Canada is a global mining giant. In fact, it is the world's major force in mining, dominating the industry on every continent except Antarctica. Fifty-seven per cent of the world's public mining companies list on the Toronto Stock Exchange, representing over 9990 mining projects world wide.

This giant is growing. In 2007, the TSE financed mining companies to the tune of $17 billion.

Supported by tax breaks and favourable legislation at home, and assisted by official development aid and diplomatic support abroad, mining companies have long found Canada to be *the* place to do business.

Mining, however, comes at an often devastating cost to communities that lie in its path. As resource prices rise, so do the stakes; conflict is escalating.

Community spokespeople from northern Ontario's Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug were jailed after they escorted mining companies off of their territory.  A village near Guatemala's El Estor was burned to the ground to make way for Vancouver's Skye Resources. New Brunswickers have shouted down uranium mining representatives at community meetings in Saint John and Moncton. Labour unions representing workers for a company with operations in Brazil and Canada have joined forces.

Ultimately, a resource-intensive growth economy pits the continued consumption of material goods – from power plants to aluminum cans to digital networks – against the ecological state of vast areas of land, air and water that communities– and ultimately, humanity, depend on for survival.

The Dominion's special issue on mining will bring the role of Canadian mining back into view, with a comprehensive look at all stages of mining and its impacts in terms of economics, human rights, labour, indigenous communities, the environment, gender, and art. Independent journalists from around the world will dig to the heart of extractive industries and find out what keeps it beating, or what it takes to beat it.

We're looking for journalists, artists and people to contribute to State of Mine, a Dominion special issue on Canada's extractive industries, and folks to organize local events and distribution of the issue in their area during the month of November, 2008.

For more information on how to contribute to this issue, visit:
http://www.dominionpaper.ca/mining