Paydirt: The Spirit of Canadian Mining

To produce this book, photographer Iona Wright recently completed a seven-month cross-Canada odyssey in search of images of Canadian mining as it is today -- an industry that has advanced in myriad ways over the past few decades, but one in which the spirit of the individual miner still prevails. Minerals and mineral commodities account for over fifteen percent of all Canadian exports, and Canada's mining operations are among the world's most advanced, yet mining is perhaps our most misunderstood resource-based industry. Mining expert Charles Pelley joins Iona Wright in presenting this fascinating look at modern mining in Canada -- frontier development, the mining community, exploration, access and supply, the underground process, open-pit operations, milling, mine systems maintenance, mining towns, the environment, and the future of mining in this country. This honest, enthusiastic book debunks many myths about mining and reveals a way of life rarely seen by most Canadians.