Mining development in the Hauts-de-France
Coal mining in the region dates back to 1720, when the ore was discovered in Anzin, a commune in the Valenciennois region in the Nord. Until 1990, an area 120 km long and 12 km wide, straddling the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais and representing 10% of the regional surface area, was mined. For a while, this exploitation allowed a real economic development of the region. The inhabitants have inherited this specific landscape transformed by man and this Ch'ti culture which is their pride. More than 700 mining towns, the famous "corons" sung by Pierre Bachelet, a dozen museums and four pits can be visited today, without forgetting the impressive slag heaps, mounts created by man on which the vegetation today takes its ease and where you will appreciate hiking, mountain biking, trails that are becoming more and more numerous and even skiing in Nœux-les-Mines!
The legacy of the mining industry has become a real component of the mining basin, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012. The slag heaps, hills made of mining residues, are numerous, about 200. Some of them are particularly valued, such as the slag heap of Rieulay and its leisure base, the Renard slag heap in Denain which allowed Emile Zola to prepare his work Germinal, the twin slag heaps of Loos-en-Gohelle... Other mining sites are now finding a new identity, and a real goal of heritage development as the base 11/19, which includes the slag heaps of 11/19 (among the highest), its tower and its metal trestle. The place is also committed to a real policy of sustainable development. The 9-9 bis in Oignies is committed to culture with guided tours and unusual workshops. It is here that the last gaillette in the region was made! Other sites of mining memory tourism are to be seen: the Delloye pit in Lewarde, the Wallers pit in Arenberg and the Cité des Électriciens in Bruay-la-Buissière.
For several years now, the Saint Barbara's Day celebrations have been an essential moment to discover the mining heritage of the North in a festive atmosphere. Sainte-Barbe is the patron saint of miners and firemen, she is celebrated on December 4th. It is also around this date that festivities take place on different sites of memory, including a good number in Lens, with a beautiful sound and light show. You can also find pyrotechnic shows, mappings, workshops and exhibitions. It is an unmissable event that pays beautiful tribute to the mining heritage of the region.
The Louvre-Lens, a successful upgrade
Also active on the cultural level, the city of Lens can boast the presence of its Louvre-Lens museum since 2012, in collaboration with the Louvre museum, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais regional council, the Pas-de-Calais department, the Lens-Liévin agglomeration community. The museum is located on a former mining pit. At the time, Lens was chosen among the 7 cities that applied to host a branch of the Louvre Museum in order to pay tribute to the miners who worked in particularly difficult conditions. Today, this glass and light building designed by the Japanese architectural firm Sanaa houses a selection of prestigious works from the Louvre-Paris. It was inaugurated on Saint Barbara's Day, the patron saint of miners, to reinforce its symbolic significance.
The museum's flagship space? Its Galerie du Temps, which is open to the public, reinforces the desire to open the museum to all social classes. The 3,000square meter, 120 meter long exhibition space presents 5,000 years of history. Each year, on the anniversary of its creation, the museum renews the works presented and allows the visitor to discover new treasures with each visit. The Glass Pavilion, bathed in natural light, invites visitors to take a break in front of the park designed by French landscape architect Catherine Mosbach. The resource center in the heart of the reception hall allows visitors to take full advantage of the premises. Temporary exhibitions are regularly scheduled. Opposite the museum is the Louvre-Lens luxury hotel, housed in a former coal mine.
An active region for its industries
The Hauts-de-France region is the second most poverty-stricken area in metropolitan France, with a rate of 18.3% (compared to 14.7% at the national level), according to INSEE. This poverty is of moderate intensity and is linked in particular to the crisis in the industry and to the disparity of the territories.
In fact, the region was once one of the most industrialized regions in France and developed its wealth around the mining, steel, textile, aeronautics, sugar and automobile industries. The labor force recruited was often poorly qualified, although expert in their field, and poorly paid. In the 1980s, a phase of deindustrialization began, with successive relocations and the arrival of more affordable raw materials.
