"Nothing remains of the peak of Copper Mountain in southern British Columbia, destroyed by decades of mining that have left behind three gaping pits about 1,000 metres above sea level.

But it's been quiet up here since the mid-1990s, when the last operation was shuttered because of low commodity prices.

That's about to change, thanks to a roaring comeback in the price of the main metal produced here. Copper, used in everything from construction and cars to telecommunications and power, is on a record run."

Brenda Bouw and David Ebner report for the Toronto Globe and Mail January 14, 2011. [2]