The Canary Research Institute for Mining, Environment, and Health was incorporated on November 3, 2003, to promote the advancement of education and the reduction of poverty in Canada and elsewhere relating to and resulting from the impacts of mineral development on the physical, cultural, social and emotional health of humans and human communities, and on the health of terrestrial and aquatic environments by:

1. Undertaking scientific and social research;
2. Publishing, promoting and distributing the results of the Institute’s research in articles, journals and monographs and by developing and delivering workshops and seminars to disseminate the results of the Institute’s research; and
3. Providing seminars and workshops for rural and remote communities dealing with the impacts of mining;

Our activities include:

• Creation of a Knowledge Network for Communities Affected by Mining
• On the Ground Research: research and technical support in response to the expressed needs of local communities
• Community Health and Mining: studies issues related to health risk assessment
• Water Impacts Assessment: development of a research agenda on the relationship of mineral extraction to water
• The Curriculum Project: development of educational modules for use in schools about the effects of mineral extraction on the environment and society.

Our annual report is available on request.

You can support our work. Please consider a donation!

Concerned Citizens of Penobsquis: New Brunswick Community Needs Your Support

A PotashCorp mine is extracting millions of litres of water a day from underneath homes in the rural community of Penobsquis, New Brunswick. Sixty households in this area have lost their well water since 2004. Residents have linked the damaged wells and land subsidence to the increased water inflow into the mine and the seismic testing that shakes their homes.

Concerned Citizens of Penobsquis seeks justice and compensation for the damage caused by the mining. After its attempts to seek compensation and justice from the provincial government proved unsuccessful, Concerned Citizens made the decision to pursue legal action and is presenting its arguments to the Mining Commissioner. This case is precedent-setting and will provide important lessons to other communities currently or on the verge of being affected by mining, oil and gas activity in New Brunswick.

The group needs to raise $5,000 for various costs and expenses. Members of Concerned Citizens of Penobsquis have managed to carry the entire financial load of their work thus far by holding church suppers, kitchen parties, yard sales and bottle drives, and collecting individual donations from community members.

Members of Concerned Citizens of Penobsquis have been busy acquiring evidence and information about the impacts of mining on wells, water and properties, doing media and public outreach, meeting with government officials, providing tours of the affected areas with the Ministers of the Environment and Natural Resources, taking water issues to the Energy and Utilities Board and now requesting compensation.

Earmark your donation to the Canary Institute “Concerned Citizens of Penobsquis” and we'll make sure it gets to them!

Watch this video to hear directly from the people of Penobsquis, New Brunswick, or visit the Concerned Citizens of Penobsquis web site, Flickr page, or Facebook page, or follow them on Twitter: @notGoliath.