Documentary Reflection

February 13, 2025 By: Marsha Clarke

The Tyee: Anger as Alberta Lifts Ban on Rockies Coal Mining   https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2025/01/22/Anger-Alberta-Lifts-Ban-Rockies-Coal-Mining/

CBC: Why the reversal of a decades-old coal policy sparked controversy in Alberta   https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/what-on-earth-alberta-coal-policy-1.6338421

A CBC article by Segal (2022) detailing the reversal of a coal policy launched by Peter Lougheed’s government in 1976 emphasized how Albertans value recreation, tourism, and healthy watersheds. Jason Kenney of Alberta’s United Conservative Party’s provincial government lifted this historical moratorium on mining and exploration in the eastern slopes of the Rockies in 2020. A Tyee article by Nikiforuk (2025) revealed how this enabled several Australian coal speculators to begin exploration activities. However, no public consultation preceded this decision, and activists raised an inferno of resistance, using news and social media to convey their dissatisfaction. This backlash was so strong that Kenney’s government rescinded its decision to allow exploration, which initiated lawsuits by five Australian coal companies. Recently, and again without public consultation, Danielle Smith’s UPC government rescinded the moratorium on mining and exploration in the eastern slopes of the Rockies.

I stand with those who oppose the decision to rescind Lougheed’s 1976 coal policy; it was devious and unethical of Kenney’s government to change the policy without public consultation. Furthermore, the decision did not reflect what Albertans wanted, as 70% opposed coal mining on the eastern slopes and 85% had safety and environmental concerns about coal mining (Segal, 2022). In a community downstream of four active coal mines, I have seen how mining pollution diminishes watershed health, and the damage will continue for decades, even if mining were stopped today. The outspoken farmers, musicians, environmentalists, fishermen, and First Nations activists in Alberta have made a positive difference, as the Alberta government reinstated the 1976 policy due to the opposition they faced. Unfortunately, it has since been changed back to favouring the coal industry, but who knows what changes the next wave of public backlash will bring.

Another decades-long uprising against the provincial government was the fight to stop the Jumbo Glacier Mountain resort near Invermere. Environmental groups, First Nations, and even Patagonia stated their case for protecting grizzly bear habitat, likely influencing the eventual government decision to reject the resort development. Most importantly, the successful coal mining and Jumbo protests were not destructive or violent, unlike the Earth Liberation Front demonstrations. I think extreme activism is counterproductive because, while it draws attention, its destructive actions weaken the movement’s credibility. Radical environmental organizations also risk discrediting peaceful protest groups who aim to make positive change through legal avenues.