The lights on the tipple are going out : fighting economic ruin in a Canadian coalfield community / Tom Langford.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Langford, Tom, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Coal trade--Alberta--Crowsnest Pass--History--20th century.

Coal trade.

Coal trade--British Columbia--Elk River Valley--History--20th century.

Deindustrialization--Alberta--Crowsnest Pass--History--20th century.

Deindustrialization.

Deindustrialization--British Columbia--Elk River Valley--History--20th century.

Crowsnest Pass (Alta.)--Economic conditions--20th century.

Crowsnest Pass (Alta.).

Elk River Valley (B.C.)--Economic conditions--20th century.

Elk River Valley (B.C.).

Economic development--Alberta--Crowsnest Pass.

Economic development.

Economic development--British Columbia--Elk River Valley.

Physical Description:

xii, 387 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Vancouver ; Toronto : UBC Press, [2024]

Summary:

"The Canadian postwar economic boom did not include one western coal-mining region. When the Canadian Pacific Railway switched to diesel power, over 2,000 coal-production jobs were lost in the Crowsnest Pass and Elk Valley. The Lights on the Tipple Are Going Out tells the story of its fight for survival. Underground mine closures began in 1950, prompting attempts by unions, leftist parties, municipal governments, and business groups to save the local economy. Efforts to reindustrialize in the mid-1960s brought unregulated growth, unsafe working conditions, and pollution. Starting in 1968, new strip mines were built to produce metallurgical coal for Asia-Pacific steelmakers. Not only is this an interesting regional history, but the consideration of the role of labour unions, local communists, and grassroots environmentalists makes it especially compelling. Today, with technological change in steel manufacturing on the horizon, propelled by the climate crisis, Langford argues that the Crowsnest Pass and Elk Valley must look toward ecosystem restoration, sustainable economic activities, and the inclusion of First Nations in decision making in order to embrace a future beyond coal."-- Provided by publisher.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Langford, Tom. Lights on the tipple are going out.

ISBN:

0774869283

9780774869287

OCLC:

1430504109