A Canadian Family

Uranium Mining In Quebec – “a breath of optimism” or an environmental & health hazard?

From waterways for fishing, to land for farming, and forests for logging, Quebec is resource rich. Our economy has always been resource-based and the latest resources to be exploited were those found under the ground; in other words, minerals such as asbestos, copper, iron, silver, titanium and zinc. From a demographic point of view this has obviously affected settlement patterns as Quebec’s earliest pioneers of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries settled near waterways and in rich farmlands, while the last “modern” waves of 20th century pioneers settled in new mining regions such as Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Chibougamou, the Cote-Nord, the Grand-Nord, Matagami and Saguenay Lac-St-Jean. Today I’m sharing a vintage postcard of just such an area – the copper (& gold) mining town of Noranda, Quebec.

From a demographic point of view this obviously affected settlement patterns as Quebec’s earliest pioneers of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries settled near waterways and in rich farmlands, while the last “modern” waves of 20th century pioneers settled in new mining regions such as Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Chibougamou, the Cote-Nord, the Grand-Nord, Matagami and Saguenay Lac-St-Jean. Predictably this has caused much boom-and-bust development and consequent economic hardship for families who depend on these mines to put bread on the table for their children.

However, nowadays many Quebeckers have begun to question the advisability of certain types of mining. For instance in the last few months there’s been controversy about the safety – and morality – of mining asbestos and exporting it to the Third World. In recent weeks there are new concerns around the projected opening Read more »

December 13, 2009 Posted by Evelyn Yvonne Theriault | . | environment, mining, Noranda, pollution, Sept-Iles, uranium | 1 Comment