person in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for such Person’s beneficial interest in the Global Security; and

 

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(2) to such Depositary a new Global Security in a denomination equal to the difference, if any, between the principal amount of the surrendered Global Security and the aggregate principal amount of individual Securities delivered to Holders thereof.

Upon the exchange of a Global Security for individual Securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of such Global Security, such Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Individual Securities issued in exchange for a Global Security pursuant to this Section shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary for such Global Security, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall make available for delivery such individual Securities to the Persons in whose names such Securities are so registered.

All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Security Registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed, by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

No service charge shall be made to a Holder for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company or the Trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 304, 906 or 1108 not involving any transfer.

Neither the Company nor the Trustee shall be required, pursuant to the provisions of this Section: (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Security of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 Business Days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of any such Securities selected for redemption of Securities pursuant to Article Eleven and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing of notice of redemption; or (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except, in the case of any Security to be redeemed in part, any portion thereof that is not redeemed.

 

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SECTION 306. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities .

If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee together with such security or indemnity as may be required by the Company or the Trustee to save each of them harmless, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same issue and series, of like tenor and principal amount, having the same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and bearing the same Interest Rate as such mutilated Security, and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

If there shall be delivered to the Company and to the Trustee (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a protected purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same issue and series of like tenor and principal amount, having the same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and bearing the same Interest Rate as such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company or the Trustee may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

Every new Security issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities duly issued hereunder.

The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

SECTION 307. Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved .

Interest on any Security of any series which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose

 

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name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest in respect of Securities of such series. The initial payment of interest on any Security of any series which is issued between a Regular Record Date and the related Interest Payment Date shall be payable as provided in such Security or in the Board Resolution pursuant to Section 301 with respect to the related series of Securities.

Any interest on any Security which is payable, but is not timely paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of such series (herein called “Defaulted Interest”), shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered Holder on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in Clause (1) or (2) below:

(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series in respect of which interest is in default (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this Clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first class, postage prepaid, to each Holder of a Security of such series at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Security Register not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so mailed, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following Clause (2).

(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of the series in respect of which interest is in

 

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default may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange (or by the Trustee if the Securities are not listed), if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this Clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

SECTION 308. Persons Deemed Owners .

The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name any Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and any premium and (subject to Section 307) any interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

None of the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a Global Security or maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.

SECTION 309. Cancellation .

All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee, and any such Securities and Securities surrendered directly to the Trustee for any such purpose shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of by the Trustee in accordance with its customary procedures unless by Company Order the Company shall direct that cancelled Securities be delivered to it or that a certification of their disposal be delivered to the Company. Acquisition by the Company of any Security shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Security unless and until the same is delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

 

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SECTION 310. Computation of Interest .

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.

SECTION 311. CUSIP Numbers .

The Company in issuing Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use for the Securities “CUSIP” number in notices to the Holders as a convenience to such Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such notice shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee of any changes in the “CUSIP” numbers.

ARTICLE FOUR

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

SECTION 401. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture .

This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further effect (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities herein expressly provided for) and the Trustee at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when:

(1) either

(A) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 306 and (ii) Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 1003) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(B) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation:

(i) have become due and payable, or

 

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(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year of the date of deposit, or

(iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company,

and the Company, in the case of (i), (ii) or (iii) above, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds: (A) money in an amount; (B) U.S. Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount; or (C) a combination thereof, in each case sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee of such series (but such opinion need only be delivered if any U.S. Government Obligations have been so deposited), to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee, to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal (and premium, if any) and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be;

(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and

(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against any U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 401 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of Outstanding Securities.

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 607 and the preceding paragraph, the obligations of the Company to any Authenticating Agent under Section 614 and, if money and/or U.S. Government Obligations shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of Clause (1) of this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 402 and the last paragraph of Section 1003 shall survive.

 

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SECTION 402. Application of Trust Money .

Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, all money and U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401 and all proceeds of such U.S. Government Obligations and the interest thereon, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal and any premium and interest for whose payment such money and U.S. Government Obligations have been deposited with the Trustee.

ARTICLE FIVE

REMEDIES

SECTION 501. Events of Default .

“Event of Default”, wherever used herein with respect to the Securities of any series, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):

(1) default in the payment of any interest upon any Security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 30 days; or

(2) default in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, on any Security of that series at its Maturity; or

(3) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty a default in the performance of which or the breach of which is specifically dealt with elsewhere in this Section), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or

(4) the making of an order or judgment by a court having jurisdiction adjudging the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary bankrupt or insolvent or ordering the winding up or liquidation or rearrangement of its affairs, or the seizure or attachment of all or a substantial part of the Company’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s property at the instance of a creditor, or the appointment of a Person to take possession or control under an

 

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agreement subjecting the property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to a security interest or pursuant to an order of any court having jurisdiction of all or a substantial part of the property or the inventory of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, such Person to include a receiver, a receiver-manager, an agent, a sequestrator, a trustee under a trust indenture, a creditor in possession or any Person or corporation authorized to act on their behalf, provided that such order, judgment, seizure or attachment remains in force or such taking of possession or control continues in effect for a period of 90 consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement shall not be in effect; or

(5) the making by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of an assignment for the benefit of its creditors, the filing by it of a petition for the declaration of its own bankruptcy, the consenting by it to the institution of, or the granting by a court of, bankruptcy or other insolvency proceedings against it, the admission by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to some or all of its creditors at a meeting or by other means of communication that it is insolvent or the commencement by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any proceeding relative to its indebtedness under any reorganization, arrangement, compromise, adjustment or postponement of debt, dissolution, winding up, composition or liquidation law or statute of any jurisdiction, whether now or hereafter in effect; or

(6) any other Event of Default specified with respect to Securities of that series as contemplated in Section 301.

SECTION 502. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment .

If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 501(4) or 501(5)) with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series may declare the principal amount (or, if the Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) of all of the Securities of that series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 501(4) or 501(5) with respect to Securities of a series at the time Outstanding occurs, the principal amount of all the Securities of such series (or specified amount) shall automatically, and without any declaration or other action on the part of the Trustee or any Holder, become immediately due and payable.

At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due

 

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has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:

(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay

(A) all overdue interest on all Securities of that series,

(B) the principal of, and premium, if any, on, any Securities of that series which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and any interest thereon at the rate or rates borne by such Securities,

(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue installments of interest at the rate or rates borne by or prescribed therefor in such Securities, and

(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel; and

(2) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that series, other than the non-payment of the principal (or a specified portion of the principal) of and interest on Securities of that series which has become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 513.

No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

SECTION 503. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee .

The Company covenants that if:

(1) default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or

(2) default is made in the payment of the principal or premium, if any, on any Security at the Maturity thereof,

the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal, including any sinking fund payment or analogous obligations (and premium, if any) and interest, including, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal or premium, if any, and on any overdue interest, at the

 

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rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel and all the amounts due to the Trustee under Section 607 hereof.

If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities, wherever situated.

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

SECTION 504. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim .

In case of any judicial proceeding relative to the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), its property or its creditors:

(a) the Trustee shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

(i) to take any and all actions authorized under the Trust Indenture Act in order to have claims of the Holders and the Trustee allowed in any such proceeding, and

(ii) in particular, the Trustee shall be authorized to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same in accordance with Section 506; and

(b) any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee for distribution in accordance with Section 506, and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 607.

 

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No provision of this Indenture shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding; provided, however, that the Trustee may, on behalf of the Holders, vote for the election of a trustee in bankruptcy or similar official and be a member of a creditors’ or other similar committee.

SECTION 505. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities .

All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

SECTION 506. Application of Money Collected .

Any money or property collected or to be applied by the Trustee with respect to a series of Securities pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money or property on account of principal or premium, if any, or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee under Section 607;

SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon such series of Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such series of Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, respectively; and

THIRD: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company, its successors or assigns or to whomsoever may be lawfully entitled to receive the same or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.

 

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SECTION 507. Limitation on Suits .

No Holder of any Securities of any series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:

(1) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that series;

(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series;

it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such Holders.

SECTION 508. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest .

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Section 307) interest on such Security on the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

 

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SECTION 509. Restoration of Rights and Remedies .

If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

SECTION 510. Rights and Remedies Cumulative .

Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last paragraph of Section 306, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

SECTION 511. Delay or Omission Not Waiver .

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

SECTION 512. Control by Holders .

The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such series, provided that:

(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture, involve the Trustee in personal liability or be unduly prejudicial to the Holders of the Securities not joining in the action; and

(2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.

 

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SECTION 513. Waiver of Past Defaults .

Subject to Section 502 hereof, the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series may, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such series, waive any past default hereunder with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default:

(1) in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any Security of such series; or

(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article Nine cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.

Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.

SECTION 514. Undertaking for Costs .

All parties to this Indenture agree, and each holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, any party litigant in such suit to file an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any such party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant, in the manner and to the extent provided in the Trust Indenture Act; provided , that neither this Section nor the Trust Indenture Act shall be deemed to authorize any court to require such an undertaking or to make such an assessment in any suit instituted by the Company or by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security on or after the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date).

SECTION 515. Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws .

The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any usury, stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture;

 

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and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

ARTICLE SIX

THE TRUSTEE

SECTION 601. Certain Duties and Responsibilities .

The duties, responsibilities, protections, privileges, and immunities of the Trustee shall be as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, particularly Sections 315 and 316 thereof, unless expressly excluded as provided in this Article Six. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.

SECTION 602. Notice of Defaults .

If a default occurs hereunder with respect to the Securities of a series, the Trustee within 90 days of such default shall give the Holders of such Securities notice of such default as and to the extent provided by the Trust Indenture Act; provided , however , that in the case of any default of the character specified in Section 501(3) with respect to such Securities, no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof; and provided , further , that the Trustee may withhold notice to the Holders, of any default with respect to Securities of a series (except any default of the character specified in Section 501(1) and (2)), if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determine that the withholding of the notice is in the interest of the Holders of such Securities. For the purpose of this Section, the term “default” means any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series.

 

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SECTION 603. Certain Rights of Trustee .

Subject to the provisions of Section 601:

(1) the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

(2) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order, and any resolution of the Board of Directors shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;

(3) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officers’ Certificate and may at its discretion secure such further evidence deemed necessary or advisable, but shall in no case be bound to secure the same;

(4) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;

(5) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney;

(6) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;

(7) the Trustee’s immunities and protections from liability and its rights to compensation and indemnification in connection with the performance of its duties under this Indenture shall extend to the Trustee’s officers, directors, agents and employees and its services as Paying Agent, Security Registrar or any other role assumed by the Trustee

 

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hereunder or to which it has been appointed with respect to the Securities issued hereunder. Such immunities and protections and right to indemnification, together with the Trustee’s right to compensation, shall survive the Trustee’s resignation or removal and final payment of the Securities;

(8) the Trustee is not required to give any bond or surety with respect to the performance of its duties or the exercise of its powers under this Indenture;

(9) the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any “default” or Event of Default hereunder except (i) during any period it is serving as Paying Agent for the Securities of a series, any Event of Default pursuant to Section 501(1) or (2), or (ii) any default or Event of Default of which a Responsible Officer shall have received written notification from the Company or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series with respect to which such default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or obtained “actual knowledge.” The term “actual knowledge” as used herein shall mean the actual fact or statement of knowing by a Responsible Officer without independent investigation with respect thereto. The term “default” as used in this Section 603 shall mean any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default with respect to Securities of a series;

(10) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture (other than the payment of debt service on the Securities from moneys furnished to it pursuant hereto), whether at the request or direction of the Holders or any other Person, pursuant to this Indenture or otherwise, unless it shall have been offered reasonable indemnity or security against the fees, advances, costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in connection with the exercise of any such rights or powers; and

(11) the permissive rights of the Trustee enumerated herein shall not be construed as duties.

Notwithstanding anything else herein contained, (i) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by any officer of the Trustee unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was grossly negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts and (ii) no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if it believes the repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

 

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SECTION 604. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities .

The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the Trustee’s certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent assumes any responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. Neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent shall be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.

SECTION 605.  May Hold Securities .

The Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 608 and 613, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or such other agent.

SECTION 606. Money Held in Trust .

Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as agreed with the Company herein or otherwise.

SECTION 607. Compensation and Reimbursement .

The Company agrees:

(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);

(2) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the reasonable expenses and disbursements of its agents or attorneys), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to the negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of it or of its agents or attorneys;

(3) to indemnify, defend and to hold the Trustee harmless against, any loss, liability or expense (including the reasonable compensation and the reasonable expenses and disbursements of its agents or attorneys) incurred without negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or

 

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administration of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection therewith or with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder;

(4) that the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities upon all property and funds held by it hereunder for any amount owing it or any predecessor Trustee pursuant to this Section 607, except with respect to funds held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of particular Securities; and

(5) without limiting any rights available to the Trustee under applicable law, that when the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 501(4) or Section 501(5), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.

The provisions of this Section 607 shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee and the termination of this Indenture.

SECTION 608. Disqualification; Conflicting Interests .

If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall either eliminate such interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture. To the extent permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have a conflicting interest by virtue of being a Trustee under this Indenture with respect to Securities of more than one series or by virtue of being a Trustee under this Indenture and under the Indenture dated as of October 16, 2001 between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (successor to The Chase Manhattan Bank (National Association)), as Trustee.

SECTION 609. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility .

There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall (i) be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, (ii) be authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, (iii) have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000, and (iv) be subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority. If such corporation files reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so filed. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this

 

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Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article Six. Neither the Company nor any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Company shall serve as Trustee for the Securities of any series issued hereunder.

SECTION 610. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor .

No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 611.

The Trustee may resign as Trustee at any time with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 611 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.

The Trustee may be removed as Trustee hereunder at any time with respect to the Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.

If at any time:

(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 608 after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months; or

(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 609 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Holder; or

(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,

then, in any such case, (A) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee, or (B) subject to Section 514, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees.

 

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If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause with respect to the Securities of one or more series, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Securities of that or those series and shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 611. If, within one year after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 611, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 611, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, subject to Section 514, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.

The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series by mailing written notice of such event by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the Holders of Securities of such series as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.

SECTION 611. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor .

(a) In the case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to all Securities, every such successor Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.

(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and

 

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each successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor trustee shall accept such appointment and which (1) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, (2) if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to all Securities, shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (3) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust and that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein and each such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts, and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates.

(c) Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in the paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, as the case may be.

(d) No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.

SECTION 612. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business .

Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been

 

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authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities. In case any of the Securities shall not have been authenticated by such predecessor Trustee, any successor Trustee may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor Trustee. In all such cases such certificates shall have the full force and effect that this Indenture provides for the certificate of authentication of the Trustee; provided, however, that the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee or to authenticate Securities in the name of any predecessor Trustee shall apply only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.

SECTION 613. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company .

If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company (or any such other obligor).

SECTION 614. Appointment of Authenticating Agent .

The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents with respect to one or more series of Securities which shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon original issue and upon exchange, registration of transfer or partial redemption thereof or pursuant to Section 306, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the Trustee or the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any State, Territory or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority. If such Authenticating Agent files reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such Authenticating Agent shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so filed.

 

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If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, such Authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Section.

Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall be the successor Authenticating Agent hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.

An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall give notice of such appointment in the manner provided in Section 106 to all Holders of Securities of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will serve. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent.

No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section.

The Company agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section.

If an appointment with respect to one or more series is made pursuant to this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternative certificate of authentication in the following form:

 

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This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

JPMorgan Chase Bank
As Trustee
By:  

 

  As Authenticating Agent
By:  

 

  Authorized Signatory

ARTICLE SEVEN

HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

SECTION 701. Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders .

The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee:

(1) semi-annually, not more than 15 days after each Regular Record Date, a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Holders as of such Regular Record Date; and

(2) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished; provided, that no such list need be provided in any case to the extent it would include names and addresses received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar.

SECTION 702. Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders .

The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, the names and addresses of Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to the Trustee as provided in Section 701 and the names and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 701 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.

The rights of Holders to communicate with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and the corresponding rights and privileges of the Trustee, shall be as provided by the Trust Indenture Act.

 

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Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of any disclosure of information as to names and addresses of Holders made pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.

SECTION 703. Reports by Trustee .

The Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant thereto. If required by Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall, within 60 days after each May 15 following the date of this Indenture, deliver to Holders a brief report, dated as of such May 15, which complies with the provisions of such Section 313(a).

A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange upon which any Securities are listed, with the Commission and with the Company (Attn: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer). The Company will notify the Trustee whenever any Securities are listed on any stock exchange.

SECTION 704. Reports by Company .

The Company shall:

(1) file with the Trustee, within 15 days after the Company is required to file the same with the Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Commission may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company may be required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

(2) file with the Trustee and the Commission, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission, such additional information, documents and reports with respect to compliance by the Company with the conditions and covenants of this Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and regulations;

(3) notwithstanding that the Company may not be required to remain subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or otherwise report on an annual and quarterly basis on forms provided for such annual and quarterly reporting pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission, continue to file with the Commission and provide the Trustee:

(A) within 140 days (in the case of Form 40-F) or six months (in the case of Form 20-F) after the end of each fiscal year, the information required to be contained in annual reports on Form 40-F or 20-F as applicable (or any successor form); and

 

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(B) within 60 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year, the information required to be contained in reports on Form 6-K (or any successor form) which, regardless of applicable requirements, shall, at a minimum, consist of such information required to be provided in quarterly reports under the laws of Canada or any province or territory thereof to security holders of a corporation with securities listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, whether or not the Company has any of its securities so listed.

Such information, to the extent permitted by the rules and regulations of the Commission, may be prepared in accordance with Canadian disclosure requirements and Canadian GAAP; provided , however , that the Company shall not be so obligated to file such reports with the Commission if the Commission does not permit such filings; and

(4) transmit by mail, to all Holders, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register, within 30 days after the filing thereof with the Trustee, such summaries of any information, documents and reports required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Clauses (1), (2) and (3) of this Section as may be required by rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission.

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such reports shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).

ARTICLE EIGHT

CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE

SECTION 801. Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms .

(a) Subject to Section 801(c), the Company shall not consolidate with, amalgamate with, merge with or into or enter into any statutory arrangement with any other Person or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, and the Company shall not permit any Person to consolidate with, amalgamate with or merge with or into the Company, unless:

(1) the Company is the surviving corporation in a merger, amalgamation or consolidation; or

 

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(2) in case the Company shall consolidate with, amalgamate with or merge into another Person or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, the Person formed by or continuing from such consolidation or amalgamation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance or transfer, or which leases, the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety shall be a corporation, partnership, trust or limited liability company, organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia or the laws of Canada or any province or territory thereof and shall (except where such assumption is deemed to have occurred by the sole operation of law) expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and any premium and interest on all the Securities and the performance or observance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed; and

(3) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Event of Default, and no event which, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have happened and be continuing; and

(4) the Company or such Person has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, amalgamation, conveyance, transfer or lease and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

(b) Subject to Section 801(c), any Debt which becomes an obligation of the Company or any Subsidiary as a result of any such transaction shall be treated as having been incurred by the Company or such Subsidiary at the time of such transaction.

(c) The provisions of Section 801(a) and (b) shall not be applicable to:

(1) the direct or indirect conveyance, transfer or lease of all or any portion of the stock, assets or liabilities of any of the Company’s wholly owned Subsidiaries to the Company or to other wholly owned Subsidiaries of the Company; or

(2) any recapitalization transaction, a change of control of the Company or a highly leveraged transaction unless such transaction or change of control is structured to include a merger or consolidation by the Company or the conveyance, transfer or lease of the Company’s assets substantially as an entirety.

 

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SECTION 802. Successor Person Substituted .

Upon any consolidation or amalgamation of the Company with, or merger of the Company into, any other Person or any conveyance, transfer or lease of the assets of the Company substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 801, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or amalgamation or into which the Company is merged or to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein, and in the event of any such conveyance or transfer, the Company (which term shall for this purpose mean the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture or any successor Person which shall theretofore become such in the manner described in Section 801) thereafter, except in the case of any lease, the Company shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities and may be dissolved and liquidated.

In case of any such consolidation, amalgamation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease, such changes in phraseology and form may be made in the Securities thereafter to be issued as may be appropriate.

ARTICLE NINE

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

SECTION 901. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders .

Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:

(1) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company herein and in the Securities; or

(2) to convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any property to or with the Trustee or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or

(3) to provide for the issuance under this Indenture of Securities in bearer form (including securities registrable as to principal only) and to provide for exchangeability of such Securities for Securities issued hereunder in fully registered form, and to make all appropriate changes for such purpose; or

 

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(4) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 201 or 301; or

(5) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of all Securities or any series of Securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or

(6) to add any additional Events of Default; or

(7) to secure the Securities; or

(8) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee pursuant to the requirements of Section 611(b); or

(9) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture as the Company and the Trustee may deem necessary and desirable, provided that such action pursuant to this Clause (9) shall not adversely affect the rights of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect; or

(10) to conform any provision hereof to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act or otherwise as necessary to comply with applicable law of the United States or any State thereof and Canada or of any province or territory thereof to the extent they do not conflict with the applicable laws of the United States heretofore or hereafter enacted.

SECTION 902. Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders .

With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby:

(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest payable on, any Outstanding Security, or reduce the principal amount of or the rate of interest thereon or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon redemption or acceleration or would be provable in bankruptcy, or adversely affect any right of repayment of the Holder of any Security or change the Place of Payment or the coin or currency in which, any Outstanding Security or any principal (and premium, if any) or interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date); or

 

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(2) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or certain defaults hereunder and their consequences or reduce the quorum or voting requirements provided for in this Indenture; or

(3) modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 513 or Section 1011, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby; provided , however , that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section and Section 1011, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 611 and 901(8); or

(4) modify the provisions of Section 1012 in a manner adverse to the Holders.

A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.

It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.

SECTION 903. Execution of Supplemental Indentures .

In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the documents

 

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required by Section 102, and (subject to Section 601) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture, and that all conditions precedent have been complied with. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties, protections, privileges, indemnities, liabilities or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

SECTION 904. Effect of Supplemental Indentures .

Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby.

SECTION 905. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act .

Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.

SECTION 906. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures .

Securities authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Company, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series.

ARTICLE TEN

COVENANTS

SECTION 1001. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest .

The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of that series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.

Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301, the Company shall pay interest on overdue amounts at the rate set forth in the first paragraph of the Securities, and it shall pay interest on overdue interest at the same rate (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), which interest on overdue interest shall accrue from the date such amounts became overdue.

 

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SECTION 1002. Maintenance of Office or Agency .

The Company will maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York and each other Place of Payment for any series, an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented or surrendered for payment, and an office or agency where Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served. The Company initially appoints the Trustee, acting through its Corporate Trust Office, as its agent for said purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of any such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York and each other Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

SECTION 1003. Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust .

If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any of the Securities of such series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal, premium, if any, and any interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents, it will, prior to each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on any Securities, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

 

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The Company will cause each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will:

(1) comply with the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act applicable to it as a Paying Agent,

(2) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities) in the making of any payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest, and

(3) at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.

The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by the Company or any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.

Any money or U.S. Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof and the interest thereon) deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Security and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company at its option on Company Request (unless otherwise required by mandatory provision of applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law) or (if then held by the Company) shall (unless otherwise required by mandatory provision of applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law) be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published on each Business Day and of general circulation in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.

 

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SECTION 1004. Statement by Officers as to Default .

The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company ending after the date hereof, an Officers’ Certificate covering the preceding fiscal year, stating whether or not, to the best knowledge of the signers thereof, the Company is in default in the performance and observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture (without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided hereunder) and, if the Company shall be in default, specifying all such defaults and the nature and status thereof of which they may have knowledge.

SECTION 1005. Existence .

Subject to Article Eight, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its legal existence, rights (charter and statutory) and franchises of the Company and any Restricted Subsidiary; provided , however , that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise if the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.

SECTION 1006. Maintenance of Properties .

The Company will cause all material properties of the Company used or useful in the conduct of its business or the business of any Restricted Subsidiary to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment and will cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the Company may be necessary so that the Company and each Restricted Subsidiary may properly and advantageously conduct their respective businesses at all times; provided , however , that nothing in this Section shall prevent the Company from selling, abandoning or otherwise disposing of, or discontinuing the operation or maintenance of, any of such properties if such action is, in the judgment of the Company, desirable in the conduct of its business or the business of any Restricted Subsidiary.

SECTION 1007. Payment of Taxes .

The Company will pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same shall become delinquent, all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or upon the income, profits or property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, and lawful claims for labor,

 

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materials and supplies, which, if unpaid, might by law become a Mortgage upon the property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided , however , that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment or governmental charge whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings or where the failure to effect such payment is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders of the Securities.

SECTION 1008. Negative Pledge .

The Company will not itself and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, assume or otherwise have outstanding after the date of this Indenture any Mortgage, upon any Principal Property of the Company or of any Restricted Subsidiary or upon the shares of Capital Stock or Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary, whether owned at the date of this Indenture or hereafter acquired by the Company or by any Restricted Subsidiary, to secure any Debt of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, without making effective provision concurrently with the creation of any such Mortgage whereby the Securities (together with any other Debt of the Company ranking equally with or in priority to the Securities and then existing or thereafter created if the Company shall determine such is required by the terms of such Debt) shall be secured by a Mortgage equally and ratably with or prior to such Debt, so long as such Debt shall be so secured; provided , however , that this covenant shall not apply to any of the following:

(a) Mortgages in favor of the Company or any Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary;

(b) any Mortgage to secure a Purchase Money Obligation, provided that: (i) in the case of any construction or improvement of any property, the Mortgage shall not apply to any property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary at the time of the commencement of such construction or improvement, other than any real or immovable property which is substantially unimproved for the purposes of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary and on which the property so constructed or improved is located, and other than any machinery or equipment installed at any time so as to constitute immovable property or a fixture on the real property on which the property so constructed or improved is located and (ii) in the case of any acquisition of property, the Mortgage shall not apply to any property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary immediately prior to the consummation of the acquisition;

(c) any Mortgage existing upon any property or asset of a company which is merged with or into amalgamated with, or consolidated into, or substantially all the assets or shares of Capital Stock of which are acquired by, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary, at the time of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or acquisition; provided that (i) the Mortgage shall not apply to any

 

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other property or asset, other than improvements to the property or asset subject to such Mortgage and (ii) the Mortgage shall not have been created in anticipation of such merger, amalgamation, consolidation or acquisition;

(d) Mortgages securing obligations issued by Canada or any province or territory thereof; the United States of America, any State thereof, the District of Columbia or any territory or possession of the United States of America; or any political subdivision, agency or authority or any of the foregoing, to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of property subject to such Mortgages, including without limitation Mortgages incurred in connection with pollution control, industrial revenue or similar financings;

(e) any Mortgage required to be given or granted by any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any trust deed or similar document entered into by such Restricted Subsidiary prior to the date it became a Restricted Subsidiary;

(f) Mortgages existing as of the date of this Indenture;

(g) any extension, renewal, alteration or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements) of any Mortgage referred to in clauses (a) through (f) above; provided , however , that the principal amount of Debt secured thereby shall not exceed the principal amount of Debt so secured at the time of such extension, renewal, alteration or replacement and provided further , however , that such extension, renewal, alteration or replacement shall be limited to all or a part of the property or other assets which secured the Mortgage so extended, renewed, altered or replaced (plus improvements on such property or other assets); and

(h) a Mortgage (including successive extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements thereof) not excepted by clauses (a) through (g) above, provided that after giving effect thereto Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company.

SECTION 1009. Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions .

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to, enter into any arrangement with any Person (other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) providing for the leasing by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any Principal Property, or any Property which together with any other Property subject to the same transaction or series of related transactions would in the aggregate constitute a Principal Property, whether owned at the date of this Indenture or thereafter acquired (except for leases for a term of not more than three years), which

 

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property has been or is to be sold or transferred by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary to such Person (other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary), more than six months after the acquisition, completion of construction, or commencement of operations of such property, with the intention of taking back a lease of such property (herein referred to as a “Sale and Leaseback Transaction”) unless the net proceeds of the sale or transfer of the property to be leased are at least equal to the fair value of such property and unless:

(1) The Company or such Restricted Subsidiary would, at the time of entering into such arrangement, be entitled, without equally and ratably securing the Securities, to create a Mortgage on such property to secure a Debt in an amount at least equal to the Attributable Obligation in respect to such Sale and Leaseback Transaction pursuant to the provisions of Section 1008, or

(2) The Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall apply an amount equal to the net proceeds of such sale or transfer within 180 days after receipt thereof to (A) the retirement (other than mandatory retirement or by way of payment at maturity) of Funded Debt of the Company or any Funded Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary ranking on a parity with, or prior to, the Securities and owing to a Person other than the Company or any Affiliate of the Company, or (B) the purchase of property, facilities or equipment (other than the property, facilities or equipment involved in such sale) forming part of or constituting Principal Property having a value at least equal to the net proceeds of such sale.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this Section 1009, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may enter into a Sale and Leaseback Transaction in addition to those permitted by paragraph (a) of this Section 1009, and without any obligation to retire Funded Debt or to acquire property, facilities or equipment, provided at the time of entering into such Sale and Leaseback Transactions and after giving effect thereto, Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company.

SECTION 1010. Calculations .

For the purposes of the calculations required to be made under Section 1008 and 1009:

(1) when determining any ratio between Exempted Debt and Consolidated Net Tangible Assets, such determination (which may stipulate such Consolidated Net Tangible Assets to be not less than a stated amount without stipulating the exact amount thereof) shall be made by a financial officer of the Company, on the basis of the most recent available financial statements or financial data, as at a date not more than 120 days prior to the date on which the

 

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Exempted Debt in respect of which such ratio is being determined is to be incurred or, in the case of an Attributable Obligation, the date on which the Sale and Leaseback Transaction is to be entered into, and there shall be taken into calculation all issues and retirements of Funded Debt and Exempted Debt (without duplication) and of shares of Capital Stock and the proceeds of such issues and the expenditures on such retirements made and received, as the case may be, and such change in the value of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as shall be deemed material, subsequent to the date as of which such determination is being made up to and including the first date on which any of the Exempted Debt in respect of which such determination is being made is to be incurred or entered into and including all the other Exempted Debt which have been concurrently authorized for issue and the estimated net proceeds to be received on the issue of such other Exempted Debt;

(2) there shall be excluded from such calculations all Exempted Debt of the Company payable to a Restricted Subsidiary or of any Restricted Subsidiary payable to the Company or to any other Restricted Subsidiary;

(3) all such calculations and determinations shall be made in accordance with Canadian GAAP; and

(4) the Trustee shall not be obligated to recalculate, recompute or confirm any such calculations.

SECTION 1011. Waiver of Certain Covenants .

The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision, covenant or condition set forth in any covenant provided pursuant to Section 901(5) for the benefit of the Holders or in any of Sections 1006 to 1009, inclusive, with respect to the Securities of any series if before or after the time for such compliance the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 1012. Additional Amounts .

(a) All payments made by or on behalf of the Company under or with respect to the Securities of any series will be made free and clear of and without withholding or deduction for or on account of, any present or future tax, duty, levy, impost, assessment

 

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or other government charge imposed or levied by or on behalf of the Government of Canada or of any province or territory thereof or any political subdivision thereof, or by any authority or agency therein or thereof having power to tax (“Taxes”), unless the Company is required to withhold or deduct Taxes by law or by the interpretation or administration thereof by the relevant government authority or agency. If the Company is so required to withhold or deduct any amount for or on account of Taxes from any payment made under or with respect to the Securities, the Company will pay such additional amounts (“Additional Amounts”) as may be necessary so that the net amount received by each Holder (including with respect to Additional Amounts) after such withholding or deduction will not be less than the amount the Holder would have received if such Taxes had not been withheld or deducted; provided , however , that no Additional Amounts will be payable with respect to a payment made to a Holder (an “Excluded Holder”) in respect of the beneficial owner thereof (1) with which the Company does not deal at arm’s length (for purposes of the Tax Act) at the time of the making of such payment, (2) which is subject to such Taxes by reason of its failure to comply with any certification, identification, information, documentation or other reporting requirement if compliance is required by law, regulation, administrative practice or an applicable treaty as a precondition to exemption from, or a reduction in the rate of deduction or withholding of, such Taxes or (3) which is subject to such Taxes by reason of its carrying on business in or being connected with Canada or any province or territory thereof other than by the mere holding of Securities or the receipt of payments thereunder.

(b) The Company will also (1) make such withholding or deduction and (2) remit the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant authority as and when required in accordance with applicable law. The Company will pay all taxes, interest and other liabilities which arise by virtue of any failure of the Company to withhold, deduct and remit to the relevant authority on a timely basis the full amounts required in accordance with applicable law. The Company will furnish to the Holders, within 30 days after the date the payment of any Taxes is due pursuant to applicable law, certified copies of tax receipts evidencing such payment by the Company.

(c) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Holder (other than all Excluded Holders) for the amount of (1) any Taxes not withheld or deducted by the Company and levied or imposed on and paid by such Holder as a result of payments made under or with respect to the Securities, (2) any liability (including penalties, interest and expenses) arising therefrom or with respect thereto, and (3) any Taxes imposed with respect to any reimbursement under clauses (1) or (2) of this paragraph (c) of this Section 1012.

(d) At least 30 days prior to each date on which any payment under or with respect to the Securities is due and payable, if the Company is aware that it will be obligated to pay Additional Amounts with respect to such payment, the Company will

 

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deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating the fact that such Additional Amounts will be payable, the amounts so payable and setting forth such other information necessary to enable the Trustee to pay such Additional Amounts to Holders on the payment date. Whenever in this Indenture there is mentioned, in any context, the payment of principal (and premium, if any), interest or any other amount payable under or with respect to any Security, such mention shall be deemed to include mention of the payment of Additional Amounts provided for in this Section 1012 to the extent that, in such context, Additional Amounts are, were or would be payable in respect thereof.

ARTICLE ELEVEN

REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

SECTION 1101. Company’s Right of Redemption .

Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of a particular series, and notwithstanding any additional redemption rights that may be so specified, the Company may, at its option, redeem the Securities of any series after their date of issuance in whole or in part at any time and from time to time, subject to the provisions of this Section 1101 and the other provisions of this Article Eleven. Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of a particular series, the redemption price for any Security so redeemed shall be equal to 100% of the principal amount of such Securities then Outstanding plus accrued and unpaid interest up to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption; provided , however , that installments of accrued and unpaid interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Regular Record Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 307.

SECTION 1102. Applicability of Article .

Redemption of Securities, as permitted or required by any form of Security issued pursuant to this Indenture or the documentation providing therefor, shall be made in accordance with such form of Security or documentation and this Article Eleven; provided , however , that if any provision of any such form of Security or documentation shall conflict with any provision of this Article, the provision of such form of Security or documentation shall govern. Except as otherwise set forth in the form of Security for such series or such documentation, each Security shall be subject to partial redemption only in the amount of $1,000 or integral multiples of $1,000.

 

68


SECTION 1103. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee .

The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by or pursuant to a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of the Securities of a series, the Company shall, at least 45 days but not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date, of the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed and, if applicable, of the tenor of the Securities to be redeemed. In the case of any redemption of Securities (a) prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or (b) pursuant to an election of the Company which is subject to a condition specified in the terms of such Securities, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel evidencing compliance with such restriction or condition.

SECTION 1104. Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed .

If less than all the Securities are to be redeemed (unless such redemption affects only a single Security), the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 45 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee in its sole discretion shall deem fair and appropriate and which may provide for the selection for redemption of a portion of the principal amount of any Security, provided that the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of any Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security. If less than all the Securities and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed (unless such redemption affects only a single Security), the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 45 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities and specified tenor not previously called for redemption in accordance with the preceding sentence.

The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption as aforesaid and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption as aforesaid, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

The provisions of the two preceding paragraphs shall not apply with respect to any redemption affecting only a single Security, whether such Security is to be redeemed in whole or in part. In the case of any such redemption in part, the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of the Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security.

For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any

 

69


Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be redeemed. If the Company shall so direct, Securities registered in the name of the Company, any Affiliate or any Subsidiary thereof shall not be included in the Securities selected for redemption.

SECTION 1105. Notice of Redemption .

Notice of redemption shall be given by first-class mail, postage prepaid, mailed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed, at its address appearing in the Security Register. Unless the Company defaults in payment of the Redemption Price, on and after the Redemption Date, interest shall cease to accrue on the Securities.

All notices of redemption shall state:

(1) the Redemption Date;

(2) the Redemption Price, or if not then ascertainable, the manner of calculation thereof;

(3) if less than all the Outstanding Securities consisting of more than a single Security are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption of any such Securities, the principal amounts) of the particular Securities to be redeemed and, if less than all the Outstanding Securities consisting of a single Security are to be redeemed, the principal amount of the particular Security to be redeemed;

(4) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date; and

(5) the place or places where each such Security is to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price.

Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company and shall be irrevocable. The notice if mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, a failure to give such notice by mail or any defect in the notice to the Holder of any Security designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Security.

 

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SECTION 1106. Deposit of Redemption Price .

At or prior to 10:00 a.m., New York time, on any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 1003) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date.

SECTION 1107. Securities Payable on Redemption Date .

Notice of redemption having been given pursuant to Section 1105, the Securities to be so redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest) such Securities shall cease to bear or accrue any interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with any accrued but unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date; provided , however , that installments of accrued and unpaid interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Regular Record Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 307.

If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal and any premium shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.

SECTION 1108. Securities Redeemed in Part .

Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of like tenor, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.

 

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ARTICLE TWELVE

DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

SECTION 1201. Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance .

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, the provisions of this Article Twelve shall apply to each series of Securities, and the Company may elect, at its option at any time, to have Section 1202 or Section 1203 applied to any Securities upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article. Any such election shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution.

SECTION 1202. Defeasance and Discharge .

Upon the Company’s exercise of its option (if any) to have this Section applied to any Securities, the Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations with respect to such Securities as provided in this Section on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 1204 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by such Securities and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Securities and this Indenture insofar as such Securities are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company and upon Company Request, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), subject to the following, which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (1) the rights of Holders of Outstanding Securities to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 1204 and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments in respect of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such Securities when such payments are due, (2) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Securities under Sections 304, 305, 306, 1002, 1003 and 1012; (3) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder; and (4) this Article. Subject to compliance with this Article, the Company may exercise its option (if any) to have this Section applied to any Securities notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option (if any) to have Section 1203 applied to such Securities.

SECTION 1203. Covenant Defeasance .

Upon the Company’s exercise of its option (if any) to have this Section applied to any Securities (1) the Company shall be released from its obligations under paragraph (a)(3) of Section 801, paragraph (b) of Section 801, Sections 1006 to 1009, inclusive, and any covenants provided pursuant to 901(5) for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities; and (2) the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 501(3) (with respect to any of paragraphs (a)(3) of Section 801, paragraph (b) of Section 801, Sections 1006 to 1009, and any such covenants provided pursuant to Section 901(5)) shall be deemed not

 

72


to be or result in an Event of Default, in each case with respect to such Securities as provided in this Section on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 1204 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Covenant Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to such Securities, the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such specified Section (to the extent so specified in the case of Section 501(3)), whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such Section or by reason of any reference in any such Section to any other provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities shall be unaffected thereby.

SECTION 1204. Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance .

The following shall be the conditions to the application of Section 1202 or Section 1203 to any Securities:

(1) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee which satisfies the requirements contemplated by Section 609 and agrees to comply with the provisions of this Article applicable to it) as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefits of the Holders of such Securities, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (C) a combination thereof, in each case sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or any such other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal of and any premium and interest on such Securities on the respective Stated Maturities or on the Redemption Date, in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and such Securities.

(2) In the event of an election to have Section 1202 apply to any Securities, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States stating that (A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (B) since the date of this instrument, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in the case of either (A) or (B) to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of such Securities will not recognize gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, Defeasance and discharge to be effected with respect to such Securities and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit, Defeasance and discharge were not to occur.

 

73


(3) In the event of an election to have Section 1203 apply to any Securities, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States to the effect that the Holders of such Securities will not recognize gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and Covenant Defeasance to be effected with respect to such Securities and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit and Covenant Defeasance were not to occur.

(4) No event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default with respect to such Securities or any other Securities shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such deposit or, with regard to any such event specified in Sections 501(4) and (5), at any time on or prior to the 123rd day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until after such 123rd day).

(5) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in Canada or a ruling from Canada Customs and Revenue Agency to the effect that the Holders of the Outstanding Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for Canadian federal or provincial income or other tax purposes as a result of such defeasance and will be subject to Canadian federal or provincial income and other tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case had such defeasance not occurred (and for the purposes of such opinion, such Canadian counsel shall assume that Holders of the Outstanding Securities include Holders who are not resident in Canada).

(6) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any indenture or other agreement or instrument for borrowed money to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.

(7) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act unless such trust shall be registered under the Investment Company Act or exempt from registration thereunder.

(8) The Company is not an “insolvent person” within the meaning of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) on the date of such deposit or at any time during the period ended on the 91st day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period).

(9) If such Securities are to be redeemed prior to Stated Maturity (other than from mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments), notice of such redemption shall have been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee shall have been made.

 

74


(10) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.

SECTION 1205. Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Miscellaneous Provisions .

Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, all money and U.S. Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof and the interest thereon) deposited with the Trustee or other qualifying trustee (solely for purposes of this Section and Section 1206, the Trustee and any such other trustee are referred to collectively as the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 1204 in respect of any Securities shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any such Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal and any premium and interest, but money so held in trust need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 1204 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of Outstanding Securities.

Anything in this Article to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money or U.S. Government Obligations held by it as provided in Section 1204 with respect to any Securities which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect the Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance, as the case may be, with respect to such Securities.

SECTION 1206. Reinstatement .

If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in accordance with this Article with respect to any Securities by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the obligations under this Indenture and such Securities from which the Company has been discharged or released pursuant to Section 1202 or 1203 shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article with respect to such Securities, until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all money held in trust pursuant to Section 1205 with respect to such Securities in

 

75


accordance with this Article; provided , however , that if the Company makes any payment of principal of or any premium or interest on any such Security following such reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights (if any) of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money so held in trust.

SECTION 1207. Qualifying Trustee .

Any trustee appointed pursuant to Section 1204 for the purpose of holding trust funds deposited pursuant to that Section shall be appointed under an agreement in form acceptable to the Trustee and shall provide to the Trustee a certificate of such trustee, upon which certificate the Trustee shall be entitled to conclusively rely, that all conditions precedent provided for herein to the related Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance have been complied with. In no event shall the Trustee be liable for any acts or omissions of said trustee.

*            *            *

 

76


This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

77


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.

 

DOMTAR INC.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
Attest:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK

as Trustee

By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

78


EXHIBIT A

[SPECIMEN BOND]

(FORM OF FACE OF SECURITY)

[If the Security is an Original Issue Discount Security, insert—For purposes of Section 1271 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the issue price of this security is      % of its principal amount and the Issue Date is                      , 20      ]

DOMTAR INC.

[Title of Security]

CUSIP:                     

 

No.                         $                     

DOMTAR INC., a corporation organized and existing under the federal laws of Canada (hereinafter called the “Company”, which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to [Insert if Global Security-Cede & Co.], or registered assigns, the principal sum of                      U.S. Dollars on                  [If the Security is to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert — , and to pay interest thereon from                      or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually on                      and                      in each year, commencing                      , at the rate of      % per annum, on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months, until the principal hereof is paid or duly provided for or made available for payment] [(If applicable insert – , and (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable) at the rate of      % per annum on any overdue principal and premium and on any overdue installment of interest)].

[If the Security is to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert — The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in the Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the date which is fifteen days (whether or not a Business Day) next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series not less than

 

A-1


10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture].

[If the Security is not to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert – The principal of this Security shall not bear interest except in the case of a default in payment of principal upon acceleration, upon redemption or at Stated Maturity and in such case the overdue principal of this Security shall bear interest at the rate of      % per annum (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), which shall accrue from the date of such default in payment to the date payment of such principal has been made or duly provided for. Interest on any overdue principal shall be payable on demand. Any such interest on any overdue principal that is not so paid on demand shall bear interest at the rate of      % per annum (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), which shall accrue from the date of such demand for payment to the date payment of such interest has been made or duly provided for, and such interest shall also be payable on demand.]

Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and [if applicable, insert—any interest] on this Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in The City of New York, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts [if applicable, insert -; provided , however , that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by (i) check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (ii) by transfer to an account maintained by the payee in the United States].

Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.

Dated:

 

DOMTAR INC.
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

Attest:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

Certificate of Authentication

This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Dated:

 

JPMorgan Chase Bank

as Trustee
By:  

 

  Authorized Officer

 

A-3


FORM OF REVERSE OF SECURITY

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company (herein called the “Securities”), issued and to be issued in one or more series under an Indenture, dated as of                      , 2003 as supplemented and amended from time to time (herein called the “Indenture”), between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof [if applicable insert —, limited in aggregate principal amount to $                      ].

All terms used in this Security that are defined in the Indenture shall have the meaning assigned to them in the Indenture.

[If applicable, insert - The Securities of this series are subject to redemption upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice by mail, at any time [on or after                      , 20      ], as a whole or in part, at the election of the Company. The Redemption Price for any Security so redeemed shall be equal to 100% of the principal amount of such Securities then Outstanding plus accrued and unpaid interest up to but not including the date fixed for redemption. In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of this series for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.]

[Installments of accrued and unpaid interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of the Securities of this series, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Regular Record Dates according to their terms.]

The Indenture contains provisions for satisfaction, discharge and defeasance of (a) the entire indebtedness on this security and (b) certain restrictive covenants and the related Events of Default, upon compliance by the Company with certain conditions set forth therein.

[If the Security is not an Original Issue Discount Security, – If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.] [If the security is an Original Issue Discount Security, – If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, an amount of principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture. Such amount shall be equal to – insert formula for determining the amount.

 

A-4


Upon payment of the amount of principal so declared due and payable [if applicable insert – and of interest on any overdue principal and overdue interest (in each case to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable)], all of the Company’s obligations in respect of the payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of this series shall terminate.]

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series to be affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this Security are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities of this series, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.

The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $                      and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.

 

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No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company or the Trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

THIS SECURITY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

A-6

Exhibit 4.3

EXECUTION COPY

 


DOMTAR INC.

TO

THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK,

Trustee

 


Indenture

Dated as of October 16, 2001

 


U.S.$600,000,000

7.875% Notes due 2011

 



DOMTAR INC.

Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act

of 1939 and Indenture, dated as of October 16, 2001

 

Trust Indenture Act Section

   Indenture Section
§ 310   (a)(l)    608(a)
  (a)(2)    608(a)
  (b)    609
§ 312   (c)    701
§ 314   (a)    705
  (a)(4)    1004
  (c)(l)    102
  (c)(2)    102
  (e)    102
§ 315   (b)    602
§ 316   (a) (last sentence)    101 (“Outstanding”)
  (a)(l)(A)    512
  (a)(l)(B)    502, 513
  (b)    508
  (c)    104(d)
§ 317   (a)(l)    503
  (a)(2)    504
  (b)    1003
§ 318   (a)    113

Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of the Indenture.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

             Page

PARTIES

   1

RECITALS OF THE COMPANY

   1
   

ARTICLE ONE

DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION

  

SECTION 101.

 

Definitions

   1
   

“$”

   2
   

“U.S.$”

   2
   

“Act”

   2
   

“Additional Amounts”

   2
   

“Additional Securities”

   2
   

“Adjusted Treasury Rate”

   2
   

“Affiliate”

   2
   

“Attributable Obligation”

   2
   

“Base Currency”

   3
   

“Board of Directors”

   3
   

“Board Resolution”

   3
   

“Business Day”

   3
   

“Canadian GAAP”

   3
   

“Capitalized Lease Obligation”

   3
   

“Capital Stock”

   3
   

“Commission”

   3
   

“Company”

   3
   

“Company Request”

   4
   

“Comparable Treasury Issue”

   4
   

“Comparable Treasury Price”

   4
   

“Consolidated Net Tangible Assets”

   4
   

“Corporate Trust Office”

   4
   

“corporation”

   4
   

“covenant defeasance”

   4
   

“Debt”

   4
   

“Default”

   4
   

“Defaulted Interest”

   4
   

“defeasance”

   4
   

“Depositary”

   5
   

“DTC”

   5
   

“Event of Default”

   5

Note: This table of contents shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of the Indenture.


             Page
   

“Exchange Act”

   5
   

“Excluded Holder”

   5
   

“Exempted Debt”

   5
   

“Funded Debt”

   5
   

“Global Security”

   5
   

“Holder”

   5
   

“Indenture”

   5
   

“Independent Investment Banker”

   5
   

“Interest Payment Date”

   5
   

“Judgment Currency”

   5
   

“Maturity”

   5
   

“Mortgage”

   5
   

“Notice of Default”

   6
   

“Officer’s Certificate”

   6
   

“Opinion of Counsel”

   6
   

“Outstanding”

   6
   

“Paying Agent”

   7
   

“Person”

   7
   

“Predecessor Security”

   7
   

“Principal Facility”

   7
   

“Principal Property”

   7
   

“Property”

   7
   

“Purchase Money Obligation”

   7
   

“rate(s) of exchange”

   7
   

“Redemption Date”

   7
   

“Redemption Price”

   8
   

“Reference Dealer”

   8
   

“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation”

   8
   

“Regular Record Date”

   8
   

“Responsible Officer”

   8
   

“Restricted Subsidiary”

   8
   

“Sale and Leaseback Transaction”

   8
   

“Security” or “Securities”

   8
   

“Securities Act”

   8
   

“Security Register”

   8
   

“Special Record Date”

   9
   

“Stated Maturity”

   9
   

“Subsidiary”

   9
   

“Tax Act”

   9
   

“Taxes”

   9
   

“Timberlands”

   9
   

“Trust Indenture Act” or “TIA”

   9
   

“Trustee”

   9
   

“U.S. Government Obligations”

   9
   

“Unrestricted Subsidiary”

   9
   

“Vice President”

   9

 

ii


             Page
    “Voting Stock”    10
    “Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary”    10

SECTION 102.

  Compliance Certificates and Opinions    10

SECTION 103.

  Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee    10

SECTION 104.

  Acts of Holders    11

SECTION 105.

  Notices, etc., to Trustee and Company    12

SECTION 106.

  Notice to Holders; Waiver    13

SECTION 107.

  Effect of Headings and Table of Contents    13

SECTION 108.

  Successors and Assigns    13

SECTION 109.

  Separability Clause    13

SECTION 110.

  Benefits of Indenture    13

SECTION 111.

  Governing Law    14

SECTION 112.

  Legal Holidays    14

SECTION 113.

  Conflict with Trust Indenture Act    14

SECTION 114.

  Conversion of Currency    14

SECTION 115.

  Agency for Service; Submission to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunities    15

SECTION 116.

  Incorporators, Shareholders, Officers and Directors of the Company Exempt from Individual Liability    16

ARTICLE TWO

SECURITY FORMS

  

SECTION 201.

  Forms Generally    16

SECTION 202.

  Form of Face of Security    17

SECTION 203.

  Form of Reverse of Security    20

SECTION 204.

  Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication    22

ARTICLE THREE

THE SECURITIES

  

SECTION 301.

  Title and Terms    23

SECTION 302.

  Denominations    23

SECTION 303.

  Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating    23

SECTION 304.

  Global Security    24

SECTION 305.

  Temporary Securities    25

SECTION 306.

  Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange    25

SECTION 307.

  Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities    26

SECTION 308.

  Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved    27

SECTION 309.

  Persons Deemed Owners    28

SECTION 310.

  Cancellation    29

SECTION 311.

  Computation of Interest    29

 

iii


             Page

ARTICLE FOUR

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

  

SECTION 401.

  Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture    29

SECTION 402.

  Application of Trust Money    30

ARTICLE FIVE

REMEDIES

  

SECTION 501.

  Events of Default    31

SECTION 502.

  Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment    32

SECTION 503.

  Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee    33

SECTION 504.

  Trustee May File Proofs of Claim    34

SECTION 505.

  Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities    34

SECTION 506.

  Application of Money Collected    35

SECTION 507.

  Limitation on Suits    35

SECTION 508.

  Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest    36

SECTION 509.

  Restoration of Rights and Remedies    36

SECTION 510.

  Rights and Remedies Cumulative    36

SECTION 511.

  Delay or Omission Not Waiver    36

SECTION 512.

  Control by Holders    36

SECTION 513.

  Waiver of Past Defaults    37

SECTION 514.

  Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws    37

ARTICLE SIX

THE TRUSTEE

  

SECTION 601.

  Duties of Trustee    38

SECTION 602.

  Notice of Defaults    38

SECTION 603.

  Certain Rights of Trustee    38

SECTION 604.

  Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities    40

SECTION 605.

  May Hold Securities    40

SECTION 606.

  Money Held in Trust    40

SECTION 607.

  Compensation and Reimbursement    40

SECTION 608.

  Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility    41

SECTION 609.

  Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor    41

SECTION 610.

  Acceptance of Appointment by Successor    42

SECTION 611.

  Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business    43

ARTICLE SEVEN

HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

  

SECTION 701.

  Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders    43

SECTION 702.

  Preservation of Informal Communications with Securityholders    44

SECTION 703.

  Disclosure of Names and Addresses of Holders    44

 

iv


             Page

SECTION 704.

  Reports by Trustee    44

SECTION 705.

  Reports by Company    45

ARTICLE EIGHT

CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE

  

SECTION 801.

  Company May Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms    46

SECTION 802.

  Successor Person Substituted    46

ARTICLE NINE

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

  

SECTION 901.

  Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders    47

SECTION 902.

  Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders    48

SECTION 903.

  Execution of Supplemental Indentures    49

SECTION 904.

  Effect of Supplemental Indentures    49

SECTION 905.

  Conformity with Trust Indenture Act    49

SECTION 906.

  Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures    49

SECTION 907.

  Notice of Supplemental Indentures    49

ARTICLE TEN

COVENANTS

  
SECTION 1001.   Payment of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest    50

SECTION 1002.

  Maintenance of Office or Agency    50

SECTION 1003.

  Money for Security Payments to Be Held in Trust    50

SECTION 1004.

  Statement as to Compliance    51

SECTION 1005.

  Corporate Existence    52

SECTION 1006.

  Negative Pledge    52

SECTION 1007.

  Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions    53

SECTION 1008.

  Calculations    54

SECTION 1009.

  Waiver of Certain Covenants    55

SECTION 1010.

  Additional Amounts    55

SECTION 1011.

  Payment of Taxes and Other Claims    56

SECTION 1012.

  Maintenance of Properties    56

SECTION 1013.

  Appointment to Fill a Vacancy in Office of Trustee    57

ARTICLE ELEVEN

REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

  

SECTION 1101.

  Right of Redemption    57

SECTION 1102.

  Applicability of Article    58

SECTION 1103.

  Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee    58

SECTION 1104.

  Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed    58

 

v


             Page
SECTION 1105.   Notice of Redemption    58
SECTION 1106.   Deposit of Redemption Price    59
SECTION 1107.   Securities Payable on Redemption Date    59
SECTION 1108.   Securities Redeemed in Part    60

ARTICLE TWELVE

DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

  
SECTION 1201.   Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance    60
SECTION 1202.   Defeasance and Discharge    60
SECTION 1203.   Covenant Defeasance    61
SECTION 1204.   Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance    61
SECTION 1205.   Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions    63
SECTION 1206.   Reinstatement    64
TESTIMONIUM    1
SIGNATURES AND SEALS    60

 

vi


INDENTURE, dated as of October 16, 2001 between DOMTAR INC., a corporation duly organized and existing under the federal laws of Canada (herein called the “Company”), having its principal office at 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal Quebec H3A 1L6, and The Chase Manhattan Bank, a New York banking corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”).

RECITALS OF THE COMPANY

The Company has duly authorized the creation of an issue of 7.875% Notes due 2011 (herein called the “Securities”), of substantially the tenor and amount hereinafter set forth, and to provide therefor the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture.

This Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, that are required to be part of this Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.

All things necessary have been done to make the Securities, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered hereunder and duly issued by the Company, the valid obligations of the Company and to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with their and its terms.

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities, as follows:

ARTICLE ONE

DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS

OF GENERAL APPLICATION

SECTION 101. Definitions .

For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article, and include the plural as well as the singular;

(b) all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein, and the terms “cash transaction” and “self-liquidating paper”, as used in TIA Section 311, shall have the meanings assigned to them in the rules of the Commission adopted under the Trust Indenture Act;


(c) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term “generally accepted accounting principles” with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted at the date of such computation; and

(d) the words “herein”, “hereof and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

“$” means a dollar or other equivalent unit in such coin or currency of Canada as at the time shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.

“U.S.$” means a dollar or other equivalent unit in such coin or currency of the United States as at the time shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.

“Act”, when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 104.

“Additional Amounts” has the meaning specified in Section 1010.

“Additional Securities” means Securities that are issued pursuant to one or more Board Resolutions, under an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to the authority granted by one or more Board Resolutions or under a supplemental indenture after the date that the Securities are first issued by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee under this Indenture, which will rank pari passu with the Securities initially issued in all respects, except that interest will only accrue on such Additional Securities as and from the issue date of such Additional Securities or such other date as set forth in the terms of such Additional Securities.

“Adjusted Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for the Redemption Date.

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

“Attributable Obligation” means, in respect of a Sale and Leaseback Transaction, the present value (discounted at the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, if known, or at the rate of 10% if such implicit rate is not known) of the obligation of the lessee for the net rental payments (as described below) during the remaining term of the lease (including any period for

 

2


which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended) entered into in connection therewith, such present value to be established as at the date as of which the amount of the payment is determined and in accordance with Canadian GAAP as in effect from time to time. The term “net rental payments” under any lease for any period means the sum of the rental and other payments required to be paid in such period by the lessee thereunder, not including, however, any amounts required to be paid by such lessee (whether or not designated as rental or additional rental) on account of indemnities (other than any constituting basic rent) or maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates, utilities or similar charges required to be paid by such lessee thereunder or any amounts required to be paid by such lessee thereunder contingent upon the amount of sales, production or other measures of economic performance.

“Base Currency” has the meaning specified in Section 114.

“Board of Directors” means either the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee of that board.

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company or by another officer of the Company acceptable to the Trustee as having been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

“Business Day” means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

“Canadian GAAP” means, at any particular time, accounting principles generally accepted in Canada at such time.

“Capitalized Lease Obligation” means, with respect to any Person, any obligation of such Person as lessee with respect to any lease that is required to be capitalized on its balance sheet in accordance with Canadian GAAP as in effect from time to time. The amount of any Capitalized Lease Obligation at any time shall be the amount at which it is carried on the balance sheet of the lessee at such time in accordance with such principles.

“Capital Stock” of any Person means any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock of such Person.

“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or, if at any time after the execution of this Indenture such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.

“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture, until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person.

 

3


“Company Request” or “Company Order” means a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by its Chairman, its President, any Vice President, its Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer, and delivered to the Trustee.

“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the United States Treasury security selected by the Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Securities that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt of comparable maturity to the remaining term of such Securities.

“Comparable Treasury Price” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for the Redemption Date.

“Consolidated Net Tangible Assets” means, with respect to any Person(s), the total of all assets appearing on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of such Person(s), less the sum of the following amounts appearing on such consolidated balance sheet: (i) amounts, if any, at which goodwill, trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other similar intangible assets (other than timber licenses) and unamortized stock or debt commission, discount, expense and premium shall appear as assets, (ii) all amounts at which investments in Subsidiaries which are not being consolidated shall appear on such consolidated balance sheet as assets, (iii) the amount of all liabilities appearing on such consolidated balance sheet as current liabilities, and (iv) any minority interest appearing on such consolidated balance sheet; all as determined, except for the accounting of the Company’s investment in Norampac Inc. as an equity investment, on a consolidated basis in accordance with Canadian GAAP as in effect from time to time.

“Corporate Trust Office” means the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee, at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be administered, which office at the date of execution of this Indenture is located at 450 West 33 rd Street, 15 th Floor, New York, New York, 10001, except that with respect to presentation of Securities for payment or for registration of transfer or exchange, such term shall mean the office or agency of the Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate agency business shall be conducted.

“corporation” includes corporations, associations, companies and business trusts.

“covenant defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 1203.

“Debt” means all Capitalized Lease Obligations and any undischarged indebtedness for money borrowed, whether or not evidenced by any note, bond, debenture or other instrument; provided, however, that Debt shall not include any Debt for the payment or redemption of which money in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in irrevocable trust either at or before the maturity or redemption date thereof.

“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.

“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 308.

“defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 1202.

 

4


“Depositary” means DTC, until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture and thereafter “Depositary” shall mean such successor Person.

“DTC” has the meaning specified in Section 202.

“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 501.

“Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“Excluded Holder” has the meaning specified in Section 1010.

“Exempted Debt” means without duplication (a) all Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries which is secured by a Mortgage described in clause (7) of Section 1006 and (b) all Attributable Obligations in respect of Sale and Leaseback Transactions described in paragraph (b) of Section 1007.

“Funded Debt” of any Person means any Debt, whether issued, assumed or guaranteed by any Person, maturing by its terms more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof or which is extendible or renewable at the sole option of the obligor in such manner that it may become payable more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof by such Person.

“Global Security” has the meaning specified in Section 201.

“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.

“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed and as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof.

“Independent Investment Banker” means one of the Reference Dealers selected by the Company.

“Interest Payment Date” means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on the Securities.

“Judgment Currency” has the meaning specified in Section 114.

“Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, notice of redemption or otherwise.

“Mortgage” means any mortgage, hypothec, privilege, pledge, security interest, floating charge or other similar lien or encumbrance.

 

5


“Notice of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 501.

“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by the Chairman, the President or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company (or by any two officers, one of whom shall be the principal financial officer, of the Company duly authorized for the purpose by a Board Resolution and acceptable to the Trustee), and delivered to the Trustee. Each such certificate shall include the statements provided for in Section 102.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel for the Company, including an employee of the Company, and who shall be acceptable to the Trustee. Each such opinion shall include the statements provided for in Section 102, if and to the extent required hereby.

“Outstanding”, when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except :

(i) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

(ii) Securities, or portions thereof, for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;

(iii) Securities, except to the extent provided in Sections 1202 and 1203, with respect to which the Company has effected defeasance and/or covenant defeasance as provided in Article Twelve; and

(iv) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 307 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a protected purchaser (as defined in Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code) in whose hands the Securities are valid obligations of the Company;

provided , however , that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, and for the purpose of making the calculations required by TIA Section 313, Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in making such calculation or in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities which the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if

 

6


the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor.

“Paying Agent” means any Person (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) authorized by the Company to pay the principal of (and premium, if any, on) or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.

“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 307 in exchange for a mutilated security or in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, lost, destroyed or stolen Security.

“Principal Facility” means any mill, converting plant or manufacturing plant owned or leased at the date of this Indenture or acquired or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary after such date and which is located within Canada or the United States, other than any mill or plant the fair value of which as determined by the Board of Directors does not at the time exceed 1% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company.

“Principal Property” means, as the context may require, any real or immoveable property forming part of or constituting any or all of the following: any Principal Facility or Timberlands.

“Property” means any asset, revenue or any other property or property right or interest, whether tangible or intangible, real or personal, including, without limitation, any right to receive income.

“Purchase Money Obligation” means any indebtedness, whether or not secured, incurred in respect of the cost of acquisition of any property (including shares of Capital Stock or Debt) or of the cost of construction or improvement of any property acquired, constructed or improved after the date of this Indenture, which indebtedness existed at the time of acquisition or was created, issued, incurred, assumed or guaranteed contemporaneously with the acquisition, construction or improvement or within 120 days after the completion thereof (or subsequently if created pursuant to a firm commitment financing arrangement obtained within such 120-day period, provided that the related indebtedness is created within 90 days after the expiration of such 120-day period) and includes any extension, renewal or refunding of any such indebtedness if the principal amount thereof outstanding on the date of such extension, renewal or refunding is not increased.

“rate(s) of exchange” has the meaning specified in Section 114.

“Redemption Date”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, in whole or in part, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.

 

7


“Redemption Price”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.

“Reference Dealer” means, (1) J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and its successors; provided , however , that if it shall cease to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer in The City of New York (a “Primary Treasury Dealer”), the Company shall substitute for it another Primary Treasury Dealer, and (2) any other Primary Treasury Dealer selected by the Trustee after consultation with the Company.

“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation” means, with respect to each Reference Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as determined by the Independent Investment Banker, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted by the Reference Dealer at 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date.

“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date means the April 1 or October 1 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date.

“Responsible Officer”, when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer of the Trustee with direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture, and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

“Restricted Subsidiary” means (a) a Subsidiary which, as at the end of the Company’s then most recently completed fiscal quarter, had Consolidated Net Tangible Assets representing at least 5% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and owns or leases any interest in a Principal Property and (b) any other Subsidiary which the Board of Directors shall have determined to be a Restricted Subsidiary. Any determination mentioned in (b) shall be irrevocable provided , however , that the Board of Directors may determine that a Restricted Subsidiary described in (b) shall cease to be a Restricted Subsidiary and shall become an Unrestricted Subsidiary if (i) a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary shall hold a minority interest in such Restricted Subsidiary of at least 15% of the common shareholders’ equity of such Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) immediately after such Restricted Subsidiary becomes an Unrestricted Subsidiary, no Default or Event of Default shall exist.

“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” has the meaning specified in Section 1007.

“Security” or “Securities” has the meaning stated in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

“Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

“Security Register” and “Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 306.

 

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“Special Record Date” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 308.

“Stated Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.

“Subsidiary” of any Person means any corporation of which more than 50% of the Voting Stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by or for the benefit of the Company or by or for any corporation in like relation to the Company and includes any corporation in like relation to a Subsidiary.

“Tax Act” means the Income Tax Act (Canada).

“Taxes” has the meaning specified in Section 1010.

“Timberlands” means any real or immovable property located within Canada or the United States and (a) which is owned by the Company or any Subsidiary and contains, or (b) with respect to which the Company or any Subsidiary is entitled under any lease, license or similar agreement to cut and remove, standing timber which is (or upon completion of a growth cycle then in process is expected to become) of a commercial quantity and of merchantable quality, other than (i) any such property which at the time of determination is not held primarily for the production of lumber or other wood products, (ii) any such property the fair value of which as determined by the Board of Directors does not at the time exceed 1% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company or (iii) any reserves of oil and gas located under such property.

“Trust Indenture Act” or “TIA” means the United States Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in force at the date as of which this Indenture was executed, except as provided in Section 905; provided , however , that in the event the Trust Indenture Act is amended after such date, “Trust Indenture Act” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.

“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean such successor Trustee.

“U.S. Government Obligations” has the meaning specified in Section 1204.

“Unrestricted Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary which is not or which has ceased to be a Restricted Subsidiary.

“Vice President”, when used with respect to the Company or the Trustee, means any vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title “vice president”.

 

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“Voting Stock” of any Person means Capital Stock of any class of such Person having under all circumstances the right to elect at least a majority of the board of directors of such Person, provided that, for the purposes of this Indenture, shares which only carry the right to vote conditionally on the happening of an event shall not be considered Voting Stock nor shall any shares be deemed to cease to be Voting Stock solely by reason of a right to vote accruing to shares of another class or classes by reason of the happening of such event.

“Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary” means a Restricted Subsidiary all of whose Voting Stock (other than shares required to be owned by directors under any applicable law) are owned by the Company and/or one or more of its Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiaries.

SECTION 102. Compliance Certificates and Opinions .

(a) Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture (including any covenant compliance with which constitutes a condition precedent) relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel such action is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.

(b) Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than pursuant to Section 1004) shall include:

(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;

(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

SECTION 103. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee .

(a) In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

 

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(b) Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.

(c) Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company or of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to accounting matters, upon a certificate or opinion of or representations by an accountant or firm of accountants in the employ of the Company, unless such officer or counsel, as the case may be, knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the accounting matters upon which such certificate or opinion may be based are erroneous. Any certificate or opinion of any independent firm of public accountants filed with the Trustee shall contain a statement that such firm is independent.

(d) Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.

SECTION 104. Acts of Holders .

(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agents duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.

(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner that the Trustee deems sufficient.

 

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(c) The principal amount and serial numbers of Securities held by any Person, and the date of holding the same, shall be proved by the Security Register.

(d) If the Company shall solicit from the Holders of Securities any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, the Company may, at its option, by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. Notwithstanding TIA Section 316(c), such record date shall be the record date specified in or pursuant to such Board Resolution, which shall be a date not earlier than the date 30 days prior to the first solicitation of Holders generally in connection therewith and not later than the date such solicitation is completed. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, waiver, act, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act may be given before or after such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of business on such record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of Outstanding Securities have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, waiver, act, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, and for that purpose the Outstanding Securities shall be computed as of such record date; provided that no such authorization, agreement or consent by the Holders on such record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than eleven months after the record date.

(e) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act of the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.

SECTION 105. Notices, etc., to Trustee and Company .

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,

(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office, Attention: Institutional Trust Services, or

(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to the Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this Indenture, or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company.

 

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SECTION 106. Notice to Holders; Waiver .

(a) Where this Indenture provides for notice of any event to Holders by the Company or the Trustee, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. Any notice mailed to a Holder in the manner herein prescribed shall be conclusively deemed to have been received by such Holder, whether or not such Holder actually receives such notice. Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.

(b) In case, by reason of the suspension of or irregularities in regular mail service or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impracticable to mail notice of any event to Holders when such notice is required to be given pursuant to any provision of this Indenture, then any manner of giving such notice as shall be satisfactory to the Trustee shall be deemed to be a sufficient giving of such notice for every purpose hereunder.

SECTION 107. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents .

The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

SECTION 108. Successors and Assigns .

All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

SECTION 109. Separability Clause .

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

SECTION 110. Benefits of Indenture .

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, any Paying Agent, any Securities Registrar and their successors hereunder and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

 

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SECTION 111. Governing Law .

This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the State of New York. This Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.

SECTION 112. Legal Holidays .

In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity or Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities) payment of principal (or premium, if any) or interest need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or at the Stated Maturity or Maturity; provided that no interest shall accrue for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Stated Maturity or Maturity, as the case may be.

SECTION 113. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act .

If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act that is required under such act to be a part of and govern this Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act that may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.

SECTION 114. Conversion of Currency .

The Company covenants and agrees that the following provisions shall apply to conversion of currency in the case of the Securities and this Indenture:

(a) (i) If for the purpose of obtaining judgment in, or enforcing the judgment of, any court in any country, it becomes necessary to convert into a currency (the “Judgment Currency”) an amount due in any other currency (the “Base Currency”), then the conversion shall be made at the rate of exchange prevailing on the Business Day before the day on which the judgment is given or the order of enforcement is made, as the case may be (unless a court shall otherwise determine).

(ii) If there is a change in the rate of exchange prevailing between the Business Day before the day on which the judgment is given or an order of enforcement is made, as the case may be (or such other date as a court shall determine), and the date of receipt of the amount due, the Company will pay such additional (or, as the case may be, such lesser) amount, if any, as may be necessary so that the amount paid in the Judgment Currency when converted at the rate of exchange prevailing on the date of receipt will produce the amount in Base Currency originally due.

(b) In the event of the winding-up of the Company at any time while any amount or damages owing under the Securities and this Indenture, or any judgment or order

 

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rendered in respect thereof, shall remain outstanding, the Company shall indemnify and hold the Holders and the Trustee harmless against any deficiency arising or resulting from any variation in rates of exchange between (i) the date as of which the equivalent of the amount in Base Currency due or contingently due under the Securities and this Indenture (other than under this paragraph (b)) is calculated for the purposes of such winding-up and (ii) the final date for the filing of proofs of claim in such winding-up. For the purpose of this paragraph (b) of Section 114, the final date for the filing of proofs of claim in the winding-up of the Company shall be the date fixed by the liquidator or otherwise in accordance with the relevant provisions of applicable law as being the latest practicable date as at which liabilities of the Company may be ascertained for such winding-up prior to payment by the liquidator or otherwise in respect thereto.

(c) The obligations contained in paragraphs (a)(ii) and (b) of this Section 114 shall constitute separate and independent obligations of the Company from its other obligations under the Securities and this Indenture, shall give rise to separate and independent causes of action against the Company, shall apply irrespective of any waiver or extension granted by any Holder or the Trustee or either of them from time to time and shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding any judgment or order or the filing of any proof of claim in the winding-up of the Company for a liquidated sum in respect of amounts due hereunder (other than under paragraph (b) above) or under any such judgment or order. Any such deficiency as aforesaid shall be deemed to constitute a loss suffered by the Holders or the Trustee, as the case may be, and no proof or evidence of any actual loss shall be required by the Company or its liquidator. In the case of paragraph (b) above, the amount of such deficiency shall not be deemed to be increased or reduced by any variation in rates of exchange occurring between the said final date and the date of any liquidating distribution.

(d) The term “rate(s) of exchange” shall mean the Bank of Canada noon rate for purchase of Base Currency with the Judgment Currency as reported by REUTERS on screens BOFC and BOFD.

(e) The Trustee shall have no duty or liability with respect to monitoring or enforcing this Section 114.

SECTION 115. Agency for Service; Submission to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunities .

(a) By the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company (i) acknowledges that it has, by separate written instrument, irrevocably designated and appointed CT Corporation System, as its authorized agent for service of process in any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the Securities or this Indenture that may be instituted in any federal or state court located in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York, or brought under federal or state securities laws or brought by the Trustee, and acknowledges that CT Corporation System has accepted such designation, (ii) irrevocably submits to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) agrees that service of process upon CT Corporation System and written notice of said service to it (mailed or delivered to the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at its principal office in Montreal, Canada as specified in Section 105(2) in this Indenture) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon it in any such suit, action or

 

15


proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all actions, including the execution and filing of any and all such documents and instruments, as may be necessary to continue such designation and appointment of CT Corporation System in full force and effect so long as this Indenture shall be in full force and effect.

(b) To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution, execution or otherwise) with respect to itself or its Property, the Company hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of its obligations under this Indenture and the Securities, to the extent permitted by law.

SECTION 116. Incorporators, Shareholders, Officers and Directors of the Company Exempt from Individual Liability .

No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture, or in any Security, or because of any indebtedness evidenced thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, as such or against any past, present or future shareholder, officer or director, as such, of the Company or of any successor, either directly or through the Company or any successor, under any rule of law, statute or constitutional provision or by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise, all such liability being expressly waived and released by the acceptance of the Securities by the Holders and as part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

ARTICLE TWO

SECURITY FORMS

SECTION 201. Forms Generally .

(a) The Securities and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be in substantially the forms set forth in this Article, with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any securities exchange or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of the Securities. Any portion of the text of any Security may be set forth on the reverse thereof, with an appropriate reference thereto on the face of the Security.

(b) The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved on steel-engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, all as determined by the officers of the Company executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.

(c) The Securities will initially be issued in global form (the “Global Security”). Such Global Security shall represent such of the Outstanding Securities as shall be specified therein and each shall provide that it shall represent the aggregate amount of Outstanding Securities from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate amounts of

 

16


Outstanding Securities represented thereby may from time to time be reduced or increased, as appropriate. Any endorsement of the Global Security to reflect the amount of any increase or decrease in the amount of Outstanding Securities represented thereby shall be made by the Trustee and Depositary in accordance with instructions given by the holder thereof. The Global Security evidencing the Securities (and all Securities issued in exchange therefor) shall bear the legend indicated in this Article.

(d) Any form of Security approved by or pursuant to a Board Resolution must be acceptable as to form to the Trustee, such acceptance to be evidenced by the Trustee’s authentication of Securities in that form or a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee and delivered to the Company.

SECTION 202. Form of Face of Security .

The Securities and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be endorsed thereon are to be substantially in the following forms:

(FORM OF FACE OF SECURITY)

Unless this Security is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation (“DTC”), to the Company or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange or payment, and any Security issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or in such other name as requested by an authorized representative of DTC (and any payment is made to Cede & Co. or to such other entity as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein.

This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of DTC or a nominee of DTC. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a Person other than DTC or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and no transfer of this Security (other than a transfer of this Security as a whole by DTC to a nominee of DTC or by a nominee of DTC to DTC or another nominee of DTC) may be registered except in limited circumstances.

 

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DOMTAR INC.

7.875% Note due 2011

 

   CUSIP:                     

No.                     

   U.S.$                         

Domtar Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the federal laws of Canada (herein called the “Company”, which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co. or registered assigns, the principal sum of                          Dollars on October 15, 2011, at the office or agency of the Company referred to below, and to pay interest thereon on April 15, 2002 and semi-annually thereafter, on April 15 and October 15 in each year, from October 16, 2001, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, at the rate of 7.875% per annum, until the principal hereof is paid or duly provided for, and (to the extent lawful) to pay on demand interest on any overdue interest at the rate borne by the Securities from the date on which such overdue interest becomes payable to the date payment of such interest has been made or duly provided for. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the April 1 or October 1 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date, and such defaulted interest, and (to the extent lawful) interest on such defaulted interest at the rate borne by the Securities, may be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be paid in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture. Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on this Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in The City of New York, or at such other office or agency of the Company as may be maintained for such purpose, in such coin or currency of the United States as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided , however , that payment of interest may be made at the option of the Company (i) by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear on the Security Register or (ii) by transfer to an account maintained by the payee located in the United States.

Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

 

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Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been duly executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture, or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed under its corporate seal.

 

Dated:

  DOMTAR INC.
  By  

 

  Name:  
  Title:  
  By  

 

  Name:  
  Title:  

 

Attest:

 

Authorized Signature

 

19


SECTION 203. Form of Reverse of Security .

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company designated as its 7.875% Notes due 2011 (herein called the “Securities”), which may be issued under an indenture (herein called the “Indenture”) dated as of October 16, 2001 between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties, obligations and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities, and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered.

The Securities are subject to redemption upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice, at any time, as a whole or in part, at the option of the Company, at a Redemption Price equal to the greater of:

(1) 100% of the principal amount of the Securities, or

(2) as determined by the Independent Investment Banker, the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Securities (not including any portion of the payments of interest accrued as of the Redemption Date) discounted to the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus 35 basis points,

plus, in each case, accrued interest thereon to the Redemption Date.

