Another Side of the Forest

Fire and flood, wasted resources and barren lands are the penalties of forest destruction, warns this film, as it describes basic measures to preserve Canada's prime source of national wealth. Scenes of the wilderness created by stripping land of protective trees show the need to halt careless exploitation. Contrasting the slow process of re-seeding with the swift, modern methods of felling trees, the film urges planned cutting to ensure a continuing protected yearly crop and waste salvage.

The Forest Watchers tells us some remarkable things about one of our great natural resources. For example, although nearly one half of Canada is forest, by the end of the century the supply might fall short of the demand. The film explains why, and describes what is being done to stem the disaster. Methods range from trekking through the forest on foot to the use of highly sophisticated technology. The data compiled are far from reassuring. Is there time to salvage this fast-dying resource?

This film dispels the myth that Canada has an inexhaustable supply of usable wood. It documents the use and misuse of forest resources in northern Ontario, and the efforts of government and industry to find better ways to grow a second forest. However, the problem is not just a northern one. The crisis threatens the forest industry, creator of one out of ten Canadian jobs.