Canada

The U.S. tax authorities have thrown a huge curve ball at Nortel creditors by submitting a $3-billion U.S. claim for back taxes, interest and other penalties, The Ottawa Citizen reported. If U.S. bankruptcy judge Kevin Gross accepts all or most of the claim as valid, "it will deplete whatever is available to other creditors," says Tony Marsh, the spokesman for Nortel retirees. "That's a pretty scary number." If Nortel completes the sale of its global assets as planned, it is expected to have little more than $5 billion (all figures U.S.) in cash to distribute.

Canadian companies facing bankruptcy are being given access to a new $1-billion lifeline from Ottawa and major financial firms to provide breathing space to restructure operations and return to solvency, Export Development Canada said yesterday. The EDC said it has agreed to become the top contributor to a new fund that would act as the bank of last resort to struggling companies who are unable to obtain credit through normal channels, The London Free Press reported on a Canadian Press story.

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion says Canadians want and expect the Canadian government to prevent the $1.1-billion sale of Nortel Network's coveted wireless assets to Ericsson of Sweden, The Associated Press reported. Canada-based RIM issued a statement Wednesday after the deadline passed for appeals to challenge a bankruptcy court ruling allowing the Nortel sale to the Swedish telecommunications firm. RIM says the transaction must be reviewed to ensure that Canada's national interests are met. RIM wants Canada's industry minister to help negotiate a deal between RIM and Nortel.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is showing little inclination to intervene in the sale of Nortel's prime assets to a foreign buyer, saying he is reluctant to erect protectionist barriers in Canada while preaching the benefits of freer trade in the Americas, The Globe and Mail reported. Mr. Harper rejected a call from Research In Motion Ltd. for the government to simply block the sale of Nortel Networks Corp.'s wireless assets to Ericsson for $1.13-billion, but left open the prospect of a review under the Investment Canada Act.

Canadian bankruptcies rose 51.6 percent in June compared to a year earlier as more consumers were unable to pay debts, but business bankruptcies rose only modestly despite the recession, a government report showed. The number of consumer bankruptcies in June rose 54.3 percent to 10,823 from June 2008, while business bankruptcies rose 10.8 percent to 515, the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada said in a report.

Fraser Papers Inc., a Toronto-based forestry company that's restructuring under bankruptcy protection from creditors, said its net loss for the second quarter narrowed by nearly half as the company booked a currency related one-time gain, The Canadian Press reported. Fraser said it lost US$8 million or 36 cents a share for the quarter ended June 30, down from US$15.6 million or 31 cents a share for the same 2008 period. During the second quarter, Fraser booked a net gain of $12.5 million from unwinding its foreign exchange hedging program.

The Nortel sale, which has emerged as a test of Canadian national economic strategy, will come under the spotlight tomorrow when MPs hold an emergency hearing on the auctioning of the bankrupt company's prized wireless equipment business, The Toronto Star reported. The scene is set for a day of tense, high-stakes exchanges as the Commons industry committee questions executives from Nortel Networks Corp. and Ericsson, the Swedish company that bid $1.13 billion (U.S.) for Nortel assets.

Bankrupt telecommunications giant Nortel Networks Inc. reportedly won approval from courts in Canada and the U.S. on Tuesday to sell off its enterprise solutions business for $475 million, Bankruptcy Law360 reported. Avaya and Nortel announced the agreement in July, but the courts had yet to approve the move for an auction. Under the deal Avaya would purchase Nortel's enterprise solutions business for $475 million as part of Avaya's effort to broaden its reach and strengthen its position in the telecommunications industry, the company said in a July statement.

Lossmaking Montreal diagnostics specialist Adaltis Inc. said Tuesday it has filed for bankruptcy in Canada to effect an orderly liquidation of assets, property and operations, The Montreal Gazette reported. The filing is voluntary and does not include its Chinese operation. The move also ends the July 3 court-granted protection from creditors, Adaltis said. The position of creditors and other stakeholders won't be known until the liquidation procees is completed, the company added. The directors have resigned and RSM Richter Inc. has been named trustee.

Air Canada has secured a $1-billion lifeline with help from the federal government, giving the carrier a crucial infusion of cash to help it survive the recession and avoid another trip through bankruptcy protection, The Globe and Mail reported. The centrepiece of the financial package is a $600-million loan from a syndicate of lenders.