Mining company excludes hundreds of cottage owners from survey

A mining company conducting a survey on local attitudes toward its project in Kolari, northern Finland, has excluded hundreds of part-time residents from participating, reports Yle.

Hannukainen Mining will carry out its third stakeholder survey this autumn on the Hannukainen mining project in Kolari, but responses will be limited to those who reside in the municipality for more than eight months a year. This excludes many cottage owners from elsewhere in Finland who spend significant time in the area.

For the first time, the survey will include year-round residents of leisure homes whose primary municipality is elsewhere. However, the Ylläksen Ystävät association, which represents around 900 cottage owners nationwide, argues that the current criteria distort the results.

Association chair Markku Piippo said the group had urged the company to allow participation for those spending at least 100 days a year in Kolari. According to recent data, Finns spend an average of 85 days annually at their cottages, making the eight-month threshold unusual.

“We received a response from the company. They do not intend to change their plans,” Piippo said.

Hannukainen Mining’s communications chief Tiina Nousiainen stated the survey aims to gauge the opinions of permanent or long-term residents whose daily lives are primarily based in Kolari. She added that future studies may examine the excluded group separately.

The association cites municipal law, which defines municipal members as both permanent residents and those who own or manage property in the area. Kolari ranks high in property tax revenue from leisure homes per capita, making their inclusion essential, the association argues.

Piippo acknowledged the company’s right to conduct the survey as it sees fit but warned that the results, used to demonstrate social acceptance, would be incomplete without broader input.

Opinions on the Hannukainen project have long been divided, with opposition strong in the Ylläs and Äkäslompolo tourist areas, while support is higher in Kolari’s main village and more distant settlements. Supporters anticipate jobs and tax revenue, while opponents fear environmental and tourism impacts.