Property Rights Disputes

Regarding the editorial “How should we solve land disputes?” (CMJ April 2004), this is an unfortunate knee-jerk reaction by property owners who are just now wising up to the fact that most of them know little about what “property rights” really mean. So, don’t whine at me because of your ignorance. The Mining Act was written to stop unreasonable meddling by greedy and/or senile surface rights holders impeding the valuable, lawful process of mineral exploration. It’s amazing how fast a piece of crap bamboo woodlot can suddenly turn into a baby tree nursery, or a nesting ground for rare owls…

Raymond Hietapakka, retired prospector Thunder Bay, Ont.