This statement was released on February 11, 2009
I want to take an opportunity this evening to speak directly to the people of Greater Sudbury.
As Mayor of this great city, both here at home and wherever I have had the opportunity to travel, I have always said that, “if you want to know anything about mining, you come to Sudbury!” Mining built this community and, though we have made strong advances in economic diversification, mining remains at the heart of our local economy.
On Monday of this week, 686 of our fellow citizens lost their jobs with Xstrata Nickel, and we were reminded once again that being the Mining Capital of Canada means not only benefiting from the boom cycles in metal prices, it means dealing with the bust cycles as well. This week’s news is a devastating blow to this city, and it will have ripple effects across many sectors. Just six to twelve months ago, these same employees were spreading the good fortune of their nickel bonuses throughout the community, creating strong demand for housing, cars, recreational equipment and entertainment. Now their financial pain will also be strongly felt.
Monday’s announcement was not entirely unexpected.