After all these years, I still thoroughly enjoy reading your column, and indeed turn to it first.

I personally don’t think that the bigger forest companies need to be honoured for what they are achieving regarding forest stewardship. In most cases, they just play by the legislated rules.

Responsible forestry is not the function of public forest harvesting licensees any more than long-run vehicle maintenance is the responsibility of someone renting a new car at the airport for a week’s business visit to Vancouver.

I am a former graduate (1983) of the Cambrian College geology, mining, and metallurgy program and have worked in the mining industry for over 40 years.

I am writing this letter today to express my heartfelt feelings concerning the troubling facts of being a youth in Northern Ontario.

On behalf of Ontario Northland, I would like to thank Northern Ontario Business for their November 2004 feature on some of our company’s recent successes.

There has been a lot of discussion recently about a pending wood supply shortage and the impact that may have on jobs in northern Ontario communities.

(The following letter to Frank Dottori, president of Tembec, was dated Jan. 12, 2004)

The smart growth panels being set up across Ontario have the potential to become significant forces in creating more livable cities and actually defying gravity if gravity is the way we do things now.