Coal, Culture, and Conflict - Grassy Mountain Coal Project in #CrowsnestPass Documentary
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Summary
A region rich in history, beauty and natural resources. For generations, the people of this valley have depended on the land around them first through coal mining, and today through a blend of tourism, outdoor recreation and a deep connection to their environment. But now, the proposed Grassy Mountain Coal Project has reignited a debate in the heart of this community: Is coal mining the key to economic revival, or a dangerous gamble with our future?
Transcript
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Crowsness Pass, Alberta. A region rich in history, beauty and natural resources. For generations,
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the people of this valley have depended on the land around them. First through coal mining,
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and today through a blend of tourism, outdoor recreation and a deep connection to their
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environment. But now, the proposed Grassy Mountain Coal Project has reignited a debate in the heart of
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this community. Is coal mining the key to economic revival, or a dangerous gamble with our future?
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Crowsness Pass has a long and storied history of coal mining. It built the foundations of this
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community, putting food on the table for many families. The coal mines were once the lifeblood
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of the economy. But after the last mine closed in 1983, the region began to shift.
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I am proud to say I'm a coal miner's daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter. I grew
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up in the Crowsness Pass, which was formed by coal. So as you can imagine, I am very much in favour
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of the coal mine going. I would not be standing here supporting it if I thought for one second my
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home was going to be damaged. So I'm very passionate about this.
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Crowsness Pass is a historic mountain pass located in southwestern Alberta, near the border with British
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Columbia. It has long been a key corridor for transportation, first used by the Indigenous peoples,
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and later by European fur traders and settlers. The pass became especially important in the late
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19th and earliest centuries, with the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1898, which opened the
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region to mining and other industries. The area around Crowsness Pass is rich in natural resources,
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particularly coal, and became a hub for coal mining. Towns like Blairmore, Coleman, and Bellevue
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grew up around the mines, creating a vibrant and diverse community. One of the most significant
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events in the Crowsness Pass history was the Frank Slide, which occurred on April 29, 1903.
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The disaster happened when 110 million tonnes of limestone broke off from Turtle Mountain and buried
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part of the town of Frank in the deadliest rock slide in Canadian history.
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It covered the town in a massive debris field, killing an estimated 90 people. The cause of the
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slide was a combination of geological instability, mining and water infiltration that weakened the
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mountain structure. The town of Frank never fully recovered from the disaster, but the event is a major
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part of the region's history and legacy. The legacy of mining and the resilience of the local communities
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remained strong in this area, making Crowsness Pass a site of both historical significance and ongoing
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environmental and economic discussions. Today, this area survives on a different kind of wealth,
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natural beauty and tourism. Residents of the pass say it's challenging to make a living locally,
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often requiring them to travel long distances far from their families to earn an income.
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For locals, you'd be straight off the bat, there'd be an influx of guys and girls that work in
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Sparwood North coming back to Alberta, so there'd be less travel. That'd be way better family life,
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increased local economy, local businesses. It'd be definitely, definitely good, good for locals.
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The Crowsness Pass has had its ups and downs. The biggest change, we've had industry, we've lost
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industries, so we had peaks and valleys over the last quite a few years. Right as of now, we're reliant
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on residential taxes because we really don't have no industries left here now. The Crowsness Pass area
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faces numerous social challenges. Despite its natural beauty, the region has experienced a significant
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decline in its historic infrastructure, with many buildings and town centres in need of restoration
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to regain their former glory. Many residents believe that with an ageing population, it's vital to
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create accessible job opportunities to help young people stay, work and thrive in the community.
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It wasn't that long ago that the population of the Crowsness Pass was substantially larger than it is now.
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And they had, you know, a couple of coal mines or the guys drive out to BC to work the mines there.
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You had the Devon gas plant, you know, and there was, you know, a couple hundred jobs. Then, you know,
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like Atlas Lumber and Burma had a sawmill and then Cowley Forest Products. You know, there was all of these
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local sawmills. But then as legislation changes and how just the world has went, all the local sawmills have
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been bought up. So now we don't really produce anything. The Grassy Mountain Coal Project proposed
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by Northback Resources, an Australian owned company, aims to access the coal rich seams of this long
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neglected mining site. The company pledges to create jobs, boost economic growth and implement
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a comprehensive reclamation plan to restore the mountain to its former aesthetic beauty.
