Author: Steve Rhone, 2023 MBOT Chair, Present & CEO, Weston Forest

Well, we have survived another winter, and are looking forward to brighter days ahead. I would be remiss to not make a few comments about the passing of a true City Builder, Hazel McCallion. Her energy and enthusiasm for the potential and promise of Mississauga was truly a driving force. I was equally impressed every time I had the good fortune to interact with her. Just a few months ago, she remained as vibrant as the first time I met her a few decades ago. Full of life and always aware of the issues of the day, she was an inspiring leader and someone who will not be forgotten for all the work she did in building the great City of Mississauga.

As we look forward, I reflect on the continuous need to innovate and improve our processes, with the impact on the environment at the forefront of policies and decision making. Businesses need to be leaders and innovators in striving for change, locally and across the country. Sustainability is not just the word of the day, but a shift in practices that benefit the environment, future generations, and the bottom line.

These discussions can bring about new ideas in the workplace, such as the introduction of electric vehicle charging stations for employees and customers, or the expansion of new technologies to reduce waste.

Being in the forestry sector myself, our environmental impact is a key factor in our decision making process and our practices are well positioned to assist in achieving sustainability goals.  Canada has some of the best managed forests in the entire world that follow extremely strict sustainability targets. We ensure that all of the fibre harvested is utilized when turning logs into lumber, with residual fibres creating energy, paper, engineered wood products, and animal bedding.

I encourage us all to review our business impact, and evaluate opportunities for positive change for the environment. Incremental improvements to our policies and practices, while remaining conscious of the need to deliver our products and services to market, can still bring great change as role models in your respective industries. By being open to new ideas and committing to positive change, we can help drive long term sustainable practices across all business sectors.

Like Hazel was able to do, lets focus on making a positive impact on both our local and global communities, and share the responsibility we have in making Mississauga a better city.