Have there been any lessons learned by mining companies and governments from Mount Polley, Mariana and Brumadinho? Virtually none. Have there been any lessons learned by the civil society? It yet remains to be seen whether the furor created by these catastrophes can be harnessed by social movements.

Front and centre is a multi-facetted government scandal showing the fragility of some of Justin Trudeau’s most fervent claims. Feminism has taken a hit, with ex-Minister Wilson-Raybould – casually referred to as “Jody” – thrown under the bus. Trudeau claims “surprise and disappointment” at her actions with Ottawa rumours circulating that she was always “difficult.”

With governments acting as complicit handmaidens of private mining companies, it is only social movements and public institutional voices from churches and universities that stand for an end to corporate impunity. We need to up our game in defending not only the workers and communities affected by mining, but also the very land and watersheds and ecological systems that extractivism destroys.