Shortly after our February 12, 2026 Annual Meeting I was contacted by long-time member and supporter, Herb Bax, about a historic Lands and Forests document that has been in his library for a while and offered to contribute it to FHO. It is quite short (PDF link) and quite cryptic. It is titled Conventional Signs and Legends and dated 1934. I am speculating, but it appears to be a guide for L&F cartographers who were in the early days of map making to ensure they all used the same legends on their maps. Aerial photography in Ontario took root in the early 1920s or so and presumably maps in 1934 were much more accurate and somewhat easier to produce than relying on large scale field crews or aerial sketching (which likely had a variety of symbols and keys to identify land features natural and manmade). It is also interesting to note on the inside cover F. A. MacDougall is identified as the Deputy Minister (who is named after our forest history Fund) and Edmund Zavitz is named as Chief, Division of Reforestation. Further, this information is on a small 'label' stapled over the original printing of Minister and Deputy when the guide was originally published...presumably the Minister changed and this was a way of updating the document. The original titles under the label features W. Finlayson as Minister and Edmund Zavitz as Deputy Minister of Forestry. Finally, the front cover features 'Forestry Branch' under the Lands and Forests title (may be hard to see in the scanned copy), but efforts were made to redact that title. I understand that for some time Forestry Branch was a title used commonly but maybe there was a push on to get staff to call it Lands and Forests? Fascinating. Admittedly, this may be a bit eclectic for some...maybe many...but an interesting glimpse of history and early forestry map making that, I suspect, predated Forest Resource Inventory (FRI).
- Jim Farrell
This document provides a glimpse into the history of maple syrup production and the management of maple forests. It outlines key principles of sugar bush management, and includes historical production data from 1924–1988. Together, these materials reflect evolving approaches to forest stewardship and the enduring cultural and economic importance of maple syrup.
View the full document to explore this chapter of forest history.
For those that were able to join us for our virtual Annual Meeting on February 12th, you would have heard about the remarkably generous bequest Forest History Ontario received from Ken Armson's estate. As you recall, Ken was the founder and first President of the then called the Forest History Society of Ontario and passed away in late 2024. We were made aware of his gift in mid 2025 as his estate was being probated by his executors. Ken left $50,000 for FHO and a further $25, 000 to the Frank A. MacDougall Fund, also administered by FHO. While personally, I don't have a lot of experience with Legacy Giving, I have since done some homework on the practice and discovered that it is increasingly common and not just among the very wealthy whose names we have seen on hospitals, libraries and community centres. I recognize that many of us do not have substantial financial portfolios and quite legitimately feel that any accumulated wealth/assets be passed to family upon our passing. At the same time, if this is something that may be of interest to you please get in touch with me and I will be happy to discuss the possibility. I can promise that your privacy will be protected.
We were delighted to welcome Martin Streit to our AGM in February 2026, who provided a fascinating history of the Domtar Cornwall mill. Established in 1881 by the Toronto Paper Manufacturing Company (laterHoward Smith Co, and finally Domtar in the 1960s), the mill was a major player in the paper business. In 1960, the mill produced 100,000 tons/year of paper from two paper machines, which—at the time—were the largest in Canada. In1994, the Cornwall mill became the world’s first recycled corrugated cardboard facility. Domtar innovation was not restricted to the mill, with many investments and projects in advanced and intensive forest management in Eastern Ontario. Click here to view presentation slides.
Martin Streit Biography
Martin is a Registered Professional Forester who has worked for 40 years in Eastern Ontario and upstate New York. He retired from the Ontario
Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in 2019 and also worked with Domtar in Cornwall for 10 years. Martin is the Forestry Specialist for
Forests Canada and coordinates the delivery of the Ontario Tree Marking program.He has his own business and provides forestry services to an
Ottawa Valley sawmill, three community forests and private landowners.
