Mining divide on display: Those for and against share views, look for common ground in Ely forum

They weren’t about to solve the Ely area’s most contentious issue, but both sides in the divisive debate over copper-nickel mining were represented and even found some common ground at an event last week.

More than 100 people gathered at the Ely Senior Center for the Jan. 31 forum put on by Ely’s Braver Angels chapter.

In a departure from other Braver Angels gatherings, which are largely informal and an attempt to bridge political divides, this one brought several proponents and opponents of copper-nickel mining in a panel-like discussion.