I have made my living from…

I have made my living from the benefits of mining in Northern Ontario. That said, I am acutely aware of the progress that mining has made with respect to environmental stewardship.

However, the ecological value of the Wolf Lake and surrounding area is something that cannot be restored or reclaimed after mining exploration or exploitation. This is literally the largest contiguous stand of old-growth red pine on the planet. There are so very few opportunities for people to make such an impactful difference on the world as to decline this application. It is easy to approve a process that has brought so much wealth to the region, but sometimes tough calls need to be made.

As Canadians, we often look at other countries and judge how they have chosen economic progress over the environment. We do it when we watch Haiti clear cut its mountain sides, we do it when we watch the Brazilian government clear out large swaths of the Amazon. This is our example. We are not talking about a few trees, but the largest standing forest of its kind. This is a one-of-a-kind ecological gem.

The Wolf Lake forest deserves preservation. Please consider declining the application for exploration.