As the Water Not Coal citizen initiative enters its final week, country music singer-songwriter and rancher Corb Lund joined the Daveberta Podcast to explain why it’s important for Albertans to sign the petition to block new coal mining projects, like Grassy Mountain, from opening in the Eastern Slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Ranchers, farmers, landowners, residents of communities downstream of the Eastern Slopes, and Albertans across the province are concerned about the impact of large industrial coal mines on the fresh water that flows from the Rocky Mountains.
The Water Not Coal campaign needs to submit more than 177,732 signatures to Elections Alberta in order to force the Alberta government to respond to the following statement through a vote by MLAs in the Legislature or a province-wide referendum:
“The Government of Alberta shall prohibit through legislation all coal exploration and mining activities within the Eastern Slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, other than mines that are in actual production as of January 1, 2026. For clarity, this prohibition includes Northback Holdings’ Grassy Mountain Project and Valory Resources’ Blackstone Project as well as any projects to expand any producing mines.”
This is a continuation of a heated political battle sparked six years ago when the United Conservative Party government of Premier Jason Kenney decided to rescind a 1976 policy restricting open-pit mines across most of the province's Rocky Mountains and Foothills. The decision faced widespread opposition, especially in southwest Alberta.
The government partially backtracked, kind of, but Premier Danielle Smith appears eager to move forward with Northback Holdings Corp’s Grassy Mountain coal mining project anyway.
Northback is a subsidiary of Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd owned by Australian billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart.
According to a poll released by Leger in February 2025, 77 per cent of Albertans were concerned about possible selenium contamination in the watershed, and 70 per cent were concerned with coal dust carrying downwind from the mine sites. Only 23 per cent of Albertans surveyed said they supported coal exploration for mining in the eastern slopes, and 27 per cent believe the economic impacts outweighed the environmental risks.
If you haven’t already, visit the Water Not Coal website to find a location to sign the petition. The campaign will be be collecting signatures until the end of this week and submitting the petition to Elections Alberta on June 10, 2026.
Thanks for listening
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Dave
This is my Prairie
As part of this fight against new coal mines in Alberta’s Eastern Slopes, Lund re-released his hit song “This is my Prairie” a few years ago along with Brett Kissel, Terri Clark, Sherryl Sewepagaham, Paul Brandt, Armond Duck Chief, Katie Rox and Brandi Sidoryk. It’s a really powerful song, so take a listen and enjoy.
