What are the social impacts of natural resource development in the years leading up to operations, even if a project is cancelled?
Years of preparation go into natural resource projects, which may or may not actually happen. Residents, workers, rights holders, and decision-makers anticipate positive and negative changes in the local environment, economy, public infrastructure, service provision, and social fabric. Daily life goes on, yet the possibility—or spectre—of mining, oil and gas extraction, and other industrial resource activities remains ever-present in many parts of rural Canada.
“Buzz, Boom, and Bust: The speculative phase of resource development in New Brunswick and British Columbia” is a multi-year research project with two study sites led by Dr. Daniel Tubb at the University of New Brunswick and Dr. Marieka Sax at the University of Northern British Columbia.
The purpose of both studies is to document and better understand how diverse community members are impacted differently by the ongoing “buzz” of resource extraction and development in two Canadian localities.
The buzz phase includes exploration, assessment, planning, consultation, and construction activities for drill sites, pipelines, processing facilities, mills, mines, dams, and other natural resource development projects. It covers projects that move forward to operation, as well as project proposals that are cancelled.
The two research sites are united by the following overarching question: What are the social impacts of natural resource development in the years leading up to operations, even if a project is cancelled?
This research project runs from September 2018 to August 2021.
Support and Funding
The British Columbia case study has been reviewed by the Research Ethics Board at the University of Northern British Columbia.
The New Brunswick case study has been reviewed by the Research Ethics Board at the University of New Brunswick.
This research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
