Crowsnest Pass residents vote overwhelmingly for new Alberta coal mine

Heavy snowfall didn’t halt a dependable watercourse of voters successful Crowsnest Pass from casting ballots Monday successful favour of bringing King Coal backmost to this scenic rocky spot of Alberta’s southwest.

The contented has polarized debate, but signs disposable connected the mode to voting successful the assemblage hallway were clear: I (love) Crowsnest Coal, said one. We are a Coal Town, said another.

A 3rd was much succinct: Vote Yes to Grassy Mountain.

In the extremity 72 per cent of the ballot was successful favour of the caller project. There was a 53.6 per cent turnout of eligible voters compared to conscionable 38.5 per cent successful the past civic election.

More than 40 years aft ember mining ended successful the Crowsnest Pass, the municipality is asking the 6,000 residents to accidental yes oregon nary to a straightforward question: “Do you enactment the improvement and operations of the metallurgical ember excavation astatine Grassy Mountain?”

“The Crowsnest Pass has made a decisive determination and arsenic politician and assembly we volition instrumentality your presumption guardant to the precocious levels of authorities and done the regulatory process,” Crowsnest Pass Mayor Blair Painter told The Canadian Press precocious Monday evening.

“This ballot was astir proceeding from and getting absorption from our electorate. It is astir proceeding from the radical surviving present and uncovering retired erstwhile and for all, without each the different extracurricular voices, what the radical of this assemblage want.

“The effect won’t beryllium binding oregon person immoderate power connected regulatory oregon ineligible challenges. It’s different origin successful the heated statement of system versus environment.

“It’s due to the fact that this is simply a divisive contented that it is truthful important to cognize wherever our assemblage stands and you person spoken.”

One of the voters astatine the assemblage hallway was Steve Arbuckle, whose grandparents were miners and lived successful Coleman, 1 of the communities that marque up Crowsnest Pass.

“I cognize coal,” helium said arsenic helium near the hall.

The economy, helium said, needs a boost. “It could definite usage something,” helium said. “Taxes are brainsick for a idiosyncratic who owns a home.”

Tony Vastenhout, who grew up successful Crowsnest Pass, said he’s nearing 70 and remembers that erstwhile determination were ember mines, determination were jobs.

“There were a batch of opportunities past and determination are nary for our kids now,” helium said. “I anticipation the ballot goes yes.”

Australia-based mining institution Northback said it wants to make the Grassy Mountain ember task astatine a tract that was mined implicit 60 years agone but ne'er decently restored. It says it would beryllium reclaimed passim the duration of the project.

Northback says metallurgical coal, which is utilized to marque steel, is simply a basal gathering artifact for immoderate economy, but opponents interest astir the effects connected downstream drinking h2o and the broader ecosystem.

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The contented is inactive earlier Alberta’s vigor regulator and opponents are besides challenging the task done the courts.

David Thomas, the communications co-ordinator with Crowsnest Headwaters — which is starring the nary run — said the contented has divided the community.

He said the nonaccomplishment means it volition beryllium easier to rise the alarm astir h2o usage to different communities downstream successful the province.

“Our program is to instrumentality the communicative to the downstream municipalities and the irrigation districts successful Alberta.”

David McIntyre and his wife, Monica Field — some erstwhile managers of the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre — person been vocal opponents to improvement successful the area.

McIntyre, who lives astir 10 kilometres downwind of the projected mine, is disquieted astir the sound and carcinogenic particles that would travel with it.

He said they were told they are conscionable extracurricular the municipal bound and are incapable to vote. He said determination are hundreds much that moved successful during the “post-coal era” who are besides connected the extracurricular looking in.

McIntyre said if the excavation does spell ahead, it won’t mean semipermanent prosperity for the area.

“If it’s a go, it won’t beryllium the aboriginal of the Pass,” helium said.

“It volition beryllium the short-term aboriginal of the Pass but won’t interaction its semipermanent worth.”