The Securities will be subject to redemption at any time, in whole but not in part, at a Redemption Price equal to the principal amount thereof together with accrued and unpaid interest to the date fixed for redemption, upon the giving of a notice as described below, if (i) the Company determines that (A) as a result of any change in or amendment to the laws (or any regulations or rulings promulgated thereunder) of Canada or of any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein affecting taxation, or any change in official position regarding application or interpretation of such laws, regulations or rulings (including a holding by a court of competent jurisdiction), which change or amendment is announced or becomes effective on or after October 11, 2001, the Company has or will become obligated to pay, on the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, Additional Amounts or (B) on or after October 11, 2001, any action has been taken by any taxing authority of, or any decision has been rendered by a court of competent jurisdiction in, Canada or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein, including any of those actions specified in clause (A) above, whether or not such action was taken or decision was rendered with respect to the Company, or any change, amendment, application or interpretation shall be officially proposed, which, in any such case, in the written opinion to the Company of legal counsel of recognized standing, will result in an obligation to pay, on the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, Additional Amounts with respect to any Securities and (ii) in any such case the Company in its business judgment determines that such obligation cannot be avoided by the use of reasonable measures available to the Company;

 

20


provided , however , that (1) no such notice of redemption may be given earlier than 90 or later than 30 days prior to the earliest date on which the Company would be obligated to pay such Additional Amounts where a payment in respect of the Securities is then due, and (2) at the time such notice of redemption is given, such obligation to pay such Additional Amounts remains in effect.

In the case of any redemption of Securities, interest installments whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the close of business on the relevant Record Date referred to on the face hereof. Securities (or portions thereof) for whose redemption provision is made in accordance with the Indenture shall cease to bear interest from and after the Redemption Date.

In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities for the unredeemed portion hereof shall be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.

If an Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, the principal of all the Securities may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at any time of (a) the entire indebtedness of the Company on this Security and (b) certain restrictive covenants and the related Defaults and Events of Default, upon compliance by the Company with certain conditions set forth therein, which provisions apply to this Security.

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by or on behalf of the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on this Security at the times, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registerable on the Security Register of the Company, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company

 

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maintained for such purpose in The City of New York, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.

The Securities are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of U.S.$1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the Securities are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.

No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

Prior to the time of due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

SECTION 204. Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication .

The Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be in substantially the following form:

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION.

This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, as

Trustee

By  

 

  Authorized Officer

 

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ARTICLE THREE

THE SECURITIES

SECTION 301. Title and Terms .

(a) The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.

(b) The Securities shall be known and designated as the “7.875% Notes due [Missing text] f the Company. Their Stated Maturity shall be October 15, 2011, and they shall bear interest at the rate of 7.875% per annum from October 16, 2001, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, payable on April 15, 2002 and semi-annually thereafter on April 15 and October 15 in each year and at said Stated Maturity, until the principal thereof is paid or duly provided for.

(c) The principal of (and premium, if any) and interest (and Additional Amounts, if any) on the Securities shall be payable at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose in The City of New York, or at such other office or agency of the Company as may be maintained for such purpose; provided , however , that, at the option of the Company, interest may be paid (i) by check mailed to addresses of the Persons entitled thereto as such addresses shall appear on the Security Register or (ii) by transfer to an account maintained by the payee located in the United States.

(d) The Securities shall be redeemable as provided in Article Eleven.

(e) Additional Securities ranking pari passu with the Securities issued on the date hereof may be created and issued from time to time by the Company without notice to or consent of the Holders and shall be consolidated with and form a single series with the Securities initially issued and shall have the same terms as to status, redemption or otherwise as the Securities originally issued, except that interest will accrue on such Additional Securities as and from the issue date of such Additional Securities or such other date as set forth in the terms of such Additional Securities. Any Additional Securities shall be issued pursuant to one or more Board Resolutions under an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to the authority granted by one or more Board Resolutions, or under a supplemental indenture to this Indenture.

SECTION 302. Denominations .

The Securities shall be issuable only in registered form without coupons and only in denominations of U.S.$1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.

SECTION 303. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating .

(a) The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman, its President or a Vice President, under its corporate seal reproduced thereon and attested by its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary. The signature of any of these officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile signatures of the present or any future such authorized officer and may be imprinted or otherwise reproduced on the Securities.

 

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(b) Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of such Securities.

(c) At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in accordance with such Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities.

(d) Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

(e) No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein duly executed by the Trustee by manual signature of an authorized officer, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.

SECTION 304. Global Security .

(a) A Global Security may only be issued to the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary and may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to another nominee of the Depositary, or to a successor Depositary selected or approved by the Company or to a nominee of such successor depositary.

(b) If at any time (i) the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a depositary for such Global Security, or (ii) the Depositary shall no longer be a clearing agency registered or in good standing under the Exchange Act or other applicable statute or regulation, at which time the Depositary is required to be so registered under the Exchange Act or other applicable statute or regulation and in the case of either clause (i) or (ii) above a successor depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such condition, as the case may be, or (iii) the Company, in its sole discretion, determines that such Global Security shall be exchangeable as described below, the Company will execute, and, subject to Article Three of this Indenture, the Trustee, upon written notice from the Company, will authenticate and deliver the Securities in certificated non-book entry, definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security in exchange for such Global Security. In addition, the Company may at any time determine that the Securities shall no longer be represented by a Global Security. In such event, the Company will execute, and subject to Section 303 of this Indenture, the Trustee, upon receipt of an Officer’s Certificate evidencing such determination by the Company, will authenticate and deliver the Securities in certificated non-book entry, definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security in exchange for such Global Security. Upon the exchange of the Global Security for such Securities in certificated non-book entry, definitive

 

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registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security, the Global Security shall be surrendered to and cancelled by the Trustee. Such Securities in certificated non-book entry, definitive registered form issued in exchange for the Global Security shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary, or successor depositary, as the case may be, pursuant to instructions from the direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such Securities to the Depositary for delivery to the Persons in whose names such Securities are so registered.

(c) Except as otherwise set forth in this Indenture or a Global Security, owners of beneficial interests in the Securities evidenced by a Global Security will not be entitled to any rights under this Indenture with respect to such Global Security, and the Depositary or its nominee may be treated by the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustees as the owner and Holder of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or any such agent from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or its nominee or impair, as between the Depositary or its nominee and such owners of beneficial interests, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of the Depositary or its nominee as Holder of any Security.

SECTION 305. Temporary Securities .

(a) Pending the preparation of definitive Securities, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as conclusively evidenced by their execution of such Securities.

(b) If temporary Securities are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities, the temporary Securities shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities upon surrender of the temporary Securities at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose pursuant to Section 1002, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Securities of authorized denominations. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities.

SECTION 306. Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange .

(a) The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee a register (the register maintained in such office and in any other office or agency designated pursuant to Section 1002 being herein sometimes referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and of transfers of Securities. The Security

 

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Register shall be in written form or any other form capable of being converted into written form within a reasonable time. At all reasonable times, the Security Register shall be open to inspection by the Trustee. The Trustee is hereby initially appointed as security registrar (the “Security Registrar”) for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Securities as herein provided.

(b) Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security at the office or agency of the Company designated pursuant to Section 1002, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee, one or more new Securities of any authorized denomination or denominations of a like aggregate principal amount.

(c) At the option of the Holder, Securities may be exchanged for other Securities of any authorized denomination and of a like aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.

(d) All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

(e) Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Security Registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar, duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

(f) No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange or redemption of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 305, 906 or 1108 not involving any transfer.

(g) The Company shall not be required (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Security during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the selection of Securities to be redeemed under Section 1104 and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing of the relevant notice of redemption, or (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.

SECTION 307. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities .

(a) If (i) any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, or (ii) the Company and the Trustee receive evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security, and there is delivered to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the

 

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Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a protected purchaser (as defined in Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code), the Company shall execute and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in exchange for any such mutilated Security or in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of like tenor and principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

(b) In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

(c) Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

(d) Every new Security issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities duly issued hereunder.

(e) The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

SECTION 308. Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved .

(a) Interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name such Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose pursuant to Section 1002; provided , however , that each installment of interest may at the Company’s option be paid by (i) mailing a check for such interest, payable to or upon the written order of the Person entitled thereto pursuant to Section 309, to the address of such Person as it appears in the Security Register or (ii) transfer to an account maintained by the payee located in the United States.

(b) Any interest on any Security which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such defaulted interest and (to the extent lawful) interest on such defaulted interest at the rate borne by the Securities (such defaulted interest and interest thereon herein collectively called “Defaulted Interest”) may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (1) or (2) below:

(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such

 

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Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date, and in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be given in the manner provided for in Section 106, not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so given, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following clause (2).

(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

(c) Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

SECTION 309. Persons Deemed Owners .

Prior to the due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Sections 306 and 308) interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever (other than the payment of Additional Amounts, if any), whether or not such Security be overdue, and none of the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

 

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SECTION 310. Cancellation .

All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation of any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. If the Company shall so acquire any of the Securities, however, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Securities unless and until the same are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of by the Trustee in accordance with its customary procedures unless by Company Order the Company shall direct that cancelled Securities be returned to it or that a certification of their disposal be delivered to the Company.

SECTION 311. Computation of Interest .

Interest on the Securities shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

ARTICLE FOUR

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

SECTION 401. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture .

(a) This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further effect (except as to surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities expressly provided for herein or pursuant hereto) and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture when

(1) either

(A) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 307 and (ii) Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust with the Trustee or any Paying Agent or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 1003) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(B) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation

 

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(i) have become due and payable, or

(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity with one year, or

(iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company.

and the Company, in the case of (i), (ii) or (iii) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for such purpose an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal (and premium, if any) and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be;

(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and

(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

(b) Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 607, under Section 1010 and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of clause (1) of this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 402 and the last paragraph of Section 1003 shall survive.

SECTION 402. Application of Trust Money .

Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401 shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if any) and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee; but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

 

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ARTICLE FIVE

REMEDIES

SECTION 501. Events of Default .

“Event of Default”, wherever used herein, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):

(1) default in the payment of any interest (including Additional Amounts) due on any Security when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or

(2) default in the payment of the principal (or premium, if any) in respect of any Security when such principal or premium becomes due, whether upon its Maturity, redemption or otherwise; or

(3) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a default in the performance, or breach, of a covenant or warranty a default in the performance of which or the breach of which is specifically dealt with elsewhere in this Section), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or

(4) default by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary under any one or more indentures or instruments evidencing or under which the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary has at the time outstanding indebtedness for borrowed money in an aggregate principal amount of at least U.S.$50,000,000 (or its equivalent in other currencies) shall happen and be continuing and (i) shall consist of a failure to make any payment of principal at Maturity or (ii) shall have resulted in the acceleration of such indebtedness so that the same shall be or become due and payable prior to the date on which the same would otherwise have become due and payable or shall have resulted in the enforcement of any security for such indebtedness; or

(5) the taking or entering against the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of a judgment or decree for the payment of money in excess of U.S.$50,000,000 (or its equivalent in other currencies) in the aggregate, if the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, fails to file an appeal therefrom within the applicable appeal period or, if the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, does file an appeal therefrom within such period, such judgment or decree is not within a period of 90 days from the date thereof, and does not remain, vacated, discharged or stayed; or

 

31


(6) the making by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of an assignment for the benefit of its creditors, the filing by it of a petition for the declaration of its own bankruptcy, the consenting by it to the institution of, or the granting by a court of, bankruptcy or other insolvency proceedings against it, the admission by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to some or all of its creditors at a meeting or by other means of communication that it is insolvent or the commencement by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any proceeding relative to its indebtedness under any reorganization, arrangement, compromise, adjustment or postponement of debt, dissolution, winding up, composition or liquidation law or statute of any jurisdiction, whether now or hereafter in effect; or

(7) the making of an order or judgment by a court having jurisdiction adjudging the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary bankrupt or insolvent or ordering the winding up or liquidation or rearrangement of its affairs, or the seizure or attachment of all or a substantial part of the Company’s or any Restricted Subsidiary’s property at the instance of a creditor, or the appointment of a Person to take possession or control under an agreement subjecting the property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary to a security interest or pursuant to an order of any court having jurisdiction of all or a substantial part of the property or the inventory of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, such Person to include a receiver, a receiver-manager, an agent, a sequestrator, a trustee under a trust indenture, a creditor in possession or any Person or corporation authorized to act on their behalf, provided that such order, judgment, seizure or attachment remains in force or such taking of possession or control continues in effect for a period of 90 consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement shall not be in effect.

SECTION 502. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment .

(a) If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, then and in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities may declare the principal amount of all the Securities (and premium, if any) and all interest thereon to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (and premium, if any) and interest thereon shall become immediately due and payable.

(b) At any time after a declaration of acceleration has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter provided in this Article, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if

(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay,

(A) all overdue interest on all Outstanding Securities,

 

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(B) all unpaid principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Outstanding Securities which has become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration, and interest on such unpaid principal (and premium, if any) at the rate borne by the Securities,

(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is legally enforceable, interest on overdue interest at the rate borne by the Securities, and

(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and

(2) all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of amounts of principal of (or premium, if any, on) or interest on Securities which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 513.

No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

SECTION 503. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee .

(a) The Company covenants that if

(1) default is made in the payment of any installment of interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or

(2) default is made in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Security at the Maturity thereof,

the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, and interest on any overdue principal (and premium, if any) and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, upon any overdue installment of interest, at the rate borne by the Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

(b) If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities, wherever situated.

(c) If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders by such

 

33


appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

SECTION 504. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim .

(a) In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal, premium, if any, or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

(i) to file a proof of claim for the whole amount of principal (and premium, if any) and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 607) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

(ii) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 607.

(b) Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

SECTION 505. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities .

All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 607, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

 

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SECTION 506. Application of Money Collected .

Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal (or premium, if any) or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 607;

SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of (and premium, if any, on,) and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, rateably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, respectively; and

THIRD: The balance, if any, to the Person or Persons entitled thereto.

SECTION 507. Limitation on Suits .

No Holder of any Securities shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless

(1) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default;

(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee satisfactory indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority or more in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities;

it being understood and intended that no one or more Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all the Holders.

 

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SECTION 508. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest .

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment, as provided herein (including, if applicable, Article Twelve) and in such Security, of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and (subject to Section 308) interest on, such Security on the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

SECTION 509. Restoration of Rights and Remedies .

If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

SECTION 510. Rights and Remedies Cumulative .

Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last paragraph of Section 307, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

SECTION 511. Delay or Omission Not Waiver .

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Security to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

SECTION 512. Control by Holders .

The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, provided that

 

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(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture,

(2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction, and

(3) the Trustee need not take any action which might involve it in personal liability or be unjustly prejudicial to the Holders not consenting.

SECTION 513. Waiver of Past Defaults .

(a) Subject to Section 502, the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities waive any past Default hereunder and its consequences, except a Default

(1) in respect of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) or interest on any Security, or

(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article Nine cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected.

(b) Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

SECTION 514. Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws .

The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

 

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ARTICLE SIX

THE TRUSTEE

SECTION 601. Duties of Trustee .

(a) If an event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and shall use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

(i) the duties of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture and the Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

(ii) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, the Trustee shall examine the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.

SECTION 602. Notice of Defaults .

Within 90 days after the occurrence of any Default hereunder, the Trustee shall transmit in the manner and to the extent provided in TIA Section 313(c), notice of such Default hereunder known to the Trustee, unless such Default shall have been cured or waived; provided , however , that, except in the case of a Default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) or interest on any Security, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Holders; and provided further that, in the case of any Default of the character specified in Section 501(3), no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof.

SECTION 603. Certain Rights of Trustee .

(a) Subject to the provisions of TIA Sections 315(a) through 315(d):

(1) the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

 

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(2) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;

(3) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officer’s Certificate;

(4) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;

(5) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;

(6) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney;

(7) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder; and

(8) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.

(9) the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of any series unless either (1) a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have actual knowledge of such Default or event of Default or (2) written notice of such Default or Event of Default shall have been given to the Trustee by the Company or any obligor on the Securities of any series or by any Holder of the Securities of any series.

(b) The Trustee shall not be required to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

 

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SECTION 604. Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities .

The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except for the Trustee’s certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities, except that the Trustee represents that it is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Indenture, authenticate the Securities and perform its obligations hereunder and that the statements made by it in a Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 supplied to the Company are true and accurate, subject to the qualifications set forth therein. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.

SECTION 605.  May Hold Securities .

The Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company or of the Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to TIA Sections 310(b) and 311, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or such other agent.

SECTION 606. Money Held in Trust .

Subject to the provisions of Section 1003 of this Indenture, all moneys received by the Trustee shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were received, but need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed with the Company.

SECTION 607. Compensation and Reimbursement .

(a) The Company agrees:

(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);

(2) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or bad faith; and

(3) to indemnify the Trustee for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on its part, arising out of or

 

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in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder.

(b) The obligations of the Company under this Section to compensate the Trustee, to pay or reimburse the Trustee for expenses, disbursements and advances and to indemnify and hold harmless the Trustee shall constitute additional indebtedness hereunder and shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture. As security for the performance of such obligations of the Company, the Trustee shall have a claim prior to the Securities upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the payment of principal of (and premium, if any, on) or interest on particular Securities.

(c) When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 501(6) or (7), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) of and the compensation for such services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable United States Federal or State, or any Canadian bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.

(d) The provisions of this Section shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee and the termination of this Indenture.

SECTION 608. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility .

There shall be at all times a Trustee hereunder which shall be eligible to act as Trustee under TIA Section 310(a)(l) and shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least U.S.$50,000,000. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of United States Federal, State, territorial or District of Columbia supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.

SECTION 609. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor .

(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 610.

(b) The Trustee may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 610 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

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(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time by Act of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.

(d) If at any time:

(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of TIA Section 310(b) after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months, or

(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 608 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months, or

(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,

then, in any such case, (i) the Company, by a Board Resolution, may remove the Trustee, or (ii) subject to TIA Section 315(e), any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. If, within one year after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment, become the successor Trustee and supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner hereinafter provided, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee to the Holders of Securities in the manner provided for in Section 106. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.

SECTION 610. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor .

(a) Every successor Trustee appointed hereunder shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become

 

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effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder. Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts.

(b) No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.

SECTION 611. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business .

Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities. In case any of the Securities shall not have been authenticated by such predecessor Trustee, any successor Trustee may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor Trustee. In all such cases such certificates shall have the full force and effect that this Indenture provides for the certificate of authentication of the Trustee; provided , however , that the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee or to authenticate Securities in the name of any predecessor Trustee shall apply only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.

ARTICLE SEVEN

HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

SECTION 701. Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders .

The Company covenants and agrees that it will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee a list in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the Holders of the Securities:

(a) semi-annually not more than 15 days after each record date for the payment of semi-annual interest on the Securities, as hereinabove specified, as of such record date, and

 

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(b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after receipt by the Company of any such request as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such information is furnished,

provided that if and so long as the Trustee shall be the Security Registrar, such list shall not be required to be furnished to the Trustee.

SECTION 702. Preservation of Informal Communications with Securityholders .

(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to it as provided in Section 701 and as to the names and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar (if acting in such capacity).

(b) The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 701 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.

(c) Holders may communicate as provided in TIA Section 312(b) with other Holders of Securities with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities.

SECTION 703. Disclosure of Names and Addresses of Holders .

Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that none of the Company or the Trustee or any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of the disclosure of any such information as to the names and addresses of the Holders in accordance with TIA Section 312, regardless of the source from which such information was derived, and that the Trustee shall not be held accountable by reason of mailing any material pursuant to a request made under TIA Section 312(b).

SECTION 704. Reports by Trustee .

(a) Within 60 days after May 15 of each year commencing with the first May 15 after the first issuance of Securities, the Trustee shall transmit to the Holders, in the manner and to the extent provided in TIA Section 313(c), a brief report dated as of such May 15 if required by TIA Section 313(a).

(b) The Trustee shall comply with Sections 313(b) and 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act.

(c) A copy of such report shall, at the time of such transmission to the Holders, be filed by the Trustee with the Company (Attn: Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer), with each securities exchange upon which any of the Securities are listed (if so listed) and also with the Commission. The Company agrees to notify the Trustee when the Securities become listed on any stock exchange.

 

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SECTION 705. Reports by Company .

The Company shall:

(1) file with the Trustee, within 15 days after the Company is required to file the same with the Commission, copies of the annual and quarterly reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Commission may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company may be required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

(2) file with the Trustee and the Commission, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission, such additional information, documents and reports with respect to compliance by the Company with the conditions and covenants of this Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and regulations;

(3) notwithstanding that the Company may not be required to remain subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or otherwise report on an annual and quarterly basis on forms provided for such annual and quarterly reporting pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission, the Company shall continue to file with the Commission and provide the Trustee:

(A) within 140 days (in the case of Form 40-F) or six months (in the case of Form 20-F) after the end of each fiscal year, the information required to be contained in annual reports on Form 40-F or 20-F as applicable (or any successor form); and

(B) within 60 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year, the information required to be contained in reports on Form 6-K (or any successor form) which, regardless of applicable requirements, shall, at a minimum, consist of such information required to be provided in quarterly reports under the laws of Canada or any province or territory thereof to security holders of a corporation with securities listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, whether or not the Company has any of its securities so listed.

Such information, to the extent permitted by the rules and regulations of the Commission, may be prepared in accordance with Canadian disclosure requirements and Canadian GAAP; provided , however , that the Company shall not be so obligated to file such reports with the Commission if the Commission does not permit such filings; and

(4) transmit by mail to all Holders, in the manner and to the extent provided in TIA Section 313(c), within 30 days after the filing thereof with the Trustee, such summaries of any information, documents and reports required to be filed by the Company pursuant to paragraphs (1), (2) and (3) of this Section as may be required by rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission.

 

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ARTICLE EIGHT

CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE

SECTION 801. Company May Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms .

(a) The Company shall not consolidate with, amalgamate with or merge into or enter into any statutory arrangement with any other corporation or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its property and assets to any Person, unless:

(1) the entity formed by or continuing from such consolidation or amalgamation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by operation of law or by conveyance, transfer, or lease all or substantially all of the property and assets of the Company shall be a corporation organized or existing under the laws of the United States, any State thereof or the District of Columbia or the laws of Canada or any province or territory thereof and shall (except where such assumption is deemed to have occurred by the sole operation of law) expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the Company’s obligation for the due and punctual payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on all the Securities and the performance and observance of every covenant of the Company under this Indenture to be performed or observed;

(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have happened and be continuing under this Indenture; and

(3) the Company or such Person shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, amalgamation, conveyance or transfer or lease and such supplemental indenture, if any, comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

(b) If, as a result of any such transaction, any properties or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company become subject to a Mortgage, then, unless such Mortgage could be created pursuant to Section 1006 without equally and rateably securing the Securities, the Company, simultaneously with or prior to such transaction, will cause the Securities and its other obligations under this Indenture to be secured equally and rateably with or prior to the indebtedness secured by such Mortgage for so long as such indebtedness is secured thereby.

SECTION 802. Successor Person Substituted .

Upon any consolidation or amalgamation by the Company with or merger by the Company into any other corporation or any conveyance, transfer or lease of the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety to any Person in accordance with Section 801, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or amalgamation or into which the Company is merged or to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture

 

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with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein, and in the event of any such conveyance or transfer, the Company (which term shall for this purpose mean the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture or any successor Person which shall theretofore become such in the manner described in Section 801), except in the case of a lease, shall be discharged of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities may be dissolved and liquidated.

ARTICLE NINE

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

SECTION 901. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders .

Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:

(1) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company contained herein and in the Securities; or

(2) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or

(3) to add any additional Events of Default; or

(4) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee pursuant to the requirements of Section 610; or

(5) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture; provided that such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders in any material respect; or

(6) to secure the Securities pursuant to the requirements of Section 801(b) or 1006 or otherwise; or

(7) to modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to effect the qualifications of this Indenture under any applicable law of the United States and Canada or of any province or territory thereof to the extent they do not conflict with the applicable law of the United States heretofore or hereafter enacted; or

(8) to issue Additional Securities.

 

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SECTION 902. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders .

(a) With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders under this Indenture; provided , however , that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby:

(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of or any installment of interest on any Security, including any requirement of the Company to pay Additional Amounts, or reduce the principal amount thereof, or the premium, if any, on, or any interest thereon or the rate of interest thereon or reduce the amount payable upon the acceleration of any Stated Maturity or the amount thereof provable in bankruptcy pursuant to Section 504, or the amount of any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, or change the place of payment or currency in which any Security or any principal (or premium, if any), or interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment with respect to the Securities, or

(2) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities or the accrued and unpaid interest thereon, or the rate of interest thereon if any, payable on the Redemption Date of any Security, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture applicable to such Security or certain defaults hereunder and their consequences provided for in this Indenture, or

(3) modify any of the provisions of this Section or Sections 513 and 1009, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby, or

(4) reduce the voting or quorum requirements relating to meetings of Holders of the Securities, or

(5) modify the provisions of Section 1010 in a manner adverse to the Holders.

(b) It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.

 

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SECTION 903. Execution of Supplemental Indentures .

In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the documents required by Section 102, and shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

SECTION 904. Effect of Supplemental Indentures .

Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby.

SECTION 905. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act .

Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to the Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.

SECTION 906. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures .

Securities authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities.

SECTION 907. Notice of Supplemental Indentures .

Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of Section 902, the Company shall give notice thereof to the Holders of each Outstanding Security affected, in the manner provided for in Section 106, setting forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental indenture.

 

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ARTICLE TEN

COVENANTS

SECTION 1001. Payment of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest .

The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on the Securities in accordance with the terms of the Securities and this Indenture.

SECTION 1002. Maintenance of Office or Agency .

(a) The Company will maintain in The City of New York, an office or agency where Securities may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served. The Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee shall be such office or agency of the Company, unless the Company shall designate and maintain some other office or agency for one or more of such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any change in the location of any such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

(b) The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies (in or outside of The City of New York) where the Securities may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind any such designation; provided , however , that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in The City of New York for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

SECTION 1003. Money for Security Payments to Be Held in Trust .

(a) If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) or interest on any of the Securities, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

(b) Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for the Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of (or premium, if any, on), or interest on, any Securities, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal (or premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of such action or any failure so to act.

 

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(c) The Company will cause each Paying Agent (other than the Trustee) to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will:

(1) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) or interest on Securities in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;

(2) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities) in the making of any payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest; and

(3) at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.

(d) The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such sums.

(e) Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) or interest on any Security and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided , however , that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published on each Business Day and of general circulation in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.

SECTION 1004. Statement as to Compliance .

(a) The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, a brief certificate from the principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer stating, as to each signer thereof, that:

(1) a review of the activities of the Company during such fiscal year and of its performance under this Indenture has been made under his or her supervision and

 

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(2) to the best of his or her knowledge, based on such review, the Company has fulfilled all conditions and covenants under this Indenture throughout such fiscal year, or, if there has been a default in the fulfillment of any such condition or covenant, specifying each such default known to him or her and the nature and status thereof.

(b) For purposes of this Section 1004, such compliance shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice under this Indenture.

SECTION 1005. Corporate Existence .

Subject to Article Eight, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and the rights (charter and statutory) and franchises of the Company and any Restricted Subsidiary; provided , however , that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise if the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as a whole and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.

SECTION 1006. Negative Pledge .

The Company will not itself and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, assume or otherwise have outstanding after the date of this Indenture any Mortgage, upon any Principal Property of the Company or of any Restricted Subsidiary or upon any shares of Capital Stock or Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary, whether owned at the date of this Indenture or hereafter acquired by the Company or by any Restricted Subsidiary, to secure any Debt of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, without making effective provision concurrently with the creation of any such Mortgage whereby the Securities (together with, any other Debt of the Company ranking equally with or in priority to the Securities and then existing or thereafter created if the Company shall determine such is required by the terms of such Debt) shall be secured by a Mortgage equally and rateably with or prior to such Debt, so long as such Debt shall be so secured; provided , however , that the foregoing restrictions shall not be applicable to:

(1) Mortgages in favor of the Company or any Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary;

(2) any Mortgage to secure a Purchase Money Obligation provided that (A) in the case of any construction or improvement of any property, the Mortgage shall not apply to any property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary at the time of the commencement of such construction or improvement, other than any real or immoveable property which is substantially unimproved for the purposes of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary and on which the property so constructed or improved is located, and other than any machinery or equipment installed at any time so as to constitute immoveable property or a fixture on the real property on which the property so constructed or improved is located and (B) in the case of any acquisition of property, the Mortgage shall not apply to any property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary immediately prior to the consummation of the acquisition;

 

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(3) Mortgages securing obligations issued by Canada or any province or territory thereof, a State of the United States or the District of Columbia or any territory or possession of the United States, or any political subdivision, agency or authority of any of the foregoing, to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of property subject to such Mortgages, including without limitation Mortgages incurred in connection with pollution control, industrial revenue or similar financings;

(4) any Mortgage required to be given or granted by any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any trust deed or similar document entered into by such Restricted Subsidiary prior to the date it became a Restricted Subsidiary;

(5) Mortgages existing as of the date of this Indenture;

(6) any extension, renewal, alteration or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements) of any Mortgage referred to in clauses (1) through (5) above, provided , however , that the principal amount of Debt secured thereby shall not exceed the principal amount of Debt so secured at the time of such extension, renewal, alteration or replacement and provided further , however , that such extension, renewal, alteration or replacement shall be limited to all or a part of the property or other assets which secured the Mortgage so extended, renewed, altered or replaced (plus improvements on such property or other assets); and

(7) a Mortgage (including successive extensions, renewals, alterations or replacements thereof) not excepted by clauses (1) through (6) above, provided that after giving effect thereto Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company.

SECTION 1007. Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions .

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company to, enter into any arrangement with any Person (other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) providing for the leasing by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any Principal Property, or any Property which together with any other Property subject to the same transaction or series of related transactions would in the aggregate constitute a Principal Property, whether owned at the date of this Indenture or thereafter acquired (except for leases for a term of not more than three years), which property has been or is to be sold or transferred by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary to such Person (other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary), more than six months after the acquisition, completion of construction, or commencement of operations of such property, with the intention of taking back a lease of such property (herein referred to as a “Sale and Leaseback Transaction”) unless the net proceeds of the sale or transfer of the property to be leased are at least equal to the fair value of such property and unless:

(1) The Company or such Restricted Subsidiary would, at the time of entering into such arrangement, be entitled, without equally and rateably securing the Securities, to create a Mortgage on such property to secure a Debt in an amount at least equal to the Attributable Obligation in respect to such Sale and Leaseback Transaction pursuant to the provisions of Section 1006, or

 

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(2) The Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall apply an amount equal to the net proceeds of such sale or transfer within 180 days after receipt thereof to (A) the retirement (other than mandatory retirement or by way of payment at maturity) of Funded Debt of the Company or any Funded Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary ranking on a parity with, or prior to, the Securities and owing to a Person other than the Company or any Affiliate of the Company, or (B) the purchase of property, facilities or equipment (other than the property, facilities or equipment involved in such sale) forming part of or constituting Principal Property having a value at least equal to the net proceeds of such sale.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this Section 1007, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may enter into a Sale and Leaseback Transaction in addition to those permitted by paragraph (a) of this Section 1007, and without any obligation to retire Funded Debt or to acquire property, facilities or equipment, provided at the time of entering into such Sale and Leaseback Transactions and after giving effect thereto, Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company.

SECTION 1008. Calculations .

For the purposes of the calculations required to be made under Section 1006 and 1007:

(1) when determining any ratio between Exempted Debt and Consolidated Net Tangible Assets, such determination (which may stipulate such Consolidated Net Tangible Assets to be not less than a stated amount without stipulating the exact amount thereof) shall be made by a financial officer of the Company, on the basis of the most recent available financial statements or financial data, as at a date not more than 120 days prior to the date on which the Exempted Debt in respect of which such ratio is being determined is to be incurred or, in the case of an Attributable Obligation, the date on which the Sale and Leaseback Transaction is to be entered into, and there shall be taken into calculation all issues and retirements of Funded Debt and Exempted Debt (without duplication) and of shares of Capital Stock and the proceeds of such issues and the expenditures on such retirements made and received, as the case may be, and such change in the value of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as shall be deemed material, subsequent to the date as of which such determination is being made up to and including the first date on which any of the Exempted Debt in respect of which such determination is being made is to be incurred or entered into and including all the other Exempted Debt which have been concurrently authorized for issue and the estimated net proceeds to be received on the issue of such other Exempted Debt;

(2) there shall be excluded from such calculations all Exempted Debt of the Company payable to a Restricted Subsidiary or of any Restricted Subsidiary payable to the Company or to any other Restricted Subsidiary;

 

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(3) all such calculations and determinations shall be made in accordance with Canadian GAAP; and

(4) the Trustee shall not be obligated to recalculate, recompute or confirm any such calculations.

SECTION 1009. Waiver of Certain Covenants .

The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in Sections 801(b), 1005, 1006, 1007, 1011, 1012 or 1013, if before the time for such compliance the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, by Act of such Holders, waive such compliance in such instance with such term, provision or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 1010. Additional Amounts .

(a) All payments made by or on behalf of the Company under or with respect to the Securities will be made free and clear of and without withholding or deduction for or on account of, any present or future tax, duty, levy, impost, assessment or other government charge imposed or levied by or on behalf of the Government of Canada or of any province or territory thereof or any political subdivision thereof, or by any authority or agency therein or thereof having power to tax (“Taxes”), unless the Company is required to withhold or deduct Taxes by law or by the interpretation or administration thereof by the relevant government authority or agency. If the Company is so required to withhold or deduct any amount for or on account of Taxes from any payment made under or with respect to the Securities, the Company will pay such additional amounts (“Additional Amounts”) as may be necessary so that the net amount received by each Holder (including with respect to Additional Amounts) after such withholding or deduction will not be less than the amount the Holder would have received if such Taxes had not been withheld or deducted; provided , however , that no Additional Amounts will be payable with respect to a payment made to a Holder (an “Excluded Holder”) in respect of the beneficial owner thereof (1) with which the Company does not deal at arm’s length (for purposes of the Tax Act) at the time of the making of such payment, (2) which is subject to such Taxes by reason of its failure to comply with any certification, identification, information, documentation or other reporting requirement if compliance is required by law, regulation, administrative practice or an applicable treaty as a precondition to exemption from, or a reduction in the rate of deduction or withholding of, such Taxes or (3) which is subject to such Taxes by reason of its carrying on business in or being connected with Canada or any province or territory thereof other than by the mere holding of Securities or the receipt of payments thereunder.

(b) The Company will also (1) make such withholding or deduction and (2) remit the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant authority as and when required in accordance with applicable law. The Company will pay all taxes, interest and other liabilities which arise by virtue of any failure of the Company to withhold, deduct and remit to the relevant authority on a timely basis the full amounts required in accordance with applicable law. The

 

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Company will furnish to the Holders, within 30 days after the date the payment of any Taxes is due pursuant to applicable law, certified copies of tax receipts evidencing such payment by the Company.

(c) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Holder (other than all Excluded Holders) for the amount of (1) any Taxes not withheld or deducted by the Company and levied or imposed on and paid by such Holder as a result of payments made under or with respect to the Securities, (2) any liability (including penalties, interest and expenses) arising therefrom or with respect thereto, and (3) any Taxes imposed with respect to any reimbursement under clauses (1) or (2) of this paragraph (c) of this Section 1010.

(d) At least 30 days prior to each date on which any payment under or with respect to the Securities is due and payable, if the Company is aware that it will be obligated to pay Additional Amounts with respect to such payment, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating the fact that such Additional Amounts will be payable, the amounts so payable and setting forth such other information necessary to enable the Trustee to pay such Additional Amounts to Holders on the payment date. Whenever in this Indenture there is mentioned, in any context, the payment of principal (and premium, if any), interest or any other amount payable under or with respect to any Security, such mention shall be deemed to include mention of the payment of Additional Amounts provided for in this Section 1010 to the extent that, in such context, Additional Amounts are, were or would be payable in respect thereof.

SECTION 1011. Payment of Taxes and Other Claims .

The Company will pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same shall become delinquent, (1) all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or upon the income, profits or property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary and (2) all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies which, if unpaid, might by law become a Mortgage upon any Property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided , however , that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings.

SECTION 1012. Maintenance of Properties .

The Company will cause all its Properties to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment and will cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the Company may be necessary so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be properly and advantageously conducted at all times; provided , however , that nothing in this Section shall prevent or restrict the sale, abandonment or other disposition of any of such Properties if such action is, in the judgment of the Company, desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as a whole and not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.

 

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SECTION 1013. Appointment to Fill a Vacancy in Office of Trustee .

The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the office of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 609, a Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.

ARTICLE ELEVEN

REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

SECTION 1101. Right of Redemption .

(a) The Securities may be redeemed, at the option of the Company, at any time as a whole or in part, at a Redemption Price equal to the greater of:

(1) 100% of the principal amount of the Securities, or

(2) as determined by the Independent Investment Banker, the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Securities (not including any portion of the payments of interest accrued as of the Redemption Date) discounted to the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus 35 basis points,

plus, in each case, accrued interest thereon to the Redemption Date.

(b) The Securities will be subject to redemption at any time, in whole but not in part, at a redemption price equal to the principal amount thereof together with accrued and unpaid interest to the date fixed for redemption, upon the giving of a notice as described below, if (i) the Company determines that (A) as a result of any change in or amendment to the laws (or any regulations or rulings promulgated thereunder) of Canada or of any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein affecting taxation, or any change in official position regarding application or interpretation of such laws, regulations or rulings (including a holding by a court of competent jurisdiction), which change or amendment is announced or becomes effective on or after October 11, 2001, the Company has or will become obligated to pay, on the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, Additional Amounts or (B) on or after October 11, 2001, any action has been taken by any taxing authority of, or any decision has been rendered by a court of competent jurisdiction in, Canada or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein, including any of those actions specified in clause (A) above, whether or not such action was taken or decision was rendered with respect to the Company, or any change, amendment, application or interpretation shall be officially proposed, which, in any such case, in the written opinion to the Company of legal counsel of recognized standing, will result in an obligation to pay, on the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, Additional Amounts with respect to any Securities and (ii) in any such case the Company in its business judgment determines that such obligation cannot be avoided by the use of reasonable measures available to the Company; provided , however , that (1) no such notice of redemption may be given earlier than 90 or later

 

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than 30 days prior to the earliest date on which the Company would be obligated to pay such Additional Amounts where a payment in respect of the Securities is then due, and (2) at the time such notice of redemption is given, such obligation to pay such Additional Amounts remains in effect.

SECTION 1102. Applicability of Article .

Redemption of Securities at the election of the Company or otherwise, as permitted or required by any provision of this Indenture, shall be made in accordance with such provision and this Article.

SECTION 1103. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee .

The election of the Company to redeem any Securities pursuant to Section 1101 shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company, the Company shall, at least 60 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed and shall deliver to the Trustee such documentation and records as shall enable the Trustee to select the Securities to be redeemed pursuant to Section 1104.

SECTION 1104. Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed .

(a) If less than all the Securities are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate and which may provide for the selection for redemption of portions of the principal of Securities; provided , however , that no such partial redemption shall reduce the portion of the principal amount of a Security not redeemed to less than $1,000.

(b) The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

(c) For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Security redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Security which has been or is to be redeemed.

SECTION 1105. Notice of Redemption .

(a) Notice of redemption shall be given in the manner provided for in Section 106 not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed.

(b) All notices of redemption shall state:

(1) the Redemption Date,

 

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(2) the Redemption Price and the amount of accrued interest to the Redemption Date payable as provided in Section 1107, if any,

(3) if less than all Outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of a partial redemption, the principal amounts) of the particular Securities to be redeemed,

(4) in case any Security is to be redeemed in part only, the notice which relates to such Security shall state that on and after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Security, the holder will receive, without charge, a new Security or Securities of authorized denominations for the principal amount thereof remaining unredeemed,

(5) that on the Redemption Date, the Redemption Price (and accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date payable as provided in Section 1107) will become due and payable upon each such Security, or the portion thereof, to be redeemed, and that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date, and

(6) the place or places where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any.

(c) Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company.

SECTION 1106. Deposit of Redemption Price .

At or prior to 10 a.m. New York time on any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 1003) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date.

SECTION 1107. Securities Payable on Redemption Date .

(a) Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified (together with accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date), and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest) such Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date; provided , however , that installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 308.

 

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(b) If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal (and premium, if any) shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate borne by the Securities.

SECTION 1108. Securities Redeemed in Part .

Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose pursuant to Section 1002 (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or such Holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.

ARTICLE TWELVE

DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

SECTION 1201. Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance .

The Company may, at its option by Board Resolution, at any time, with respect to the Securities, elect to have either Section 1202 or Section 1203 be applied to all Outstanding Securities upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article Twelve.

SECTION 1202. Defeasance and Discharge .

Upon the Company’s exercise under Section 1201 of the option applicable to this Section 1202, the Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations with respect to all Outstanding Securities on the date the conditions set forth in Section 1204 are satisfied (hereinafter, “defeasance”). For this purpose, such defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the Outstanding Securities, which shall thereafter be deemed to be “Outstanding” only for the purposes of Section 1205 and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in (A) and (B) below, and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Securities and this Indenture insofar as such Securities are concerned (and the Trustee at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (A) the rights of Holders of Outstanding Securities to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 1204 and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments in respect of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on such Securities when such payments are due, (B) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Securities under Sections 305, 306, 307, 1002, 1003 and 1010, (C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and (D) this Article Twelve. Subject to compliance with this Article Twelve, the Company may exercise its option under this Section 1202 notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 1203 with respect to the Securities.

 

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SECTION 1203. Covenant Defeasance .

Upon the Company’s exercise under Section 1201 of the option applicable to this Section 1203, the Company shall be released from its obligations under Sections 801(b), 1005, 1006, 1007, 1011 or 1012, with respect to the Outstanding Securities on and after the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, “covenant defeasance”), and the Securities shall thereafter be deemed to be not “Outstanding” for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or Act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed “Outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder. For this purpose, such covenant defeasance means that, with respect to the Outstanding Securities, the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 501(3), but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities shall be unaffected thereby.

SECTION 1204. Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance .

The following shall be the conditions to application of either Section 1202 or Section 1203 to the Outstanding Securities:

(1) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 608 who shall agree to comply with the provisions of this Article Twelve applicable to it) as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (C) a combination thereof, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, (i) the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on the Outstanding Securities on the Stated Maturity (or Redemption Date, if applicable) of such principal (and premium, if any) or installment of interest applicable to the Outstanding Securities on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and of such Securities and (ii) all amounts due to the Trustee under Section 607; provided that the Trustee shall have been irrevocably instructed to apply such money or the proceeds of such U.S. Government Obligations to said payments with respect to the Securities. Before such a deposit, the Company may give to the Trustee, in accordance with Section 1103 hereof, a notice of its election to redeem all of the Outstanding Securities at a future date in

 

61


accordance with Article Eleven hereof, which notice shall be irrevocable. Such irrevocable redemption notice, if given, shall be given effect in applying the foregoing. For this purpose, “U.S. Government Obligations” means securities that are (x) direct obligations of the United States for the timely payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (y) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States, which, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act), as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of principal of or interest on any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

(2) No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or, insofar as paragraphs (6) and (7) of Section 501 hereof are concerned, at any time during the period ending on the 123 rd day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period).

(3) Such defeasance or covenant defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.

(4) In the case of an election under Section 1202, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (x) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (y) since the date hereof, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of the Outstanding Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of such defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case had such defeasance not occurred.

(5) In the case of an election under Section 1203, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the Outstanding Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of such covenant defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case had such covenant defeasance not occurred.

(6) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in Canada or a ruling from Canada Customs and Revenue Agency to the effect that the

 

62


Holders of the Outstanding Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for Canadian federal or provincial income or other tax purposes as a result of such defeasance and will be subject to Canadian federal or provincial income and other tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case had such defeasance not occurred (and for the purposes of such opinion, such Canadian counsel shall assume that Holders of the Outstanding Securities include Holders who are not resident in Canada).

(7) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that such deposit shall not cause the Trustee or the trust created hereunder to be subject to the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(8) The Company is not an “insolvent person” within the meaning of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) on the date of such deposit or at any time during the period ended on the 91 st day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period).

(9) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to either the defeasance under Section 1202 or the covenant defeasance under Section 1203 (as the case may be) have been complied with (except in the case of the Opinion of Counsel as to matters of fact, as to which no opinion need be expressed).

SECTION 1205. Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions .

(a) Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, all money and U.S. Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section 1205, the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 1204 in respect of the Outstanding Securities shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal (and premium, if any) and interest, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

(b) The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 1204 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the Outstanding Securities.

(c) Anything in this Article Twelve to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money or U.S. Government Obligations held by it as provided in Section 1204 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent defeasance or covenant defeasance, as applicable, in accordance with this Article.

 

63


SECTION 1206. Reinstatement .

If the Trustee or any Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in accordance with Section 1205 by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 1202 or 1203, as the case may be, until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 1205; provided , however , that if the Company makes any payment of principal of (or premium, if any, on) or interest on any Security following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.

 


 

64


This Indenture may be signed in any number of counterparts each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same Indenture.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.

 

DOMTAR INC.
By  

 

Name:  
Title:  
By  

 

Name:  
Title:  
THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, as Trustee
By  

 

Name:  
Title:  

Exhibit 4.4

EXECUTION COPY

 


INDENTURE

between

DOMTAR INC.

as Issuer

and

THE BANK OF NEW YORK

as Trustee

$125,000,000 9-1/2% Debentures Due 2016

Dated as of July 31, 1996

 



TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page
ARTICLE I
Definitions and Incorporation by Reference

SECTION 1.01.

  

Definitions

   1

SECTION 1.02.

  

Other Definitions

   29

SECTION 1.03.

  

Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act

   29

SECTION 1.04.

  

Rules of Construction

   30
ARTICLE II
The Securities

SECTION 2.01.

  

Form and Dating

   30

SECTION 2.02.

  

Execution and Authentication

   30

SECTION 2.03.

  

Registrar and Paying Agent

   31

SECTION 2.04.

  

Paying Agent To Hold Money in Trust

   32

SECTION 2.05.

  

Holder Lists

   33

SECTION 2.06.

  

Registration of Transfer and Exchange

   33

SECTION 2.07.

  

Replacement Securities

   35

SECTION 2.08.

  

Outstanding Securities

   36

SECTION 2.09.

  

Treasury Securities

   37

SECTION 2.10.

  

Temporary Securities

   37

SECTION 2.11.

  

Cancellation

   38

SECTION 2.12.

  

Defaulted Interest

   38

SECTION 2.13.

  

Record Date

   38

SECTION 2.14.

  

Computation of Interest

   39

SECTION 2.15.

  

Predecessor Securities

   40

SECTION 2.16.

  

CUSIP Numbers

   40
ARTICLE III
Covenants

SECTION 3.01.

  

Certain Covenants Suspended

   40

SECTION 3.02.

  

Payment of Securities

   41

SECTION 3.03.

  

Limitation on Indebtedness

   41


SECTION 3.04

  

Limitation on Restrictions on Distributions from Restricted Subsidiaries

   44

SECTION 3.05

  

Limitation on Liens

   46

SECTION 3.06.

  

Limitation on Restricted Payments

   46

SECTION 3.07.

  

Limitation on Asset Sales

   48

SECTION 3.08

  

Limitation on Transactions with Affiliates

   51

SECTION 3.09

  

Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions

   52

SECTION 3.10

  

Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries

   53

SECTION 3.11

  

Canadian Withholding Taxes

   54

SECTION 3.12

  

SEC Reports; Reports to Holders

   55

SECTION 3.13

  

Compliance Certificates

   56

SECTION 3.14

  

Notice of Defaults

   56
ARTICLE IV   
Redemption of the Securities   

SECTION 4.01

  

Notice of Trustee

   57

SECTION 4.02

  

Selection of Securities To Be Redeemed

   57

SECTION 4.03

  

Notice of Redemption

   58

SECTION 4.04

  

Effect of Notice of Redemption

   59

SECTION 4.05

  

Deposit of Redemption Price

   59

SECTION 4.06

  

Redemption for Changes in Canadian Withholding Taxes

   60
ARTICLE V
Right To Require Repurchase

SECTION 5.01

  

Purchase of Securities at the Option of Holders upon a Change of Control

   60

SECTION 5.02

  

Covenant To Comply with Securities Laws upon Purchase of Securities

   62


ARTICLE VI
Merger, Amalgamation, Consolidation and Sale of Assets

SECTION 6.01.

  

When Corporation May Merge, Amalgamate, Consolidate or Sell Assets

   63
ARTICLE VII
Defaults and Remedies

SECTION 7.01.

  

Events of Default

   65

SECTION 7.02.

  

Acceleration

   67

SECTION 7.03.

  

Other Remedies

   68

SECTION 7.04.

  

Waiver of Past Defaults

   69

SECTION 7.05.

  

Control by Majority

   69

SECTION 7.06.

  

Limitation on Suits

   69

SECTION 7.07.

  

Rights of Holders To Receive Payment

   70

SECTION 7.08.

  

Collection Suit by Trustee

   70

SECTION 7.09.

  

Trustee May File Proofs of Claim

   71

SECTION 7.10.

  

Application of Moneys Collected by Trustee

   71

SECTION 7.11.

  

Undertaking for Costs

   72

SECTION 7.12.

  

Parties May Be Restored to Former Position and Rights in Certain Circumstances

   73
ARTICLE VIII
Trustee

SECTION 8.01.

  

Duties of Trustee

   73

SECTION 8.02.

  

Rights of Trustee

   74

SECTION 8.03.

  

Individual Rights of Trustee

   75

SECTION 8.04.

  

Trustee’s Disclaimer

   75

SECTION 8.05.

  

Notice of Defaults

   76

SECTION 8.06.

  

Reports by Trustee to Holders

   76

SECTION 8.07.

  

Compensation and Indemnity

   76

SECTION 8.08.

  

Replacement of Trustee

   77

SECTION 8.09.

  

Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc

   79


SECTION 8.10.

  

Eligibility; Disqualification

   79

SECTION 8.11.

  

Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Corporation

   79
ARTICLE IX
Discharge of Indenture; Defeasance

SECTION 9.01.

  

Discharge of Liability on Securities; Defeasance

   80

SECTION 9.02.

  

Conditions to Defeasance

   81

SECTION 9.03.

  

Application of Trust Money

   82

SECTION 9.04.

  

Repayment to Corporation

   82

SECTION 9.05.

  

Indemnity for Government Obligations

   83

SECTION 9.06.

  

Reinstatement

   83
ARTICLE X
Amendments

SECTION 10.01.

  

Without Consent of Holders

   83

SECTION 10.02.

  

With Consent of Holders

   84

SECTION 10.03.

  

Compliance with Trust Indenture Act

   85

SECTION 10.04.

  

Revocation and Effect of Consents and Waivers

   85

SECTION 10.05.

  

Notation on or Exchange of Securities

   86

SECTION 10.06.

  

Trustee To Sign Amendments

   86

SECTION 10.07.

  

Payment for Consent

   87
ARTICLE XI
Miscellaneous

SECTION 11.01

  

Trust Indenture Act Controls

   87

SECTION 11.02

  

Notices

   87

SECTION 11.03

  

Communication by Holders with Other Holders

   89

SECTION 11.04

  

Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent

   89


SECTION 11.05.

  

Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion

   89

SECTION 11.06.

  

Rules by Trustee and Agents

   89

SECTION 11.07.

  

No Recourse Against Others

   89

SECTION 11.08.

  

Duplicate Originals

   90

SECTION 11.09.

  

Governing Law

   90

SECTION 11.10.

  

Successors

   90

SECTION 11.11.

  

Severability

   90

SECTION 11.12.

  

Consent to Jurisdiction and Service

   90

SECTION 11.13.

  

Counterpart Originals

   92

SECTION 11.14.

  

Benefits of Indenture

   92

EXHIBIT A

  

Form of 2016 Debenture

   A-l


EXECUTION COPY

INDENTURE dated as of July 31, 1996, between DOMTAR INC., a corporation incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act (the “Corporation”), as issuer (the “Issuer”) and THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as trustee (the “Trustee”).

Each Party hereto agrees, for the equal and ratable benefit (except as otherwise provided in this Indenture) of the Holders of the Corporation’s 9-  1 / 2 % Debentures Due 2016 (the “Securities”), as follows:

ARTICLE I

Definitions and Incorporation by Reference

SECTION 1.01. Definitions. The terms defined in this Section (except as herein otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all purposes of this Indenture shall have the respective meanings specified in this Section. All other terms used in this Indenture which are defined in the TIA or which are by reference therein defined in the Securities Act shall have the meanings (except as herein otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) assigned to such terms in the TIA and in the Securities Act as in force at the date of this Indenture as originally executed.

Additional Assets ” means (i) any Property (other than cash, cash equivalents or securities) to be owned by the Corporation or a Restricted Subsidiary and used in a Related Business, (ii) the costs of improving or developing any Property owned by the Corporation or a Restricted Subsidiary which is used in a Related Business and (iii) Investments in any other Person engaged primarily in a Related Business (including the acquisition from third parties of Capital Stock of such Person) as a result of which such other Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or is merged or consolidated with or into the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary.

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any


specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

Agent ” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or agent for service of notices and demands.

Asset Sale ” means, with respect to any Person, any transfer, conveyance, assignment, sale, lease or other disposition (including dispositions pursuant to any amalgamation, consolidation or merger) by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in any single transaction or series of transactions of (a) shares of Capital Stock or other ownership interests in another Person (including, with respect to the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries, Capital Stock of Unrestricted Subsidiaries) or (b) any other Property of such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; provided , however , that the term “Asset Sale” shall not include: (i) the sale or transfer of Property in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice; (ii) the liquidation of Property received in settlement of debts owing to such Person or any of its Subsidiaries as a result of foreclosure, perfection or enforcement of any Lien or debt, which debts were owing to such Person or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business; (iii) when used with respect to the Corporation, any asset disposition permitted pursuant to Section 6.01 which constitutes a disposition of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s Property; (iv) the sale or transfer of any Property by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; (v) sales of accounts receivable and related assets of the type specified in the definition of “Qualified Receivables Transaction” to a Receivables Subsidiary; (vi) transfers of accounts receivable and related assets of the type specified in the definition of “Qualified Receivables Transaction” (or a fractional undivided interest therein) by a Receivables Subsidiary in a Qualified Receivables Transaction; (vii) a disposition in the form of a Restricted Payment permitted to be made pursuant to Section 3.06; (viii) the sale of Temporary Cash Investments owned by such Person in the ordinary course of business; (ix) a Sale and Leaseback Transaction subject to the terms of Section 3.09; (x) the sale by the Corporation of its St. Catharines, Ontario mill and/or its Beauharnois, Québec mill; (xi) operating leases with a term of two years

 

2


or less; (xii) the sale or transfer of Property in which the aggregate gross proceeds (including the fair market value of any Property or other assets received and any Indebtedness assumed in connection with such sale or transfer) do not exceed $1 million for any such transaction or series of related transactions; and (xiii) any Investments by such Person.

Attributable Indebtedness ” means Indebtedness deemed to be Incurred in respect of a Sale and Leaseback Transaction and shall be, at the date of determination, the present value (discounted at the actual rate of interest implicit in such transaction, compounded annually) of the total obligations of the lessee for rental payments during the remaining term of the lease included in such Sale and Leaseback Transaction (including any period for which such lease has been extended), excluding payments for insurance, taxes, assessments, utilities, operating and labor costs and similar charges.

Average Life ” means, as of the date of determination, with respect to any Indebtedness or Preferred Stock, the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the sum of the products of the numbers of years (rounded to the nearest one-twelfth of one year) from the date of determination to the dates of each successive scheduled principal payment of such Indebtedness or redemption or similar payment with respect to such Preferred Stock multiplied by the amount of such payment by (ii) the sum of all such payments.

Bankruptcy Law ” means the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada), the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) , the W inding-up Act (Canada) or any other Canadian federal or provincial law or the law of any other jurisdiction relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, winding-up, liquidation, reorganization or relief of debtors.

Board of Directors ” means the board of directors or any authorized committee thereof responsible for the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation.

Board Resolution ” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors, to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification and delivered to the Trustee.

 

3


Business Day ” means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday that is not a day on which banking institutions in the City of New York or the City of Montreal are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to close.

Capital Stock ” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock, partnership interests or any other participation, right, warrants, options or other interest in the nature of an equity interest in such Person, but excluding any debt security convertible or exchangeable into such equity interest.

Capital Stock Sale Proceeds ” means the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds received by the Corporation from the issue or sale (other than to a Subsidiary of the Corporation or an employee stock ownership plan or trust established by the Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Corporation, unless and only to the extent that, after taking into account any related Incurrence of Indebtedness by the Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Corporation, the issue or sale to an employee stock ownership plan or trust results in and has the same financial impact to the Corporation as if made to an independent third party) by the Corporation of any class of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) after the Issue Date.

Capitalized Lease Obligations ” means Indebtedness represented by obligations under a lease that is required to be capitalized for financial reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP and the amount of such Indebtedness shall be the capitalized amount of such obligations determined in accordance with GAAP.

Change of Control ” means such time as (i) (A) a “person” or “group” (within the meaning of Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), other than the Current Equity Holders and their respective Affiliates that are other agencies of the Crown in right of Québec or corporations directly or indirectly wholly owned by the Government of Québec, becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act) of more than (x) 35% of the total voting rights attaching to the then outstanding Voting Capital Stock of the Corporation and (y) the total voting rights attached to the then outstanding Voting Capital Stock of the Corporation beneficially owned by the Current Equity Holders and their

 

4


respective Affiliates that are other agencies of the Crown in right of Québec or corporations directly or indirectly wholly owned by the Government of Québec, and (B) the Current Equity Holders and their respective Affiliates that are other agencies of the Crown in right of Québec or corporations directly or indirectly wholly owned by the Government of Québec do not have the right or the ability by voting right, contract or otherwise to elect or designate for election a majority of the Board of Directors; (ii) during any period of two consecutive calendar years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the Board of Directors (together with any new directors whose election by the Board of Directors or whose nomination for election by the Corporation’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of such period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved or approved by the Current Equity Holders and their respective Affiliates that are other agencies of the Crown in right of Québec or corporations directly or indirectly wholly owned by the Government of Québec at a time when they have the right or ability referred to in clause (i)(B) of this definition) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the directors then in office; or (iii)(A) the Corporation amalgamates or consolidates with or merges into any other Person or sells, conveys, transfers or leases all or substantially all of its assets to any Person or (B) any Person amalgamates or consolidates with or merges into the Corporation, in either event pursuant to a transaction in which any Voting Capital Stock of the Corporation outstanding immediately prior to the effectiveness thereof is reclassified or changed into or exchanged for cash, securities or other property, unless, in the case of (A) or (B), as applicable, pursuant to such transaction such securities are changed into or exchanged for, in addition to any other consideration, securities of the surviving corporation that represent immediately after such transaction, at least a majority of the aggregate voting power of the Voting Capital Stock of the surviving corporation.

Change of Control Triggering Event ” means the occurrence of both a Change of Control and a Rating Decline.

Comparable Treasury Issue ” means the United States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Securities that would be utilized, at

 

5


the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of such Securities.

Comparable Treasury Price ” means, with respect to any redemption date, (i) the average of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) on the third business day preceding such redemption date, as set forth in the daily statistical release (or any successor release) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and designated “Composite 3:30 p.m. Quotations for U.S. Government Securities” or (ii) if such release (or any successor release) is not published or does not contain such prices on such business day, (A) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest of such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (B) if the Trustee obtains fewer than three such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Quotations.

Consolidated Current Liabilities ” as of the date of determination means the aggregate amount of liabilities of the Corporation and its consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries which may properly be classified as current liabilities, on a consolidated basis, after eliminating (i) all intercompany items between the Corporation and any Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) all current maturities of long-term Indebtedness, all as determined in accordance with GAAP consistently applied.

Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio ” means, as of the date of the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (the “Transaction Date”), the ratio of (i) the aggregate amount of EBITDA of the Corporation and its consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries for the four full fiscal quarters immediately prior to the Transaction Date to (ii) the aggregate Consolidated Interest Expense of the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries that is anticipated to accrue during a period consisting of the fiscal quarter in which the Transaction Date occurs and the three fiscal quarters immediately subsequent thereto (based upon the pro forma amount and maturity of, and interest payments in respect of, Indebtedness of the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries expected by the Corporation to be outstanding on the Transaction Date, taking into account in such pro

 

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forma calculation the receipt and application of the proceeds of any Indebtedness Incurred on such date), assuming for the purposes of this measurement the continuation of market interest rates prevailing on the Transaction Date and base interest rates in respect of floating interest rate obligations equal to the base interest rates on such obligations in effect as of the Transaction Date; provided that if the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries is party to any Interest Rate Agreement which would have the effect of changing the interest rate on any Indebtedness of the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries for such four-quarter period (or a portion thereof), the resulting rate shall be used for such four quarter period or portion thereof; provided further that any Consolidated Interest Expense with respect to Indebtedness Incurred or retired by the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries during the fiscal quarter in which the Transaction Date occurs shall be calculated as if such Indebtedness was so Incurred or retired on the first day of the fiscal quarter in which the Transaction Date occurs. In addition, (x) if since the beginning of the four full fiscal quarter period preceding the Transaction Date, the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries shall have engaged in any Asset Sale, EBITDA for such period shall be reduced by an amount equal to the EBITDA (if positive), or increased by an amount equal to the EBITDA (if negative), directly attributable to the assets which are the subject of such Asset Sale for such period calculated on a pro forma basis as if such Asset Sale and any related retirement of Indebtedness had occurred on the first day of such period or (y) if since the beginning of the four fiscal quarter period preceding the Transaction Date, the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries shall have acquired any material assets (including a Restricted Subsidiary), or if the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio involves the acquisition of any material assets or a Restricted Subsidiary, EBITDA shall be calculated on a pro forma basis as if the acquisition of such assets (or such Restricted Subsidiary), had occurred on the first day of such four fiscal quarter period.

Consolidated Interest Expense ” means, for any Person (or in the case of the Corporation, the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries), for any period, the amount of interest in respect of Indebtedness (including amortization of original issue discount, fees payable in connection with financings, including commitment,

 

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availability and similar fees, and amortization of debt issuance costs, non-cash interest payments on any Indebtedness and the interest portion of any deferred payment obligation and after taking into account the effect of elections made under, and the net costs (excluding realized gains or losses in connection with Exchange Rate Agreements) associated with, any Hedging Obligation, however denominated, with respect to such Indebtedness), the amount of dividends in respect of Disqualified Stock of such Person, the amount of Preferred Stock dividends in respect of all Preferred Stock of Subsidiaries of such Person held by Persons other than such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person, commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers’ acceptance financing, the amount of interest on Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to clause (iii) of the definition of Indebtedness, the interest component of rentals in respect of any Capitalized Lease Obligation or Sale and Leaseback Transaction paid, accrued or scheduled to be paid or accrued by such Person during such period, but excluding any gains or losses in respect of Indebtedness denominated in foreign currency as a result of fluctuations in exchange rates and any losses on repayment of any Indebtedness, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP and the cash contributions to any employee stock ownership plan or similar trust to the extent such contributions are used by such plan or trust to pay interest or fees to any Person (other than the Corporation) in connection with Indebtedness Incurred by such plan or trust. For purposes of this definition, interest on a Capitalized Lease Obligation or a Sale and Leaseback Transaction shall be deemed to accrue at an interest rate reasonably determined by such Person to be the rate of interest implicit in such Capitalized Lease Obligation or Sale and Leaseback Transaction in accordance with GAAP consistently applied.

Consolidated Net Assets ” as of any date of determination, means the total amount of assets (less accumulated depreciation and amortization, allowances for doubtful receivables, other applicable reserves and other properly deductible items) which would appear on a consolidated balance sheet of the Corporation and its consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries, determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, and after giving effect to purchase accounting and after deducting therefrom Consolidated Current Liabilities and, to the extent otherwise included, the amounts of: (i) minority interests in consolidated Subsidiaries held by Persons other than the

 

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Corporation or a Restricted Subsidiary; (ii) any revaluation or other write-up in book value of assets subsequent to the Issue Date as a result of a change in the method of valuation in accordance with GAAP consistently applied; (iii) treasury stock; (iv) cash set apart and held in a sinking or other analogous fund established for the purpose of redemption or other retirement of Capital Stock to the extent such obligation is not reflected in Consolidated Current Liabilities; and (v) Investments in and assets of Unrestricted Subsidiaries.

Consolidated Net Income ” of a Person means for any period, the net income (loss) of such Person and its Subsidiaries; provided , however , that there shall not be included in such Consolidated Net Income (i) with respect to the Corporation, any net income (loss) of any Person if such Person is not a Restricted Subsidiary, except that (a) subject to the limitations contained in clause (iv) below, the Corporation’s equity in the net income of any such Person for such period shall be included in such Consolidated Net Income up to the aggregate amount of cash actually distributed by such Person during such period to the Corporation or a Restricted Subsidiary as a dividend or other distribution (subject, in the case of a dividend or other distribution to a Restricted Subsidiary, to the limitations contained in clause (iii) below) and (b) the Corporation’s equity in a net loss of any such Person (other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary) for such period shall be included in determining such Consolidated Net Income, (ii) any net income (loss) of any Person acquired by such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person in a pooling of interests transaction for any period prior to the date of such acquisition (although such net income (loss) shall be taken into account for purposes of the definition of “Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio” and the pro forma calculations provided for therein), (iii) with respect to the Corporation, any net income (loss) of any Restricted Subsidiary if such Subsidiary is subject to restrictions, directly or indirectly, on the payment of dividends or the making of distributions by such Restricted Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to the Corporation, except that (A) subject to the limitations contained in (iv) below, the Corporation’s equity in the net income of any such Restricted Subsidiary for such period shall be included in such Consolidated Net Income up to the aggregate amount of cash that could have been distributed by such Restricted Subsidiary during such period to the Corporation or another Restricted Subsidiary as a dividend (subject, in the case of

 

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a dividend to another Restricted Subsidiary, to the limitation contained in this clause) and (B) the Corporation’s equity in a net loss of any such Restricted Subsidiary for such period shall be included in determining such Consolidated Net Income, (iv) any gain (or loss) realized upon the sale or other disposition of any Property of such Person or its consolidated Subsidiaries (including pursuant to any Sale and Leaseback Transaction) which is not sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business and any gain (or loss) realized upon the sale or other disposition of any Capital Stock of any Person, (v) any extraordinary gain or loss (or any unusual or nonrecurring items or any losses incurred, in each case in respect of the purchase by the Corporation of any of its Indebtedness) and (vi) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles.

Consolidated Net Tangible Assets ” as of any date of determination, means the total amount of assets (less accumulated depreciation and amortization, allowances for doubtful receivables, other applicable reserves and other properly deductible items) which would appear on a consolidated balance sheet of the Corporation and its consolidated Restricted Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, and after giving effect to purchase accounting and after deducting therefrom Consolidated Current Liabilities and, to the extent otherwise included, the amounts of: (i) minority interests in consolidated Subsidiaries held by Persons other than the Corporation or a Restricted Subsidiary; (ii) excess of cost over fair value of assets of businesses acquired, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors; (iii) any revaluation or other write-up in book value of assets subsequent to the Issue Date as a result of a change in the method of valuation in accordance with GAAP consistently applied; (iv) unamortized debt discount and expenses and other unamortized deferred charges, goodwill, patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, licenses, organization or developmental expenses and other intangible items; (v) treasury stock; (vi) cash set apart and held in a sinking or other analogous fund established for the purpose of redemption or other retirement of Capital Stock to the extent such obligation is not reflected in Consolidated Current Liabilities; and (vii) Investments in and assets of Unrestricted Subsidiaries.

Consolidated Net Worth ” means the total of the amounts shown on the balance sheet of the Corporation and

 

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the Restricted Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis, as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter of the Corporation ended at least 45 days prior to the taking of any action for the purpose of which the determination is being made, as (i) the stated capital with respect to the Capital Stock of the Corporation plus (ii) contributed capital and surplus relating to such Capital Stock plus (iii) any retained earnings or earned surplus less (A) any accumulated deficit and (B) any amounts attributable to Disqualified Stock.

Consolidation ” means the consolidation of the accounts of each of the Restricted Subsidiaries with those of the Corporation in accordance with GAAP consistently applied; provided , however , that “Consolidation” will not include consolidation of the accounts of any Unrestricted Subsidiary, but the interest of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary in an Unrestricted Subsidiary will be accounted for as an investment. The term “Consolidated” has a correlative meaning.

Corporate Trust Office ” means the office of the Trustee located in New York, New York, at which at any particular time its corporate services business shall be principally administered, which office at the date of execution of this Indenture is located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, except that for purposes of the presentation of Securities for payment or registration of transfer or exchange, such term means the office or agency of the Trustee at which at any particular time the corporate agency business of the Trustee shall be conducted, which office at the date of execution of this Indenture is located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286.

Credit Agreement ” means the $450,000,000 Credit Agreement among the Corporation, as borrower, and Domtar Industries Inc., Domtar Gypsum Inc., Norkraft Quévillon Inc., La Compagnie J.B. Rolland & Fils, as Material Subsidiaries, and two Canadian banks, as Administrative Agents, and certain Canadian banks, as Lenders, as in effect on the date of the Indenture.

Current Equity Holders ” means Société générale de financement du Québec (“SGF”), Caisse de dépot et placement du Québec (“Caisse”) or any other agency of the Crown in right of Québec.

 

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Default ” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.

Depositary ” means The Depository Trust Company, its nominees, and their respective successors.

Disqualified Stock ” of a Person means Redeemable Stock of such Person as to which the maturity, mandatory redemption, conversion or exchange or redemption at the option of the holder thereof occurs, or may occur, on or prior to the first anniversary of the Stated Maturity of the Securities.

EBITDA ” means, for any Person, for any period, an amount equal to (A) the sum of (i) Consolidated Net Income for such period, plus (ii) the provision for taxes for such period based on income or profits to the extent such income or profits were included in computing Consolidated Net Income and any provision for taxes utilized in computing net loss under clause (i) hereof, plus (iii) Consolidated Interest Expense for such period, plus (iv) depreciation for such period on a consolidated basis, plus (v) amortization of intangibles for such period on a consolidated basis, plus (vi) any other non-cash items reducing Consolidated Net Income for such period, minus (B) all non-cash items increasing Consolidated Net Income for such period, all for such Person and its Subsidiaries determined in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, except that with respect to the Corporation each of the foregoing items shall be determined on a consolidated basis with respect to the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries only.

Event of Default ” has the meaning set forth under Section 7.01.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Exchange Rate Agreement ” means, for any Person, any foreign exchange contract, currency swap agreement or other similar agreement as to which such Person is a party or a beneficiary, designed to provide protection against fluctuations in currency exchange rates, incurred in the ordinary course of business.

Existing Lines of Business ” means the lines of business of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries described

 

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in the 1995 Annual Information Form under “Item 3—Narrative Description of the Business” and any businesses directly related or ancillary thereto.

GAAP ” means accounting principles generally accepted in Canada as in effect on the Issue Date, unless stated otherwise.

Guarantee ” means with respect to any Person, without duplication, any obligation, contingent or otherwise (other than an endorsement for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business), directly or indirectly guaranteeing any Indebtedness of any Person and any obligation, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise, (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or (ii) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee of such indebtedness of the payment thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect to such Indebtedness (in whole or in part). The term “Guarantee” used as a verb has a corresponding meaning.

Hedging Obligation ” means, for any Person, any obligation of such Person pursuant to any Interest Rate Agreement, Exchange Rate Agreement, commodity swap agreement, commodity option, forward agreement or any other similar agreement or arrangement.

Holder ” means the person in whose name a Security is registered on the register maintained by the Registrar as provided in Section 2.03.

Incur ” means, with respect to any Indebtedness or other obligation of any Person, to create, issue, incur (by merger, conversion, exchange or otherwise), extend, assume, Guarantee or become liable in respect of such indebtedness or other obligation or the recording, as required pursuant to GAAP or otherwise, of any such Indebtedness or obligation on the balance sheet of such Person (and “ Incurrence”, “Incurred”, “Incurrable” and “Incurring” shall have meanings correlative to the foregoing); provided , however . that a change in GAAP that results in an obligation of such Person that exists at such time, and is not theretofore classified as Indebtedness, becoming Indebtedness shall not be deemed an Incurrence of such Indebtedness; provided further that, solely for purposes of determining compliance with Section 3.03, amortization of debt discount shall not be deemed to be the Incurrence of Indebtedness; provided that

 

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in the case of Indebtedness sold at a discount, the amount of such Indebtedness Incurred shall at all times be the aggregate principal amount at Stated Maturity.

Indebtedness ” means (without duplication), with respect to any Person, any indebtedness, secured or unsecured, contingent or otherwise, which is for borrowed money (whether or not the recourse of the lender is to the whole of the assets of such Person or only to a portion thereof), or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any Property (excluding any balances that constitute subscriber advance payments and deposits, accounts payable or trade payables, and other accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business) if and to the extent any of the foregoing indebtedness would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP (and, in the case of indebtedness any portion of which is required to be presented as an equity element upon a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP, the amount of such equity element; provided that the amount of Indebtedness in respect of any such indebtedness shall not exceed the aggregate principal amount then outstanding of such indebtedness), and shall also include, to the extent not otherwise included (i) any Capitalized Lease Obligations, (ii) Indebtedness of other Persons secured by a Lien to which the Property owned or held by such Person is subject, whether or not the obligation or obligations secured thereby shall have been assumed (the amount of such Indebtedness being deemed to be the lesser of the value of such Property or the amount of the Indebtedness so secured), (iii) Guarantees of Indebtedness of other Persons, (iv) any Disqualified Stock (for purposes of this definition, the amount of Indebtedness in respect of Disqualified Stock shall be the amount of all obligations with respect to the redemption, repayment or other repurchase of such Disqualified Stock), (v) any Attributable Indebtedness, (vi) all obligations of such Person in respect of letters of credit, banker’s acceptances or other similar instruments or credit transactions (including reimbursement obligations with respect thereto), other than obligations with respect to letters of credit or similar instruments securing obligations (other than obligations described in this definition) entered into in the ordinary course of business of such Person to the extent such letters of credit are not drawn upon or, if and to the extent drawn upon, such drawing is reimbursed no later than the third Business Day following

 

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receipt by such Person of a demand for reimbursement following payment on the letter of credit, (vii) in the case of the Corporation, Preferred Stock of its Restricted Subsidiaries and (viii) to the extent not otherwise included in clauses (i) through (vii) of this paragraph, any payment obligations of any such Person at the time of determination under any Hedging Obligation. For purposes of this definition, the maximum fixed repurchase price of any Disqualified Stock that does not have a fixed repurchase price shall be calculated in accordance with the terms of such Disqualified Stock as if such Disqualified Stock were repurchased on any date on which Indebtedness shall be required to be determined pursuant to the Indenture; provided , however , that if such Disqualified Stock is not then permitted to be repurchased, the repurchase price shall be the book value of such Disqualified Stock. The amount of Indebtedness of any Person at any date shall be the outstanding balance at such date of all unconditional obligations as described above and the maximum liability of any contingent obligations in respect thereof at such date. For purposes of determining compliance with Section 3.03, in the event that an item of Indebtedness meets the criteria of more than one of the types of Indebtedness described in the above clauses or more than one of the clauses of the definition of “Permitted Indebtedness”, the Corporation, in its sole discretion, shall not be required to include the amount and type of such Indebtedness in more than one of such clauses and the amount of Indebtedness, other than Disqualified Stock, issued at a price that is less than the principal amount thereof shall be equal at the relevant time to the amount of the liability in respect thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.

Indenture ” means this Indenture, as amended, supplemented or modified from time to time.

Independent Appraiser ” means an investment banking firm of national standing with experience in underwriting debt and/or equity securities for operators of Related Businesses or any third party appraiser of national standing; provided , however , that such firm or appraiser is not an Affiliate of the Corporation.

Independent Investment Banker ” means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Trustee at the direction of the Corporation.

 

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Interest Rate Agreement ” means, for any Person, any interest rate swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate collar agreement or other similar agreement designed to provide protection against fluctuations in interest rates.

Internal Revenue Code ” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Investment ” by any Person means any direct or indirect loan, advance or other extension of credit or capital contribution (by means of transfers of cash or other Property to others or payments for Property or services for the account or use of others, or otherwise) to, or Incurrence of a Guarantee of any obligation of, or purchase or acquisition of Capital Stock, bonds, notes, debentures or other securities or evidence of Indebtedness issued by, any other Person.

Investment Grade Rating ” means a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the equivalent) and BBB- (or the equivalent) by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (or any successor to the rating agency business thereof) and Standard & Poor’s Rating Group (or any successor to the rating agency business thereof), respectively, or the equivalent thereof by any other Rating Agencies contemplated by the definition thereof.

Investment Grade Status ” shall be deemed to have been reached on the date that the rating assigned to the Securities by all Rating Agencies is an Investment Grade Rating.

Issue Date ” means the date on which the Securities are initially issued.

Lien ” means with respect to any Property of any Person, any mortgage or deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, security interest, lien, charge, encumbrance, preference, priority, or other security agreement or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever on or with respect to such Property (including any capitalized Lease Obligation, conditional sale or other title retention agreement having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing or any Sale and Leaseback Transaction).

 

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Net Available Cash ” from an Asset Sale means cash payments received therefrom (including any cash payments received by way of deferred payment of principal pursuant to a note or installment receivable or otherwise, but only as and when received, but excluding any other consideration received in the form of assumption by the acquiring Person of Indebtedness or other obligations relating to such Properties or assets or received in any other non-cash form) in each case net of, without duplication, (i) all legal, title and recording tax expenses, commissions and other fees and expenses incurred, and all Federal, state, provincial, foreign and local taxes required to be accrued as a liability under GAAP, as a consequence of such Asset Sale, (ii) all payments made on any Indebtedness which is secured by any assets subject to such Asset Sale, in accordance with the terms of any agreement relating to such Indebtedness or of any Lien upon or other security agreement of any kind with respect to such assets, or which must by its terms, or in order to obtain a necessary consent to such Asset Sale, or by applicable law be repaid out of the proceeds from such Asset Sale, (iii) all distributions and other payments required to be made to minority interest holders in Subsidiaries or joint ventures as a result of such Asset Sale and all amounts segregated from the general funds of the Corporation for payment to such minority interest holders, and (iv) all amounts provided by the Corporation or its Subsidiaries as a reserve, in accordance with GAAP, against any liabilities associated with such Asset Sale and retained by the Corporation or a Subsidiary thereof, after such Asset Sale (including in respect of environmental, pension, other post-employment liabilities and liabilities in respect of indemnification claims associated with such Asset Sale).

Net Cash Proceeds ” with respect to any issuance or sale of Capital Stock, means the cash proceeds of such issuance or sale, net of attorneys’ fees, accountants’ fees, underwriters’ or placement agents’ fees, discounts or commissions and brokerage, consultant and other fees actually incurred in connection with such issuance or sale and net of taxes paid or payable as a result thereof.

Norkraft ” means Norkraft Quévillon Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of Canada.

Notes ” means the Corporation’s 8-3/4% Notes due 2006.

 

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Officer ” means any of the Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, any Senior Vice President or Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer or the Chief Executive Officer.

Officers’ Certificate ” means a certificate signed by two Officers at least one of whom shall be the principal executive officer or principal financial officer of the Corporation.