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Grassy as you probably know it and Grassy as I want it to be. And we saw what happened through the
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GRP. And there's a lot of good information in that report about what Riversdale could have done better,
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particularly selenium and water and fish. And so as we started looking at the old design,
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Grassy Mountain, it's a really unique project because it's already a mined area. This is an
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area that was mined for decades, and it's been left for the last 60 years. And it's been left
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unreclaimed. So as you can see behind me here, this is an area that what we'd like to do is go in,
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we'd like to re-mine it, and then we'd like to reclaim it. And we can start with progressive
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reclamation. And then of course, when the project's all done, it'll be fully reclaimed.
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So when it comes to the type of mining that we're doing here in the area,
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it would be open pit mining. It's a common misconception that we'd be removing the tops
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of mountains. Mountaintop removal mining is not allowed in the province of Alberta. And it's
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different than underground mining of the past. This is open pit mining. And as you can see,
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we follow the coal seam, which you can see behind me actually, because of the exposed former mining area.
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We want to design a way to earn the trust of Albertans about how we manage water and dust
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and selenium and fish. So this area was actually formerly mined. And then throughout the years,
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it's just been collecting surface water. And so that's where it is. So it's quite a deep area. And
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this pit has collected water. And if we do get approval, then this is some of the water that we'd
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be able to use. We're doing what's called habitat banking. And so we're looking at ways of extending
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the habitat, protecting the habitat. And that's at the forefront. And so, as you guys would know,
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there's a ridge that runs up the middle of the deposit. And one side drains to Gold Creek,
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one side drains to Blairmore. And so that gives you the opportunity to protect Gold Creek and
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and protect Blairmore, but ensure that you are not doing anything to harm Gold Creek.
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And selenium is a big capital S word. And that's where you really have to put a lot of it in mind.
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What you're doing, what you're doing to eliminate that, there's no problem. We're not in Saskatchewan,
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we're right there closer to the situation. So I applaud the work and the studies you're doing.
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Find a solution, but you've got my hope. So when it comes to selenium, then there are
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different levels. We are waiting to hear what the federal regulations would be for selenium. But
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in municipal drinking water, it's around 50 parts per billion. And we expect that we would have to have
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selenium levels below about 10, about 10 parts per billion or perhaps below that prior to releasing
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water. So when it comes to selenium, we have to capture, test, treat, if necessary, the selenium
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before it can be released to its natural environment. What makes coal so essential? And why is the Grassy
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Mountain Project so important? Metallurgical coal, unlike thermal coal used mainly for power generation,
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is a key ingredient in producing high grade steel. The Grassy Mountain Project aims to supply the
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crucial resource to global markets, positioning itself as a leading player in the industry while
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contributing to regional economic growth. So Northback is looking to develop the Grassy Mountain
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Project, which is a steel making coal project. This is very different than other types of coal mining of
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the past. This is, it's not thermal coal, it's metallurgical coal, which is used to make steel. And
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currently metallurgical coal, it makes about 70% of the world's steel. So steel has great recycling
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properties. Steel using metallurgical coal is created in a blast furnace, and that's what creates about 70%
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of the world's steel at this time. It takes about 770 kilos to make one ton of steel. But there is still
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another way to make steel using an electric arc furnace, but that's predominantly used to make
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recycled steel. Opposition groups argue that steel market projections for the Grassy Mountain Project
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are misleading. But let's consider, what is steel really used for? Massive industrial wind projects,
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both onshore and offshore, depend heavily on steel. Add to that bridges, ships, trains,
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high rises, and you can see how urbanization drives demand. As cities expand and infrastructure grows,
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so does the need for steel, making the Grassy Mountain Project an essential piece of that puzzle.
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So sure, if people stop building cities and wind farms, maybe the demand for steel will decrease.
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I'm Carmen Linderman, and our organization is Citizen Supportive of Prosness Coal.
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After the coal policy's decision to stop all coal mining and exploration, people started losing their
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jobs. So citizens came together and we made Citizen Supportive of Prosness Coal. It's a non-profit
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organization that supports the responsible mining of our resources here in the past, which is metallurgical
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coal. So Met Coal is used for making steel, which we use in everything from wheelchairs to trucks. And
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it'll also be used for making all the windmills and solar panels. So the need for Met Coal isn't going
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anywhere anytime soon. The demand for steel is expected to increase, according to some studies,
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and that's something that we would like to extract responsibly here at Grassy Mountain. It's available,
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we can do it responsibly, and then we can reclaim this land that has been left unreclaimed.
