M. MacKinnon has retired recently after spending 30 years as an environmental scientist with Syncrude Canada Ltd. at their Edmonton Research Centre. His research focused on understanding the properties of and assessing potential reclamation options for process affected waters associated with oil sands development. Having completed his Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography at Dalhousie University in Halifax, N.S., the challenge of applying his skills to Syncrude’s oil sands operations in northeastern Alberta attracted him to this new resource development where many opportunities were provided to study the unique environmental issues facing the oil sands.