Opinion of Counsel ” means a written opinion from legal counsel who is acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be counsel to the Corporation or the Trustee.

Permitted Liens ” means (i) Liens on the Property of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary existing on the Issue Date; (ii) Liens on the Property of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary to secure any extension, renewal, refinancing, replacement or refunding (or successive extensions, renewals, refinancings, replacements or refundings), in whole or in part, of any Indebtedness secured by Liens referred to in any of clauses (i), (vi), (ix) or (xii) of this definition; provided , however , that any such Lien will be limited to all or part of the same Property subject to the original Lien (plus improvements on or additions to such Property) or substitute Property of the Corporation or the Restricted Subsidiary, as applicable, the fair market value of which is determined in good faith by the Board of Directors (as evidenced by a Board Resolution) and, in the case of Property with a fair market value of US $10 million or more, an Independent Appraiser to be substantially the same as, or less than, the fair market value of the Property substituted and the aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness that is secured by such Lien will not be increased to an amount greater than the sum of (A) the outstanding principal amount, or, if greater, the committed amount, of the Indebtedness described under clauses (i), (vi), (ix) or (xii) at the time the original Lien became a Permitted Lien under this Indenture and (B) an amount necessary to pay any premiums, fees and other expenses Incurred by the Corporation in connection with such refinancing, refunding, extension, renewal or replacement; (iii) Liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges or levies on the Property of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary if the same shall not at the time be delinquent or thereafter can be paid without penalty, or are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings or Liens for the excess of the amount of any past due taxes for which a final

 

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assessment has not been received over the amount of such taxes as estimated and paid; (iv) Liens imposed by law, such as carriers’, warehousemen’s and mechanics’ Liens and other similar Liens on the Property of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary arising in the ordinary course of business which secure payment of obligations not more than 60 days past due or are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings; (v) Liens on the Property of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary Incurred in the ordinary course of business to secure performance of obligations with respect to statutory or regulatory requirements, performance or return-of-money bonds, surety bonds or other obligations of a like nature and Incurred in a manner consistent with industry practice; (vi) Liens on Property at the time the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary acquired such Property, including any acquisition by means of a merger or consolidation with or into the Corporation or such Restricted Subsidiary; provided , however , that such Lien shall not have been Incurred in anticipation of such transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which such Property was acquired by the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided further , however , that such Lien may not extend to any other Property (other than improvements on or additions to such Property) owned by the Corporation or any other Restricted Subsidiary; (vii) other Liens on the Property of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary incidental to the conduct of their respective businesses or the ownership of their respective Properties which were not created in connection with the Incurrence of Indebtedness or the obtaining of advances or credit and which do not in the aggregate materially detract from the value of their respective Properties or materially impair the use thereof in the operation of their respective businesses; (viii) pledges or deposits by the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary under workmen’s compensation laws, unemployment insurance laws or similar legislation, or good faith deposits in connection with bids, tenders, contracts (other than for the payment of Indebtedness) or leases to which the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary is a party, or deposits to secure public or statutory obligations of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary, or deposits for the payment of rent, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business; (ix) Liens on the Property of a Person at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; provided , however , that any such Lien may not extend to any other Property (other than improvements on or additions to such Property) of the Corporation or any other

 

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Restricted Subsidiary which is not a direct Subsidiary of such Person; provided further , however , that any such Lien shall not have been incurred in anticipation of or in connection with the transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which such Person became a Restricted Subsidiary; (x) reservations, limitations, provisos and conditions expressed in any original grants from the Crown which do not materially adversely impair the use of the subject property by the Corporation or a Subsidiary as such property is used as of the Issue Date; (xi) Liens securing Purchase Money Obligations incurred in compliance with the provisions of this Indenture, limited to the property acquired in the transaction in which the Purchase Money Obligation was incurred; (xii) Liens securing Indebtedness (and other related obligations) under the Credit Agreement; (xiii) Liens on the assets of a Receivables Subsidiary in a Qualified Receivables Transaction; (xiv) servitudes, licenses, easements, rights-of-way and rights in the nature of easements (including servitudes, licenses, easements, rights-of-way and rights in the nature of easements for sidewalks, public ways, sewers, drains, gas, steam and water mains or electric light and power, or telephone and telegraph conduits, poles, wires and cable) which, in each case, do not in the aggregate materially adversely impair or interfere with the use of the subject Property by the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries or in respect to which the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries has made satisfactory arrangements for relocation so that such use will not in the aggregate be materially and adversely impaired; (xv) zoning and building by-laws and ordinances and municipal by-laws and regulations, which, in each case, do not materially adversely impair or interfere with the use of the subject Property by the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries; or (xvi) the Lien in respect of any judgment rendered which is being contested diligently and in good faith by appropriate proceedings by the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries and which does not have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries to operate the business or operations of the Corporation or its Subsidiaries.

Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness ” means any renewals, extensions, substitutions, refinancings or replacements of any Indebtedness including any successive extensions, renewals, substitutions, refinancings or replacements, so long as (i) the aggregate amount of Indebtedness represented thereby is not increased by such

 

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renewal, extension, substitution, refinancing or replacement (other than to finance fees and expenses, including any premium and defeasance costs), (ii) the Average Life of such Indebtedness is equal to or greater than the Average Life of the Indebtedness being refinanced, (iii) the Stated Maturity of such Indebtedness is no earlier than the Stated Maturity of the Indebtedness being refinanced and (iv) the new Indebtedness shall not be senior in right of payment to the Indebtedness that is being extended, renewed, substituted, refinanced or replaced; provided that Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness shall not include (a) Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary that refinances Indebtedness of the Corporation or (b) Indebtedness of the Corporation or a Restricted Subsidiary that refinances Indebtedness of an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

Person ” means any individual, corporation, company (including any limited liability company), partnership, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

Preferred Stock ” means any Capital Stock of a Person, however designated, which entitles the holder thereof to a preference with respect to dividends, distributions or liquidation proceeds of such Person over the holders of other Capital Stock issued by such Person.

principal ” of a Security means the principal of such Security plus the premium, if any, payable on such Security which is due or overdue or is to become due at the relevant time.

Property ” means, with respect to any Person, any interest of such Person in any kind of property or asset, whether real, personal or mixed, or tangible or intangible, including, without limitation, Capital Stock in any other Person (but excluding Capital Stock or other securities issued by such Person).

Purchase Money Obligations ” of any Person means any obligations of such Person or any of its subsidiaries to any seller or any other Person incurred or assumed in connection with the purchase of real or personal property to be used or related to the business of such Person or any of its subsidiaries.

 

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Qualified Letter of Credit ” means an irrevocable letter of credit or similar assurance of payment issued by a bank or trust company which has capital, surplus and undivided profits aggregating in excess of $50,000,000 (or the foreign currency equivalent thereof) and has outstanding debt which is rated “A” (or such similar equivalent rating) or higher by at least one “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Rule 436 under the Securities Act).

Qualified Receivables Transaction ” means any transaction or series of transactions that may be entered into by the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to which the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries may sell, convey or otherwise transfer to (i) a Receivables Subsidiary (in the case of a transfer by the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries) and (ii) any other Person (in the case of a transfer by a Receivables Subsidiary), or may grant a security interest in, any accounts receivable (whether now existing or arising in the future) of the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries, and any assets related thereto including all collateral securing such accounts receivable, all contracts and all guarantees or other obligations in respect of such accounts receivable, proceeds of such accounts receivable and other assets which, in each case, are customarily and regularly transferred, or in respect of which security interests are customarily granted, in connection with asset securitization transactions involving accounts receivable.

Rating Agencies ” mean Standard & Poor’s Rating Group, a division of McGraw Hill, Inc. (“S&P’s”), and Moody’s Investor Services, Inc. (“Moody’s”) or any successor to the respective rating agency businesses thereof; provided , that in the event that either but not both of S&P’s or Moody’s or any successor to the respective rating agency businesses thereof shall cease to exist as a rating agency business, then the other shall be the sole Rating Agency for purposes of this definition; provided , further , that in the event that both S&P’s or any successor to the rating agency business thereof and Moody’s or any successor to the rating agency business thereof shall cease to exist as rating agency businesses, then “Rating Agencies” shall mean two “nationally recognized statistical rating organizations” (as defined in Rule 436 under the Securities Act).

 

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Rating Date ” means the date which is 90 days prior to the earlier of (i) a Change of Control and (ii) public notice of the occurrence of a Change of Control or of the intention of the Corporation to effect a Change of Control.

Rating Decline ” means the occurrence of the following on, or within 90 days after, the date of public notice of the occurrence of a Change of Control or of the intention by the Corporation to effect a Change of Control (which period shall be extended so long as the rating of the Securities is under publicly announced consideration for possible downgrade by any of the Rating Agencies): (a) in the event the Securities are rated by any Rating Agency on the Rating Date as an Investment Grade Rating, the rating of the Securities by the Rating Agencies shall be below an Investment Grade Rating, or (b) in the event the Securities are rated below an Investment Grade Rating by the Rating Agencies on the Rating Date, the rating of the Securities by any Rating Agency shall be decreased by one or more gradations (including gradations within rating categories as well as between rating categories).

Receivables Subsidiary ” means a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Corporation which engages in no activities other than in connection with the financing of accounts receivable and which is designated by or pursuant to the authority of the Board of Directors (as provided below) as a Receivables Subsidiary (a) no portion of the Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of which (i) is guaranteed by the Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Corporation (excluding guarantees of obligations (other than the principal of, and interest on, Indebtedness) pursuant to representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities entered into in the ordinary course of business in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction), (ii) is recourse to or obligates the Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Corporation in any manner other than pursuant to representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities entered into in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction or (iii) subjects any Property of the Corporation or any Subsidiary of the Corporation, directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof, other than pursuant to the representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities entered into in the ordinary course of business in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction and other than in respect of the related pledge of the financed

 

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accounts receivable and (b) with which neither the Corporation nor any Subsidiary of the Corporation has any obligation to maintain or preserve such Subsidiary’s financial condition (other than restrictions on dividends and distributions by such Subsidiary) or cause such Subsidiary to achieve certain levels of operating results. Any such designation shall be evidenced to the Trustee by filing with the Trustee a certified copy of the Board Resolution giving effect to or authorizing such designation and an Officers’ Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing conditions.

Redeemable Stock ” means, with respect to any Person, any Capital Stock that by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable) or otherwise (i) matures or is mandatorily redeemable pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, (ii) is redeemable at the option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part, or (iii) is convertible or exchangeable for Indebtedness.

Redemption Date ” means, when used with respect to any Security or part thereof to be redeemed hereunder, the date fixed for redemption of such Security pursuant to the terms of the Security and this Indenture.

Redemption Price ” means, when used with respect to any Security or part thereof to be redeemed hereunder, the price fixed for redemption of such Security pursuant to the terms of the Security and this Indenture, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to the Redemption Date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date).

Reference Treasury Dealer ” means Salomon Brothers Inc and Goldman, Sachs & Co., and their respective successors; provided , however , that if any of the foregoing shall cease to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a “Primary Treasury Dealer”) the Corporation shall substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer.

Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations ” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as provided to the Trustee by the Corporation, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of

 

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its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Trustee by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m. on the third business day preceding such redemption date.

Related Business ” means any business, ancillary or complementary to the businesses of the Corporation and the Restricted Subsidiaries on the Issue Date.

Restricted Payment ” means (i) any dividend or distribution (whether made in cash, Property or securities) declared or paid on or with respect to any shares of Capital Stock of the Corporation or Capital Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary except for any dividend or distribution which is made solely to the Corporation or a Restricted Subsidiary (and, if such Restricted Subsidiary is not a Wholly Owned Subsidiary, to the other shareholders of such Restricted Subsidiary on a pro rata basis) or dividends or distributions payable solely in shares of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Corporation; (ii) a payment made by the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary to purchase, redeem, acquire or retire any Capital Stock of the Corporation or Capital Stock of any Affiliate of the Corporation (other than a Restricted Subsidiary) or any warrants, rights or options to directly or indirectly purchase or acquire any such Capital Stock or any securities exchangeable for or convertible into any such Capital Stock; or (iii) a payment made by the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary to redeem, repurchase, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for value, prior to any scheduled maturity, scheduled sinking fund or mandatory redemption payment (other than the purchase, repurchase, or other acquisition of any Indebtedness subordinate in right of payment to the Securities purchased in anticipation of satisfying a sinking fund obligation, principal installment or final maturity, in each case due within one year of the date of acquisition), Indebtedness of the Corporation which is subordinate (whether pursuant to its terms or by operation of law) in right of payment to the Securities and was scheduled to mature after the maturity of the Securities.

Restricted Subsidiary ” means (i) any Subsidiary of the Corporation, unless such Subsidiary is an Unrestricted Subsidiary or shall have been designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary as permitted pursuant to Section 3.10 and (ii) an Unrestricted Subsidiary which is redesignated as a Restricted Subsidiary as permitted pursuant to Section 3.10.

 

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Sale and Leaseback Transaction ” means, with respect to any Person, any direct or indirect arrangement pursuant to which Property is sold or transferred by such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person and is thereafter leased back from the purchaser or transferee thereof by such Person or one of its Subsidiaries,

SEC ” means the Securities and Exchange Commission and any government agency succeeding to its functions.

Secured Indebtedness ” means any Indebtedness of the Corporation secured by a Lien.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Special Record Date ” for the payment of any defaulted interest means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 2.12.

Stated Maturity ” means, with respect to any Indebtedness or security, the date specified in the agreement pursuant to which such Indebtedness was created or in such security as the fixed date on which the payment of principal of such security is due and payable, including pursuant to any mandatory redemption provision providing for partial or full mandatory redemption or any sinking fund (but excluding, in each case, any provision providing for the repurchase of such security at the option of the holder thereof upon the happening of any contingency beyond the control of the issuer unless such contingency has occurred).

Subordinated Obligation ” means any Indebtedness of the Corporation (whether outstanding on the Issue Date or thereafter Incurred) which is subordinate or junior in right of payment to the Securities pursuant to an agreement to that effect or by operation of law.

Subsidiary ” of any specified Person means any corporation, partnership, joint venture, association or other business entity, whether now existing or hereafter organized or acquired, (i) in the case of a corporation, of which more than 50% of the total voting power of the Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, officers or trustees thereof is held by such first-named Person or any of its Subsidiaries; or (ii) in the case of a partnership, joint venture, association or other business entity

 

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(other than a corporation) with respect to which such first-named Person or any of its Subsidiaries has the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such entity by contract or otherwise if in accordance with GAAP such entity is consolidated with the first-named Person for financial statement purposes.

Temporary Cash Investments ” means any of the following: (i) any investment in direct obligations of the United States of America or any agency thereof or Canada or any agency thereof or obligations guaranteed by the United States of America or any agency thereof or Canada or any agency thereof, (ii) investments in time deposit accounts, certificates of deposit, money-market deposits, bankers acceptances and obligations maturing within 180 days of the date of acquisition thereof issued by a bank or trust company which is organized under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof, Canada or any country recognized by the United States and Canada, and which bank or trust company has, or the obligation of which bank or trust company is guaranteed by a bank or trust company which has, capital, surplus and undivided profits aggregating in excess of $50,000,000 (or the foreign currency equivalent thereof) and has outstanding debt which is rated “A” (or such similar equivalent rating) or higher by at least one “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Rule 436 under the Securities Act) or by Dominion Bond Rating Service or Canadian Bond Rating Service or any money-market fund sponsored by a registered broker dealer or mutual fund distributor, (iii) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than 30 days for underlying securities of the types described in clause (i) above entered into with a bank meeting the qualifications described in clause (ii) above, (iv) investments in commercial paper, maturing not more than 90 days after the date of acquisition, issued by a corporation (other than an Affiliate of the Corporation) organized and in existence under the laws of the United States of America, Canada or any foreign country recognized by the United States of America and Canada with a rating at the time as of which any investment therein is made of “P-1” (or higher) according to Moody’s or “A-1” (or higher) according to S&P’s or an equivalent rating by Dominion Bond Rating Service or Canadian Bond Rating Service, and (v) investments in securities with maturities of six months or less from the date of acquisition issued or fully guaranteed by any state, commonwealth or territory of the United States of America, or by any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof, and rated at least “A” by S&P’s or “A” by Moody’s.

 

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TIA ” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code § 77aaa-77bbbb), as in effect on the date of this Indenture (except as otherwise provided in Section 10.03) and, to the extent required by law, as amended.

Treasury Rate ” means, with respect to any redemption date and with respect to the Securities, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for such Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date.

Trustee ” means the party named as such above until a successor replaces it pursuant to this Indenture and thereafter means the successor or such successor’s successor.

Trust Officer ” means any officer in the Corporate Trust Department of the Trustee or any other officer of the Trustee assigned by the Trustee to administer this Indenture.

Unrestricted Subsidiary ” means (a) any Subsidiary of the Corporation in existence on the Issue Date that is not a Restricted Subsidiary; (b) any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary; and (c) any Subsidiary of the Corporation which is designated after the Issue Date as an Unrestricted Subsidiary as permitted pursuant to Section 3.10 and not thereafter redesignated as a Restricted Subsidiary as permitted pursuant thereto.

U.S. Government Obligations ” means direct obligations (or certificates representing an ownership interest in such obligations) of the United States of America (including any agency or instrumentality thereof) for the payment of which the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the issuer’s option.

Voting Capital Stock ” means Capital Stock in a corporation or other Person with voting power under ordinary circumstances entitling the holders thereof to elect the board of directors or other governing body of such corporation or Person.

 

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Wholly Owned Subsidiary ” means a Restricted Subsidiary of the Corporation all the Capital Stock of which (other than directors’ qualifying shares) is owned by the Corporation and/or one or more other Wholly Owned Subsidiaries.

SECTION 1.02. Other Definitions.

 

Term

   Defined in
Section

“Additional Amounts”

   3.11

“Affiliate Transaction”

   3.08

“Allocable Excess Proceeds”

   3.07

“Change of Control Offer”

   5.01(a)

“Change of Control Payment”

   5.01(a)

“Change of Control Payment Date”

   5.01(b)(2)

“Custodian”

   7.01

“Deficiency”

   3.07

“Event of Default”

   7.01

“Excess Proceeds”

   3.07

“Excluded Holder”

   3.11

“Fifth Anniversary”

   3.07

“Global Security”

   2.02

“Paying Agent”

   2.03

“Permitted Indebtedness”

   3.03(b)

“Prepayment Offer”

   3.07

“Prepayment Offer Notice”

   3.07

“Purchase Date”

   3.07

“Purchase Price”

   3.07

“Registrar”

   2.03

“Security Register”

   2.03

“Taxes”

   3.11

“Transaction Date”

   1.01

“Unoffered Excess Proceeds”

   3.07

SECTION 1.03. Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act. Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.

 

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The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

indenture securities ” means the Securities;

indenture security holder ” means a Holder;

indenture to be qualified ” means this indenture;

indenture trustee ” or “ institutional trustee ” means the Trustee; and

obligor ” on the Securities means the Corporation and any other obligor on the indenture securities.

SECTION 1.04. Rules of Construction. Unless the context otherwise requires: (i) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP as in effect on the date of this Indenture; and (ii) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular.

ARTICLE II

The Securities

SECTION 2.01. Form and Dating. The Securities and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication thereof shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto. The Securities may have notations, legends or endorsements approved as to form by the Corporation and required by law, stock exchange rule, agreements to which the Corporation is subject or usage. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication. The Securities shall be issuable only in registered form and only in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof.

The terms and provisions contained in the Securities shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture and the Corporation and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby.

SECTION 2.02. Execution and Authentication. Two Officers of the Corporation shall sign the Securities for the Corporation by manual or facsimile signature. The Corporation’s seal shall be reproduced on the Securities and may be in facsimile form.

 

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If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time a Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.

A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of an authorized signatory of the Trustee. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture. The form of Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by the Securities shall be substantially as set forth in Exhibit A hereto.

The Trustee shall, upon a written order of the Corporation signed by two Officers of the Corporation, authenticate Securities for original issue up to the aggregate principal amount stated in the Securities in the form of one or more Global Securities (herein defined as the “Global Security” or “Global Securities”), which (i) shall represent, and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of, the outstanding Securities, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect: “Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual Securities represented hereby, this Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or by a Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of successor Depositary.” The aggregate principal amount of Securities outstanding at any time may not exceed such amount except as provided in section 2.07.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Corporation to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Corporation or an Affiliate of the Corporation.

SECTION 2.03. Registrar and Paying Agent. The Corporation shall maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, the

 

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City of New York, an office or agency where Securities may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (“Registrar”), an office or agency where Securities may be presented for payment (“Paying Agent”) and an office or agency where notices and demands to or upon the Corporation in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served. The Registrar shall keep a register of the Securities and of their transfer and exchange (the register kept being herein sometimes referred to as the “Security Register”). The Corporation may appoint one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar and the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent. The Corporation may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without prior notice to any Holder. No such appointment or change will relieve the Corporation of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York for such purposes. The Corporation shall notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent not a party to this Indenture. If the Corporation fails to appoint or maintain another entity as Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such. The Corporation may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.

The Corporation initially appoints the Trustee to act as the Registrar and Paying Agent and agent for service of notices and demands in connection with the Securities and this Indenture. The initial co-registrar shall be Montréal Trust Company with its principal office in the City of Montréal, Québec, Canada.

SECTION 2.04. Paying Agent To Hold Money in Trust. The Corporation shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of, or premium, if any, on the Securities, and will notify the Trustee of any default by the Corporation in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Corporation at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Corporation) shall have no further liability for the money delivered to the Trustee. If the Corporation acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings relating to the Corporation, the Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Securities.

 

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SECTION 2.05. Holder Lists. The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Holders. If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Corporation shall furnish to the Trustee on or before each interest payment date for the Securities and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Holders.

SECTION 2.06. Registration of Transfer and Exchange. When Securities are presented to the Registrar with a request to register their transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of securities of other authorized denominations, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transaction are met; provided that a Security surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange shall be duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Corporation shall issue Securities as Securities are presented for transfer or exchange and the Trustee shall authenticate such Securities at the Registrar’s request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange, but the Corporation may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with registration of transfer or exchange of Securities other than exchanges not involving any transfer pursuant to section 2.10, 5.01(c) or 10.05.

Prior to due presentment to the Trustee for registration of the transfer of any Security, the Trustee, any Agent and the Corporation may deem and treat the Person in whose name any Security is registered in the Securities Register as the absolute owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of, or premium, if any, and, subject to Section 2.12, interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security is overdue, and neither the Trustee, any Agent nor the Corporation shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

 

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A Global Security may be transferred, in whole but not in part and in the manner provided in this Section, only to a nominee of the Depositary for such Global Security, or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary, or by a Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary for such Global Security selected or approved by the Corporation, or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.

If at any time the Depositary for the Global Security or Global Securities notifies the Corporation that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for such Global Security or Global Securities or if at any time the Depositary for the Global Security or Global Securities shall no longer be eligible or in good standing under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, to continue as depositary for such Global Security or Global Securities the Corporation shall appoint a successor Depositary with respect to such Global Security or Global Securities. If a successor Depositary for such Global Security or Global Securities is not appointed by the Corporation within 90 days after the Corporation receives such notice or becomes aware of such ineligibility, the Corporation will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a written order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities in exchange for such Global Security or Global Securities, will authenticate and make available for delivery individual Securities in definitive form in an aggregate principal amount equal to the outstanding principal amount of the Global Security or Global Securities in exchange for such Global Security or Global Securities.

The Corporation may at any time and in its sole discretion determine that the Securities shall no longer be represented by such Global Security or Global Securities. Also, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Securities shall no longer be represented by such Global Security or Global Securities. In any such event the Corporation will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a written order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities in exchange in whole or in part for such Global Security or Global Securities, will authenticate and make available for delivery individual Securities in definitive form in an aggregate principal amount equal to the outstanding principal amount of such Global Security or Global Securities in exchange for such Global Security or Global Securities.

 

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In any exchange provided for in any of the preceding two paragraphs, the Corporation will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and make available for delivery individual Securities in definitive registered form in authorized denominations. Upon the exchange of a Global Security for individual Securities, such Global Security shall be cancelled by the Trustee. Securities issued in exchange for a Global Security pursuant to this Section shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary for such Global Security shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall make available for delivery such Securities to the persons in whose names such Securities are so registered.

None of the Corporation, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a Global Security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.

The Depositary has advised the Corporation that, subject to the above, it will take any action permitted to be taken by a Holder (including the presentation of Securities for exchange as described above) only at the direction of one or more participants to whose account interests in the Global Security or Global Securities are credited and only in respect of such portion of the aggregate principal amount of Securities as to which such participant or participants has or have given such direction.

SECTION 2.07. Replacement Securities. If (a) any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee or (b) the Corporation and the Trustee receive evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security, and, in each case, there is delivered to the Corporation and the Trustee such security or indemnity, as required, referred to in the next succeeding sentence, then, in the absence of notice to the Corporation or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Corporation shall issue and the Trustee, upon the written order of the Corporation signed by two Officers of the Corporation, shall authenticate and deliver a replacement Security of like tenor and principal amount if the Trustee’s requirements for replacement of Securities are met. If required by the Trustee or the Corporation, an

 

35


indemnity bond or other security must be supplied by the Holder that is sufficient in the judgment of the Trustee and the Corporation to protect the Corporation, the Trustee, any Agent and authenticating agent from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Security is replaced. Upon the issuance of any replacement Securities under this Section, the Corporation may require the payment of a sum sufficient to pay all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer taxes or other governmental charges that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) incurred in replacing a Security.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is to become due and payable, or is about to be repurchased or redeemed by the Corporation pursuant to Section 3.07, Article V or Article IV hereof, the Corporation in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay or repurchase or redeem such Security, as the case may be.

Every replacement Security is an additional obligation of the Corporation and shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with all other Securities duly issued hereunder.

The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

SECTION 2.08. Outstanding Securities. The Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture except:

(i) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

(ii) Securities, or portions thereof, for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Corporation) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Corporation (if the Corporation shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities, provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such

 

36


redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provisions therefor satisfactory to the Trustee have been made;

(iii) Securities, except to the extent provided in Article IX, with respect to which the Company has effected defeasance and/or covenant defeasance as provided in Article IX; and

(iv) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 2.07 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Corporation.

SECTION 2.09. Treasury Securities. In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Securities owned by the Issuer or any other obligor, or by an Affiliate of the Issuer or such other obligor, shall be considered as though they are not outstanding, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Securities which the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Issuer or any other obligor, or any Affiliate of the Issuer or such other obligor.

SECTION 2.10. Temporary Securities. Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Corporation may prepare and execute and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities upon a written order of the Corporation signed by two Officers of the Corporation. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Issuer considers appropriate for temporary Securities.

If temporary Securities are issued, the Corporation will cause definitive Securities to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of

 

37


definitive Securities, the temporary securities shall be exchangeable for such definitive Securities upon surrender of such temporary Securities at the Corporate Trust Office, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for exchange of any one or more temporary Securities, the Corporation shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery in exchange therefor a like aggregate principal amount of definitive Securities having the same date as such temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities.

SECTION 2.11. Cancellation. The Corporation at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange, payment or repurchase. The Trustee shall cancel all Securities surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment, repurchase, replacement or cancellation. The Corporation may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that it has paid or that have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, except that a new Security in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of a Security redeemed in part pursuant to Article IV hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the Security redeemed in part and otherwise as provided herein.

SECTION 2.12. Defaulted Interest. If and to the extent the Corporation fails to make or duly provide for a payment of interest on the Securities, it shall pay such interest, plus interest payable on the defaulted interest pursuant to Section 3.02 to the persons who are Holders at the close of business on a special record date (the “Special Record Date”), which the Trustee shall establish for such payment, notice of which shall be delivered by the Trustee to each Holder, not less than 10 days prior to the Special Record Date.

SECTION 2.13. Record Date. If the Corporation shall solicit from the Holders any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, vote, consent, waiver or other act, the Corporation may, at its option, by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, fix in advance a record date for the determination of such Holders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, vote, consent, waiver or other act, but the Corporation shall have

 

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no obligation to do so. Notwithstanding Trust Indenture Act Section 316(c), any such record date shall be the record date specified in or pursuant to such Board Resolution, which shall be a date not more than 30 days prior to the first solicitation of Holders generally in connection therewith and no later than the date such solicitation is completed.

If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, vote, consent, waiver or other act may be given before or after such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of business on such record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of Securities then outstanding have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, vote, consent, waiver or other act, and for this purpose the Securities then outstanding shall be computed as of such record date; provided that no such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, vote, consent, waiver or other act by the Holders on such record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than eleven months after the record date.

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, vote, consent, waiver or other act by the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security or the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof, in respect of anything done, suffered or omitted to be done by the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Corporation in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.

SECTION 2.14. Computation of Interest. Interest on the Securities shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. For disclosure purposes under the Interest Act (Canada), whenever in the Indenture or the Securities interest at a specified rate is to be calculated on the basis of a period less than a calendar year, the yearly rate of interest to which such rate is equivalent is such rate multiplied by the actual number of days in the relevant calendar year and divided by the number of days in such period.

 

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SECTION 2.15. Predecessor Securities. All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities or in replacement of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security pursuant to Section 2.07 shall evidence the same debt, and be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the predecessor Security or Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange or lost, destroyed or stolen, as the case may be.

SECTION 2.16. CUSIP Numbers. The Corporation in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers and, if it does so, the Trustee shall use the CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption or exchange as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP numbers printed in the notice or on the Securities and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities. The Corporation will promptly notify the Trustee of any change in the CUSIP numbers.

ARTICLE III

Covenants

SECTION 3.01. Certain Covenants Suspended. The covenants set forth in this Article III and in clause (vi) of Section 6.01(a) will be applicable to the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries unless and until the Corporation reaches Investment Grade Status, except that upon reaching Investment Grade Status the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries will remain subject to the provisions of this Indenture described in Section 3.02, Section 3.05, Section 3.09, Section 3.10 (except for clause (i) of Section 3.l0(b)), Section 3.11, Section 3.12, Section 3.13 and Section 3.14 (collectively, the “Non-Suspended Covenants”).

After the Corporation reaches Investment Grade Status, and notwithstanding that the rating assigned to the Corporation may later cease to be an Investment Grade Rating by either of the Rating Agencies or both, the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries will be released from their obligations to comply with the covenants set forth in this Article III and in clause (vi) of Section 6.01(a) other than the Non-Suspended Covenants.

 

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SECTION 3.02. Payment of Securities. The Corporation shall pay the principal of, premium (if any) and interest on the Securities in immediately available funds on the dates and in the manner provided in the Securities and in this Indenture. Principal, premium (if any) and interest shall be considered paid on the date due if the Trustee or Paying Agent (other than the Corporation or an Affiliate of the Corporation) holds on that date money designated for and sufficient to pay all principal, premium (if any) and interest then due.

The Corporation shall pay interest on overdue principal and premium (if any) on the Securities at the rate then borne by the Securities; it shall pay interest on overdue installments of interest at the same rate to the extent legally permitted.

SECTION 3.03. Limitation on Indebtedness. (a) The Corporation shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, Incur any Indebtedness unless, after giving effect to the Incurrence on a pro forma basis no Default or Event of Default would occur as a consequence of such Incurrence or be continuing following such Incurrence and either (i) after giving effect to the Incurrence of such Indebtedness and the receipt and application of the proceeds thereof, the Corporation’s Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio would have been greater than 2.0 or (ii) such Indebtedness is Permitted Indebtedness.

(b) “Permitted Indebtedness” is defined to include any and all of the following:

(i) Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount on the date of Incurrence which, when added to all other Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to this clause (i) and then outstanding, will not exceed the greater of (x) the maximum aggregate principal amount of Indebtedness that could be Incurred pursuant to the Credit Agreement by the Corporation on the Issue Date assuming all conditions were satisfied and (y) the sum of (A) 60% of the book value of the inventory of the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries and (B) 80% of the book value of the accounts receivables of the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries;

 

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(ii) Indebtedness of the Corporation owing to and held by a Restricted Subsidiary and Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary owing to and held by the Corporation or any other Restricted Subsidiary; provided , however , that any subsequent issuance or transfer of any Capital Stock or any other event which results in any such Restricted Subsidiary ceasing to be a Restricted Subsidiary or any subsequent transfer of any such Indebtedness (except to the Corporation or a Restricted Subsidiary) will be deemed, in each case, to constitute the Incurrence of such Indebtedness by the issuer thereof on the date of such issuance, transfer or event;

(iii) Indebtedness represented by the securities and the Notes, any Indebtedness (other than the Indebtedness described or referenced in clauses (i) or (ii) above (including in respect of the Credit Agreement)) outstanding on the Issue Date and any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness Incurred in respect of any Indebtedness described in this clause (iii), clause (i) of paragraph (a) above or clause (v) of this paragraph (b);

(iv) (A) Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary Incurred and outstanding on or prior to the date on which such Restricted Subsidiary was acquired by the Corporation (other than Indebtedness Incurred as consideration in, in contemplation of, or to provide all or any portion of the funds or credit support utilized to consummate, the transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which such Restricted Subsidiary became a Subsidiary or was otherwise acquired by the Corporation); provided , however , that the Corporation, after acquiring such Restricted Subsidiary and after giving effect to the Incurrence of such Indebtedness pursuant to this clause (iv), would have been able to Incur US $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to clause (i) of paragraph (a) above and (B) Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness Incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary in respect of Indebtedness Incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to this clause (iv);

 

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(v) Indebtedness Incurred by the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and used to fund capital expenditures in an aggregate principal amount on the date of Incurrence which, when added to all other Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to this clause (v) and then outstanding (including any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness Incurred in respect of this clause (v) contemplated by clause (iii) of this paragraph (b)), will not exceed US $150 million (including any such Indebtedness incurred within 90 days of a capital expenditure to fund such capital expenditure);

(vi) Indebtedness (A) in respect of performance bonds, banker’s acceptances, trade letters of credit and surety or appeal bonds provided by the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of their business and which do not secure other Indebtedness, and (B) under Exchange Rate Agreements and Interest Rate Agreements; provided , however , that, in the case of Exchange Rate Agreements and Interest Rate Agreements, such Exchange Rate Agreements and Interest Rate Agreements do not increase the Indebtedness of the Corporation outstanding any time other than as a result of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates or interest rates or by reason of fees, indemnities and compensation payable thereunder;

(vii) Purchase Money Obligations directly incurred by the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and used to fund the acquisition of capital assets in the ordinary course of business (including any such obligations incurred within 90 days after such acquisition); provided that (A) each such obligation shall be paid in full not later than 360 days after the subject asset is delivered to the purchaser thereof and (B) the aggregate amount of Purchase Money Obligations outstanding at any time for purposes of this clause (vii) shall not exceed US $50 million;

(viii) Indebtedness of the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries arising from agreements providing for indemnification, adjustment of purchase price or similar

 

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obligations, or from guarantees, letters of credit, surety bonds or performance bonds securing any obligations of the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, incurred or assumed in connection with the disposition of any business, assets or Restricted Subsidiary of the Corporation other than guarantees or similar credit support by the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of Indebtedness incurred by any Person acquiring all or any portion of such business, assets or Restricted Subsidiary for the purpose of financing such acquisition; provided that the maximum aggregate liability in respect of all such Indebtedness in the nature of such guarantees shall at no time exceed the gross proceeds actually received from the sale of such business, assets or Restricted Subsidiary; or

(ix) Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clause (i) of paragraph (a) above or any other clause of this paragraph (b)) in an aggregate principal amount on the date of Incurrence which, when added to all other Indebtedness Incurred pursuant to this clause (ix) and then outstanding, will not exceed US $150 million.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation may not Incur any Indebtedness pursuant to paragraph (b) above if the proceeds thereof are used, directly or indirectly, to repay, prepay, redeem, defease, retire, refund or refinance any Subordinated Obligations unless such Indebtedness will be subordinated to the Securities to at least the same extent as such Subordinated Obligations.

SECTION 3.04. Limitation on Restrictions on Distributions from Restricted Subsidiaries. The Corporation shall not, and shall not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective, or enter into any agreement with any Person that would cause to become effective, any consensual encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to (a) pay dividends, in cash or otherwise, or make any other distributions on or in respect of its Capital Stock, or pay any Indebtedness or other obligation owed, to the Corporation or any other Restricted Subsidiary, (b) make any loans or advances to the

 

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Corporation or any other Restricted Subsidiary or (c) transfer any of its Property to the Corporation or any other Restricted Subsidiary. Such limitation will not apply (1) with respect to clauses (a), (b) and (c), to encumbrances and restrictions (i) in existence under or by reason of any agreements in effect on the Issue Date, (ii) relating to Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary and existing at such Restricted Subsidiary at the time it became a Restricted Subsidiary if either (A) such encumbrance or restriction was not created in connection with or in anticipation of the transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which such Restricted Subsidiary became a Restricted Subsidiary or was acquired by the Corporation or (B) such encumbrance or restriction was created in connection with the refinancing of pre-existing Indebtedness in connection with or in anticipation of the transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which such Restricted Subsidiary became a Restricted Subsidiary or was acquired by the Corporation, the new Indebtedness is Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness and such encumbrance or restriction relates only to the Property previously subject to an encumbrance or restriction under the pre-existing Indebtedness (and any improvements or additions to such Property) and is no more restrictive in the aggregate than was its predecessor or (iii) which result from the renewal, refinancing, extension or amendment of an agreement referred to in clauses (1)(i) and (ii) above and in clauses (2)(i) and (ii) below, provided , such encumbrance or restriction is no more restrictive in the aggregate to such Restricted Subsidiary and is not less favorable in the aggregate to the Holders of Securities than those under or pursuant to the agreement evidencing the Indebtedness so extended, renewed, refinanced or replaced, and (2) with respect to clause (c) only, to (i) any encumbrance or restriction relating to Indebtedness that is permitted to be Incurred and secured pursuant to the provisions under Section 3.03 and Section 3.05 that limits the right of the debtor to dispose of the Property securing such Indebtedness, (ii) any encumbrance or restriction in connection with an acquisition of Property, so long as such encumbrance or restriction relates solely to the Property so acquired (and any improvements or additions to such Property) and was not created in connection with or in anticipation of such acquisition, (iii) customary provisions restricting subletting or assignment of leases and customary provisions in other agreements that restrict assignment of such agreements or rights thereunder or (iv) customary restrictions contained in asset sale agreements limiting the transfer of such assets pending the closing of such sale.

 

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SECTION 3.05. Limitation on Liens. The Corporation shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, Incur or permit to exist any Lien of any nature whatsoever on any of its Properties (including Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary), whether owned at the Issue Date or thereafter acquired, other than Permitted Liens, without effectively providing that the Securities shall be secured equally and ratably with (or prior to) the obligations so secured for so long as such obligations are so secured; provided , however , that the Corporation may Incur Liens to secure Indebtedness as long as, after giving pro forma effect to the Incurrence of such Lien and the receipt and application of proceeds from the Indebtedness secured thereby, the amount of outstanding Indebtedness secured by Liens Incurred pursuant to this proviso does not exceed 10% of Consolidated Net Assets, as determined based on the consolidated balance sheet of the Corporation as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter ending at least 45 days prior thereto.

SECTION 3.06. Limitation on Restricted Payments. The Corporation shall not make, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to make, any Restricted Payment if at the time of, and after giving effect to, such proposed Restricted Payment, (a) a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (b) the Corporation could not Incur at least US $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to clause (i) of paragraph (a) of Section 3.03 or (c) the aggregate amount of such Restricted Payment and all other Restricted Payments since the Issue Date (the amount of any Restricted Payment, if made other than in cash, shall be determined based upon fair market value) would exceed an amount equal to the sum of (i) 50% of the aggregate Consolidated Net Income of the Corporation accrued during the period (treated as one accounting period) from the beginning of the fiscal quarter in which the Issue Date occurs to the end of the most recent fiscal quarter ending at least 30 days prior to the date of such Restricted Payment (or, if Consolidated Net Income during such period shall be a deficit, less 100% of such deficit), (ii) Capital Stock Sale Proceeds and (iii) the amount by which Indebtedness of the corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary is reduced upon the conversion or exchange (other than by a Subsidiary of the Corporation) subsequent to the Issue Date of any Indebtedness of the Corporation or any Restricted

 

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Subsidiary convertible or exchangeable for Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Corporation (less the amount of any cash or other Property distributed by the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary upon conversion or exchange).

Notwithstanding the foregoing limitation, the Corporation may (a) pay dividends on or make distributions in respect of its Capital Stock within 60 days of the declaration thereof if, on the declaration date, such dividends or distributions could have been paid in compliance with the foregoing limitation, (b) redeem, repurchase, defease, acquire or retire for value, any Subordinated Obligation (whether pursuant to its terms or by operation of law) with the proceeds of any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness, (c) acquire, redeem or retire Capital Stock of the Corporation or any Subordinated Obligation in exchange for, or in connection with a substantially concurrent issuance of, Capital Stock of the Corporation (other than Disqualified Stock), (d) pay dividends on, or make any mandatory market repurchases in respect of, its Preferred Stock outstanding on the Issue Date, in accordance with the terms of such Preferred Stock as in effect on the Issue Date, (e) make Restricted Payments (the amount of any Restricted Payment, if made other than in cash, shall be determined based on fair market value) otherwise not permitted as a result of the terms of clause (b) or (c) of the preceding paragraph, the aggregate amount of such Restricted Payments made since the Issue Date not to exceed US $50 million, and (f) repurchase those shares of Capital Stock of Norkraft issued and outstanding on the Issue Date and not owned on the Issue Date by the Corporation.

Any payments made pursuant to clauses (b), (c) or (f) of the immediately preceding paragraph shall be excluded from the calculation of the aggregate amount of Restricted Payments made after the Issue Date; provided , however , that the proceeds from the issuance of Capital Stock pursuant to clause (c) of the immediately preceding paragraph shall not constitute Capital Stock Sale Proceeds for purposes of clause (c)(ii) of the first paragraph of this covenant if and to the extent such proceeds are utilized to make Restricted Payments. Any payments made pursuant to clauses (a), (d) and (e) of the immediately preceding paragraph shall be included in the calculation of the aggregate amount of Restricted Payments made after the Issue Date.

 

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SECTION 3.07. Limitation on Asset Sales. The Corporation shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, consummate any Asset Sale after the Issue Date unless (i) the Corporation or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, receives consideration at the time of such Asset Sale at least equal to the fair market value (as determined in good faith by a majority of the Board of Directors, including a majority of the independent directors, as evidenced by a Board Resolution, or as determined based upon an opinion letter from an Independent Appraiser (which opinion letter shall identify such Independent Appraiser as such and be dated within 30 days of such Asset Sale)) of the Property subject to such Asset Sale and (ii) at least 75% of the consideration paid to the Corporation or such Restricted Subsidiary in connection with such Asset Sale is in the form of (w) cash or cash equivalents or notes secured as to payment of principal and interest by a Qualified Letter of Credit, (x) the assumption or repayment of Indebtedness of the Corporation or a Restricted Subsidiary (together, in each case, with a complete and unconditional release of all obligations of the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of such Indebtedness) or (y) Property (including Capital Stock constituting a majority of the total voting power attached to the then outstanding Voting Capital Stock of any Person the primary business of which is a Related Business or, in connection with an Investment by the Corporation or a Restricted Subsidiary in a joint venture in a Related Business, Capital Stock of the Person formed in connection with such joint venture) to be used by the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries in a Related Business (the amount of consideration in respect of Property to be equal to its fair market value, determined as aforesaid), or (z) any combination of (w), (x) or (y).

The Net Available Cash (or any portion thereof) from Asset Sales may be applied by the Corporation or a Restricted Subsidiary, to the extent the Corporation or such Restricted Subsidiary elects, (A) to prepay, repay or purchase (1) Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary, (2) Indebtedness under the Credit Agreement (without requiring a reduction in the committed amount of the Credit Agreement) or (3) other Indebtedness of the Corporation (other than any Subordinated Obligation), provided that, in the case of clause (A)(3), such Indebtedness has (i) a Stated Maturity no later than the Stated Maturity of the Securities or the Notes, as applicable, and (ii) an Average

 

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Life equal to or shorter than the Average Life of the Securities or the Notes, as applicable; or (B) to reinvest in Additional Assets (including by means of an Investment in Additional Assets by a Restricted Subsidiary with Net Available Cash received by the Corporation or another Restricted Subsidiary).

Any Net Available Cash from an Asset Sale that is not applied in accordance with the preceding paragraph within twelve months from the date of the receipt of such Net Available Cash or that is not segregated from the general funds of the Corporation for investment in identified Additional Assets in respect of a project that shall have been commenced prior to the end of such twelve-month period and shall not have been completed or abandoned shall constitute “Excess Proceeds”; provided , however , that the amount of any Net Available Cash that ceases to be so segregated as contemplated above and any Net Available Cash that is segregated in respect of a project that is abandoned or completed shall also constitute “Excess Proceeds” at the time any such Net Available Cash ceases to be so segregated or at the time the relevant project is so abandoned or completed, as applicable; provided further , however , that the amount of any Net Available Cash that continues to be segregated for investment and that is not actually reinvested within twenty-four months from the date of the receipt of such Net Available Cash shall also constitute “Excess Proceeds”. When the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds US $20 million, the Corporation will be required to make an offer to purchase (the “Prepayment Offer”) the Securities, in an amount equal to the Allocable Excess Proceeds (as defined below) at a purchase price (the “Purchase Price”) equal to an amount not less than 100% of the principal amount of each such Security, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon (if any) to the date of purchase in accordance with the procedures (including prorating in the event of oversubscription) set forth in this Indenture. If the aggregate principal amount of all Securities surrendered for purchase by Holders thereof exceeds the applicable amount of Allocable Excess Proceeds, then the Trustee shall select the Securities to be purchased pro rata according to principal amount with such adjustments as may be deemed appropriate by the Corporation so that only Securities in denominations of US $1,000, or integral multiples thereof, shall be purchased. To the extent that any portion of the amount of Net Available Cash remains after compliance with the preceding sentence and provided that all Holders of Securities have been given the opportunity to tender their

 

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Securities for purchase as described in the following paragraph in accordance with this Indenture, the Corporation or such Restricted Subsidiary may use such remaining amount for general corporate purposes and the amount of Excess Proceeds will be reset to zero; provided that the amount of the Unoffered Excess Proceeds (as defined below) shall constitute Excess Proceeds in respect of the Securities for purposes of the first Prepayment Offer that is made after the fifth anniversary of the Issue Date (the “Fifth Anniversary”), “Allocable Excess Proceeds” means the product of (x) the Excess Proceeds and (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate principal amount of the Securities outstanding on the date of the Prepayment Offer and the denominator of which is the sum of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities outstanding on the date of the Prepayment Offer and the aggregate principal amount of other Indebtedness of the Corporation outstanding on the date of the Prepayment Offer that is pari passu in right of payment with the Securities and subject to terms and conditions in respect of Asset Sales similar in all material respects to this Section 3.07 and requiring the Corporation to make an offer to purchase such Indebtedness substantially at the same time of the Prepayment Offer.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Corporation be required to repurchase or make a Prepayment Offer or Prepayment Offers to purchase more than 25% of the original aggregate principal amount of the Securities on or prior to the Fifth Anniversary. If (x) the aggregate Allocable Excess Proceeds (disregarding any resetting to zero pursuant to the preceding paragraph) resulting from Asset Sales occurring on or prior to the Fifth Anniversary that, but for the first sentence of this paragraph, the Corporation would be required to apply to repurchase or make an offer or offers to purchase Securities, less (y) any Deficiencies resulting from any Prepayment Offer made on or prior to the Fifth Anniversary, exceed the sum of (a) 25% of the original aggregate principal amount of the Securities, plus (b) without duplication of amounts specified in clause (y) of this sentence, any portion of such Allocable Excess Proceeds in excess of 25% of the original aggregate principal amount of the Securities applied at the election of the Corporation to repurchase or make an offer or offers to purchase Securities prior to the Fifth Anniversary (such excess being the “Unoffered Excess Proceeds”), then, subject to and in accordance with the procedures set forth in this covenant, within five Business Days after the Fifth Anniversary the

 

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Corporation shall make a Prepayment Offer for the Securities in an amount equal to the Unoffered Excess Proceeds applicable to the Securities. “Deficiency” shall mean an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the aggregate principal amount of Securities offered to be purchased pursuant to a Prepayment Offer over the aggregate principal amount of Securities tendered in respect of such Prepayment Offer.

Within five Business Days after the date Net Available Cash from an Asset Sale is treated as “Excess Proceeds” under this covenant, the Corporation shall, if it is obligated to make a Prepayment Offer, send a written notice, by first-class mail, to the Holders of Securities (the “Prepayment Offer Notice”), accompanied by such information regarding the Corporation and its Subsidiaries as the Corporation in good faith believes will enable such Holders to make an informed decision with respect to the Prepayment Offer. The Prepayment Offer Notice will state, among other things, (a) that the Corporation is offering to purchase Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Section, (b) that any Security (or any portion thereof) accepted for payment (and duly paid on the Purchase Date) pursuant to the Prepayment Offer shall cease to accrue interest after the Purchase Date, (c) the purchase price and purchase date, which shall be, subject to any contrary requirements of applicable law, no less than 30 days nor more than 60 days from the date the Prepayment Offer Notice is mailed (the “Purchase Date”), (d) the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased and (e) a description of the procedures which Holders of Securities must follow in order to tender their Securities (or portions thereof) and the procedures that Holders of Securities must follow in order to withdraw an election to tender their Securities (or portions thereof) for payment.

SECTION 3.08. Limitation on Transactions with Affiliates. The Corporation shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into or permit to exist any transaction (including the purchase, sale, lease or exchange of any property, employee compensation arrangements or the rendering of any service) with any Affiliate of the Corporation (an “Affiliate Transaction”) unless the terms thereof (1) are no less favorable to the Corporation or such Restricted Subsidiary than those that could be obtained at the time of such transaction in arm’s-length dealings with a Person who is not such an Affiliate, (2) if such Affiliate Transaction involves aggregate consideration in excess of

 

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US $10 million but less than or equal to US $25 million, (i) are set forth in writing, (ii) have been approved by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors having no personal stake in such Affiliate Transaction and (iii) satisfy the terms of clause (1) of this covenant and (3) if such Affiliate Transaction involves aggregate consideration in excess of US $25 million, (i) (x) have been determined by an Independent Appraiser to be fair to the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries, from a financial standpoint, or (y) satisfy the terms of clause (2) (ii) of this Section and (ii) satisfy the terms of clauses (1) and (2) (i) of this Section.

Notwithstanding the foregoing limitation, the Corporation may enter into or suffer to exist the following: (i) any Restricted Payment made in accordance with Section 3.06; (ii) any transaction or series of transactions between the Corporation and one or more of its Restricted Subsidiaries or between two or more of its Restricted Subsidiaries (provided that no more than 5% of the Capital Stock in any of such Restricted Subsidiaries is beneficially owned by an Affiliate of the Corporation (other than another Restricted Subsidiary)); (iii) the payment of compensation (including, amounts paid pursuant to employee benefit plans) for the personal services of officers, directors and employees of the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, so long as the Board of Directors of the Corporation in good faith shall have approved the terms thereof and deemed the services theretofore or thereafter to be performed for such compensation or fees to be fair consideration therefor; (iv) any transaction pursuant to any contract in existence on the Issue Date between the Corporation and a Wholly Owned Subsidiary or between Wholly Owned Subsidiaries; (v) loans and advances to employees made in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practice of the Corporation or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be; and (vi) any transaction or series of transactions between the Corporation and Norkraft, so long as Norkraft remains a Restricted Subsidiary owned solely by the Corporation and an entity owned solely by Norkraft employees.

SECTION 3.09. Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions. The Corporation will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into any Sale and Leaseback Transaction with respect to any Property unless (i) the Corporation or such Subsidiary would be entitled to (A) Incur Indebtedness in an amount equal to the

 

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Attributable Indebtedness with respect to such Sale and Leaseback Transaction pursuant to Section 3.03 and (B) create a Lien on such property securing such Attributable Indebtedness without equally and ratably securing the Securities pursuant to Section 3.05 and (ii) the net cash proceeds received by the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with such Sale and Leaseback Transaction are at least equal to the fair market value (determined as specified in the first paragraph under Section 3.07) of such Property.

SECTION 3.10. Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries. (a) Unless defined or designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, any Person that becomes a Subsidiary of the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries shall be classified as a Restricted Subsidiary subject to the provisions of the next paragraph. The Corporation may designate a Subsidiary (including a newly formed or newly acquired Subsidiary) of the Corporation or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries as an Unrestricted Subsidiary unless such Subsidiary or any of its Subsidiaries owns or holds any Capital Stock or Indebtedness of, or holds any Lien on any Property of, the Corporation, or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Corporation; provided , however , (i) such designation is effective on the Issue Date or within 30 days after the first meeting of the Board of Directors to occur following the date on which such Subsidiary became a Subsidiary of the Corporation or of a Restricted Subsidiary or (ii) the Subsidiary to be so designated has total assets of US $1,000 or less. An Unrestricted Subsidiary may be redesignated as a Restricted Subsidiary upon compliance with the provisions of the next paragraph. The designation of an Unrestricted Subsidiary or removal of such designation shall be made by the Board of Directors pursuant to a Board Resolution delivered to the Trustee and shall be effective as of the date specified in such Board Resolution, which shall not be prior to the date such Board Resolution is delivered to the Trustee.

(b) The Corporation will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, take any action or enter into any transaction or series of transactions that would result in a Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary (whether through an acquisition or otherwise) unless, after giving effect to such action, transaction or series of transactions, on a pro forma basis, (i) the Corporation could Incur at least US $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to clause (i) of paragraph (a) of Section 3.03 and (ii) no Default or Event of Default would occur or be continuing.

 

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SECTION 3.11. Canadian Withholding Taxes. All payments made on behalf of the Corporation under or with respect to the Securities will be made free and clear of and without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future tax, duty, levy, impost, assessment or other governmental charge (including penalties, interest and other liabilities related thereto) imposed or levied by or on behalf of the Government of Canada or of any province or territory thereof or by any authority or agency therein or thereof having power to tax (“Taxes”), unless the Corporation is required to withhold or deduct Taxes by law or by the interpretation or administration thereof by the relevant government authority or agency. If the Corporation is so required to withhold or deduct any amount for or on account of Taxes from any payment made under or with respect to the Securities, the Corporation will be required to pay such additional amounts (“Additional Amounts”) as may be necessary so that the net amount received by each Holder (including Additional Amounts) after such withholding or deduction will not be less than the amount the Holder would have received if such Taxes had not been withheld or deducted; provided , however , that no Additional Amounts will be payable with respect to payments made to a Holder (an “Excluded Holder”) in respect of a beneficial owner (i) with which the Corporation does not deal at arm’s length (for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) at the time of making of such payment or (ii) which is subject to such Taxes by reason of its being connected with Canada or any province or territory thereof otherwise than by the mere holding of Securities or the receipt of payments thereunder. The Corporation will also make such withholding or deduction and remit the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant authority as and when required in accordance with applicable law.

The Corporation will furnish to the Holder of the Securities, within 30 days after the date the payment of any Taxes is due pursuant to applicable law, certified copies of tax receipts evidencing such payment by the Corporation. The Corporation will upon written request of each Holder (other than an Excluded Holder), reimburse each such Holder for the amount of (i) any Taxes so levied or imposed and paid by such Holder as a result of payments made under or with respect to the Securities and (ii) any Taxes imposed

 

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with respect to any reimbursement under the immediately preceding clause (i), but excluding any such Taxes on such Holder’s net income, such that the net amount received by such Holder after such reimbursement will not be less than the net amount the Holder would have received if Taxes (other than such Taxes on such Holder’s net income) on such reimbursement had not been imposed.

At least 30 days prior to each date on which any payment under or with respect to the Securities is due and payable, if the Corporation becomes obligated to pay Additional Amounts with respect to such payment, the Corporation will deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating the fact that such Additional Amounts will be payable, and the amounts so payable and will set forth such other information as is necessary to enable the Trustee to pay such Additional Amounts to the Holders on the payment date. Whenever in this Indenture there is mentioned, in any context, (a) the payment of principal (and premium, if any), (b) purchase prices in connection with a purchase of Securities by the Corporation, (c) interest or (d) any other amount payable on or with respect to any of the Securities, such mention shall be deemed to include mention of the payment of Additional Amounts provided for in this section to the extent that, in such context, Additional Amounts are, were or would be payable in respect thereof.

SECTION 3.12. SEC Reports; Reports to Holders. The Corporation shall transmit to the Commission and file with the Trustee and cause to be mailed directly to each of the Holders of the Securities at such Holder’s last address appearing in the Security Register, without cost to such Holders, within 15 days after the Corporation is required to file the same with the Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Commission may from time to time by rule and regulation prescribe) which the Corporation is required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act; or, if the Corporation is not required to file information, documents or reports pursuant to either of such Sections, then the Corporation will file with the Commission and provide to the Holders of the Securities and the Trustee annual reports and other information, documents and reports which are required to be filed by a Person similarly situated to the Corporation subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, which reports, information and documents,

 

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regardless of applicable requirements, shall, at a minimum, contain such information required to be provided or set forth in, as applicable, annual and quarterly reports under the laws of Canada or any province thereof provided to securityholders of a company with securities listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (whether or not the Corporation has any of its securities so listed); provided , however , that the Corporation shall not be so obligated to file such reports with the Commission if the Commission does not permit such filings. Any financial statement contained in each of such reports will be prepared in accordance with GAAP, and in the case of the annual financial statements will contain a reconciliation to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States prepared in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission in respect of such reconciliation. The Corporation also shall comply with the other provisions of TIA § 314(a).

SECTION 3.13. Compliance Certificates. The Corporation shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Corporation, an Officers’ Certificate (one signatory to which shall be its principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer) stating that a review of the activities of the Corporation and its subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Corporation has kept, observed, performed, fulfilled and complied with their obligations, covenants and conditions under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of such Officer’s knowledge the Corporation has kept, observed, performed, fulfilled and complied with each and every applicable covenant and condition contained in this Indenture and is not in default in performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he may have knowledge and the nature and status thereof). For purposes of this paragraph, compliance shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice under this Indenture.

SECTION 3.14. Notice of Defaults. Subject to the last paragraph of Section 7.01, upon the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default under this Indenture, the Corporation within 10 days after it becomes aware thereof,

 

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shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Corporation is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

ARTICLE IV

Redemption of the Securities

SECTION 4.01. Notice of Trustee. If the Corporation elects to redeem the Securities pursuant to paragraph 5 of the Securities, it shall notify the Trustee in writing of the Redemption Date and the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed. The Corporation shall give each such notice to the Trustee at least 60 calendar days prior to the Redemption Date unless the Trustee consents to a shorter period. Such notice shall be accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel from the Corporation to the effect that such redemption will comply with any conditions to such redemption set forth herein and in the Securities.

SECTION 4.02. Selection of Securities To Be Redeemed. If less than all of the Securities are to be redeemed at any time, the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed on a pro rata basis, by lot or by such other method as the Trustee in its sole discretion shall deem to be fair and appropriate, provided that the Trustee may not select for redemption in part Securities of US $1,000 in original principal amount or less. In selecting Securities to be redeemed pursuant to this Section 4.02, the Trustee shall make such adjustments, reallocations and eliminations as it shall deem proper so that the principal amount of each Security to be redeemed shall be $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof, by increasing, decreasing or eliminating any amount less than $1,000 which would be allocable to any Holder. The Trustee in its discretion may determine the particular Securities (if there are more than one) registered in the name of any Holder which are to be redeemed, in whole or in part. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities called for redemption. The Trustee shall notify the Corporation promptly of the Securities or portions of Securities to be redeemed.

 

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SECTION 4.03. Notice of Redemption. At least 30 calendar days but not more than 60 calendar days before a Redemption Date, the Corporation shall send a notice of redemption, first class mail, postage prepaid, to Holders of Securities to be redeemed at the addresses of such Holders as they appear in the Security Register.

The notice shall identify the Securities to be redeemed and shall state:

(a) the Redemption Date;

(b) the Redemption Price (and shall specify the portion of such Redemption Price that constitutes the amount of accrued and unpaid interest to be paid, if any);

(c) the name and address of the Paying Agent;

(d) that the Securities called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the Redemption price;

(e) if any Global Security is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Global Security to be redeemed and that, after the Redemption Date, the Global Security, with a notation adjusting the principal amount thereof to be equal to the unredeemed portion, will be returned to the Holder thereof;

(f) if fewer than all the outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the identification and principal amounts of the particular Securities to be redeemed;

(g) that, unless the Corporation defaults in making the redemption payment, interest on the Securities (or portions thereof) called for redemption shall cease and such Securities (or portions thereof) shall cease to accrue interest on and after the Redemption Date;

(h) the paragraph of the Securities pursuant to which the Securities are being called for redemption;

(i) if any Security is to be redeemed in part only, the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed;

 

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(j) that Holders whose Securities are being purchased only in part will be issued new Securities equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Securities surrendered, provided that each such new Security issued shall be in a principal amount in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof; and

(k) the CUSIP if applicable;

(l) any other information necessary to enable Holders to comply with the notice of redemption.

At the Corporation’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Corporation’s name and at the Corporation’s expense. In such event, the Corporation shall provide the Trustee with the information required by this Section 4.03 in a timely manner.

SECTION 4.04. Effect of Notice of Redemption. Once notice of redemption is mailed, Securities called for redemption shall become due and payable on the Redemption Date and at the Redemption Price stated in such notice. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the Redemption Price stated in such notice. Failure to give notice or any defect in the notice to any Holder shall not affect the validity of the notice to any other Holder.

SECTION 4.05. Deposit of Redemption Price. On or prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on each Redemption Date, the Corporation shall deposit with the Paying Agent (or, if the Corporation, one of its Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates is the Paying Agent, the Paying Agent shall segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders) money, in United States Federal or other immediately available funds, sufficient to pay the Redemption Price on all Securities to be redeemed on that date other than Securities or portions of Securities called for redemption on such date which have been delivered by the Corporation to the Trustee for cancellation.

So long as the Corporation complies with the preceding paragraph and the other provisions of this Article IV, interest on the Securities to be redeemed on the applicable Redemption Date shall cease to accrue from and after such date and such Securities or portions thereof shall be deemed not to be entitled to any benefit under this

 

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Indenture except to receive payment of the Redemption Price on the Redemption Date. If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender for redemption, then, from the Redemption Date until such principal, premium (if any) and accrued but unpaid interest is paid, interest shall be paid on the unpaid principal and premium (if any) at the rate then borne by the Securities, and, to the extent permitted by law, on any accrued but unpaid interest thereon, at the same rate.

SECTION 4.06. Redemption for Changes in Canadian Withholding Taxes. The Securities may be redeemed, at the option of the Corporation, at any time as a whole but not in part, on not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice, at 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest (if any) to the date of redemption (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date), in the event the Corporation has become or would become obligated to pay, on the next date on which any amount would be payable with respect to the Securities, any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities as a result of a change in or an amendment to the laws (including any regulations promulgated thereunder) of Canada (or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein), or any change in or amendment to any official position regarding the application or interpretation of such laws or regulations, which change or amendment is announced or becomes effective on or after July 26, 1996.

ARTICLE V

Right To Require Repurchase

SECTION 5.01. Purchase of Securities at the Option of Holders upon a Change of Control. (a) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event, the Corporation shall notify the Trustee in writing of such occurrence within 30 days thereafter and shall make an offer to purchase (the “Change of Control Offer”), and each Holder of Securities shall have the right to require the Corporation to purchase, all or any part (equal to US $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of each Holder’s Securities at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to the Change of Control Payment Date (as hereinafter defined) (subject to the right of Holders of record on the

 

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relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date) (the “Change of Control Payment”) in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 5.01.

(b) Within 30 days following any Change of Control Triggering Event with respect to the Securities, the Corporation shall (i) cause a notice of the Change of Control Offer to be sent at least once to the Dow Jones News Service or similar business news service in the United States and (ii) mail a notice to each Holder of Securities stating:

 

  (1) that a Change of Control Triggering Event has occurred and a Change of Control Offer is being made pursuant to this Section 5.01 and that all Securities timely tendered will be accepted for payment, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein;

 

  (2) the Change of Control Payment and the purchase date, which shall be, subject to any contrary requirements of applicable law, no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed (the “Change of Control Payment Date”);

 

  (3) that any Security (or portion thereof) accepted for payment (and duly paid on the Change of Control Payment Date) pursuant to the Change of Control Offer shall cease to accrue interest after the Change of Control Payment Date;

 

  (4) that any Securities (or portions thereof) not tendered will continue to accrue interest;

 

  (5) a description of the transaction or transactions constituting the Change of Control Triggering Event;

 

  (6) that Holders accepting the offer to have their Securities purchased pursuant to a Change of Control Offer will be required to surrender such Securities to the Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice prior to the close of business on the Business Day preceding the Change of Control Payment Date;

 

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  (7) that Holders will be entitled to withdraw their acceptance if the Paying Agent receives, not later than the close of business on the third Business Day preceding the Change of Control Payment Date, a facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of such Securities delivered for purchase, and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Securities purchased;

 

  (8) that Holders whose Securities are being purchased only in part will be issued new Securities equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Securities surrendered, provided that each Security purchased and each such new Security issued shall be in a principal amount in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof; and

 

  (9) any other procedures that a Holder must follow to accept a Change of Control Offer or effect withdrawal of such acceptance.

(c) On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Corporation shall (a) accept for payment the Securities or portions thereof duly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer and not withdrawn, (b) deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the Change of Control Payment with respect to all Securities accepted for payment, and (c) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Securities so accepted together with an Officers’ Certificate indicating the Securities or portions thereof tendered to the Corporation. The Paying Agent shall promptly mail to each Holder of Securities so accepted payment in an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment for such Securities, and the Trustee shall promptly authenticate and mail to such Holder a new Security equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of the Securities surrendered; provided that each such new Security shall be issued in an original principal amount in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof.

SECTION 5.02. Covenant To Comply with Securities Laws upon Purchase of Securities. In connection with any purchase of Securities under Section 3.07 or Section 5.01 by

 

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the Corporation, the Corporation shall, to the extent then applicable and required by law, (i) comply with Rule 14e-l (which term, as used herein, includes any successor provisions thereto) under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder and (ii) otherwise comply with all United States Federal and state securities laws so as to permit the rights and obligations under Section 3.07 or Section 5.01 to be exercised in the time and in the manner specified in such Sections. To the extent that the provisions of any such securities laws or regulations conflict with the provisions of Section 3.07 or Section 5.01, the Corporation shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations described in such Section 3.07 or Section 5.01 by virtue thereof.

ARTICLE VI

Merger, Amalgamation, Consolidation and Sale of Assets

SECTION 6.01. When Corporation May Merge, Amalgamate, Consolidate or Sell Assets. (a) The Corporation may not amalgamate with, consolidate with or merge with or into any Person (other than a merger of a Wholly Owned Subsidiary into the Corporation), or convey, sell, transfer, assign, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) to any Person, unless: (i) the Corporation shall be the surviving Person (the “Surviving Person”), or the Surviving Person (if other than the Corporation) formed by such amalgamation, consolidation or into which the Corporation is merged or to which the assets of the Corporation are transferred, conveyed, sold, assigned or leased shall be a corporation organized and existing under the Federal laws of Canada or the laws of any province thereof or the laws of the United States or any State thereof or the District of Columbia; (ii) the Surviving Person (if other than the Corporation) shall expressly assume, by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, all of the obligations of the Corporation under the Securities and this Indenture, and the obligations under this Indenture shall remain in full force and effect; (iii) in the case of a sale, transfer, assignment, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s Property, such Property shall have been

 

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so transferred as an entirety or virtually as an entirety to one Person; (iv) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, the Surviving Person will have a Consolidated Net Worth in an amount which is not less than the Consolidated Net Worth of the Corporation immediately prior to such transaction; (v) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; (vi) immediately after giving effect to such transaction on a pro forma basis (including any Indebtedness Incurred or anticipated to be Incurred in connection with such transaction or series of transactions), (A) the Surviving Person would be able to Incur at least US $1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to clause (i) of paragraph (a) under Section 3.03 or (B) the Surviving Person would have a Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio which is not lower than the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of the Corporation immediately prior to such transaction; and (vii) the Corporation shall have received an opinion of outside counsel in Canada to the effect that (A) any payment of interest or principal on the Securities by the Corporation to a Holder will, after the amalgamation, consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer, assignment, lease or other disposition of assets be exempt from Canadian withholding tax if the Holder is or is deemed to be a non-resident of Canada, deals at arm’s length with the Surviving Person for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) at the time of making the payment and (B) no other taxes on income (including taxable capital gains) will be payable under the Income Tax Act (Canada) by a Holder of the Securities who is or who is deemed to be a non-resident of Canada in respect of the acquisition, ownership or disposition of the Securities, including the receipt of interest, principal or premium thereon, provided that such Holder does not use or hold, and is not deemed to use or hold the Securities in carrying on a business in Canada for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and, in the case of a Holder of the Securities who carries on an insurance business in Canada and elsewhere, the Securities are not effectively connected with its Canadian insurance business.

(b) In connection with any amalgamation, consolidation, merger or transfer (or like transaction) contemplated by this provision, the Corporation shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Trustee, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such amalgamation, consolidation, merger or transfer (or like transaction) and the supplemental

 

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indenture in respect thereto comply with this provision and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction or transactions have been complied with.

(c) The Surviving Person will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Corporation under this Indenture, but the predecessor Corporation in the case of a sale, conveyance, transfer, assignment, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all its assets will not be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Securities.

ARTICLE VII

Defaults and Remedies

SECTION 7.01. Events of Default. An “Event of Default” occurs with respect to the Securities if:

 

  (1) the Corporation fails to make the payment of any principal of the Securities when the same becomes due and payable at maturity, upon acceleration, redemption or declaration, or otherwise;

 

  (2) the Corporation fails to make the payment of any interest or Additional Amounts on any of the Securities, when the same becomes due and payable, and such failure continues for a period of 30 days;

 

  (3) the Corporation fails to comply with any other covenant in the Securities or this Indenture and such failure continues for 45 days after the notice specified below;

 

  (4)

a default or defaults resulting in acceleration of any Indebtedness of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary that is outstanding in a principal amount of $25 million or more, or any failure of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary to pay any such Indebtedness at final maturity beyond any applicable grace period or any failure of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary to pay any such Indebtedness in

 

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the event such Indebtedness shall be declared to be due and payable or required to be prepaid prior to the Stated Maturity thereof;

 

  (5) any judgment or judgments for the payment of money in excess of US $25 million shall be rendered against the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary and shall not be waived, satisfied or discharged for any period of 60 consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement shall not be in effect;

 

  (6) the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

(A) commences a voluntary case;

(B) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case;

(C) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for any substantial part of its property; or

(D) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;

or takes any comparable action under any foreign laws relating to insolvency, unless, in the case of a Restricted Subsidiary, the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets attributable to such Restricted Subsidiary is less than 2  1 / 2 % of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Corporation as of the end of the fiscal quarter immediately preceding the date of the occurrence of any such event; and

 

  (7) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

(A) is for relief against the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary in an involuntary case;

(B) appoints a Custodian of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary or for any substantial part of its property; or

 

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(C) orders the winding up or liquidation of the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary;

or any similar relief is granted under any foreign laws and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days, unless, in the case of a Restricted Subsidiary, the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets attributable to such Restricted Subsidiary is less than 2 1/2% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Corporation as of the end of the quarter immediately preceding the date of the occurrence of any such event.

The foregoing will constitute Events of Default whatever the reason for any such Event of Default and whether it is voluntary or involuntary or is effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body.

The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator, custodian or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

A Default under clause (3) to this Section 7.01 is not an Event of Default until the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities then outstanding notify the Corporation of the Default (with a copy of the notification to the Trustee in the case of notice from the Holders) and the Corporation does not cure such Default within 45 days after receipt of such notice. Such notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that such notice is a “Notice of Default”.

The Corporation shall deliver to the Trustee, within 10 days after the occurrence thereof, written notice in the form of an Officers’ certificate of any Default that has occurred and is continuing or in the event that the Trustee, any Holder or the trustee for or the holder of any other evidence of Indebtedness of the Corporation gives any notice or takes any other action with respect to a claimed default (other than with respect to Indebtedness in the principal amount of less than US $25 million). The Officers’ Certificate shall specify such Default, notice or other action.

SECTION 7.02. Acceleration. If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in

 

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Section 7.01(6) or (7) with respect to the Corporation) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee by notice to the Corporation, or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities then outstanding by notice to the Corporation and the Trustee, may declare the principal of all the Securities then outstanding, plus accrued but unpaid interest to the date of acceleration, to be due and payable. Upon such a declaration, such principal and interest shall be due and payable immediately. If an Event of Default specified in Section 7.01(6) or (7) with respect to the Corporation occurs, the principal of and accrued but unpaid interest on all the Securities shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holders. The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities then outstanding by notice to the Trustee may rescind and annul any acceleration and its consequences if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree and if all existing Events of Default have been cured or waived except nonpayment of principal, premium (if any) or accrued but unpaid interest that has become due solely because of acceleration. No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereto.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a declaration of acceleration in respect of the Securities because of an Event of Default specified in clause (4) of Section 7.01 above, such declaration of acceleration shall be automatically annulled if (a) the Indebtedness that is the subject of such Event of Default has been discharged or the holders thereof have rescinded their declaration of acceleration, notification or action, as applicable, in respect of such Indebtedness, (b) written notice of such discharge or rescission, as the case may be, shall have been given to the Trustee by the Corporation and countersigned by the holders of such Indebtedness or a trustee, fiduciary or agent for such holders or Person or Persons entitled to take the action described in clause (4) within 30 days after such declaration of acceleration in respect of the Securities, and (c) no other Event of Default has occurred during such 30-day period which has not been cured or waived in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.

SECTION 7.03. Other Remedies. If an Event of Default with respect to the Securities occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy by proceeding at law or in equity to collect the payment of

 

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principal of, premium (if any) or interest on, the Securities or to enforce the performance of any provision of such Securities or this Indenture.

The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Securities or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. No remedy is exclusive of any other remedy. All remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.

SECTION 7.04. Waiver of Past Defaults. Subject to Sections 7.02, 7.07 and 10.02, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding by notice to the Trustee may waive any existing Default or Event of Default with respect to such Securities and its consequences or compliance with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities. When a Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities is waived, it is cured and ceases with respect to the Securities.

SECTION 7.05. Control by Majority. Subject to Sections 7.02, 7.07 and 10.02, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on it with respect to the Securities. However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture, that the Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability.

SECTION 7.06. Limitation on Suits. A Holder of a Security may not pursue a remedy or institute a proceeding with respect to this Indenture or the Securities unless: (i) the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities; (ii) the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities then outstanding make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy or institute the proceeding in its own name as Trustee hereunder; (iii) such Holder or Holders offer to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability, cost or expense to be incurred in compliance with such

 

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request; (iv) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity; and (v) during such 60-day period the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities then outstanding do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request.

A Holder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder.

SECTION 7.07. Rights of Holders To Receive Payment. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Security to receive payment of principal of, premium (if any) or interest on the Security on or after the respective due dates expressed or provided for in such Security, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.

SECTION 7.08. Collection Suit by Trustee. If an Event of Default specified in Section 7.01(1) or (2) occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Corporation or any other obligor on the Securities for the whole amount of principal, premium (if any) and accrued interest remaining unpaid on the Securities. The Corporation or any other obligor on the Securities shall pay interest on overdue principal and premium, if any (including interest accruing on or after filing of any petition in bankruptcy or reorganization relating to the Issuer or any other obligor on the Securities, whether or not a claim for post-filing interest is allowed in such proceeding), and the Corporation or any other obligor on the Securities shall pay interest on overdue installments of interest, to the extent permitted by law (including interest accruing on or after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy or reorganization relating to the Issuer or any other obligor on the Securities, whether or not a claim for post-filing interest is allowed in such proceeding), in each case at the rate then borne by the Securities, and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover, the costs and expense of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

 

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SECTION 7.09. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim. The Trustee may file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee and the Holders allowed in any judicial proceeding relative to the Corporation or any other obligor upon the Securities, its creditors or its property under any Bankruptcy Law, and shall be entitled and empowered to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same, and any custodian in any such judicial proceedings is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it under Section 8.07. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

SECTION 7.10. Application of Moneys Collected by Trustee. Any moneys collected by the Trustee with respect to the Securities pursuant to this Article VII shall be applied in the order following, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such moneys on account of principal, premium (if any) or interest, upon presentation of the Securities, and the notation thereon of the payment, if only partially paid, and upon surrender thereof, if fully paid:

FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due to the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.07 (which, in the event that moneys have been collected in respect of the Securities and other securities of the Corporation, shall be allocated among such series of securities pro rata based on the aggregate principal amount of each series then outstanding);

SECOND: In case the principal or premium (if any) of the outstanding Securities shall not have become due at maturity, by required repurchase, by declaration or otherwise, to the payment of interest on the outstanding Securities, in the order of the maturity of the installments of such interest, with interest (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee) upon the overdue installments

 

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of interest at the same rate as the rate of interest specified in the Securities, such payments to be made ratably to the persons entitled thereto, without discrimination or preference;

THIRD: In case the principal or premium (if any) of the outstanding Securities shall have become due, at maturity, by required repurchase, by declaration or otherwise, to the payment of the whole amount then owing and unpaid upon the Securities for principal and premium, if any, and interest, with interest upon the overdue principal and premium, if any, and (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee) upon overdue installments of interest at the same rate as the rate of interest specified in the Securities; and in case such moneys shall be insufficient to pay in full the whole amount so due and unpaid upon the Securities, then to the payment of such principal, premium, if any, and interest, without preference or priority of principal and premium, if any, over interest, or of interest over principal and premium, if any, or of any installment of interest over any other installment of interest, or of any Securities over any other Securities, ratably in proportion to the aggregate of such principal and premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest; and

FOURTH: The remainder, if any, to the Corporation, its successors or assigns, or to whosoever may be lawfully entitled to receive the same, or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.

Any moneys collected by the Trustee with respect to the Securities and other securities of the Corporation pursuant to this Article VII shall be applied as set forth above in this Section 7.10 upon all such securities pro rata based on the aggregate principal amount of each such series of securities then outstanding, without discrimination or preference.

The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders pursuant to this Section 7.10. At least 15 days before such record date, the Trustee shall mail to each Holder and the Corporation a notice that states the record date, the payment date and the amount to be paid.

SECTION 7.11. Undertaking for Costs. In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this

 

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Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as a Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 7.11 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 7.07 or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities then outstanding.

