Issues in Canadian Geography Mining The extraction of naturally occurring minerals from the Earth

Mining 1.What do we Mine? 2.Open Pit Mining 3.Underground (Shaft) Mining 4.Issues Facing Mining in Canada 5.Improving Canada’s Mining Industry

What Do we Mine in Canada? What: Potash Where: Sask. For: Salt, Fertilizer What: Copper Where: Ontario For: Pipes What: Zinc Where: New Br. For: Brass

What Do We Mine in Canada? What: Diamonds Where: NWT For: “bling” & industrial cutters What: Gold Where: NWT For: “bling” What: Coal Where:Maritime For: Fuel

Open Pit Mining This method is used when the deposit is close enough to the surface for mass removal of ore to be economically viable. Its simply a big hole in the ground where the mineral is removed

Open Pit Mining Impacts Destruction of Vegetation Large volume of unused waste-rock must be stored. Disruption of ground water Production of dust and radon gas during blasting.

Open Pit Mining A simple layered open pit mine.

Open Pit Mining A digging wheel at work.

Open Pit Mining A digging wheel close-up. Bigger size = greater efficiency, right?!

Mining Truck

Open Pit Mining

Mining Equiptment

Underground (Shaft) Mining

Underground Mining: -Mining that is done completely underground. -Tunnels (shafts) are blasted deep into the earth to reach minerals. -This type of mining is much more dangerous due to cave-ins.

Underground (Shaft) Mining Wire mesh to prevent loose rocks from falling.

Underground (Shaft) Mining Temporary support beams

Underground (Shaft) Mining A scooptram at work.

Underground Mining Impacts Destruction of Vegetation. Disrupts the water table Needs to be excavated before mining. Danger of collapse Dust and noise

Issues Facing the Mining Industry Acid Rain Abandoned Mines Loss of Jobs/ staying competitive Exhausting the Supply

Acid Rain: Caused by air pollution released during processing Kills Forests Kills aquatic life Releases harmful compounds from rock ( mercury heavy metals)

Abandoned Mines: Leave scars on the Earth’s surface and can be dangerous

Exhausting the Supply: When mines run out, So do the jobs! Boom / Bust cycles Jobs are never safe!

Staying Competitive/jobs: Countries with cheaper labour and less environmental laws (like China) can extract and sell minerals cheaper than Canada. This has caused some Canadian mines to close and this causes the loss of thousands of jobs.

Mining Case Study: Elliot Lake A bustling mine town in the 1950s-70’s. At its peak the population was and at its lowest it was In the Mid 70’s the reserves of uranium depleted and the world market for the mineral dropped. The mine shut down and caused an economic disaster for the People of the town.

Cookie Mining ! Today you will be Mining for “Black Gold”. The class will be mining in different countries with slightly different formations of black gold. You get: 1 cookie 2 toothpicks Paper towel

Mining Laws Canadian Mining Laws You must pay a $15 per gram environmental tax that pays to reclaim the land when the mine closes. An additional fine will be charged for any mine tailings that leave the paper towel at $5 per offender. You must pay your miners $10 per every 10 mins worked Chinese Mining Laws You must pay a $5 per gram environmental tax that pays to reclaim the land when the mine closes. An additional fine will be charged for any mine tailings that leave the paper towel at $5 per offender. You must pay your miners $2 per every 10 mins worked GOLD PRICES: at the end of 10 minutes you will calculate the value of your gold collected using the smartboard. From the value deduct the operating Environmental and Human Resources costs

Rules 1.Can only touch the cookie with your toothpicks 2.Keep everything on the paper towel! 3. Only fully extracted black gold will be weighed

Mining Centres in Canada