Impact on Communities

The Canary Institute and MiningWatch Canada have been honoured to work with Myths and Mirrors Community Arts in Sudbury on a project for youth called “Conversations with the Earth”. Myths and Mirrors hosted the Ontario Mining Action Network meeting in November 2007 and participants were treated to a tour of the project and the community art installations they have carried out over the years. 

Joint news release with Northwatch: A major new report highlights serious impacts on the Canadian boreal forest from all phases of mining activity, from exploration to closure. Two respected mining industry watchdogs – Northwatch and MiningWatch Canada – say they published The Boreal Below (an all-new and expanded version of a widely circulated 2001 report) in response to growing demand from communities across Canada for information and analysis to help understand the impacts of mining on their lives and livelihoods. It provides a carefully-documented analysis of the social, environmental, and cultural impacts of mining from prospecting to mine closure, as well as an overview of the current situation by province and territory.

"State of Mine, An Investigation of Canada's Extractive Industries", a special edition of The Dominion Newspaper, was published in November 2008 and is now available online.

[News release] Ontario should amend the Mining Act to provide for consultation with First Nations when granting mining claims and leases and stop treating public lands as freely open to mineral exploration, according to Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner, Gordon Miller.

The Kemess North Mine Joint Review Panel has concluded that the mine "in its present form" would not be in the public interest. The Panel says that any economic and social benefits from the project are outweighed by its long-term risks to the environment and by its social and cultural impacts on Aboriginal people. It has recommended to federal and provincial environment Ministers that the project not be permitted.

Notes for Jamie Kneen's response to Pierre Gratton, Vice President for Sustainable Development and Public Affairs of the Mining Association of Canada in a debate entitled "Earth: What is Mining All About? The Up and Down Sides", presented as part of the Ottawa University Institute of Environment 2006-07 Lecture Series “Elemental Environmentalism: Water, Air, Fire and Earth”.

This study guide was developed by Philip Sittnick for the Laguna Middle School in Laguna, New Mexico. It's designed to help students in grade 7 understand the impacts of uranium mining based on the experience of their community and their families with the the Jackpile/Paguate uranium mine. It involves Science, Social Studies (New Mexico History), Language Arts, and Math, and provides background about related topics. It is presented here in the hope it will be useful to others.