SECTION 7.12. Parties May Be Restored to Former Position and Rights in Certain Circumstances. In the event the Trustee or any Holder shall have proceeded to enforce any right under this Indenture by suit, foreclosure or otherwise and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or shall have been determined adversely to the Trustee or any Holder, then in every such case, the Corporation and the Trustee or any Holder shall be restored without further act to their respective former positions and rights hereunder, and all rights, remedies and powers of the Trustee or any Holder shall continue as though no such proceedings had been taken, except to the extent determined in litigation adversely to the Trustee or any Holder, as the case may be.

ARTICLE VIII

Trustee

SECTION 8.01. Duties of Trustee. (a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default: (1) the Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee and (2) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the

 

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opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, the Trustee shall examine the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not, on their face, they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.

(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own wilful misconduct except that: (1) this paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section 8.01, (2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Trust Officer or other officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts and (3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 7.05.

(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section 8.01.

(e) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or incur any liability. The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power unless it receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability, cost or expense (including, without limitation, reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel).

(f) The Trustee shall not be obligated to pay interest on any money received by it unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Corporation. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

SECTION 8.02. Rights of Trustee. Except as provided in Section 8.01:

(a) The Trustee may rely on any document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or Matter stated in the document.

(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an

 

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Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on an Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.

(c) The Trustee may act through attorneys and agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any attorney or agent appointed with due care.

(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within the rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.

(e) Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Indenture, any demand, request, direction or notice from the Corporation shall be sufficient if signed by an Officer of the Corporation.

(f) The Trustee may consult with counsel of its choice and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.

(g) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of the Securities pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

SECTION 8.03. Individual Rights of Trustee. The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Corporation or an Affiliate of the Corporation with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. However, the Trustee is subject to Sections 8.10 and 8.11.

SECTION 8.04. Trustee ’s Disclaimer. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities; it shall not be accountable for the Corporation’s use of the proceeds from the Securities or any money paid to the Corporation upon the Corporation’s direction under any provision hereof; and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its authentication.

 

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SECTION 8.05. Notice of Defaults. If a Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities occurs and is continuing and if a Trust Officer has received written notice thereof, the Trustee shall mail to Holders a notice of the Default or Event of Default within 90 days after the occurrence thereof unless such Default or Event of Default shall have been cured or waived. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal or premium (if any) or interest on any Security (including any failure to make any mandatory repurchase required hereunder), the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as it in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the best interest of the Holders.

SECTION 8.06. Reports by Trustee to Holders. Within 60 days after each January 1 beginning with January 1, 1997, the Trustee shall mail to Holders a brief report dated as of such reporting date that complies with TIA § 313(a) (but if no event described in TIA § 313(a) has occurred within the twelve months preceding the reporting date, no report need be transmitted). Commencing at such time, the Trustee also shall comply with TIA § 313(b)(2). The Trustee shall also transmit reports required by TIA § 313 by mail as required by TIA § 313(c).

A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Holders shall be filed with the SEC, if required, and each stock exchange, if any, on which the Securities are listed. The Corporation shall notify the Trustee when the Securities are listed on any stock exchange.

SECTION 8.07. Compensation and Indemnity. The Corporation shall pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation as agreed to by the Trustee for its services hereunder. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the Corporation shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable disbursements, advances (if any) and expenses incurred by it, including in particular, but without limitation, those incurred in connection with the enforcement of any remedies hereunder. Such expenses may include the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.

 

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Except as set forth in the next paragraph, the Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless the Trustee, its directors, officers, employees and agents against any damage, claim, loss, liability, cost or expense (including, without limitation, fees and expenses of counsel) other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee incurred by it arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of its duties under this Indenture, including without limitation the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of, or failure to exercise or perform, any of its powers or duties hereunder. The Trustee shall notify the Corporation promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. The Corporation may defend such claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in such defense. In the event of a conflict between the Corporation and the Trustee, the Trustee may have separate counsel and the Corporation shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel.

The Corporation need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss, liability, cost or expense incurred by the Trustee through the Trustee’s negligence, wilful misconduct or bad faith.

To secure the Corporation’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay the principal of, premium (if any) and interest on particular Securities. Such obligations shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, and the resignation or removal of the Trustee.

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in clause (6) or (7) of Section 7.01 occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

SECTION 8.08. Replacement of Trustee. A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.

The Trustee may resign and be discharged from the trust hereby created with respect to the Securities by so

 

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notifying the Corporation. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may remove the Trustee with respect to such Securities by so notifying the Trustee and the Corporation. The Corporation may remove the Trustee with respect to the Securities if: (i) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 8.10 or TIA § 310; (ii) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law; (iii) a Custodian or public officer or receiver takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or (iv) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of the Trustee for any reason, the Corporation shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. The Trustee shall be entitled to payment of its fees and reimbursement of its expenses while acting as Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of then outstanding Securities may appoint a successor Trustee with respect to such Securities to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Corporation.

If a successor Trustee does not take office within 30 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Corporation or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

If the Trustee fails to comply with clauses (i) through (iv) of the second paragraph of this Section with respect to the Securities, any Holder of such Securities may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to such Securities.

A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Corporation. Thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. The Corporation shall mail a notice of the successor Trustee’s succession to Holders. The retiring Trustee shall promptly transfer all property held by it as Trustee for the Securities to the successor Trustee for the Securities, subject to the lien

 

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provided for in Section 8.07. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 8.08, the Corporation’s obligations under Section 8.07 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee with respect to expenses, losses and liabilities incurred by it prior to such replacement.

SECTION 8.09. Successor Trustee by Merger. Etc. Subject to Section 8.10, if the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation or national banking association, the successor entity without any further act shall be the successor Trustee. In case any Securities have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation of such authenticating trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.

SECTION 8.10. Eligibility; Disqualification. There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or of any state thereof or the District of Columbia authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, shall be subject to supervision or examination by Federal or state authority or a District of Columbia authority and shall have combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition.

Subject to the preceding paragraph, this Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA § 310(a)(l) and (5). The Trustee is subject to TIA § 310(b).

SECTION 8.11. Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Corporation. The Trustee is subject to TIA § 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA § 311(b). A trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA § 311(a) to the extent indicated therein.

 

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ARTICLE IX

Discharge of Indenture; Defeasance

SECTION 9.01. Discharge of Liability on Securities; Defeasance. (a) When (i) the Corporation delivers to the Trustee all outstanding Securities for cancellation or (ii) all outstanding Securities have become due and payable or will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year and the Corporation irrevocably deposits with the Trustee funds sufficient to pay at maturity or upon redemption all outstanding Securities, including interest thereon, and if in either case the Corporation pays all other sums payable hereunder by the Corporation, then this Indenture shall, subject to Sections 9.0l(c), 9.02 and 9.06, cease to be of further effect. The Trustee shall acknowledge satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture on demand of the Corporation accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel and at the cost and expense of the Corporation.

(b) Subject to sections 9.01(c), 9.02 and 9.06, the Corporation at any time may terminate (i) all its obligations under the Securities and this Indenture (“legal defeasance option”) or (ii) its obligations under Sections 3.03, 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 3.07, 3.08, 3.09, 3.10, 5.01, 7.01(4), 7.01(5), 7.01(6) and 7.01(7) (with respect to Restricted Subsidiaries), and 6.01(a)(iv) and 6.01(a)(vi) (“covenant defeasance option”). The Corporation may exercise its legal defeasance option notwithstanding its prior exercise of its covenant defeasance option.

If the Corporation exercises its legal defeasance option, payment of the Securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default. If the Corporation exercises its covenant defeasance option, payment of the Securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default specified in Sections 7.01(3) (other than with respect to Section 6.01), 7.01(4), 7.01(5), 7.01(6) or 7.01(7) (only with respect to Restricted Subsidiaries) or because of the failure of the Corporation to comply with Sections 6.01(a)(iv) or 6.01(a)(vi).

Upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth herein and upon request of the Corporation, the Trustee shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of those obligations that the Corporation terminates.

 

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(c) Notwithstanding clauses (a) and (b) above, the Corporation’s obligations in Sections 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 8.07, 8.08, 9.04, 9.05 and 9.06 shall survive until the Securities have been paid in full. Thereafter, the Corporation’s obligations in Sections 8.07, 9.04 and 9.05 shall survive.

SECTION 9.02. Conditions to Defeasance. The Corporation may exercise its legal defeasance option or its covenant defeasance option only if:

(1) the Corporation irrevocably deposits in trust with the Trustee money or U.S. Government Obligations for the payment of principal and interest on the Securities to maturity or an earlier redemption in accordance with the terms of this Indenture;

(2) the Corporation delivers to the Trustee a certificate from a nationally recognized firm of independent accountants expressing their opinion that the payments of principal and interest when due and without reinvestment on the deposited U.S. Government Obligations plus any deposited money without investment will provide cash at such times and in such amounts as will be sufficient to pay principal and interest when due on all the Securities to maturity;

(3) 90 days pass after the deposit is made and during the 90-day period no Default specified in Section 7.01(6) or (7) with respect to the Corporation occurs which is continuing at the end of the period;

(4) the deposit does not constitute a default under any other material agreement to which the Corporation is a party;

(5) the Corporation delivers to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the trust resulting from the deposit does not constitute, or is qualified as, a regulated investment company under the Investment Corporation Act of 1940;

(6) in the case of the legal defeasance option, the Corporation shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (i) the Corporation has received from the Internal Revenue Service or Revenue Canada a ruling, or (ii) since the date of this Indenture there has been a change in the applicable

 

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U.S. Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. Federal income tax, Canadian Federal or provincial income tax, or certain other tax purposes as a result of such deposit and defeasance and will be subject to U.S. Federal income tax, Canadian Federal or provincial income tax and other taxes on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and defeasance had not occurred;

(7) in the case of the covenant defeasance option, the Corporation shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. Federal income tax, Canadian Federal or provincial income tax or certain other tax purposes as a result of such deposit and covenant defeasance and will be subject to U.S. Federal income tax, Canadian Federal or provincial income tax and other taxes on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and covenant defeasance had not occurred; and

(8) the Corporation delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent to the defeasance and discharge of the Securities as contemplated by this Article IX have been complied with.

SECTION 9.03. Application of Trust Money. The Trustee shall hold in trust money or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with it pursuant to this Article IX. It shall apply the deposited money and the money from U.S. Government Obligations through the Paying Agent and in accordance with this Indenture to the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities.

SECTION 9.04. Repayment to Corporation. The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall promptly turn over to the Corporation upon request any excess money or securities held by them at any time.

Subject to any applicable abandoned property law, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Corporation upon written request any money held by them for the payment of principal, premium (if any) or interest that

 

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remains unclaimed for two years, and, thereafter, Holders entitled to the money must look to the Corporation for payment as general creditors.

SECTION 9.05. Indemnity for Government Obligations. The Corporation shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against deposited U.S. Government Obligations or the principal and interest received on such U.S. Government Obligations.

SECTION 9.06. Reinstatement. If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with this Article IX by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Corporation’s obligations under this Indenture and the Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article IX until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with this Article IX.

ARTICLE X

Amendments

SECTION 10.01. Without Consent of Holders. The Corporation and the Trustee may amend this Indenture or the Securities without prior notice to or consent of any Holder:

(1) to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency;

(2) to provide for the assumption by a successor of the obligations of the Corporation under this Indenture;

(3) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities; provided , however , that the uncertificated Securities are issued in registered form for purposes of Section 163(f) of the Code or in a manner such that the uncertificated Securities are described in Section 163(f)(2)(B) of the Code;

 

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(4) to add Guarantees with respect to the Securities or to secure the Securities;

(5) to add to the covenants of the Corporation for the benefit of the Holders or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Corporation;

(6) to comply with any requirement of the SEC in connection with qualifying this Indenture under the TIA; or

(7) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder in any material respect.

After an amendment under this Section becomes effective, the Corporation shall mail to Holders a notice briefly describing such amendment. The failure to give such notice to all Holders, or any defect therein, shall not impair or affect the validity of an amendment under this Section.

SECTION 10.02. With Consent of Holders. The Corporation and the Trustee may amend this Indenture or the Securities without prior notice to any Holder but with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange for the Securities). However, without the consent of each Holder affected, an amendment may not:

(1) reduce the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment;

(2) reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest on any Security;

(3) reduce the principal of or extend the Stated Maturity of any Security;

(4) make any Security payable in money other than that stated in the Security;

(5) impair the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal of and interest on such Holder’s Securities on or after the due dates therefor or to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to such Holder’s Securities;

 

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(6) subordinate in right of payment, or otherwise subordinate, the Securities to any other obligations of the Corporation;

(7) make any change in the second sentence of this Section;

(8) reduce the premium payable upon the redemption of any Security or change the time of which any Security may or shall be redeemed under Article IV; or

(9) make any change in Section 3.11 that adversely affects the rights of any Holder or amend the terms of the Securities or this Indenture in a way that would result in the loss of an exemption from any of the Taxes described thereunder.

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.

After an amendment under this Section becomes effective, the Corporation shall mail to Holders a notice briefly describing such amendment. The failure to give such notice to all Holders, or any defect therein, shall not impair or affect the validity of an amendment under this Section.

SECTION 10.03. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act. Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities shall comply with the TIA as then in effect.

SECTION 10.04. Revocation and Effect of Consents and Waivers. A consent to an amendment or a waiver by a Holder of a Security shall bind the Holder and every subsequent Holder of that Security or portion of the Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent or waiver is not made on the Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent or waiver as to such Holder’s Security or portion of the Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment or waiver becomes effective. After an amendment or waiver becomes effective, it shall bind every Holder.

 

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The Corporation may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to give their consent or take any other action described above or required or permitted to be taken pursuant to this Indenture. If a record date is fixed, then notwithstanding the immediately preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those Persons, shall be entitled to give such consent or to revoke any consent previously given or to take any such action, whether or not such Persons continue to be Holders after such record date. No such consent shall be valid or effective for more than 120 days after such record date.

SECTION 10.05. Notation on or Exchange of Securities. If an amendment changes the terms of a Security, the Trustee may require the Holder of the Security to deliver it to the Trustee. The Trustee may place an appropriate notation on the Security regarding the changed terms and return it to the Holder. Alternatively, if the Corporation or the Trustee so determines, the Corporation in exchange for the Security shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a new Security that reflects the changed terms. Failure to make the appropriate notation or to issue a new Security shall not affect the validity of such amendment. The term “Security” as used in this Section 10.05 shall be deemed to include the Global Security or Global Securities.

SECTION 10.06. Trustee To Sign Amendments. The Trustee shall sign any amendment authorized pursuant to this Article X if the amendment does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. If it does, the Trustee may but need not sign it. In signing such amendment the Trustee shall be entitled to receive indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it and to receive, and (subject to Section 8.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that (i) such amendment is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that all conditions precedent to the execution, delivery and performance of such amendment have been satisfied; (ii) the Corporation has all necessary corporate power and authority to execute and deliver the amendment and that the execution, delivery and performance of such amendment has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action; (iii) the execution, delivery and performance of the amendment do not conflict with, or result in the breach of or constitute a default under any of the terms, conditions or provisions of (a) the

 

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Indenture, (b) the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Corporation, (c) any law or regulation applicable to the Corporation, (d) any material order, writ, injunction or decree of any court or governmental instrumentality having jurisdiction over the Corporation or (e) any material agreement or instrument to which the Corporation is subject; (iv) such amendment has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Corporation, and the Indenture together with such amendment constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Corporation enforceable against the Corporation in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and general equitable principles; and (v) the Indenture together with such amendment complies with the TIA.

SECTION 10.07. Payment for Consent. Neither the Corporation nor any Affiliate of the Corporation shall, directly or indirectly, pay or cause to be paid any consideration, whether by way of interest, fee or otherwise, to any Holder for or as an inducement to any consent, waiver or amendment of any of the terms or provisions of this Indenture or the Securities unless such consideration is offered to be paid to all Holders that so consent, waive or agree to amend in the time frame set forth in solicitation documents relating to such consent, waiver or agreement.

ARTICLE XI

Miscellaneous

SECTION 11.01. Trust Indenture Act Controls. If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by, or with a provision (an “incorporated provision”) included in this Indenture by operation of Sections 310 to 318, inclusive, of the TIA, such imposed duties or incorporated provision shall control.

SECTION 11.02. Notices. Any notice or communication to the Corporation or the Trustee is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail, or sent by facsimile transmission confirmed in writing, in each case to the address set forth below:

If to the Corporation:

Domtar Inc.

395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West

Montreal, Québec H3A 1L6

Tel. No. 514-848-5400

Fax No. 514-848-6850

Attention of General Counsel

 

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If to the Trustee:

The Bank of New York

101 Barclay Street

New York, NY 10286

Tel. No. 212-815-5359

Fax No. 212-815-5915

Attention of Corporate Trust Department

The Corporation or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

Any notice or communication to a Holder shall be mailed by first-class mail to his address shown on the register kept by the Registrar. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in such notice or communication shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders.

If a notice or communication is mailed or sent in the manner provided above within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it, except that notice to the Trustee shall only be effective upon receipt thereof by the Trustee.

If the Corporation mails a notice or communication to Holders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.

 

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SECTION 11.03. Communication by Holders with Other Holders. Holders may communicate pursuant to TIA § 312(b) with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities. The Corporation, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA § 312(c).

SECTION 11.04. Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent. Upon any request or application by the Corporation to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Corporation shall furnish to the Trustee: (i) an Officers’ Certificate (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 11.05) stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent and covenants, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and (ii) an Opinion of Counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 11.05) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent and covenants have been complied with.

SECTION 11.05. Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include: (i) a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read and understands such covenant or condition; (ii) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based; (iii) a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and (iv) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

SECTION 11.06. Rules by Trustee and Agents. The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or for a meeting of Holders. The Registrar or Paying Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.

SECTION 11.07. No Recourse Against Others. All liability described in Section 17 of the Securities or the Indenture of any incorporator, director, officer, employee or stockholder, as such, of the Corporation is waived and released.

 

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SECTION 11.08. Duplicate Originals. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture. One signed copy is enough to prove this Indenture.

SECTION 11.09. Governing Law. This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State without reference to principles of conflicts of laws.

SECTION 11.10. Successors. All agreements of the Corporation in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successors.

SECTION 11.11. Severability. In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

SECTION 11.12. Consent to Jurisdiction and Service. The Corporation irrevocably submits to the jurisdiction of any Federal court (or, if such court refuses to take jurisdiction, any New York State Court) located in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Indenture or any Security. The Corporation irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection which it may have to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that any suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court has been brought in any inconvenient forum. The Corporation agrees that final judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Corporation and may be enforced in the courts of Canada (or any other courts to the jurisdiction of which the Corporation is subject) by a suit upon such judgment, provided that service of process is effected upon the Corporation in the manner specified in the following paragraph or as otherwise permitted by law; provided , however , that the Corporation does not waive, and the foregoing provisions of this sentence shall not constitute or be deemed to constitute a waiver of, (i) any

 

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right to appeal any such judgment, to seek any stay or otherwise to seek reconsideration or review of any such judgment in each case before the trial court of a U.S. Federal or State court having appellate jurisdiction over such trial court or (ii) any stay of execution or levy pending an appeal from, or a suit, action or proceeding for reconsideration or review of, any such judgment.

As long as any of the Securities remain outstanding, the Corporation will at all times have an authorized agent in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York upon whom process may be served in any legal action or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Indenture or any Security. Service of process upon such agent and written notice of such service mailed or delivered to the Corporation shall to the extent permitted by law be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Corporation in any such legal action or proceeding. The Corporation hereby irrevocably appoints CT Corporation System, whose address is, as of the date hereof, 1633 Broadway, New York, New York 10019, as its agent for such purpose until August 1, 2018, and covenants and agrees that service of process in any such legal action or proceeding may be made upon it at the office of such agent at said address (or at such other address in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, as the Corporation may designate by written notice to the Trustee).

The Corporation hereby consents to process being served in any suit, action or proceeding of the nature referred to in the preceding paragraphs by service upon such agent together with the mailing of a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the address of the Corporation set forth in the first paragraph of this instrument or to any other address of which the Corporation shall have given written notice to the Trustee. The Corporation irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, all claim of error by reason of any such service (but does not waive any right to assert lack of subject matter jurisdiction) and agrees that such service and mailing (i) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Corporation in any such suit, action or proceeding and (ii) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be taken and held to be valid personal service.

Nothing in this Section shall affect the right of the Trustee or any Holder to serve process in any manner

 

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permitted by law or limit the right of the Trustee to bring proceedings against the Corporation in the courts of any jurisdiction or jurisdictions.

SECTION 11.13. Counterpart Originals. This Indenture may be signed in one or more counterparts. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.

SECTION 11.14. Benefits of Indenture. Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person (other than the parties hereto and their successors hereunder, any Paying Agent, any Registrar or co-registrar and the Holders) any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.

 

DOMTAR INC., as issuer,
by  

/s/ Pierre Fitzgibbon

Name:   Pierre Fitzgibbon
Title:   Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer
by  

/s/ Christian Dubé

Name:   Christian Dubé
Title:   Vice-President and Treasurer

[Seal]

 

Attest:

/s/ Nathalie Roussin

Name:   Nathalie Roussin
Title:   Legal Assistant

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK, Trustee,

by

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

[Seal]

 

Attest:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.

 

DOMTAR INC., as issuer,
by  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

[Seal]

Attest:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK, Trustee,
by  

/s/ MARY JANE MORRISSEY

Name:   MARY JANE MORRISSEY
Title:   VICE PRESIDENT

 

[Seal]
Attest:

/s/ PAUL J. SCHMALZEL

Name:   PAUL J. SCHMALZEL
Title:   Assistant Treasurer


EXHIBIT A

FORM OF FACE OF 2016 DEBENTURE

DOMTAR INC.

 

R – 1

  CUSIP No. 257561AT7

THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO.

UNLESS THIS SECURITY IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY TO DOMTAR INC. OR THE REGISTRAR FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER OR EXCHANGE AND ANY SECURITY ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (AND ANY PAYMENT HEREON IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL SINCE THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR THE INDIVIDUAL SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY, THIS GLOBAL SECURITY MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY AND TRANSFERS OF INTERESTS IN THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN SECTION 2.06 OF THE INDENTURE, DATED AS OF JULY 31, 1996, BETWEEN DOMTAR INC. AND THE TRUSTEE NAMED THEREIN, PURSUANT TO WHICH THIS SECURITY WAS ISSUED.


GLOBAL SECURITY

REPRESENTING 9-1/2% DEBENTURES DUE 2016

Domtar Inc., a corporation incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act (such corporation, and its successors and assigns under the Indenture hereinafter referred to, being herein called the “Corporation”), for value received, hereby promises to pay to CEDE & CO., or its registered assigns, the principal sum indicated on Schedule A hereof, on August 1, 2016.

Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been duly executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purposes.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Security to be duly executed under its corporate seal.

 

DOMTAR INC.
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

[Corporate Seal]
Attest:

 

Dated:

 

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK,

as Trustee, certifies that this is one of the Securities referred to in the Indenture.

By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

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FORM OF REVERSE SIDE OF 2016 DEBENTURE

DOMTAR INC.

GLOBAL SECURITY

REPRESENTING 9-1/2% DEBENTURES DUE 2016

1. Indenture .

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of debt securities of the Corporation designated as its “9-1/2% Debentures due 2016” (herein called the “Securities”) limited in aggregate principal amount at Stated Maturity to $125,000,000 issued under an indenture dated as of July 31, 1996 (as amended from time to time, the “Indenture”) between the Corporation and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor Trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Corporation, the Trustee and each Holder of Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. The summary of the terms of this Security contained herein does not purport to be complete and is qualified by reference to the Indenture. All terms used in this Security which are not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

The Indenture imposes certain limitations on the ability of the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries to, among other things, make certain Restricted Payments, incur Indebtedness, enter into consensual restrictions upon the payment of certain dividends and distributions by such Restricted Subsidiaries, enter into or permit certain transactions with Affiliates, enter into certain Sale and Leaseback Transactions, create or incur Liens and make Asset Sales. The Indenture also imposes limitations on the ability of the Corporation to amalgamate, consolidate or merge with or into any other Person, or sell, convey, assign, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the Property of the Corporation to any other Person.

After the Corporation has reached Investment Grade Status, and notwithstanding that the rating assigned to the Corporation may later cease to be an Investment Grade Rating by either of the Rating Agencies or both, the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries will be released from their

 

A-4


obligations to comply with certain of the limitations referred to above. However, the Corporation and its Restricted Subsidiaries will remain obligated to comply with certain other of such limitations upon reaching Investment Grade Status.

2. Principal and Interest .

The Corporation promises to pay the principal amount set forth on Schedule A of this Security to the Holder hereof on August 1 , 2016.

The Corporation shall pay interest at a rate of 9-1/2%  per annum, semiannually on February 1 and August 1 of each year (each, an “Interest Payment Date”), commencing on February 1, 1997, in cash to the Holder hereof until the principal amount hereof is paid or made available for payment. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, subject to certain exceptions provided in the Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or the Security in exchange or substitution for which this Security was issued) is registered at the close of business on the record date for interest payable on such Interest Payment Date (the “Record Date”). The Record Date for any interest payment is the close of business on the preceding January 15 or July 15, as the case may be, whether or not a Business Day, immediately preceding the Interest Payment Date on which such interest is payable. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for (“Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Record Date and shall be paid as provided in Section 2.12 of the Indenture. Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. For disclosure purposes under the Interest Act (Canada), whenever in the Indenture or the Securities interest at a specified rate is to be calculated on the basis of a period less than a calendar year, the yearly rate of interest to which such rate is equivalent is such rate multiplied by the actual number of days in the relevant calendar year and divided by the number of days in such period.

Each payment of interest in respect of an Interest Payment Date will include interest accrued through the day before such Interest Payment Date. If an Interest Payment Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the interest payment to be made on such Interest Payment Date will be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force

 

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and effect as if made on such Interest Payment Date, and no additional interest will accrue as a result of such delayed payment.

To the extent lawful, the Corporation shall pay interest on (i) any overdue principal of (and premium, if any, on) this Security, at the interest rate borne on this Security, and (ii) Defaulted Interest (without regard to any applicable grace period), at the same rate. The Corporation’s obligation pursuant to the previous sentence shall apply whether such overdue amount is due at its Stated Maturity, as a result of the Corporation’s obligations pursuant to Section 3.07 or Section 5.01 of the Indenture, or otherwise.

3. Method of Payment .

The Corporation, through the Paying Agent, shall pay interest on this Security to the registered Holder of this Security, as provided above. The Holder must surrender this Security to a Paying Agent to collect principal payments. The Corporation will pay principal and interest in money of the United States of America that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of all debts public and private. Principal and interest will be payable in immediately available funds at the office of the Paying Agent but, at the option of the Corporation, interest may be paid by check mailed to the registered Holders at their registered addresses.

4. Payment Agent and Registrar .

Initially, the Trustee will act as Paying Agent and Registrar under the Indenture and Montréal Trust Company will act as co-registrar. The Corporation may, upon written notice to the Trustee, appoint and change any Paying Agent or Registrar. The Corporation or any of its subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.

5. Optional Redemption .

The Securities will be subject to redemption, in whole or in part, at any time or from time to time, at the option of the Corporation on at least 30 days’ prior notice by mail at a redemption price equal to the greater of (i) 100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed or (ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest

 

A-6


thereon discounted to the date of redemption on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 62.5 basis points of the Securities, plus in each case accrued and unpaid interest to the date of redemption. On and after the date of redemption, interest will cease to accrue on the Securities or portions of Securities called for redemption on such date. The Securities may be redeemed in part but only in integral multiples of US$1,000.

The Securities may be redeemed, at the option of the Corporation, at any time as a whole but not in part, on not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice, at 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest (if any) to the date of redemption (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date), in the event the Corporation has become or would become obligated to pay, on the next date on which any amount would be payable with respect to the Securities, any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities as a result of a change in or an amendment to the laws (including any regulations promulgated thereunder) of Canada (or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein), or any change in or amendment to any official position regarding the application or interpretation of such laws or regulations, which change or amendment is announced or becomes effective on or after July 26, 1996.

Any notice to the Holders of the Securities of such a redemption need not set forth the redemption price of such Securities but need only set forth the calculation thereof as described in the first paragraph of this section entitled “Optional Redemption”. The redemption price, calculated as aforesaid, shall be set forth in an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee no later than two business days prior to the redemption date.

6. No Sinking Fund .

The Securities are not subject to any mandatory sinking fund.

7. Purchase of Securities at the Option of Holders upon a Change of Control .

Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event with respect to the Securities, each Holder

 

A-7


of Securities shall have the right to require the Corporation to purchase such Holder’s Securities, in whole, or in part in a principal amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000, pursuant to a Change of Control Offer, at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof on any Change of Control Payment Date plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the Change of Control Payment Date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date).

Within 30 calendar days following any Change of Control Triggering Event, the Corporation shall send, or cause to be sent, by mail, a notice regarding the Change of Control Offer to each Holder of Securities. The Holder of this Security may elect to have this Security or a portion hereof in an authorized denomination purchased by completing the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” appearing below and tendering this Security pursuant to the Change of Control Offer. Unless the Corporation defaults in the payment of the Change of Control Payment with respect thereto, all Securities or portions thereof accepted for payment pursuant to the Change of Control Offer will cease to accrue interest from and after the Change of Control Payment Date.

8. Purchase of Securities at the Option of Holders upon an Asset Sale .

If at any time the Corporation or any Restricted Subsidiary engages in any Asset Sale, as a result of which the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds US $20 million, the Corporation shall, within five Business Days of the date the amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds US $20 million, make an offer to purchase from all Holders, on a pro rata basis, Securities in an amount equal to the Allocable Excess Proceeds at a purchase price in cash equal to an amount not less than 100% of the principal amount thereof on any date of purchase plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to the date of purchase. If the aggregate principal amount of all Securities surrendered for purchase by Holders thereof exceeds the amount of Allocable Excess Proceeds, then the Trustee shall select the Securities to be purchased pro rata according to principal amount or by lot with such adjustments as may be deemed appropriate by the Corporation so that only Securities in denominations of US $1,000, or integral multiples thereof, shall be purchased. Upon completion of a Prepayment Offer

 

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(including payment for accepted Securities), the Corporation may use any surplus Allocable Excess Proceeds for general corporate purposes, with any Unoffered Excess Proceeds constituting Excess Proceeds in respect of the Securities for purposes of the first Prepayment Offer that is made after the Fifth Anniversary.

Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, in no event shall the Corporation be required to repurchase or make a Prepayment Offer or Prepayment Offers to purchase more than 25% of the original aggregate principal amount of the Securities on or prior to the Fifth Anniversary. If the aggregate Allocable Excess Proceeds (disregarding any resetting to zero pursuant to the preceding paragraph) resulting from Asset Sales occurring on or prior to the Fifth Anniversary that, but for the first sentence of this paragraph, the Corporation would be required to apply to repurchase or make an offer or offers to purchase Securities, less any Deficiencies resulting from any Prepayment Offer made on or prior to the Fifth Anniversary, constitute Unoffered Excess Proceeds, then, subject to and in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Indenture, within five Business Days after the Fifth Anniversary the Corporation shall make a Prepayment Offer for the Securities in an amount equal to the Unoffered Excess Proceeds applicable to the Securities.

Within five Business Days of the date the amount of Excess Proceeds exceeds US $20 million, the Corporation shall, if it is obligated to make a Prepayment Offer, send a written notice, by first-class mail, to each Holder of Securities. The Holder of this Security may elect to have this Security or a portion hereof in an authorized denomination purchased by completing the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” appearing below and tendering this Security pursuant to the Prepayment Offer. Unless the Corporation defaults in the payment of the purchase price with respect thereto, all Securities or portions thereof selected for payment pursuant to the Prepayment Offer will cease to accrue interest from and after the date of purchase.

9. The Global Security .

So long as this Global Security is registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, members of, or participants in, the Depositary (“Agent Members”) shall have no rights under the Indenture with respect to this Global

 

A-9


Security held on their behalf by the Depositary or the Trustee as its custodian, and the Depositary may be treated by the Corporation, the Trustee and any agent of the Corporation or the Trustee as the absolute owner of this Global Security for all purposes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall (i) prevent the Corporation, the Trustee or any agent of the Corporation or the Trustee, from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or (ii) impair, as between the Depositary and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of a Holder of Securities.

The Holders of this Global Security may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any Person, including Agent Members and Persons that may hold interests in this Global Security through Agent Members, to take any action which a Holder of Securities is entitled to take under the Indenture or the Securities.

Whenever, as a result of optional redemption by the Corporation, a Change of Control Offer, a Prepayment Offer or an exchange for certificated Securities, this Global Security is redeemed, repurchased or exchanged in part, this Global Security shall be surrendered by the Holder thereof to the Trustee who shall cause an adjustment to be made to Schedule A hereof so that the principal amount of this Global Security will be equal to the portion not redeemed, repurchased or exchanged and shall thereafter return this Global Security to such Holder; provided that this Global Security shall be in a principal amount of $1,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000.

10. Transfer and Exchange .

The Holder of this Global Security shall, by acceptance of this Global Security, agree that transfers of beneficial interests in this Global Security may be effected only through a book entry system maintained by such Holder (or its agent), and that ownership of a beneficial interest in the Securities represented thereby shall be required to be reflected in book entry form.

Transfers of this Global Security shall be limited to transfers in whole, and not in part, to the Depositary, its successors and their respective nominees. Interests of beneficial owners in this Global Security may be transferred in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Depositary (or its successors).

 

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11. Denominations .

The Securities are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof of principal amount.

12. Unclaimed Money .

If money for the payment of principal or interest remains unclaimed for two years, the Trustee or Paying Agent shall pay the money back to the Corporation at its written request unless the applicable abandoned property law designates another Person. After any such payment, Holders entitled to the money must look only to the Corporation and not to the Trustee for payment unless such abandoned property law designates another Person.

13. Discharge and Defeasance .

Subject to certain conditions, the Corporation at any time may terminate some or all of its obligations under the Securities and the Indenture if the Corporation irrevocably deposits with the Trustee money or U.S. Government Obligations for the payment of principal and interest on the Securities to maturity.

14. Amendment, Waiver .

Subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Indenture, (i) the Indenture or the Securities may be amended without prior notice to any Holder but with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities and (ii) any past Default and its consequences may be waived with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities. Subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Indenture, without the consent of any Holder of Securities, the Corporation and the Trustee may amend the Indenture or the Securities (i) to add additional covenants or to surrender rights and powers conferred on the Corporation; (ii) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities; (iii) to add Guarantees with respect to the Securities or to secure the Securities; (iv) to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency; (v) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder in any material respect; (vi) to comply with the requirements of the SEC in

 

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order to effect or maintain the qualification of the Indenture under the TIA; or (vii) to provide for the assumption by a successor of the obligations of the Corporation under the Indenture.

15. Defaults and Remedies .

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Securities, subject to certain limitations, may declare the principal amount of all the Securities then outstanding, plus accrued but unpaid interest to the date of acceleration, to be immediately due and payable. Certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency are Events of Default and shall result in the principal amount of all the Securities then outstanding, plus accrued but unpaid interest to the date of acceleration, being immediately due and payable upon the occurrence of such Events of Default without any further act of the Trustee or any Holder.

Holders of Securities may not enforce the Indenture or the Securities except as provided in the Indenture. The Trustee may refuse to enforce the Indenture or the Securities unless it receives reasonable indemnity or security. Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power under the Indenture. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities, by written notice to the Corporation and the Trustee, may rescind any declaration of acceleration and its consequences if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree, and if all Events of Default have been cured or waived except nonpayment of principal or accrued but unpaid interest that has become due solely because of the acceleration.

16. Individual Rights of Trustee .

Subject to certain limitations imposed by the TIA, the Trustee or any Paying Agent or Registrar, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Corporation or its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Paying Agent or Registrar, as the case may be, under the Indenture.

 

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17. No Recourse Against Certain Others .

No director, officer, employee, incorporator or stockholder of the Corporation, as such, shall have any liability for any obligations of the Corporation under the Securities or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation, solely by reason of its status as a director, officer, employee, incorporator or stockholder of the Corporation. By accepting a Security, each Holder waives and releases all such liability (but only such liability) as part of the consideration for issuance of such Security to such Holder.

18. Governing Law .

THE INDENTURE AND THIS SECURITY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO CONTRACTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN SUCH STATE WITHOUT REFERENCE TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS.

The Corporation will furnish to any Holder of Securities upon written request and without charge to the Holder a copy of the Indenture which has in it the text of this Security. Requests may be made to:

Domtar Inc.

395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West

Montreal, Quebec H3A 1L6

Attention: General Counsel

19. Ranking .

The Securities will be senior unsecured obligations of the Corporation, will rank pari passu in right of payment with all existing and future senior indebtedness of the Corporation, including indebtedness pursuant to the Credit Agreement, and principal, premium (if any) and interest with respect to the Securities will be senior in right of payment to all future subordinated indebtedness of the Corporation. Holders of secured indebtedness or other obligations of the Corporation, including indebtedness pursuant to the Credit Agreement, will have a prior claim on the assets of the Corporation securing such indebtedness or obligation to the extent of such indebtedness or obligation.

 

A-13


SCHEDULE A

SCHEDULE OF PRINCIPAL AMOUNT

The initial principal amount of this Security shall be $125,000,000. The following decreases in the principal amount of this Security have been made:

 

Date of Decrease

 

Decrease in Principal

Amount at Maturity

 

Total Principal

Amount at Maturity

Following such Decrease

 

Notation Made

by or on Behalf

of Trustee

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 

A-14


ASSIGNMENT

(To be executed by the registered Holder

if such Holder desires to transfer this Security)

FOR VALUE RECEIVED                                          hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER TAX IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF TRANSFEREE

 

 


(Please print name and address of transferee)

 


this Security, together with all right, title and interest herein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint                                  Attorney to transfer this Security on the Security Register, with full power of substitution.

Dated:                     

 

 

    

 

Signature of Holder

     Signature Guaranteed:
     Member of Securities Transfer Agent
     Medallion Program

NOTICE: The signature to the foregoing Assignment must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Security in every particular, without alteration or any change whatsoever.

 

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OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

(check as appropriate)

 

¨ In connection with the Change of Control Offer made pursuant to Section 5.01 of the Indenture, the undersigned hereby elects to have

 

  ¨ the entire principal amount

 

  ¨ $              ($1,000 in principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) of this Security

purchased by the Corporation. The undersigned hereby directs the Trustee or Paying Agent to pay it or                                  an amount in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount indicated in the preceding sentences plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to the Change of Control Payment Date.

 

¨ In connection with the Prepayment Offer made pursuant to Section 3.07 of the Indenture, the undersigned hereby elects to have

 

  ¨ the entire principal amount

 

  ¨ $              ($1,000 in principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) of this Security

purchased by the Corporation. The undersigned hereby directs the Trustee or Paying Agent to pay it or                                  an amount in cash equal to 100% of the principal amount indicated in the preceding sentence plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to the date of purchase.

Dated:                             

 

 

     

 

Signature of Holder       Signature Guaranteed:
      Member of Securities Transfer Agent
      Medallion Program

NOTICE: The signature to the foregoing must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this Security in every particular, without alteration or any change whatsoever.

 

A-16

Exhibit 4.5

TRUST INDENTURE

between

DOMTAR INC.

and

COMPAGNIE MONTREAL TRUST –

MONTREAL TRUST COMPANY

In respect of

10.85% Debentures due 2017


TRUST INDENTURE

between

DOMTAR INC.

and

COMPAGNIE MONTREAL TRUST –

MONTREAL TRUST COMPANY

In respect of

10.85% Debentures due 2017

Bearing formal date of August 5, 1987


THIS INDENTURE dated as of August 5, 1987 between DOMTAR INC., a corporation continued under the Canada Business Corporations Act (herein called the “Company”) having its principal office at 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1L6 and MONTREAL TRUST COMPANY – COMPAGNIE MONTREAL TRUST, a Quebec corporation duly authorized to carry on the business of a trust company (herein called the “Trustee”).

Recitals of the Company

The Company has duly authorized the creation of an issue of its 10.85% Debentures due 2017 (herein called the “Securities”) of substantially the tenor and amount herein set forth, and to provide therefor the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture.

All things necessary to make the Securities, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee hereunder and duly issued by the Company, the valid obligations of the Company, and to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with their and its terms, have been done.

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

For and in consideration of the premises and the acquisition of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the benefit of all Holders of the Securities and the coupons thereto appertaining, as follows:


ARTICLE ONE

Definitions and Other Provisions of General

Application

Section 101. Definitions.

(a) For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

“This Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof.

All references in this instrument to designated “Articles”, “Sections” and other subdivisions are to the designated Articles, Sections and other subdivisions are to the designated Articles, Sections and other subdivisions of this instrument as originally executed. The words “herein”, “hereof”, “hereunder” and “herewith” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

(b) All accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in Canada and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term “generally accepted accounting principles” with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted in Canada at the date or time of such computation;

 

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(c) The terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article, and include the plural as well as the singular.

“Act” when used with respect to any Securityholder has the meaning specified in Section 103.

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the ownership, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of such Person; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

“Attributable Obligation” means, in respect of a Sale and Leaseback Transaction, the present value (discounted at the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, if known, or at the rate of 10.85% if such implicit rate is not known) of the obligation of the lessee for the net rental payments (as described below) during the remaining term of the lease (including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended) entered into in connection therewith, such present value to be established as at the date as at which the ratio between Exempted Debt and Consolidated Net Tangible Assets is determined and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The term “net rental payments” under any lease for any period shall mean the sum of the rental and other payments required to be paid in such period by the lessee thereunder, not including, however, any amounts required to be paid by such lessee (whether or not designated as rental or additional rental) on account of indemnities (other than any

 

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constituting basic rent) or maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates, utilities or similar charges required to be paid by such lessee thereunder or any amounts required to be paid by such lessee thereunder contingent upon the amount of sales, production or other measures of economic performance, maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates, utilities or similar charges.

“Authorized Newspaper” means a newspaper of general circulation in the relevant area, printed in the English language and, if the relevant area is in the Province of Quebec, also in the French language, and customarily published on each business day, whether or not published on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. Whenever successive weekly publications in an Authorized Newspaper are required hereunder they may be made (unless otherwise expressly provided herein) on the same or different days of the week and in the same or in different Authorized Newspapers.

“Board of Directors” means either the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee or member of the board.

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company or by another officer of the Company acceptable to the Trustee as having been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

“Branch Security Register” and “Branch Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 305.

“Business Day”, when used with respect to any Place of Payment, means each Monday, Tuesday,

 

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Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in that Place of Payment are authorized or obligated by law to close for the entire day.

“Capitalized Lease Obligation” means, with respect to any Person, any obligation of such Person as lessee with respect to any lease that is required to be capitalized on its balance sheet in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The amount of any Capitalized Lease Obligation at any time shall be the amount at which it is carried on the balance sheet of the lessee at such time in accordance with such principles.

“Central Security Register” has the meaning specified in Section 305.

“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor corporation shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor corporation.

“Company Request”, “Company Order” and “Company Consent” mean, respectively, a written request, order or consent delivered to the Trustee after having been signed in the name of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, President or a Vice-President, and by its Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, its Controller or an Assistant Controller or by any two officers of the Company duly authorized for the purpose by a Board Resolution and acceptable to the Trustee.

“Consolidated Funded Debt” of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries means all Funded Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

 

- 5 -


“Consolidated Net Income”, with reference to any period, of the Company and its Subsidiaries means the aggregate of the net income of the Company and its Subsidiaries, excluding all extraordinary items, after eliminating all intercompany items and portions of earnings properly attributable to minority interest in shares of such Subsidiaries, all computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

“Consolidated Net Tangible Assets”, with respect to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, means the total of all assets appearing on a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, less the sum of the following amounts appearing on such consolidated balance sheet:

 

  (i) amounts, if any, at which goodwill, trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other similar intangible assets (other than timber licenses) and unamortized stock or debt commission, discount, expense and premium shall appear as assets,

 

  (ii) in the case of any asset of the Company, the amount of any write-up of the value of such asset if made on the books of the Company subsequent to December 31, 1985, and in the case of any asset of a Restricted Subsidiary, the amount of any write-up of the value of such asset if made on the books of such Restricted Subsidiary after the later of December 31, 1985, or a date six months prior to the date on which such Restricted Subsidiary became a Subsidiary,

 

- 6 -


  (iii) all amounts at which investments in Subsidiaries which are not being consolidated shall appear on such consolidated balance sheet as assets,

 

  (iv) the amount of all liabilities appearing on such consolidated balance sheet as current liabilities, and

 

  (v) any minority interest appearing on such consolidated balance sheet;

all as determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

“Coupon Security” means any Security of the form set forth in Section 203.

“Debenture Trust Deed” means the Trust Deed of Hypothec, Mortgage and Pledge and Deed of Trust and Mortgage bearing formal date of June 1, 1958 between the Company and National Trust Company, as trustee, as heretofore and hereafter amended and supplemented, providing for the issue and securing of debentures of the Company.

“Debt” means all Capitalized Lease Obligations and any undischarged indebtedness for money borrowed, whether or not evidenced by any note, bond, debenture or other instrument; provided, however, that Debt shall not include any Debt for the payment or redemption of which money in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in trust either at or before the maturity or redemption date thereof.

 

- 7 -


“Defaulted Interest” means any interest on any Fully Registered Security which is payable, but which has not been punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date.

“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 501.

“Exempted Debt” means without duplication (a) all Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries which is secured by a Mortgage described in clause (vii) of Section 1008, (b) all Funded Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries described in paragraph (e) of Section 1012, and (c) all Attributable Obligations in respect of Sale and Leaseback Transactions described in paragraph (b) of Section 1009.

“Fully Registered Security” means any Security of the form set forth in Section 202.

“Funded Debt” of any Person means any Debt, whether issued, assumed or guaranteed by such Person, maturing by its terms more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof or which is extendible or renewable at the sole option of the obligor in such manner that it may become payable more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof by such Person; provided, however, that when determining the principal amount of Funded Debt outstanding at any date, there shall be excluded therefrom any amount thereof due within one year of such date.

“Holder” when used with respect to any Security means a Securityholder, and when used with respect to any coupon means the bearer thereof.

“Independent” when used with respect to any specified Person means such a Person who (1) is

 

- 8 -


in fact independent, (2) does not have any material direct or indirect financial interest in the Company or in any other obligor upon the Securities or in any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor, and (3) is not connected with the Company or such other obligor or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor, as an officer, employee, promoter, underwriter, trustee, partner, director or person performing similar functions. Whenever it is herein provided that any Independent Person’s opinion or certificate shall be furnished to the Trustee, such Person shall be appointed by a Company Order and approved by the Trustee in the exercise of reasonable care, and such opinion or certificate shall state that the signer has read this definition and the signer is Independent within the meaning hereof.

“Interest Payment Date” means the Stated Maturity of an instalment of interest on the Securities.

“Majority Securityholders’ Act” means any Act by the Holders of Securities which has been (a) signed by or for the Holders of not less than two-thirds in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities; or (b) adopted by the Holders of two-thirds in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities voting thereon at a meeting of the Holders of Securities duly held pursuant to the provisions of Article Nine, provided that, where the action provided for in any such Act adopted at a meeting as aforesaid is inconsistent with the action provided for in a prior Act of the Securityholders first delivered to the Trustee within the preceding 60 days, such subsequent Act shall not be a Majority Securityholders’ Act, unless it shall have been adopted at said meeting by the votes of the Holders of two-thirds in principal amount of all the Outstanding Securities.

 

- 9 -


“Maturity” when used in respect to any Security means the date on which the principal of such Security becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.

“Mining Property” means any (a) mine, (b) facility for processing material from a mine or (c) property containing reserves of minerals (other than (i) any such mine or facility principally used in connection with the production of oil or gas and (ii) any such property whose reserves consist principally of oil or gas), in each case owned or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary and located within Canada or the United States of America, other than (x) any such mine, facility or property which, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, is not of material importance to the total business conducted by the Company and its Subsidiaries as an entirety or (y) any portion of any such mine, facility or property which is similarly found not to be of material importance to the use or operation thereof.

“Mortgage” means any mortgage, hypothec, privilege, pledge, security interest, floating charge or other similar lien or encumbrance.

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President or a Vice-President, and by the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Controller or an Assistant Controller of the Company (or by any two officers of the Company duly authorized for the purpose by a Board Resolution and acceptable to the Trustee), and delivered to the Trustee. Wherever this Indenture requires that an Officers’ Certificate be signed also by an engineer or an accountant or other expert, such engineer,

 

- 10 -


accountant or other expert (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture) may be in the employ of the Company, and shall be appointed by Company Order and be acceptable to the Trustee.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture) be counsel for the Company (whether or not in the employ of the Company), and shall be appointed by Company Order and acceptable to the Trustee.

“Outstanding”, when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:

 

  (i) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

 

  (ii) Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as a Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities and any coupons thereto appertaining; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made; and

 

  (iii)

Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 306 or in

 

- 11 -


 

exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company;

provided, however, that in determining which Persons are entitled to vote at a meeting of Holders of Securities or whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities are present at a meeting of Holders of Securities for quorum purposes or have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, Securities owned by the Company, or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company, or such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such determination as to the entitlement to vote, the presence of a quorum or upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities which the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor.

“Paying Agent” means any Person, which may be the Company, authorized by the Company to pay the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.

 

- 12 -


“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

“Place of Payment” means any municipality referred to in Section 301.

“Place of Registration” means and includes the principal office of the Trustee in each of the Cities of Halifax, Saint John, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary or Vancouver or any other office or agency appointed by the Company pursuant to Section 1002.

“Predecessor Securities” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 306 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost, destroyed or stolen Security.

“Principal Facility” means any mill, converting plant or manufacturing plant owned or leased at the date of this Trust Indenture or hereafter acquired or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary and which is located within Canada or the United States of America, other than (a) any such mill or plant which in the opinion of the Board of Directors is not of material importance to the total business conducted by the Company and its Subsidiaries as an entirety or (b) any portion of any such mill or plant which is similarly found not to be of material importance to the use or operation of such mill or plant.

 

- 13 -


“Principal Property” means, as the context may require, any real or immoveable property forming part of or constituting any or all of the following: any Principal Facility, Mining Property or Timberlands.

“Purchase Money Obligation” means any indebtedness, whether or not secured, incurred in respect of the cost of acquisition of any property (including shares of capital stock or Debt) or of the cost of construction or improvement of any property acquired, constructed or improved after the date of this Indenture, which indebtedness existed at the time of acquisition or was created, issued, incurred, assumed or guaranteed contemporaneously with the acquisition, construction or improvement or within 120 days after the completion thereof and includes any extension, renewal or refunding of any such indebtedness if the principal amount thereof outstanding on the date of such extension, renewal or refunding is not increased.

“Redemption Date” when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.

“Redemption Price” when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.

“Registered Coupon Security” means any Coupon Security registered as to principal.

“Registered Holder” when used with respect to any Registered Security means the Person in whose name such Security is registered in the Central Security Register.

 

- 14 -


“Registered Security” means any Security registered in the Central Security Register and includes any Registered Coupon Security.

“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date means the date specified in Section 301.

“Responsible Officer” when used with respect to the Trustee means the chairman or vice-chairman of the board of directors, the chairman or vice-chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors, the president, any vice-president, the secretary, any assistant secretary, the treasurer, any assistant treasurer, the cashier, any assistant cashier, any trust officer or assistant trust officer, the controller and any assistant controller or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

“Restricted Subsidiary” means (a) a Subsidiary which owns or leases any interest in a Principal Property and (b) a Subsidiary which the Board of Directors shall have determined to be a Restricted Subsidiary. Any determination mentioned in (b) shall be irrevocable provided, however, that the Board of Directors may determine that a Restricted Subsidiary (as defined in (a) or (b)) shall cease to be a Restricted Subsidiary and shall become an Unrestricted Subsidiary if (i) a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary shall hold a minority interest in such Restricted

 

- 15 -


Subsidiary of at least 15% of the common shareholders’ equity of such Restricted Subsidiary; (ii) after giving effect to such determination, the Company is entitled to issue Funded Debt in the principal amount of at least one dollar; and (iii) immediately after such Restricted Subsidiary becomes an Unrestricted Subsidiary, no Event of Default or event which, with the giving of notice or the passage of time, would constitute an Event of Default, shall exist.

“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 1009.

“Security” or “Securities” means any Security or Securities, as the case may be, authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture.

“Securityholder” means a bearer of an Unregistered Security or a Registered Holder of a Registered Security.

“Security Registers” has the meaning specified in Section 305.

“Senior Funded Debt” means Funded Debt which in right of payment is senior to the Securities and includes the debentures issued and outstanding under the Debenture Trust Deed.

“Special Record Date” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest (as defined in Section 307) means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.

“Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security or any instalment of interest thereon means the date specified in such Security or in the coupon representing such instalment of interest as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such instalment of interest is due and payable.

 

- 16 -


“Subsidiary” means any corporation of which more than 50% of the Voting Stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by or for the Company or by or for any corporation in like relation to the Company and includes any corporation in like relation to a Subsidiary.

“Timberlands” means any real or immovable property located within Canada or the United States of America and (a) which is owned by the Company or any Subsidiary and contains, or (b) with respect to which the Company or any Subsidiary is entitled under any lease, license or similar agreement to cut and remove, standing timber which is (or upon completion of a growth cycle then in process is expected to become) of a commercial quantity and of merchantable quality, other than (i) any such property which at the time of determination is not held primarily for the production of any lumber or other wood products, (ii) any such property which in the opinion of the Board of Directors is not of material importance to the total business conducted by the Company and its Subsidiaries as an entirety, (iii) any portion of a particular property which is similarly found not to be of material importance to the use or operation of such property or (iv) any reserves of oil or gas located under any such property.

“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean such successor Trustee.

 

- 17 -


“Unregistered Security” means any Coupon Security or temporary bearer Security not registered as to principal.

“Unrestricted Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary which is not or which has ceased to be a Restricted Subsidiary.

“Voting Stock” means shares of capital stock of any class of a corporation having under all circumstances the right to elect at least a majority of the board of directors of such corporation, provided that, for the purposes hereof, shares which only carry the right to vote conditionally on the happening of an event shall not be considered Voting Stock nor shall any shares be deemed to cease to be Voting Stock solely by reason of a right to vote accruing to shares of another class or classes by reason of the happening of such event.

“Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary” means a Restricted Subsidiary all of whose Voting Stock (other than shares required to be owned by directors under any applicable law) are owned by the Company and/or one or more of its Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiaries.

Section 102. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.

In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

 

- 18 -


Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.

Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.

Section 103. Acts of Holders of Securities.

(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders of Securities may be embodied in and evidenced by (1) one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agent or proxy duly appointed in writing, (2) the record of Holders of Securities voting in favor thereof, either in person or by proxies duly appointed in writing, at any meeting

 

- 19 -


of Holders of Securities duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of Article Nine, or (3) a combination of such instruments and any such record. Except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments or record or both are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments and record (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders of Securities signing such instrument or instruments or so voting at such meeting. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent or proxy, or of the holding by any Person of a Security, shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 601) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company if made in the manner provided in this Section. The record of any meeting of Holders of Securities shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 906.

(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by the certificate of any notary or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by an officer of a corporation or a member of a partnership, on behalf of such corporation or partnership, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority.

(c) The principal amount of Unregistered Securities held by any Person executing any such instrument or writing as a Securityholder, and the numbers of such Unregistered Securities, and the date of his holding the same, may be proved by the

 

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production of such Securities or by a certificate executed by any trust company, bank, banker or other Person, wherever situated, acceptable to the Trustee, if such certificate is in form satisfactory to the Trustee, showing that at the date therein mentioned such Person had on deposit with such depositary, or exhibited to it, the Unregistered Securities therein described; or such facts may be proved by the certificate or affidavit of the Person executing such instrument or writing as a Securityholder, if such certificate or affidavit is in form satisfactory to the Trustee. The Trustee and the Company may assume that such holding of any Unregistered Security continues until (1) another certificate bearing a later date issued in respect of the same Unregistered Security is produced, or (2) such Unregistered Security is produced by some other Person, or (3) such Unregistered Security is registered as to principal or is surrendered in exchange for a Fully Registered Security, or (4) such Unregistered Security is no longer Outstanding.

(d) The fact and date of execution of any such instrument or writing and the amount and numbers of Unregistered Securities held by the Person so executing such instrument or writing may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient; and the Trustee may in any instance require further proof with respect to any of the matters referred to in this Section.

(e) The holding of Registered Securities shall be proved by the Central Security Register.

(f) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action by the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof , in

 

- 21 -


respect of anything done or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.

Section 104. Notices, etc., to Trustee and Company.

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Securityholders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,

(1) the Trustee by any Securityholder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing to or with the Trustee at its principal office in the City of Montreal or at any other address previously furnished by notice in writing to the Company by the Trustee and notified to the Securityholders in accordance with Section 105, or

(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Securityholder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if in writing and either mailed, first-class postage prepaid, or telexed or telecopied and confirmed by first-class mail postage prepaid, to the Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument, to the attention of its Secretary, or at any other address or to the attention of any other Person previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company and notified to the Securityholders in accordance with Section 105.

 

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Section 105. Notices to Securityholders; Waiver.

Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, where this Indenture provides for notice to Securityholders of any event,

i) such notice shall be sufficiently given to Holders of Unregistered Securities if advertised once in an Authorized Newspaper in the City of Montreal and the City of Toronto on a business day which is not earlier than the earliest date nor later than the latest date prescribed for the giving of such notice; and

ii) such notice shall be sufficiently given to any Holder of Registered Securities if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to such Registered Holder of such Central Security, at his address as it appears on the Central Security Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such notice.

In any case where notice to Holders of Registered Securities is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder of a Registered Security shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders of Registered Securities or the sufficiency of any notice by publication to Holders of Unregistered Securities given as provided above.

In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by first-class postage prepaid mail, then such notification to Holders of Registered Securities as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute sufficient notice to such Holders for every purpose hereunder.

 

- 23 -


In case, by reason of the suspension of publication of any Authorized Newspaper, or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impracticable to make publication of any notice in an Authorized Newspaper or Authorized Newspapers as required by this Indenture, then such method of publication or notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient publication of such notice for every purpose hereunder.

Where this Indenture provides for notice to any Person in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Securityholders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.

Section 106. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.

The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

Section 107. Successors and Assigns.

All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

 

- 24 -


Section 108. Separability Clause.

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 109. Benefits of Indenture.

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities or in the coupons, express or implied, shall, except as may be required by any applicable law, give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors hereunder and the Holders of Securities and coupons, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

Section 110. Governing Law.

This Indenture and each of the Securities and coupons shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the Province of Quebec and the laws of Canada applicable therein.

Section 111. Legal Holidays.

In any case where any Interest Payment Date or date of Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities or the coupons) payment of interest or principal or premium, if any, need not be made at such Place of Payment on such day, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on such Interest

 

- 25 -


Payment Date or such date of Maturity, provided that if such payment is duly made on such next succeeding Business Day, no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date or such date of Maturity, as the case may be, to and including such next succeeding Business Day.

Section 112. Language of Notices, Etc.

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election or waiver required or permitted under this Indenture shall be in the English or French language.

ARTICLE TWO

Security Forms

Section 201. Forms Generally.

The Securities, the appurtenant coupons and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be in substantially the forms set forth in this Article, with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their signing of the Securities. Any portion of the text of any Security may be set forth on the reverse thereof.

 

- 26 -


Section 202. Form of Fully Registered Security.

DOMTAR INC.

10.85% Debenture Due 2017

 

$                     

     No.                      

DOMTAR INC., a corporation incorporated or continued under the Canada Business Corporations Act (hereinafter called the “Company”, which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to                                          , or registered assigns, on August 5, 2017 the principal sum of                      DOLLARS and to pay interest thereon from the later of August 5, 1987 and the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually in arrears on February 5 and August 5 in each year commencing on February 5, 1988 (each such date being an “Interest Payment Date”), at the rate of 10.85% per annum. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in the Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities, as defined in said Indenture) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the 1st day (whether or not a business day) of the calendar month next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the registered Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the

 

- 27 -


close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be paid at any time in any other lawful manner deemed practicable by the Trustee, all as more fully provided in the Indenture. Payment of the principal of and interest on this Security will be made in lawful money of Canada at any branch in Canada of The Royal Bank of Canada, or at such other place as may be designated by the Company for such purpose and approved by the Trustee. Payment of interest on this Security may be made at the option of the Company by warrant or cheque mailed to the address of the Person or Persons entitled thereto as such address shall appear on the Central Security Register.

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the Company designated as its 10.85% Debentures Due 2017 (herein called the “Securities”), limited in aggregate principal amount to $100,000,000, issued and to be issued under an indenture bearing formal date of August 5, 1987 (herein called the “Indenture”), between the Company and Compagnie Montréal Trust – Montreal Trust Company, Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities, and the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. The Securities will be direct unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank pari passu with all other unsecured indebtedness of the Company.

 

- 28 -


All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Indenture except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires.

The Securities will be redeemable, at the Company’s option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, on not more than 60 and not less than 30 days’ prior notice, at the higher of the Canada Yield Price (as defined in the Indenture) and the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date fixed for redemption.

Where less than all of the outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the Securities so to be redeemed will be selected by the Trustee in such a manner as it shall deem equitable.

The Company shall also have the right to purchase for cancellation the Securities in the market, by tender or private contract, at prices not exceeding the price at which such Securities are redeemable, at the date of purchase, plus in each case accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase and costs of purchase. The Securities purchased or redeemed by the Company shall be cancelled and shall not be reissued.

The Company, commencing October 1, 1987 will make all reasonable efforts to purchase for cancellation in the open market during each three-month period, $800,000 principal amount of the Securities at prices below 100% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest and costs of purchase. If in any three-month period, the Company is unable to purchase such principal amount of Securities for any reason, including the fact that the Securities did not trade below par, such purchase fund obligation for such period, to the extent unfulfilled, will be carried forward for

 

- 29 -


the succeeding seven three-month periods and will thereafter be extinguished. The Securities which the Company is obligated to purchase during any three-month period pursuant to this provision will be reduced by the aggregate principal amount of the Securities redeemed or purchased by the Company in the same three-month period otherwise than pursuant to this provision.

If an Event of Default, as defined in the Indenture, shall occur, the principal of all the Securities may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities and coupons under the Indenture at any time by the Company with the consent of the Holders of two-thirds in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding, as defined in the Indenture, or of such lesser amount thereof as shall have acted at a meeting of the Holders of the Securities duly held pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and of this Security and certain past defaults under the Indenture and under this Security and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

 

- 30 -


As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, this Registered Security is transferable by the registered Holder hereof on the Security Registers of the Company, upon surrender of this Security for transfer at the principal office of the Trustee in the Cities of Halifax, Saint John, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Vancouver, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee or other Branch Security Registrar, if any, duly executed by, the Registered Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Fully Registered Securities without coupons, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge or other reasonable charge payable in connection with any such transfer.

The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or of the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes whether or not this Security be overdue.

The Securities are issuable as Coupon Securities, as defined in the Indenture, registrable as to principal, in the denominations of $1,000, $5,000, $25,000 and $100,000 and as Fully Registered Securities without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. Title to Coupon Securities not registered as to principal, and to coupons appertaining to any Security shall pass by delivery. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations

 

- 31 -


therein set forth, Securities are exchangeable at the principal office of the Trustee in the cities above mentioned for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of a different authorized kind or denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same with, in the case of any Coupon Security, all unmatured coupons and all matured coupons in default thereto appertaining, upon payment of taxes and governmental charges and other reasonable charges.

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture, or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Security to be executed by its duly authorized officers.

 

Dated                              DOMTAR INC.
By  

 

    Attest:
  President and Chief Executive Officer    
     

 

      Secretary

 

- 32 -


Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication

This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

MONTREAL TRUST COMPANY

Trustee

By

 

 

  Authorized Officer

Paragraphe 202. Formule des Titres entièrement nominatifs

DOMTAR INC.

Débenture 10,85% échéant en 2017

 

No                     

    $                     

DOMTAR INC., société constituée ou prorogée en vertu de la Loi sur les sociétés commerciales canadiennes (appelée dans les présentes “Société”, lequel terme comprend toute société remplaçante aux termes du contrat de fiducie mentionné ci-après), contre valeur reçue, promet par les présentes de payer à                                          , ou à ses ayants droit inscrits, le 5 août 2017 le montant en capital de                      DOLLARS et de payer les intérêts s’y rapportant à compter du 5 août 1987 ou à compter de la dernière date de paiement des intérêts à l’égard de laquelle des intérêts ont été versés ou dûment mis de côté, selon celle de ces dates qui tombera la dernière, et ce, semestriellement terme échu le 5 février et le 5 août de chaque année à compter du 5 février 1988 (chacune de ces dates étant une “date de paiement des intérêts”), au taux annuel de 10,85%. Les

 

- 33 -


intérêts ainsi payables, qui sont payés ponctuellement ou dûment mis de côté, à toute date de paiement des intérêts seront, tel qu’il est prévu dans le contrat de fiducie, versés à la personne au nom de laquelle le présent Titre (ou un ou plusieurs Titres remplacés, selon la définition de “Predecessor Securities” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise dudit contrat de fiducie) est immatriculé à la fermeture des bureaux à la date ordinaire de clôture des registres se rapportant à ces intérêts, laquelle est le ler jour (qu’il s’agisse ou non d’un jour ouvrable) du mois civil précédant cette date de paiement des intérêts. Sauf dans la mesure où il est prévu autrement dans le contrat de fiducie, les intérêts qui ne sont pas ainsi payés ponctuellement ou dûment mis de côté cesseront aussitôt d’être payables au détenteur inscrit à cette date ordinaire de clôture des registres et ils peuvent soit être payés à la personne au nom de laquelle le présent Titre (ou un ou plusieurs Titres remplacés) est immatriculé à la fermeture des bureaux à une date spéciale de clôture des registres à l’égard du paiement de ces intérêts en souffrance qui doit être fixée par le fiduciaire, un avis à cet égard devant être donné aux détenteurs de Titres au moins dix jours avant cette date spéciale de clôture des registres, soit être payés en tout temps de toute autre manière licite que le fiduciaire juge possible, le tout tel qu’il est prévu plus en détail dans le contrat de fiducie. Le paiement du capital et des intérêts sur le présent Titre sera effectué en monnaie légale du Canada à toute succursale au Canada de La Banque Royale du Canada ou à tout autre endroit que la Société peut désigner à cette fin et qui est approuvé par le fiduciaire. Le paiement des intérêts sur le présent Titre peut être effectué, au gré de la Société, par mandat ou par chèque posté à l’adresse de la personne ou des personnes y ayant droit, telle que cette adresse apparaît dans le registre central des détenteurs de Titres.

 

- 34 -


Le présent Titre est l’un des Titres d’une émission dûment authorisée de Titres de la Société désignés comme étant ses Débentures 10,85% échéant en 2017 (appelées dans les présentes “Titres”), dont le montant en capital global est limité à
$100 000 000, et qui sont émis ou qui doivent être émis en vertu d’un contrat de fiducie portant la date officielle du 5 août 1987 (appelé dans les présentes “contrat de fiducie”) et passé entre la Société et Compagnie Montréal Trust – Montreal Trust Company, à titre de fiduciaire (appelée dans les présentes “fiduciaire”, lequel terme comprend tout fiduciaire remplaçant aux termes du contrat de fiducie); il y a lieu de se reporter à ce contrat de fiducie et à tout contrat de fiducie supplémentaire pour obtenir l’énoncé des droits respectifs que possèdent en vertu de ceux-ci la Société, le fiduciaire et les détenteurs de Titres, de même que l’énoncé des conditions selon lesquelles les Titres sont et doivent être authentifiés et livrés. Les Titres constitueront des obligations non garanties directes de la Société et seront d’un rang égal à celui de toutes les dettes non garanties de la Société.

Tous les termes utilisés dans le présent Titre qui sont la version française de termes anglais définis dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie ont le sens qui est attribué à ces termes anglais dans ladite version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, sauf si une disposition dans les présentes prévoit expressément le contraire ou si le contexte l’exige autrement.

Les Titres seront remboursables par anticipation, au gré de la Société, en totalité en tout temps ou en partie de temps à autre, sur préavis d’au plus 60 jours et d’au moins 30 jours, au plus élevé du Prix de rendement Canada (selon la définition de “Canada Yield Price” donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie) et du

 

- 35 -


montant en capital de ceux-ci plus les intérêts courus et impayés jusqu’à la date fixée pour le remboursement par anticipation.

Si moins de la totalité des Titres en circulation doivent être remboursés par anticipation, les Titres devant être ainsi remboursés seront choisis par le fiduciaire d’une manière qu’il jugera équitable.

La Société a également le droit d’acheter à des fins d’annulation les Titres sur le marché, par voie de soumission ou de gré à gré, à un prix n’excédant pas le prix auquel ces Titres sont, à la date d’achat, remboursables par anticipation plus dans chaque cas les intérêts courus et impayés à la date d’achat plus les frais d’achat. Les Titres achetés ou remboursés par anticipation par la Société sont annulés sans possibilité de réémission.

La Société, à compter du ler octobre 1987, fera tous les efforts raisonnables pour acheter à des fins d’annulation sur le marché libre, au cours de chaque période de trois mois, des Titres d’un montant en capital de 800 000 $, et ce, à des prix inférieurs à 100 % de leur valeur nominale plus les intérêts courus et impayés et les frais d’achat. Si, au cours d’une période de trois mois quelconque, la Société est dans l’impossibilité d’acheter des Titres représentant ce montant en capital pour quelque raison que ce soit, notamment le fait que les Titres ne se sont pas négociés au-dessous du pair, cette obligation à l’égard du fonds d’achat quant à cette période, dans la mesure où elle n’aura pas été exécutée, sera reportée sur les sept périodes de trois mois subséquentes et s’éteindra par la suite. Le montant en capital global des Titres que la Société remboursera par anticipation ou achètera autrement que conformément à cet engagement pendant une période de trois mois quelconque

 

- 36 -


réduira d’autant l’obligation d’achat de la Société conformément à cet engagement à l’égard de la période en question.

S’il survient un cas de défaut, selon la définition de “Event of Default” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, le capital de tous les Titres peut être déclaré dû et payable de la manière et avec l’effet prévus dans le contrat de fiducie.

Le contrat de fiducie permet, à quelques exceptions près qui y sont prévues, la modification en tout temps par la Société dudit contrat de fiducie, de même que des droits et des obligations de la Société et des droits des détenteurs des Titres et des coupons, en vertu du contrat de fiducie, avec le consentement des détenteurs des deux tiers du montant en capital global des Titres alors en circulation, selon la définition de “Outstanding” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, ou des détenteurs d’un pourcentage inférieur de ce montant en capital global ayant agi à une réunion des détenteurs de Titres dûment tenue conformément aux dispositions du contrat de fiducie. Le contrat de fiducie comporte également des dispositions permettant aux détenteurs de pourcentages spécifiés du montant en capital global des Titres alors en circulation, au nom des détenteurs de tous les Titres, de renoncer à exiger que la Société se conforme à certaines dispositions du contrat de fiducie et du présent Titre, de renoncer à leurs recours à l’égard de certains cas de défaut antérieurs en vertu du contrat de fiducie et du présent Titre. Un tel consentement ou une telle renonciation de la part du détenteur du présent Titre sera concluant et liera ce détenteur et tous les détenteurs futurs du présent Titre et de tout Titre émis au moment du transfert du présent Titre ou en échange ou en remplacement de celui-ci, qu’un tel consentement ou qu’une telle renonciation soit ou non indiqué sur le présent Titre.

 

- 37 -


Comme il est prévu dans le contrat de fiducie et sous réserve de certaines restrictions qui y sont énoncées, le présent Titre nominatif est transférable par le détenteur inscrit dudit Titre; l’inscription du transfert se fait dans les registres des détenteurs de Titres de la Société, sur remise du présent Titre à des fins de transfert à 1’un des principaux bureaux du fiduciaire dans les vi1les de Halifax, Saint-Jean (N.-B.), Montréal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary et Vancouver; à cette fin, ledit Titre doit être dûment endossé par le détenteur inscrit dudit Titre ou par son fondé de pouvoir dûment autorisé par écrit, ou il doit être accompagné d’un instrument de transfert écrit dont le libellé est acceptable par la Société et par le fiduciaire ou tout agent chargé de la tenue d’un registre local des détenteurs de Titres, dûment signé par le détenteur du Titre ou par son fondé de pouvoir dûment autorisé par écrit. Sur ce, un ou plusieurs nouveaux Titres entièrement nominatifs sans coupons, en coupures autorisées et d’un montant en capital global équivalent, seront émis au ou aux cessionnaires désignés. La Société peut exiger le paiement d’une somme suffisante pour couvrir toute taxe ou imposition gouvernementale ou tous autres frais raisonnables payables à l’égard d’un tel transfert.

La Société, le fiduciaire et tout autre mandataire de la Société ou du fiduciaire peuvent traiter la personne au nom de laquelle le présent Titre est immatriculé comme le propriétaire dudit Titre, et ce, à toutes fins, que le présent Titre soit ou non échu.

Les Titres sont émissibles sous forme de Titres à coupons, selon la définition de “Coupon Securities” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise

 

- 38 -


du contrat de fiducie, immatriculables quant au capital, en coupures de $ 1 000, $ 5 000, $ 25 000 et $ 100 000, et sous forme de Titres entièrement nominatifs, sans coupons, en coupures de $ 1 000 et de multiples complets de $ 1 000. Le titre de propriété des Titres à coupons non immatriculés quant au capital et des coupons se rapportant à tout Titre est transmis sur livraison. Comme il est prévu dans le contrat de fiducie et sous réserve de certaines restrictions qui y sont énoncées, les Titres sont échangeables aux principaux bureaux du fiduciaire dans les villes mentionnées ci-dessus contre des Titres de nature ou de coupures différentes autorisées d’un montant en capital global équivalent, selon les instructions du détenteur remettant un tel Titre et, dans le cas de tout Titre à coupons, tous les coupons non échus et tous les coupons échus en souffrance s’y rapportant, sur paiement des taxes et des impositions gouvernementales et des autres frais raisonnables.

A moins que l’attestation d’authenticité apparaissant sur les présentes n’ait été signée par le fiduciaire par le biais de la signature manuscrite de l’un de ses dirigeants autorisés, le présent Titre ne donne droit à aucun avantage en vertu du contrat de fiducie et il n’est ni valide ni obligatoire à quelque fin que ce soit.

EN FOI DE QUOI, la Société a fait signer le présent Titre par ses dirigeants dûment autorises.

 

Daté du                            DOMTAR INC.
Par  

 

    Attestation:
Président et Chef de la direction    
     

 

      Le Secrétaire

 

- 39 -


Attestation d’authenticité par le fiduciaire

Le présent Titre est l’un des Titres visés par le contrat de fiducie mentionné dans les présentes.

 

COMPAGNIE MONTREAL TRUST

fiduciaire

Par  

 

  dirigeant autorisé

Section 203. Form of Coupon Security.

DOMTAR INC.

10.85% Debenture Due 2017

 

$                     

   No.                     

DOMTAR INC., a corporation incorporated or continued under the Canada Business Corporations Act (hereinafter called the “Company”, which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to the bearer, or, if this Security be registered as to principal, to the Registered Holder hereof, on August 5, 2017 the principal sum of                      Thousand Dollars and to pay interest thereon, semi-annually in arrears from the later of August 5, 1987 and the most recent interest payment date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, on February 5 and August 5 in each year commencing on February 5, 1988, at

 

- 40 -


the rate of 10.85% per annum upon surrender of the coupons attached hereto as they severally mature. Payment of the principal of and interest on this Security will be made in lawful money of Canada at any branch in Canada of The Royal Bank of Canada, or at such other place as may be designated by the Company for such purpose and approved by the Trustee.

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the Company designated as its 10.85% Debentures Due 2017, (herein called the “Securities”), limited in aggregate principal amount to $100,000,000, issued and to be issued under an indenture bearing formal date of August 5, 1987 (herein called the “Indenture”), between the Company and Compagnie Montréal Trust – Montreal Trust Company Trustee, Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and Holders of the Securities and coupons, and the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. The Securities will be direct unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank pari passu with all other unsecured indebtedness of the Company.

All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Indenture except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires.

The Securities will be redeemable, at the Company’s option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, on not more than 60 and not less than 30 days’ prior notice, at the higher of the Canada Yield Price (as defined in the Indenture) and the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date fixed for redemption.

 

- 41 -


Where less than all of the outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the Securities so to be redeemed will be selected by the Trustee in such a manner at it shall deem equitable.

The Company shall also have the right to purchase for cancellation the Securities in the market, by tender or private contract, at prices not exceeding the price at which such Securities are redeemable, at the date of purchase, plus in each case accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase plus costs of purchase. The Securities purchased or redeemed by the Company shall be cancelled and shall not be reissued.

The Company, commencing October 1, 1987, will make all reasonable efforts to purchase for cancellation in the open market during each three-month period, $800,000 principal amount of the Securities at prices below 100% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest and costs of purchase. If in any three-month period, the Company is unable to purchase such principal amount of Securities for any reason, including the fact that the Securities did not trade below par, such purchase fund obligation for such period, to the extent unfulfilled, will be carried forward for the succeeding seven three-month periods and will thereafter be extinguished. The Securities which the Company is obligated to purchase during any three-month period pursuant to this provision will be reduced by the aggregate principal amount of the Securities redeemed or purchased by the Company in the same three-month period otherwise than pursuant to this provision.

If an Event of Default, as defined in the Indenture, shall occur, the principal of all the

 

- 42 -


Securities may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities and the coupons under the Indenture at any time by the Company with the consent of the Holders of two-thirds in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding, as defined in the Indenture, or of such lesser amount thereof as shall have acted at a meeting of the Holders of the Securities duly held pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and of this Security and certain past defaults under the Indenture and under this Security and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

This Security is transferable by delivery, unless registered as to principal in the name of the Holder in the Central Security Register of the Company. This Security may be so registered upon presentation hereof at the principal office of the Trustee in the cities of Halifax, Saint John, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Vancouver, such registration being noted hereon. While registered as aforesaid, this Security shall be transferable on the Security Registers of the

 

- 43 -


Company by the Registered Holder hereof, upon like presentation of this Security for notation of such transfer hereon, accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee or other Branch Security Registrar, if any, duly executed by the Registered Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, all as provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth; but this Security may be discharged from registration by being in like manner transferred to bearer, and thereupon transferability by delivery shall be restored. This Security shall continue to be subject to successive registrations and transfers to bearer at the option of the bearer or Registered Holder, as the case may be. Such registration, however, shall not affect the transferability by delivery of the coupons appertaining hereto, which shall continue to be payable to bearer and transferable by delivery. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge or other reasonable charge payable in connection with any such registration, transfer or discharge from registration.

The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or of the Trustee may treat the bearer of this Security, or, if this Security is registered as herein authorized, the person in whose name the same is registered, and the bearer of any coupon appertaining hereto, as the owner hereof and thereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security or such coupon be overdue.

