Mr. Speaker, by mid-December the Devco operated coal mine will close its doors after 26 years of operation.
Since 1975, Devco mine has been one of the most important industries of the north shore of Cape Breton. Prince mine will officially cease coal production this Friday, ending more than 100 years of undersea coal mining on the east coast.
The 500 workers currently employed at Devco mining will soon be left without work. Some of them have spent their entire lives working in the mines, some of them have even lost their lives and others, their health.
Now the government has to take responsibility and make sure these workers, who are left behind, get good jobs in the near future.
To these miners and families, we thank them for all their devotion to the coal mining industry. We wish them the best for the year 2002.