[Protecting Ontario's Far North]
[June 2009]
[Monte Hummel]
[President Emeritus, World Wildlife Fund]
I've been doing this stuff for forty years and I haven't had a prouder day than today. This is a huge area we're talking about, two hundred and twenty five thousand square kilometres is the largest area ever committed for protection in Canadian history.
[Donna Cansfield]
[Minister of Natural Resources]
I'm proud to announce that the McGuinty government will today, introduce legislation that will permanently protect at least half of the land mass of the far north in a network of conservation areas. It will also set the stage for carefully managed sustainable development of far north's abundant natural resources.
[Frank McKay]
[Council Chair, Windigo First Nations]
The land is very critical to our survival at this time. At the same time, we know we have to pursue modern economic development initiatives. And that has to happen in an orderly fashion, the land is important for all of us.
[Chris Hodgson]
[President, Ontario Mining Association]
The companies that I represent are the operating mining companies. They only go to jurisdictions where they're wanted. This act if, you know is setting the table for what could be a positive thing for the industry.
[Dr.David Pearson]
[Chair, Science Advisory Panel]
From the point of view of climate change. The planet needs us to walk the talk, and the far north has the second largest wet land area on the planet after Russia. Its square kilometre for square kilometre, a much more important store of carbon than in the Amazon rainforest for example…
[Monte Hummel]
[President Emeritus, World Wildlife Fund]
Ontario's out and front. This is big new for not just Ontario, but for Canada. You get a feeling in your gut for what the really big moments are, and this is one of them.
[Ontario.ca/farnorth]