The coal bust

14/12/15
Author: 
Kelly Cryderman and Brent Jang
A 2013 photo of the Westshore coal terminal in Delta, B.C. JEFF VINNICK/FOR THE GLOBE AND MAIL

Already battered by plunging oil prices, Western Canada has another big problem: the collapse of coal. Alberta and British Columbia are suffering from the fallout of a severe downturn in the global coal market, brought on by China’s rapidly cooling industrial demand and the growing shift away from coal-fired electricity generation. It’s troubled times for an industry that’s long been a quietly powerful force in the Canadian economy.