"Hope springs eternal": a study of company and community in the former mining town of Buchans, Newfoundland

Skeard, Janelle (2014) "Hope springs eternal": a study of company and community in the former mining town of Buchans, Newfoundland. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Mining communities face a host of issues, including economic volatility, uncertainty, and closure. Thus, the common perception of mining towns revolves around a notion of impermanence - that the town follows the ore and when the ore is depleted, so is the community. However, this image is inherently problematic as it fails to recognize the fact that people put down roots, become attached to place, and create homes on the same ground from which ore is extracted. This thesis examines the various ways in which place identity is constructed in affiliation with the mining industry in Buchans, Newfoundland, and explores how identity and sense of community have contributed to community development and resilience post-closure. In doing so, it relies on qualitative methods and oral histories to provide insight into the sense of place that can develop in a former mining company town, how these relationships to place develop, and potential implications for community well-being and survival.

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