Mr. Speaker, I was sorry to hear about the untimely death of Franklin Pickard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Falconbridge Limited.
On behalf of the Minister of Natural Resources, the Hon. Anne McLellan and the Government of Canada, I wish to convey our sincere condolences to Mr. Pickard's family and to the employees of Falconbridge.
Mr. Pickard had been head of Falconbridge since 1991. He was well known and respected within Canada's mining industry and everywhere else. Born in Sudbury, Mr. Pickard started out at Falconbridge in 1957 as a metallurgical engineer. He performed various duties in the company, gradually climbing the corporate ladder. As a result of his excellent work, his leadership and his great qualities, he became the head of this flourishing company.
Mr. Pickard developed a sense of family among Falconbridge employees. He will be sorely missed by all those who had the pleasure to know this great member of Canada's mining industry.