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So we have an absolute inside track on what their requirements are going to be in Japan and Korea
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It's clear that both within the community and beyond there is significant opposition to the
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Grassy Mountain project. In summary, the Municipal District of Ranchland submitted the following
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statement to the Alberta Energy Regulator. Based on the AER's previous findings regarding global demand
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for steel-making coal, Northback's claim that global demand for seaborne metallurgical coal
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will remain strong for decades, should be approached with caution. Therefore, the MD urges the AER to
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dismiss these assertions. Opposition groups such as the Livingstone Land Owners Group are also vocal
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about their concerns. According to their website, their mission is to advocate for responsible planning,
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use, and protection of the ecological sensitive land and water resources in southwest Alberta.
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Their website states strong opposition to mountaintop mining, wind turbine projects,
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and transmission lines. Many residents and groups in Alberta have expressed concerns about mountaintop
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removal and its impact on the landscape and future developments. However, the Alberta Energy Regulator
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confirms that mountaintop removal is not a practice used in Alberta. Mountaintop removal is a method that
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removes the top of a mountain to expose the coal seams. It results in a relatively flat landscape
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where the summit of a mountain existed. The discussion doesn't stop there. Territorial and
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treaty rights have taken center stage in this debate. Recently, the Sisika Nation and the Kainine Blood Tribe
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have raised issues regarding potential impacts on water sources, air quality, and the local ecosystem.
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According to submissions made to the AER, the Kainine Blood Tribe concluded that the project
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substantial negative impact on surface water quality and the West Slope Cutthroat Trout outweighs the
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project's moderate economic benefits. The Sisika Nation also determined that the project is not in
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the public interest. In making this decision, they acknowledged that the expected jobs, associated
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spending, and economic benefits for the region will not materialize. It's important to highlight that
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the Pekani Nation, part of the broader group of Blackfoot-speaking First Nations, has more at stake than
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any other community or First Nations impacted by the project. The Pekani Nation offered valuable
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insight into the economic challenges facing their community. The nation is continuously striving to
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break the cycle of poverty and dependency to become economically self-efficient. Key strategy for
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achieving this is by utilizing the land and resources within Pekani Territory to improve the community's
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health, education, and social and economic conditions. The Pekani Nation supports the project because it will
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provide much-needed employment opportunities to its members who face high unemployment and limited job
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prospects on the reserve. Northback has already made investments and continues to show a willingness to
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invest in the Pekani Nation. This project offers a unique chance for the community and its members to benefit
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economically from the resources in the territory and gain access to employment and training opportunities.
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Therefore, the Pekani Nation submits that the applications should be approved.
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As the debate over coal mining in the Crow's Nest Pass continues, it's clear there are economic benefits
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for the region. For generations, the people of the pass have relied on natural resource development
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to sustain their families and communities. The Grassy Mountain Project promises not only jobs,
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but a future that could revive the local economy, bring back prosperity, and address long overdue reclamation
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efforts. The community right now has got a lot to offer as it is. I mean, we've got good recreation
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areas and good whatever, but we don't have good paying jobs. I mean, it would bring them good paying jobs right
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to our community. Well, I think from a local perspective, many of the people here work in the
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coal mines and they understand coal mining because we've been doing it for so long and many, many families
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work on the BC side of the border. However, the concerns they would have, of course, would be for the
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environment and for the water. But we know that it could be mitigated. But I mean, our kids, our families,
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we swim in the rivers, we fish, we hike, we mountain bike. That's why we live here. So that's certainly
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a concern. But I think it's not as much a concern when you start thinking of things like dust,
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dust control, noise control, sort of the general impact of the busyness and all that. So I think
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people are cautious about that. And optically, they want to ensure that the beauty stays in the
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closest past. Coal mining today is not what it was decades ago. Advances in technology,
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strict environmental regulations and corporate responsibility have all changed the industry.
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As the world continues to demand steel for essential infrastructure, from wind turbines
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to urban centres, projects like this could play a pivotal role in meeting that need while supporting
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communities like the Crow's Nest Pass. Now we're environmentally responsible, where before the big
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thing was, okay, let's get the coal, let's get out and who cares what things look like.
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Just because we support coal mining doesn't mean that we support the destruction of the environment.
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A future where economic growth and environmental stewardship coexists may seem unattainable to extreme
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opposition groups. However, there's a clear hypocrisy in the situation. Many of the same organizations
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outside the community opposing the project are also advocating for increased wind and solar energy
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development. As we've established, one cannot coexist without the other. Both require significant
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industrial resources like steel, often sourced from projects like this. The question remains,
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will the public support this project and recognize that Alberta's resource development is essential for
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future growth? Or will we let the past determine the future of the Crow's Nest Pass community?