Socioeconomic mine termination policies: A case study of mine closure in Ontario

Inevitable socioeconomic mine-closure hardships have received little analysis or special policy attention in Canada. Policies to reduce termination impacts on mine workers and communities vary throughout the sequence of events associated with mineral exploration, mining, and rehabilitation upon closure, a process called the ‘mining system’ in Canada. While Canadian legislation to minimize biophysical effects of mining activity and closures has been adopted, socioeconomic impacts have not received special legislative attention. This paper documents and evaluates government and non-government arrangements to ameliorate detrimental socioeconomic impacts of the 1978 Marmoraton Mining Company closure in Ontario, Canada.