Open-pit operations were suspended at the Huckleberry mine in January 2016, and the care and maintenance process began that August after stockpiles were depleted. Courtesy of Imperial Metals

In 2015, when copper prices hit their lowest levels since the 2008 financial crisis – in part due to slowed growth in China – market-watchers speculated about the possibility of a global economic recession, but Imperial Metals’ concerns were closer to home.