Dear Editor,
I was not at all surprised to find a friend from Okotoks in the community hall in Nanton on Nov. 5.
I carpooled down with a few other Calgarians to hear country singer Corb Lund, third generation rancher John Smith, a toxicologist, a former member of Peter Lougheed’s government and a member of the UCP-appointed Coal Policy Committee.
Hosted by the Chinook Watershed Crew and the Pekisko Group, they spoke loud and clear to an audience of 400 people about the risks that new coal mines in southern Alberta would present for our land, water, communities and our agricultural industry.
The Grassy Mountain project was turned down in 2021 by a joint federal-provincial review panel. Why Energy Minister Brian Jean resurrected this proposal on behalf of the Australian billionaire Gina Reinhart is a mystery.
The MD of Ranchlands as well as local ranchers are fighting this on the legal front, but they should not stand alone. Who else in Alberta has their back? Well, it was obvious to me from the meeting that the number of allies is growing.
I’m a lifelong Albertan, and I’m proud to stand on the side of these steadfast rural neighbours on the front lines of protecting our beautiful mountains and the life-giving rivers that flow out of them.
Roger Gagne
Calgary