The Securities are issuable as Coupon Securities, as defined in the Indenture, registrable as to principal, in the denominations of $1,000, $5,000, $25,000 and $100,000 and as Fully Registered Securities without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain

 

- 44 -


limitations therein set forth, Securities are exchangeable at the principal office of the Trustee in the cities above mentioned for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of a different authorized kind or denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same with, in the case of any Coupon Security, all unmatured coupons and all matured coupons in default thereto appertaining, upon payment of taxes and governmental charges and other reasonable charges.

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers, neither this Security, nor any coupon appertaining hereto, shall be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture, or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

In WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Security to be executed by its duly authorized officers and coupons bearing the facsimile signature of its Treasurer to be hereto annexed.

 

Dated                              DOMTAR INC.
By  

 

    Attest:
  President and Chief Executive Officer    
     

 

      Secretary

Interest Coupon

$                     

DOMTAR INC. will pay to the bearer on the 5th day of February, 1988 upon surrender of this

 

- 45 -


coupon, at any branch in Canada of The Royal Bank of Canada, the amount shown hereon in lawful money of Canada, being six months’ interest then due on its 10.85% Debenture Due 2017, unless the said Debenture is called for previous redemption and payment thereof duly provided for.

No                     

                                        

Treasurer

Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication

This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

MONTREAL TRUST COMPANY
Trustee
By  

 

  Authorized Officer

Paragraphe 203. Formule des Titres à coupons.

DOMTAR INC.

Débenture 10,85 % échéant en 2017

 

No                     

   $                     

DOMTAR INC., société constituée ou prorogée en vertu de la Loi sur les sociétés commerciales canadiennes (appelée dans les présentes “Société”, lequel terme comprend toute société remplaçante aux termes du contrat de fiducie mentionné ci-après), contre valeur reçue, promet par les présentes de

 

- 46 -


payer au porteur ou, si le présent Titre est immatriculé quant au capital, au détenteur inscrit dudit Titre, le 5 août 2017 le montant en capital de                                          mille dollars et de payer les intérêts s’y rapportant semestriellement terme échu à compter du 5 août 1987 ou à compter de la dernière date de paiement des intérêts à laquelle des intérêts ont été versés ou mis de côté, selon celle de ces dates qui tombera la dernière, le 5 février et le 5 août, de chaque année, à compter du 5 février 1988, au taux annuel de 10,85% sur remise des coupons attachés aux présentes au fur et à mesure qu’ils viendront à échéance. Le paiement du capital et des intérêts sur le présent Titre sera effectué en monnaie légale du Canada à toute succursale au Canada de La Banque Royale du Canada, ou à tout autre endroit que la Société peut désigner à cette fin et qui est approuvé par le fiduciaire.

Le présent Titre est l’un des Titres d’une émission dûment autorisée de Titres de la Société désignés comme étant ses Débentures 10,85% échéant en 2017 (appelées dans les présentes “Titres”), dont le montant en capital global est limité à
$100 000 000, et qui sont émis ou qui doivent être émis en vertu d’un contrat de fiducie portant la date officielle du 5 août 1987 (appelé dans les présentes “contrat de fiducie”) et passé entre la Société et Compagnie Montréal Trust – Montreal Trust Company, à titre de fiduciaire (appelée dans les présentes “fiduciaire”, lequel terme comprend tout fiduciaire remplaçant aux termes du contrat de fiducie); il y a lieu de se reporter à ce contrat de fiducie et à tout contrat de fiducie supplémentaire pour obtenir l’énoncé des droits respectifs que possèdent en vertu de ceux-ci la Société, le fiduciaire et les détenteurs de Titres et de coupons, de même que l’énoncé des conditions selon lesquelles les Titres sont et doivent être authentifiés et livrés. Les Titres constitueront des

 

- 47 -


obligations non garanties directes de la Société et seront d’un rang égal à celui de toutes les dettes non garanties de la Société.

Tous les termes utilisés dans le présent Titre qui sont la version française de termes anglais définis dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie ont le sens qui est attribué à ces termes anglais dans ladite version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, sauf si une disposition dans les présentes prévoit expressément le contraire ou si le contexte l’exige autrement.

Les Titres seront remboursables par anticipation, au gré de la Société, en totalité en tout temps ou en partie de temps à autre, sur préavis d’au plus 60 jours et d’au moins 30 jours, au plus élevé du Prix de rendement Canada (selon la définition de “Canada Yield Price” donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie) et du montant en capital de ceux-ci plus les intérêts courus et impayés jusqu’à la date fixée pour le remboursement par anticipation.

Si moins de la totalité des Titres en circulation doivent être remboursés par anticipation, les Titres devant être ainsi remboursés seront choisis par le fiduciaire d’une manière qu’il jugera équitable.

La Société a également le droit d’acheter à des fins d’annulation les Titres sur le marché, par voie de soumission ou de gré à gré, à un prix n’excédant pas le prix auquel ces Titres sont, à la date d’achat, remboursables par anticipation plus dans chaque cas les intérêts courus et impayés à la date d’achat plus les frais d’achat. Les Titres achetés ou remboursés par anticipation par la Société sont annulés sans possibilité de réémission.

 

- 48 -


La Société, à compter du ler octobre 1987, fera tous les efforts raisonnables pour acheter à des fins d’annulation sur le marché libre, au cours de chaque période de trois mois, des Titres d’un montant en capital de 800 000 $, et ce, à des prix inférieurs à 100 % de leur valeur nominale plus les intérêts courus et impayés et les frais d’achat. Si, au cours d’une période de trois mois quelconque, la Société est dans l’impossibilité d’acheter des Titres représentant ce montant en capital pour quelque raison que ce soit, notamment le fait que les Titres ne se sont pas négociés au-dessous du pair, cette obligation à l’égard du fonds d’achat quant à cette période, dans la mesure où elle n’aura pas été exécutée, sera reportée sur les sept périodes de trois mois subséquentes et s’éteindra par la suite. Le montant en capital global des Titres que la Société remboursera par anticipation ou achétera autrement que conformément à cet engagement pendant une période de trois mois quelconque réduira d’autant l’obligation d’achat de la Société conformément à cet engagement à l’égard de la période en question.

S’il survient un cas de défaut, selon la définition de “Event of Default” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, le capital de tous les Titres peut être déclaré dû et payable de la manière et avec l’effet prévus dans le contrat de fiducie.

Le contrat de fiducie permet, à quelques exceptions près qui y sont prévues, la modification en tout temps par la Société dudit contrat de fiducie, de même que des droits et des obligations de la Société et des droits des détenteurs des Titres et des coupons, en vertu du contrat de fiducie, avec le consentement des détenteurs des deux tiers du montant en capital global des Titres alors en circulation, selon la définition de “Outstanding” qui est donnée dans la version

 

- 49 -


anglaise du contrat de fiducie, ou des détenteurs d’un pourcentage inférieur de ce montant en capital global ayant agi à une réunion des détenteurs de Titres dûment tenue conformément aux dispositions du contrat de fiducie. Le contrat de fiducie comporte également des dispositions permettant aux détenteurs de pourcentages spécifiés du montant en capital global des Titres alors en circulation, au nom des détenteurs de tous les Titres, de renoncer à exiger que la Société se conforme à certaines dispositions du contrat de fiducie et du présent Titre et de renoncer à leurs recours à l’égard de certains cas de défaut antérieurs en vertu du contrat de fiducie et du présent Titre. Un tel consentement ou une telle renonciation de la part du détenteur du présent Titre sera concluant et liera ce détenteur et tous les détenteurs futurs du présent Titre et de tout Titre émis en échange ou en remplacement de celui-ci, qu’un tel consentement ou qu’une telle renonciation soit ou non indiqué sur le présent Titre.

Le présent Titre est transférable sur livraison, à moins qu’il ne soit immatriculé quant au capital au nom du détenteur dans le registre central des détenteurs de Titres de la Société. Le présent Titre peut être ainsi immatriculé sur présentation des présentes à l’un des principaux bureaux du fiduciaire dans les villes de Halifax, Saint-Jean (N.-B.), Montréal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary et Vancouver, cette immatriculation étant notée sur les présentes. Tant que le présent Titre est immatriculé de la façon susmentionnée, il est transférable par le détenteur inscrit des présentes et l’inscription d’un tel transfert se fait dans les registres des détenteurs de Titres de la Société sur présentation, comme il est indiqué ci-dessus, du présent Titre aux fins d’y noter un tel transfert, accompagné d’un instrument de transfert écrit dont le libellé est acceptable par la Société et par le fiduciaire ou tout agent

 

- 50 -


chargé de la tenue d’un registre local des détenteurs de Titres, dûment signé par le détenteur inscrit des présentes ou par son fondé de pouvoir dûment autorisé par écrit, le tout tel qu’il est prévu dans le contrat de fiducie et sous réserve de certaines restrictions qui y sont énoncées; cependant, le présent Titre peut être dispensé d’immatriculation s’il est transféré au porteur de la manière indiquée ci-dessus, et, sur ce, la transférabilité sur livraison est rétablie. Le présent Titre continue d’être soumis aux immatriculations et aux transferts successifs au porteur au gré du porteur ou du détenteur inscrit, selon le cas. Cette immatriculation, cependant, ne porte aucunement atteinte à la transférabilité sur livraison des coupons s’attachant au présent Titre, lesquels continueront d’être payables au porteur et transférables sur livraison. La Société peut exiger le paiement d’une somme suffisante pour couvrir toute taxe ou imposition gouvernementale ou tous autres frais raisonnables payables à l’égard d’une telle immatriculation, d’un tel transfert ou d’une telle dispense d’immatriculation.

La Société, le fiduciaire et tout autre mandataire de la Société ou du fiduciaire peuvent traiter le porteur du présent Titre ou, si le présent Titre est immatriculé comme il est autorisé dans les présentes, la personne au nom de laquelle le présent Titre est immatriculé et le porteur de tout coupon s’y rattachant comme le propriétaire dudit Titre et dudit coupon, et ce, à toutes fins, que le présent Titre soit ou non échu.

Les Titres sont émissibles sous forme de Titres à coupons, selon la définition de “Coupon Securities” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, immatriculables quant au capital, en coupures de $ 1 000, $ 5 000, $ 25 000 et $ 100 000 et sous forme de Titres entièrement nominatifs, sans coupons, en coupures de $ 1 000 et

 

- 51 -


de multiples complets de $ 1 000. Comme il est prévu dans le contrat de fiducie et sous réserve de certaines restrictions qui y sont énoncées, les Titres sont échangeables aux principaux bureaux du fiduciaire dans les villes mentionnées ci-dessus contre des Titres de nature ou de coupures différentes autorisées d’un montant en capital global équivalent, selon les instructions du détenteur remettant un tel Titre et, dans le cas de tout Titre à coupons, tous les coupons non échus et tous les coupons échus en souffrance s’y rapportant, sur paiement des taxes et des impositions gouvernementales et des autres frais raisonnables.

A moins que l’attestation d’authenticité apparaissant sur les présentes n’ait été signée par le fiduciaire par le biais de la signature manuscrite de l’un de ses dirigeants autorisés, ni le présent Titre ni aucun coupon s’y rattachant donnent droit à aucun avantage en vertu du contrat de fiducie et ils ne sont ni valides ni obligatoires à quelque fin que ce soit.

EN FOI DE QUOI, la Société a fait signer le présent Titre par ses dirigeants dûment autorisés et a fait joindre aux présentes des coupons portant la signature en fac-similé de son trésorier.

 

Daté du                     

    DOMTAR INC.  

Par

 

 

    Attestation:  
 

Président et Chef de la direction

     
   

 

      Le Secrétaire  

 

- 52 -


Coupon d’intérêt

$                     

DOMTAR INC. versera au porteur, le 5e jour de février 1988 sur remise du présent coupon, à toute succursale au Canada de La Banque Royale du Canada, la somme indiquée sur le présent coupon

en monnaie légale du Canada, soit les intérêts semestriels alors dus sur sa Débenture 10,85% échéant en 2017, à moins que cette Débenture ne soit auparavant rappelée à des fins de remboursement par anticipation et que les sommes nécessaires à un tel remboursement ne soient dûment mises de côté.

No                     

 

   

 

   
    Trésorier    

Attestation d’authenticité par le fiduciaire.

Le présent Titre est l’un des Titres visés par le contrat de fiducie mentionné dans les présentes.

 

COMPAGNIE MONTREAL TRUST

fiduciaire
Par  

 

  dirigeant autorisé

 

- 53 -


ARTICLE THREE

The Securities

Section 301. Title and Terms.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is limited to $100,000,000, except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of other Securities pursuant to Sections 304, 305, 306, 805 or 1108.

The Securities shall be known and designated as the “10.85% DEBENTURES DUE 2017” of the Company. Their Stated Maturity shall be August 5, 2017 and they shall bear interest from the later of August 5, 1987 and the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, payable semi-annually in arrears on February 5 and August 5 in each year commencing on February 5, 1988, at the rate of 10.85% per annum until the principal thereof is paid or made available for payment, as more fully described in the forms of Securities set forth in Sections 202 and 203 of this Indenture.

The principal of and interest on the Securities shall be payable at any branch in Canada of The Royal Bank of Canada, or at such other place as may be designated by the Company for such purpose and approved by the Trustee (any municipality in which any such branch or place is located being herein called a “Place of Payment”).

The Regular Record Date referred to in Section 307 for the payment of the interest payable and punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date in respect of Fully

 

- 54 -


Registered Securities shall be the 1st day (whether or not a business day) of the calendar month next preceding said Interest Payment Date.

The Securities shall be redeemable as provided in Article Eleven.

Section 302. Denominations.

The Securities may be issued as Coupon Securities in the denominations of $1,000, $5,000, $25,000 and $100,000 and as Fully Registered Securities in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof.

Section 303. Execution, Authentication Delivery and Dating.

The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or one of its Vice-Presidents and by its Secretary or one of its Assistant Secretaries. Any such signature may be manual or printed or otherwise mechanically reproduced and may, but need not be, under or accompanied by the corporate seal of the Company or a reproduction thereof. The coupons shall bear the printed or otherwise mechanically reproduced signature of the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer of the Company.

Securities and coupons appertaining thereto bearing the printed or otherwise mechanically reproduced signatures of any Person who was at any time the proper officer of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such Person has ceased to hold such office prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities.

 

- 55 -


At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities executed by the Company to the Trustee, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities; and the Trustee in accordance with such Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities as in this Indenture provided and not otherwise.

Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

No Security or coupon appertaining thereto shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose, unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein executed by the Trustee by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder. Subject to the provisions of Section 305 and except as permitted by Section 306, the Trustee shall not authenticate and deliver any Coupon Security unless all appurtenant coupons for interest then matured have been detached and cancelled.

The definitive Securities and coupons shall be typewritten, printed, lithographed or engraved or produced by any combination of these methods or may be produced in any other manner not contrary to the rules of any securities exchange on which the Securities may at the time be listed, all as determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their signing of such Securities.

 

- 56 -


Section 304. Temporary Securities.

Pending the preparation of definitive Securities, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, in bearer or registered form, with one or more coupons or without coupons, with or without provision for registration as to principal and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their signing of such Securities.

If temporary Securities are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities, the temporary Securities shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities upon surrender of the temporary Securities at any Place of Registration, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities (accompanied by any unmatured coupons appertaining thereto) the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Securities of authorized form and denominations. Until so exchanged the temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities, and interest thereon, when and as payable, shall be paid to the bearers of temporary Securities upon presentation thereof for notation of such payment thereon, unless such temporary Securities shall be Fully Registered Securities or shall bear coupons for such interest.

 

- 57 -


Section 305. Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.

The Company shall cause to be kept by the Trustee at its principal office in the City of Montreal (or at such other Place of Registration in Canada maintained by the Trustee as may be requested by the Company with the approval of the Trustee) a central Security register (herein referred to as the “Central Security Register”) and at each other Place of Registration, a branch Security register (herein collectively referred to as the “Branch Security Registers” and the Branch Security Registers together with the Central Security Register are herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “Security Registers”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and the registration of transfers of Registered Securities entitled to be registered or transferred as herein provided. A Branch Security Register shall at least contain particulars of the registration of Securities and the registration of transfers of Registered Securities made at the Place of Registration where such Branch Security Register is being maintained and the Central Security Register shall contain particulars of registrations of Securities and registrations of transfers of Registered Securities made at all Places of Registration. The Trustee is hereby appointed registrar for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Registered Securities as herein provided on the Central Security Register and a “Branch Security Registrar” for the purpose of registring Securities and transfers of Registered Securities as herein provided on the Branch Security Registers expressly provided for on the date hereof. Each Branch Security Registrar (if other than the Trustee) shall provide the Trustee with the particulars of each registration of Securities and of transfers of

 

- 58 -


Registered Securities made on the Branch Security Register for which it has been appointed Branch Security Registrar immediately following any such registration.

Any office or agency appointed pursuant to Section 1002 after the date hereof shall, by its appointment as such, also be deemed to have been appointed a “Branch Security Registrar” for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Registered Securities as herein provided on the Branch Security Register for which it has been appointed Branch Security Registrar.

Upon surrender for transfer of any Fully Registered Security at any Place of Registration, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Fully Registered Securities of a like aggregate principal amount, all as requested by the transferor.

Upon presentation for registration of any Coupon Security at any Place of Registration, the Security shall be registered as to principal in the name of the Holder thereof and such registration shall be noted on the Security. Any Coupon Security so registered shall be transferable on the Security Registers, upon presentation of such Security at any Place of Registration for similar notation thereon, but such Security may be discharged from registration by being in like manner transferred to bearer, whereupon transferability by delivery shall be restored. Coupon Securities shall continue to be subject to successive registrations and discharges from registration at the option of the Holders thereof. Each such registration or discharge shall be subject to payment, if the Company shall so require, of the charges hereinafter provided.

 

- 59 -


The Coupon Securities shall be transferable by delivery except while registered as to principal. Registration of any Coupon Security shall not affect the transferability by delivery of the coupons appertaining thereto, which shall continue to be payable to bearer and transferable by delivery.

At the option of the Holder, Coupon Securities may be exchanged for Coupon Securities in any other authorized denominations or for Fully Registered Securities of any authorized denominations, of a like aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at any Place of Registration with all unmatured coupons and all matured coupons in default thereto appertaining, and upon payment, if the Company shall so require, of the charges hereinafter provided. If the Holder of a Coupon Security is unable to produce any such unmatured coupon or coupons or matured coupon or coupons in default, such exchange may be effected if the Coupon Securities are accompanied by payment in funds acceptable to the Company in an amount equal to the face amount of such missing coupon or coupons or the surrender of such missing coupon or coupons may be waived by the Company, and the Trustee, if there be furnished to them such security or indemnity as they may require to save each of them and any Paying Agent harmless. If thereafter the Holder of such Security shall surrender to any Paying Agent any such missing coupon in respect of which such a payment shall have been made, such Holder shall be entitled to receive the amount of such payment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in case a Coupon Security is surrendered in exchange for a Fully Registered Security at any Place of Registration after the close of business at such Place of Registration on (i) any Regular Record Date and before the opening of business at such Place of Registration on the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, or (ii) any Special Record Date and before the opening of

 

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business at such Place of Registration on the related proposed date for payment of Defaulted Interest, such Coupon Security shall be surrendered without the coupon relating to such Interest Payment Date or proposed date of payment, as the case may be.

At the option of the Holder, Fully Registered Securities may be exchanged for Coupon Securities or Fully Registered Securities of any authorized denominations, of a like aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at any Place of Registration and upon payment, if the Company shall so require, of the charges hereinafter provided. In case a Fully Registered Security is surrendered in exchange for a Coupon Security at any Place of Registration after the close of business at such Place of Registration on (i) any Regular Record Date and before the opening of business at such Place of Registration on the next succeeding Interest Payment Date or (ii) any Special Record Date and before the opening of business at such Place of Registration on the related proposed date for payment of Defaulted Interest, there shall be detached from the Coupon Security issued on such exchange the coupon relating to such Interest Payment Date or proposed date of payment of Defaulted Interest and interest will not be paid on such Interest Payment Date or proposed date for payment of Defaulted Interest in respect of the Coupon Security issued in exchange for such Fully Registered Security but will be payable only to the Person in whose name that Fully Registered Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on such regular or special Record Date.

Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Securityholder making the exchange is entitled to receive.

 

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Every Registered Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer, shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee or other Branch Security Registrar, if any, duly executed, by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer or exchange of Securities and in addition a reasonable service charge for the services rendered and expenses incurred on any such exchange or transfer, except in the case of any transfer or exchange, expressly provided in this Indenture to be made at the Company’s own expense or without expense or without charge to Securityholders.

All Securities and coupons surrendered upon any exchange or transfer provided for in this Indenture shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee and thereafter disposed of as directed by a Company Order.

The Company shall not be required (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Security during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the date of any selection of Securities to be redeemed and ending at the

 

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close of business on the day of the first publication or the mailing (if there is no publication) of the relevant notice of redemption, or (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part.

Section 306. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.

If any mutilated Security or any Security with a mutilated coupon appertaining to it is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall thereupon authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of like tenor and principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, with coupons corresponding to the coupons, if any, appertaining to the surrendered Security.

If there be delivered to the Company and to the Trustee

(i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security or coupon, and

(ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of each of them harmless,

then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security or coupon has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request (in the form of a Company Request) the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, or in exchange for the Security to which such coupon appertains (upon surrender of such Security with all appurtenant coupons not destroyed, lost or stolen), a new Security of like

 

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tenor and principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, with coupons corresponding to the coupons, if any, appertaining to such destroyed, lost or stolen Security or to the Security to which such destroyed, lost or stolen coupon appertains.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security or coupon has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security or coupon.

Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

Every new Security with its coupons, if any, issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security and every new coupon issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen coupon, shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security and its coupons, if any, or the destroyed, lost or stolen coupon, shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities and coupons duly issued hereunder.

The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities or coupons.

 

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Section 307. Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.

Interest on any Fully Registered Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest. In case a Coupon Security is surrendered in exchange for a Fully Registered Security at any Place of Registration after the close of business at such Place of Registration on (i) any Regular Record Date and before the opening of business at such Place of Registration on the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, or (ii) any Special Record Date and before the opening of business at such Place of Registration on the related proposed date for payment of Defaulted Interest, such Coupon Security shall be surrendered without the coupon relating to such Interest Payment Date or proposed date of payment and interest will not be payable on such Interest Payment Date or proposed date of payment in respect of the Fully Registered Security issued in exchange for such Coupon Security, but will be payable only to the Holder of such coupon.

Any Defaulted Interest on any Fully Registered Security shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, either as provided in Clause (1) or in Clause (2) below:

(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Fully Registered Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a

 

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Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner: the Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Fully Registered Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this Clause (1) provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be given, to each Holder of Fully Registered Securities not less than 10 days nor more than 15 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so given, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Fully Registered Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following Clause (2).

 

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(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest in any other lawful manner and upon such notice to the Securityholders if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment and the manner and notice thereof, such manner of payment and such notice shall be deemed appropriate by the Trustee.

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

Section 308. Persons Deemed Owners.

The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the bearer of any Unregistered Security and the bearer of any coupon, whether or not the Security to which it appertains be registered, as the owner of such Security or coupon for the purpose of receiving payment thereof or on account thereof and for all other purposes, whether or not such Security or coupon be overdue. Prior to due presentment of a Registered Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Registered Security is registered as the owner of such Registered Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of, and (subject to Section 307) if such Security be a Fully Registered Security, interest on, such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever (except the payment of coupons appertaining to any Registered Coupon Security and the payment of interest payable on presentation of any temporary Security) whether or not such Security be overdue.

 

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Section 309. Cancellation and Disposal of Securities

All Securities and coupons surrendered for payment, exchange or redemption shall, if surrendered to the Company or any agent of the Company, be delivered to the Trustee and, if not already cancelled, shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder, together with all unpaid coupons appertaining thereto, which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities and coupons held by the Trustee shall be disposed of as directed by a Company Order.

Section 310. Authentication and Delivery of Original Issue.

Forthwith upon the execution and delivery of this Indenture, or from time to time thereafter, Securities up to the aggregate principal amount provided for in Section 301 may be executed by the Company and delivered to the Trustee for authentication, and shall thereupon be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee upon Company Order, without any further action by the Company.

 

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ARTICLE FOUR

Satisfaction and Discharge

Section 401. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.

This Indenture shall cease to be of further effect (except as to any rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities herein expressly provided for which shall survive and except as to the provisions of Section 1016 which shall remain in effect if the Company has not then fulfilled all of its obligations under such Section), and the Trustee, on demand of and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when

(1) either

(A) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered and all coupons appertaining thereto (other than (i) Securities and coupons which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 306, (ii) coupons appertaining to Securities called for redemption and maturing after the relevant Redemption Date, whose surrender has been waived as provided in Section 1107, (iii) Securities and coupons money for whose payment has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 1003, and (iv) coupons appertaining to Coupon Securities surrendered for exchange for Fully Registered Securities and maturing after such exchange, whose surrender is not required

 

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or has been waived as provided in Section 305) have been delivered to the Trustee cancelled or for cancellation; or

(B) the Company has deposited, or caused to be deposited, or made due provision, as hereinafter provided, for the payment of, an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on the Securities and coupons (other than those referred to in (i) and (iii) of Clause (A) above) not theretofore delivered to the Trustee cancelled or for cancellation, for principal and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable), or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be, any sums of money or securities (as hereinafter provided) to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of such payment and discharge;

(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid, or made due provision as hereinafter provided for the payment of, all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and

(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 606 shall survive.

For the purposes of this Section 401, the Company shall be deemed to have made such due provision for payment if it shall have deposited or

 

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caused to be deposited with the Trustee securities issued or guaranteed by the Government of Canada or by any province of Canada or other securities or instruments acceptable to the Trustee the principal of and interest on which, when due, without any reinvestment thereof, will provide moneys which will be sufficient to pay to the holders of the Securities, when due, all amounts owing in respect of the principal of and interest on the Securities, and also for the payment of all other moneys payable hereunder by the Company.

Section 402. Application of Trust Funds.

All securities or money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401 shall, subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and the coupons, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent), as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of the Securities and coupons for whose payment or redemption such securities or money have been deposited with the Trustee, of all sums due and to become due thereon for principal and interest; but such securities or money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

ARTICLE FIVE

[*]

Section 501. Events of Default.

“Event of Default”, wherever used herein means any one of the following events (whatever the reason

 

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for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):

(1) default in the payment of any instalment of interest upon any Security when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or

(2) default in the payment of the principal of any Security at its Maturity;

(3) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this Section specifically dealt with), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 60 days after there has been given to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or

(4) a default under any one or more indentures or instruments evidencing or under which the Company has at the time outstanding indebtedness for borrowed money in an aggregate principal amount of at least $10,000,000 shall happen and be continuing and (i) shall consist of a failure to make any payment of principal at maturity or (ii) shall have resulted in the acceleration of such indebtedness so that the same shall be or

 

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become due and payable prior to the date on which the same would otherwise have become due and payable or shall have resulted in the enforcement of any security for such indebtedness; provided, however, that if such default under such indentures or instruments shall be remedied or cured by the Company or waived by the holders of such indebtedness, then the Event of Default hereunder by reason thereof shall be deemed likewise to have been thereupon remedied, cured or waived without further action upon the part of either the Trustee or any of the Securityholders; and provided, further, that, subject to the provisions of Section 601, the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any default unless written notice thereof shall have been given to the Trustee by the Company, by the holder or an agent of the holder of any such indebtedness, by the trustee then acting under any indenture or other instrument under which such default shall have occurred, or by the Holders of not less than 5% of the principal amount of the Outstanding Securities;

(5) the making by the Company of an assignment for the benefit of its creditors, the filing by it of a petition for the declaration of its own bankruptcy, the consenting by it to the institution of, or the granting by a court of, bankruptcy or other insolvency proceedings against it, the admission by the Company to some or all of its creditors at a meeting or by other means of communication that it is insolvent or the commencement by the Company of any proceeding relative to the indebtedness of the Company under any reorganization, arrangement, compromise, adjustment or postponement of debt, dissolution, winding up, composition or liquidation law or statute of any jurisdiction, whether now or hereafter in effect; or

 

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(6) the making of an order or judgment by a court having jurisdiction adjudging the Company bankrupt or insolvent or ordering the winding up or liquidation or rearrangement of its affairs, or the seizure or attachment of all or a substantial part of the Company’s property at the instance of a creditor, or the appointment of a Person to take possession or control under an agreement subjecting property of the Company to a security interest or pursuant to an order of any court having jurisdiction of all or a substantial part of the property or all or a substantial part of the inventory of the Company, such Person to include a receiver, a receiver-manager, an agent, a sequestrator, a trustee under a trust indenture, a creditor in possession or any person or corporation authorized to act on their behalf; provided that such order, judgment, seizure or attachment remains in force or such taking of possession or control continues in effect for a period of 60 days.

Section 502. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, then and in every such case the Trustee may, in its discretion and shall, if so requested by the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Securities Outstanding declare the principal of all the Securities to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company, and upon any such declaration such principal shall become immediately due and payable.

 

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At any time after such a declaration of acceleration has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Securityholders may by a Majority Securityholders’ Act delivered to the Company and the Trustee rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if

(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay

(A) all overdue instalments of interest on all Securities,

(B) the principal of any Securities which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon at the rate borne by the Securities,

(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue instalments of interest at the rate borne by the Securities, and

(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel;

and

(2) all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of the principal of Securities which has become due solely by such acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 512.

 

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No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 503. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.

The Company covenants that if

(1) default is made in the payment of any instalment of interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or

(2) default is made in the payment of the principal of any Security at the Maturity thereof,

the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities and coupons, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities and coupons for principal and interest, with interest upon the overdue principal and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, upon overdue instalments of interest, at the rate borne by the Securities; and in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name on behalf of all the Holders of Securities and the coupons and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may prosecute

 

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such proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or of any other obligor upon the Securities, wherever situated.

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of the Securities and the coupons by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

Section 504. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

(i) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and interest owing

 

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and unpaid in respect of the Securities and the coupons and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders of the Securities and coupons allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

(ii) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

and any receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator (or other similar official) in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Securityholder to make such payments to the Trustee, and if the Trustee shall so consent, to the making of such payments directly to the Holders of the Securities and coupons, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 606.

Subject to Article Seven and Section 802, nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder of a Security or a coupon any plan or reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the coupons or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any such Holder in any such proceeding.

 

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Section 505. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities or Coupons.

All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities or coupons may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or coupons or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name on behalf of the Securityholders and as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities and coupons in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

Section 506. Application of Money Collected.

Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or interest, upon presentation of the Securities or coupons, or both, as the case may be, and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 606; and

SECOND: To the payment of the amount then due and unpaid upon the Securities and coupons for principal and interest, in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any

 

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kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities and coupons, for principal and interest, respectively.

Section 507. Limitation on Suits.

No Holder of any Security or coupon shall have any right to institute against the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless

(1) an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and such Holder shall have previously given written notice to the Trustee of such continuing Event of Default;

(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60 day period by a Majority Securityholders’ Act;

 

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it being understood and intended that no one or more Holders of Securities or coupons shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other Holder of Securities or coupons, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other such Holder or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all the Holders of the Securities and coupons.

Section 508. Restoration of Rights and Remedies.

If the Trustee or any Holder of a Security or a coupon has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder then and in every such case the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of such Securities and coupons shall, subject to any determination in such proceeding, be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder, and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and such Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

Section 509. Rights and Remedies Cumulative.

Except as provided in the last paragraph of Section 306, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders of Securities or coupons is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right

 

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and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

Section 510. Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Security or coupon to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Securityholders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Securityholders, as the case may be.

Section 511. Control by Securityholders.

The Securityholders, by way of a Majority Securityholders’ Act, shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, provided that

(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or this Indenture,

(2) the Trustee shall not determine that the action so directed would be unjustly prejudicial to the Holders not taking part in such direction, and,

 

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(3) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.

Section 512. Waiver of Past Defaults.

The Securityholders, by way of a Majority Securityholders’ Act, may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities waive any past default hereunder and its consequences, except a default in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article Eight cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected.

Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising from such default shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 513. Undertaking for Costs.

All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security or coupon by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any

 

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suit instituted by the Trustee or to any suit instituted by any Securityholder, or group of Securityholders, holding more than 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities.

ARTICLE SIX

The Trustee

Section 601. Certain Duties and Responsibilities.

(a) The Trustee shall in the exercise of such of the rights and powers vested in it by, and in the performance of its duties under, this Indenture, act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Holders of the Securities and the coupons and shall exercise the care, diligence and skill of a reasonably prudent trustee.

(b) The Trustee shall not be liable for any act, or omission or failure in the exercise of such rights or powers or in the performance of such duties if in doing so it has relied in good faith upon statements contained in any Board Resolution, Company Request, Company Order, Company Consent, Officers’ Certificate, Opinion of Counsel or in any other statutory declaration, certificate, opinion or report that complies with this Indenture or with applicable law.

(c) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own wilful misconduct, except that, subject to any applicable provision of law,

 

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(1) this Subsection shall not be construed to limit the effect of Subsections (a) and (b) of this Section;

(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;

(3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the directions set forth in a Majority Securityholders’ Act relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising or refraining from the exercise of any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture; and

(4) no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.

 

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Section 602. Certain Rights of Trustee.

Except as otherwise provided in Section 601 or as may be required by applicable law:

(a) the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, coupon or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

(b) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order or Company Consent and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;

(c) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officers’ Certificate;

(d) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;

(e) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Securityholders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Securityholders shall have

 

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offered to the Trustee reasonable security and indemnity against the costs, charges, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;

(f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, coupon or other paper or document but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney; and

(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder.

Section 603. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.

The recitals contained herein (other than the description of the Trustee) and in the Securities (except the Trustee’s certificate of authentication) and in the coupons shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities or coupons. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.

 

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Section 604. May Hold Securities.

The Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Branch Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company may, in its own right or in any other capacity, become the owner or pledgee of Securities and coupons and may, subject to the provision of any law which may at the time be applicable, otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Paying Agent, Branch Security Registrar or such other agent.

Subject to the provisions of any law which may at the time be applicable, the Trustee may act as trustee under or as any other party to any indenture or agreement to which the Company may be a party or in which the Company may have an interest in the same manner as if it were not Trustee hereunder.

Section 605. Money Held in Trust.

Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed with the Company.

 

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Section 606. Compensation and Reimbursement.

The Company agrees

(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);

(2) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents, consultants and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or bad faith; and

(3) to indemnify the Trustee for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder.

All such payments and reimbursements shall be made with interest at the rate herein provided to be paid on the Securities at the relevant time or times.

 

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Section 607. Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.

(a) The Trustee represents and warrants that it is not aware of any material conflict of interest between its role as Trustee hereunder and its role in any other capacity.

(b) The Trustee shall, within 90 days after it becomes aware that any material conflict exists between its role as Trustee hereunder and its role in any other capacity, either eliminate such conflict of interest or resign in the manner and with the effect specified in this Article.

Section 608. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.

There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be a corporation incorporated under the laws of Canada or a province thereof and authorized to carry on the business of a trust company and having a combined capital and surplus of at least $5,000,000, and having a principal office in the City of Montreal or the City of Toronto. If such corporation publishes financial statements at least annually, for the purposes of this section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent financial statements so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Article.

 

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Section 609. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.

(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee under Section 610.

(b) The Trustee may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If an instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time by a Majority Securityholders’ Act delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.

(d) If at any time:

(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 607(b) after written request therefor by the Company (in the form of a Company Request) or by any Securityholder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least 6 months, or

(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 608 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company (in the form of a Company Request) or by any such Securityholder, or

 

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(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,

then, in any such case, (i) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee, or (ii) subject to Section 513, any Securityholder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least 6 months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee who shall comply with the applicable provisions of Section 610. If, within twelve months after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee shall be appointed by a Majority Securityholders’ Act delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 610, become the successor Trustee and supersede any successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee shall have been appointed by the Company or the Securityholders and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 610, any Securityholder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least 6 months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of the successor Trustee.

 

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(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee to the Securityholders in accordance with Section 105 and each such notice shall include the name and address of the principal corporate trust office of the successor Trustee.

Section 610. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.

Every successor Trustee appointed hereunder shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on request of the Company (in the form of a Company Request) or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee, and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder. Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts.

No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.

 

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Section 611. Merger or Consolidation.

Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged, amalgamated or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any amalgamation, merger or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by amalgamation, merger or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.

ARTICLE SEVEN

Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance or Transfer

Section 701. Company May Consolidate, etc. only on Certain Terms.

The Company shall not consolidate with, amalgamate with or merge into any other corporation or convey or transfer its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, unless:

 

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(1) the corporation formed by such consolidation or amalgamation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by operation of law or by conveyance or transfer the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Canada or any Province or Territory thereof, and shall (except in any case where such assumption is deemed to have occurred by the sole operation of law), expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and interest on all the Securities and the performance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed;

(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Event of Default, and no event which, after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have happened and be continuing; and

(3) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that such consolidation, merger, amalgamation, conveyance or transfer and such supplemental indenture, if any, comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

Section 702. Successor Corporation Substituted.

Upon any consolidation, or merger, or amalgamation, or any conveyance or transfer of the properties

 

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and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 701, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or amalgamation or into which the Company is merged or to which such conveyance or transfer is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor corporation had been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that no such conveyance or transfer shall have the effect of releasing the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument or any successor corporation which shall theretofore have become such in the manner prescribed in this Article from its liability as obligor and maker on any of the Securities or coupons unless such conveyance or transfer is followed by the complete liquidation of the Company and substantially all the assets of the Company.

ARTICLE EIGHT

Supplemental Indentures

Section 801. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Securityholders.

Without the consent of the Holders of any Securities, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:

(1) for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities to provide for any additional covenant or covenants of the Company or any

 

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security for or guarantee of the Securities or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or

(2) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture which shall not be inconsistent with the provisions Of this Indenture, provided such action pursuant to this Clause shall not, in the judgment of the Trustee, adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Securities or coupons in any material respect; or

(3) to modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of this indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to effect the qualifications of this Indenture under any applicable law of Canada or of any Province or Territory thereof heretofore or hereafter enacted; or

(4) as required by the provisions of Section 701 (1).

Section 802. Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Securityholders.

When authorized or permitted by a Majority Securityholders’ Act delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of the Securities and coupons under this Indenture; provided, however, that no

 

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such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby,

(1) reduce the requirements of Section 904 for quorum or voting or reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any Majority Securityholders’ Act or for any waiver of compliance with provisions of this Indenture or of defaults hereunder and their consequences provided for in this Indenture, or

(2) modify any of the provisions of this Section or Section 512, or Section 1017, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Security affected thereby.

It shall not be necessary for any Act of Securityholders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.

Section 803. Execution of Supplemental Indentures.

In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 601) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execu-

 

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tion of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

Section 804. Effect of Supplemental Indentures.

Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder and of any coupons appertaining thereto shall be bound thereby.

Section 805. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.

Securities authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine by Board Resolution, new Securities so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities.

 

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ARTICLE NINE

Meetings of Holders of Securities

Section 901. Purposes for Which Meetings May Be Called.

A meeting of Holders of Securities may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to this Article to make, give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action authorized by this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders of Securities.

Section 902. Call, Notice and Place of Meetings.

(a) The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of Holders of Securities for any purpose specified in Section 901, to be held at such time and at such place in the City of Montreal or the City of Toronto as the Trustee or, in case of its failure to act, the Company or the Securityholders calling the meeting, shall determine. Notice of every meeting of Holders of Securities, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be given to each Holder of Outstanding Securities in the manner provided in this Indenture not less than 21 nor more than 50 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.

(b) In case at any time the Company, pursuant to a Board Resolution, or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities shall have requested

 

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the Trustee to call a meeting of the Holders of Securities for any purpose specified in Section 901, by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have either given the notice of such meeting or made the publication of the notice of such meeting within 21 days after receipt of such request or shall not thereafter proceed to cause the meeting to be held as provided herein, then the Company, or the Holders of Outstanding Securities in the amount above specified, as the case may be, may determine the time and the place in the City of Montreal or the City of Toronto for such meeting and may call such meeting for such purposes by giving notice thereof as provided in subsection (a) of this Section.

Section 903. Persons Entitled to Vote at Meetings.

To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Holders of Securities, a Person shall be (1) a Holder of one or more Outstanding Securities, or (2) a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy for a Holder or Holders of one or more Outstanding Securities by such Holder or Holders. The only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any meeting of Holders shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel, any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel.

Section 904. Quorum; Action.

The Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities

 

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shall constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum within 30 minutes of the time appointed for any such meeting, the meeting shall, if convened at the request of Holders of Securities, be dissolved. In any other case the meeting may be adjourned for a period of not less than 10 days as determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such meeting. Notice of the reconvening of such adjourned meeting shall be given as provided in Section 902(a), except that such notice may be given not less than five days prior to the date on which the meeting is scheduled to be reconvened. Notice of the reconvening of such adjourned meeting shall state expressly the principal amount of the Outstanding Securities which shall constitute a quorum.

At the reconvening of any meeting adjourned for a lack of a quorum, the Persons then present and entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum for the taking of any action set forth in the notice of the original meeting.

At a meeting or an adjourned meeting duly reconvened and at which a quorum is present as aforesaid, any resolution and all matters (except as limited by the proviso to Section 802 and except where, pursuant to this Indenture, a Majority Securityholders’ Act is required) shall be effectively passed and decided if passed or decided by the Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of Outstanding Securities represented and voting at such meeting.

Any resolution passed or decision taken at any meeting of Holders of Securities duly held in accordance with this Section shall (except as limited by the proviso to Section 802) be binding on all the Holders of Securities and coupons, whether or not present or represented at the meeting.

 

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Section 905. Determination of Voting Rights; Conduct and Adjournment of Meetings.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee and the Person nominated by the Trustee to act as chairman of the meeting, or either of them, may make such reasonable regulations as it or he may deem advisable for any meeting or adjourned meeting of Holders of Securities in regard to proof of the holding of Securities and of the appointment of proxies and in regard to the appointment and duties of scrutineers, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it or he shall deem appropriate. Except as otherwise permitted or required by any such regulations, the holding of any Securities shall be proved in the manner specified in Section 103 and the appointment of any proxy shall be proved in the manner specified in said Section 103 or by having the signature of the Person executing the proxy witnessed or guaranteed by any trust company, bank, banker or other Person, acceptable to the Trustee, authorized by Section 103 to certify to the holding of Unregistered Securities. Such regulations may provide that written instruments appointing proxies, regular on their face, may be presumed valid and genuine without the proof specified in said Section 103 or other proof.

(b) The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, nominate a chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Holders of Securities as provided in Section 902(b), in which case the Company, or the Holders of Securities calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner nominate a chairman.

 

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(c) At any meeting each Holder of a Security, whether present in person or represented by proxy, shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount of Securities held by him; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any Security challenged as not Outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not Outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote, except as a Holder of a Security or as the proxy of a Holder of a Security.

(d) Any meeting of Holders of Securities duly called pursuant to Section 902 at which a quorum is present may be adjourned from time to time by a resolution passed at such meeting and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.

Section 906. Counting Votes and Recording Action of Meetings.

The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Holders of Securities shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of the Holders of Securities or of their representatives by proxy and such other information as may be required by the regulations made for the meeting. The chairman of the meeting shall appoint a secretary and may appoint a scrutineer or scrutineers to act at the meeting. A record, at least in triplicate, of the proceedings of each meeting of Holders of Securities shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the scrutineers and affidavits by one or more persons

 

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having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was given as provided in Section 902 and, if applicable, Section 904. Each copy shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the chairman and secretary of the meeting and one such copy shall be delivered to the Company and another to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee, the latter to have attached thereto the ballots voted at the meeting. Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.

ARTICLE TEN

Covenants

Section 1001. Payment of Principal and Interest.

The Company will duly and punctually pay the principal of and interest on the Securities in accordance with the terms of the Securities, the coupons appertaining thereto and this Indenture.

Section 1002. Maintenance of Places of Registration.

The Company will cause the Central Security Register to be maintained by the Trustee at its principal office in the City of Montreal (or at such other Place of Registration in Canada maintained by the Trustee as may be requested by the Company with the approval of the Trustee) and, subject as hereinafter in this Section provided, will cause Branch Security Registers to be maintained by the Trustee at each of the other Places of Registration.

 

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The Company hereby appoints each Place of Registration where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and coupons and this Identure may be served.

The Company may at any time and from time to time, with the approval of the Trustee, vary or terminate the appointment of any Branch Security Registrar or appoint other offices or agencies as Branch Security Registrars where Securities may be presented or surrendered for registration, registration of transfer or exchange or where notices or demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and coupons and this Indenture may be served or for any one or more of such purposes; provided however that the Company will maintain an office or agency for all such purposes in each of the Cities of Halifax, Saint John, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Vancouver. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location of, or of any change in the location of, any Branch Security Registrar.

Section 1003. Money for Security Payments to be Held in Trust.

If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of or interest on, any of the Securities, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities and of the coupons for such interest a sum sufficient to pay the principal or interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Holders or otherwise disposed of as herein provided, and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

 

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Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents, it will, prior to each due date of the principal of or interest on, any Securities, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal or interest, so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities and of the coupons for such interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

The Company will cause each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will

(1) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of or interest on Securities in trust for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities and of the coupons for such interest until such sums shall be paid to such Holders or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;

(2) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities) in the making of any payment of principal or interest; and

(3) at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.

The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company

 

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or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.

Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security and remaining unclaimed for 6 years after the later of the date of the original deposit or holding in trust of such money by the Company and the date when such principal or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security or the relevant coupon shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in an Authorized Newspaper in each of the City of Montreal and the City of Toronto, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.

 

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Section 1004. Payment of Taxes and Other Claims.

The Company will pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same become delinquent, (1) all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon it or upon its income, profits or property, and (2) all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies which, if unpaid, might by law become a lien upon its property; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings.

Section 1005. Maintenance of Properties.

The Company will cause all its properties used or useful in the conduct of its business to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment and will cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the Company may be necessary so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be properly and advantageously conducted at all times; provided, however, that nothing in this Section shall prevent the Company from discontinuing the operation and maintenance of any of its properties if such discontinuance is, in the judgment of the Company, desirable in the conduct of its business and not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Securityholders.

 

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Section 1006. Statement as to Compliance.

The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, a written statement signed by the President or a Vice-President and by the Treasurer, an Assistant-Treasurer, the Controller or an Assistant Controller of the Company, stating, as to each signer thereof, that

(1) a review of the activities of the Company during such fiscal year and of its performance under this Indenture has been made under his supervision and

(2) to the best of his knowledge, based on such review, the Company has fulfilled all its obligations under this Indenture throughout such fiscal year, or, if there has been a default in the fulfillment of any such obligation, specifying each such default known to him and the nature and status thereof.

Section 1007. Corporate Existence.

Subject to Article Seven, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence, rights (charter and statutory) and franchises; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any right or franchise if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Securityholders.

 

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Section 1008—Negative Pledge.

The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create after the date of this Indenture any Mortgage upon any Principal Property of the Company or of any Restricted Subsidiary or upon any shares of capital stock or Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary, whether owned at the date of this Indenture or hereafter acquired by the Company or by any Restricted Subsidiary, to secure any Debt, without making effective provision concurrently with the creation of any such Mortgage whereby the Securities (together with, if the Company shall so determine, any other Debt of the Company ranking equally with or in priority to the Securities and then existing or thereafter created) shall be secured by a Mortgage equally and ratably with such Debt, so long as such Debt shall be so secured; provided, however, that the foregoing restrictions shall not be applicable to

 

  (i) Mortgages in favor of the Company or any Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary;

 

  (ii)

any Mortgage to secure a Purchase Money Obligation provided that (A) in the case of any construction or improvement of property, the Mortgage shall not apply to any property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary at the time of the commencement of such construction or improvement, other than any real or immoveable property which is substantially unimproved for the purposes of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary and on which the property so constructed or the improvement is located, and other than any machinery or equipment installed at any time so as to constitute immoveable property or a fixture on the real property on which the property so

 

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constructed, or the improvement, is located and (B) in the case of any acquisition of property, the Mortgage shall not apply to any property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary immediately prior to the consummation of the acquisition;

 

  (iii) Mortgages securing obligations issued by Canada or any province or territory thereof, a State or the District of Columbia or any territory or possession of the United States of America, or any political subdivision, agency or authority of any of the foregoing, to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of property subject to such Mortgages, including without limitation Mortgages incurred in connection with pollution control, industrial revenue or similar financings;

 

  (iv) any Mortgage required to be given or granted by any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any trust deed or similar document entered into by such Restricted Subsidiary prior to the date it became a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

  (v) Mortgages under the Debenture Trust Deed;

 

  (vi) any extension, renewal or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements) of any Mortgage referred to in clauses (i) to (v) inclusive above provided, however, that the principal amount of Debt secured thereby shall not exceed the principal amount of Debt so secured at the time of such extension, renewal or replacement; and

 

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  (vii) a Mortgage not excepted by clauses (i) through (vi) above, provided that after giving effect thereto Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.

Section 1009—Sale and Leaseback Transactions.

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into any arrangement with any Person (other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) providing for the leasing by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any Principal Property, whether owned at the date of this Indenture or hereafter acquired (except for leases for a term of not more than three years), which property has been or is to be sold or transferred by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary to such Person (other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) with the intention of taking back a lease of such property (herein referred to as a “Sale and Leaseback Transaction”) unless the net proceeds of the sale or transfer of the property to be leased are at least equal to the fair value (as determined by the Board of Directors) of such property and unless:

 

  (i) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary would, at the time of entering into such arrangement, be entitled, without equally and ratably securing the Securities, to create a Mortgage on such property to secure a Debt in an amount at least equal to the Attributable Obligation in respect of such Sale and Leaseback Transaction pursuant to the provisions of Section 1008, or

 

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  (ii) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary shall apply an amount equal to the net proceeds of such sale or transfer within 100 days after receipt thereof to (x) the retirement (other than any mandatory retirement or by way of payment at maturity) of Senior Funded Debt of the Company or any Funded Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary or (y) the purchase of property, facilities or equipment (other than the property, facilities or equipment involved in such sale) forming part of or constituting Principal Property having a value at least equal to the net proceeds of such sale.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this Section 1009, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may enter into Sale and Leaseback Transactions in addition to those permitted by paragraph (a) of this Section 1009, and without any obligation to retire any Securities or other Funded Debt or to acquire property, facilities or equipment, provided that at the time of entering into such Sale and Leaseback Transactions and after giving effect thereto Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.

Section 1010—Limitation on Additional Debentures.

(a) The Company will not after the date hereof issue any debentures under the Debenture Trust Deed except debentures which may be issued, as provided in the Debenture Trust Deed, in respect of debentures which have been surrendered for transfer, exchange or substitution or which may be issued in replacement of debentures mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen.

 

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(b) Nothing in this Indenture shall in any way affect or be deemed to affect the liens created or to be created by or pursuant to the Debenture Trust Deed on any property, rights or assets heretofore or hereafter acquired by the Company, nor prevent the Company from taking any action reasonably deemed necessary by it in order to comply with the requirements of the Debenture Trust Deed.

(c) The Company will not amend the Debenture Trust Deed or any of the debentures issued thereunder to increase the types of property subject to the Mortgage created pursuant thereto (without equally and ratably securing the Securities) or otherwise amend the Debenture Trust Deed in a manner materially adverse to the interests of the Securityholders.

Section 1011—Limitation on Funded Debt.

The Company will not and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to incur or otherwise become liable for any Funded Debt unless, after giving effect thereto, the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries shall be at least equal to 200% of the principal amount of the Consolidated Funded Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.

The above provisions of this Section 1011 shall not prevent

(a) the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt for the purpose of extending, renewing or refunding, in whole or in part, any Funded Debt of the Company or

 

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any Restricted Subsidiary then outstanding, so long as the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Consolidated Funded Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries is not thereby increased;

(b) the Company from becoming liable for any Funded Debt to a Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary;

(c) any Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt to the Company or to a Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary;

(d) the assumption by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any Funded Debt of a corporation at the time such corporation becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or at the time such corporation is merged into (by transfer of assets or otherwise), or amalgamated with, the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary; and

(e) the issue or assumption by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of Purchase Money Obligations.

Section 1012—Limitation on Funded Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries.

The Company will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to incur or otherwise become liable for any Funded Debt, provided that this provision shall not prevent

(a) a Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt referred to in paragraphs (c), (d) or (e) of Section 1011;

(b) a Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt for the purpose of

 

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extending, renewing or refunding, in whole or in part, any Funded Debt of such Restricted Subsidiary then outstanding, so long as the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Consolidated Funded Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries is not thereby increased;

(c) any Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt in respect of or in connection with obligations issued by Canada or any province or territory thereof, a State or the District of Columbia or any territory or possession of the United States, or any political subdivision, agency or authority of any of the foregoing, to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of property (including without limitation Funded Debt in respect of or in connection with pollution control, industrial revenue or similar financings), provided that, after giving effect to such Funded Debt, the provisions of the first paragraph of Section 1011 are met;

(d) any Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt if, after giving effect thereto, (i) the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Funded Debt as described in this paragraph (d) does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and (ii) the provisions of the first paragraph of Section 1011 are met.

(e) any Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt elected to be incurred as Exempted Debt if, after giving effect thereto, (i) Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and (ii) the provisions of the first paragraph of Section 1011 are met.

 

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Section 1013—Restrictions on Dividends and Acquisition of Shares.

The Company will not declare or pay any dividends (other than stock dividends) on any shares of its capital stock or purchase, redeem, reduce or otherwise pay off any shares of its capital stock, unless, after giving effect to such action, the sum of (a) the aggregate amounts declared and/or paid as dividends (other than stock dividends) on any shares of its capital stock subsequent to December 31, 1985 and (b) the aggregate amounts distributed and/or paid on the purchase, redemption, reduction or other payment off of any shares of its capital stock subsequent to December 31, 1985 will not be in excess of an amount equal to the sum of the Consolidated Net Income (whether positive or negative) of the Company and its Subsidiaries earned subsequent to December 31, 1985, plus the aggregate amounts received by the Company subsequent to December 31, 1985 as the net proceeds of sales of shares of its capital stock plus $100,000,000; provided, however, that this covenant shall not prevent the Company from paying dividends on or satisfying mandatory retirement provisions in respect of any of the preferred shares of its capital stock heretofore or hereafter issued.

Section 1014—Limitation on Sale of Funded Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries.

The Company will not, nor will it permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, sell or otherwise dispose of (other than to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) any Funded Debt of a Restricted Subsidiary which is owned by the Company or by such Restricted Subsidiary until such time as the Restricted Subsidiary whose Funded Debt is so owned has ceased to be a Subsidiary.

 

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Section 1015—Calculations.

For the purposes of the calculations required to be made under Sections 1008, 1009, 1011 and 1012:

 

  (1)

When determining any ratio between Consolidated Net Tangible Assets and the principal amount of Consolidated Funded Debt, such determination shall be made by the Board of Directors (who may determine such Consolidated Net Tangible Assets to be not less than a stated amount without determining the exact amount thereof), on the basis of the most recent financial statements or financial data made available to the Board of Directors, as at a date not more than 120 days prior to the date of the adoption of the resolution of the Board of Directors authorizing the issue of the Funded Debt in respect of which such ratio is being determined, and there shall be taken into calculation all issues and retirements of Funded Debt (without duplication) and of shares of capital stock and the proceeds of such issues and the expenditures on such retirements made and received and to be made and received, as the case may be, and such change in the value of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as the Board of Directors shall deem material, subsequent to the date as of which such determination is being made up to and including the date of the first delivery of any of the Funded Debt authorized by such resolution and including all the

 

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other Funded Debt which have been authorized for issue by said resolution and the estimated net proceeds to be received on the issue of such other Funded Debt;

 

  (2) when determining any ratio between Exempted Debt and Consolidated Net Tangible Assets, such determination (which may stipulate such Consolidated Net Tangible Assets to be not less than a stated amount without stipulating the exact amount thereof) shall be made by a financial officer of the Company, on the basis of the most recent available financial statements or financial data, as at a date not more than one hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the date on which the Exempted Debt in respect of which such ratio is being determined is to be incurred or, in the case of an Attributable Obligation, the date on which the Sale and Leaseback Transaction is to be entered into, and there shall be taken into calculation all issues and retirements of Funded Debt and Exempted Debt (without duplication) and of shares of capital stock and the proceeds of such issues and the expenditures on such retirements made and received, as the case may be, and such change in the value of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as shall be deemed material, subsequent to the date as of which such determination is being made up to and including the first date on which any of the Exempted Debt in respect of which such determination is being made is to be incurred or entered into and including all the other Exempted Debt which have been concurrently authorized for issue and the estimated net proceeds to be received on the issue of such other Exempted Debt;

 

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  (3) there shall be excluded from such calculations all Exempted Debt and Funded Debt of the Company payable to a Restricted Subsidiary or of any Restricted Subsidiary payable to the Company or to any other Restricted Subsidiary; and

 

  (4) all such calculations and determinations shall be made in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Section 1016. Purchase Fund.

In each calendar quarter commencing with the quarter beginning on October 1, 1987, [*] to purchase in the open market in Canada, at such time or times as the Company in its discretion shall determine, [*] thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest costs of purchase, [*] principal amount of the Securities which Securities (together with all unmatured coupons, if any, appertaining thereto) so purchased shall be promptly surrendered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation.

If in any such calendar quarter [*] be unable, [*], to purchase as aforesaid, the maximum principal amount of Securities which it is obliged by this Section 1016 to endeavour to purchase during such quarter, then the Company shall not be in default hereunder, but in each such

 

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case the maximum principal amount of the Securities which it shall be obliged to make all reasonable efforts to purchase as aforesaid during the next succeeding calendar quarters shall be increased by that amount which is equal to the difference between the maximum principal amount of Securities which the Company was obliged to endeavour to purchase during such first mentioned quarter and the principal amount of Securities actually purchased during such first mentioned quarter in discharge of that obligation.

Provided that:

(a) If during any calendar quarter the obligation of the Company to endeavour to purchase Securities under this Section 1016 is in excess of $800,000 as aforesaid, then the principal amount of Securities purchased hereunder during such calendar quarter shall be deemed to be applied first in reduction of such excess, and if the principal amount so purchased is insufficient to discharge fully the obligation with respect to the entire such excess, it shall be deemed to be applied to the discharge of the respective amounts thereof arising in respect of each of the preceding calendar quarters in the order of their respective dates, beginning with the earliest such quarter;

(b) Where an obligation to endeavour to purchase Securities has been initially incurred in respect of any calendar quarter and during the next seven succeeding calendar quarters has not been deemed to have been fully discharged by virtue of subsequent purchases of Securities determined as aforesaid, then the amount of the aggregate obligation of the Company in respect of the eighth succeeding calendar quarter shall be deemed to have been reduced by an amount equal to the remaining undischarged amount of such first mentioned obligation; and

 

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(c) The company may, in the discharge of its obligation under this Section 1016 in respect of any calendar quarter, surrender to the Trustee in respect of that quarter, Securities (together with all unmatured coupons, if any, appertaining thereto) which may have been redeemed or purchased by it during such quarter otherwise than pursuant to such obligation, and upon any such surrender, the principal amount of the Securities which the Company is by this Section obliged to endeavour to purchase during such calendar quarter shall be deemed to have been reduced by an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Securities so surrendered.

Section 1017. Waiver of Certain Covenants.

The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any covenant or condition set forth in this Article Ten, if before or after the time for such compliance the Securityholders shall, by a Majority Securityholders’ Act, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such covenant or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such covenant or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such covenant or condition shall remain in full force and effect.

ARTICLE ELEVEN

Redemption and Purchase of Securities

 

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Section 1101. Right of Redemption.

The Securities will be redeemable, at the Company’s option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, on not more than 60 and not less than 30 days prior notice at the higher of the Canada Yield Price (as defined below) and 100% of the principal amount thereof, together in each case with accrued and unpaid interest to the date fixed for redemption.

“Canada Yield Price” shall mean, in effect, a price equal to the price of the Securities calculated to provide a yield to maturity equal to the Government of Canada Yield plus 0.50% on the business day preceding the date of the resolution authorizing the redemption or if such price is being calculated for the purpose of Section 1109, on the business day preceding the date of purchase. “Government of Canada Yield” on any date shall mean, in effect, the yield to maturity on such date compounded semi-annually which a non-callable Government of Canada Bond would carry if issued, in Canadian dollars in Canada, at 100% of its principal amount on such date with a term to maturity equal to the remaining term to maturity of the Securities. The Government of Canada Yield will be provided by two Canadian investment dealers, Wood Gundy Inc. and Lévesque, Beaubien Inc., or such other Canadian investment dealer or dealers as the Company may determine from time to time and as may be acceptable to the Trustee.

Section 1102. Applicability of Article.

Redemption of Securities by the Company shall be made in accordance with this Article.

 

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Section 1103. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.

The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of less than all of the Securities, the Company shall, at least 45 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed.

Section 1104. Selection by Trustee of Securities to be Redeemed.

If less than all the Securities are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee from the Outstanding Securities not previously called for redemption by such method as it shall deem equitable and which may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to $1,000 or a multiple thereof) of the principal of Securities of a denomination larger than $1,000.

The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Security selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Security which has been or is to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal of such Security which has been or is to be redeemed.

 

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Section 1105. Notice of Redemption.

Notice of the proposed redemption shall be given in the manner provided in this Indenture to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date; provided that where any such notice is being given to the Holders of Unregistered Securities, the same shall be published in an Authorized Newspaper in each of the Cities of Montreal and Toronto once in each of 4 successive calendar weeks, the first publication to be not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date.

If notice is published as aforesaid, neither failure to give notice by mail, nor defect in any notice so mailed, shall affect the validity of the proceedings for such redemption.

All notices of redemption shall state:

(1) the Redemption Date,

(2) the Redemption Price,

(3) if less than all Outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption, the respective principal amounts) of the Securities to be redeemed,

(4) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security, and that interest thereon shall cease to accrue on and after said date, and

 

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(5) the place where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price.

Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name of and at the expense of the Company.

Section 1106. Deposit of Redemption Price.

At least one business day prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 1003) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of all the Securities which are to be redeemed on such Redemption Date.

Section 1107. Securities Payable on Redemption Date.

Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified and on and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price) such Securities shall cease to bear interest and all coupons appertaining to such Securities which represent instalments of interest to become due after the Redemption Date shall be void. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, together with all coupons, if any, appertaining thereto maturing after the Redemption Date, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price together

 

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with accrued interest to the Redemption Date, provided, however, that instalments of interest on Coupon Securities whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable only upon presentation and surrender of coupons for such interest and provided, further, that instalments of interest on Registered Securities whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such on the relevant Record Date according to their terms and the provisions of Section 307. Interest maturing on or prior to the Redemption Date shall continue to be payable (but without interest thereon, unless the Company shall default in the due payment or provision for payment thereof) in the case of Coupon Securities to the bearers of the coupons for such interest upon surrender thereof, and in the case of Fully Registered Securities to the Registered Holders thereof according to their terms in the customary manner.

If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate borne by such Security.

If any Coupon Security surrendered for redemption shall not be accompanied by. all appurtenant coupons maturing after the Redemption Date, such Security may be paid after deducting from the Redemption Price an amount equal to the face amount of all such missing coupons or the surrender of such missing coupon or coupons may be waived by the Company and the Trustee, if there be furnished to them such security or indemnity as they may require to save each of them and any Paying Agent harmless. If thereafter the Holder of such Security shall surrender to any Paying Agent any such missing coupon in respect of which a deduction shall have

 

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been made from the Redemption Price, such Holder shall be entitled to receive the amount so deducted.

Section 1108. Securities Redeemed in Part.

Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part may, at the option of the Holder,

(1) be presented to the Trustee or Paying Agent for notation thereon of the payment as of the Redemption Date of the redeemed portion of the principal thereof, or

(2) be surrendered (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing) and the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities, of any authorized denomination or denominations as requested by such Holder in aggregate principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.

Section 1109. Purchase of Securities

At any time when the Company is not in default hereunder it may purchase for cancellation all or any Securities in the market or by tender or by private contract, provided that the prices at which such Securities may be purchased shall not exceed the Redemption Price (including accrued interest) at which such Securities could, at the time of purchase, be redeemed by the Company at its option, plus costs of purchase. All Securities so

 

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purchased shall be delivered to the Trustee and shall be cancelled by it and no Securities shall be issued in substitution therefor.

ARTICLE TWELVE

Counterparts and Language

Section 1201. Counterparts

This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

Section 1202. Language

The parties hereto have expressly requested and agreed that this Trust Indenture be in the English language. Les parties aux présentes ont

 

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expressément requis et convenu que la présente convention de fiducie soit rédigée en anglais.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed, all as of the day and year first above written.

 

  DOMTAR INC.
(signed)   Derek J. Speirs
(signed)   A. Gascon

 

  COMPAGNIE MONTREAL TRUST -
  MONTREAL TRUST COMPANY
(signed)   Dominique Carriére
(signed)   J.-Claude Lebel

 

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Exhibit 4.6

TRUST INDENTURE

between

DOMTAR INC.

and

COMPAGNIE MONTREAL TRUST –

MONTREAL TRUST COMPANY

In respect of

10% Debentures due 2011

Bearing formal date of April 15, 1987


CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE   

Title

   Page
ONE    Definitions and Other Provisions of General Application    2
TWO    Security Forms    26
THREE    The Securities    54
FOUR    Satisfaction and Discharge    69
FIVE    Remedies    72
SIX    The Trustee    85
SEVEN    Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance or Transfer    95
EIGHT    Supplemental Indentures    97
NINE    Meetings of Holders of Securities    100
TEN    Covenants    106
ELEVEN    Redemption and Purchase of Securities    124
TWELVE    Counterparts and Language    130
   Testimonium   


THIS INDENTURE dated as of April 15, 1987 between DOMTAR INC., a corporation continued under the Canada Business Corporations Act (herein called the “Company”) having its principal office at 395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1L6 and MONTREAL TRUST COMPANY – COMPAGNIE MONTREAL TRUST, a Quebec corporation duly authorized to carry on the business of a trust company (herein called the “Trustee”).

Recitals of the Company

The Company has duly authorized the creation of an issue of its 10% Debentures due 2011 (herein called the “Securities”) of substantially the tenor and amount herein set forth, and to provide therefor the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture.

All things necessary to make the Securities, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee hereunder and duly issued by the Company, the valid obligations of the Company, and to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with their and its terms, have been done.

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

For and in consideration of the premises and the acquisition of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the benefit of all Holders of the Securities and the coupons thereto appertaining, as follows:


ARTICLE ONE

Definitions and Other Provisions of General

Application

Section 101. Definitions.

(a) For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

“This Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof.

All references in this instrument to designated “Articles”, “Sections” and other subdivisions are to the designated Articles, Sections and other subdivisions of this instrument as originally executed. The words “herein”, “hereof”, “hereunder” and “herewith” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

(b) All accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in Canada and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term “generally accepted accounting principles” with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted in Canada at the date or time of such computation;

 

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(c) The terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article, and include the plural as well as the singular.

“Act” when used with respect to any Securityholder has the meaning specified in Section 103.

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the ownership, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of such Person; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

“Attributable Obligation” means, in respect of a Sale and Leaseback Transaction, the present value (discounted at the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, if known, or at the rate of 10% if such implicit rate is not known) of the obligation of the lessee for the net rental payments (as described below) during the remaining term of the lease (including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended) entered into in connection therewith, such present value to be established as at the date as at which the ratio between Exempted Debt and Consolidated Net Tangible Assets is determined and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The term “net rental payments” under any lease for any period shall mean the sum of the rental and other payments required to be paid in such period by the lessee thereunder, not including, however, any amounts required to be paid by such lessee (whether or not designated as rental or additional rental) on account of indemnities (other than any

 

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constituting basic rent) or maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates, utilities or similar charges required to be paid by such lessee thereunder or any amounts required to be paid by such lessee thereunder contingent upon the amount of sales, production or other measures of economic performance, maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates, utilities or similar charges.

“Authorized Newspaper” means a newspaper of general circulation in the relevant area, printed in the English language and, if the relevant area is in the Province of Quebec, also in the French language, and customarily published on each business day, whether or not published on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. Whenever successive weekly publications in an Authorized Newspaper are required hereunder they may be made (unless otherwise expressly provided herein) on the same or different days of the week and in the same or in different Authorized Newspapers.

“Board of Directors” means either the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee or member of the board.

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company or by another officer of the Company acceptable to the Trustee as having been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

“Branch Security Register” and “Branch Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 305.

“Business Day”, when used with respect to any Place of Payment, means each Monday, Tuesday,

 

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Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in that Place of Payment are authorized or obligated by law to close for the entire day.

“Capitalized Lease Obligation” means, with respect to any Person, any obligation of such Person as lessee with respect to any lease that is required to be capitalized on its balance sheet in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The amount of any Capitalized Lease Obligation at any time shall be the amount at which it is carried on the balance sheet of the lessee at such time in accordance with such principles.

“Central Security Register” has the meaning specified in Section 305.

“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor corporation shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor corporation.

“Company Request”, “Company Order” and “Company Consent” mean, respectively, a written request, order or consent delivered to the Trustee after having been signed in the name of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, President or a Vice-President, and by its Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, its Controller or an Assistant Controller or by any two officers of the Company duly authorized for the purpose by a Board Resolution and acceptable to the Trustee.

“Consolidated Funded Debt” of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries means all Funded Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

 

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“Consolidated Net Income”, with reference to any period, of the Company and its Subsidiaries means the aggregate of the net income of the Company and its Subsidiaries, excluding all extraordinary items, after eliminating all intercompany items and portions of earnings properly attributable to minority interest in shares of such Subsidiaries, all computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

“Consolidated Net Tangible Assets”, with respect to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, means the total of all assets appearing on a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, less the sum of the following amounts appearing on such consolidated balance sheet:

 

  (i) amounts, if any, at which goodwill, trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other similar intangible assets (other than timber licenses) and unamortized stock or debt commission, discount, expense and premium shall appear as assets,

 

  (ii) in the case of any asset of the Company, the amount of any write-up of the value of such asset if made on the books of the Company subsequent to December 31, 1985, and in the case of any asset of a Restricted Subsidiary, the amount of any write-up of the value of such asset if made on the books of such Restricted Subsidiary after the later of December 31, 1985, or a date six months prior to the date on which such Restricted Subsidiary became a Subsidiary,

 

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  (iii) all amounts at which investments in Subsidiaries which are not being consolidated shall appear on such consolidated balance sheet as assets,

 

  (iv) the amount of all liabilities appearing on such consolidated balance sheet as current liabilities, and

 

  (v) any minority interest appearing on such consolidated balance sheet;

all as determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

“Coupon Security” means any Security of the form set forth in Section 203.

“Debenture Trust Deed” means the Trust Deed of Hypothec, Mortgage and Pledge and Deed of Trust and Mortgage bearing formal date of June 1, 1958 between the Company and National Trust Company, as trustee, as heretofore and hereafter amended and supplemented, providing for the issue and securing of debentures of the Company.

“Debt” means all Capitalized Lease Obligations and any undischarged indebtedness for money borrowed, whether or not evidenced by any note, bond, debenture or other instrument; provided, however, that Debt shall not include any Debt for the payment or redemption of which money in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in trust either at or before the maturity or redemption date thereof.

 

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“Defaulted Interest” means any interest on any Fully Registered Security which is payable, but which has not been punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date.

“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 501.

“Exempted Debt” means without duplication (a) all Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries which is secured by a Mortgage described in clause (vii) of Section 1008, (b) all Funded Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries described in paragraph (e) of Section 1012, and (c) all Attributable Obligations in respect of Sale and Leaseback Transactions described in paragraph (b) of Section 1009.

“Fully Registered Security” means any Security of the form set forth in Section 202.

“Funded Debt” of any Person means any Debt, whether issued, assumed or guaranteed by such Person, maturing by its terms more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof or which is extendible or renewable at the sole option of the obligor in such manner that it may become payable more than one year from the date of issuance, assumption or guarantee thereof by such Person; provided, however, that when determining the principal amount of Funded Debt outstanding at any date, there shall be excluded therefrom any amount thereof due within one year of such date.

“Holder” when used with respect to any Security means a Securityholder, and when used with respect to any coupon means the bearer thereof.

“Independent” when used with respect to any specified Person means such a Person who (1) is

 

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in fact independent, (2) does not have any material direct or indirect financial interest in the Company or in any other obligor upon the Securities or in any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor, and (3) is not connected with the Company or such other obligor or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor, as an officer, employee, promoter, underwriter, trustee, partner, director or person performing similar functions. Whenever it is herein provided that any Independent Person’s opinion or certificate shall be furnished to the Trustee, such Person shall be appointed by a Company Order and approved by the Trustee in the exercise of reasonable care, and such opinion or certificate shall state that the signer has read this definition and the signer is Independent within the meaning hereof.

“Interest Payment Date” means the Stated Maturity of an instalment of interest on the Securities.

“Majority Securityholders’ Act” means any Act by the Holders of Securities which has been (a) signed by or for the Holders of not less than two-thirds in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities; or (b) adopted by the Holders of two-thirds in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities voting thereon at a meeting of the Holders of Securities duly held pursuant to the provisions of Article Nine, provided that, where the action provided for in any such Act adopted at a meeting as aforesaid is inconsistent with the action provided for in a prior Act of the Securityholders first delivered to the Trustee within the preceding 60 days, such subsequent Act shall not be a Majority Securityholders’ Act, unless it shall have been adopted at said meeting by the votes of the Holders of two-thirds in principal amount of all the Outstanding Securities.

 

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“Maturity” when used in respect to any Security means the date on which the principal of such Security becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.

“Mining Property” means any (a) mine, (b) facility for processing material from a mine or (c) property containing reserves of minerals (other than (i) any such mine or facility principally used in connection with the production of oil or gas and (ii) any such property whose reserves consist principally of oil or gas), in each case owned or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary and located within Canada or the United States of America, other than (x) any such mine, facility or property which, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, is not of material importance to the total business conducted by the Company and its Subsidiaries as an entirety or (y) any portion of any such mine, facility or property which is similarly found not to be of material importance to the use or operation thereof.

“Mortgage” means any mortgage, hypothec, privilege, pledge, security interest, floating charge or other similar lien or encumbrance.

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President or a Vice-President, and by the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Controller or an Assistant Controller of the Company (or by any two officers of the Company duly authorized for the purpose by a Board Resolution and acceptable to the Trustee), and delivered to the Trustee. Wherever this Indenture requires that an Officers’ Certificate be signed also by an engineer or an accountant or other expert, such engineer,

 

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accountant or other expert (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture) may be in the employ of the Company, and shall be appointed by Company Order and be acceptable to the Trustee.

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture) be counsel for the Company (whether or not in the employ of the Company), and shall be appointed by Company Order and acceptable to the Trustee.

“Outstanding”, when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:

 

  (i) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

 

  (ii) Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as a Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities and any coupons thereto appertaining; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made; and

 

  (iii)

Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 306 or in

 

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exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company;

provided, however, that in determining which Persons are entitled to vote at a meeting of Holders of Securities or whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities are present at a meeting of Holders of Securities for quorum purposes or have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, Securities owned by the Company, or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company, or such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such determination as to the entitlement to vote, the presence of a quorum or upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities which the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor.

“Paying Agent” means any Person, which may be the Company, authorized by the Company to pay the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.

 

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“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

“Place of Payment” means any municipality referred to in Section 301.

“Place of Registration” means and includes the principal office of the Trustee in each of the Cities of Halifax, Saint John, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary or Vancouver or any other office or agency appointed by the Company pursuant to Section 1002.

“Predecessor Securities” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 306 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost, destroyed or stolen Security.

“Principal Facility” means any mill, converting plant or manufacturing plant owned or leased at the date of this Trust Indenture or hereafter acquired or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary and which is located within Canada or the United States of America, other than (a) any such mill or plant which in the opinion of the Board of Directors is not of material importance to the total business conducted by the Company and its Subsidiaries as an entirety or (b) any portion of any such mill or plant which is similarly found not to be of material importance to the use or operation of such mill or plant.

 

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“Principal Property” means, as the context may require, any real or immoveable property forming part of or constituting any or all of the following: any Principal Facility, Mining Property or Timberlands.

“Purchase Money Obligation” means any indebtedness, whether or not secured, incurred in respect of the cost of acquisition of any property (including shares of capital stock or Debt) or of the cost of construction or improvement of any property acquired, constructed or improved after the date of this Indenture, which indebtedness existed at the time of acquisition or was created, issued, incurred, assumed or guaranteed contemporaneously with the acquisition, construction or improvement or within 120 days after the completion thereof and includes any extension, renewal or refunding of any such indebtedness if the principal amount thereof outstanding on the date of such extension, renewal or refunding is not increased.

“Redemption Date” when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.

“Redemption Price” when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.

“Registered Coupon Security” means any Coupon Security registered as to principal.

“Registered Holder” when used with respect to any Registered Security means the Person in whose name such Security is registered in the Central Security Register.

 

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“Registered Security” means any Security registered in the Central Security Register and includes any Registered Coupon Security.

“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date means the date specified in Section 301.

“Responsible Officer” when used with respect to the Trustee means the chairman or vice-chairman of the board of directors, the chairman or vice-chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors, the president, any vice-president, the secretary, any assistant secretary, the treasurer, any assistant treasurer, the cashier, any assistant cashier, any trust officer or assistant trust officer, the controller and any assistant controller or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

“Restricted Subsidiary” means (a) a Subsidiary which owns or leases any interest in a Principal Property and (b) a Subsidiary which the Board of Directors shall have determined to be a Restricted Subsidiary. Any determination mentioned in (b) shall be irrevocable provided, however, that the Board of Directors may determine that a Restricted Subsidiary (as defined in (a) or (b)) shall cease to be a Restricted Subsidiary and shall become an Unrestricted Subsidiary if (i) a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary shall hold a minority interest in such Restricted

 

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Subsidiary of at least 15% of the common shareholders’ equity of such Restricted Subsidiary; (ii) after giving effect to such determination, the Company is entitled to issue Funded Debt in the principal amount of at least one dollar; and (iii) immediately after such Restricted Subsidiary becomes an Unrestricted Subsidiary, no Event of Default or event which, with the giving of notice or the passage of time, would constitute an Event of Default, shall exist.

“Sale and Leaseback Transaction” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 1009.

“Security” or “Securities” means any Security or Securities, as the case may be, authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture.

“Securityholder” means a bearer of an Unregistered Security or a Registered Holder of a Registered Security.

“Security Registers” has the meaning specified in Section 305.

“Senior Funded Debt” means Funded Debt which in right of payment is senior to the Securities and includes the debentures issued and outstanding under the Debenture Trust Deed.

