Ballantyne, Tom (1924-)

Tom Ballantyne, first president of the Saskatchewan Forestry Association, was born in Kapuskasing, Ontario, in 1924. After graduating from the University of New Brunswick with a BSc in forestry in 1950, he worked first for the Spruce Falls Pulp and Paper Company in Kapuskasing, then for Kimberly-Clark in Longlac, Ontario. In 1966 he moved to Prince Albert to be the first general logging superintendent for the newly formed Prince Albert Pulp Company (PAPCo). He became vice-president of woodlands for PAPCo in 1972, and remained there until his retirement in 1984. Throughout his career, Ballantyne emphasized the need for public Education about forestry, particularly in Saskatchewan, which, despite its reputation as a prairie province, is more than half forested. He was involved in the Prairie Provinces Forestry Association until its dissolution in 1972, followed by the formation of the Saskatchewan Forestry Association (SFA) in 1973. He was president of the SFA from 1973 until 1980. During this time he was also the Saskatchewan representative on the Canadian Forestry Association (CFA), serving as president in 1979-80. He was instrumental in the establishment of the CFA program Forestry Capital of Canada (FCC), and in the awarding of the first FCC designation to Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan, in 1975; since then, Prince Albert has been FCC in 1985, and Meadow Lake in 1995. In retirement, Ballantyne remained active in the SFA, serving continuously on its board of directors for more than thirty years. In 1991 he received the SFA Friend of the Trees Award for his continuing efforts in promoting forestry awareness and education in Saskatchewan. He was also active in the formation of the Farm Woodlot Association of Saskatchewan in the late 1980s, serving on its board of directors for several years. He was chair of the TREEmendous board of directors, and was involved with the Prince Albert Model Forest and the steering committee for Saskatchewan Forestry Expo.

Andrea Atkinson