Northback hopeful to deliver on a promising mine

By Lethbridge Herald on March 17, 2026.

Editor,

Alberta has always been a province that builds, and Northback wants to continue that legacy.

Alberta proudly embraces its natural resource sector. From crude oil to natural gas, wheat, canola, forest products, beef and more, Alberta has an impressive history of producing natural resources and supplying them to Canada and the world. It is one of the reasons Alberta has been able to flourish and create an economy that is the envy of the world.

Particularly, coal is embedded in the history of many Alberta municipalities, including Edmonton, Grand Cache, Hinton, Lethbridge, Canmore and of course, the Crowsnest Pass. Coal mines were an early source of wealth and opportunity for Albertans. While other resource industries This has since changed—and while the commodity’s importance hasn’t waned, steelmaking coal in Alberta—unlike British Columbia— isn’t produced in significant volumes.

Northback would like to change this by investing in Grassy Mountain— an over 60-year-old underclaimed mine and develop it into a modern, high quality steelmaking coal mine. The world needs and wants steelmaking coal, The European Union has designated the commodity a strategic mineral, and the United States, a critical one. With steel demand expect to grow, and with over 70% of world steel production utilizing steelmaking coal, Grassy Mountain provides Alberta an opportunity for its steelmaking coal resource to join its already impressive list of exports to the world.

Northback also knows that building a project is more than just producing a commodity to meet world demand, it is also about producing a project locals can support. Northback is proud to say that Grassy Mountain has exceptional local support— in a November 2024 referendum, 72% of residents in the Crowsnest pass voted in support to develop the project, they understand the benefits that Grassy Mountain would bring to the region, benefits like hundreds of permanent jobs, and hundreds of millions of dollars investment and payments to government from the mine, this is in addition to the over $150 million Northback has already spent in the region.

Northback is committed to the region, our staff live and work in the Crowsnest Pass, and we want to remain there for the long term. Northback is also prioritized reaching out and speaking to Albertans downstream of the project—and delivering a revised mine plan to the regulator that Albertans can support. It is why Northback has developed a revised mine plan influenced by feedback received on our previous application. Revisions such as a reduced mine footprint of 40%, no mined rock placements in the Gold Creek water shed to reduce risk to the endemic gold creek cutthroat trout, no water drawn from creeks and rivers, and a robust, layered water management strategy, that will utilize modern, best-practice technology, like a water treatment plant. This strategy that will be implemented from day one of operations and will ensure water downstream is safe for all that use it.

Northback, and I believe that Grassy Mountain is a project that Albertans should be hopeful to see built. It is another example of Alberta industry marrying best in class technology, engineering and gumption to responsibly produce a commodity the world needs. My hope is you can support the regulatory process and, in the end, we can deliver a project that like so many others, Albertans can be proud of.

Mike Young, CEO Northback

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