Did not want to kill CANMET

Your editorial of Feb 9, “Where does CANMET go from here?” contains several innacuracies for which I would appreciate public correction.

Firstly, I have never been commissioned to do a study of CANMET for the Ministry of State for Science and Technology. I prepared a paper on CANMET for the 16th CRS policy discussion seminar, Technology policies in the Canadian mineral industry, which is, I believe, the source of your commentary.

Secondly, you imply that my criticism of CANMET suggested that CANMET should die. This position is far from the truth. As an advocate of a much stronger technical strategy for the Canadian mineral industries, I believe that we need CANMET but in a viable and useful form. In my paper I suggested that CANMET be placed under joint private/public sector management, and provided with adequate funding to permit it to play a stronger role in support of the non-fuels sector of the Canadian mineral industry.

At present CANMET is distanced from the private sector and I think that the present government cutbacks will lead to a deterioration on the quality of the support it provides to mining in Canada. My concern would be that key projects will be cut, but that human “deadwood” will stay.

There are many talented and skilled performers in CANMET. The tragedy of the organization is that many are not motivated and supported strongly enough to provide outstanding support to the mining industry in Canada. Peter Richardson School of Business Queen’s University Kingston, Ont.