Coping with Closure: An International Comparison of Mine Town Experiences(Routledge Revivals)

During the 1970s and 80s mine closure and wind-down became 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. Originally published in 1992, this book addresses these issues with regard to the community and the problems facing the policy maker. The book develops some understanding of the factors influencing those affected by closure and examines 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 of mines on which they depend. The particular case studies have been chosen both with a view to exploring the comparative contexts and to developing general guidelines for communities and companies facing closure and wind-down in the future.

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

Cecily Neil

Markku Tykkyläinen

John Bradbury