On June 1, 2020, the UCP government repealed Alberta’s 1976 coal policy with no public consultation. We can hold them accountable on May 29, 2023.
The Eastern Slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains are still under threat.
On May 29, 2023 Vote NO to coal.
Citizens of Alberta from Treaties 6, 7 and 8 have worked together for 3 years to hold the provincial government and coal companies accountable. The best opportunity to make our voices heard is the upcoming provincial election.
Take the time to understand where your candidates stand on coal. Will they support a policy that will halt all mining in the Eastern Slopes for good?
Take Action
Write
Email, call or write your representatives. Projects may need both federal and provincial approval, depending on size:
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change (Canada)
You can send a preapplication concern for mining projects that haven’t yet filed with the AER.
Pro tip: turns out if you’re sending mail to Parliament Hill (federal representatives) you don’t need any postage
Participate
Some more actions that will support the cause:
Send a form letter to the Coal Committee demanding that a new policy reflect conservation values
Join the Protect Alberta’s Rockies and Headwaters Facebook group (37K strong and growing!)
Donate
If you are in a position to do so, please consider donating to any of these organizations:
In addition, consider donating to independent media who have been covering this issue extensively:
Letter Writing Campaigns & Templates
Are you uncomfortable sending your own letters? No worries, the following organizations have active campaigns with easy to fill out templates:
Council of Canadians
Alberta Beyond Coal
Albertans for Coal Free Rockies
“This type of mining… requires the removal of all vegetation and top soil, then explosives are used to blast all the rock above the coal seam to expose it. Waste rock is moved into massive piles, and the blasting is known to release toxic elements from the rock into the environment.”
— Piper Whelan, from “Ranchers fear loss of grazing lands due to coal mining projects” on Canadian Cattleman.ca
What’s at risk?
Water
The negative impacts of probable water contamination will be felt by approximately 1.6 million Albertans; 1.4 million served by the North Saskatchewan watershed and over 200K served by the Oldman River headwaters.
Wildlife
This expansive area represents critical habitat for grizzlies, elk, caribou and the threatened Western cutthroat trout. Southwestern Alberta represents the last stronghold of this at-risk species. Habitat loss is considered the primary factor driving the extinction crisis.
Wellness
Open-pit coal mining exposes previously buried rock to air and water, creating conditions for toxic leaching of selenium which can cause neurological disorders in humans and liver disease or paralysis in other species.
Watch
Follow
Listen
No time to read any of the resources listed above? Don’t worry - these podcasts do an excellent job of providing significant summaries.
“Then the coal company came with the world's largest shovel
And they tortured the timber and stripped all the land
Well, they dug for their coal 'til the land was forsaken
Then they wrote it all down as the progress of man”
— John Prine, “Paradise”
