The Living Legacy Trust was an “arms-length”, $30 million trust fund that was announced by the Premier of Ontario on March 29, 1999 along with other components of Ontario’s Living Legacy’s Land Use Planning Strategy. The Trust provided opportunities to strengthen Ontario’s capacity to improve the management of natural resources through the formation of strong partnerships among resource-based industries, other resource users, environmentalists, communities, and the provincial government. The Trust had a five-year “sunset date”, with funding available in nine Funding Programs until March 31, 2004.

Upon its expiration, the remaining residual funds were awarded to Lakehead University to fund the Living Legacy Research Project, Living Legacy Graduate Scholarship and Living Legacy Trust Document Repository. Over $1 million in funds were available through these three programs, with $705,000 available through the Research Program.

Research projects were limited to four theme areas:

1. Improved information for sustainable resource management;
2. Forest productivity, succession and growth and yield;
3. Wood quality and value-added; and,
4. Sustainable Forest Management in areas north of the undertaking.

The Living Legacy Research Program is now continuing the Living Legacy Trust’s mandate to expand Ontario’s capacity to improve the management of natural resources and foster the formation of strong, innovative research partnerships.

The Program is administered by the Office of the Vice-President Research and the Faculty of Natural Resources Management at Lakehead University (Office of Research). To ensure that the Program will continue to invest in research of relevance to the Trust’s mandate and guidelines, a Living Legacy Research Program Advisory Committee has been established.

The Advisory Committee is comprised of the following representatives:

• The Vice-President of Research, (Committee Chair);
• The Dean of the Faculty of Natural Resources Management;
• The Dean of the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies;
• Two representatives from the forest industry (one from the Northwest and Northeast);
• Two representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources (one from the Northwest and Northeast);
• Two representatives or Elders from First Nations (one from the Northwest and Northeast);
• One representative from an environmental NGO;
• One representative from the remote tourism industry; and,
• One representative from the hunting and fishing community.

The Advisory Committee is the primary executive authority of the Program and will provide the overall strategic direction. Advisory Committee members serve for a renewable two or three-year period, which will be staggered, so that the committee is never comprised entirely of new members. The Advisory Committee will convene at least once a year within the first five years of the Program to:

• Review project proposals, (only in the first year);
• Receive updates concerning the knowledge transfer progress of research projects; and,
• Review progress and monitoring reports from successful applicants and scholarship recipients.

The Advisory Committee is comprised of the following representatives:

1. Dr. Rui Wang

   Vice-President of Research - Lakehead University (Committee Chair)

2. Dr. Reino Pulkki

   Professor - Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University

3. Vacant

   Dean - Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies, Lakehead University

4. Faye Johnson

   Director – Forestry, Grant Forest Products Inc. (Northeast Industry representative)

5. Rick Groves

   Bowater (Northwest Industry representative)

6. Eric Doidge

   Regional Director – Northeast Region (Northeast MNR Representative)

7. Allan Willcocks

   Regional Director – Northwest Region (Northwest MNR Representative)

8. Jennifer Simard

   Executive Director – Mushkegowuk Environmental Services Centre (Northeast First Nations representative)

9. Terry Wilson

   Foresty Coordinator – Nishnawbe Aski Nation (Northwest First Nations Representative)

10. Jim Faught

    President – Greenspace Consulting Associates (environmental NGO representative)

11. Todd Eastman

    Lands & Forest Issues Manager, Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association (remote tourism industry representative)

12. Robert Pineo

    Forestry and Wildlife Specialist – Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (hunting and fishing community representative)