“Special Record Date” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest (as defined in Section 307) means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.

“Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security or any instalment of interest thereon means the date specified in such Security or in the coupon representing such instalment of interest as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such instalment of interest is due and payable.

 

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“Subsidiary” means any corporation of which more than 50% of the Voting Stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by or for the Company or by or for any corporation in like relation to the Company and includes any corporation in like relation to a Subsidiary.

“Timberlands” means any real or immovable property located within Canada or the United States of America and (a) which is owned by the Company or any Subsidiary and contains, or (b) with respect to which the Company or any Subsidiary is entitled under any lease, license or similar agreement to cut and remove, standing timber which is (or upon completion of a growth cycle then in process is expected to become) of a commercial quantity and of merchantable quality, other than (i) any such property which at the time of determination is not held primarily for the production of any lumber or other wood products, (ii) any such property which in the opinion of the Board of Directors is not of material importance to the total business conducted by the Company and its Subsidiaries as an entirety, (iii) any portion of a particular property which is similarly found not to be of material importance to the use or operation of such property or (iv) any reserves of oil or gas located under any such property.

“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean such successor Trustee.

 

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“Unregistered Security” means any Coupon Security or temporary bearer Security not registered as to principal.

“Unrestricted Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary which is not or which has ceased to be a Restricted Subsidiary.

“Voting Stock” means shares of capital stock of any class of a corporation having under all circumstances the right to elect at least a majority of the board of directors of such corporation, provided that, for the purposes hereof, shares which only carry the right to vote conditionally on the happening of an event shall not be considered Voting Stock nor shall any shares be deemed to cease to be Voting Stock solely by reason of a right to vote accruing to shares of another class or classes by reason of the happening of such event.

“Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary” means a Restricted Subsidiary all of whose Voting Stock (other than shares required to be owned by directors under any applicable law) are owned by the Company and/or one or more of its Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiaries.

Section 102. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.

In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

 

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Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.

Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.

Section 103. Acts of Holders of Securities.

(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders of Securities may be embodied in and evidenced by (1) one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agent or proxy duly appointed in writing, (2) the record of Holders of Securities voting in favor thereof, either in person or by proxies duly appointed in writing, at any meeting

 

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of Holders of Securities duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of Article Nine, or (3) a combination of such instruments and any such record. Except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments or record or both are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments and record (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders of Securities signing such instrument or instruments or so voting at such meeting. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent or proxy, or of the holding by any Person of a Security, shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 601) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company if made in the manner provided in this Section. The record of any meeting of Holders of Securities shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 906.

(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by the certificate of any notary or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by an officer of a corporation or a member of a partnership, on behalf of such corporation or partnership, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority.

(c) The principal amount of Unregistered Securities held by any Person executing any such instrument or writing as a Securityholder, and the numbers of such Unregistered Securities, and the date of his holding the same, may be proved by the

 

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production of such Securities or by a certificate executed by any trust company, bank, banker or other Person, wherever situated, acceptable to the Trustee, if such certificate is in form satisfactory to the Trustee, showing that at the date therein mentioned such Person had on deposit with such depositary, or exhibited to it, the Unregistered Securities therein described; or such facts may be proved by the certificate or affidavit of the Person executing such instrument or writing as a Securityholder, if such certificate or affidavit is in form satisfactory to the Trustee. The Trustee and the Company may assume that such holding of any Unregistered Security continues until (1) another certificate bearing a later date issued in respect of the same Unregistered Security is produced, or (2) such Unregistered Security is produced by some other Person, or (3) such Unregistered Security is registered as to principal or is surrendered in exchange for a Fully Registered Security, or (4) such Unregistered Security is no longer Outstanding.

(d) The fact and date of execution of any such instrument or writing and the amount and numbers of Unregistered Securities held by the Person so executing such instrument or writing may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient; and the Trustee may in any instance require further proof with respect to any of the matters referred to in this Section.

(e) The holding of Registered Securities shall be proved by the Central Security Register.

(f) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action by the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof, in

 

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respect of anything done or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.

Section 104. Notices, etc., to Trustee and Company.

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Securityholders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,

(1) the Trustee by any Securityholder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing to or with the Trustee at its principal office in the City of Montreal or at any other address previously furnished by notice in writing to the Company by the Trustee and notified to the Securityholders in accordance with Section 105, or

(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Securityholder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if in writing and either mailed, first-class postage prepaid, or telexed or telecopied and confirmed by first-class mail postage prepaid, to the Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument, to the attention of its Secretary, or at any other address or to the attention of any other Person previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company and notified to the Securityholders in accordance with Section 105.

 

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Section 105. Notices to Securityholders; Waiver.

Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, where this Indenture provides for notice to Securityholders of any event,

i) such notice shall be sufficiently given to Holders of Unregistered Securities if advertised once in an Authorized Newspaper in the City of Montreal and the City of Toronto on a business day which is not earlier than the earliest date nor later than the latest date prescribed for the giving of such notice; and

ii) such notice shall be sufficiently given to any Holder of Registered Securities if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to such Registered Holder of such Central Security, at his address as it appears on the Central Security Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such notice.

In any case where notice to Holders of Registered Securities is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder of a Registered Security shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders of Registered Securities or the sufficiency of any notice by publication to Holders of Unregistered Securities given as provided above.

In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by first-class postage prepaid mail, then such notification to Holders of Registered Securities as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute sufficient notice to such Holders for every purpose hereunder.

 

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In case, by reason of the suspension of publication of any Authorized Newspaper, or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impracticable to make publication of any notice in an Authorized Newspaper or Authorized Newspapers as required by this Indenture, then such method of publication or notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient publication of such notice for every purpose hereunder.

Where this Indenture provides for notice to any Person in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Securityholders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.

Section 106. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.

The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

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Section 107. Successors and Assigns.

All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

Section 108. Separability Clause.

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 109. Benefits of Indenture.

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities or in the coupons, express or implied, shall, except as may be required by any applicable law, give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors hereunder and the Holders of Securities and coupons, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

Section 110. Governing Law.

This Indenture and each of the Securities and coupons shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the Province of Quebec and the laws of Canada applicable therein.

Section 111. Legal Holidays.

In any case where any Interest Payment Date or date of Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then

 

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(notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities or the coupons) payment of interest or principal or premium, if any, need not be made at such Place of Payment on such day, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on such Interest Payment Date or such date of Maturity, provided that if such payment is duly made on such next succeeding Business Day, no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date or such date of Maturity, as the case may be, to and including such next succeeding Business Day.

Section 112. Language of Notices, Etc.

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election or waiver required or permitted under this Indenture shall be in the English or French language.

ARTICLE TWO

Security Forms

Section 201. Forms Generally.

The Securities, the appurtenant coupons and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be in substantially the forms set forth in this Article, with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as

 

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evidenced by their signing of the Securities. Any portion of the text of any Security may be set forth on the reverse thereof.

Section 202. Form of Fully Registered Security.

DOMTAR INC.

10% Debenture Due 2011

 

$                   No.             

DOMTAR INC., a corporation incorporated or continued under the Canada Business Corporations Act (hereinafter called the “Company”, which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to                                          , or registered assigns, on April 15, 2011 the principal sum of                                      DOLLARS and to pay interest thereon from the later of April 15, 1987 and the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually in arrears on April 15 and October 15 in each year commencing on October 15, 1987 (each such date being an “Interest Payment Date”), at the rate of 10% per annum. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in the Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities, as defined in said Indenture) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the 1st day (whether or not a business day) of the calendar month next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, any such interest not so punctually paid

 

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or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the registered Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities not less then 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be paid at any time in any other lawful manner deemed practicable by the Trustee, all as more fully provided in the Indenture. Payment of the principal of and interest on this Security will be made in lawful money of Canada at any branch in Canada of The Royal Bank of Canada, or at such other place as may be designated by the Company for such purpose and approved by the Trustee. Payment of interest on this Security may be made at the option of the Company by warrant or cheque mailed to the address of the Person or Persons entitled thereto as such address shall appear on the Central Security Register.

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the Company designated as its 10% Debentures Due 2011 (herein called the “Securities”), limited in aggregate principal amount to $100,000,000, issued and to be issued under an indenture bearing formal date of April 15, 1987 (herein called the “Indenture”), between the Company and Compagnie Montréal Trust - Montreal Trust Company, Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities, and the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. The Securities will

 

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be direct unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank pari passu with all other unsecured indebtedness of the Company.

All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Indenture except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires.

The Securities will be redeemable, at the Company’s option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, on not more than 60 and not less than 30 days prior notice, at the higher of the Canada Yield Price (as defined in the Indenture) and the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date fixed for redemption.

Where less than all of the outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the Securities so to be redeemed will be selected by the Trustee in such a manner as it shall deem equitable.

The Company shall also have the right to purchase for cancellation the Securities in the market, by tender or private contract, at prices not exceeding the price at which such Securities are redeemable, at the date of purchase, plus in each case accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase and costs of purchase. The Securities purchased or redeemed by the Company shall be cancelled and shall not be reissued.

The Company, commencing July 1, 1992, will make all reasonable efforts to purchase for cancellation in the open market during each three-month period, $1,125,000 principal amount of the Securities at prices not exceeding 100% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest and costs of purchase. If in any three-month period, the Company is unable to purchase

 

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such principal amount of Securities for any reason, trade below par, such purchase fund obligation for such period, to the extent unfulfilled, will be carried forward for the succeeding seven three-month periods and will thereafter be extinguished. The Securities which the Company is obligated to purchase during any three-month period pursuant to this provision will be reduced by the aggregate principal amount of the Securities redeemed or purchased by the Company in the same three-month period otherwise than pursuant to this provision.

If an Event of Default, as defined in the Indenture, shall occur, the principal of all the Securities may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities and coupons under the Indenture at any time by the Company with the consent of the Holders of two-thirds in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding, as defined in the Indenture, or of such lesser amount thereof as shall have acted at a meeting of the Holders of the Securities duly held pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and of this Security and certain past defaults under the Indenture and under this Security and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon

 

- 30 -


all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, this Registered Security is transferable by the registered Holder hereof on the Security Registers of the Company, upon surrender of this Security for transfer at the principal office of the Trustee in the Cities of Halifax, Saint John, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Vancouver, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee or other Branch Security Registrar, if any, duly executed by, the Registered Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Fully Registered Securities without coupons, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge or other reasonable charge payable in connection with any such transfer.

The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or of the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes whether or not this Security be overdue.

The Securities are issuable as Coupon Securities, as defined in the Indenture, registrable as to principal, in the denominations of $1,000, $5,000, $25,000 and $100,000 and as fully registered Securities without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. Title to Coupon Securities not registered as to principal,

 

- 31 -


and to coupons appertaining to any Security shall pass by delivery. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities are exchangeable at the principal office of the Trustee in the Cities above mentioned for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of a different authorized kind or denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same with, in the case of any Coupon Security, all unmatured coupons and all matured coupons in default thereto appertaining, upon payment of taxes and governmental charges and other reasonable charges.

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture, or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

 

- 32 -


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Security to be executed by its duly authorized officers.

 

Dated  

 

    DOMTAR INC.
By  

 

    Attest:
President and Chief Executive Officer      
     

 

      Secretary

Trustee’s Certificate of Authentification

This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

      MONTREAL TRUST COMPANY
      Trustee
      By:  

 

        Authorized Officer

Paragraphe 202. Formule des Titres entièrement nominatifs

DOMTAR INC.

Débenture 10% échéant en 2011

 

No.                $             

DOMTAR INC., société constitutée ou prorogée en vertu de la Loi sur les sociétés commerciales canadiennes (appelée dans les présentes “Société”,

 

- 33 -


lequel terme comprend toute société remplaçante aux termes du contrat de fiducie mentionné ci-après), contre valeur reçue, promet par les présentes de payer à                                          , ou à ses ayants droit inscrits, le 15 avril 2011 le montant en capital de                                          DOLLARS et de payer les intérêts s’y rapportant à compter du 15 avril 1987 ou à compter de la dernière date de paiement des intérêts à l’égard de laquelle des intérêts ont été versés ou dûment mis de côté, selon celle de ces dates qui tombera la dernière, et ce, semestriellement terme échu le 15 avril et le 15 octobre de chaque année à compter du 15 octobre 1987 (chacune de ces dates étant une “date de paiement des intérêts”), au taux annuel de 10%. Les intérêts ainsi payables, qui sont payés ponctuellement ou dûment mis de côté, à toute date de paiement des intérêts seront, tel qu’il est prévu dans le contrat de fiducie, versés à la personne au nom de laquelle le présent Titre (ou un ou plusieurs Titres remplacés, selon la définition de “Predecessor Securities” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise dudit contrat de fiducie) est immatriculé à la fermeture des bureaux à la date ordinaire de clôture des registres se rapportant à ces intérêts, laquelle est le ler jour (qu’il s’agisse ou non d’un jour ouvrable) du mois civil précédant cette date de paiement des intérêts. Sauf dans la mesure où il est prévu autrement dans le contrat de fiducie, les intérêts qui ne sont pas ainsi payés ponctuellement ou dûment mis de côté cesseront aussitôt d’être payables au détenteur inscrit à cette date ordinaire de clôture des registres et ils peuvent soit être payés à la personne au nom de laquelle le présent Titre (ou un ou plusieurs Titres remplacés) est immatriculé à la fermeture des bureaux à une date spéciale de clôture des registres à l’égard du paiement de ces intérêts en souffrance qui doit être fixée par le fiduciaire, un avis à cet égard devant être donné aux détenteurs de Titres au moins dix jours avant cette date spéciale de clôture des registres, soit être payés en tout temps de toute autre manière licite que le fiduciaire juge possible, le tout tel qu’il est prévu plus en détail dans le contrat de fiducie. Le paiement du capital et des intérêts sur le présent Titre sera effectué en monnaie légale du Canada à toute succursale au Canada de La Banque Royale du Canada ou à tout autre endroit que la Société peut désigner à cette fin et qui est approuvé par le fiduciaire. Le paiement des intérêts sur le présent Titre peut être effectué, au gré de la Société, par mandat ou par chèque posté à l’adresse de la personne ou des personnes y ayant droit, telle que cette adresse apparaît dans le registre central des détenteurs de Titres.

 

- 34 -


Le présent Titre est l’un des Titres d’une émission dûment autorisée de Titres de la Société désignés comme étant ses Débentures 10% échéant en 2011 (appelées dans les présentes “Titres”), dont le montant en capital global est limité à $100 000 000, et qui sont émis ou qui doivent être émis en vertu d’un contrat de fiducie portant la date officielle du 15 avril 1987 (appelé dans les présentes “contrat de fiducie”) et passé entre la Société et Compagnie Montréal Trust – Montreal Trust Company, à titre de fiduciaire (appelée dans les présentes “fiduciaire”, lequel terme comprend tout fiduciaire remplaçant aux termes du contrat de fiducie); il y a lieu de se reporter à ce contrat de fiducie et à tout contrat de fiducie supplémentaire pour obtenir l’énoncé des droits respectifs que possèdent en vertu de ceux-ci la Société, le fiduciaire et les détenteurs de Titres, de même que l’énoncé des conditions selon lesquelles les Titres sont et doivent être authentifiés et livrés. Les Titres constitueront des obligations non garanties directes de la Société et seront d’un rang égal à celui de toutes les dettes non garanties de la Société.

 

- 35 -


Tous les termes utilisés dans le présent Titre qui sont la version française de termes anglais définis dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducíe ont le sens qui est attribué à ces termes anglais dans ladite version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, sauf si une disposition dans les présentes prévoit expressément le contraire ou si le contexte l’exige autrement.

Les Titres seront remboursables par anticipation, au gré de la Société, en totalité en tout temps ou en partie de temps à autre, sur préavis d’au plus 60 jours et d’au moins 30 jours, au plus élevé du Prix de rendement Canada (selon la définition de “Canada Yield Price” donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie) et du montant en capital de ceux-ci plus les intérêts courus et impayés jusqu’à la date fixée pour le remboursement par anticipation.

Si moins de la totalité des Titres en circulation doivent être remboursés par anticipation, les Titres devant être ainsi remboursés seront choisis par le fiduciaire d’une manière qu’il jugera équitable.

La Société a également le droit d’acheter à des fins d’annulation les Titres sur le marché, par voie de soumission ou de gré à gré, à un prix n’excédant pas le prix auquel ces Titres sont, à la date d’achat, remboursables par anticipation plus dans chaque cas les intérêts courus et impayés à la date d’achat plus les frais d’achat. Les Titres achetés ou remboursés par anticipation par la Société sont annulés sans possibilité de réémission.

La Société, à compter du ler juillet 1992, fera tous les efforts raisonnables pour acheter à des fins d’annulation sur le marché libre, au cours de chaque période de trois mois, des Titres d’un montant en capital de 1 125 000 $, et ce, à des

 

- 36 -


prix ne dépassant pas leur valeur nominale plus les intérêts courus et impayés et les frais d’achat. Si, au cours d’une période de trois mois quelconque, la Société est dans l’impossibilité d’acheter des Titres représentant ce montant en capital pour quelque raison que ce soit, notamment le fait que les Titres ne se sont pas négociés au-dessous du pair, cette obligation à l’égard du fonds d’achat quant à cette période, dans la mesure où elle n’aura pas été exécutée, sera reportée sur les sept périodes de trois mois subséquentes et s’éteindra par la suite. Le montant en capital global des Titres que la Société remboursera par anticipation ou achètera autrement que conformément à cet engagement pendant une période de trois mois quelconque réduira d’autant l’obligation d’achat de la Société conformément à cet engagement à l’égard de la période en question.

S’il survient un cas de défaut, selon la définition de “Event of Default” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, le capital de tous les Titres peut être déclaré dû et payable de la manière et avec l’effet prévus dans le contrat de fiducie.

Le contrat de fiducie permet, à quelques exceptions près qui y sont prévues, la modification en tout temps par la Société dudit contrat de fiducie, de même que des droits et des obligations de la Société et des droits des détenteurs des Titres et des coupons, en vertu du contrat de fiducie, avec le consentement des détenteurs des deux tiers du montant en capital global des Titres alors en circulation, selon la définition de “Outstanding” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, ou des détenteurs d’un pourcentage inférieur de ce montant en capital global ayant agi à une réunion des détenteurs de Titres dûment tenue conformément aux dispositions du contrat de fiducie. Le contrat de fiducie

 

- 37 -


comporte également des dispositions permettant aux détenteurs de pourcentages spécifiés du montant en capital global des Titres alors en circulation, au nom des détenteurs de tous les Titres, de renoncer à exiger que la Société se conforme à certaines dispositions du contrat de fiducie et du présent Titre, de renoncer à leurs recours à l’égard de certains cas de défaut antérieurs en vertu du contrat de fiducie et du présent Titre. Un tel consentement ou une telle renonciation de la part du détenteur du présent Titre sera concluant et 1iera ce détenteur et tous les détenteurs futurs du présent Titre et de tout Titre émis au moment du transfert du présent Titre ou en échange ou en remplacement de celui-ci, qu’un tel consentement ou qu’une telle renonciation soit ou non indiqué sur le présent Titre.

Comme il est prévu dans le contrat de fiducie et sous réserve de certaines restrictions qui y sont énoncées, le présent Titre nominatif est transférable par le détenteur inscrit dudit Titre; l’inscription du transfert se fait dans les registres des détenteurs de Titres de la Société, sur remise du présent Titre à des fins de transfert à l’un des principaux bureaux du fiduciaire dans les villes de Halifax, Saint-Jean (N.-B.), Montréal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary et Vancouver; à cette fin, ledit Titre doit être dûment endossé par le détenteur inscrit dudit Titre ou par son fondé de pouvoir dûment autorisé par écrit, ou il doit être accompagné d’un instrument de transfert écrit dont le libellé est acceptable par la Société et par le fiduciaire ou tout agent chargé de la tenue d’un registre local des détenteurs de Titres, dûment signé par le détenteur du Titre ou par son fondé de pouvoir dûment autorisé par écrit. Sur ce, un ou plusieurs nouveaux Titres entièrement nominatifs sans coupons, en coupures autorisées et d’un montant en capital global équivalent, seront émis au ou aux cessionnaires

 

- 38 -


désignés. La Société peut exiger le paiement d’une somme suffisante pour couvrir toute taxe ou imposition gouvernementale ou tous autres frais raisonnables payables à l’égard d’un tel transfert.

La Société, le fiduciaire et tout autre mandataire de la Société ou du fiduciaire peuvent traiter la personne au nom de laquelle le présent Titre est immatriculé comme le propriétaire dudit Titre, et ce, à toutes fins, que le présent Titre soit ou non échu.

Les Titres sont émissibles sous forme de Titres à coupons, selon la définition de “Coupon Securities” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, immatriculables quant au capital, en coupures de $1 000, $5 000, $25 000 et $100 000, et sous forme de Titres entièrement nominatifs, sans coupons, en coupures de $1 000 et de multiples complets de $1 000. Le titre de propriété des Titres à coupons non immatriculés quant au capital et des coupons se rapportant à tout Titre est transmis sur livraison. Comme il est prévu dans le contrat de fiducie et sous réserve de certaines restrictions qui y sont énoncées, les Titres sont échangeables aux principaux bureaux du fiduciaire dans les villes mentionnées ci-dessus contre des Titres de nature ou de coupures différentes autorisées d’un montant en capital global équivalent, selon les instructions du détenteur remettant un tel Titre et, dans le cas de tout Titre à coupons, tous les coupons non échus et tous les coupons échus en souffrance s’y rapportant, sur paiement des taxes et des impositions gouvernementales et des autres frais raisonnables.

A moins que l’attestation d’authenticité apparaissant sur les présentes n’ait été signée par le fiduciaire par le biais de la signature manuscrite de l’un de ses dirigeants autorisés, le

 

- 39 -


présent Titre ne donne droit à aucun avantage en vertu du contrat de fiducie et il n’est ni valide ni obligatoire à quelque fin que ce soit.

EN FOI DE QUOI, la Société a fait signer le présent Titre par ses dirigeants dûment autorisés.

 

Daté du  

 

    DOMTAR INC.
Par  

 

    Attestation:
Président et Chef de la direction      
     

 

      Le Secrétaire

Attestation d’authenticité par le fiduciaire

Le présent Titre est l’un des Titres visés par le contrat de fiducie mentionné dans les présentes.

 

COMPAGNIE MONTREAL TRUST

fiduciaire

 
Par  

 

 
  dirigeant autorisé  

Section 203. Form of Coupon Security.

DOMTAR INC.

10% Debenture Due 2011

 

$                No.             

 

- 40 -


DOMTAR INC., a corporation incorporated or continued under the Canada Business Corporations Act (hereinafter called the “Company”, which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to the bearer, or, if this Security be registered as to principal, to the Registered Holder hereof, on April 15, 2011 the principal sum of                      Thousand Dollars and to pay interest thereon, semi-annually in arrears from the later of April 15, 1987 and the most recent interest payment date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, on April 15 and October 15 in each year commencing on October 15, 1987, at the rate of 10% per annum upon surrender of the coupons attached hereto as they severally mature. Payment of the principal of and interest on this Security will be made in lawful money of Canada at any branch in Canada of The Royal Bank of Canada, or at such other place as may be designated by the Company for such purpose and approved by the Trustee.

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the Company designated as its 10% Debentures Due 2011, (herein called the “Securities”), limited in aggregate principal amount to $100,000,000, issued and to be issued under an indenture bearing formal date of April 15, 1987 (herein called the “Indenture”), between the Company and Compagnie Montréal Trust—Montreal Trust Company Trustee, Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and Holders of the Securities and coupons, and the

 

- 41 -


terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. The Securities will be direct unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank pari passu with all other unsecured indebtedness of the Company.

All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Indenture except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires.

The Securities will be redeemable, at the Company’s option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, on not more than 60 and not less than 30 days prior notice, at the higher of the Canada Yield Price (as defined in the Indenture) and the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date fixed for redemption.

Where less than all of the outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the Securities so to be redeemed will be selected by the Trustee in such a manner as it shall deem equitable.

The Company shall also have the right to purchase for cancellation the Securities in the market, by tender or private contract, at prices not exceeding the price at which such Securities are redeemable, at the date of purchase, plus in each case accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase plus costs of purchase. The Securities purchased or redeemed by the Company shall be cancelled and shall not be reissued.

The Company, commencing July 1, 1992, will make all reasonable efforts to purchase for cancellation in the open market during each three-month period, $1,125,000 principal amount of the Securities at prices not exceeding 100% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid

 

- 42 -


interest and costs of purchase. If in any three-month period, the Company is unable to purchase such principal amount of Securities for any reason, including the fact that the Securities did not trade below par, such purchase fund obligation for such period, to the extent unfulfilled, will be carried forward for the succeeding seven three-month periods and will thereafter be extinguished. The Securities which the Company is obligated to purchase during any three-month period pursuant to this provision will be reduced by the aggregate principal amount of the Securities redeemed or purchased by the Company in the same three-month period otherwise than pursuant to this provision.

If an Event of Default, as defined in the Indenture, shall occur, the principal of all the Securities may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities and the coupons under the Indenture at any time by the Company with the consent of the Holders of two-thirds in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding, as defined in the Indenture, or of such lesser amount thereof as shall have acted at a meeting of the Holders of the Securities duly held pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and of this Security and certain past defaults under the Indenture and under this Security and their consequences. Any

 

- 43 -


such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

This Security is transferable by delivery, unless registered as to principal in the name of the Holder in the Central Security Register of the Company. This Security may be so registered upon presentation hereof at the principal office of the Trustee in the Cities of Halifax, Saint John, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Vancouver, such registration being noted hereon. While registered as aforesaid, this Security shall be transferable on the Security Registers of the Company by the Registered Holder hereof, upon like presentation of this Security for notation of such transfer hereon, accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee or other Branch Security Registrar, if any, duly executed by the Registered Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, all as provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth; but this Security may be discharged from registration by being in like manner transferred to bearer, and thereupon transferability by delivery shall be restored. This Security shall continue to be subject to successive registrations and transfers to bearer at the option of the bearer or Registered Holder, as the case may be. Such registration, however, shall not affect the transferability by delivery of the coupons appertaining hereto, which shall continue to be payable to bearer and transferable by delivery. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge or other reasonable charge payable in connection with any such registration, transfer or discharge from registration.

 

- 44 -


The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or of the Trustee may treat the bearer of this Security, or, if this Security is registered as herein authorized, the person in whose name the same is registered, and the bearer of any coupon appertaining hereto, as the owner hereof and thereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security or such coupon be overdue.

The Securities are issuable as Coupon Securities, as defined in the Indenture, registrable as to principal, in the denominations of $1,000, $5,000, $25,000 and $100,000 and as fully registered Securities without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities are exchangeable at the principal office of the Trustee in the Cities above mentioned for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of a different authorized kind or denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same with, in the case of any Coupon Security, all unmatured coupons and all matured coupons in default thereto appertaining, upon payment of taxes and governmental charges and other reasonable charges.

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers, neither this Security, nor any coupon appertaining hereto, shall be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture, or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Security to be executed by its duly authorized officers and coupons bearing the facsimile signature of its Treasurer to be hereto annexed.

 

- 45 -


Dated  

 

    DOMTAR INC.
By  

 

    Attest:
President and Chief Executive Officer      
     

 

      Secretary

Interest Coupon

$             

DOMTAR INC. will pay to the bearer on the 15th day of October, 1987 upon surrender of this coupon, at any branch in Canada of The Royal Bank of Canada, the amount shown hereon

in lawful money of Canada, being six month’s interest then due on its 10% Debenture Due 2011, unless the said Debenture is called for previous redemption and payment thereof duly provided for.

No.             

 

 

 

 
  Treasurer  

 

- 46 -


Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.

This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

MONTREAL TRUST COMPANY

Trustee

By  

 

  Authorized Officer

Paragraphe 203. Formule des Titres à coupons.

DOMTAR INC.

Débenture 10 % échéant en 2011

 

No.                 $             

DOMTAR INC., société constituée ou prorogée en vertu de la Loi sur les sociétés commerciales canadiennes (appelée dans les présentes “Société”, lequel terme comprend toute société remplaçante aux termes du contrat de fiducie mentionné ci-après), contre valeur reçue, promet par les présentes de payer au porteur ou, si le présent Titre est immatriculé quant au capital, au détenteur inscrit dudit Titre, le 15 avril 2011 le montant en capital de                      mille dollars et de payer les intérêts s’y rapportant semestriellement terme échu à compter du 15 avril 1987 ou à compter de la dernière date de paiement des intérêts à laquelle des intérêts ont été versés ou mis de côté, selon celle de ces dates qui tombera la dernière, le 15 avril et le 15 octobre, de chaque année, à compter du 15 octobre 1987, au taux annuel de 10 % sur remise des coupons attachés aux présentes au fur et à mesure qu’ils viendront à échéance. Le paiement du capital et des intérêts sur le présent Titre sera effectué en monnaie légale du Canada à toute

 

- 47 -


succursale au Canada de La Banque Royale du Canada, ou à tout autre endroit que la Société peut désigner à cette fin et qui est approuvé par le fiduciaire.

Le présent Titre est l’un des Titres d’une émission dûment autorisée de Titres de la Société désignés comme étant ses Débentures 10 % échéant en 2011 (appelées dans les présentes “Titres”), dont le montant en capital global est limité à $100 000 000, et qui sont émis ou qui doivent être émis en vertu d’un contrat de fiducie portant la date officielle du 15 avril 1987 (appelé dans les présentes “contrat de fiducie”) et passé entre la Société et Compagnie Montréal Trust — Montreal Trust Company, à titre de fiduciaire (appelée dans les présentes “fiduciaire”, lequel terme comprend tout fiduciaire remplaçant aux termes du contrat de fiducie); il y a lieu de se reporter à ce contrat de fiducie et à tout contrat de fiducie supplémentaire pour obtenir l’énoncé des droits respectifs que possèdent en vertu de ceux-ci la Société, le fiduciaire et les détenteurs de Titres et de coupons, de même que l’énoncé des conditions selon lesquelles les Titres sont et doivent être authentifiés et livrés. Les Titres constitueront des obligations non garanties directes de la Société et seront d’un rang égal à celui de toutes les dettes non garanties de la Société.

Tous les termes utilisés dans le présent Titre qui sont la version française de termes anglais définis dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie ont le sens qui est attribué à ces termes anglais dans ladite version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, sauf si une disposition dans les présentes prévoit expressément le contraire ou si le contexte l’exige autrement.

Les Titres seront remboursables par anticipation, au gré de la Société, en totalité en tout

 

- 48 -


temps ou en partie de temps à autre, sur préavis d’au plus 60 jours et d’au moins 30 jours, au plus élevé du Prix de rendement Canada (selon la définition de “Canada Yield Price” donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie) et du montant en capital de ceux-ci plus les intéréts courus et impayés jusqu’à la date fixée pour le remboursement par anticipation.

Si moins de la totalité des Titres en circulation doivent être remboursés par anticipation, les Titres devant être ainsi remboursés seront choisis par le fiduciaire d’une manière qu’il jugera équitable.

La Société a également le droit d’acheter à des fins d’annulation les Titres sur le marché, par voie de soumission ou de gré à gré, à un prix n’excédant pas le prix auquel ces Titres sont, à la date d’achat, remboursables par anticipation plus dans chaque cas les intérêts courus et impayés à la date d’achat plus les frais d’achat. Les Titres achetés ou remboursés par anticipation par la Société sont annulés sans possibilité de réémission.

La Société, à compter du ler juillet 1992, fera tous les efforts raisonnables pour acheter à des fins d’annulation sur le marché libre, au cours de chaque période de trois mois, des Titres d’un montant en capital de 1 125 000 $, et ce, à des prix ne dépassant pas leur valeur nominale plus les intérêts courus et impayés et les frais d’achat. Si, au cours d’une période de trois mois quelconque, la Société est dans l’impossibilité d’acheter des Titres représéntant ce montant en capital pour quelque raison que ce soit, notamment le fait que les Titres ne se sont pas négociés au-dessous du pair, cette obligation à l’égard du fonds d’achat quant à cette période, dans la mesure où elle n’aura pas été exécutée, sera reportée sur les sept périodes de trois mois subséquentes et s’éteindra

 

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par la suite. Le montant en capital global des Titres que la Société remboursera par anticipation ou achètera autrement que conformément à cet engagement pendant une période de trois mois quelconque réduira d’autant l’obligation d’achat de la Société conformément à cet engagement à l’égard de la période en question.

S’il survient un cas de défaut, selon la définition de “Event of Default” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, le capital de tous les Titres peut être déclaré dû et payable de la manière et avec l’effet prévus dans le contrat de fiducie.

Le contrat de fiducie permet, à quelques exceptions près qui y sont prévues, la modification en tout temps par la Société dudit contrat de fiducie, de même que des droits et des obligations de la Société et des droits des détenteurs des Titres et des coupons, en vertu du contrat de fiducie, avec le consentement des détenteurs des deux tiers du montant en capital global des Titres alors en circulation, selon la définition de “Outstanding” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, ou des détenteurs d’un pourcentage inférieur de ce montant en capital global ayant agi à une réunion des détenteurs de Titres dûment tenue conformément aux dispositions du contrat de fiducie. Le contrat de fiducie comporte également des dispositions permettant aux détenteurs de pourcentages spécifiés du montant en capital global des Titres alors en circulation, au nom des détenteurs de tous les Titres, de renoncer à exiger que la Société se conforme à certaines dispositions du contrat de fiducie et du présent Titre et de renoncer à leurs recours a l’égard de certains cas de défaut antérieurs en vertu du contrat de fiducie et du présent Titre. Un tel consentement ou une telle renonciation de la part du détenteur du présent Titre sera concluant et

 

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liera ce détenteur et tous les détenteurs futurs du présent Titre et de tout Titre émis en échange ou en remplacement de celui-ci, qu’un tel consentement ou qu’une telle renonciation soit ou non indiqué sur le présent Titre.

Le présent Titre est transférable sur livraison, à moins qu’il ne soit immatriculé quant au capital au nom du détenteur dans le registre central des détenteurs de Titres de la Société. Le présent Titre peut être ainsi immatriculé sur présentation des présentes à l’un des principaux bureaux du fiduciaire dans les villes de Halifax, Saint-Jean (N.-B.), Montréal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary et Vancouver, cette immatriculation étant notée sur les présentes. Tant que le présent Titre est immatriculé de la façon susmentionnée, il est transférable par le détenteur inscrit des présentes et l’inscription d’un tel transfert se fait dans les registres des détenteurs de Titres de la Société sur présentation, comme il est indiqué ci-dessus, du présent Titre aux fins d’y noter un tel transfert, accompagné d’un instrument de transfert écrit dont le libellé est acceptable par la Société et par le fiduciaire ou tout agent chargé de la tenue d’un registre local des détenteurs de Titres, dûment signé par le détenteur inscrit des présentes ou par son fondé de pouvoir dûment autorisé par écrit, le tout tel qu’il est prévu dans le contrat de fiducie et sous réserve de certaines restrictions qui y sont énoncées; cependant, le présent Titre peut être dispensé d’immatriculation s’il est transféré au porteur de la manière indiquée ci-dessus, et, sur ce, la transférabilité sur livraison est rétablie. Le présent Titre continue d’être soumis aux immatriculations et aux transferts successifs au porteur au gré du porteur ou du détenteur inscrit, selon le cas. Cette immatriculation, cependant, ne porte aucunement atteinte à la transférabilité sur livraison des coupons s’attachant au présent Titre,

 

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lesquels continueront d’être payables au porteur et transférables sur livraison. La Société peut exiger le paiement d’une somme suffisante pour couvrir toute taxe ou imposition gouvernementale ou tous autres frais raisonnables payables à l’égard d’une telle immatriculation, d’un tel transfert ou d’une telle dispense d’immatriculation.

La Société, le fiduciaire et tout autre mandataire de la Société ou du fiduciaire peuvent traiter le porteur du présent Titre ou, si le présent Titre est immatriculé comme il est autorisé dans les présentes, la personne au nom de laquelle le présent Titre est immatriculé et le porteur de tout coupon s’y rattachant comme le propriétaire dudit Titre et dudit coupon, et ce, à toutes fins, que le présent Titre soit ou non échu.

Les Titres sont émissibles sous forme de Titres à coupons, selon la définition de “Coupon Securities” qui est donnée dans la version anglaise du contrat de fiducie, immatriculables quant au capital, en coupures de $ 1 000, $ 5 000, $ 25 000 et $ 100 000 et sous forme de Titres entièrement nominatifs, sans coupons, en coupures de $ 1 000 et de multiples complets de $ 1 000. Comme il est prévu dans le contrat de fiducie et sous réserve de certaines restrictions qui y sont énoncées, les Titres sont échangeables aux principaux bureaux du fiduciaire dans les villes mentionnées ci-dessus contre des Titres de nature ou de coupures différentes autorisées d’un montant en capital global équivalent, selon les instructions du détenteur remettant un tel Titre et, dans le cas de tout Titre à coupons, tous les coupons non échus et tous les coupons échus en souffrance s’y rapportant, sur paiement des taxes et des impositions gouvernementales et des autres frais raisonnables.

A moins que 1’attestation d’authenticité apparaissant sur les présentes n’ait été signée par

 

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le fiduciaire par le biais de la signature manuscrite de l’un de ses dirigeants autorisés, ni le présent Titre ni aucun coupon s’y rattachant donnent droit à aucun avantage en vertu du contrat de fiducie et ils ne sont ni valides ni obligatoires à quelque fin que ce soit.

EN FOI DE QUOI, la Société a fait signer le présent Titre par ses dirigeants dûment autorisés et a fait joindre aux présentes des coupons portant la signature en fac-similé de son trésorier.

 

Daté du  

 

    DOMTAR INC.
Par  

 

    Attestation:
Président et Chef de la direction      
     

 

      Le Secrétaire

Coupon d’intérêt

$             

DOMTAR INC. versera au porteur, le 15e jour d’octobre 1987 sur remise du présent coupon, à toute succursale au Canada de La Banque Royale du Canada, la somme indiquée sur le présent coupon

en monnaie légale du Canada, soit les intérêts semestriels alors dus sur sa Debenture 10% échéant en 2011, à moins que cette Débenture ne soit auparavant rappelée à des fins de remboursement par anticipation et que les sommes nécessaires à un tel remboursement ne soient dûment mises de côté.

 

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         No.             

 

  

 

  
   Trésorier   

Attestation d’authenticité par le fiduciaire.

Le présent Titre est l’un des Titres visés par le contrat de fiducie mentionné dans les présentes.

 

COMPAGNIE MONTREAL TRUST

fiduciaire

Par  

 

  dirigeant autorisé

ARTICLE THREE

The Securities

Section 301. Title and Terms.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is limited to $100,000,000, except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of other Securities pursuant to Sections 304, 305, 306, 805 or 1108.

The Securities shall be known and designated as the “10% DEBENTURES DUE 2011” of the Company. Their Stated Maturity shall be April 15, 2011 and they shall bear interest from the later of April 15, 1987 and the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, payable semi-annually in arrears on April 15

 

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and October 15 in each year commencing on October 15, 1987 , at the rate of 10% per annum until the principal thereof is paid or made available for payment, as more fully described in the forms of Securities set forth in Sections 202 and 203 of this Indenture.

The principal of and interest on the Securities shall be payable at any branch in Canada of The Royal Bank of Canada, or at such other place as may be designated by the Company for such purpose and approved by the Trustee (any municipality in which any such branch or place is located being herein called a “Place of Payment”).

The Regular Record Date referred to in Section 307 for the payment of the interest payable and punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date in respect of Fully Registered Securities shall be the 1st day (whether or not a business day) of the calendar month next preceding said Interest Payment Date.

The Securities shall be redeemable as provided in Article Eleven.

Section 302. Denominations.

The Securities may be issued as Coupon Securities in the denominations of $1,000, $5,000, $25,000 and $100,000 and as Fully Registered Securities in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof.

 

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Section 303. Execution, Authentication Delivery and Dating.

The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or one of its Vice-Presidents and by its Secretary or one of its Assistant Secretaries. Any such signature may be manual or printed or otherwise mechanically reproduced and may, but need not be, under or accompanied by the corporate seal of the Company or a reproduction thereof. The coupons shall bear the printed or otherwise mechanically reproduced signature of the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer of the Company.

Securities and coupons appertaining thereto bearing the printed or otherwise mechanically reproduced signatures of any Person who was at any time the proper officer of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such Person has ceased to hold such office prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities.

At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities executed by the Company to the Trustee, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities; and the Trustee in accordance with such Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities as in this Indenture provided and not otherwise.

Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

No Security or coupon appertaining thereto shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose, unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the

 

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form provided for herein executed by the Trustee by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder. Subject to the provisions of Section 305 and except as permitted by Section 306, the Trustee shall not authenticate and deliver any Coupon Security unless all appurtenant coupons for interest then matured have been detached and cancelled.

The definitive Securities and coupons shall be typewritten, printed, lithographed or engraved or produced by any combination of these methods or may be produced in any other manner not contrary to the rules of any securities exchange on which the Securities may at the time be listed, all as determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their signing of such Securities.

Section 304. Temporary Securities.

Pending the preparation of definitive Securities, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, in bearer or registered form, with one or more coupons or without coupons, with or without provision for registration as to principal and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their signing of such Securities.

 

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If temporary Securities are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities, the temporary Securities shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities upon surrender of the temporary Securities at any Place of Registration, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities (accompanied by any unmatured coupons appertaining thereto) the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Securities of authorized form and denominations. Until so exchanged the temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities, and interest thereon, when and as payable, shall be paid to the bearers of temporary Securities upon presentation thereof for notation of such payment thereon, unless such temporary Securities shall be Fully Registered Securities or shall bear coupons for such interest.

Section 305. Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.

The Company shall cause to be kept by the Trustee at its principal office in the City of Montreal (or at such other Place of Registration in Canada maintained by the Trustee as may be requested by the Company with the approval of the Trustee) a central Security register (herein referred to as the “Central Security Register”) and at each other Place of Registration, a branch Security register (herein collectively referred to as the “Branch Security Registers” and the Branch Security Registers together with the Central Security Register are herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “Security Registers”) in which,

 

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subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and the registration of transfers of Registered Securities entitled to be registered or transferred as herein provided. A Branch Security Register shall at least contain particulars of the registration of Securities and the registration of transfers of Registered Securities made at the Place of Registration where such Branch Security Register is being maintained and the Central Security Register shall contain particulars of registrations of Securities and registrations of transfers of Registered Securities made at all Places of Registration. The Trustee is hereby appointed registrar for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Registered Securities as herein provided on the Central Security Register and a “Branch Security Registrar” for the purpose of registring Securities and transfers of Registered Securities as herein provided on the Branch Security Registers expressly provided for on the date hereof. Each Branch Security Registrar (if other than the Trustee) shall provide the Trustee with the particulars of each registration of Securities and of transfers of Registered Securities made on the Branch Security Register for which it has been appointed Branch Security Registrar immediately following any such registration.

Any office or agency appointed pursuant to Section 1002 after the date hereof shall, by its appointment as such, also be deemed to have been appointed a “Branch Security Registrar” for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Registered Securities as herein provided on the Branch Security Register for which it has been appointed Branch Security Registrar.

Upon surrender for transfer of any Fully Registered Security at any Place of Registration,

 

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the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Fully Registered Securities of a like aggregate principal amount, all as requested by the transferor.

Upon presentation for registration of any Coupon Security at any Place of Registration, the Security shall be registered as to principal in the name of the Holder thereof and such registration shall be noted on the Security. Any Coupon Security so registered shall be transferable on the Security Registers, upon presentation of such Security at any Place of Registration for similar notation thereon, but such Security may be discharged from registration by being in like manner transferred to bearer, whereupon trans-ferability by delivery shall be restored. Coupon Securities shall continue to be subject to successive registrations and discharges from registration at the option of the Holders thereof. Each such registration or discharge shall be subject to payment, if the Company shall so require, of the charges hereinafter provided.

The Coupon Securities shall be transferable by delivery except while registered as to principal. Registration of any Coupon Security shall not affect the transferability by delivery of the coupons appertaining thereto, which shall continue to be payable to bearer and transferable by delivery.

At the option of the Holder, Coupon Securities may be exchanged for Coupon Securities in any other authorized denominations or for Fully Registered Securities of any authorized denominations, of a like aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at any Place of Registration with all unmatured coupons and all matured coupons in default thereto appertaining,

 

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and upon payment, if the Company shall so require, of the charges hereinafter provided. If the Holder of a Coupon Security is unable to produce any such unmatured coupon or coupons or matured coupon or coupons in default, such exchange may be effected if the Coupon Securities are accompanied by payment in funds acceptable to the Company in an amount equal to the face amount of such missing coupon or coupons or the surrender of such missing coupon or coupons may be waived by the Company, and the Trustee, if there be furnished to them such security or indemnity as they may require to save each of them and any Paying Agent harmless. If thereafter the Holder of such Security shall surrender to any Paying Agent any such missing coupon in respect of which such a payment shall have been made, such Holder shall be entitled to receive the amount of such payment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in case a Coupon Security is surrendered in exchange for a Fully Registered Security at any Place of Registration after the close of business at such Place of Registration on (i) any Regular Record Date and before the opening of business at such Place of Registration on the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, or (ii) any Special Record Date and before the opening of business at such Place of Registration on the related proposed date for payment of Defaulted Interest, such Coupon Security shall be surrendered without the coupon relating to such Interest Payment Date or proposed date of payment, as the case may be.

At the option of the Holder, Fully Registered Securities may be exchanged for Coupon Securities or Fully Registered Securities of any authorized denominations, of a like aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at any Place of Registration and upon payment, if the Company shall so require, of the charges hereinafter provided. In case a Fully

 

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Registered Security is surrendered in exchange for a Coupon Security at any Place of Registration after the close of business at such Place of Registration on (i) any Regular Record Date and before the opening of business at such Place of Registration on the next succeeding Interest Payment Date or (ii) any Special Record Date and before the opening of business at such Place of Registration on the related proposed date for payment of Defaulted Interest, there shall be detached from the Coupon Security issued on such exchange the coupon relating to such Interest Payment Date or proposed date of payment of Defaulted Interest and interest will not be paid on such Interest Payment Date or proposed date for payment of Defaulted Interest in respect of the Coupon Security issued in exchange for such Fully Registered Security but will be payable only to the Person in whose name that Fully Registered Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on such regular or special Record Date.

Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Securityholder making the exchange is entitled to receive.

Every Registered Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer, shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee or other Branch Security Registrar, if any, duly executed, by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the

 

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same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer or exchange of Securities and in addition a reasonable service charge for the services rendered and expenses incurred on any such exchange or transfer, except in the case of any transfer or exchange, expressly provided in this Indenture to be made at the Company’s own expense or without expense or without charge to Securityholders.

All Securities and coupons surrendered upon any exchange or transfer provided for in this Indenture shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee and thereafter disposed of as directed by a Company Order.

The Company shall not be required (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Security during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the date of any selection of Securities to be redeemed and ending at the close of business on the day of the first publication, or the mailing (if there is no publication) of the relevant notice of redemption, or (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part.

Section 306. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.

If any mutilated Security or any Security with a mutilated coupon appertaining to it is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall thereupon authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of like

 

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tenor and principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, with coupons corresponding to the coupons, if any, appertaining to the surrendered Security.

If there be delivered to the Company and to the Trustee

(i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security or coupon, and

(ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of each of them harmless,

then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security or coupon has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request (in the form of a Company Request) the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, or in exchange for the Security to which such coupon appertains (upon surrender of such Security with all appurtenant coupons not destroyed, lost or stolen), a new Security of like tenor and principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, with coupons corresponding to the coupons, if any, appertaining to such destroyed, lost or stolen Security or to the Security to which such destroyed, lost or stolen coupon appertains.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security or coupon has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security or coupon.

Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment

 

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of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

Every new Security with its coupons, if any, issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security and every new coupon issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen coupon, shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security and its coupons, if any, or the destroyed, lost or stolen coupon, shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities and coupons duly issued hereunder.

The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities or coupons.

Section 307. Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.

Interest on any Fully Registered Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest. In case a Coupon Security is surrendered in exchange for a Fully Registered Security at any Place of Registration after the close of business at such Place of Registration on (i) any Regular Record Date and before the opening of business at such Place of Registration on

 

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the next succeeding Interest Payment Date, or (ii) any Special Record Date and before the opening of business at such Place of Registration on the related proposed date for payment of Defaulted Interest, such Coupon Security shall be surrendered without the coupon relating to such Interest Payment Date or proposed date of payment and interest will not be payable on such Interest Payment Date or proposed date of payment in respect of the Fully Registered Security issued in exchange for such Coupon Security, but will be payable only to the Holder of such coupon.

Any Defaulted Interest on any Fully Registered Security shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, either as provided in Clause (1) or in Clause (2) below:

(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Fully Registered Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner: the Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Fully Registered Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to

 

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such Defaulted Interest as in this Clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be given, to each Holder of Fully Registered Securities not less than 10 days nor more than 15 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so given, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Fully Registered Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following Clause (2).

(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest in any other lawful manner and upon such notice to the Securityholders if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment and the manner and notice thereof, such manner of payment and such notice shall be deemed appropriate by the Trustee.

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

 

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Section 308. Persons Deemed Owners.

The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the bearer of any Unregistered Security and the bearer of any coupon, whether or not the Security to which it appertains be registered, as the owner of such Security or coupon for the purpose of receiving payment thereof or on account thereof and for all other purposes, whether or not such Security or coupon be overdue. Prior to due presentment of a Registered Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Registered Security is registered as the owner of such Registered Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of, and (subject to Section 307) if such Security be a Fully Registered Security, interest on, such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever (except the payment of coupons appertaining to any Registered Coupon Security and the payment of interest payable on presentation of any temporary Security) whether or not such Security be overdue.

Section 309. Cancellation and Disposal of Securities

All Securities and coupons surrendered for payment, exchange or redemption shall, if surrendered to the Company or any agent of the Company, be delivered to the Trustee and, if not already cancelled, shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder, together with all

 

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unpaid coupons appertaining thereto, which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities and coupons held by the Trustee shall be disposed of as directed by a Company Order.

Section 310. Authentication and Delivery of Original Issue.

Forthwith upon the execution and delivery of this Indenture, or from time to time thereafter, Securities up to the aggregate principal amount provided for in Section 301 may be executed by the Company and delivered to the Trustee for authentication, and shall thereupon be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee upon Company Order, without any further action by the Company.

ARTICLE FOUR

Satisfaction and Discharge

Section 401. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.

This Indenture shall cease to be of further effect (except as to any rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities herein expressly provided for which shall survive and except as to the provisions of Section 1016 which shall remain in effect if the Company has not then fulfilled all of its obligations under such Section), and the Trustee, on demand of and at the expense of the

 

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Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when

(1) either

(A) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered and all coupons appertaining thereto (other than (i) Securities and coupons which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 306, (ii) coupons appertaining to Securities called for redemption and maturing after the relevant Redemption Date, whose surrender has been waived as provided in Section 1107, (iii) Securities and coupons money for whose payment has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 1003, and (iv) coupons appertaining to Coupon Securities surrendered for exchange for Fully Registered Securities and maturing after such exchange, whose surrender is not required or has been waived as provided in Section 305) have been delivered to the Trustee cancelled or for cancellation; or

(B) the Company has deposited, or caused to be deposited, or made due provision, as hereinafter provided, for the payment of, an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on the Securities and coupons (other than those referred to in (i) and (iii) of Clause (A) above) not theretofore delivered to the Trustee cancelled or for cancellation, for principal and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable), or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date,

 

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as the case may be, any sums of money or securities (as hereinafter provided) to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of such payment and discharge;

(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid, or made due provision as hereinafter provided for the payment of, all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and

(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 606 shall survive.

For the purposes of this Section 401, the Company shall be deemed to have made such due provision for payment if it shall have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee securities issued or guaranteed by the Government of Canada or by any province of Canada or other securities or instruments acceptable to the Trustee, the principal of and interest on which, when due, without any reinvestment thereof, will provide moneys which will be sufficient to pay to the holders of the Securities, when due, all amounts owing in respect of the principal of and interest on the Securities, and also for the payment of all other moneys payable hereunder by the Company.

 

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Section 402. Application of Trust Funds.

All securities or money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401 shall, subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and the coupons, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent), as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of the Securities and coupons for whose payment or redemption such securities or money have been deposited with the Trustee, of all sums due and to become due thereon for principal and interest; but such securities or money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

ARTICLE FIVE

Remedies

Section 501. Events of Default.

“Event of Default”, wherever used herein means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body) :

(1) default in the payment of any instalment of interest upon any Security when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or

 

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(2) default in the payment of the principal of any Security at its Maturity; or

(3) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a cove- nant or warranty a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this Section specifically dealt with), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 60 days after there has been given to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or

(4) a default under any one or more indentures or instruments evidencing or under which the Company has at the time outstanding indebtedness for borrowed money in an aggregate principal amount of at least $10,000,000 shall happen and be continuing and (i) shall consist of a failure to make any payment of principal at maturity or (ii) shall have resulted in the acceleration of such indebtedness so that the same shall be or become due and payable prior to the date on which the same would otherwise have become due and payable or shall have resulted in the enforcement of any security for such indebtedness; provided, however, that if such default under such indentures or instruments shall be remedied or cured by the Company or waived by the holders of such indebtedness, then the Event of Default hereunder by reason thereof shall be deemed likewise to have been thereupon remedied, cured or waived without further action upon the part of either the

 

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Trustee or any of the Securityholders; and provided, further, that, subject to the provisions of Section 601, the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any default unless written notice thereof shall have been given to the Trustee by the Company, by the holder or an agent of the holder of any such indebtedness, by the trustee then acting under any indenture or other instrument under which such default shall have occurred, or by the Holders of not less than 5% of the principal amount of the Outstanding Securities;

(5) the making by the Company of an assignment for the benefit of its creditors, the filing by it of a petition for the declaration of its own bankruptcy, the consenting by it to the institution of, or the granting by a court of, bankruptcy or other insolvency proceedings against it, the admission by the Company to some or all of its creditors at a meeting or by other means of communication that it is insolvent or the commencement by the Company of any proceeding relative to the indebtedness of the Company under any reorganization, arrangement, compromise, adjustment or postponement of debt, dissolution, winding up, composition or liquidation law or statute of any jurisdiction, whether now or hereafter in effect; or

(6) the making of an order or judgment by a court having jurisdiction adjudging the Company bankrupt or insolvent or ordering the winding up or liquidation or rearrangement of its affairs, or the seizure or attachment of all or a substantial part of the Company’s property at the instance of a creditor, or the appointment of a Person to take possession or control under an agreement subjecting property of the Company to a security interest or

 

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pursuant to an order of any court having jurisdiction of all or a substantial part of the property or all or a substantial part of the inventory of the Company, such Person to include a receiver, a receiver-manager, an agent, a sequestrator, a trustee under a trust indenture, a creditor in possession or any person or corporation authorized to act on their behalf; provided that such order, judgment, seizure or attachment remains in force or such taking of possession or control continues in effect for a period of 60 days.

Section 502. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, then and in every such case the Trustee may, in its discretion and shall, if so requested by the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Securities Outstanding declare the principal of all the Securities to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company, and upon any such declaration such principal shall become immediately due and payable.

At any time after such a declaration of acceleration has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Securityholders may by a Majority Securityholders’ Act delivered to the Company and the Trustee rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if

(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay

(A) all overdue instalments of interest on all Securities,

 

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(B) the principal of any Securities which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon at the rate borne by the Securities,

(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue instalments of interest at the rate borne by the Securities, and

(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel;

and

(2) all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of the principal of Securities which has become due solely by such acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 512.

No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 503. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.

The Company covenants that if

(1) default is made in the payment of any instalment of interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days t or

 

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(2) default is made in the payment of the principal of any Security at the Maturity thereof,

the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities and coupons, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities and coupons for principal and interest, with interest upon the overdue principal and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, upon overdue instalments of interest, at the rate borne by the Securities; and in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name on behalf of all the Holders of Securities and the coupons and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or of any other obligor upon the Securities, wherever situated.

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of the Securities and the coupons by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this

 

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Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

Section 504. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

(i) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and the coupons and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders of the Securities and coupons allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

(ii) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

 

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and any receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator (or other similar official) in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Securityholder to make such payments to the Trustee, and if the Trustee shall so consent, to the making of such payments directly to the Holders of the Securities and coupons, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 606.

Subject to Article Seven and Section 802, nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder of a Security or a coupon any plan or reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the coupons or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any such Holder in any such proceeding.

Section 505. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities or Coupons.

All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities or coupons may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or coupons or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name on behalf of the Securityholders and as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities and coupons in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

 

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Section 506. Application of Money Collected.

Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or interest, upon presentation of the Securities or coupons, or both, as the case may be, and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 606; and

SECOND: To the payment of the amount then due and unpaid upon the Securities and coupons for principal and interest, in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities and coupons, for principal and interest, respectively.

Section 507. Limitation on Suits.

No Holder of any Security or coupon shall have any right to institute against the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless

(1) an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and such Holder shall have previously given written notice to the Trustee of such continuing Event of Default;

 

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(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60 day period by a Majority Securityholders’ Act;

it being understood and intended that no one or more Holders of Securities or coupons shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other Holder of Securities or coupons, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other such Holder or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all the Holders of the Securities and coupons.

 

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Section 508. Restoration of Rights and Remedies.

If the Trustee or any Holder of a Security or a coupon has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder then and in every such case the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of such Securities and coupons shall, subject to any determination in such proceeding, be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder, and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and such Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

Section 509. Rights and Remedies Cumulative.

Except as provided in the last paragraph of Section 306, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders of Securities or coupons is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

Section 510. Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Security or coupon to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default

 

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shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Securityholders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Securityholders, as the case may be.

Section 511. Control by Securityholders.

The Securityholders, by way of a Majority Securityholders’ Act, shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, provided that

(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or this Indenture,

(2) the Trustee shall not determine that the action so directed would be unjustly prejudicial to the Holders not taking part in such direction, and,

(3) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.

Section 512. Waiver of Past Defaults.

The Securityholders, by way of a Majority Securityholders’ Act, may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities waive any past default hereunder and its consequences, except a default in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article Eight cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected.

 

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Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising from such default shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 513. Undertaking for Costs.

All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security or coupon by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee or to any suit instituted by any Securityholder, or group of Securityholders, holding more than 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities.

 

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ARTICLE SIX

The Trustee

Section 601. Certain Duties and Responsibilities.

(a) The Trustee shall in the exercise of such of the rights and powers vested in it by, and in the performance of its duties under, this Indenture, act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Holders of the Securities and the coupons and shall exercise the care, diligence and skill of a reasonably prudent trustee.

(b) The Trustee shall not be liable for any act, or omission or failure in the exercise of such rights or powers or in the performance of such duties if in doing so it has relied in good faith upon statements contained in any Board Resolution, Company Request, Company Order, Company Consent, Officers’ Certificate, Opinion of Counsel or in any other statutory declaration, certificate, opinion or report that complies with this Indenture or with applicable law.

(c) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own wilful misconduct, except that, subject to any applicable provision of law,

(1) this Subsection shall not be construed to limit the effect of Subsections (a) and (b) of this Section;

(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;

 

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(3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the directions set forth in a Majority Securityholders’ Act relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising or refraining from the exercise of any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture; and

(4) no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.

Section 602. Certain Rights of Trustee.

Except as otherwise provided in Section 601 or as may be required by applicable law:

(a) the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, coupon or other paper

 

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or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

(b) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order or Company Consent and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;

(c) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officers’ Certificate;

(d) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;

(e) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Securityholders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Securityholders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security and indemnity against the costs, charges, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;

(f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, coupon or other

 

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paper or document but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney; and

(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder.

Section 603. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.

The recitals contained herein (other than the description of the Trustee) and in the Securities (except the Trustee’s certificate of authentication) and in the coupons shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities or coupons. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.

Section 604. May Hold Securities.

The Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Branch Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company may, in its own right or in any other capacity, become the owner or pledgee of Securities and coupons and may, subject to the provision of

 

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any law which may at the time be applicable, otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Paying Agent, Branch Security Registrar or such other agent.

Subject to the provisions of any law which may at the time be applicable, the Trustee may act as trustee under or as any other party to any indenture or agreement to which the Company may be a party or in which the Company may have an interest in the same manner as if it were not Trustee hereunder.

Section 605. Money Held in Trust.

Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed with the Company.

Section 606. Compensation and Reimbursement.

The Company agrees

(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);

(2) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision

 

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of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents, consultants and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or bad faith; and

(3) to indemnify the Trustee for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder.

All such payments and reimbursements shall be made with interest at the rate herein provided to be paid on the Securities at the relevant time or times.

Section 607. Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.

(a) The Trustee represents and warrants that it is not aware of any material conflict of interest between its role as Trustee hereunder and its role in any other capacity.

(b) The Trustee shall, within 90 days after it becomes aware that any material conflict exists between its role as Trustee hereunder and its role in any other capacity, either eliminate such conflict of interest or resign in the manner and with the effect specified in this Article.

 

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Section 608. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.

There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be a corporation incorporated under the laws of Canada or a province thereof and authorized to carry on the business of a trust company and having a combined capital and surplus of at least $5,000,000, and having a principal office in the City of Montreal or the City of Toronto. If such corporation publishes financial statements at least annually, for the purposes of this section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent financial statements so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Article.

Section 609. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.

(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee under Section 610.

(b) The Trustee may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If an instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

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(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time by a Majority Securityholders’ Act delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.

(d) If at any time:

(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 607(b) after written request therefor by the Company (in the form of a Company Request) or by any Securityholder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least 6 months, or

(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 608 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company (in the form of a Company Request) or by any such Securityholder, or

(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,

then, in any such case, (i) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee, or (ii) subject to Section 513, any Securityholder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least 6 months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

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(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee who shall comply with the applicable provisions of Section 610. If, within twelve months after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee shall be appointed by a Majority Securityholders’ Act delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 610, become the successor Trustee and supersede any successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee shall have been appointed by the Company or the Securityholders and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 610, any Securityholder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least 6 months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of the successor Trustee.

(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee to the Securityholders in accordance with Section 105 and each such notice shall include the name and address of the principal corporate trust office of the successor Trustee.

Section 610. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.

Every successor Trustee appointed hereunder shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the

 

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resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on request of the Company (in the form of a Company Request) or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee, and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder. Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts.

No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.

Section 611. Merger or Consolidation.

Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged, amalgamated or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any amalgamation, merger or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor

 

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by amalgamation, merger or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.

ARTICLE SEVEN

Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance or Transfer

Section 701. Company May Consolidate, etc. only on Certain Terms.

The Company shall not consolidate with, amalgamate with or merge into any other corporation or convey or transfer its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, unless:

(1) the corporation formed by such consolidation or amalgamation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by operation of law or by conveyance or transfer the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Canada or any Province or Territory thereof, and shall (except in any case where such assumption is deemed to have occurred by the sole operation of law), expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and interest on all the Securities and the performance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed;

(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Event of Default, and no

 

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event which, after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have happened and be continuing; and

(3) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that such consolidation, merger, amalgamation, conveyance or transfer and such supplemental indenture, if any, comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

Section 702. Successor Corporation Substituted.

Upon any consolidation, or merger, or amalgamation, or any conveyance or transfer of the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 701, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or amalgamation or into which the Company is merged or to which such conveyance or transfer is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor corporation had been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that no such conveyance or transfer shall have the effect of releasing the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument or any successor corporation which shall theretofore have become such in the manner prescribed in this Article from its liability as obligor and maker on any of the Securities or coupons unless such conveyance or transfer is followed by the complete liquidation of the Company and substantially all the assets of the Company.

 

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ARTICLE EIGHT

Supplemental Indentures

Section 801. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Securityholders.

Without the consent of the Holders of any Securities, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:

(1) for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities to provide for any additional covenant or covenants of the Company or any security for or guarantee of the Securities or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or

(2) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture which shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, provided such action pursuant to this Clause shall not, in the judgment of the Trustee, adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Securities or coupons in any material respect; or

(3) to modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to effect the qualifications of this Indenture under any applicable law of Canada or of any Province or Territory thereof heretofore or hereafter enacted; or

 

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(4) as required by the provisions of Section 701 (1).

Section 802. Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Securityholders.

When authorized or permitted by a Majority Securityholders’ Act delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of the Securities and coupons under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby,

(1) reduce the requirements of Section 904 for quorum or voting or reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any Majority Securityholders’ Act or for any waiver of compliance with provisions of this Indenture or of defaults hereunder and their consequences provided for in this Indenture, or

(2) modify any of the provisions of this Section or Section 512, or Section 1017, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Security affected thereby.

 

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It shall not be necessary for any Act of Securityholders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.

Section 803. Execution of Supplemental Indentures.

In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 601) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

Section 804. Effect of Supplemental Indentures.

Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder and of any coupons appertaining thereto shall be bound thereby.

 

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Section 805. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.

Securities authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine by Board Resolution, new Securities so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities.

ARTICLE NINE

Meetings of Holders of Securities

Section 901. Purposes for Which Meetings May Be Called.

A meeting of Holders of Securities may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to this Article to make, give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action authorized by this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders of Securities.

Section 902. Call, Notice and Place of Meetings.

(a) The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of Holders of Securities for any purpose specified in Section 901, to be held at such time and at such place in the City of

 

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Montreal or the City of Toronto as the Trustee or, in case of its failure to act, the Company or the Securityholders calling the meeting, shall determine. Notice of every meeting of Holders of Securities, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be given to each Holder of Outstanding Securities in the manner provided in this Indenture not less than 21 nor more than 50 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting,

(b) In case at any time the Company, pursuant to a Board Resolution, or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities shall have requested the Trustee to call a meeting of the Holders of Securities for any purpose specified in Section 901, by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have either given the notice of such meeting or made the publication of the notice of such meeting within 21 days after receipt of such request or shall not thereafter proceed to cause the meeting to be held as provided herein, then the Company, or the Holders of Outstanding Securities in the amount above specified, as the case may be, may determine the time and the place in the City of Montreal or the City of Toronto for such meeting and may call such meeting for such purposes by giving notice thereof as provided in subsection (a) of this Section.

 

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Section 903. Persons Entitled to Vote at Meetings.

To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Holders of Securities, a Person shall be (1) a Holder of one or more Outstanding Securities, or (2) a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy for a Holder or Holders of one or more Outstanding Securities by such Holder or Holders. The only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any meeting of Holders shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel, any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel.

Section 904. Quorum; Action.

The Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities shall constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum within 30 minutes of the time appointed for any such meeting, the meeting shall, if convened at the request of Holders of Securities, be dissolved. In any other case the meeting may be adjourned for a period of not less than 10 days as determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such meeting. Notice of the reconvening of such adjourned meeting shall be given as provided in Section 902(a), except that such notice may be given not less than five days prior to the date on which the meeting is scheduled to be reconvened. Notice of the reconvening of such adjourned meeting shall state expressly the principal amount of the Outstanding Securities which shall constitute a quorum.

At the reconvening of any meeting adjourned for a lack of a quorum, the Persons then present and entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum for the taking of any action set forth in the notice of the original meeting.

 

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At a meeting or an adjourned meeting duly reconvened and at which a quorum is present as aforesaid, any resolution and all matters (except as limited by the proviso to Section 802 and except where, pursuant to this Indenture, a Majority Securityholders’ Act is required) shall be effectively passed and decided if passed or decided by the Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of Outstanding Securities represented and voting at such meeting.

Any resolution passed or decision taken at any meeting of Holders of Securities duly held in accordance with this Section shall (except as limited by the proviso to Section 802) be binding on all the Holders of Securities and coupons, whether or not present or represented at the meeting.

Section 905. Determination of Voting Rights; Conduct and Adjournment of Meetings.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee and the Person nominated by the Trustee to act as chairman of the meeting, or either of them, may make such reasonable regulations as it or he may deem advisable for any meeting or adjourned meeting of Holders of Securities in regard to proof of the holding of Securities and of the appointment of proxies and in regard to the appointment and duties of scrutineers, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it or he shall deem appropriate.

 

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Except as otherwise permitted or required by any such regulations, the holding of any Securities shall be proved in the manner specified in Section 103 and the appointment of any proxy shall be proved in the manner specified in said Section 103 or by having the signature of the Person executing the proxy witnessed or guaranteed by any trust company, bank, banker or other Person, acceptable to the Trustee, authorized by Section 103 to certify to the holding of Unregistered Securities. Such regulations may provide that written instruments appointing proxies, regular on their face, may be presumed valid and genuine without the proof specified in said Section 103 or other proof.

(b) The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, nominate a chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Holders of Securities as provided in Section 902(b), in which case the Company, or the Holders of Securities calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner nominate a chairman.

(c) At any meeting each Holder of a Security, whether present in person or represented by proxy, shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount of Securities held by him; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any Security challenged as not Outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not Outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote, except as a Holder of a Security or as the proxy of a Holder of a Security.

(d) Any meeting of Holders of Securities duly called pursuant to Section 902 at which a

 

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quorum is present may be adjourned from time to time by a resolution passed at such meeting and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.

Section 906. Counting Votes and Recording Action of Meetings.

The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Holders of Securities shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of the Holders of Securities or of their representatives by proxy and such other information as may be required by the regulations made for the meeting. The chairman of the meeting shall appoint a secretary and may appoint a scrutineer or scrutineers to act at the meeting. A record, at least in triplicate, of the proceedings of each meeting of Holders of Securities shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the scrutineers and affidavits by one or more persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was given as provided in Section 902 and, if applicable, Section 904. Each copy shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the chairman and secretary of the meeting and one such copy shall be delivered to the Company and another to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee, the latter to have attached thereto the ballots voted at the meeting. Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.

 

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ARTICLE TEN

Covenants

Section 1001. Payment of Principal and Interest.

The Company will duly and punctually pay the principal of and interest on the Securities in accordance with the terms of the Securities, the coupons appertaining thereto and this Indenture.

Section 1002. Maintenance of Places of Registration.

The Company will cause the Central Security Register to be maintained by the Trustee at its principal office in the City of Montreal (or at such other Place of Registration in Canada maintained by the Trustee as may be requested by the Company with the approval of the Trustee) and, subject as hereinafter in this Section provided, will cause Branch Security Registers to be maintained by the Trustee at each of the other Places of Registration.

The Company hereby appoints each Place of Registration where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and coupons and this Identure may be served.

The Company may at any time and from time to time, with the approval of the Trustee, vary or terminate the appointment of any Branch Security Registrar or appoint other offices or agencies as Branch Security Registrars where Securities may be presented or surrendered for registration, registration of transfer or exchange or where notices or demands to or upon the Company in

 

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respect of the Securities and coupons and this Indenture may be served or for any one or more of such purposes; provided however that the Company will maintain an office or agency for all such purposes in each of the Cities of Halifax, Saint John, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Vancouver. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location of, or of any change in the location of, any Branch Security Registrar.

Section 1003. Money for Security Payments to be Held in Trust.

If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of or interest on, any of the Securities, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities and of the coupons for such interest a sum sufficient to pay the principal or interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Holders or otherwise disposed of as herein provided, and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents, it will, prior to each due date of the principal of or interest on, any Securities, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal or interest, so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities and of the coupons for such interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

The Company will cause each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will

 

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(1) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of or interest on Securities in trust for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities and of the coupons for such interest until such sums shall be paid to such Holders or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;

(2) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities) in the making of any payment of principal or interest; and

(3) at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.

The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.

Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security and remaining unclaimed for 6 years after the later of the date of the original deposit or holding in trust of such money by the Company

 

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and the date when such principal or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security or the relevant coupon shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in an Authorized Newspaper in each of the City of Montreal and the City of Toronto, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.

Section 1004. Payment of Taxes and Other Claims.

The Company will pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same become delinquent, (1) all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon it or upon its income, profits or property, and (2) all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies which, if unpaid, might by law become a lien upon its property; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings.

 

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Section 1005. Maintenance of Properties.

The Company will cause all its properties used or useful in the conduct of its business to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment and will cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the Company may be necessary so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be properly and advantageously conducted at all times; provided, however, that nothing in this Section shall prevent the Company from discontinuing the operation and maintenance of any of its properties if such discontinuance is, in the judgment of the Company, desirable in the conduct of its business and not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Securityholders.

Section 1006. Statement as to Compliance.

The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, a written statement signed by the President or a Vice-President and by the Treasurer, an Assistant-Treasurer, the Controller or an Assistant Controller of the Company, stating, as to each signer thereof, that

(1) a review of the activities of the Company during such fiscal year and of its performance under this Indenture has been made under his supervision and

(2) to the best of his knowledge, based on such review, the Company has fulfilled all its obligations under this Indenture through out such fiscal year, or, if there has been a default in the fulfillment of any such obligation, specifying each such default known to him and the nature and status thereof.

 

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Section 1007. Corporate Existence.

Subject to Article Seven, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence, rights (charter and statutory) and franchises; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any right or franchise if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Securityholders.

Section 1008 – Negative Pledge.

The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create after the date of this Indenture any Mortgage upon any Principal Property of the Company or of any Restricted Subsidiary or upon any shares of capital stock or Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary, whether owned at the date of this Indenture or hereafter acquired by the Company or by any Restricted Subsidiary, to secure any Debt, without making effective provision concurrently with the creation of any such Mortgage whereby the Securities (together with, if the Company shall so determine, any other Debt of the Company ranking equally with or in priority to the Securities and then existing or thereafter created) shall be secured by a Mortgage equally and ratably with such Debt, so long as such Debt shall be so secured; provided, however, that the foregoing restrictions shall not be applicable to

 

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  (i) Mortgages in favor of the Company or any Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary;

 

  (ii) any Mortgage to secure a Purchase Money Obligation provided that (A) in the case of any construction or improvement of property, the Mortgage shall not apply to any property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary at the time of the commencement of such construction or improvement, other than any real or immoveable property which is substantially unimproved for the purposes of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary and on which the property so constructed or the improvement is located, and other than any machinery or equipment installed at any time so as to constitute immoveable property or a fixture on the real property on which the property so constructed, or the improvement, is located and (B) in the case of any acquisition of property, the Mortgage shall not apply to any property owned by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary immediately prior to the consummation of the acquisition;

 

  (iii) Mortgages securing obligations issued by Canada or any province or territory thereof, a State or the District of Columbia or any territory or possession of the United States of America, or any political subdivision, agency or authority of any of the foregoing, to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of property subject to such Mortgages, including without limitation Mortgages incurred in connection with pollution control, industrial revenue or similar financings;

 

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  (iv) any Mortgage required to be given or granted by any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any trust deed or similar document entered into by such Restricted Subsidiary prior to the date it became a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

  (v) Mortgages under the Debenture Trust Deed;

 

  (vi) any extension, renewal or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements) of any Mortgage referred to in clauses (i) to (v) inclusive above provided, however, that the principal amount of Debt secured thereby shall not exceed the principal amount of Debt so secured at the time of such extension, renewal or replacement; and

 

  (vii) a Mortgage not excepted by clauses (i) through (vi) above, provided that after giving effect thereto Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.

Section 1009 – Sale and Leaseback Transactions.

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into any arrangement with any Person (other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) providing for the leasing by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any Principal Property, whether owned at the date of this Indenture or hereafter acquired (except for leases for a term of not more than three years), which property has been or is to be sold or transferred by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary to such Person (other than

 

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the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) with the intention of taking back a lease of such property (herein referred to as a “Sale and Leaseback Transaction”) unless the net proceeds of the sale or transfer of the property to be leased are at least equal to the fair value (as determined by the Board of Directors) of such property and unless:

 

  (i) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary would, at the time of entering into such arrangement, be entitled, without equally and ratably securing the Securities, to create a Mortgage on such property to secure a Debt in an amount at least equal to the Attributable Obligation in respect of such Sale and Leaseback Transaction pursuant to the provisions of Section 1008, or

 

  (ii) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary shall apply an amount equal to the net proceeds of such sale or transfer within 100 days after receipt thereof to (x) the retirement (other than any mandatory retirement or by way of payment at maturity) of Senior Funded Debt of the Company or any Funded Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary or (y) the purchase of property, facilities or equipment (other than the property, facilities or equipment involved in such sale) forming part of or constituting Principal Property having a value at least equal to the net proceeds of such sale.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this Section 1009, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may enter into Sale and Leaseback Transactions in addition to those permitted by paragraph (a) of this Section 1009, and without any obligation to retire any Securities

 

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or other Funded Debt or to acquire property, facilities or equipment, provided that at the time of entering into such Sale and Leaseback Transactions and after giving effect thereto Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.

Section 1010 – Limitation on Additional Debentures.

(a) The Company will not after the date hereof issue any debentures under the Debenture Trust Deed except debentures which may be issued, as provided in the Debenture Trust Deed, in respect of debentures which have been surrendered for transfer, exchange or substitution or which may be issued in replacement of debentures mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen.

(b) Nothing in this Indenture shall in any way affect or be deemed to affect the liens created or to be created by or pursuant to the Debenture Trust Deed on any property, rights or assets heretofore or hereafter acquired by the Company, nor prevent the Company from taking any action reasonably deemed necessary by it in order to comply with the requirements of the Debenture Trust Deed.

(c) The Company will not amend the Debenture Trust Deed or any of the debentures issued thereunder to increase the types of property subject to the Mortgage created pursuant thereto (without equally and ratably securing the Securities) or otherwise amend the Debenture Trust Deed in a manner materially adverse to the interests of the Securityholders.

 

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Section 1011 – Limitation on Funded Debt.

The Company will not and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to incur or otherwise become liable for any Funded Debt unless, after giving effect thereto, the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries shall be at least equal to 200% of the principal amount of the Consolidated Funded Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries.

The above provisions of this Section 1011 shall not prevent

(a) the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt for the purpose of extending, renewing or refunding, in whole or in part, any Funded Debt of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary then outstanding, so long as the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Consolidated Funded Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries is not thereby increased;

(b) the Company from becoming liable for any Funded Debt to a Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary;

(c) any Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt to the Company or to a Wholly-Owned Restricted Subsidiary;

(d) the assumption by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any Funded Debt of a corporation at the time such corporation becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or at the time such corporation is merged into (by transfer of assets or otherwise), or amalgamated with, the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary; and

 

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(e) the issue or assumption by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of Purchase Money Obligations.

Section 1012 – Limitation on Funded Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries.

The Company will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to incur or otherwise become liable for any Funded Debt, provided that this provision shall not prevent

(a) a Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt referred to in paragraphs (c), (d) or (e) of Section 1011;

(b) a Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt for the purpose of extending, renewing or refunding, in whole or in part, any Funded Debt of such Restricted Subsidiary then outstanding, so long as the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Consolidated Funded Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries is not thereby increased;

(c) any Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt in respect of or in connection with obligations issued by Canada or any province or territory thereof, a State or the District of Columbia or any territory or possession of the United States, or any political subdivision, agency or authority of any of the foregoing, to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of property (including without limitation Funded Debt in respect of or in connection with pollution control, industrial revenue or similar financings), provided that, after giving effect to such Funded Debt, the provisions of the first paragraph of Section 1011 are met;

 

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(d) any Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt if, after giving effect thereto, (i) the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Funded Debt as described in this paragraph (d) does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and (ii) the provisions of the first paragraph of Section 1011 are met.

