March 13, 2025
Treaty 7 | Mohkínstsis | Wîchîspa | Guts’ists’i

A trio of concerned Albertans have issued a challenge to Government of Alberta officials to publicly debate, and justify, their recent decisions and direction on coal, including the controversial lifting of the moratorium on coal mining in the Eastern Slopes. 

Country music singer-songwriter Corb Lund, CPAWS Southern Alberta Executive Director Katie Morrison, and President of the Livingstone Landowners Group, and former Coal Policy Committee member, Bill Trafford have banded together to challenge Premier Smith, Minister of Energy and Minerals Brian Jean, and Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz to a long-form, moderated debate on coal. 

Over the past five years, Albertans have voiced their displeasure with the government’s handling of the coal issue. In fact, polling – such as that recently done by the Pekisko Group of Ranchers and Livingstone Landowners Group – consistently shows that at least 70% of Albertans oppose new coal exploration or development in the Eastern Slopes, given the serious and long-term risks it poses to water quality and quantity, as well as human health.  

Despite this clear mandate, the Government of Alberta has plowed ahead with a new Coal Industry Modernization Initiative, which not only allows new coal mining in the Eastern Slopes but exclusively consults with industry. Albertans will not be engaged on the new initiative. 

“The rationale for the Government of Alberta’s decision to time and again ignore the wishes of the vast majority of Albertans is completely and utterly unclear. They’ve stated that they want to ‘listen to Albertans,’ but it seems our message is falling on deaf ears. They owe it to Albertans to be accountable and transparent, and that’s why we’ve issued this challenge,” says Katie Morrison. 

Read their open debate letter in full by clicking here.

For further information please contact: 

Katie Morrison | Executive Director, CPAWS Southern Alberta 
kmorrison@cpaws.org