‘Let’s do this’: Crowsnest Pass mayor wants proposed coal mine sooner than later

The politician of Crowsnest Pass wants an contiguous gathering with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to sermon a arguable ember task his assemblage has voted successful favour of being built.

“The sooner the better,” said Crowsnest Pass Mayor Blair Painter. “Let’s bash this.”

Residents of the S.W Alberta municipality, which saw its past ember excavation adjacent 4 decades ago, voted successful the non-binding referendum connected Monday (Nov. 25, 2024)

They were asked a elemental question: “Do you enactment the improvement and operations of the metallurgical ember excavation astatine Grassy Mountain?”

There was a 53.6 per cent turnout of eligible voters and 72 per cent of them voted “yes”.

The effect isn’t binding and has nary power connected regulatory oregon ineligible challenges – but galore successful the municipality are hoping the steelmaking ember task projected by Australia-based Northback Holdings volition supply a overmuch needed economical boost.

“Council astatine immoderate constituent successful the adjacent aboriginal volition person treatment connected however we determination guardant with this,” Painter said.

“We volition beryllium gathering with the curate of vigor and hopefully with the premier again and plead our lawsuit arsenic to wherefore we should person this excavation here.”

The Alberta Energy Regulator is expected to clasp hearings adjacent week connected Northback’s exertion for a ember exploration program, a heavy drill licence and a impermanent diversion task to cod method information related to the Grassy Mountain project.

The institution said the exploration programme would usage h2o from antecedently mined end-of-pit lakes and would not beryllium connected to adjacent creeks, rivers oregon bodies of water.

David Thomas, the communications coordinator with Crowsnest Headwaters, which led the “no” campaign, said the conflict isn’t over.

“The battleground present shifts to the remainder of Alberta.  We had a ballot present successful the Crowsnest Pass of radical who were feeling near down by societal and economical alteration and they expressed their views, and I person large sympathy for them,” Thomas said Tuesday.

“The downstream travel of Crowsnest and Oldman rivers are earnestly successful jeopardy now. The danger’s present wide and present.”

Thomas said the connection would beryllium taken to municipalities, irrigation districts and nutrient processing companies that the excavation is not a bully deal.

The politician of High River, southbound of Calgary, sent a missive to the premier past week asking the state to see broader impacts of the mine.

Craig Snodgrass said helium wants the authorities to undertake further section and provincewide nationalist consultation earlier the task moves forward.

“The non-binding referendum being conducted successful the Crowsnest Pass should not beryllium considered arsenic the lone dependable successful this decision-making process,” Snodgrass said successful the letter.

“Consideration should beryllium extended to each of Albertans downstream of the headwaters, who volition acquisition profound repercussions created from these operations.”

Snodgrass said that includes ecological impacts, agriculture production, wildlife preservation and prime and cleanliness of drinking water.

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Painter said the task has plentifulness of hurdles to walk and the concerns are being overblown.

“Everybody has concerns. Water’s vital,” helium said.

“We each privation cleanable water. But I deliberation radical should beryllium astute capable to cognize that you cannot bash a task of this magnitude without regulations connected some the provincial broadside and the national side.”

Bonnie Castellarin with Citizens Supportive of Crowsnest Coal said her unpaid radical backs “responsible mining” and she understands the 2 sides successful the statement are a agelong mode apart.

“Realistically, it’s not over. We volition proceed to forge ahead. They volition proceed to forge ahead. I uncertainty we volition ever conscionable successful the middle, due to the fact that some groups are precise passionate,” she said.

Castellarin, who grew up successful the area, said she understands determination are biology concerns, but things person changed since the archetypal excavation astatine Grassy Mountain was unopen down decades ago.

“Pardon my frankness, but the institution 60 years agone came, they raped the onshore and they left. It’s terrible,” she said.

Northback, by contrast, intends to reclaim the onshore it mines arsenic it goes on and cleanable up what was near by the erstwhile company, said Castellarin.

Northback spokeswoman Rina Blacklaws said the ballot effect was invited news.

“This ballot provides a wide mandate arsenic Northback moves guardant with regulatory approvals with the enactment of residents successful the Crowsnest Pass,” she said successful a statement.

“The authorities of Alberta needs to supply clarity connected regulatory processes and certainty for assets investment, successful general.”