The battle over coal mining in Alberta’s eastern slopes intensified yesterday as roughly 150 protesters gathered outside the McDougall Centre in Calgary. Despite near-freezing temperatures, the crowd voiced their opposition to the provincial government’s recent approval of the Grassy Mountain coal project near Crowsnest Pass.
I’ve covered resource development issues across Alberta for over a decade, but the passion displayed by this diverse group of protesters—ranging from ranchers to Indigenous elders to environmental activists—stood out even to this veteran journalist.
“This isn’t just about one mine. This is about protecting our water, our mountains, and our way of life,” said Sarah Pearson, a third-generation rancher who drove three hours from her property near Pincher Creek to attend the rally.
The Alberta Energy Regulator’s decision to greenlight the Australian-owned Benga Mining’s project comes after years of controversy and an earlier rejection of the same proposal. The mine would extract about 4.5 million tonnes of metallurgical coal annually over a 23-year lifespan.
Having reported on southern Alberta’s water concerns for years, I couldn’t help but notice how prominently water quality featured in protesters’ concerns. Many carried signs with slogans like “Coal = Contaminated Water” and “Protect Our Watersheds.”
“The selenium that leaches from these mines doesn’t just disappear,” explained Dr. Lorne Fitch, a retired provincial biologist who attended the protest. “It bioaccumulates in the ecosystem, threatening native trout populations and potentially contaminating drinking water sources for communities downstream.”
The Oldman River watershed, which would be directly impacted by the mine, supplies water to over 220,000 southern Albertans, including the cities of Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.
Indigenous leaders from nearby First Nations also joined the protest, emphasizing their deep connections to the land and water. Elder Joe Crowshoe from the Piikani Nation performed a traditional blessing ceremony before addressing the crowd.
“These mountains have sustained our people since time immemorial,” Crowshoe said. “The government made promises to consult with us meaningfully. Those promises have been broken.”
The provincial government defends the project as an economic necessity for the region. Energy Minister Brian Jean issued a statement yesterday claiming the mine would create approximately 400 direct jobs and contribute $1.7 billion in provincial royalties and taxes over its lifetime.
However, many economists question these projections. University of Calgary resource economist Jennifer Winter, who wasn’t at the protest but whose research I’ve followed closely, has previously cautioned that coal royalties often fall short of government projections when market conditions change.
Laura Laing, a rancher and spokesperson for the Livingstone Landowners Group, emphasized that the economic argument ignores the sustainable industries already dependent on clean water.
“Agriculture, tourism, and recreation in this region generate billions annually and support thousands of jobs,” Laing told me after her speech to the crowd. “Why risk these sustainable industries for a finite resource extraction project with questionable economics?”
The protest remained peaceful throughout, though tensions rose briefly when a small counter-protest of about 20 mining supporters arrived. Calgary police maintained separation between the groups, and no incidents were reported.
This isn’t the first time Albertans have mobilized against coal development in the eastern slopes. In 2021, widespread public opposition forced the government to reinstate the 1976 Coal Policy that protected these sensitive areas from open-pit mining.
Katie Morrison, Executive Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s southern Alberta chapter, believes the current situation mirrors that earlier controversy.
“Albertans have already spoken clearly on this issue,” Morrison said as protesters began dispersing. “Over 90% of Albertans opposed coal mining in the eastern slopes during the government’s own consultation process. This approval ignores the will of Albertans.”
Having covered countless resource development conflicts, I’ve observed that protests alone rarely change policy directions. However, they can galvanize public attention and create political pressure. The upcoming federal environmental assessment of the project will likely be the next major battleground in this ongoing dispute.
As southern Alberta’s communities grapple with increasing water scarcity due to climate change, the debate over whether to prioritize short-term resource extraction or long-term watershed protection will only intensify. Yesterday’s protest represents just one chapter in what promises to be a prolonged struggle over the future of Alberta’s eastern slopes.
