Mining History Doc to Screen at MUN!
What can be done when a gold mining operation leaves thousands of tons of toxic arsenic stored underground right next to Yellowknife, the largest city in the Northwest Territories? The Guardians of Eternity is a documentary that traces the history of arsenic contamination at the abandoned Giant Mine, and examines the perplexing question of what to do about the problem today. The federal government is currently freezing the underground arsenic as a way of containing it, but can a more permanent soluton be found? Given the potentially very long term nature of the problem, how can we communicate the hazards and perpetual care requirements at Giant Mine to future generations? Can the mine remediation program incorporate a program of restorative justice for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, who bore the brunt of arsenic contamination from the mine in terms of health impacts and the loss of access to traditional lands? The Guardians of Eternity examines all of these questions through a powerful account of the Giant Mine story in the past, present and future. Please join us for a free public screening of the film!
When: Thursday November 26, 7PM
Where: Memorial St. John's Campus, Science 2109
In 2013, History Professor John Sandlos and Geography Professor Arn Keeling created the Toxic Legacies Project with funding from a SSHRC Partnership Development Grant. The project's mandate is to examine various ways to communicate and commorate the history and long term legacies of arsenic contamination at Yellowknife's Giant Mine. Today, 237,000 tons of arsenic trioxide sits in 14 chambers underground, a staggering amount of toxic material that the federal government is containing through a 'frozen block' method until a more permanent solution can be found. Sandlos and Keeling established the Toxic Legacies Project as a partnership with Alternatives North (an enviornmental and social ,justice group), and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. The Guardians of Eternity is one of the many public outreach initiatives to flow out of the Toxic Legacies Project.