Shareholders approve new name for BC paper producer


VANCOUVER, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NorskeCanada changed its name to Catalyst Paper Corporation following a shareholder meeting today. Shareholders voted 99% in favour of the change.

The company will begin using the new name immediately and on October 6, it will trade under a new ticker symbol - CTL - on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

"We are an independent company and it's time we had a name that is uniquely our own," said president and chief executive officer Russell J. Horner. "Catalyst is a good description of the way we operate and is a recognized trademark as the product brand we used to successfully market our directory papers around the world."

The company gave notice of the proposal to change its name change in late July following a decision in June to dissolve a joint venture North American specialty marketing arrangement between NorskeCanada and Norske Skog ASA effective October 1.

Catalyst Paper will leverage regional energy, fibre and freight advantages as it continues to focus on production of paper grades favoured by publishing, printing, packaging and retail advertising markets. Specialty paper grades accounted for 50 per cent of the company's production capacity and 55 per cent of the company's total revenues in 2004.

Catalyst is a leading producer of mechanical printing papers in North America. The company also produces market kraft pulp. With five mills employing 3,800 people at sites within 160 kilometres of each other on the south coast of British Columbia, Catalyst has a combined annual capacity of 2.5 million tonnes of product. As part of the name change, the company's website can now be found at www.catalystpaper.com. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, B.C.

For more information:

Media: Lyn Brown                     Investors: Ralph Leverton
Vice-President, Corporate Affairs Vice-President, Finance and CFO
(604) 654-4212 (604) 654-4040


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