(e) any Restricted Subsidiary from becoming liable for any Funded Debt elected to be incurred as Exempted Debt if, after giving effect thereto, (i) Exempted Debt does not exceed 10% of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and (ii) the provisions of the first paragraph of Section 1011 are met.

Section 1013 – Restrictions on Dividends and Acquisition of Shares.

The Company will not declare or pay any dividends (other than stock dividends) on any shares of its capital stock or purchase, redeem, reduce or otherwise pay off any shares of its capital stock, unless, after giving effect to such action, the sum of (a) the aggregate amounts declared and/or paid as dividends (other than stock dividends) on any shares of its capital stock subsequent to December 31, 1985 and (b) the aggregate amounts distributed and/or paid on the purchase, redemption, reduction or other payment off of any shares of its capital stock subsequent to December 31, 1985 will not be in excess of an amount equal to the sum of the Consolidated Net Income (whether positive or negative) of the Company and its Subsidiaries earned subsequent to December 31, 1985, plus the aggregate amounts received by the Company subsequent to December 31, 1985 as the net proceeds of sales of shares of its capital stock plus $100,000,000;

 

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provided, however, that this covenant shall not prevent the Company from paying dividends on or satisfying mandatory retirement provisions in respect of any of the preferred shares of its capital stock heretofore or hereafter issued.

Section 1014 – Limitation on Sale of Funded Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries.

The Company will not, nor will it permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, sell or otherwise dispose of (other than to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary) any Funded Debt of a Restricted Subsidiary which is owned by the Company or by such Restricted Subsidiary until such time as the Restricted Subsidiary whose Funded Debt is so owned has ceased to be a Subsidiary.

Section 1015 – Calculations.

For the purposes of the calculations required to be made under Sections 1008, 1009, 1011 and 1012:

 

  (1)

When determining any ratio between Consolidated Net Tangible Assets and the principal amount of Consolidated Funded Debt, such determination shall be made by the Board of Directors (who may determine such Consolidated Net Tangible Assets to be not less than a stated amount without determining the exact amount thereof), on the basis of the most recent financial statements or financial data made available to the Board of Directors, as at a date not more than 120 days prior to the date of the adoption of the resolution of the Board of Directors

 

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authorizing the issue of the Funded Debt in respect of which such ratio is being determined, and there shall be taken into calculation all issues and retirements of Funded Debt (without duplication) and of shares of capital stock and the proceeds of such issues and the expenditures on such retirements made and received and to be made and received, as the case may be, and such change in the value of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as the Board of Directors shall deem material, subsequent to the date as of which such determination is being made up to and including the date of the first delivery of any of the Funded Debt authorized by such resolution and including all the other Funded Debt which have been authorized for issue by said resolution and the estimated net proceeds to be received on the issue of such other Funded Debt;

 

  (2)

when determining any ratio between Exempted Debt and Consolidated Net Tangible Assets, such determination (which may stipulate such Consolidated Net Tangible Assets to be not less than a stated amount without stipulating the exact amount thereof) shall be made by a financial officer of the Company, on the basis of the most recent available financial statements or financial data, as at a date not more than one hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the date on which the Exempted Debt in respect of which such ratio is being determined is to be incurred or, in the case of an Attributable Obligation, the date on which the Sale and Leaseback Transaction is to be entered into, and there shall be

 

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taken into calculation all issues and retirements of Funded Debt and Exempted Debt (without duplication) and of shares of capital stock and the proceeds of such issues and the expenditures on such retirements made and received, as the case may be, and such change in the value of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as shall be deemed material, subsequent to the date as of which such determination is being made up to and including the first date on which any of the Exempted Debt in respect of which such determination is being made is to be incurred or entered into and including all the other Exempted Debt which have been concurrently authorized for issue and the estimated net proceeds to be received on the issue of such other Exempted Debt;

 

  (3) there shall be excluded from such calculations all Exempted Debt and Funded Debt of the Company payable to a Restricted Subsidiary or of any Restricted Subsidiary payable to the Company or to any other Restricted Subsidiary; and

 

  (4) all such calculations and determinations shall be made in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Section 1016. Purchase Fund.

In each calendar quarter commencing with the quarter beginning on July 1, 1992, the Company will make all reasonable efforts to purchase in the open market in Canada, at such time or times as the Company in its discretion shall determine, at a price or prices not exceeding in each case the principal

 

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amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest and costs of purchase, up to $1,125,000 principal amount of the Securities which Securities (together with all unmatured coupons, if any, appertaining thereto) so purchased shall be promptly surrendered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation.

If in any such calendar quarter the Company shall, for any reason, including the fact that the Securities did not trade at or below the aforesaid maximum price, be unable, by the exercise of all reasonable efforts, to purchase as aforesaid, the maximum principal amount of Securities which it is obliged by this Section 1016 to endeavour to purchase during such quarter, then the Company shall not be in default hereunder, but in each such case the maximum principal amount of the Securities which it shall be obliged to make all reasonable efforts to purchase as aforesaid during the next succeeding calendar quarters shall be increased by that amount which is equal to the difference between the maximum principal amount of Securities which the Company was obliged to endeavour to purchase during such first mentioned quarter and the principal amount of Securities actually purchased during such first mentioned quarter in discharge of that obligation.

Provided that:

(a) If during any calendar quarter the obligation of the Company to endeavour to purchase Securities under this Section 1016 is in excess of $1,125,000 as aforesaid, then the principal amount of Securities purchased hereunder during such calendar quarter shall be deemed to be applied first in reduction of such excess, and if the principal amount so purchased is insufficient to discharge fully the obligation with respect to the entire such excess, it shall be deemed to be applied to the discharge of the respective amounts

 

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thereof arising in respect of each of the preceding calendar quarters in the order of their respective dates, beginning with the earliest such quarter;

(b) Where an obligation to endeavour to purchase Securities has been initially incurred in respect of any calendar quarter and during the next seven succeeding calendar quarters has not been deemed to have been fully discharged by virtue of subsequent purchases of Securities determined as aforesaid, then the amount of the aggregate obligation of the Company in respect of the eighth succeeding calendar quarter shall be deemed to have been reduced by an amount equal to the remaining undischarged amount of such first mentioned obligation; and

(c) The Company may, in the discharge of its obligation under this Section 1016 in respect of any calendar quarter, surrender to the Trustee in respect of that quarter, Securities (together with all unmatured coupons, if any, appertaining thereto) which may have been redeemed or purchased by it during such quarter otherwise than pursuant to such obligation, and upon any such surrender, the principal amount of the Securities which the Company is by this Section obliged to endeavour to purchase during such calendar quarter shall be deemed to have been reduced by an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Securities so surrendered.

Section 1017. Waiver of Certain Covenants.

The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any covenant or condition set forth in this Article Ten, if before or after the time for such compliance the Securityholders shall, by a Majority Securityholders’ Act, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally

 

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waive compliance with such covenant or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such covenant or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such covenant or condition shall remain in full force and effect.

ARTICLE ELEVEN

Redemption and Purchase of Securities

Section 1101. Right of Redemption.

The Securities will be redeemable, at the Company’s option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, on not more than 60 and not less than 30 days prior notice at the higher of the Canada Yield Price (as defined below) and 100% of the principal amount thereof, together in each case with accrued and unpaid interest to the date fixed for redemption.

“Canada Yield Price” shall mean, in effect, a price equal to the price of the Securities calculated to provide a yield to maturity equal to the Government of Canada Yield plus 0.50% on the business day preceding the date of the resolution authorizing the redemption or if such price is being calculated for the purpose of Section 1109, on the business day preceding the date of purchase. “Government of Canada Yield” on any date shall mean, in effect, the yield to maturity on such date compounded semi-annually which a non-callable Government of Canada Bond would carry if issued, in Canadian dollars in Canada, at 100% of its principal amount on such date with a term to maturity equal to the remaining term to maturity of the

 

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Securities. The Government of Canada Yield will be provided by two Canadian investment dealers, Wood Gundy Inc. and Lévesque, Beaubien Inc., or such other Canadian investment dealer or dealers as the Company may determine from time to time and as may be acceptable to the Trustee.

Section 1102. Applicability of Article.

Redemption of Securities by the Company shall be made in accordance with this Article.

Section 1103. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.

The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of less than all of the Securities, the Company shall, at least 45 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed.

Section 1104. Selection by Trustee of Securities to be Redeemed.

If less than all the Securities are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee from the Outstanding Securities not previously called for redemption by such method as it shall deem equitable and which may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to $1,000 or a multiple thereof) of the principal of Securities of a denomination larger than $1,000.

 

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The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Security selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Security which has been or is to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal of such Security which has been or is to be redeemed.

Section 1105. Notice of Redemption.

Notice of the proposed redemption shall be given in the manner provided in this Indenture to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date; provided that where any such notice is being given to the Holders of Unregistered Securities, the same shall be published in an Authorized Newspaper in each of the Cities of Montreal and Toronto once in each of 4 successive calendar weeks, the first publication to be not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date.

If notice is published as aforesaid, neither failure to give notice by mail, nor defect in any notice so mailed, shall affect the validity of the proceedings for such redemption.

 

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All notices of redemption shall state:

(1) the Redemption Date,

(2) the Redemption Price,

(3) if less than all Outstanding Securities are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption, the respective principal amounts) of the Securities to be redeemed,

(4) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security, and that interest thereon shall cease to accrue on and after said date, and

(5) the place where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price.

Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name of and at the expense of the Company.

Section 1106. Deposit of Redemption Price.

At least one business day prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 1003) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of all the Securities which are to be redeemed on such Redemption Date.

 

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Section 1107. Securities Payable on Redemption Date.

Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified and on and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price) such Securities shall cease to bear interest and all coupons appertaining to such Securities which represent instalments of interest to become due after the Redemption Date shall be void. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, together with all coupons, if any, appertaining thereto maturing after the Redemption Date, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price together with accrued interest to the Redemption Date, provided, however, that instalments of interest on Coupon Securities whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable only upon presentation and surrender of coupons for such interest and provided, further, that instalments of interest on Registered Securities whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such on the relevant Record Date according to their terms and the provisions of Section 307. Interest maturing on or prior to the Redemption Date shall continue to be payable (but without interest thereon, unless the Company shall default in the due payment or provision for payment thereof) in the case of Coupon Securities to the bearers of the coupons for such interest upon surrender thereof, and in the case of Fully Registered Securities to the Registered Holders thereof according to their terms in the customary manner.

 

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If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate borne by such Security.

If any Coupon Security surrendered for redemption shall not be accompanied by all appurtenant coupons maturing after the Redemption Date, such Security may be paid after deducting from the Redemption Price an amount equal to the face amount of all such missing coupons or the surrender of such missing coupon or coupons may be waived by the Company and the Trustee, if there be furnished to them such security or indemnity as they may require to save each of them and any Paying Agent harmless. If thereafter the Holder of such Security shall surrender to any Paying Agent any such missing coupon in respect of which a deduction shall have been made from the Redemption Price, such Holder shall be entitled to receive the amount so deducted.

Section 1108. Securities Redeemed in Part.

Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part may, at the option of the Holder,

(1) be presented to the Trustee or Paying Agent for notation thereon of the payment as of the Redemption Date of the redeemed portion of the principal thereof, or

(2) be surrendered (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing) and the Company shall execute and the Trustee

 

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shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities, of any authorized denomination or denominations as requested by such Holder in aggregate principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.

Section 1109. Purchase of Securities

At any time when the Company is not in default hereunder it may purchase for cancellation all or any Securities in the market or by tender or by private contract, provided that the prices at which such Securities may be purchased shall not exceed the Redemption Price (including accrued interest) at which such Securities could, at the time of purchase, be redeemed by the Company at its option, plus costs of purchase. All Securities so purchased shall be delivered to the Trustee and shall be cancelled by it and no Securities shall be issued in substitution therefor.

ARTICLE TWELVE

Counterparts and Language

Section 1201. Counterparts

This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

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Section 1202. Language

The parties hereto have expressly requested and agreed that this Trust Indenture be in the English language. Les parties aux présentes ont expressément requis et convenu que la présente convention de fiducie soit rédigée en anglais.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed, all as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

DOMTAR INC.

(signed)

  Derek J. Speirs

(signed)

  A. Gascon
  COMPAGNIE MONTREAL TRUST – MONTREAL TRUST COMPANY

(signed)

  Dominique Carriére

(signed)

  C. Lebel

 

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Exhibit 4.7

Supplemental Indenture No. 1

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE NO. 1, dated as of                                         , 2007 (this “ Supplemental Indenture ”), between Domtar Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the federal laws of Canada (together with its successors and assigns, the “ Company ”), and The Bank of New York, as successor trustee (the “ Trustee ”), under the Indenture referred to below.

W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee are parties to an Indenture, dated as of November 18, 2003 (the “ Indenture ”), and the Company issued (i) pursuant to the Indenture and the Officers’ Certificate dated                                         , $400,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its 7  1 / 8 % notes due 2015 (the “ 7  1 / 8 % notes ”) and (ii) pursuant to the Indenture and the Officers’ Certificate dated                                         , $350,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its 5.375% notes due 2013 (together with the 7  1 / 8 % notes, the “ Notes ”);

WHEREAS, the Company desires to amend the Indenture in order to, among other things, (i) eliminate or modify certain restrictive covenants, (ii) permit the sale, in one or more transactions, by the Company of all or substantially all of the shares of capital stock or other equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation and the indirect parent of the Company (“ Domtar Corp. ”), or one of Domtar Corp.’s subsidiaries, (iii) eliminate the obligation of the Company to file reports with the Securities Exchange Commission or otherwise provide reports to holders of the Notes absent a requirement to file such reports under applicable law, and (iv) eliminate certain events of default;

WHEREAS, Domtar Corp. has caused to be delivered to the Holders of the Notes a Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated                                         , 2007 (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “ Prospectus ”), and the related Letter of Transmittal and Consent, pursuant to which Domtar Corp. has (i) offered to exchange any and all of the outstanding Notes for an equal principal amount of Domtar Corp.’s newly issued notes of the corresponding series, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the applicable Notes tendered in exchange (such offer, on the terms set forth in the Prospectus and such Letter of Transmittal and Consent, the “ Offer ”) and (ii) solicited consent to the adoption of proposed amendments to the Indenture (the “ Amendments ”), as further described herein (the “ Exchange Consent Solicitation ”);

WHEREAS, Section 902 of the Indenture provides that, subject to certain exceptions, the Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture to amend the Indenture to add, change or eliminate provisions or to modify the rights of Holders with the consent of Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture (the “ Requisite Holders ”);


WHEREAS, the Company has been authorized by a resolution of its Board of Directors to enter into this Supplemental Indenture;

WHEREAS, the consent of the Requisite Holders of [each series of ] the Notes to amend the Indenture as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture has been received pursuant to the Exchange Consent Solicitation; and

WHEREAS, all other conditions and requirements necessary to amend the Indenture as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture have been satisfied.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree as follows:

1. Defined Terms . As used in this Supplemental Indenture, terms defined in the Indenture or in the preamble or recital hereto are used herein as therein defined. The words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereby” and other words of similar import used in this Supplemental Indenture refer to this Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to any particular section hereof.

2. Amendments to Definitions . Section 101 of the Indenture (Definitions) is hereby amended to include the following definition:

“Domtar Corp.” means Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation and the indirect parent of the Company.

In addition, each definition set forth in Section 101 of the Indenture and any capitalized term that is not used in any provision of the Indenture other than the provisions eliminated pursuant to this Supplemental Indenture and/or is not used in any provision of the Indenture other than such definitions, is hereby deleted in its entirety and any reference to a deleted definition or capitalized term is hereby also deleted.

3. Amendment to Section 704 . Section 704 of the Indenture (Reports by Company) is hereby amended and restated with respect to the Notes to read in its entirety as follows:

 

2


“Section 704. Reports by Company . The Company shall file with the Trustee and with the Commission, and transmit to Holders, such information, documents and other reports, and such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided in the Trust Indenture Act; provided that any such information, documents or reports required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 shall be filed with the Trustee within 15 days after the same is required to be filed with the Commission. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of Trust Indenture Act Section 314(a).

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).”

4. Amendment to Section 801 . Section 801 of the Indenture (Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms) is hereby amended to (i) delete clause (b) in its entirety and insert the phrase “[Intentionally Omitted]” in substitution therefor, and all references to such clause are deleted in their entirety; and (ii) add a new paragraph (d) as follows:

“(d) The provisions of Section 801(a) shall not be applicable to the sale, in one or more transactions, by the Company of all or any portion of the shares of capital stock or other equity interests of its subsidiaries (whether a corporation or other entity organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or with its assets located in the United States or any state thereof) to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries in exchange for the fair market value of such shares or interests, as the case may be, as determined by the board of directors of the Company, in return for consideration consisting of one or more notes of Domtar Corp. or debt securities of the Company, or any combination thereof, as determined by the board of directors of the Company.”

5. Elimination of Certain Covenants . Section 1006 (Maintenance of Properties), Section 1007 (Payment of Taxes), Section 1008 (Negative Pledge) and Section 1009 (Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions) of the Indenture are hereby deleted in their entirety and the phrase “[Intentionally Omitted]” is inserted in substitution therefor, and all references to such Sections are deleted in their entirety.

6. Elimination of Certain Remedies . Section 515 (Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws) is hereby deleted in its entirety and the phrase “[Intentionally Omitted]” is inserted in substitution therefor, and all references to such Section are deleted in their entirety.

 

3


7. Ratification of Indenture; Supplemental Indenture Part of Indenture . Except as expressly amended hereby, the Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. This Supplemental Indenture shall form a part of the Indenture for all purposes of the Notes, and every Holder of Notes heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered shall be bound hereby. The Trustee makes no representation or warranty as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture.

8. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act . This Supplemental Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this Supplemental Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions. If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act which is required under such Act to be a part of and govern this Supplemental Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Supplemental Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Supplemental Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.

9. Governing Law . This Supplemental Indenture shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

10. Agency for Service; Submission to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunities .

(a) By the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture, the Company (i) acknowledges that it has, by separate written instrument, irrevocably designated and appointed CT Corporation System, as its authorized agent for service of process in any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the Indenture, as amended by this Supplemental Indenture, that may be instituted in any federal or state court located in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York, or brought under United States federal or state securities laws or brought by the Trustee, and acknowledges that CT Corporation System has accepted such designation, (ii) irrevocably submits to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) agrees that service of process upon CT Corporation System and written notice of said service to it (mailed or delivered to the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at its principal office in Montreal, Canada as specified in Section 105(2) in the Indenture) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon it in any such suit, action or proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all actions, including the execution and filing of any and all such documents and instruments, as may be necessary to continue such designation and appointment of CT Corporation System in full force and effect so long as the Indenture, as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, shall be in full force and effect.

 

4


(b) To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution, execution or otherwise) with respect to itself or its Property, the Company hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of its obligations under the Indenture, as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, to the extent permitted by law.

11. Separability . In case any provision in this Supplemental Indenture shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

12. Counterparts . The parties hereto may sign one or more copies of this Supplemental Indenture in counterparts, all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

13. Headings . The section headings herein are for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed to alter or affect the meaning or interpretation of any provisions hereof.

14. Effective Time . This Supplemental Indenture shall become effective immediately upon execution of this Supplemental Indenture on the date hereof. However, the Amendments set forth in Sections 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of this Supplemental Indenture shall not become operative with respect to a series of the Notes unless and until the settlement date upon which Domtar Corp. accepts Notes of such series for exchange pursuant to the Offer (the date and time of such acceptance being referred to herein as the “ Effective Time ”). At the Effective Time, the Amendments to the Indenture effected hereby shall be deemed fully operative with respect to such series of the Notes without any further notice or action on the part of the Company, Domtar Corp., the Trustee, any Holder or any other Person.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

5


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

DOMTAR INC.
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Trustee
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

6

Exhibit 4.8

Supplemental Indenture No. 1

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE NO. 1, dated as of                     , 2007 (this “ Supplemental Indenture ”), between Domtar Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the federal laws of Canada (together with its successors and assigns, the “ Company ”), and The Bank of New York, as successor trustee (the “ Trustee ”), under the Indenture referred to below.

W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee are parties to an Indenture, dated as of October 16, 2001 (the “ Indenture ”), and the Company issued, pursuant to the Indenture $600,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its 7.875% notes due 2011 (the “ Notes ”);

WHEREAS, the Company desires to amend the Indenture in order to, among other things, (i) eliminate or modify certain restrictive covenants, (ii) permit the sale, in one or more transactions, by the Company of all or substantially all of the shares of capital stock or other equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation and the indirect parent of the Company (“ Domtar Corp. ”), or one of Domtar Corp.’s subsidiaries, (iii) eliminate the obligation of the Company to file reports with the Securities Exchange Commission or otherwise provide reports to holders of the Notes absent a requirement to file such reports under applicable law, and (iv) eliminate certain events of default;

WHEREAS, Domtar Corp. has caused to be delivered to the Holders of the Notes a Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated                     , 2007 (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “ Prospectus ”), and the related Letter of Transmittal and Consent, pursuant to which Domtar Corp. has (i) offered to exchange any and all of the outstanding Notes for an equal principal amount of Domtar Corp.’s newly issued notes of the corresponding series, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the applicable Notes tendered in exchange (such offer, on the terms set forth in the Prospectus and such Letter of Transmittal and Consent, the “ Offer ”) and (ii) solicited consents to the adoption of proposed amendments to the Indenture (the “ Amendments ”), as further described herein (the “ Exchange Consent Solicitation ”);

WHEREAS, Section 902 of the Indenture provides that, subject to certain exceptions, the Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture to amend the Indenture to add, change or eliminate provisions or to modify the rights of Holders with the consent of Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities (the “ Requisite Holders ”);


WHEREAS, the Company has been authorized by a resolution of its Board of Directors to enter into this Supplemental Indenture;

WHEREAS, the consent of the Requisite Holders of the Notes to amend the Indenture as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture has been received pursuant to the Exchange Consent Solicitation; and

WHEREAS, all other conditions and requirements necessary to amend the Indenture as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture have been satisfied.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree as follows:

1. Defined Terms . As used in this Supplemental Indenture, terms defined in the Indenture or in the preamble or recital hereto are used herein as therein defined. The words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereby” and other words of similar import used in this Supplemental Indenture refer to this Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to any particular section hereof.

2. Amendments to Definitions . Section 101 of the Indenture (Definitions) is hereby amended to include the following definition:

“Domtar Corp.” means Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation and the indirect parent of the Company.

In addition, each definition set forth in Section 101 of the Indenture and any capitalized term that is not used in any provision of the Indenture other than the provisions eliminated pursuant to this Supplemental Indenture and/or is not used in any provision of the Indenture other than such definitions, is hereby deleted in its entirety and any reference to a deleted definition or capitalized term is hereby also deleted.

3. Amendment to Section 501 . Section 501 of the Indenture (Events of Default) is hereby amended to delete clauses (4) and (5) in their entirety and insert the phrase “[Intentionally Omitted]” in substitution therefor, and all references to such clauses are deleted in their entirety.

4. Amendment to Section 705 . Section 705 of the Indenture (Reports by Company) is hereby amended and restated with respect to the Notes to read in its entirety as follows:

“Section 705. Reports by Company . The Company shall file with the Trustee and with the Commission, and transmit to Holders, such information, documents and other reports, and such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture

 

2


Act at the times and in the manner provided in the Trust Indenture Act; provided that any such information, documents or reports required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 shall be filed with the Trustee within 15 days after the same is required to be filed with the Commission. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of Trust Indenture Act Section 314(a).

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).”

5. Amendment to Section 801 . Section 801 of the Indenture (Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms) is hereby amended to (i) delete clause (b) in its entirety and insert the phrase “[Intentionally Omitted]” in substitution therefor, and all references to such clause are deleted in their entirety; and (ii) add a new paragraph (c) as follows:

“(c) The provisions of Section 801(a) shall not be applicable to the sale, in one or more transactions, by the Company of all or any portion of the shares of capital stock or other equity interests of its subsidiaries (whether a corporation or other entity organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or with its assets located in the United States or any state thereof) to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries in exchange for the fair market value of such shares or interests, as the case may be, as determined by the board of directors of the Company, in return for consideration consisting of one or more notes of Domtar Corp. or debt securities of the Company, or any combination thereof, as determined by the board of directors of the Company.”

6. Elimination of Certain Covenants . Section 1006 (Negative Pledge), Section 1007 (Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions), Section 1011 (Payment of Taxes and Other Claims) and Section 1012 (Maintenance of Properties) of the Indenture are hereby deleted in their entirety and the phrase “[Intentionally Omitted]” is inserted in substitution therefor, and all references to such Sections are deleted in their entirety.

7. Elimination of Certain Remedies . Section 514 (Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws) is hereby deleted in its entirety and the phrase “[Intentionally Omitted]” is inserted in substitution therefor, and all references to such Section are deleted in their entirety.

 

3


8. Ratification of Indenture; Supplemental Indenture Part of Indenture . Except as expressly amended hereby, the Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. This Supplemental Indenture shall form a part of the Indenture for all purposes of the Notes, and every Holder of Notes heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered shall be bound hereby. The Trustee makes no representation or warranty as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture.

9. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act . This Supplemental Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this Supplemental Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions. If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act which is required under such Act to be a part of and govern this Supplemental Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Supplemental Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Supplemental Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.

10. Governing Law . This Supplemental Indenture shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

11. Agency for Service; Submission to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunities .

(a) By the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture, the Company (i) acknowledges that it has, by separate written instrument, irrevocably designated and appointed CT Corporation System, as its authorized agent for service of process in any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the Indenture, as amended by this Supplemental Indenture, that may be instituted in any federal or state court located in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York, or brought under United States federal or state securities laws or brought by the Trustee, and acknowledges that CT Corporation System has accepted such designation, (ii) irrevocably submits to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) agrees that service of process upon CT Corporation System and written notice of said service to it (mailed or delivered to the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at its principal office in Montreal, Canada as specified in Section 105(2) in the Indenture) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon it in any such suit, action or proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all actions, including the execution and filing of any and all such documents and instruments, as may be necessary to continue such designation and appointment of CT Corporation System in full force and effect so long as the Indenture, as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, shall be in full force and effect.

 

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(b) To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution, execution or otherwise) with respect to itself or its Property, the Company hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of its obligations under the Indenture, as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, to the extent permitted by law.

12. Separability . In case any provision in this Supplemental Indenture shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

13. Counterparts . The parties hereto may sign one or more copies of this Supplemental Indenture in counterparts, all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

14. Headings . The section headings herein are for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed to alter or affect the meaning or interpretation of any provisions hereof.

15. Effective Time . This Supplemental Indenture shall become effective immediately upon execution of this Supplemental Indenture on the date hereof. However, the Amendments set forth in Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of this Supplemental Indenture shall not become operative with respect to a series of the Notes unless and until the settlement date upon which Domtar Corp. accepts Notes of such series for exchange pursuant to the Offer (the date and time of such acceptance being referred to herein as the “ Effective Time ”). At the Effective Time, the Amendments to the Indenture effected hereby shall be deemed fully operative with respect to such series of the Notes without any further notice or action on the part of the Company, Domtar Corp., the Trustee, any Holder or any other Person.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

DOMTAR INC.
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Trustee
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

6

Exhibit 4.9

Supplemental Indenture No. 1

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE NO. 1, dated as of                     , 2007 (this “ Supplemental Indenture ”), between Domtar Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the federal laws of Canada (together with its successors and assigns, the “ Corporation ”), and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the “ Trustee ”), under the Indenture referred to below.

W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS, the Corporation and the Trustee are parties to an Indenture, dated as of July 31, 1996 (the “ Indenture ”), and the Corporation issued pursuant to the Indenture $125,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its 9  1 / 2 % notes due 2016 (the “ Notes ”);

WHEREAS, the Corporation desires to amend the Indenture in order to, among other things, (i) eliminate or modify certain restrictive covenants, (ii) permit the sale, in one or more transactions, by the Corporation of all or substantially all of the shares of capital stock or other equity interests of its U.S. subsidiaries to Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation and the indirect parent of the Corporation (“ Domtar Corp. ”), or one of Domtar Corp.’s subsidiaries, (iii) eliminate the obligation of the Corporation to file reports with the Securities Exchange Commission or otherwise provide reports to holders of the Notes absent a requirement to file such reports under applicable law, and (iv) eliminate certain events of default;

WHEREAS, Domtar Corp. has caused to be delivered to the Holders of the Notes a Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated                     , 2007 (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “ Prospectus ”), and the related Letter of Transmittal and Consent, pursuant to which Domtar Corp. has (i) offered to exchange any and all of the outstanding Notes for an equal principal amount of Domtar Corp.’s newly issued notes of the corresponding series, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the applicable Notes tendered in exchange (such offer, on the terms set forth in the Prospectus and such Letter of Transmittal and Consent, the “ Offer ”) and (ii) solicited consent to the adoption of proposed amendments to the Indenture (the “ Amendments ”), as further described herein (the “ Exchange Consent Solicitation ”);

WHEREAS, Section 10.01 of the Indenture provides that the Corporation and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture to amend the Indenture to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency without prior notice to or the consent of Holders;

WHEREAS, Section 10.02 of the Indenture provides that, subject to certain exceptions, the Corporation and the Trustee may amend the Indenture to add, change or eliminate provisions or to modify the rights of Holders with the written consent of Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities then outstanding (the “ Requisite Holders ”);


WHEREAS, the Corporation has been authorized by a resolution of its Board of Directors to enter into this Supplemental Indenture;

WHEREAS, the consent of the Requisite Holders of the Notes to amend the Indenture as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture has been received pursuant to the Exchange Consent Solicitation; and

WHEREAS, all other conditions and requirements necessary to amend the Indenture as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture have been satisfied.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Corporation and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree as follows:

1. Defined Terms . As used in this Supplemental Indenture, terms defined in the Indenture or in the preamble or recital hereto are used herein as therein defined. The words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereby” and other words of similar import used in this Supplemental Indenture refer to this Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to any particular section hereof.

2. Amendments to Definitions . Section 1.01 of the Indenture (Definitions) is hereby amended to (i) include the following definition:

“Domtar Corp.” means Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation and the indirect parent of the Corporation.

and (ii) amend and restate the definition of “Restricted Subsidiary” in its entirety as follows:

“‘ Restricted Subsidiary ’ means (a) a Subsidiary which, as at the end of the Corporation’s then most recently completed fiscal quarter, had Consolidated Net Tangible Assets representing 5% or more of the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Corporation (including such Subsidiary) and owns or leases any interest in a Principal Property and (b) any other Subsidiary which the Board of Directors shall have determined to be a Restricted Subsidiary. Any determination mentioned in (b) shall be irrevocable provided, however, that the Board of Directors may determine that a Restricted Subsidiary described in (b) shall cease to be a Restricted Subsidiary and shall become an unrestricted Subsidiary if (i) a Person other than the Corporation or a Restricted Subsidiary shall hold a minority interest of at least 15% of the common shareholders’ equity of such Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) immediately after such Restricted Subsidiary becomes an unrestricted Subsidiary, no Event of Default or event which, with time or the giving of notice or both, would become an Event of Default, shall exist.”

 

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In addition, each definition set forth in Sections 1.01 and 1.02 of the Indenture and any capitalized term that is not used in any provision of the Indenture other than the provisions eliminated pursuant to this Supplemental Indenture and/or is not used in any provision of the Indenture other than such definitions, is hereby deleted in its entirety and any reference to a deleted definition or capitalized term is hereby also deleted.

3. Amendment to Section 3.12 . Section 3.12 of the Indenture (SEC Reports; Reports to Holders) is hereby amended and restated with respect to the Notes to read in its entirety as follows:

“Section 3.12. SEC Reports; Reports to Holders . The Corporation shall file with the Trustee and with the Commission, and transmit to Holders, such information, documents and other reports, and such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided in the Trust Indenture Act; provided that any such information, documents or reports required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 shall be filed with the Trustee within 15 days after the same is required to be filed with the Commission. The Corporation also shall comply with the other provisions of Trust Indenture Act Section 314(a).

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Corporation’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).”

4. Amendment to Section 6.01 . Section 6.01 of the Indenture (When Corporation May Merge, Amalgamate, Consolidate or Sell Assets) is hereby amended to delete clause (a)(iv) in its entirety and insert the phrase “[Intentionally Omitted]” in substitution therefor, and all references to such clause are deleted in their entirety, and (ii) add a new paragraph (d) as follows:

5. “(d) The provisions of Section 6.01(a) shall not be applicable to the sale, in one or more transactions, by the Corporation of all or any portion of the shares of capital stock or other equity interests of its subsidiaries (whether a corporation or other entity organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or with its assets located in the United States or any state thereof) to Domtar Corp. or one of its subsidiaries in exchange for the fair market value of such shares or interests, as the case may be, as determined by the board of directors of the Corporation, in return for consideration consisting of one or more notes of Domtar Corp. or debt securities of the Corporation, or any combination thereof, as determined by the board of directors of the Corporation.”

 

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6. Amendment to Section 7.01 . Section 7.01 of the Indenture (Events of Default) is hereby amended to delete clauses (4) and (5) in their entirety and insert the phrase “[Intentionally Omitted]” in substitution therefor, and all references to such clauses are deleted in their entirety.

7. Amendment to Section 11.12. Section 11.12 of the Indenture (Consent to Jurisdiction and Service) is hereby amended by deleting the phrase “the first paragraph” from the first sentence of the fourth paragraph thereof, and inserting the phrase “Section 11.02” in substitution therefor.

8. Elimination of Certain Covenants . Section 3.05 (Limitation on Liens), Section 3.09 (Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions) and Section 3.10 (Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries) of the Indenture are hereby deleted in their entirety and the phrase “[Intentionally Omitted]” is inserted in substitution therefor, and all references to such Sections are deleted in their entirety.

9. Elimination of Payment for Consent . Section 10.07 (Payment for Consent) is hereby deleted in its entirety and the phrase “[Intentionally Omitted]” is inserted in substitution therefor, and all references to such Section are deleted in their entirety.

10. Ratification of Indenture; Supplemental Indenture Part of Indenture . Except as expressly amended hereby, the Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. This Supplemental Indenture shall form a part of the Indenture for all purposes of the Notes, and every Holder of Notes heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered shall be bound hereby. The Trustee makes no representation or warranty as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture.

11. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act . This Supplemental Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this Supplemental Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions. If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act which is required under such Act to be a part of and govern this Supplemental Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Supplemental Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Supplemental Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.

12. Governing Law . This Supplemental Indenture shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State without reference to principles of conflicts of laws.

13. Consent to Jurisdiction and Service .

The Corporation irrevocably submits to the jurisdiction of any Federal court (or, if such court refuses to take jurisdiction, any New York State Court) located in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of

 

4


or relating to the Indenture, as amended by this Supplemental Indenture. The Corporation irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection which it may have to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that any suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court has been brought in any inconvenient forum. The Corporation agrees that final judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Corporation and may be enforced in the courts of Canada (or any other courts to the jurisdiction of which the Corporation is subject) by a suit upon such judgment, provided that service of process is effected upon the Corporation in the manner specified in the following paragraph or as otherwise permitted by law; provided , however , that the Corporation does not waive, and the foregoing provisions of this sentence shall not constitute or be deemed to constitute a waiver of, (i) any right to appeal any such judgment, to seek any stay or otherwise to seek reconsideration or review of any such judgment in each case before the trial court of a U.S. Federal or State court having appellate jurisdiction over such trail court or (ii) any stay of execution or levy pending an appeal from, or a suit, action or proceeding for reconsideration or review of, any such judgment.

As long as any of the Securities remain outstanding, the Corporation will at all times have an authorized agent in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York upon whom process may be served in any legal action or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Indenture, as amended by this Supplemental Indenture. Service of process upon such agent and written notice of such service mailed or delivered to the Corporation shall to the extent permitted by law be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Corporation in any such legal action or proceeding. The Corporation has, by separate instrument, irrevocably appointed CT Corporation System as its agent for such purpose until August 1, 2018, and covenants and agrees that service of process in any such legal action or proceeding may be made upon it at the office of such agent at the address set forth in such instrument (or at such other address in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, as the Corporation may designate by written notice to the Trustee).

The Corporation hereby consents to process being served in any suit, action or proceeding of the nature referred to in the preceding paragraphs by service upon such agent together with the mailing of a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the address of the Corporation set forth in Section 11.02 of the Indenture or to any other address of which the Corporation shall have given written notice to the Trustee. The Corporation irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, all claim of error by reason of any such service (but does not waive any right to assert lack of subject matter jurisdiction) and agrees that such service and mailing (i) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Corporation in any such suit, action or proceeding and (ii) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be taken and held to be valid personal service.

 

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Nothing in this Section shall affect the right of the Trustee or any Holder to serve process in any manner permitted by law or limit the right of the Trustee to bring proceedings against the Corporation in the courts of any jurisdiction or jurisdictions.

14. Separability . In case any provision in this Supplemental Indenture shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

15. Counterparts . The parties hereto may sign one or more copies of this Supplemental Indenture in counterparts, all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

16. Headings . The section headings herein are for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed to alter or affect the meaning or interpretation of any provisions hereof.

17. Effective Time . This Supplemental Indenture shall become effective immediately upon execution of this Supplemental Indenture on the date hereof. However, the Amendments set forth in Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of this Supplemental Indenture shall not become operative with respect to a series of the Notes unless and until the settlement date upon which Domtar Corp. accepts Notes of such series for exchange pursuant to the Offer (the date and time of such acceptance being referred to herein as the “ Effective Time ”). At the Effective Time, the Amendments to the Indenture effected hereby shall be deemed fully operative with respect to such series of the Notes without any further notice or action on the part of the Corporation, Domtar Corp., the Trustee, any Holder or any other Person.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

6


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

DOMTAR INC.
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Trustee
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

7

Exhibit 4.10

Supplemental Indenture

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE dated as of [•], 2007 (this “ Supplemental Indenture ”), among Domtar Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the federal laws of Canada (together with its successors and assigns, the “ Company ”), and Computershare Trust Company of Canada, as successor trustee (the “ Trustee ”), under the Indenture referred to below.

W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee are parties to an Indenture, dated as of August 5, 1987 (the “ Indenture ”), pursuant to which $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 10.85% debentures due 2017 were issued, of which $74,913,000 remains outstanding (the “ Securities ”);

WHEREAS, the Company desires to amend the Indenture in order to provide Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation and the indirect parent of the Company (“ Domtar Corp. ”) with the right to acquire, at any time, all of the Securities Outstanding in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of Domtar Corp.’s newly issued Canadian dollar denominated notes, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Securities which are acquired;

WHEREAS, the Company has caused to be delivered to the holders (the “ Holders ”) of the Securities an Information Circular / Prospectus, dated [•], 2007 (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “ Circular ”), and the related Proxy Form and Letter of Transmittal, pursuant to which the Company has solicited proxies (the “ Proxy Solicitation ”) in connection with a meeting of the Holders of the Securities to consider proposed amendments to the Indenture as further described herein;

WHEREAS, Section 802 of the Indenture provides that, subject to certain exceptions, the Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture to amend the Indenture to add, change or eliminate provisions or to modify the rights of Holders when authorized or permitted by a Majority Securityholders’ Act (the “ Requisite Holders ”);

WHEREAS, a Majority Securityholders’ Act to amend the Indenture as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture has been duly adopted at a meeting of the Holders of the Securities; and

WHEREAS, all other conditions and requirements necessary to amend the Indenture as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture have been satisfied.


NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree as follows:

1. Defined Terms . As used in this Supplemental Indenture, terms defined in the Indenture or in the preamble or recitals hereto are used herein as therein defined. The words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereby” and other words of similar import used in this Supplemental Indenture refer to this Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to any particular section hereof.

2. Amendments to Definitions . Section 101 of the Indenture (Definitions) is hereby amended to include the following definitions:

“Accrued Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 1110.

“Domtar Corp.” means Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and the indirect parent of the Company.

“Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes” has the meaning specified in Section 1110.

“Exchange Date” has the meaning specified in Section 1110.

3. Amendment to Article 11 . Article 11 of the Indenture (Redemption and Purchase of Securities) is hereby amended to include the following Section 1110:

“ Section 1110. Acquisition of Securities by Domtar Corp.

Notwithstanding any provision of the Indenture to the contrary, Domtar Corp. shall have the right, exercisable at any time upon notice of not less than one Business Day given to the Trustee, to acquire all Securities Outstanding in the manner set forth below. On and after the Exchange Date, existing Holders of the Securities (including any coupons relating thereto) shall cease to have any rights under the Indenture or the Securities (including any coupons relating thereto) except to receive the consideration provided below and the Securities (including any coupons relating thereto) shall be owned by Domtar Corp., unless Domtar Corp. shall fail to pay or duly provide for payment of such consideration.

Upon exercise by Domtar Corp. of the right to acquire the Securities as contemplated by this Section 1110, Domtar Corp. shall arrange to deliver to the Trustee, for and on behalf of the Holders of the Securities, Canadian dollar denominated notes of Domtar Corp. bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Securities (the “ Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes ”) and having the terms, conditions and other attributes set forth in the Form of Indenture of Domtar Corp. attached hereto as Schedule 1.

In order to exercise such right to acquire, Domtar Corp. shall provide notice to the Trustee at least one Business Day prior to the date fixed for the acquisition specifying (i) the date fixed for the acquisition (the “ Exchange Date ”), (ii) that Domtar Corp. has taken such measures as


are necessary or desirable to permit the Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes to be delivered to the Trustee on the Exchange Date and (iii) that Domtar Corp. and the Company have taken such measures as are necessary or desirable to ensure that sufficient funds have been deposited with the Trustee to permit the payment to Holders an amount representing interest which has accrued and has not yet been paid on the Securities up to (but excluding) the Exchange Date (the “ Accrued Interest ”).

The Company shall, at least one Business Day prior to the Exchange Date, deposit with the Trustee an amount of money sufficient to pay the Accrued Interest and shall cause the Trustee to pay the Accrued Interest, in satisfaction of the Company’s obligation to pay interest on the Securities for such period, at the moment in time immediately prior to the delivery of the Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes.

If the Holder of Securities acquired by Domtar Corp. in accordance with this Section 1110 should fail to surrender any of such Securities or fail to accept delivery of the Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes in respect thereof, or give such receipt therefor, if any, as the Trustee may require, Domtar Corp. shall be entitled to deliver (if it has not already done so) to the Trustee and direct the Trustee to set aside in trust the Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes and amount representing the Accrued Interest for such Holder, and such setting aside shall for all purposes be deemed a payment to the Holder of the Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes and Accrued Interest so set aside, and the Holder shall thereafter have no right except to receive the Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes and Accrued Interest so deposited, upon the surrender of its Securities, without further interest thereon.

Any Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes or amount representing Accrued Interest in the hands of the Trustee and set aside and not claimed by or delivered to Holders of Securities in accordance with this Section 1110 within 5 years after the date of such setting aside shall be returned by the Trustee to Domtar Corp., and thereupon the Trustee shall be released from all further liability with respect to such Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes or Accrued Interest and thereafter the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes and Accrued Interest was so delivered to Domtar Corp. shall have no rights in respect thereof, except to obtain such Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes and the Accrued Interest from Domtar Corp. upon due presentation and surrender by the Holder of such Securities.


Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Coupon Security acquired by Domtar Corp. in accordance with this Section 1110 shall not be accompanied by all appurtenant coupons maturing after the Exchange Date, the principal amount of Domtar Corp. 10.85% Notes to be delivered to the Trustee for and on behalf of the Holder of such Coupon Security shall be reduced by an amount equal to the present value of all such missing coupons discounted at a rate of 5% per annum from the date on which interest is payable with respect to each such missing coupon to (but excluding) the Exchange Date, provided, however, that the surrender of such missing coupon or coupons may be waived by the Company and the Trustee if there shall be furnished to them such security or indemnity as they may require to save each of them and the Paying Agent harmless. If any such missing coupon in respect of which such deduction shall have been made shall be surrendered to the Paying Agent, the holder of such missing coupon shall be entitled to receive from the Company an amount in cash representing the present value of such missing coupon, discounted at a rate of 5% per annum from the date on which interest is payable with respect to such missing coupon to the date such coupon is surrendered to the Paying Agent, without further interest thereon. A Holder of a Coupon Security shall be entitled to Accrued Interest only if such Holder has surrendered the coupon(s) appurtenant to such Coupon Security relating to the period for which Accrued Interest is due.

The Indenture, as changed, altered, amended, modified or supplemented, including by this Supplemental Indenture, shall be and continue in full force and effect and is hereby confirmed, and this Supplemental Indenture does not constitute a novation or rescission of the Securities or the issuance of any new bonds.”

4. Ratification of Indenture; Supplemental Indenture Part of Indenture . Except as expressly amended hereby, the Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. This Supplemental Indenture shall form a part of the Indenture for all purposes of the Securities, and every Holder of Securities heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered shall be bound hereby. The Trustee makes no representation or warranty as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture.


5. Governing Law . This Supplemental Indenture shall be construed and governed by in accordance with the laws of the Province of Quebec and the laws of Canada applicable therein.

6. Separability . In case any provision in this Supplemental Indenture shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

7. Counterparts . The parties hereto may sign one or more copies of this Supplemental Indenture in counterparts, all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

8. Headings . The section headings herein are for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed to alter or affect the meaning or interpretation of any provisions hereof.

9. Effective Time . This Supplemental Indenture shall become effective immediately upon execution of this Supplemental Indenture on the date hereof.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

DOMTAR INC.
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY OF CANADA, as Trustee
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
By:    
  Name:
  Title:

Exhibit 4.11

Supplemental Indenture

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE dated as of [•], 2007 (this “ Supplemental Indenture ”), among Domtar Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the federal laws of Canada (together with its successors and assigns, the “ Company ”), and Computershare Trust Company of Canada, as successor trustee (the “ Trustee ”), under the Indenture referred to below.

W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee are parties to an Indenture, dated as of April 15, 1987 (the “ Indenture ”), pursuant to which $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 10% debentures due 2011 were issued, of which $82,000,000 remains outstanding (the “ Securities ”);

WHEREAS, the Company desires to amend the Indenture in order to provide Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation and the indirect parent of the Company (“ Domtar Corp. ”) with the right to acquire, at any time, all of the Securities Outstanding in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of Domtar Corp.’s newly issued Canadian dollar denominated notes, bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Securities which are acquired;

WHEREAS, the Company has caused to be delivered to the holders (the “ Holders ”) of the Securities an Information Circular / Prospectus, dated [•], 2007 (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “ Circular ”), and the related Proxy Form and Letter of Transmittal, pursuant to which the Company has solicited proxies (the “ Proxy Solicitation ”) in connection with a meeting of the Holders of the Securities to consider proposed amendments to the Indenture as further described herein;

WHEREAS, Section 802 of the Indenture provides that, subject to certain exceptions, the Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture to amend the Indenture to add, change or eliminate provisions or to modify the rights of Holders when authorized or permitted by a Majority Securityholders’ Act (the “ Requisite Holders ”);

WHEREAS, a Majority Securityholders’ Act to amend the Indenture as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture has been duly adopted at a meeting of the Holders of the Securities; and

WHEREAS, all other conditions and requirements necessary to amend the Indenture as set forth in this Supplemental Indenture have been satisfied.


NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree as follows:

1. Defined Terms . As used in this Supplemental Indenture, terms defined in the Indenture or in the preamble or recitals hereto are used herein as therein defined. The words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereby” and other words of similar import used in this Supplemental Indenture refer to this Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to any particular section hereof.

2. Amendments to Definitions . Section 101 (C) of the Indenture (Definitions) is hereby amended to include the following definitions:

“Accrued Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 1110.

“Domtar Corp.” means Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and the indirect parent of the Company.

“Domtar Corp. 10% Notes” has the meaning specified in Section 1110.

“Exchange Date” has the meaning specified in Section 1110.

3. Amendment to Article 11 . Article 11 of the Indenture (Redemption and Purchase of Securities) is hereby amended to include the following Section 1110:

“ Section 1110. Acquisition of Securities by Domtar Corp.

Notwithstanding any provision of the Indenture to the contrary, Domtar Corp. shall have the right, exercisable at any time upon notice of not less than one Business Day given to the Trustee, to acquire all Securities Outstanding in the manner set forth below. On and after the Exchange Date, existing Holders of the Securities (including any coupons relating thereto) shall cease to have any rights under the Indenture or the Securities (including any coupons relating thereto) except to receive the consideration provided below and the Securities (including any coupons relating thereto) shall be owned by Domtar Corp., unless Domtar Corp. shall fail to pay or duly provide for payment of such consideration.

Upon exercise by Domtar Corp. of the right to acquire the Securities as contemplated by this Section 1110, Domtar Corp. shall arrange to deliver to the Trustee, for and on behalf of the Holders of the Securities, Canadian dollar denominated notes of Domtar Corp. bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the Securities (the “ Domtar Corp. 10% Notes ”) and having the terms, conditions and other attributes set forth in the Form of Indenture of Domtar Corp. attached hereto as Schedule 1.

In order to exercise such right to acquire, Domtar Corp. shall provide notice to the Trustee at least one Business Day prior to the date fixed for the acquisition specifying (i) the date fixed for the acquisition (the “ Exchange Date ”), (ii) that Domtar Corp. has taken such measures as


are necessary or desirable to permit the Domtar Corp. 10% Notes to be delivered to the Trustee on the Exchange Date and (iii) that Domtar Corp. and the Company have taken such measures as are necessary or desirable to ensure that sufficient funds have been deposited with the Trustee to permit the payment to Holders an amount representing interest which has accrued and has not yet been paid on the Securities up to (but excluding) the Exchange Date (the “ Accrued Interest ”).

The Company shall, at least one Business Day prior to the Exchange Date, deposit with the Trustee an amount of money sufficient to pay the Accrued Interest and shall cause the Trustee to pay the Accrued Interest, in satisfaction of the Company’s obligation to pay interest on the Securities for such period, at the moment in time immediately prior to the delivery of the Domtar Corp. 10% Notes.

If the Holder of Securities acquired by Domtar Corp. in accordance with this Section 1110 should fail to surrender any of such Securities or fail to accept delivery of the Domtar Corp. 10% Notes in respect thereof, or give such receipt therefor, if any, as the Trustee may require, Domtar Corp. shall be entitled to deliver (if it has not already done so) to the Trustee and direct the Trustee to set aside in trust the Domtar Corp. 10% Notes and amount representing the Accrued Interest for such Holder, and such setting aside shall for all purposes be deemed a payment to the Holder of the Domtar Corp. 10% Notes and Accrued Interest so set aside, and the Holder shall thereafter have no right except to receive the Domtar Corp. 10% Notes and Accrued Interest so deposited, upon the surrender of its Securities, without further interest thereon.

Any Domtar Corp. 10% Notes or amount representing Accrued Interest in the hands of the Trustee and set aside and not claimed by or delivered to Holders of Securities in accordance with this Section 1110 within 5 years after the date of such setting aside shall be returned by the Trustee to Domtar Corp., and thereupon the Trustee shall be released from all further liability with respect to such Domtar Corp. 10% Notes or Accrued Interest and thereafter the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such Domtar Corp. 10% Notes and Accrued Interest was so delivered to Domtar Corp. shall have no rights in respect thereof, except to obtain such Domtar Corp. 10% Notes and the Accrued Interest from Domtar Corp. upon due presentation and surrender by the Holder of such Securities.


Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Coupon Security acquired by Domtar Corp. in accordance with this Section 1110 shall not be accompanied by all appurtenant coupons maturing after the Exchange Date, the principal amount of Domtar Corp. 10% Notes to be delivered to the Trustee for and on behalf of the Holder of such Coupon Security shall be reduced by an amount equal to the present value of all such missing coupons discounted at a rate of 5% per annum from the date on which interest is payable with respect to each such missing coupon to (but excluding) the Exchange Date, provided, however, that the surrender of such missing coupon or coupons may be waived by the Company and the Trustee if there shall be furnished to them such security or indemnity as they may require to save each of them and the Paying Agent harmless. If any such missing coupon in respect of which such deduction shall have been made shall be surrendered to the Paying Agent, the holder of such missing coupon shall be entitled to receive from the Company an amount in cash representing the present value of such missing coupon, discounted at a rate of 5% per annum from the date on which interest is payable with respect to such missing coupon to the date such coupon is surrendered to the Paying Agent, without further interest thereon. A Holder of a Coupon Security shall be entitled to Accrued Interest only if such Holder has surrendered the coupon(s) appurtenant to such Coupon Security relating to the period for which Accrued Interest is due.

The Indenture, as changed, altered, amended, modified or supplemented, including by this Supplemental Indenture, shall be and continue in full force and effect and is hereby confirmed, and this Supplemental Indenture does not constitute a novation or rescission of the Securities or the issuance of any new bonds.”

4. Ratification of Indenture; Supplemental Indenture Part of Indenture . Except as expressly amended hereby, the Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. This Supplemental Indenture shall form a part of the Indenture for all purposes of the Securities, and every Holder of Securities heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered shall be bound hereby. The Trustee makes no representation or warranty as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture.


5. Governing Law . This Supplemental Indenture shall be construed and governed by in accordance with the laws of the Province of Quebec and the laws of Canada applicable therein.

6. Separability . In case any provision in this Supplemental Indenture shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

7. Counterparts . The parties hereto may sign one or more copies of this Supplemental Indenture in counterparts, all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

8. Headings . The section headings herein are for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed to alter or affect the meaning or interpretation of any provisions hereof.

9. Effective Time . This Supplemental Indenture shall become effective immediately upon execution of this Supplemental Indenture on the date hereof.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

DOMTAR INC.
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY OF CANADA, as Trustee
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
By:    
  Name:
  Title:

Exhibit 5.1

[Debevoise & Plimpton LLP Letterhead]

October 15, 2007

Domtar Corporation

395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West

Montreal, QC

Canada H3A 1L6

Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-146322) of

Domtar Corporation

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This opinion is furnished to you in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Act ”), of a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-146322) (the “ Registration Statement ”), which includes ( i ) a form of prospectus (the “ Exchange Offer Prospectus ”), relating to the issuance by Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), of up to $600,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 7.875% Notes due 2011, $350,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 5.375% Notes due 2013, $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 7.125% Notes due 2015 and $125,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 9.5% Notes due 2016 (collectively, the “ Domtar Corp. U.S. Notes ”) in exchange for any and all of the outstanding 7.875% Notes due 2011, 5.375% Notes due 2013, 7.125% Notes due 2015 and 9.5% Notes due 2016 of Domtar Inc., a subsidiary of the Company (the “ Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes ”), pursuant to exchange offers and ( ii ) a form of prospectus (the “ Debentureholder Information Circular/Prospectus ”) relating to the issuance by the Company of CDN$82,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 10% Notes due 2011 and CDN$74,913,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 10.85% Notes due 2017 (together, the “ Domtar Corp. C$ Notes ”, and together with the Domtar Corp. U.S. Notes, the “ New Notes ”) in consideration for the outstanding 10% Notes due 2011 and 10.85% Notes due 2017 of Domtar Inc. (the “ Domtar Inc. C$ Notes ”) in connection with the solicitation of proxies by Domtar Inc. from holders of the Domtar Inc. C$ Notes for use at a meeting of holders of each series of the Domtar Inc. C$ Notes, at which Domtar Inc. will seek the approval of such holders to amend the indenture pursuant to which each series of Domtar Inc. C$ Notes were issued to provide the Company with the right to acquire, at any time, all outstanding Domtar Inc. C$ Notes of such series in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes of the corresponding series (the


“Amendments”). The New Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed (the “ Guarantees ”) by Domtar Paper Company, LLC, a subsidiary of the Company.

The New Notes are to be issued pursuant to the Indenture (the “ Indenture ”), to be dated the initial issue date of the New Notes, between the Company and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the “ Trustee ”).

In furnishing this opinion, we have relied upon such records, documents, certificates and other instruments as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinion expressed below. In all such examinations, we have assumed without independent investigation or inquiry the legal capacity of all natural persons executing documents, the genuineness of all signatures on original or certified copies, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as original documents and the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies.

In rendering the opinion expressed below, we have assumed without independent investigation or inquiry (i) that the Trustee has the power and authority to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under, the Indenture, (ii) the enforceability of the Indenture against the Trustee and (iii) the due authentication and delivery of the New Notes on behalf of the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture.

Based on the foregoing, and subject to the further qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that, upon (i) execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Company, Domtar Paper Company, LLC and the Trustee and (ii) the execution and issuance of the New Notes by the Company and authentication of the New Notes by the Trustee in accordance with the Indenture and delivery of the New Notes in exchange for Domtar Inc. U.S. Notes pursuant to the exchange offers, or as consideration for Domtar Inc. C$ Notes pursuant to the Amendments, in each case as described in the Registration Statement, the New Notes will be valid and binding obligations of the Company and the Guarantees will be valid and binding obligations of Domtar Paper Company, LLC.

Our opinion is subject to the effects of ( i ) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, reorganization and moratorium laws, and other similar laws relating to or affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights or remedies generally, ( ii ) general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and ( iii ) concepts of good faith, reasonableness and fair dealing, and standards of materiality.

The opinions expressed herein are limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the laws of the State of New York and the federal laws of the United States of America, as currently in effect, and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any other laws.

 

2


In rendering our opinion as to the validity and binding effect of the Guarantees, we have relied on the opinion of Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. dated October 15, 2007, to the effect that Domtar Paper Company, LLC (a) has been duly formed and is validly existing in good standing as a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Delaware and (b) has the power and authority to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under, the Indenture and the Guarantees.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Company’s Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Exchange Offer Prospectus and the Debentureholder Information Circular/Prospectus. In giving such consent, we do not thereby concede that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

Very truly yours,
/s/ Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

 

3

Exhibit 5.2

[Letterhead of Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.]

October 15 , 2007

Domtar Paper Company, LLC

395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West

Montreal, QC

Canada H3A 1L6

 

  Re: Domtar Paper Company, LLC

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special Delaware counsel for Domtar Paper Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), in connection with the matters set forth herein. At your request, this opinion is being furnished to you.

For purposes of giving the opinions hereinafter set forth, our examination of documents has been limited to the examination of originals or copies of the following:

(a) The Certificate of Formation of the Company, dated as of August 18, 2006, as filed in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Secretary of State”) on August 18, 2006 (under the name “Weyerhaeuser Eli, LLC”), as amended by the Certificate of Amendment thereto, dated November 15, 2006 (changing the name of the Company from “Weyerhaeuser Eli, LLC” to “Domtar Paper Company, LLC”), as filed in the office of the Secretary of State on November 15, 2006 (as so amended, the “LLC Certificate”);

(b) The Limited Liability Company Agreement of the Company, dated as of August 18, 2006, executed by Weyerhaeuser Company, as the sole member (the “Initial Member”);

(c) The Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of the Company, dated as of March 1, 2007, executed by the Initial Member;

(d) The Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of the Company, dated as of March 7, 2007 (the “LLC Agreement”), executed by Domtar Corporation, as the sole member;

(e) The Written Consent of the Board of Directors, dated as of September 18, 2007 (the “Consent”), relating to certain matters;


Domtar Paper Company, LLC

October 15 , 2007

Page 2

(f) The Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”), including a prospectus and consent solicitation statement (the “Prospectus”), relating to the Notes (as defined therein), as proposed to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about October 15 , 2007;

(g) A form of Indenture (including the Subsidiary Guarantee of the Company set forth therein), to be entered into among Domtar Corporation, the Company and the Indenture Trustee (as defined therein), attached as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Indenture”); and

(h) A Certificate of Good Standing for the Company, dated October 15 , 2007, obtained from the Secretary of State.

Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined are used as defined in the LLC Agreement.

For purposes of this opinion, we have not reviewed any documents other than the documents listed in paragraphs (a) through (h) above. In particular, we have not reviewed any document (other than the documents listed in paragraphs (a) through (h) above) that is referred to in or incorporated by reference into the documents reviewed by us. We have assumed that there exists no provision in any document that we have not reviewed that is inconsistent with the opinions stated herein. We have conducted no independent factual investigation of our own but rather have relied as to factual matters solely upon the foregoing documents, the statements and information set forth therein and the additional matters recited or assumed herein, all of which we have assumed to be true, complete and accurate in all material respects.

With respect to all documents examined by us, we have assumed (i) the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as authentic originals, (ii) the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies or forms, and (iii) the genuineness of all signatures.

For purposes of this opinion, we have assumed (i) that the LLC Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties thereto with respect to the subject matter thereof, including with respect to the admission of members to, and the creation, operation, dissolution and termination of, the Company, and that the LLC Agreement and the Certificate are in full force and effect and have not been amended and no amendment of the LLC Agreement or the Certificate is pending or has been proposed, (ii) except to the extent provided in paragraph 1 below, that each of the parties to the documents examined by us has been duly created, organized or formed, as the case may be, and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction governing its creation, organization or formation, (iii) the legal capacity of natural persons who are parties to the documents examined by us, (iv) except to the extent provided in paragraph 2 below, that each of the parties to the documents examined by us has the power and authority to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under, such documents, and (v) except to the extent provided in paragraph 3 below, that each of the parties to the documents examined by us has duly authorized, executed and delivered such documents. We have not participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement and assume no responsibility for its contents.


Domtar Paper Company, LLC

October 15, 2007

Page 3

This opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Delaware (excluding the securities laws of the State of Delaware), and we have not considered and express no opinion on the laws of any other jurisdiction, including federal laws and rules and regulations relating thereto. Our opinions are rendered only with respect to Delaware laws and rules, regulations and orders thereunder that are currently in effect.

Based upon the foregoing, and upon our examination of such questions of law and statutes of the State of Delaware as we have considered necessary or appropriate, and subject to the assumptions, qualifications, limitations and exceptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:

1. The Company has been duly formed and is validly existing in good standing as a limited liability company under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, 6 Del. C. § 18-101, et seq. (the “Act”).

2. Under the Act, the LLC Agreement and the Consent, the Company has all necessary limited liability company power and authority to execute and deliver the Indenture, and to perform its obligations thereunder.

3. Under the Act, the LLC Agreement and the Consent, the execution and delivery by the Company of the Indenture, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Indenture (including the issuance by the Company of the Subsidiary Guarantee under Article Fourteen of the Indenture), have been duly authorized by all necessary limited liability company action on the part of the Company.

We consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We also consent to Debevoise & Plimpton LLP's relying as to matters of Delaware law upon this opinion in connection with an opinion to be rendered by it on the date hereof. In addition, we hereby consent to the use of our name under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus. In giving the foregoing consents, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of Persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder. Except as stated above, without our prior written consent, this opinion may not be furnished or quoted to, or relied upon by, any other Person for any purpose.

                    Very truly yours,

                    /s/ Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.

Exhibit 15.1

LOGO

October 15, 2007

Securities and Exchange Commission

100 F Street, N.E.

Washington, DC 20549

Commissioners:

We are aware that our report dated August 9, 2007, except for Note 20 as to which the date is September 25, 2007, on our review of interim financial information of Domtar Corporation for the thirteen-week and twenty-six week periods ended July 1, 2007 is included in its Registration Statement on Form S-4 dated October 15, 2007.

Very truly yours,

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Exhibit 15.2

October 14, 2007

Domtar Corporation

Montreal, Quebec

Canada

 

Re: Amended Registration Statement on Form S-4 dated October 15, 2007

With respect to the subject registration statement, we acknowledge our awareness of the use therein of our second quarter 2006 report dated August 9, 2007, except as to note 20, which is as of September 24, 2007, related to our review of interim financial information.

Pursuant to Rule 436 under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”), such report is not considered part of a registration statement prepared or certified by an independent registered public accounting firm, or a report prepared or certified by an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of the Act.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Seattle, Washington

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Shareholders

Domtar Corporation:

We consent to the use of our report dated March 29, 2007, except as to notes 17 and 20, which are as of June 19, 2007, and note 21, which is as of September 24, 2007, with respect to the combined balance sheets of the Weyerhaeuser Fine Paper Business (a Business Unit of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006 and December 25, 2005, and the related combined statements of operations, Business Unit equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2006, included herein, and to the reference of our firm under the heading “Experts” in the Prospectus.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Seattle, Washington

October 14, 2007

Exhibit 23.2

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Shareholders

Domtar Corporation:

We consent to the use of our report dated January 25, 2007, with respect to the balance sheet of Domtar Corporation (formerly known as Weyerhaeuser TIA, Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company) as of December 31, 2006, included herein, and to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in the Prospectus.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Seattle, Washington

October 14, 2007

Exhibit 23.3

LOGO

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

We hereby consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form S-4 of Domtar Corporation of our auditor’s report dated February 22, 2007 on the consolidated balance sheets of Domtar Inc. as at December 31, 2006 and 2005 and the consolidated statements of earnings, retained earnings and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2006 and on management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2006. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.

LOGO

Chartered Accountants

Montréal, Quebec

October 15, 2007

PricewaterhouseCoopers refers to the Canadian firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP/s.r.l./s.e.n.c.r.l, and the other member firms of Price waterhouseCoopers International Limited, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.

Exhibit 25.1

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

FORM T-1

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY

UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF A

CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE

ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO

SECTION 305(b)(2) |__|

 


THE BANK OF NEW YORK

(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)

 

New York

(State of incorporation

if not a U.S. national bank)

    

13-5160382

(I.R.S. employer

identification no.)

One Wall Street, New York, N.Y.

(Address of principal executive offices)

    

10286

(Zip code)

 


DOMTAR CORPORATION

(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

    

20-5901152

(I.R.S. employer

identification no.)

395 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West

Montreal, QC

Canada H3A 1L6

(Address of principal executive offices)

    


Domtar Corporation 7.875% Notes due 2011

Domtar Corporation 10% Notes due 2011

Domtar Corporation 5.375% Notes due 2013

Domtar Corporation 7.125% Notes due 2015

Domtar Corporation 9.5% Notes due 2016

Domtar Corporation 10.85% Notes due 2017

(Title of the indenture securities)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

 

2


1. General information. Furnish the following information as to the Trustee:

 

  (a) Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject.

 

Name    Address

Superintendent of Banks of the State of New York

   One State Street, New York, N.Y. 10004-1417, and Albany, N.Y. 12223

Federal Reserve Bank of New York

   33 Liberty Street, New York, N.Y. 10045

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

   Washington, D.C. 20429

New York Clearing House Association

   New York, New York 10005

 

  (b) Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

Yes.

 

2. Affiliations with Obligor.

If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such affiliation.

None.

 

16. List of Exhibits.

Exhibits identified in parentheses below, on file with the Commission, are incorporated herein by reference as an exhibit hereto, pursuant to Rule 7a-29 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Act”) and 17 C.F.R. 229.10(d).

 

  1. A copy of the Organization Certificate of The Bank of New York (formerly Irving Trust Company) as now in effect, which contains the authority to commence business and a grant of powers to exercise corporate trust powers. (Exhibit 1 to Amendment No. 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-6215, Exhibits 1a and 1b to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-21672, Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-29637 and Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121195.)

 

  4. A copy of the existing By-laws of the Trustee. (Exhibit 4 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121195.)

 

3


  6. The consent of the Trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act. (Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-106702.)

 

  7. A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee published pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority.

 

4


SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Act, the Trustee, The Bank of New York, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, has duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in The City of New York, and State of New York, on the 19 th day of September, 2007.

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK

By:

 

/S/

 

ARLENE THELWELL

 

Name:

  ARLENE THELWELL
 

Title:

  ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT

 

5


EXHIBIT 7

 


Consolidated Report of Condition of

THE BANK OF NEW YORK

of One Wall Street, New York, N.Y. 10286 And Foreign and Domestic Subsidiaries,

a member of the Federal Reserve System, at the close of business June 30, 2007, published in accordance with a call made by the Federal Reserve Bank of this District pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Reserve Act.

 

ASSETS   

Dollar Amounts

In Thousands

Cash and balances due from depository institutions:

  

Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin

   2,729,000

Interest-bearing balances

   20,956,000

Securities:

  

Held-to-maturity securities

   1,416,000

Available-for-sale securities

   24,732,000

Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell:

  

Federal funds sold in domestic offices

   10,454,000

Securities purchased under agreements to resell

   157,000

Loans and lease financing receivables:

  

Loans and leases held for sale

   0

Loans and leases, net of unearned income

   31,260,000

LESS: Allowance for loan and lease losses

   281,000

Loans and leases, net of unearned income and allowance

   30,979,000

Trading assets

   2,764,000

Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized leases)

   884,000

Other real estate owned

   2,000

Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated companies

   284,000

Not applicable

  

Intangible assets:

  

Goodwill

   2,713,000

Other intangible assets

   950,000

Other assets

   9,137,000
    

 

6


Total assets

   108,157,000
    

LIABILITIES

  

Deposits:

  

In domestic offices

   29,601,000

Noninterest-bearing

   18,755,000

Interest-bearing

   10,846,000

In foreign offices, Edge and Agreement subsidiaries, and IBFs

   53,217,000

Noninterest-bearing

   1,965,000

Interest-bearing

   51,252,000

Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase:

  

Federal funds purchased in domestic offices

   1,454,000

Securities sold under agreements to repurchase

   101,000

Trading liabilities

   2,565,000

Other borrowed money: (includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under capitalized leases)

   3,890,000

Not applicable

  

Not applicable

  

Subordinated notes and debentures

   2,261,000

Other liabilities

   6,362,000
    

Total liabilities

   99,451,000
    

Minority interest in consolidated subsidiaries

   155,000

EQUITY CAPITAL

  

Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus

   0

Common stock

   1,135,000

Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock)

   2,148,000

Retained earnings

   5,676,000

Accumulated other comprehensive income

   -408,000

Other equity capital components

   0

Total equity capital

   8,551,000
    

Total liabilities, minority interest, and equity capital

   108,157,000
    

 

7


I, Thomas P. Gibbons, Chief Financial Officer of the above-named bank do hereby declare that this Report of Condition is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Thomas P. Gibbons,                

Chief Financial Officer                

We, the undersigned directors, attest to the correctness of this statement of resources and liabilities. We declare that it has been examined by us, and to the best of our knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions and is true and correct.

 

Thomas A. Renyi

Gerald L. Hassell

Catherine A. Rein

              Directors

 


 

8

Exhibit 99.1

Domtar Corporation

Letter of Transmittal and Consent

Offers to Exchange

Any and All of the Outstanding

 

7.875% Domtar Inc. Notes due 2011   5.375% Domtar Inc. Notes due 2013
(CUSIP 257561AU4)   (CUSIP 257561AV2)
7  1 / 8 % Domtar Inc. Notes due 2015   9  1 / 2 % Domtar Inc. Debentures due 2016
(CUSIP 257561AW0)   (CUSIP 257561AT7)

For

An Equal Principal Amount of Newly-Issued Domtar Corporation Notes of the Corresponding Series and Solicitation of Consents for Amendment of the Related Indentures

 

EACH EXCHANGE OFFER WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT, NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON NOVEMBER 14, 2007, UNLESS EXTENDED OR EARLIER TERMINATED (SUCH DATE AND TIME, AS THEY MAY BE EXTENDED, THE EXPIRATION DATE ). IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE EARLY CONSENT PAYMENT, HOLDERS OF THE DOMTAR INC. NOTES MUST VALIDLY TENDER AND NOT WITHDRAW THEIR DOMTAR INC. NOTES ON OR PRIOR TO 5:00 P.M., NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON OCTOBER 30, 2007, UNLESS EXTENDED BY US WITH RESPECT TO ONE OR MORE OF THE EXCHANGE OFFERS (SUCH DATE AND TIME, AS THEY MAY BE EXTENDED WITH RESPECT TO ONE OR MORE OF THE EXCHANGE OFFERS, THE EARLY CONSENT DATE ).

Deliver By Hand, Overnight Delivery or Mail to the Exchange Agent

(Registered or Certified Mail Recommended):

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

65 Broadway, Suite 723

New York, NY 10006

Attention: Corporate Actions

By Facsimile Transmission (Eligible Institutions Only):

(212) 430-3775

Attention: Corporate Actions

Confirm Facsimile by Telephone: (212) 430-3774

DELIVERY OF THIS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND CONSENT ( LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL ) TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN AS SET FORTH ABOVE OR TRANSMISSION OF INSTRUCTIONS VIA FACSIMILE TO A NUMBER OTHER THAN THE ONE LISTED ABOVE WILL NOT CONSTITUTE A VALID DELIVERY. THE INSTRUCTIONS ACCOMPANYING THIS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE THIS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL IS COMPLETED. THE INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED WITH THIS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL MUST BE FOLLOWED.

Questions regarding the exchange offers and consent solicitations or the completion of this Letter of Transmittal should be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation, the Information Agent, at the following telephone number: banks and brokers, (212) 430-3774; and all others call toll free, (866) 470-3700.

 

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The undersigned acknowledges that he or she has received and reviewed the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated October 17, 2007 (the “Prospectus”) of Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Domtar Corp.” or the “Company”), and this Letter of Transmittal, which together constitute (i) Domtar Corp.’s offers to holders of Domtar Inc.’s outstanding 7.875% Notes due 2011, 5.375% Notes due 2013, 7  1 / 8 % Notes due 2015 and 9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2016, which we refer to together as the “Domtar Inc. notes,” of an opportunity to exchange, for each $1,000 principal amount of applicable Domtar Inc. notes, $1,000 principal amount of Domtar Corp.’s corresponding new 7.875% Notes due 2011, 5.375% Notes due 2013, 7.125% Notes due 2015 and 9.5% Notes due 2016, as applicable, or the “Domtar Corp. notes” and (ii) Domtar Corp.’s solicitation of consents (the “consents”) from holders of the applicable series of Domtar Inc. notes to certain proposed amendments described in the Prospectus (the “proposed amendments”) to the Indenture, dated as of November 18, 2003 (the “2003 Indenture”), between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation (“The Bank of New York”), as successor trustee, relating to the 7  1 / 8 % Domtar Inc. notes due 2015 and the 5.375% Domtar Inc. notes due 2013, the Indenture, dated as of October 16, 2001 (the “2001 Indenture”), between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, as successor trustee, relating to the 7.875% Notes due 2011 and the Indenture, dated as of July 31, 1996 (the “1996 Indenture”), between Domtar Inc. and The Bank of New York, as trustee, relating to the 9  1 / 2 % Debentures due 2016. The 2003 Indenture, the 2001 Indenture and the 1996 Indenture are referred to collectively as the “Domtar Inc. Indentures.” The total cash payment for each series of Domtar Inc. notes will include an early consent payment of $2.50 for each $1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. notes tendered, which will be paid only to holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw their Domtar Inc. notes on or prior to the applicable early consent date (the “early consent payment”), and a cash payment representing accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the settlement date (the “outstanding interest payment”). Holders who validly tender their Domtar Inc. notes after the applicable early consent date will receive the outstanding interest payment with respect to such Domtar Inc. notes, but not the early consent payment.

The exchange offers with respect to the above series of Domtar Inc. notes are collectively referred to as the “exchange offers” and the consent solicitations with respect to such Domtar Inc. notes are collectively referred to as the “consent solicitations.”

Holders who tender Domtar Inc. notes pursuant to the exchange offers and consent solicitations will be deemed to consent with respect to the proposed amendments.

The exchange offer and consent solicitation for each series of Domtar Inc. notes is being made independently of the other exchange offers and consent solicitations. Domtar Corp. reserves the right to amend, extend or terminate each exchange offer and consent solicitation independently of the other exchange offers and consent solicitations, as described in the Prospectus.

Canadian proxy solicitations and debenture acquisitions

Concurrently with the exchange offers, Domtar Inc. will solicit proxies from holders of its outstanding Canadian dollar denominated debt securities (the “Canadian debentures”) for use at a meeting of holders of each series of such debentures, at which Domtar Inc. will seek approval of such holders to amend the indentures pursuant to which such series of debentures were issued to provide Domtar Corp. with the right to acquire, at any time, all outstanding Canadian debentures of such series in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of

 

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Domtar Corp.’s newly issued debt securities of the corresponding series (the “Canadian proxy solicitations”). If such amendment is approved by the holders of a series of the Canadian debentures, Domtar Corp. intends to acquire all of the outstanding Canadian debentures of such series in exchange for newly issued debt securities of Domtar Corp. concurrently with the consummation of the exchange offers.

Withdrawal rights

Domtar Inc. notes tendered before the applicable early consent date may be withdrawn, and consents provided during such period may be revoked, at any time on or prior to the applicable early consent date but not thereafter. A valid withdrawal of tendered Domtar Inc. notes will also constitute the revocation of the related consent to the proposed amendments. Domtar Inc. notes tendered after the applicable early consent date may not be withdrawn and the related consents may not be revoked. See the sections of the Prospectus entitled “The exchange offers—Expiration, extension, amendment and termination of exchange offers” and “The exchange offers—Withdrawal of tenders and revocation of corresponding consents” for a more complete description of the exchange offers and withdrawal provisions.

Conditions

The exchange offers are subject to certain conditions that Domtar Corp. may assert or waive. The conditions include, among other things, the condition that there shall have been validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the exchange offers an aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. notes that, together with the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate principal amount of Canadian debentures that Domtar Corp. has the right to acquire as a result of the Canadian proxy solicitations, is at least equal to 75% of the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. notes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Canadian debentures (the “minimum amount condition”). For additional information, see the section of the Prospectus entitled “The exchange offers—Conditions to the exchange offers and consent solicitations.”

Letter of transmittal

This Letter of Transmittal is to be used by holders if (i) certificates representing Domtar Inc. notes are to be physically delivered to the Exchange Agent herewith by such holders, or (ii) tender of Domtar Inc. notes is to be made by book-entry transfer to the Exchange Agent’s account at The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Prospectus under “The exchange offers—Procedures for tendering notes and delivering consents,” by any financial institution that is a participant in DTC and whose name appears on a security position listing as the owner of Domtar Inc. notes, unless an Agent’s Message (as defined below) is delivered in connection with such book-entry transfer. Delivery of documents to DTC does not constitute delivery to the Exchange Agent.

Tenders by book-entry transfer may also be made by delivering an Agent’s Message pursuant to DTC’s Automated Tender Offer Program (“ATOP”) in lieu of this Letter of Transmittal. Any DTC participant that has Domtar Inc. notes credited to its DTC account may, and all custodial entities that are DTC participants must, tender Domtar Inc. notes and deliver consents to the proposed amendments to the applicable Domtar Inc. indenture by effecting a book-entry transfer of the Domtar Inc. notes to be tendered in the exchange offers into the account of the Exchange Agent

 

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at DTC and, electronically transmitting its acceptance of the exchange offers through DTC’s ATOP procedures for transfer before the exchange offers expire.

