The Abandoned Mines Project was created to study the historical impacts of abandoned mines on First Nations communities in northern Canada. Our goal is to highlight the social and environmental changes that large mining projects brought to northern communities and the ongoing impact of these mines after they were abandoned. We see abandoned mines as living historical landscapes, places where human activities from decades ago continue to have environmental impacts in the present day.
Our work will focus on five major case studies:
- Pine Point Mine, NWT
- Giant Mine, NWT
- Port Radium, NWT
- Keno Hill Silver Mine, YK
- Labrador/Quebec Iron Ore Belt
Our work is funded through the “Northern Communities” program of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSRHC).
The Website
This website will introduce you to the subject of abandoned mines. You can explore the site and find out more about us and our research through text, images, and video. There is also a page of links to project partners, mining reports, and other agencies working on the issue of northern mines.
Featured image: Abandoned mine in Yellowknife, 2010. Photo by TravelingOtter on Wikimedia Commons.

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