To dig, or not to dig.That’s the question that will be put to residents of the Crowsnest Pass, who will determine whether or not an Australian company should be allowed to develop the Grassy Mountain metallurgical coal mine near Blairmore.On Tuesday, councillors unanimously passed a motion authorizing a non-biding plebiscite on the matter, which will be put to a vote on November 25.According to a statement from the municipality, the question that will be asked on the ballot is “Do you support the development and operations of the metallurgical coal mine at Grassy Mountain.” Yes, or no.The Vote of the Electors process is similar to a plebiscite or referendum and is held in accordance with the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA). Crowsnest Pass resident who meet the criteria in Section 47 of the LAEA will be eligible to vote, which includes being at least 18 years old and being a Canadian citizen that resides in Alberta in Crowsnest Pass on voting day. .Councillor Ward put forward the motion with the following comment: “In the last 10 years Northback and its predecessors have attempted to develop a coal mine to the north of our community. Many individuals, organizations and levels of government have expressed an opinion on whether the project should move forward or not and its time the residents of the Crowsnest Pass were taken into consideration on this issue.” It comes after years of controversy surrounding development rules on the Eastern Slopes. In 2020 former premier Jason Kenny attempted to lift a half-century old moratorium to allow mining in the Crowsnest, but was forced to rescind the policy in February of 2021 after opposition from environmental activists.However, existing mining permits were grandfathered and eligible to be reconsidered for government review by the Alberta Energy Regulator.The Grassy Mountain project sits on Category 4 land that was mined and abandoned, but never closed, over 60 years ago. Under the existing development proposals, it would produce about 4.5 million tonnes of high-grade steel making coal per year over 23 years..During the operations phase, the GMCP would employ approximately 400 direct workers and generate tens of millions of dollars annually in royalty payments and individual and corporate income taxes to the provincial and federal governments.For each coal job, there will be an additional three jobs in the trades, suppliers, and transportation, including the railway and ports in BC. In submissions, Northback says demand for metallurgical coal is expected to rise by more than 50% by 2050.Although it is opposed by high-profile activists, it enjoys broad support in the local community and industry associations like the Coal Association of Canada.The town of Pincher Creek believes the coal mine would be an economic driver for the entire region while municipality of Crowsnest Pass believes the project would provide essential tax relief and well paying jobs for residents.The region, one of the oldest in Alberta, is culturally defined by coal mining that has taken place for more than 100 years. Supporters say one need only look over the Continental Divide to Sparwood to see the positive impacts of coal development in British Columbia.“We believe that Northback’s Grassy Mountain coal project will be positive for the region, a depressed area in southwestern Alberta, which is a long-standing coal mining area in the province. The residents of the area want their children to stay in the area after they finish school, but there are no good jobs for them there, other than good coal jobs,” says Robin Campbell, president of the Coal Association of Canada and a former Alberta Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.
To dig, or not to dig.That’s the question that will be put to residents of the Crowsnest Pass, who will determine whether or not an Australian company should be allowed to develop the Grassy Mountain metallurgical coal mine near Blairmore.On Tuesday, councillors unanimously passed a motion authorizing a non-biding plebiscite on the matter, which will be put to a vote on November 25.According to a statement from the municipality, the question that will be asked on the ballot is “Do you support the development and operations of the metallurgical coal mine at Grassy Mountain.” Yes, or no.The Vote of the Electors process is similar to a plebiscite or referendum and is held in accordance with the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA). Crowsnest Pass resident who meet the criteria in Section 47 of the LAEA will be eligible to vote, which includes being at least 18 years old and being a Canadian citizen that resides in Alberta in Crowsnest Pass on voting day. .Councillor Ward put forward the motion with the following comment: “In the last 10 years Northback and its predecessors have attempted to develop a coal mine to the north of our community. Many individuals, organizations and levels of government have expressed an opinion on whether the project should move forward or not and its time the residents of the Crowsnest Pass were taken into consideration on this issue.” It comes after years of controversy surrounding development rules on the Eastern Slopes. In 2020 former premier Jason Kenny attempted to lift a half-century old moratorium to allow mining in the Crowsnest, but was forced to rescind the policy in February of 2021 after opposition from environmental activists.However, existing mining permits were grandfathered and eligible to be reconsidered for government review by the Alberta Energy Regulator.The Grassy Mountain project sits on Category 4 land that was mined and abandoned, but never closed, over 60 years ago. Under the existing development proposals, it would produce about 4.5 million tonnes of high-grade steel making coal per year over 23 years..During the operations phase, the GMCP would employ approximately 400 direct workers and generate tens of millions of dollars annually in royalty payments and individual and corporate income taxes to the provincial and federal governments.For each coal job, there will be an additional three jobs in the trades, suppliers, and transportation, including the railway and ports in BC. In submissions, Northback says demand for metallurgical coal is expected to rise by more than 50% by 2050.Although it is opposed by high-profile activists, it enjoys broad support in the local community and industry associations like the Coal Association of Canada.The town of Pincher Creek believes the coal mine would be an economic driver for the entire region while municipality of Crowsnest Pass believes the project would provide essential tax relief and well paying jobs for residents.The region, one of the oldest in Alberta, is culturally defined by coal mining that has taken place for more than 100 years. Supporters say one need only look over the Continental Divide to Sparwood to see the positive impacts of coal development in British Columbia.“We believe that Northback’s Grassy Mountain coal project will be positive for the region, a depressed area in southwestern Alberta, which is a long-standing coal mining area in the province. The residents of the area want their children to stay in the area after they finish school, but there are no good jobs for them there, other than good coal jobs,” says Robin Campbell, president of the Coal Association of Canada and a former Alberta Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.
