north-eastern Ontario, but to be practically absent from 

 northwestern and southern Ontario. Further studies will be 

 conducted to determine the potential impact of the disease 

 on the reforestation program. 

 CONTROL 



For the past few years, the forest insect causing greatest 

 economic damage has been the white pine weevil. Control 

 methods during 1%6 involved spraying with knapsack 

 sprayers, using helicopters and hand clipping and burning 

 infested leading shoots. A total of 2.800 acres of young 

 white pine were treated. 



Slightly over 4,200 acres of plantations were sprayed from 

 the ground and air with chemicals for control oif sawflies — 

 principally the red-headed pine sawfly and the European 

 pine sawfly. An insecticidal virus was also sprayed to control 

 the European pine sawfly. In an effort to avoid hazardous 

 side-effects of DDT in rural areas, especially among fish, the 

 Department initiated and co-ordinated a project with private 

 tree farmers using the insecticide phosphamidon, applied 

 by helicopter. Results were satisfactory and the method is 

 expected to become standard practice. 

 About 650 acres of sod-covered sites were treated for control 

 of white grubs, as well as small acreages of similar sites for 

 control of mice, where these pests threaten the survival 

 of newly planted trees. 



The major tree-killing disease in the forests of Ontario is 

 the blister rust of white pine. A substantial disease-control 

 program, which is part of the broader intensive management 

 of white pine, has been in progress for many years. The 

 disease is controlled by using the herbicide 2.4,5-T to kill 

 the obligate host plants, wild currants and gooseberries, in 

 the immediate vicinity of the pines. In 1966, more than 3,300 

 acres of high-value young pine stands were protected 

 against the blister rust in parts of the Sault Ste. Marie, 

 North Bay, Tweed, Kemptville and Lake Huron Districts. 

 The relatively new disease of plantations in southern Ontario 

 — fomes root rot — is now prevented through the applica- 

 tion of a chemical to the freshly cut surface of stumps 



during thinning operations. About 500 acres of thinnings 

 were treated in 1966. 



In an effort to provide additional skilled labour for removal 

 of diseased elm trees, the Department initiated and co- 

 ordinated an interdepartmental project to train Indian young 

 men for this work, 55 of whom completed the course. Any 

 further training projects will be initiated only after a com- 

 plete evaluation of the results achieved. 



Communications 



A small increase (eight per cent) was recorded in radio- 

 grams sent and received over the radio system in 1966, with 

 117,845 messages totalling 5,470,564 words being sent. Seven 

 more VHF radio installations were added to the system 

 located at Nipigon, Copper Lake, Kingston, Alexandria and 

 Lanark and bringing the total to 177 points served. 

 Major equipment acquisitions included 30 VHF mobile 

 radiotelephone installations and 50 VHF Walkie-Talkies. A 

 start was also made on a program to install VOR electronic 

 navigation equipment in each aircraft of the Department's 

 fleet of 41 machines. In addition, complete electronic com- 

 munication and navigation installations were effected in 

 nine new Turbo-Beaver aircraft. 



The 1966 inventory of 2,605 pieces of two-way radio com- 

 munications equipment comprised: 

 352 Lookout Tower VHF radiotelephones. 

 579 Mobile VHF radiotelephones. 

 15 Patrol vessel radiotelephones. 

 1,218 Portable radio telephones of all types and power 

 outputs, both HF and VHF. 

 320 Fixed location ground station radiotelephones of ail 

 types and powers, both HF and VHF. 

 41 Aircraft Radio Installations (4 systems in each 



aircraft). 

 60 Portable VHF aircraft radiotelephones for installation' 



in other than Government aircraft. 

 20 Aircraft Ground Hailers. 



Table 1 



NUMBER OF FOREST FIRES AND AREA BURNED BY DISTRICTS 



1962 1963 



District 



Sioux Lookout 



Kenora 



Fort Frances 



Port Arthur 



Geraldton 



Kapuskasing 



Cochrane 



Swastika 



Chapleau 



Gogama 



Sault Ste. Marie 



Sudbury 



White River 



North Bay 



Parry Sound 



Pembroke 



Tweed 



Kemptville 



Lindsay 



Lake Huron 



Lake Simcoe 



Fires 



59 



50 



10 



46 



31 



30 



26 



41 



23 



44 



80 



332 



22 



141 



258 



128 



106 



57 

 10 

 27 



Acres 



1,300 



260 



3 



106 



529 



1,566 



1,230 



790 



26 



224 



384 



4,459 

 78 



1,241 

 349 

 460 

 560 



200 

 14 

 25 



Totals: 1,521 13,804 