Although the unemployment rate has been falling slightly since 2014, from 12.7% to 9.7%, it is still higher than the national rate. The department of Aisne with the territories of Thiérarche and Tergnier and the North with the Valenciennois and the Maubeuge region are the most affected. The picture is therefore not very bright, yet the region knows how to make the most of the strengths of these different components, born of a rather different economic history. Very quickly, since the 90's, it has understood the interest of developing an industrial tourism paying tribute to its roots. Although these efforts are not enough to make up for the lack of jobs caused by the departure of many industries, they contribute to make the region shine in a different way, and to evolve in a good direction.
Picardy waited several centuries before the sustainable installation of an industry. Colbert decided, in the 17th century, the establishment of several large sites, such as the tapestry factory in Beauvais, but few former large factories have persisted. The main contemporary industries are located in strategic places, in the irrigated valleys and near the main traffic routes, with the steel industry and chemical and plastics companies remaining the most numerous. The industrial history of Picardy is marked by Saint-Gobain, which was born in this territory. The textile industry has lost some of its glory, but in general, the main industry of the region remains agriculture. Picardy remains one of the granaries of France. The region's strong supply of raw materials for cereals and pulses has attracted some of the biggest names in the food industry, such as Nestlé. Picardy is now seeking to take advantage of its agriculture by developing plant-based chemistry. This is an illustration of the will to innovate that is being put forward to improve the economic image of the region. Tourism also tends to develop with an advanced marketing approach and a presence on new technologies. Overall, in economic terms, there are increasingly disparate situations between territories, with employment areas that are doing well (Amiens, Compiègne or Beauvais) and areas in difficulty, particularly in the Aisne or in rural areas.
A bastion of industry in the 19th century, based on coal and textiles, the former Nord-Pas-de-Calais region has had to cope with profound industrial changes that have continued over the last few decades (productive functions account for 19% of jobs compared with 37% in 1982). The ore is no longer the same, but the electrical stakes are all the more powerful: although coal is no longer extracted, Gravelines has one of the largest nuclear power plants in the world. Renewable energies are trying to impose themselves on the market. Photovoltaic panels, which were installed in large numbers thanks to government subsidies, are less attractive to investors. However, wind farms are becoming established in the Pas-de-Calais, particularly near Fruges, with a park of 70 wind turbines in operation.
Heavy industry is clustered around Dunkirk with the steel industry and the former Péchiney aluminum plant, which has been bought by GFG Alliance. today, 10% of the automobile industry is still produced in the region, notably with the Renault, Peugeot and Toyota plants in Valenciennes. The evolution of the market may nevertheless have a strong impact on the regions. Textiles, although in sharp decline, remain a key sector in the region. Thus Calais, with its 76,000 inhabitants, remains the world capital of lace. From the diversification of the textile industry came the numerous mail order companies, such as La Redoute and Les 3 Suisses. While the former has managed to instill a start-up spirit that has saved it from the doldrums, the latter has continued to lose sales and change hands.
The region is also the cradle of mass retailing with Auchan, Decathlon, Kiabi... brands that are all linked to the same family: Mulliez, which originally owned only the Phildar spinning mills in Roubaix. The Mulliez family (Decathlon, Auchan, La Redoute...) is often cited as an example, for its ability to evolve through the ages, from the revolution of the La Redoute catalog to the development of its hypermarkets. It has known how to listen to the needs of the population, and to propose offers in adequacy with its time, from the mail order catalog of La Redoute to its online presence. Fishing has remained a major industry in the region, marked by the large ports, in the forefront of which is Boulogne. In a completely different field, a positive dynamic concerns management functions and intellectual services, but it benefits above all the Lille metropolis.
In the 1990s, the Lille metropolitan area began efforts to engage in cultural activities and to make up for the lack of value-added activities. As the European Capital of Culture, it has specialized in cultural events, but this is not enough to make it to the top of the urban areas. However, it has demonstrated a true spirit of innovation, with five competitive clusters accredited since 2005 and the establishment of centers of excellence: Eurasanté, La Haute-Borne, Euratechnologies, located in a former spinning mill dating from 1905, and the Union zone.
Some industrial sites offer visits. An opportunity to discover this beautiful region in a different way!
