Province bends over backwards for Northback, not Albertans
By Lethbridge Herald on June 28, 2025.
Editor,
I was appalled at Danielle Smith’s presentation at the Fort Macleod Town Hall the other week. She just doesn’t get it. She implied that the Northbank Mine must go ahead as otherwise if rejected, it would deter all future mining in the province.
She stated that the future prosperity of Alberta included mines extracting many needed minerals. She doesn’t get it. The opposition to Northback isn’t a general opposition to mining per se. It is opposition to a specific mine that threatens the quantity and quality of our most important and dwindling resource: water!
Oh yes, Brian Jean promises that the “modern” mining techniques proposed by Northback will ensure that toxins including selenium will not be released. Rebecca Shultz promises that water contaminants will be strictly monitored. But what will that help if levels reach toxic levels? Northbank will be fined, she says! Won’t that be too late?
If Northback can’t contain the toxins, they will pack up and go back to Australia and leave the taxpayer with a serious problem. Let’s have a rigorous scientific peer review of this “modern” mining method.
And once again these multi-billion-dollar lawsuits are brought as a need to let the projects proceed. These lawsuits are based on the projected profit the companies would have earned should the mines have proceeded.
However, legal opinion is that such lawsuits would never succeed. At best, the taxpayers would be liable for the amount the companies invested to this day.
So why then is Northback allowed to proceed in continuing their investment when this will increase the taxpayer’s liability when the project is finally shut down by the next government?
And why is Nathan Neudorf not representing the concerns of the citizens of East Lethbridge who elected him? Why was he not at the Town Hall in Fort Macleod? Why was he not at the Panel Discussion hosted by SACPA with panelists representing legal, environmental, industrial and Indigenous concerns attended by more than 200 citizens?
Minister Neudorf just forwards the multitude of letters he receives opposing the mine to Brian Jean, who then responds with a form letter that does not even address any of the specific concerns brought forth.
If Minister Neudorf can’t represent the constituents of Lethbridge East while in caucus, he should either declare himself as an independent, cross the floor or resign as several honest UCP MLAs have already done so!
Mark Goettel
Lethbridge
14-13
Agreed….this lifting of the moratorium on open pit coal mining by the UCP is solely, based on the threat of lawsuits by the big coal companies re: the threat of shutting down all coal mining in Alberta.
What part of the devastating effects to land, water, and wildlife, and it’s cost, not be understood? Most Albertans do not want any kind of coal mining anymore, at all. It’s not a big revenue creator, since money, does talk.
Pay these companies out…it’s a hard lesson learned to not let them start with it in the first place. Trust the UCP to screw it up….they do not deserve our votes.
Even Reformer Stephen Harper was smart enough to convert the burning of coal for making power to the much cleaner Natural Gas and of course the mindless seniors blamed it all on Notley and Trudeau and still do.
Finally after years of pointing out to Albertans us true conservatives are being listened to and you are seeing how dangerous these Reform Party fools are to the well-being of the people. Why has it taken you so long to get it? Being screwed out of $1.2 trillion when we knew Alaskans and Norwegians weren’t was just plain stupid.
The former Social Credit and Conservative MLAs I knew certainly knew it and Peter Lougheed knew it also. They were furious with the people for electing them. There is no way any of them should have been elected, but look at the idiotic comments we still get from these fools who are so stupid they don’t get. Maybe lawyers are right we should start suing them on behalf of our children for the horrible mess they have put them in, what do you think ?
learning to live with out enough water is tough, but doable. simple recipe:
one large bag of brazil nuts, blend, drink.
Why? Because the premier governs ONLY for those who support her. She has stated this publicly. Moreover, the bobble-headed sycophants in her cabinet are on a short leash and appear to be more concerned with protecting their pensions than actually representing their constituents.