Coping with Closure: International Comparison of Mine Town Experiences

Over the last decade mine closure and wind-down have become increasingly common in a number of countries. As mining communities are often situated in remote areas, with most of the community dependent on the mine, these closures have far-reaching implications. This book addresses all aspects of closures with regard to the community and the problems facing the policy-maker. The authors aim to develop some understanding of the factors influencing miners and to examine the relative success of attempts to resolve the problems generated by closure. The book brings together case studies from Scandinavia, Australia and Canada. Each case study deals with one or more communities facing the closure or wind-down of mines upon which they depend. The particular case studies have been chosen with a view to exploring the different contexts and developing general guidelines for communities, companies and other policy-makers.

Table of Contents:
Section I: An Overview of Mine Closure Chapter 1. Mine Closure in Canada: Problems, Prospects and Policies Robert Keyes Chapter 2. Metal Mining and Mine Closure in Sweden, Finland and Norway Marten Johansson, Paavo Talman, Markku Tykkyl Dainen and Sveinung Eikeland Chapter 3. Mining Settlements in Australia Alaric Maude and Graeme Hugo Section II: The Actors: Strategic Choices Part One: The Undisputed Employees Chapter 4. Closure of the Stekenjokk Mine in North-West Sweden Lennart Nygren Chapter 5. National Policy of Economic Redevelopment, Regional Development and How the Working Class Copes with Uncertainty Sveinung Eikeland Chapter 6. Mine Closures and Worker Adjustment: The Case of Pine Point Glenn Kendall Chapter 7. The Community Impact of Restructuring Practices in the Australian Mining Industry: Their Long Term Implications for Coping with Closures Ruth Sturmey Part Two: Community Response to Mine Closure Chapter 8. Scheferville: The Crisis in the Quebec-Labrador Iron Mining Region - The Life and Death of a Company Town Kevin Archer; - Mine Closure in Single-Industry Towns and the Problems of Residual Activities Jeanne M. Wolfe Chapter 9. Keep Jobs in the Kootenays: Coping with Closure in British Columbia Agnes Koch and John Gartrell Chapter 10. Solutions to Mine Closures in Outokumpu Markku Tykkyl Dainen Chapter 11. From Mine to Outer Space: The Case of Kiruna, a Town in Northern Sweden Ingrid Liljen Chapter 12. Wind-down and Closure Across a Region: Local Economic Development Problems Facing the Tasmanian West Coast Cecily Neil and John Lea Chapter 13. Native Labour Commuting to Uranium Mines in Northern Saskatchewan: Its Economic Significance for Indigenous Communities Jean Gagnon Part Three: State Responses to Mine Closure Chapter 14. Finland: Restructuring Policy in the 1980s Paavo Talman and Markku Tykkyl Dainen Chapter 15. The Comings and Goings of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Ira Robinson and David Stuart Chapter 16. Mine Closures in Remote Regions: Policy Options and Implications Ciaran O'Faircheallaigh.