US Steel Canada, formerly known as Stelco, is temporarily shutting down its Hamilton mill and most of its nearby Lake Erie operations. The move reflects slumping demand in the steel sector and weak industry markets. The latest steel cuts continue a massive restructuring in Ontario’s battered blue-collar industries, formerly the economic engine of the country. US Steel’s finishing and coking operations at the company’s Hamilton Works and the steelmaking and finishing operations at its Lake Erie Works near Nanticoke, Ontario will be idled indefinitely until market conditions improve. Coking operations at Lake Erie will continue. Other operations in southern Illinois and Detroit, as well as the company’s US tubular operations, have already been idled. In Canada, steelmakers such as the former Algoma Steel, Ipsco and distributor Russel Metals have also cut jobs and streamlined operations to deal with the industry downturn.