Defending land and life against an impending train wreck: Canadian mining in Colombia

Presentation: In the context of Colombia's ongoing internal armed struggle, President Santos has declared mining a new economic engine for Colombia, running up against the rights of indigenous, afro-Colombian, campesino, small scale and artisanal miners, and water users. Jen Moore gave this...

Surviving a Mine: Canada’s Uranium District and the Western Mining Action Network Conference 2011

At night, the lights at Rabbit Lake mine are visible in the west, looking across Wollaston Lake from Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation. “The mine opened up in the ’70s,” recalls Chief Bart Tsannie, “but it’s only recently that we’ve started to learn to live together. For a long time, there was...

New Brunswickers Persevere Through Gruelling Hearings

If a mining company was likely to have caused numerous family wells to go dry, changed the discharge of groundwater into local streams, caused sink holes in fields and yards, and horizontal and vertical shifts in the land surface – one would hope that the government responsible for regulating the...

BC’s Zombie Mine – “New Prosperity”

Following an extensive environmental assessment by an independent review panel, the federal government rejected Taseko Mines Ltd.’s proposed Prosperity Mine Project. Just three months later the company re-filed another proposal dubbing it the “New Prosperity” project.

In its rejection the...

Kamloops Residents, Town, and Regional Council Seek Review Panel for Ajax Mine

A proposed open pit gold mine that would straddle the city boundary of Kamloops, BC, is raising concern and requests for a joint review panel environmental assessment from a citizens group (the Kamloops Area Preservation Association), Kamloops City Council, and the Thompson Nicola Regional...

Indigenous Rights and Mining – Recent Developments, Opportunities and Challenges

One of MiningWatch’s core areas of work is the promotion of Indigenous rights and recognition of title and the stewardship role that Indigenous people maintain across Canada and internationally. This article offers an overview of recent developments, including hopeful signs but also the considerable...

Ghana's Golden Deception

The streets are hardly paved with gold. Despite producing gold on an industrial scale since 1873 – over nine million ounces’ worth – the place is really not much better off than the rest of the country. Scattered chunks of tarmac are the only evidence that the main road from Tarkwa to Prestea had...

Whose development? Mining, local resistance and development agendas

This is a synopsis of a paper by Catherine Coumans published in: Governance Ecosystems CSR in the Latin American Mining Sector, edited by Julia Sagebien and Nicole Marie Lindsay, in the International Political Economy Series published by Palgrave Macmillan, November 2011.

Spotlight on Port Hope

Robert Del Tredici talks about some of the challenges this Ontario uranium refining town has been facing since the mid-1970's.

 

Tribute to Maisie Sheill

Robert Del Tredici talks about the amazing Maisie Sheill, long-time activist admired by people concerned about the risks related to uranium mining and respected even by her opponents.

Robert Del Tredici Talks About Karl Morgan, Father of Radiation Safety

Robert Del Tredici starts his narrative with an explanation of why Dr. Morgan looks somewhat somber in the portrait taken of him – it is a classic case of having your words taken out of context: what is the safe limit for radiation exposure?

Photographer and Storyteller Robert Del Tredici on the History of Port Radium, Northwest Territories

Robert Del Tredici has travelled the world taking photographs to tell the story of uranium. In this video, he relates a brief history of Port Radium, once known as the "village of widows".

Gordon Edwards of CCNR: should uranium mining be allowed?

Dr. Gordon Edwards gives a brief overview of risks and issues particular to uranium mining, citing regulatory changes that could make it safer. But the question still remains: should uranium mining go ahead at all?

Consultation: a fairly limited concept

Lawyer Murray Klippenstein says consultation for aboriginal peoples facing mining projects is roughly equivalent to city officials showing up at your door to notify you your home is no longer yours. 

Civil Society Organizations Call On Canadian Mining Companies To Respect the Right to Consent in Colombia

Open letter: At a time of increased activity of Canadian companies in Colombia and following implementation of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, Canadian ecumenical and civil society organizations are calling upon the Canadian Embassy in Bogotá to ensure that Canadian companies respect the...

Elmtree Mine Update

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has told affected First Nations, local residents and public interest groups that the review of the proposed Elmtree Gold Mine is on hold. As reported in regional media, Castle Resources needs to re-assess the economics of the project before proceeding...