Large-scale mining operations in northern Canada undoubtedly brought capital and jobs, but the costs of such development were high. Many former mine sites have left not only a toxic legacy of tailings ponds and waste rock dumps, but also a history of social and economic dislocation that continues to disproportionately impact northern First Nations communities. Our research will examine the historical impacts of mining in northern Canada. The project has four main goals:
- assess the economic consequences of mine closure for northern communities (capital flight, job losses, community collapse, disruption of traditional economies);
- assess the social impacts of industrial mining on northern communities, particularly in the areas of community health, cultural adaptation and the impact of mining on women;
- examine historical environmental impacts associated with industrial mining at a local and landscape scale, and analyse whether the historical siting of abandoned mines near indigenous communities can be interpreted within an environmental justice framework;
- investigate local understandings of the historical physical and ecological changes resulting from mining activity as a prelude to developing community-driven strategies for balancing ecological restoration with the preservation of industrial heritage landscapes.
To answer these questions, we will be conducting extensive archival research, oral history interviews, community workshops, and community-based mapping.
Featured image: Abandoned mining equipment, Beattie Mine, Duparquet, Québec, 2020. Photo by Tinss on Wikimedia Commons.
Latest posts by NiCHE Administrators (see all)
- Jobs – Historical Researcher & Historical Research Assistant – Union of BC Indian Chiefs - June 28, 2024
- Call for Papers – Environmental History Challenging the Mediterranean (16th to 21st Centuries) - June 27, 2024
- Podcast – Laborem Ex Machina: A History of Construction Machinery and Operating Engineers in Canada - June 20, 2024
- Best Book in Canadian Environmental History Prize: The 2024 Winner - June 19, 2024
- Canceled – Canadian Historical Association Environmental History Business Meeting - June 11, 2024
- Announcing the “NiCHE at 20” Merchandise Collection! - June 8, 2024
- ESEH-Gale Non-Residential Fellowships in Digital Environmental History - May 30, 2024
- Online Event – Publishing Water Histories - May 29, 2024
- Online Event – Narrating Ukrainian Rivers - May 23, 2024
- NiCHE at 20: Cultivating Community in Environmental History – The Recording - May 7, 2024