Proposed coal policy sparks concerns for Piikani Nation
By Lethbridge Herald on December 27, 2024.
Alexandra Noad – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The UCP government’s plan regarding coal mining in Alberta has sparked concerns among the Piikani Nation.
Chief Troy Knowlton of the Piikani Nation came out with a statement earlier this month in favour of testing of the mine to see if it was still viable.
Knowlton says he supported the testing in hopes it would prove the mine had exhausted all of its resources in the 50 years it was open.
“I figured if they do the testing and they’ve exhausted a lot of the coal that was there, then it may not be a viable project and it would be a moot point.”
Knowlton adds this policy is another example of how the concerns of Blackfoot people are often disregarded.
“Our concerns have never been validated or even listened to in the past,” he says.
An example of this is the damming of the Oldman River, which was completed in 1991. When the building of the dam was announced in 1984, many members of the then-Peigan Nation protested against the dam, as the band is located directly downstream from the dam and were concerned for the well-being of their land.
Since the building of the dam, Knowlton recalls how much it has affected the nation and its way of life, saying the changes have been catastrophic.
Some of these changes include the lack of overbank flooding, which has impacted the germination of plants such as the narrowleaf cottonwood trees which are now considered at risk. Also, many fish and animals such as beavers, which have significant meaning to the Blackfoot people, have migrated off of the reserve due to the temperatures and velocity of currents of the river, which has also made the river unsafe for the Nation and has caused a number of deaths.
Knowlton says the dam has also impacted Blackfoot history and places which were used for ceremony for centuries.
“With the black flow of where the Oldman River reservoir is, it covered so much of our history,” says Knowlton. “Through that area there was artifacts and special places and ceremonial areas.”
Knowlton describes the effects of the dam as a “cultural genocide” and adds that history is bound to repeat itself with the Grassy Mountain Coal Mine.
“The province of Alberta built that dam, regardless of what the protests were, and Friday’s announcement leads me to see and believe that it’s almost imminent this coal mine is going to go, just because of the changing landscape within the Government of Alberta and how their reclassification and amendments to the policy it seems like it’s going to go anyway.”
He says it begs the question: even if the tribe were to protest against the mine and make a referendum, would it make a difference if the province has already made the decision of wanting to go through with it, given past experiences of the Alberta Government disregarding their voice in the past?
As chief, Knowlton has taken time to listen to elders and others of the nation, and says there are many different stances on the coal mine. But he believes all voices should be heard.
“I have visited a lot of people in the community and when the conversation comes up, it’s a mix of support, non-support and undecided up there,” said Knowlton. “So give those people who do support it, give those who are undecided and give those who are against it, give them a proper voice and perhaps have a vote out there.”
While Knowlton is worried about the contaminants, he understands technology has come a long way since the mine was open.
One of his biggest worries is the state of the Grassy Mountain Mine if the proposal doesn’t go through, because despite the image the name conjures up, it’s not a beautiful sight.
“My bigger concern is if it does not go through and it’s not approved, perhaps maybe part of the argument today should be on that reclamation because it’s not a grassy mountain,” says Knowlton. “They give it the perception its beautiful, the grass is growing, the birds and butterflies are there and, in the distance, you could see animals, but instead it’s an open pit with debris and heavy equipment garbage which was left behind when it was abandoned,”
Knowlton adds he is worried about the contaminates in the dust, which will continue to blow if nothing is done, which will accumulate in nearby lakes and rivers including Gold Creek located in the Crowsnest Pass, which connects to the Oldman River reservoir.
With recent talk about reconciliation, Knowlton recognizes while some people have done their part in advocating for Indigenous people, he believes both the federal and provincial governments tend to treat the term as a catchphrase. The lack of communication from the provincial government with the changing of the coal policy is proof of that.
“In this era of reconciliation, it’s pretty hard to see from a First Nation’s viewpoint, how this reconciliation is going to benefit us,” he says.
As part of the Government of Alberta’s Policy on Consultation with First Nations on Land and Natural Resource Management, Knowlton is hoping the Government of Alberta will honour the Piikani Nation and the traditional Blackfoot Territory on which Grassy Mountain Coal Mine is located.
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The Grassy Mountain mine should be prevented from becoming operational. It just doesn’t make sense in a time when we are cutting back coal use, closed all our coal powered generator stations and reducing emissions.
After saying that, I am not sure about the coal dust impacting us. I remember when the mines in the Pass, Michel and Natal by Sparwood saw coal dust cover everything and when you drove through the area heading to Fernie and other parts of BC your vehicle got covered in coal dust. All the buildings were covered in black coal dust in the area and the dust when into the Crowsnest river which ends up in the Oldman river. Back then we didn’t have the water treatment facilities we now have, and we didn’t all die from the water we drank from the river.
I do not agree with this mine opening, and I know it will turn into a billion dollar lawsuit if it is shutdown by the government, but let us try to use some common sense. There are other ways we can shut this down, without the government shutting it down, causing a lawsuit, which the taxpayer will be on the hook for!
There are ways to stop this! Someone stated there are already $15 billion in lawsuits against the province for shutting down other coal projects, and this mine has been in the works for about ten years, moving the golf course in Coleman to make room for railroad tracks which would transport coal, several years ago. I haven’t confirmed the current lawsuits, but this one would be large.
I don’t know how to feel about a lawsuit. It is moral hazzard to allow governments to put us in this position. If a government swings a deal outside of due process (transparency, environmental assessment, etc), they should be held to account. The UCP did the same thing with the $billion+ pipeline to nowhere debacle. We can’t allow governments to swing secret deals and leave the taxpayer on the line.
….just more indication of how this UCP government is continuing to cut swaths of damage across this province. For many of us us born and raised Albertans, this is certainly not the province of our childhood anymore.