By Diana Scheddin
Building sustainable communities in Northern Ontario is this year’s theme for the Symposium on the Economy and Environment of the Blue Sky Region, being held from May 10th to 11th, 2002 at Canadore College in North Bay.
“There are a lot of people concerned about sustainability and are working very hard toward the sustainability of communities in Northern Ontario,” says Peter Brown, organizer of the event. “We thought that a time for everyone to come together to share their ideas and talk about things would probably be a good idea.”
The topic of safe drinking water, and economic and environmental challenges will be discussed. David McGuinty, president and CEO of the National Round Table on the Environment and Economy, Gord Miller, environmental commissioner of Ontario and Jim Lopez, Tembec’s executive vice-president, forest management, are among the roster of speakers lined up for the event. Topics of discussion will vary from depopulation of the North to the advantages and challenges brought forth by globalization. Other themes include: wise use of resources, First Nations’ initiatives, energy use, aquatic and terrestrial resources and youth perspectives.