By causing the Domtar Inc. notes to be credited to the Exchange Agent’s account at DTC in accordance with DTC’s procedures for transfer, including the transmission by DTC of an agent’s message to the Exchange Agent, the holder will be deemed to confirm, on behalf of itself and the beneficial owners of such notes, all provisions of this Letter of Transmittal applicable to it and such beneficial owners as fully as if it had completed the information required herein and executed and delivered this Letter of Transmittal to the Exchange Agent. As used herein, the term “Agent’s Message” means a message, transmitted by DTC to and received by the Exchange Agent and forming part of a book-entry confirmation, which states that DTC has received an express acknowledgement from a DTC participant tendering Domtar Inc. notes that the participant has received and agrees to be bound by the terms of the Letter of Transmittal and that Domtar Corp. and Domtar Inc. may enforce the agreement against the participant.

Holders tendering Domtar Inc. notes pursuant to the exchange offers will thereby consent to the proposed amendments as described in the Prospectus in the section entitled “The consent solicitations—The proposed amendments.” The completion, execution and delivery of this Letter of Transmittal (or the delivery by DTC of an Agent’s Message in lieu thereof) constitutes the delivery of a consent with respect to the Domtar Inc. notes tendered.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the exchange offers and consent solicitations and applicable law, Domtar Corp. will deposit with the Exchange Agent the Domtar Corp. notes in book-entry form and the amount of any cash payable in respect of tendered Domtar Inc. notes.

The Exchange Agent will act as agent for the tendering holders for the purpose of receiving the new Domtar Corp. notes and cash from Domtar Corp. and then delivering new Domtar Corp. notes (in book-entry form) and cash to or at the direction of those holders. The Exchange Agent will make this delivery on the same day Domtar Corp. deposits the new Domtar Corp. notes and cash, or as soon as is thereafter practicable.

Tender of Domtar Inc. Notes

To effect a valid tender of Domtar Inc. notes through the completion, execution and delivery of this Letter of Transmittal, the undersigned must complete the table entitled “Description of Domtar Inc. Notes Tendered and in Respect of which Consent Is Given” below and sign this Letter of Transmittal where indicated.

Signatures on the Letter of Transmittal must be guaranteed by a firm that is a participant in the Security Transfer Agents Medallion Program or the Stock Exchange Medallion Program (generally a member of a registered national securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers. Inc. or a commercial bank or trust company having an office in the United States) (an “Eligible Institution”) unless (i) the Letter of Transmittal is signed by the holder of the Domtar Inc. notes tendered therewith and the Domtar Corp. notes or any Domtar Inc. notes not tendered or not accepted for exchange are to be issued to such holder or (ii) such Domtar Inc. notes are tendered for the account of an Eligible Institution.

If tendered notes are registered to a person who did not sign the Letter of Transmittal, they must be endorsed by, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed by, the registered holder with the signature guaranteed by an Eligible Institution and appropriate

 

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powers of attorney signed exactly as the name of the registered holder appears on the Domtar Inc. notes. All questions of adequacy of the form of the writing will be determined by Domtar Corp. in its sole discretion.

If the Letter of Transmittal or any Domtar Inc. notes or powers of attorney are signed by trustees, executors, administrators, guardians, attorneys-in-fact, officers of corporations or others acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity, such persons should so indicate when signing, and unless waived by us, submit evidence satisfactory to Domtar Corp. of their authority to so act with the Letter of Transmittal.

The Domtar Corp. notes will be delivered only in book-entry form through DTC and only to the DTC account of the undersigned or the undersigned’s custodian as specified in the table below. Failure to provide the information necessary to effect delivery of the Domtar Corp. notes will render a tender defective and Domtar Corp. will have the right, which it may waive, to reject such tender.

 

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The undersigned has completed the appropriate boxes below and signed this Letter of Transmittal to indicate the action the undersigned desires to take with respect to the exchange offers.

 

¨   CHECK HERE IF TENDERED DOMTAR INC. NOTES ARE ENCLOSED HEREWITH. THE DOMTAR CORP. NOTES ARE TO BE CREDITED TO THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT:

Name of DTC Participant:                                                                                                                                

DTC Participant Account Number:                                                                                                               

Contact DTC Participant at:                                                                                                                           

 

¨   CHECK HERE IF TENDERED DOMTAR INC. NOTES ARE BEING DELIVERED BY BOOK-ENTRY TRANSFER MADE TO THE ACCOUNT MAINTAINED BY THE EXCHANGE AGENT WITH DTC AND COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING:

Name of Tendering Institution (s):                                                                                                                

Account Number:                                                                                                                                                

Transaction Code Number:                                                                                                                                

List below the Domtar Inc. notes to which this Letter of Transmittal relates. If the space provided below is inadequate, the certificate numbers and principal amount of the Domtar Inc. notes should be listed on a separate signed schedule affixed hereto.

 

 
DESCRIPTION OF DOMTAR INC. NOTES TENDERED AND IN RESPECT OF WHICH CONSENT IS GIVEN
1    2    3    4
Name(s) and Address(es) of Holder(s) or Name of DTC Participant and Participant’s DTC Account Number in Which Domtar Inc. Notes are Held    Title of Series    Aggregate Principal
Amount Represented by

Domtar Inc. Notes

   Principal Amount
Tendered*
                
                
                
                
     Total Notes          
 

*  Unless otherwise indicated in this column, a holder will be deemed to have tendered all of the notes represented by the Domtar Inc. notes indicated in column 3. The principal amount of each series of the Domtar Inc. notes tendered hereby must be in a denomination of $1,000 or any integral multiple thereof. See instruction 4 under “Instructions Forming Part of the Terms and Conditions of the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitations” below.

 

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Please read the accompanying instructions carefully

Ladies and gentlemen:

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the exchange offers, the undersigned hereby tenders to the Company the aggregate principal amount of each series of Domtar Inc. notes indicated above and consents to the proposed amendments with respect to such tendered Domtar Inc. notes. Subject to, and effective upon the acceptance for exchange of the Domtar Inc. notes tendered hereby, the undersigned hereby (i) sells, assigns and transfers to, or upon the order of, the Company all right, title and interest in and to such Domtar Inc. notes as are being tendered hereby, (ii) waives any and all other rights with respect to the Domtar Inc. notes (including without limitation, any existing or past defaults and their consequences in respect of the Domtar Inc. notes and the applicable Domtar Inc. indenture under which the Domtar Inc. notes were issued) and releases and discharges Domtar Inc. and its affiliates from any and all claims the undersigned may have now, or may have in the future, arising out of, or related to, the Domtar Inc. notes, including without limitation any claims that the undersigned is entitled to receive additional principal or interest payments with respect to the Domtar Inc. notes or to participate in any redemption or defeasance of the Domtar Inc. notes, and (iii) consents to the proposed amendments.

The undersigned hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints the Exchange Agent as the undersigned’s true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact with respect to such tendered Domtar Inc. notes, with full power of substitution, among other things, to cause the Domtar Inc. notes to be assigned, transferred and exchanged. The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to tender, sell, assign and transfer the Domtar Inc. notes, and to acquire Domtar Corp. notes issuable upon the exchange of such tendered Domtar Inc. notes, and that, when the same are accepted for exchange, the Company will acquire good and unencumbered title thereto, free and clear of all liens, restrictions, charges and encumbrances and not subject to any adverse claim when the same are accepted by the Company. The undersigned hereby delivers to the Company and the applicable trustee this Letter of Transmittal as evidence of the undersigned’s consent to the proposed amendments and as certification that validly tendered and unrevoked consents from holders of the requisite aggregate principal amount of any series of outstanding Domtar Inc. notes to adopt the proposed amendments with respect to such series, duly executed by holders of such Domtar Inc. notes, have been received, all in accordance with the terms and conditions of the exchange offers and consent solicitations as described in the Prospectus. The undersigned hereby further represents and warrants that the undersigned is the owner of the Domtar Inc. notes.

The undersigned agrees and acknowledges that, by the execution and delivery hereof, the undersigned makes and delivers its written consent, with respect to the Domtar Inc. notes tendered hereby, to the proposed amendments and expressly waives all claims against the Company and its affiliates with respect to the Domtar Inc. indentures and the Domtar Inc. notes. The undersigned understands that the consent delivered hereby shall remain in full force and effect until such consent is revoked in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Prospectus and this Letter of Transmittal, which procedures are hereby agreed to be applicable in lieu of any and all other procedures set forth in the applicable Domtar Inc. indenture, which are hereby waived. The undersigned understands that consents may not be revoked after the early consent date. It is expected that, assuming receipt of the requisite consent with respect to a series of the Domtar Inc. notes, the supplemental indentures to the Domtar Inc. indentures governing that

 

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series will be executed by the Company and the corresponding trustee promptly after the early consent date and will become effective upon execution and delivery by such parties. Proposed amendments will only become operative immediately prior to the acceptance for exchange of all Domtar Inc. notes of such series that are validly tendered (and not withdrawn) on or prior to the early consent date.

For purposes of the exchange offers, the undersigned understands that the Company will be deemed to have accepted for purchase validly tendered Domtar Inc. notes if, as and when the Company gives oral or written notice thereof to the Exchange Agent. For purposes of the consent solicitations, consents validly delivered to the Exchange Agent will be deemed to have been accepted by the Company if, as and when the Company and the trustee execute the supplemental indenture to the relevant Domtar Inc. indenture promptly after the early consent date, provided that the Company shall have no obligation to make early consent payments unless Domtar Inc. notes are exchanged pursuant to the relevant exchange offer.

The undersigned understands that tenders of Domtar Inc. notes and the deliveries of the related consents may be validly withdrawn or validly revoked by written notice of withdrawal or revocation received by the Exchange Agent at any time on or prior to the early consent date. Holders may not withdraw previously tendered Domtar Inc. notes on or prior to the early consent date without revoking the previously delivered consents to which such tender relates. Tendered Domtar Inc. notes may not be validly withdrawn and the related consents may not be validly revoked subsequent to the early consent date. Accordingly, tenders of Domtar Inc. notes and the related consents delivered after the early consent date will be irrevocable.

The undersigned acknowledges that the Company’s acceptance of Domtar Inc. notes validly tendered for exchange pursuant to any one of the procedures described in the section of the Prospectus entitled “The exchange offers” and in the instructions hereto will constitute a binding agreement between the undersigned and the Company upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the exchange offers and consent solicitations, which contract will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

The undersigned will, upon request, execute and deliver any additional documents deemed by the Company to be necessary or desirable to complete the sale, assignment and transfer of the Domtar Inc. notes tendered, to effect the undersigned’s consent to the proposed amendments and to complete the supplemental indentures to the Domtar Inc. indentures providing for such proposed amendments. All authority conferred or agreed to be conferred in this Letter of Transmittal and every obligation of the undersigned hereunder shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs, executors, administrators, trustees in bankruptcy and legal representatives of the undersigned and shall not be affected by, and shall survive, the death or incapacity of the undersigned. This tender may be withdrawn only in accordance with the procedures set forth in the section of the Prospectus entitled “The exchange offers—Withdrawal of tenders and revocation of corresponding consents.”

The undersigned hereby irrevocably appoints the Exchange Agent to act as its agent for the purpose of receiving payment from the Company and transmitting such payment to the undersigned and crediting the Domtar Corp. notes to the account of the undersigned. The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that payment shall be deemed to have been made by the Company upon the transfer by the Company of the early consent payment, if applicable, and the accrued and unpaid interest payable and the delivery of the Domtar Corp. notes to the Exchange Agent or in accordance with the Exchange Agent’s instructions. The undersigned further

 

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acknowledges and agrees that (1) under no circumstances will interest be paid by the Company on the amount of the consideration by reason of any delay on behalf of the Exchange Agent in making such payment or crediting the Domtar Corp. notes and (2) the making of the payment and delivery of the Domtar Corp. notes by the Company to the Exchange Agent or pursuant to the Exchange Agent’s instructions shall fully discharge the Company’s obligations to make payment in relation to the exchange offers and the consent solicitations and in no event will the Company be liable for interest or damages in relation to any delay or failure of payment to be remitted to any holder.

The undersigned understands that the Company’s obligation to accept for exchange, and to exchange, Domtar Inc. notes validly tendered pursuant to the exchange offers and to make the early consent payments and the outstanding interest payment is conditioned upon the satisfaction or waiver of the minimum amount condition. See the section of the Prospectus entitled “The exchange offers—Conditions to the exchange offers and consent solicitations.” Any Domtar Inc. notes not accepted for exchange will be returned promptly to the undersigned at the address set forth below unless otherwise indicated under “Special Delivery Instructions” below. None of the exchange offers or the consent solicitations is conditioned upon the completion of the other exchange offers or consent solicitations.

The undersigned understands that the delivery and surrender of the Domtar Inc. notes is not effective, and the risk of loss of the Domtar Inc. notes does not pass to the Exchange Agent, until receipt by the Exchange Agent of this Letter of Transmittal (or a facsimile hereof) properly completed and duly executed, together with all accompanying evidences of authority and any other required documents in form satisfactory to the Company, or receipt of an Agent’s Message. All determinations as to the form of all documents and the validity (including time of receipt) and acceptance of tenders and withdrawals of Domtar Inc. notes and deliveries and revocations of consents will be made by the Company, in its sole discretion, which determination shall be final and binding.

Unless otherwise indicated herein in the box entitled “Special Issuance Instructions” below, please credit any Domtar Corp. notes in the principal amount issuable in the exchange to the account indicated above in the box entitled “Description of Domtar Inc. Notes Tendered and in Respect of which Consent Is Given” maintained at DTC. Similarly, unless otherwise indicated under the box entitled “Special Delivery Instructions” below, please credit any Domtar Inc. notes not exchanged to the account indicated above in the box entitled “Description of Domtar Inc. Notes Tendered and in Respect of which Consent Is Given” maintained at DTC or, in the case of certificates representing Domtar Inc. notes not exchanged, please send substitute certificates representing Domtar Inc. notes not exchanged to the undersigned. Unless indicated under the box entitled “Special Cash Payment Delivery Instructions” below, please credit to the account indicated above in the box entitled “Description of Domtar Inc. Notes Tendered and in Respect of which Consent Is Given” maintained at DTC (i) the early consent payment of $2.50 for each $1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. notes tendered that have been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn on or prior to the early consent date and (ii) the outstanding interest payment for the Domtar Inc. notes that have been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at any time on or prior to the expiration date.

 

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The undersigned, by completing the box entitled “Description of Domtar Inc. Notes Tendered and in Respect of which Consent Is Given” above and signing this letter, will be deemed to have tendered the Domtar Inc. notes as set forth in such box above and to have consented to the amendment of the Domtar Inc. indenture.

 

SPECIAL ISSUANCE

INSTRUCTIONS

(See Instruction 3)

 

SPECIAL DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS

(See Instruction 6)

  SPECIAL CASH PAYMENT DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS
     

To be completed ONLY if any Domtar Corp. notes are to be credited to an account maintained at DTC other than the account indicated in the box entitled “Description of Domtar Inc. Notes Tendered and in Respect of which Consent Is Given.”

 

Please credit Domtar Corp. notes to:

 

Name of DTC Participant:

 

 

DTC Participant Account Number:

 

 

Contact DTC Participant at:

 

 

To be completed ONLY if any Domtar Inc. notes in the principal amount not accepted for exchange are to be returned by credit to an account maintained at DTC other than the account indicated above or are to be issued in the name of someone other than the undersigned or at an address other than that shown in the box entitled “Description of Domtar Inc. Notes Tendered and in Respect of which Consent Is Given.”

 

Please credit unexchanged Domtar Inc. notes delivered by book-entry transfer to:

 

Name of DTC Participant:

 

 

DTC Participant Account Number:

 

 

Contact DTC Participant at:

 

 

Please send substitute certificates representing Domtar Inc. Notes not exchanged to:

 

Name:                                          

 

Address:                                      

 

To be completed ONLY if any early consent payments and outstanding interest payments are to be credited to an account maintained at DTC other than the account indicated in the box entitled “Description of Domtar Inc. Notes Tendered and in Respect of which Consent Is Given.”

 

Please credit early consent payments and outstanding interest payment to:

 

Name of DTC Participant:

 

 

DTC Participant Account Number:

 

 

Contact DTC Participant at:

 

 

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Sign here

(TO BE COMPLETED BY ALL TENDERING AND CONSENTING HOLDERS OF DOMTAR INC. NOTES)

By completing, executing and delivering this Letter of Transmittal, the undersigned hereby tenders, and consents to the proposed amendment to the indenture (and to the execution of a Supplemental Indenture effecting the amendment) with respect to, the principal amount of each series of Domtar Inc. notes listed in the table above entitled “Description of Domtar Inc. Notes Tendered and in Respect of which Consent Is Given.”

 

 

Signature of Registered Holder(s) or Authorized

Signatory (See guarantee requirement below.)

 

 

Date

 

Signature of Registered Holder(s) or Authorized

Signatory (See guarantee requirement below.)

 

 

Date

 

Signature of Registered Holder(s) or Authorized

Signatory (See guarantee requirement below.)

 

 

Date

Area Code and Telephone Number:                                                                                                                       

If a holder of any series of Domtar Inc. notes is tendering any Domtar Inc. notes, this Letter of Transmittal must be signed by the Registered Holders exactly as its name appears on a securities position listing of DTC or by any persons authorized to become the Registered Holders by endorsements and documents transmitted herewith. If the signature is by a trustee, executor, administrator, guardian, attorney-in-fact, officer or other person acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity, please so indicate at the line entitled “Capacity (full title)” and submit evidence satisfactory to the Exchange Agent and Domtar Corp. of such person’s authority to so act. See Instruction 5.

Name(s):                                                                                                                                                                             

(Please Type or Print)

Capacity (full title):                                                                                                                                                    

Address:                                                                                                                                                                         

(Including Zip Code)

MEDALLION SIGNATURE GUARANTEE

(If required-See Instruction 5.)

Signature(s) Guaranteed by an Eligible Institution:

 


(Authorized Signature)

 


(Title)

 


(Name of Firm)

 


(Title)

 


(Address)

Dated                      , 2007

 

 

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Instructions forming part of the terms and

conditions of the exchange offers and consent solicitations

1. Delivery of Letter of Transmittal . This Letter of Transmittal is to be completed by tendering holders of Domtar Inc. notes if tender of such Domtar Inc. notes is to be made by book-entry transfer to the Exchange Agent’s account at DTC and instructions are not being transmitted through ATOP. Holders who tender their Domtar Inc. notes through DTC’s ATOP procedures shall be bound by, but need not complete, this Letter of Transmittal. Thus, a Letter of Transmittal need not accompany tenders effected through ATOP.

The Letter of Transmittal (or facsimile copy), with any required signature guarantees or, in the case of book-entry transfer, an Agent’s Message in lieu of the Letter of Transmittal, and any other required documents, must be transmitted to and received by the Exchange Agent on or before the expiration date of the exchange offers at its address set forth on the back cover page of the Prospectus. Domtar Inc. notes will not be deemed surrendered until the Exchange Agent receives the Letter of Transmittal and signature guarantees, if any, or agent’s message and any other required documents.

The method of delivery of Domtar Inc. notes, the Letter of Transmittal, and all other required documents to the Exchange Agent is at your election and risk. Instead of delivery by mail, you should use an overnight or hand delivery service, properly insured. In all cases, you should allow sufficient time to assure delivery to and receipt by the Exchange Agent on or before the expiration date. Send the Letter of Transmittal or any Domtar Inc. notes only to the Exchange Agent. Delivery of such documents to DTC or us does not constitute delivery to the Exchange Agent.

2. Consents to Proposed Amendments . A valid consent to the proposed amendments may be given only by a holder or its attorney-in-fact. A beneficial owner who is not a holder must arrange with the holder to execute and deliver a Consent on its behalf, obtain a properly completed irrevocable proxy that authorizes such beneficial owner to consent to the proposed amendments on behalf of such holder or become a holder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any DTC participant which has Domtar Inc. notes credited to its DTC account at any time (and thereby held of record by DTC’s nominee) may directly provide a Consent to the proposed amendments as though it were the registered holder by so completing, executing and delivering this Letter of Transmittal. A DTC participant using ATOP may validly deliver a Consent using ATOP with respect to the Domtar Inc. notes transferred through ATOP.

3. Delivery of the Domtar Corp. Notes . All Domtar Corp. notes will be delivered only in book-entry form through DTC. Accordingly, the appropriate DTC participant name and number (along with any other required account information) for such delivery must be provided in either the table hereof entitled “Description of Domtar Inc. Notes Tendered and in Respect of which Consent Is Given” or, in the case of Domtar Corp. Notes to be credited to an account other than as set forth in such table, provided in the “Special Issuance Instructions” box of this Letter of Transmittal. Holders who anticipate tendering by a method other than through DTC are urged to promptly contact a bank, broker or other intermediary (that has the capability to hold securities custodially through DTC) to arrange for receipt of any Domtar Corp. notes delivered pursuant to the exchange offers and to obtain the information necessary to complete the table.

4. Amount of Tenders . Tenders of Domtar Inc. notes will be accepted only in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof. Book-entry transfers to the Exchange Agent should be

 

12


made in the exact principal amount of Domtar Inc. notes tendered and in respect of which consent is given. If less than the entire principal amount of any Domtar Inc. notes evidenced by a submitted certificate is tendered, the tendering holder must fill in the principal amount tendered in the last column of the appropriate box under the heading “Description of Domtar Inc. Notes Tendered and in Respect of which Consent Is Given.” The entire principal amount represented by the certificates for all Domtar Inc. delivered to the Exchange Agent will be deemed to have been tendered unless otherwise indicated. If the entire principal amount of all Domtar Inc. notes is not tendered or not accepted for exchange, certificates for the principal amount of Domtar Inc. notes not tendered or not accepted for exchange will be sent (or, if tendered by book-entry transfer, returned by credit to the account at DTC designated herein) to the holder unless otherwise provided in the appropriate box in this Letter of Transmittal promptly after the Domtar Inc. notes are accepted for exchange.

5. Signatures on Letter of Transmittal; Instruments of Transfer; Guarantee of Signatures . Signatures on the Letter of Transmittal must be guaranteed by a firm that is a participant in the Security Transfer Agents Medallion Program or the Stock Exchange Medallion Program (generally a member of a registered national securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or a commercial bank or trust company having an office in the United States) (an “Eligible Institution”), unless (i) the Letter of Transmittal is signed by the holder of the Domtar Inc. notes tendered therewith and the Domtar Corp. notes or any Domtar Inc. notes not tendered or not accepted for exchange are to be issued to such holder or (ii) such Domtar Inc. notes are tendered for the account of an Eligible Institution.

If tendered notes are registered to a person who did not sign the Letter of Transmittal, they must be endorsed by, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed by, the registered holder with the signature guaranteed by an Eligible Institution and appropriate powers of attorney, signed exactly as the name of the registered holder appears on the Domtar Inc. notes. All questions as to adequacy of the form of the writing will be determined by Domtar Corp. in its sole discretion.

If the Letter of Transmittal or any Domtar Inc. notes or powers of attorney are signed by trustees, executors, administrators, guardians, attorneys-in-fact, officers of corporations or others acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity, such persons should so indicate when signing, and unless waived by us, submit evidence satisfactory to us of their authority to so act with the Letter of Transmittal.

6. Special Delivery Instructions . If the Domtar Inc. notes, if any, in principal amount not accepted for exchange are to be returned by credit to an account maintained at DTC other than the account indicated above or are to be issued in the name of someone other than the undersigned or at an address other than that shown in the box entitled “Description of Domtar Inc. Notes Tendered and in Respect of which Consent Is Given,” the signer of this Letter of Transmittal should complete the “Special Delivery Instructions” box on this Letter of Transmittal. All Domtar Inc. notes tendered by book-entry transfer and not accepted for exchange will otherwise be returned by crediting the account at DTC designated above.

7. Validity of Tenders . All questions as to the validity, form, eligibility (including time of receipt) and acceptance for exchange of any tender of Domtar Inc. notes in connection with the exchange offers will be determined by Domtar Corp., in its sole discretion, and its determination will be final and binding. Domtar Corp. reserves the absolute right to reject any or all tenders not in proper form or the acceptance for exchange of which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be unlawful.

 

13


Domtar Corp. also reserves the absolute right to waive any defect or irregularity in the tender of any Domtar Inc. notes in the exchange offers, and its interpretation of the terms and conditions of each exchange offer (including the instructions in the Letter of Transmittal) will be final and binding on all parties. None of Domtar Corp., Domtar Inc., the Exchange Agent, the information agent, the dealer managers or any other person will be under any duty to give notification of any defects or irregularities in tenders or incur any liability for failure to give any such notification. Tenders of Domtar Inc. notes involving any defects or irregularities will not be deemed to have been made until those defects or irregularities have been cured or waived. Domtar Inc. notes received by the Exchange Agent in connection with the exchange offers that are not validly tendered and as to which the defects or irregularities have not been cured or waived will be returned by the Exchange Agent to the DTC participant who delivered those Domtar Inc. notes by crediting an account maintained at DTC designated by that DTC participant promptly after the expiration date of the exchange offers or the withdrawal or termination of the exchange offers.

8. Irregularities. All determinations as to the validity, form, eligibility (including time of receipt) and acceptance of any tendered Domtar Inc. notes or delivery of consents pursuant to any of the procedures described above will be made by the Company in the Company’s sole discretion (whose determination shall be final and binding). The Company expressly reserves the absolute right, in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law, to reject any or all tenders of any Domtar Inc. notes or delivery of any or all consents determined by it not to be in proper form or, in the case of tenders of Domtar Inc. notes, if the acceptance for exchange of such Domtar Inc. notes may, in the opinion of the Company’s counsel, be unlawful. The Company also reserves the absolute right, in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law, to waive or amend any of the conditions of the exchange offers or the consent solicitations or to waive any defect or irregularity in any tender with respect to Domtar Inc. notes or delivery of consents of any particular holder, whether or not similar defects or irregularities are waived in the case of other holders. A waiver of any defect or irregularity with respect to the tender of one note shall not constitute a waiver of the same or any other defect or irregularity with respect to the tender of any other note. The Company’s interpretation of the terms and conditions of the exchange offers and consent solicitations (including this Letter of Transmittal and the Instructions hereto) will be final and binding. None of the Company, the Exchange Agent, the Dealer Managers, the Information Agent, the trustee with respect to any of the Domtar Inc. indentures or any other person will be under any duty to give notification of any defects or irregularities in tenders or will incur any liability for failure to give any such notification. If the Company waives its right to reject a defective tender of Domtar Inc. notes, the holder will be entitled to exchange their Domtar Inc. notes for Domtar Corp. notes and receive the corresponding cash consideration, subject to the terms and conditions of the exchange offers and consent solicitations.

9. Waiver of Conditions . The conditions of the exchange offers are for Domtar Corp.’s sole benefit and may be asserted or waived by Domtar Corp. in whole or in part in its reasonable discretion prior to the expiration date. Domtar Corp.’s failure at any time to exercise any of the foregoing rights shall not be deemed a waiver of any such right and each such right shall be deemed an ongoing right which may be asserted at any time prior to the expiration date. If Domtar Corp.’s waiver of any of the conditions would constitute a material change in any or all of the exchange offers, Domtar Corp. will disclose that change through a supplement to the Prospectus that will be distributed to each registered holder of Domtar Inc. notes. In addition, Domtar Corp. will extend the exchange offers, in accordance with applicable law, depending upon the significance of the waiver and the manner of disclosure to the registered holders of the Domtar Inc. notes.

 

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10. Withdrawal of Tenders and Revocation of Consents . Tenders of Domtar Inc. notes in connection with any of the exchange offers may be withdrawn at any time prior to the applicable early consent date. Tendered Domtar Inc. notes, whether tendered before or after such date, may not be withdrawn at any time after the applicable early consent date, even if the Company extends the exchange offers. The valid withdrawal of tendered Domtar Inc. notes prior to the applicable early consent date will be deemed to be a concurrent revocation of the consent to the proposed amendments to the applicable Domtar Inc. indenture. A consent may be revoked only by a valid withdrawing of the related Domtar Inc. notes prior to the applicable early consent date. Beneficial owners desiring to withdraw Domtar Inc. notes previously tendered should contact the DTC participant through which they hold their Domtar Inc. notes. In order to withdraw Domtar Inc. notes previously tendered, a DTC participant may, on or prior to the applicable early consent date, withdraw its instruction previously transmitted through ATOP by delivering to the exchange agent by mail, hand delivery or facsimile transmission, notice of withdrawal of such instruction.

Any such notice of withdrawal must: (i) specify the name of the depositor having tendered the Domtar Inc. note to be withdrawn; (ii) include a statement that the depositor is withdrawing its election to have the Domtar Inc. note exchanged, and identify the Domtar Inc. note to be withdrawn (including the principal amount of the Domtar Inc. note); (iii) specify the name in which such Domtar Inc. note is registered, if different from that of the withdrawing holder; and (iv) state that the consent to amend the indenture under which the note was issued is revoked.

The Company will determine all questions as to the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for such withdrawal notices. The Company s determination will be final and binding on all parties. Any Domtar Inc. notes so withdrawn will be considered not to have been validly tendered for purposes of the exchange offers and no Domtar Corp. notes will be issued with respect thereto. Properly withdrawn Domtar Inc. notes, however, may be re-tendered by following the procedures described above at any time prior to the expiration of the exchange offers.

11. Requests for Assistance or Additional Copies . Questions and requests for assistance and requests for additional copies of the Prospectus or this Letter of Transmittal may be directed to the Information Agent at the address and telephone number indicated herein.

12. Taxpayer Identification Number and Backup Withholding . If you are receiving an early consent payment, United States federal income tax law generally requires that a tendering holder whose Domtar Inc. notes are accepted for exchange must provide the Exchange Agent (as payer) with such holder’s correct Taxpayer Identification Number (“TIN”), which, in the case of a holder who is an individual, is such holder’s social security number. If the Exchange Agent is not provided with the correct TIN or an adequate basis for an exemption, any payment made to a holder may be subject to backup withholding in an amount equal to 28% of the amount of any reportable payments made to such tendering holder. If backup withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund may be obtained. In addition, a holder who fails to provide a correct TIN or an adequate basis for exemption may be subject to a penalty of $50, which is not refundable.

To prevent backup withholding, each tendering holder that is a U.S. person (including a resident alien) must, unless an exemption applies, provide such holder’s correct TIN by completing the “Substitute Form W-9” set forth herein, certifying that the TIN provided is correct (or that such holder is awaiting a TIN) and that (i) the holder is exempt from backup withholding, (ii) the

 

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holder has not been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that such holder is subject to backup withholding as a result of a failure to report all interest or dividends or (iii) the Internal Revenue Service has notified the holder that such holder is no longer subject to backup withholding.

If the holder does not have a TIN, such holder should consult the enclosed Guidelines for Certification of Taxpayer Identification Number on Substitute Form W-9 (the “W-9 Guidelines”) for instructions on applying for a TIN, write “Applied For” in the space for the TIN in Part 1 of the Substitute Form W-9, and sign and date the Substitute Form W-9 and the Certificate of Awaiting Taxpayer Identification Number set forth herein. Writing Applied For will not prevent backup withholding. A tendering holder who must complete Substitute Form W-9 must provide a correct TIN before a payment is made, or backup withholding may be applied.

If the Domtar Inc. notes are held in more than one name or are not in the name of the actual owner, consult the W-9 Guidelines for information on which TIN to report.

Exempt holders (including, among others, all corporations and certain foreign individuals) are not subject to these backup withholding and reporting requirements. To prevent possible erroneous backup withholding, an exempt holder should write “Exempt” in Part 2 of Substitute Form W-9. See the W-9 Guidelines for additional instructions. In order for a nonresident alien or foreign entity to qualify as exempt, such person must submit an appropriate Form W-8 signed under penalty of perjury attesting to such exempt status. These forms may be obtained from the Exchange Agent or at the Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov.

13. Transfer Taxes . The Company will pay all U.S. and Canadian transfer taxes, if any, applicable to the transfer of Domtar Inc. notes to it or its order pursuant to the Exchange Offer. If, however, Domtar Corp. notes and/or substitute Domtar Inc. notes not exchanged are to be delivered to, or are to be registered or issued in the name of, any person other than the registered holder of the Domtar Inc. notes tendered hereby, or if tendered Domtar Inc. notes are registered in the name of any person other than the person signing this Letter of Transmittal, or if a transfer tax is imposed for any reason other than the transfer of Domtar Inc. notes to the Company or its order pursuant to the Exchange Offer, the amount of any such transfer taxes (whether imposed on the registered holder or any other persons) will be payable by the tendering holder. If satisfactory evidence of payment of such taxes or exemption therefrom is not submitted herewith, the amount of such transfer taxes will be billed directly to such tendering holder.

 

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PAYER’S NAME:
 

PAYEE’S NAME (as shown on your income tax return):                                                                              

PAYEE’S ADDRESS:                                                                                                                                                  

     

SUBSTITUTE

 

FORM W-9

 

Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service

 

Payer’s Request for Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and Certification

  

Part I: Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)

 

Social Security Number

 

OR

 

Employer Identification Number

(If awaiting TIN write “Applied For”

and complete Parts III and IV)

  

Part II: For Payees Exempt from Backup Withholding

 

For Payees Exempt from Backup withholding, see the Guidelines below and complete as instructed therein.

  

Part III: —Certification—

Under penalties of perjury, I certify that:

(1)    The number shown on this form is my correct Taxpayer Identification Number (or I am waiting for a number to be issued to me), and

(2)    I am not subject to backup withholding because: (a) I am exempt from backup withholding, or (b) I have not been notified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that I am subject to backup withholding as a result of failure to report all interest or dividends, or (c) the IRS has notified me that I am no longer subject to backup withholding, and

(3)    I am a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

   Certification Instructions— You must cross out item (2) above if you have been notified by the IRS that you are currently subject to backup withholding because you have failed to report all interest and dividends on your tax return. However, if after being notified by the IRS that you were subject to backup withholding you received another notification from the IRS that you are no longer subject to backup withholding, do not cross out item (2).
   
    

 

Signature of U.S. person

  

 

Date

 

NOTE:   FAILURE TO COMPLETE AND RETURN THIS FORM MAY RESULT IN A $50 PENALTY IMPOSED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE AND BACKUP WITHHOLDING OF 28% OF ANY PAYMENTS MADE TO YOU PURSUANT TO THE OFFER. PLEASE REVIEW THE ENCLOSED GUIDELINES FOR CERTIFICATION OF TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ON SUBSTITUTE FORM W-9 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

YOU MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CERTIFICATION IF YOU WROTE APPLIED FOR IN THE APPROPRIATE LINE IN PART I OF SUBSTITUTE FORM W-9

 

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Certificate of awaiting taxpayer identification number

I certify under penalties of perjury that a taxpayer identification number has not been issued to me, and either (a) I have mailed or delivered an application to receive a taxpayer identification number to the appropriate Internal Revenue Service Center or Social Security Administration or (b) I intend to mail or deliver an application in the near future. I understand that if I do not provide a taxpayer identification number by the time of payment, 28% of all reportable payments made to me pursuant to the offer will be withheld.

 

 

     

 

Signature       Date

 

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GUIDELINES FOR DETERMINING THE PROPER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER TO GIVE THE PAYER —Social Security numbers have nine digits separated by two hyphens: i.e., 000-00-0000. Employer Identification numbers have nine digits separated by only one hyphen: i.e., 00-0000000. The table below will help determine the number to give the Payer.

 

For this type of account:   Give NAME and SOCIAL
SECURITY number (SSN) of:
        For this type of account:  

Give NAME and

EMPLOYER
INDENTIFICATION

number (EIN) of:

1.      Individual

  The individual    

6.      A valid trust, estate, or pension trust

  The legal entity (Do not furnish the identifying number of the personal representative or trustee unless the legal entity itself is not designated in the account title.)(4)

2.      Two or more individuals (joint account)

  The actual owner of the account or, if combined funds, the first individual on the account(1)    

7.      Corporation or LLC electing corporate status under Form 8832

  The corporation

3.      Custodian account of a minor (Uniform Gift to Minors Act)

  The minor(2)    

8.      Association, club, religious, charitable, educational or other tax-exempt organization

  The organization

4.      (a) The usual revocable savings trust (grantor is also trustee)

         (b) So-called trust account that is not a legal or valid trust under state law

 

The grantor-trustee(1)

 

The actual owner(1)

     

9.      Partnership

 

10.   A broker or registered nominee

 

11.   Account with the Department of Agriculture in the name of a public entity (such as State or local government, school district, or prison) that receives agricultural program payments

 

The partnership

The broker or nominee

 

The public entity

5.      Sole proprietorship or single-owner LLC

  The owner(3)      

 

(1)   List first and circle the name of the person whose number you furnish. If only one person on a joint account has an SSN, that person’s number must be furnished
(2)   Circle the minor’s name and furnish the minor’s SSN.
(3)   You must show your individual name, but you may also enter your business or “DBA” name. You may use either your SSN or EIN (if you have one).
(4)   List first and circle the name of the legal trust, estate, or pension trust.
NOTE:   If no name is circled when there is more than one name, the number will be considered to be that of the first name listed

 

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Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code.

 

Obtaining a Number. If you do not have a taxpayer identification number or you do not know your number, obtain Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card, or Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number, at the local office of the Social Security Administration or the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) and apply for a number.

Payees Exempt from Backup Withholding. The following is a list of payees exempt from backup withholding and for which no information reporting is required. For interest and dividends, all listed payees are exempt except for those listed in item (9). For broker transactions, payees listed in (1) through (13) are exempt. A person registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 who regularly acts as a broker is also exempt. Payments subject to reporting under sections 6041 and 6041A are generally exempt from backup withholding only if made to payees described in items (1) through (7), except that the following payments made to a corporation and reportable on Form 1099-MISC are not exempt from backup withholding or information reporting: medical and health care payments, attorney’s fees and payments for services paid by a federal executive agency. Only payees described in items (2) through (6) are exempt from backup withholding for barter exchange transactions and patronage dividends.

 

  (1)   A corporation.

 

  (2)   An organization exempt from tax under section 501(a), or an individual retirement plan (“IRA”), or a custodial account under 403(b)(7) if the account satisfies the requirements of section 401(f)(2).

 

  (3)   The United States or any of its agencies or instrumentalities.

 

  (4)   A State, the District of Columbia, a possession of the United States, or any of their political subdivisions or instrumentalities.

 

  (5)   A foreign government or any of its political subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities.

 

  (6)   An international organization or any of its agencies or instrumentalities.

 

  (7)   A foreign central bank of issue.

 

  (8)   A dealer in securities or commodities required to register in the United States, the District of Columbia, or a possession of the United States.

 

  (9)   A futures commission merchant registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

 

  (10)   A real estate investment trust.

 

  (11)   An entity registered at all times during the tax year under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

  (12)   A common trust fund operated by a bank under section 584(a).

 

  (13)   A financial institution.

 

  (14)   A middleman known in the investment community as a nominee or custodian or listed in the most recent publication of the American Society of Corporate Secretaries, Inc., Nominee List.

 

  (15)   A trust exempt from tax under section 664 or described in section 4947.

Payments of interest generally not subject to backup withholding include the following:

 

 

Payments of interest on obligations issued by individuals. NOTE: You may be subject to backup withholding if this interest is $600 or more and is paid in the course of the payer’s trade or business and you have not

 

20


 

provided your correct taxpayer identification number to the payer.

 

 

Payments of tax-exempt interest (including exempt interest dividends under section 852).

 

 

Payments described in section 6049(b)(5) to nonresident aliens.

 

 

Payments on tax-free covenant bonds under section 1451.

 

 

Payments made by certain foreign organizations.

Payments that are not subject to information reporting are also not subject to backup withholding. For details see sections 6041, 6041A, 6042, 6044, 6045, 6049, 6050A and 6050N, and the regulations under such sections.

Privacy Act Notice. Section 6109 requires you to give your correct taxpayer identification number to persons who must file information returns with the IRS to report interest, dividends, and certain other income paid to you, mortgage interest you paid, the acquisition or abandonment of secured property, cancellation of debt, or contributions you made to an IRA or Archer MSA. The IRS uses the numbers for identification purposes and to help verify the accuracy of your tax return. The IRS may also provide this information to the Department of Justice for civil and criminal litigation, and to cities, states, and the District of Columbia to carry out their tax laws. You must provide your taxpayer identification number whether or not you are required to file a tax return. Payers must generally withhold 28% of taxable interest, dividend, and certain other payments to a payee who does not furnish a taxpayer identification number to a payer. Certain penalties may also apply.

Penalties.

(1) Penalty for Failure to Furnish Taxpayer Identification Number. If you fail to furnish your taxpayer identification number to a payer, you are subject to a penalty of $50 for each such failure unless your failure is due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect.

(2) Civil Penalty for False Information with Respect to Withholding. If you make a false statement with no reasonable basis that results in no backup withholding, you are subject to a $500 penalty.

(3) Criminal Penalty for Falsifying Information. Willfully falsifying certifications or affirmations may subject you to criminal penalties including fines and/or imprisonment.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT YOUR TAX CONSULTANT OR

THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

 

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In order to tender, a holder of Domtar Inc. notes should send or deliver a properly completed and signed Letter of Transmittal and any other required documents to the Exchange Agent at its address set forth below or tender pursuant to DTC’s Automated Tender Offer Program.

The Exchange Agent for the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitations is:

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

65 Broadway, Suite 723

New York, NY 10006

Attention: Corporate Actions

By Facsimile Transmission (Eligible Institutions Only):

(212) 430-3775

Attention: Corporate Actions

Confirm Facsimile by Telephone: (212) 430-3774

Any questions or requests for assistance or for additional copies of the Prospectus, this Letter of Transmittal, or related documents may be directed to the Information Agent at its telephone numbers set forth below. A holder of Domtar Inc. notes may also contact the Dealer Managers at the telephone numbers set forth below or such holder’s custodian bank, depositary, broker, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the exchange offers.

The Information Agent for the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitations is:

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

65 Broadway, Suite 723

New York, NY 10006

Attention: Corporate Actions

Banks and Brokers call: (212) 430-3774

All others call toll free: (866) 430-3700

The Lead Dealer Manager for the Exchange Offers and Lead Solicitation Agent for the

Consent Solicitations is:

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

270 Park Avenue, 8 th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Attention: Liability Management Group

Collect: (212) 834-4077

Toll free: (866) 834-4666

The Co-Dealer Manager for the Exchange Offers and Co-Solicitation Agent for the

Consent Solicitations is:

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

60 Wall Street

New York, NY 10005

Attention: Liability Management Group

Collect : (212) 250-2955

Toll free : (866) 627-0391

Exhibit 99.2

Domtar Corporation

Letter to Clients

Offers to Exchange

Any and All of the Outstanding

 

7.875% Domtar Inc. Notes due 2011   5.375% Domtar Inc. Notes due 2013
(CUSIP 257561AU4)   (CUSIP 257561AV2)
7  1 / 8 % Domtar Inc. Notes due 2015   9  1 / 2 % Domtar Inc. Debentures due 2016
(CUSIP 257561AW0)   (CUSIP 257561AT7)

for

An Equal Principal Amount of Newly-Issued Domtar Corporation Notes of the Corresponding Series and Solicitation of Consents for Amendment of the Related Indentures

EACH EXCHANGE OFFER WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT, NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON NOVEMBER 14, 2007, UNLESS EXTENDED OR EARLIER TERMINATED (SUCH DATE AND TIME, AS THEY MAY BE EXTENDED, THE “EXPIRATION DATE”). IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE EARLY CONSENT PAYMENT, HOLDERS OF THE DOMTAR INC. NOTES MUST VALIDLY TENDER AND NOT WITHDRAW THEIR DOMTAR INC. NOTES ON OR PRIOR TO 5:00 P.M., NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON OCTOBER 30, 2007, UNLESS EXTENDED BY US WITH RESPECT TO ONE, OR MORE OF THE EXCHANGE OFFERS (SUCH DATE AND TIME, AS THEY MAY BE EXTENDED WITH RESPECT TO ONE, OR MORE OF THE EXCHANGE OFFERS, THE “EARLY CONSENT DATE”).

October 17, 2007

To Our Clients:

We are enclosing a Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated October 17, 2007 (the “Prospectus”), of Domtar Corporation (“Domtar Corp.”), and a related Letter of Transmittal and Consent (the “Letter of Transmittal”), relating to (i) the offers by Domtar Corp. to exchange any and all of the securities of Domtar Inc. of each series (the “Domtar Inc. notes”) listed above for newly issued Domtar Corp. notes of the corresponding series (the “exchange offers”) and (ii) the solicitation by Domtar Corp. (the “consent solicitations”) of consents (the “consents”) from holders of each series of Domtar Inc. notes to certain proposed amendments (the “proposed amendments”) to the indenture governing such series of the Domtar Inc. notes (each, a “Domtar Inc. indenture”) described in the Prospectus, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Prospectus and Letter of Transmittal. If you tender the Domtar Inc. notes, you will, by the act of tendering, be consenting to certain amendments to the applicable Domtar Inc. indenture as described in the Prospectus and the Letter of Transmittal. Domtar Corp.’s obligation to purchase tendered notes is subject to certain conditions summarized below under “Conditions.” Please see the section of the Prospectus entitled “The exchange offers—Conditions to the exchange offers and consent solicitations” for further details.

For your convenience, we summarize certain terms of the exchange offers and the consent solicitations below. This summary is not complete. You should read the Prospectus for a more detailed description of the terms of the exchange offers and the consent solicitations.


The exchange offers and consent solicitations

Domtar Corp. is offering to exchange, for each $1,000 principal amount of the Domtar Inc. notes, $1,000 principal amount of newly-issued corresponding Domtar Corp. notes with the same interest rate and maturity date (the “Domtar Corp. notes”) and a cash payment representing accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the settlement date (the “outstanding interest payment”). The total cash payment for each series of Domtar Inc. notes will include an early consent payment of $2.50 for each $1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. notes tendered (the “early consent payment”), which will be paid only to holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw their Domtar Inc. notes on or prior to the applicable early consent date and the outstanding interest payment. Holders who validly tender their Domtar Inc. notes after the applicable early consent date will receive, for each $1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. notes tendered, the outstanding interest payment on such Domtar Inc. notes, but not the early consent payment.

Holders who tender Domtar Inc. notes pursuant to the exchange offers and consent solicitations will be deemed to consent with respect to the proposed amendments.

The exchange offer and consent solicitation for each series of Domtar Inc. notes is being made independently of the other exchange offers and consent solicitations. Domtar Corp. reserves the right to amend, extend or terminate each exchange offer and consent solicitation independently of the other exchange offers and consent solicitations, as described in the Prospectus.

Canadian proxy solicitations and debenture acquisitions

Concurrently with the exchange offers, Domtar Inc. will solicit proxies from holders of its outstanding Canadian dollar denominated debt securities (the “Canadian debentures”) for use at a meeting of holders of each series of such debentures, at which Domtar Inc. will seek approval of such holders to amend the indentures pursuant to which such series of debentures were issued to provide Domtar Corp. with the right to acquire, at any time, all outstanding Canadian debentures of such series in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of Domtar Corp.’s newly issued debt securities of the corresponding series (the “Canadian proxy solicitations”). If such amendment is approved by the holders of a series of the Canadian debentures, Domtar Corp. intends to acquire all of the outstanding Canadian debentures of such series in exchange for newly issued debt securities of Domtar Corp. concurrently with the consummation of the exchange offers.

Withdrawal rights

You may withdraw tendered Domtar Inc. notes and revoke consents with respect thereto at any time prior to the applicable early consent date, but not thereafter. A valid withdrawal of tendered Domtar Inc. notes will also constitute the revocation of the related consent to the proposed amendment to the applicable indenture. You may only revoke your consent by validly withdrawing the tendered Domtar Inc. notes prior to the applicable early consent date. You may not withdraw tendered Domtar Inc. notes or revoke consents with respect thereto after the applicable early consent date, even if Domtar Corp. otherwise extends the expiration of the exchange offers. If for any reason tendered notes are not accepted for exchange, they will be returned as soon as practicable after the expiration or termination of the exchange offers.

 

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Conditions

The exchange offers and consent solicitations are subject to certain conditions that Domtar Corp. may assert or waive. The conditions include, among other things, the condition that there shall have been validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the exchange offers an aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. notes that, together with the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate principal amount of Canadian debentures that Domtar Corp. has the right to acquire as a result of the Canadian proxy solicitations, is at least equal to 75% of the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. notes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Canadian debentures. For additional information, see the section of the Prospectus entitled “The exchange offers—Conditions to the exchange offers and consent solicitations.”

How to accept an offer

We are the holder of your Domtar Inc. notes through our account with the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”). A tender of such Domtar Inc. notes can be made only by us as a DTC participant and pursuant to your instructions. The enclosed Letter of Transmittal is furnished to you for your information only and cannot be used by you to tender Domtar Inc. notes held by us for your account.

Please instruct us as to whether you wish us to tender any or all of the Domtar Inc. notes we hold for your account, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Prospectus and the Letter of Transmittal.

We request instructions as to whether you wish to tender any or all of your Domtar Inc. notes held by us through our DTC account pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus and the Letter of Transmittal. You may instruct us to tender any or all of your Domtar Inc. notes by completing, executing and returning to us the instruction form contained in this letter. An envelope to return your instruction form to us is enclosed. If you authorize us to tender your Domtar Inc. notes, we will tender all of your Domtar Inc. notes unless otherwise specified in your instruction form. Please forward your instructions to us as promptly as possible (but no later than three business days prior to the expiration of the exchange offers) in order to permit us to tender your Domtar Inc. notes in accordance with the provisions of the exchange offers.

We urge you to read the Prospectus and the Letter of Transmittal carefully before instructing us to tender your Domtar Inc. notes. You may use the attached form to give your instructions.

PLEASE RETURN YOUR INSTRUCTIONS TO US IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE OR CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO PERMIT US TO TENDER YOUR DOMTAR INC. NOTES PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION DATE.

 

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Instructions to the Depository Trust Company Participant

To the Participant of The Depository Trust Company:

The undersigned hereby acknowledge(s) receipt of the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated October 17, 2007 (the “Prospectus”), of Domtar Corporation and the related Letter of Transmittal and Consent (the “Letter of Transmittal”) relating to the offers to exchange all of the securities of Domtar Inc. of each series described in the Prospectus for an equal principal amount of newly-issued notes of Domtar Corporation of the corresponding series on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Prospectus and Letter of Transmittal.

This will authorize you to tender the undersigned notes and/or debentures and to deliver the undersigned’s consent with respect to the principal amount(s) of Domtar Inc. notes indicated below held by you for the account or benefit of the undersigned, pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

 

Name(s) of beneficial owner(s):                                                                                                                       

Signature(s):                                                                                                                                                            

Name(s):                                                                                                                                                                     

(Please Print)

Address(es):                                                                                                                                                                

Telephone Number(s):                                                                                                                                            

Taxpayer Identification or

Social Security Number(s):                                                                                                                                    

My Account Number With You:                                                                                                                       

Principal Amount of 7.875% Domtar Inc. Notes due 2011 Beneficially Owned:                                                                                                                           

Principal Amount of 7.875% Domtar Inc. Notes due 2011 to Tender and As to Which Consent is Given (must be an integral multiple of $1,000):                                                                                                       

Principal Amount of 5.375% Domtar Inc. Notes due 2013 Beneficially Owned:                                                                                                                           

Principal Amount of 5.375% Domtar Inc. Notes due 2013 to Tender and As to Which Consent is Given (must be an integral multiple of $1,000):                                                                                                       

Principal Amount of 7  1 / 8 % Domtar Inc. Notes due 2015 Beneficially Owned:                                                                                                                           

Principal Amount of 7  1 / 8 % Domtar Inc. Notes due 2015 to Tender and As to Which Consent is Given (must be an integral multiple of $1,000):                                                                                                       

Principal Amount of 9  1 / 2 % Domtar Inc. Debentures due 2016 Beneficially Owned:                                                                                                                           

Principal Amount of 9  1 / 2 % Domtar Inc. Debentures due 2016 to Tender and As to Which Consent is Given (must be an integral multiple of $1,000):                                                                                                       

Date:                                                                                                                                                                         

Exhibit 99.3

Domtar Corporation

Letter to Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Banks, Trust Companies and Other Nominees

Offers to Exchange

Any and All of the Outstanding

 

7.875% Domtar Inc. Notes due 2011   5.375% Domtar Inc. Notes due 2013
(CUSIP 257561AU4)   (CUSIP 257561AV2)
7  1 / 8 % Domtar Inc. Notes due 2015   9  1 / 2 % Domtar Inc. Debentures due 2016
(CUSIP 257561AW0)   (CUSIP 257561AT7)

For

An Equal Principal Amount of Newly-Issued Domtar Corporation Notes of the Corresponding Series and Solicitation of Consents for Amendment of the Related Indentures

 

EACH EXCHANGE OFFER WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT, NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON NOVEMBER 14, 2007, UNLESS EXTENDED OR EARLIER TERMINATED (SUCH DATE AND TIME, AS THEY MAY BE EXTENDED, THE “EXPIRATION DATE”). IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE EARLY CONSENT PAYMENT, HOLDERS OF THE DOMTAR INC. NOTES MUST VALIDLY TENDER AND NOT WITHDRAW ALL THEIR DOMTAR INC. NOTES ON OR PRIOR TO 5:00 P.M., NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON OCTOBER 30, 2007, UNLESS EXTENDED BY US WITH RESPECT TO ONE OR MORE OF THE EXCHANGE OFFERS (SUCH DATE AND TIME, AS THEY MAY BE EXTENDED WITH RESPECT TO ONE OR MORE OF THE EXCHANGE OFFERS, THE “EARLY CONSENT DATE”).

To Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Banks, Trust Companies and other Nominees:

Domtar Corporation, or Domtar Corp., is (i) offering an opportunity to exchange (the “exchange offers”), for each $1,000 principal amount of the securities of Domtar Inc. of each series listed above, or the “Domtar Inc. notes,” $1,000 principal amount of newly issued notes of Domtar Corp. of the corresponding series with the same interest rate and maturity date, or the “Domtar Corp. notes,” and a cash payment representing accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the settlement date (the “outstanding interest payment”) and (ii) soliciting consents (the “consent solicitations”) from holders of each series of Domtar Inc. notes (the “consents”) to certain proposed amendments (the “proposed amendments”) to the indenture governing such series of the Domtar Inc. notes (the “Domtar Inc. indentures”) described in the Prospectus. The total cash payment for each series of Domtar Inc. notes will include an early consent payment of $2.50 for each $1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. notes tendered, which will be paid only to holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw their Domtar Inc. notes on or prior to the applicable early consent date (the “early consent payment”) and the outstanding interest payment. Holders who validly tender their Domtar Inc. notes after the applicable early consent date will receive, for each $1,000 principal amount of Domtar Inc. notes tendered, the outstanding interest payment with respect to their Domtar Inc. notes, but not the early consent payment.


We ask you to furnish copies of the enclosed materials to those of your clients on behalf of whom you hold Domtar Inc. notes, whether such notes are registered in your name or in the name of your nominee.

As described in the Prospectus and Consent Solicitation Statement of Domtar Corp. dated October 17, 2007 (the “Prospectus”), Domtar Corp. is not conducting the exchange offers and consent solicitations in any jurisdiction in which the offer, sale or exchange is not permitted.

No broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee shall be deemed to be the agent of Domtar Corp., Domtar Inc., the dealer managers, the information agent or the exchange agent for purposes of the exchange offers and consent solicitations.

Withdrawal rights

Domtar Inc. notes tendered before the applicable early consent date may be withdrawn, and consents provided during such period may be revoked, at any time on or prior to the applicable early consent date but not thereafter. A valid withdrawal of tendered Domtar Inc. notes will also constitute the revocation of the related consent to the proposed amendments. Domtar Inc. notes tendered after the applicable early consent date may not be withdrawn and the related consents may not be revoked. See the sections of the Prospectus entitled “The exchange offers—Expiration, extension, amendment and termination of exchange offers” and “The exchange offers—Withdrawal of tenders and revocation of corresponding consents” for a more complete description of the exchange offers and withdrawal provisions.

Canadian proxy solicitations and debenture acquisitions

Concurrently with the exchange offers, Domtar Inc. will solicit proxies from holders of its outstanding Canadian dollar denominated debt securities (the “Canadian debentures”) for use at a meeting of holders of each series of such debentures, at which Domtar Inc. will seek approval of such holders to amend the indentures pursuant to which such series of debentures were issued to provide Domtar Corp. with the right to acquire, at any time, all outstanding Canadian debentures of such series in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of Domtar Corp.’s newly issued debt securities of the corresponding series (the “Canadian proxy solicitations”). If such amendment is approved by the holders of a series of the Canadian debentures, Domtar Corp. intends to acquire all of the outstanding Canadian debentures of such series in exchange for newly issued debt securities of Domtar Corp. concurrently with the consummation of the exchange offers.

Conditions

The exchange offers and consent solicitations are subject to certain conditions that Domtar Corp. may assert or waive. The conditions include, among other things, the condition that there shall have been validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the exchange offers an aggregate principal amount of Domtar Inc. notes that, together with the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate principal amount of Canadian debentures that Domtar Corp. has the right to acquire as a result of the Canadian proxy solicitations, is at least equal to 75% of the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Domtar Inc. notes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Canadian debentures. For additional information, see the sections of the Prospectus entitled “The exchange offers—Conditions to the exchange offers and consent solicitations.”

 

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We are asking you to contact your clients for whom you hold any of these notes. For your use and for forwarding to those clients, we are enclosing the Prospectus, the related Letter of Transmittal and Consent (“Letter of Transmittal”), together with Guidelines for Certification of Taxpayer Identification Number on Substitute Form W-9 providing information relating to backup United States federal income tax withholding and a letter to holders summarizing the exchange offers.

We will not pay you any fees or commissions for soliciting acceptances of the exchange offers and soliciting consents. However, we will reimburse you for customary mailing and handling expenses incurred by you in forwarding these materials to your clients.

WE URGE YOU TO CONTACT YOUR CLIENTS AS PROMPTLY AS POSSIBLE . Please note that the early consent payment will not be paid to holders who tender their Domtar Inc. notes after the applicable early consent date. Please also note that the exchange offers will expire at the expiration date, unless extended or earlier terminated.

To participate in the exchange offers and the consent solicitations, holders of Domtar Inc. notes must comply with the procedures described in the Prospectus. See the section of the Prospectus entitled “The exchange offers—Procedures for tendering and delivering consents.”

If you have questions about the exchange offers, the consent solicitations or the procedures related thereto, you should call the Dealer Managers or the Information Agent at one of their telephone numbers listed on the following page. If you would like additional copies of the Prospectus and the Letter of Transmittal, you should call the Information Agent at its telephone number set forth on the following page.

Very truly yours,

Domtar Corporation

 

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NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN OR IN THE ENCLOSED DOCUMENTS CONSTITUTES YOU AS THE AGENT OF DOMTAR CORP., DOMTAR INC., THE DEALER MANAGERS, THE EXCHANGE AGENT OR THE INFORMATION AGENT OR AUTHORIZES YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON TO USE ANY DOCUMENT OR MAKE ANY STATEMENTS ON BEHALF OF ANY OF THEM IN CONNECTION WITH THE EXCHANGE OFFERS AND CONSENT SOLICITATIONS OTHER THAN THE DOCUMENTS ENCLOSED HEREWITH AND THE STATEMENTS.

The Exchange Agent and Information Agent for the Exchange Offers and

Consent Solicitations is:

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

65 Broadway, Suite 723

New York, NY 10006

Attention: Corporate Actions

Banks and Brokers call: (212) 430-3774

All others call toll free: (866) 430-3700

The Lead Dealer Manager for the Exchange Offers and Lead Solicitation Agent for the

Consent Solicitations is:

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

270 Park Avenue, 8 th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Attention: Liability Management Group

Collect: (212) 834-4077

Toll free : (866) 834-4666

The Co-Dealer Managers for the Exchange Offers and Co-Solicitation Agent for the

Consent Solicitations is:

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

60 Wall Street

New York, NY 10005

Attention: Liability Management Group

Collect : (212) 250-2955

Toll free : (866) 627-0391

 

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Exhibit 99.4

YOU ARE URGED TO READ THE ACCOMPANYING NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETINGS OF DOMTAR INC. DEBENTUREHOLDERS AND INFORMATION CIRCULAR, INCLUDING THE SCHEDULES ATTACHED THERETO, BEFORE COMPLETING THIS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

LOGO

Domtar Inc.

Letter of transmittal for

registered holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian debentures

 

Description of Domtar Inc. Debt Securities

 

CUSIP No.

10% Debentures due 2011

  257561AK6

10.85% Debentures due 2017

  257561AL4

Holders (collectively, the “Debentureholders”) of (i) the 10% debentures due 2011 of Domtar Inc. (the “10% Debentures”) and (ii) the 10.85% debentures due 2017 of Domtar Inc. (the “10.85% Debentures” and together with the 10% Debentures, the “Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures”) whose debentures are registered in the name of a broker, investment dealer, bank, trust company or other nominee should contact that nominee for instructions and assistance in delivering those Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures as contemplated by this Letter of Transmittal. Debentureholders who hold their Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures in bearer form are advised to contact the Computershare Trust Company of Canada (telephone: 1-800-245-4053) (the “Trustee”) for instructions regarding how to complete this Letter of Transmittal.

This Letter of Transmittal is for use by registered holders of 10% Debentures and 10.85% Debentures in connection with the proposed amendments to the indentures pursuant to which each such series of debentures was issued (together, the “Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures”) to provide Domtar Corporation with the right to acquire, at any time, all outstanding 10% Debentures and 10.85% Debentures in consideration for the issuance of an equal principal amount of Domtar Corporation’s newly issued Canadian dollar denominated debt securities (collectively, the “Domtar Corp. C$ Notes”) (except as described in the Circular (defined below) with respect to Coupon Securities), bearing interest at the same rate and maturing on the same date as the 10% Debentures and 10.85% Debentures which are acquired, respectively (the “Amendments”), which Amendments are being submitted for approval at the meetings of holders of 10% Debentures and holders of 10.85% Debentures to be held on November 14, 2007 (collectively, the “Debentureholders’ Meetings”). Debentureholders are referred to the Notice of Meetings of Debentureholders and Information Circular dated October 17, 2007 (the “Circular”) that accompanies this Letter of Transmittal. Debentureholders are advised that in the event Domtar Corporation exercises its rights to acquire Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, upon delivery of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes to or for the benefit of Debentureholders, such Debentureholders shall be paid an amount in cash by Domtar Inc. representing accrued and unpaid interest relating to the relevant series of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures up to (but not including) the date of acquisition (the “Accrued Interest”) (except as described in the Circular with respect to Coupon Securities). Terms used but not defined in this Letter of Transmittal that are defined in the Circular have the respective meanings set out in the Circular.

This Letter of Transmittal, properly completed and duly executed, together with all other required documents, should be delivered in person or by courier or sent by registered mail to Computershare Investor Services Inc. at one of the addresses set forth on the back page of this Letter of Transmittal before 5:00 p.m. (Montréal time) on October 30, 2007 or, if either of the Debentureholders’ Meetings is adjourned or postponed, before 5:00 p.m. (Montréal time) on the business day before the date the adjourned or postponed applicable Debentureholders’ Meeting is to be reconvened. In order to receive certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes, Debentureholders are required to complete and deliver this Letter of Transmittal, together with their certificates representing the 10% Debentures and/or the 10.85% Debentures, and any coupons relating thereto, as the case may be, in accordance with the instructions contained herein. If Domtar Corporation exercises its right to acquire all 10% Debentures and/or all 10.85% Debentures, as the case may be, until such time as a duly completed Letter of Transmittal, together with certificates representing the 10% Debentures and/or the 10.85% Debentures, as the case may be, are delivered as contemplated herein, the Trustee shall hold, for the benefit of the Debentureholders, certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes. Delivery of this Letter of Transmittal other than as set forth above will not constitute valid delivery.


TO:

AND TO:

  

DOMTAR INC.

DOMTAR CORPORATION

AND TO:   

COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY OF CANADA, as trustee

AND TO:   

COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES INC., at its addresses set out at the back of this

Letter of Transmittal

Description of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures transmitted

In accordance with the terms and conditions described in the Circular, the undersigned hereby deposits with you, for exchange upon the exercise by Domtar Corporation of its right to acquire Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, the enclosed certificate(s) for Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures (including any coupons relating thereto), details of which are as follows:

 

Name(s) and Address of
Registered Holder(s)
  Certificate Number(s)   Principal Amount of 10%
Debentures deposited with
this Letter of Transmittal
   Principal Amount of 10.85%
Debentures deposited with
this Letter of Transmittal
              
              
              

Note: If space is insufficient, please attach a separate schedule to this Letter of Transmittal as outlined in Instruction 6(a).

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Letter of Transmittal, holders of Coupon Securities (as defined in the applicable Domtar Inc. Canadian Indenture) are advised that if any Coupon Security acquired by Domtar Corporation shall not be accompanied by all appurtenant coupons maturing after the Exchange Date in accordance with the terms of the applicable Supplemental Indenture, the principal amount of Domtar Corp. C$ Notes to be delivered to the Trustee for and on behalf of the holder of such Coupon Security shall be reduced by an amount equal to the present value of all such missing coupons discounted at a rate of 5% per annum from the date on which interest is payable with respect to each such missing coupon to (but excluding) the Exchange Date, provided, however, that the surrender of such missing coupon or coupons may be waived by Domtar Inc. and the Trustee if there shall be furnished to them such security or indemnity as they may require. If any such missing coupon in respect of which such deduction shall have been made shall be surrendered to the paying agent under the applicable Domtar Inc. Canadian Indenture, the holder of such missing coupon shall be entitled to receive from Domtar Inc. an amount in cash representing the present value of such missing coupon, discounted at a rate of 5% per annum from the date on which interest is payable with respect to such missing coupon to the date such coupon is surrendered. A holder of a Coupon Security shall be entitled to Accrued Interest only if such holder has surrendered the coupon(s) appurtenant to such Coupon Security relating to the period for which Accrued Interest is due.

Debentureholders are advised that in the event one or both of the Debentureholders’ Resolutions described in the Circular are duly adopted and the conditions relating to the US$ Notes Exchange Offers (defined in the Circular under the caption “Exchange Offers for US$ Denominated Notes”) are satisfied or waived, Domtar Corporation intends to exercise its right to acquire the 10% Debentures (in the event the Debentureholders’ Resolution relating to the April 1987 Indenture is adopted) and the 10.85% Debentures (in the event the Debentureholders’ Resolution relating to the August 1987 Indenture is adopted) concurrently with the consummation of the US$ Notes Exchange Offers. Debentureholders are advised that in the event

 

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one or both of the Debentureholders’ Resolutions are duly adopted but the conditions relating to the US$ Notes Exchange Offers are not satisfied or waived by Domtar Corporation, Domtar Corporation reserves the right to not acquire any Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures. In such event, any certificates representing Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures that have been deposited will be returned to Debentureholders.

The undersigned acknowledges that following the adoption of the Amendments, in the event Domtar Corporation exercises its right to acquire Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, Domtar Corporation or its agent will send to the undersigned or hold for pick up, in accordance with the instructions given below, certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes to which the undersigned is entitled. Certificates for the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be issued in the name of the registered holder of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures unless otherwise requested below. Ownership of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, including any coupons or other right related thereto, shall be transferred to Domtar Corporation, in accordance with the terms of the Amendments, on the Exchange Date. Following the exercise by Domtar Corporation of its rights to acquire Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures in accordance with the terms of the Supplemental Indentures, all Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures called for exchange by Domtar Corporation will be owned by Domtar Corporation and former holders of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures will no longer have any rights whatsoever under the Domtar Inc. Canadian Indentures or the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures in respect of such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures or any coupons relating thereto except to receive the consideration in accordance with the terms of the Amendments.

The undersigned Debentureholder covenants, represents and warrants that (i) the undersigned is the owner of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures described above, (ii) such debentures are or will be owned by the undersigned free and clear of all hypothecs, mortgages, liens, charges, encumbrances, security interests and adverse claims, (iii) the undersigned has full power and authority to execute and deliver this Letter of Transmittal, and (iv) all information inserted into this Letter of Transmittal by the undersigned is accurate.

The covenants, representations and warranties of the undersigned herein contained survive the completion of the adoption of the Amendments and the exercise by Domtar Corporation of its right to acquire the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures.

The undersigned irrevocably constitutes and appoints each officer of Domtar Inc. and Domtar Corporation and any other person designated by Domtar Corporation in writing, as the true and lawful agent, attorney and attorney-in-fact of the undersigned with respect to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures acquired by Domtar Corporation, if any, with full power of substitution and resubstitution (such power of attorney, being coupled with an interest, being irrevocable) to, in the name of and on behalf of the undersigned: (a) register or record the transfer of such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures on the appropriate registers maintained by or on behalf of Domtar Inc.; (b) vote, execute and deliver as and when requested by Domtar Corporation, any instruments of proxy, authorization, resolutions or consent in form and on terms satisfactory to Domtar Corporation in respect of any such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, revoke any such instrument, authorization, resolutions or consent, or designate in any such instrument, authorization or consent, any person or persons as the proxyholder or the proxy nominee or nominees of the undersigned in respect of such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures for all purposes including, without limitation, in connection with any meeting (or any adjournment or postponement thereof) of Debentureholders; (c) exercise any rights of the undersigned with

 

3


respect to such Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures; and (d) execute all such further and other documents, transfers or other assurances as may be necessary or desirable in the judgment of Domtar Inc. and Domtar Corporation to effectively convey Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures to Domtar Corporation.

The undersigned revokes any and all authority, other than as granted in this Letter of Transmittal or a proxy granted for use at the applicable Debentureholders’ Meeting, whether as agent, attorney-in-fact, attorney, proxy or otherwise, previously conferred or agreed to be conferred by the undersigned at any time with respect to the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures being deposited. Unless the acquisition of the applicable series of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures by Domtar Corporation does not proceed, no subsequent authority, whether as agent, attorney-in-fact, attorney, proxy or otherwise, except a proxy granted for use at the applicable Debentureholders’ Meeting, will be granted with respect to the deposited Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures. Each authority conferred or agreed to be conferred by the undersigned in this Letter of Transmittal survives the death or incapacity of the undersigned and any obligation of the undersigned hereunder is binding upon the heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the undersigned.

The undersigned instructs Domtar Corporation and Computershare Investor Services Inc. to mail certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes promptly after the exercise by Domtar Corporation of its right to acquire Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, by first class insured mail, postage prepaid, to the undersigned, or to hold such certificates for pick-up promptly after the date of such exercise according to the instructions given below.

If Domtar Corporation does not exercise its right to acquire the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, the deposited Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures and all other ancillary documents will be returned to the undersigned by first class insured mail, postage prepaid, at the address of the undersigned shown on the register of Debentureholders or, if Box C below has been completed, will be held for pickup by the undersigned. The undersigned recognizes that Domtar Inc. has no obligation pursuant to the instructions given below to transfer any Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures from the name of the registered holder thereof if Domtar Corporation does not exercise its right to acquire the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures following the adoption of the Amendments.

By execution of this Letter of Transmittal , the undersigned is deemed to have required that any contract resulting from the adoption of the Amendment as accepted through this Letter of Transmittal, as well as all documents related thereto, be drawn exclusively in the English language. En utilisant cette lettre d’envoi, le soussigné est réputé avoir exigé que tout contrat attesté par la modification, tel qu’il est accepté au moyen de cette lettre d’envoi et formulaire de choix, de même que tous les documents qui s’y rapportent, soient rédigés exclusivement en anglais.

 

4


Please read carefully the attached instructions

 

   

A.     Registration and Payment Instructions

 

Issue and send certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes in the name as indicated below, and enter the address indicated below in the debenture register.

 

Name (please print)

 

Street Address

 

City, Province or State, Postal or Zip Code

 

Country

 

Telephone - Business Hours

 

Social Insurance or Social Security Number

    

B.     Special Delivery Instructions

 

To be completed ONLY if certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$Notes are to be sent to someone other than the registered holder shown in Box A or to an address other than the address of the registered holder shown in Box A.

 

Mail to the name and address below:

 

Name (please print)

 

Street Address

 

City, Province or State, Postal or Zip Code

 

Country

 

Telephone – Business Hours

    
   

C.     Special Pick-up Instructions

 

Hold certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes for pick up against counter receipt at the offices of the depositary where this letter of acceptance and transmittal is deposited.

      
      
   

D.     U.S. Residents/Citizens

 

U.S. residents/citizens must provide their Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number:

 

 

      
Dated:                                                                                          

Signature Guaranteed By:

(if required under Instruction 3)

 

Signature of holder or authorized representative

 

     

Authorized signature

 

Signature of any joint holder

 

     

Name of Guarantor (please print)

 

Name of Debentureholder (please print)

 

     
Name of authorized representative (please print)      

 

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INSTRUCTIONS:

 

1.   Use of Letter of Transmittal

 

  (a)   This Letter of Transmittal (or a manually signed facsimile thereof) and any other required documents should be returned to Computershare Investor Services Inc. at one of the addresses specified on the back page of this Letter of Transmittal in order for Debentureholders to receive certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes.

 

  (b)   The method used to deliver this Letter of Transmittal, the accompanying certificate(s) representing Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures and all other required documents is at the option and risk of the Debentureholders, and delivery will be deemed to be effective only when such documents are actually received. Domtar Inc. recommends that the necessary documentation be hand delivered to Computershare Investor Services Inc. at one of the addresses specified on the back page of this Letter of Transmittal and a receipt obtained; otherwise, the use of registered, insured mail, with return receipt requested, is recommended.

 

2.   Signatures

 

  (a)   This Letter of Transmittal must be filled in, dated and signed by the Debentureholder or by such holder’s duly authorized representative in accordance with Instruction 4.

 

  (b)   If this Letter of Transmittal is signed by the registered owner(s) of the accompanying certificate(s), such signature(s) on this Letter of Transmittal must correspond with the name(s) as registered or as written on the face of such certificate(s) without any change whatsoever, and the certificate(s) need not be endorsed for transfer. If such transmitted certificate(s) is owned of record by two or more joint owners, all such owners must sign this Letter of Transmittal.

 

  (c)   If this Letter of Transmittal is signed by a person other than the registered owner(s) of the accompanying certificate(s), or if certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are to be issued to a person other than the registered owner(s):

 

  (i)   such deposited certificate(s) must be endorsed for transfer or be accompanied by appropriate transfer power(s) of attorney properly completed by the registered owner(s); and

 

  (ii)   the signature(s) on such endorsement or power(s) of attorney must correspond exactly to the name(s) of the registered owner(s) as registered or as appearing on the certificate(s) and must be guaranteed as noted in Instruction 3.

 

3.   Guarantee of Signature

 

  (a)  

If this Letter of Transmittal is signed by a person other than the registered owner(s) of the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, or if Domtar Corporation does not exercise its right to acquire the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures, and the Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures are to be returned to a person other than such registered owner(s) or sent to an address other than the address of the registered owner(s) as shown on the register of Debentureholders or if certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are to be issued to a person other than the registered owner(s), such signature must be

 

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guaranteed by an Eligible Institution (except that no guarantee is required if the signature is that of an Eligible Institution).

 

  (b)   An “Eligible Institution” means a Canadian Schedule 1 chartered bank, a member of the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), a member of the Stock Exchange Medallion Program (SEMP) or a member of the New York Stock Exchange Inc. Medallion Signature Program (MSP). Members of these programs are usually members of a recognized stock exchange in Canada and/or the United States, members of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada, members of the National Association of Securities Dealers or banks and trust companies in the United States.

 

4.   Fiduciaries, Representatives and Authorizations

Where this Letter of Transmittal is executed by a person as an executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, or on behalf of a corporation, partnership or association or is executed by any other person acting in a representative capacity, this Letter of Transmittal must be accompanied by satisfactory evidence of authority to act. Any of Domtar Inc., Domtar Corporation or Computershare Investor Services Inc. may, in their discretion, require additional evidence of authority or additional documentation.

 

5.   Delivery Instructions

The Box entitled “B—Special Delivery Instructions” should be completed only if the address to which certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes is to be mailed is different from that provided in Box A. If neither Box B nor Box C is completed, certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be mailed to the depositing Debentureholder at the address indicated in Box A in this Letter of Transmittal. If Box C is not completed and no address is provided in this Letter of Transmittal, then certificates representing the Domtar Corp. C$ Notes will be mailed to the address of the Debentureholder as it appears on the register of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures.

 

6.   Miscellaneous

 

  (a)   If the space provided above in “Description of Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures transmitted” is insufficient, the requested information should be set out in a separate list and attached to this Letter of Transmittal.

 

  (b)   If Domtar Corp. C$ Notes are to be issued in different forms (e.g., “John Doe” and “J. Doe”), a separate Letter of Transmittal should be completed and signed for each different registration.

 

  (c)   No alternative, conditional or contingent deposits will be accepted.

 

  (d)   Additional copies of this Letter of Transmittal may be obtained from Computershare Investor Services Inc. at one of the addresses specified on the back page of this Letter of Transmittal.

 

  (e)   Domtar Inc. and Domtar Corporation reserve the right, if they so elect collectively, in their absolute discretion, to instruct Computershare Investor Services Inc. to waive any defect or irregularity contained in any Letter of Transmittal received by them.

 

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  (f)   It is strongly recommended that, prior to completing this Letter of Transmittal, the undersigned read the accompanying Circular.

 

7.   Lost Certificates

If a certificate representing Domtar Inc. Canadian Debentures has been lost or destroyed, this Letter of Transmittal should be completed as fully as possible and forwarded, together with a letter describing the loss, to Computershare Investor Services Inc. Computershare Investor Services Inc. will respond to the Debentureholder with the replacement requirements which must be completed and submitted in good order to Computershare Investor Services Inc.

 

8.   Governing Law

This Letter of Transmittal and any agreement resulting therefrom shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Province of Quebec and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.

 

9.   Assistance

Georgeson, Scotia Capital Markets Inc. and Computershare Investor Services Inc. (see back cover for addresses and telephone numbers) or your broker or other financial advisor will be able to assist you in completing this Letter of Transmittal.

 

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Please direct all inquiries to:

The information agent at:

LOGO

100 University Avenue

11th Floor, South Tower

Toronto, Ontario

M5J 2Y1

North American Toll Free Number: 1-888-605-8384

The Dealer Manager at:

LOGO

SCOTIA CAPITAL INC.

40 King Street West

Toronto, Ontario

M5W 2X6

Phone: (416) 863-7257

Attention: Larry Small, Director, Head of Syndication

The depositary at:

COMPUTERSHARE INVESTOR SERVICES INC.

Toll Free Telephone: 1-866-245-4053

Toronto

By Registered Mail, by Hand or by Courier

100 University Avenue

9 th Floor

Toronto, Ontario M5J 2Y1

Attn: Corporate Actions

Montreal

By Hand or by Courier

650 De Maisonneuve Blvd W

Suite 700

Montreal QC H3A 3S8

Attn: Corporate Actions