Piikani Nation group opposes proposed Grassy Mountain coal mine

Somya Lohia
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A group of Piikani Nation members have voiced their opposition to the proposed metallurgical coal mine at Grassy Mountain following Crowsnest Pass municipal council’s decision to hold a vote on the issue. This decision has galvanized community members, emphasizing their commitment to protecting their ancestral lands.

Adam North Peigan, chairman of the Mountain Child Valley Society, explained the depth of this opposition in an interview with Shootin’ the Breeze.

“The Crowsnest Pass and Grassy Mountain are within our Piikani First Nation ancestral lands. Traditionally and historically, the area in question was a part of our gathering place,” he said.

“It was a place where we had ceremonies and picked our medicinal herbs. As stewards of the land, we have a responsibility to protect our territory.”

The Mountain Child Valley Society, a group for Piikani Nation members, has long engaged in advocacy against coal exploration in the region.

“This particular issue with Grassy Mountain has been ongoing for quite some time,” North Peigan noted.

A few years ago, the society embarked on an aggressive campaign to oppose any coal exploration in the Crowsnest Pass.

“We had an aggressive lobbying strategy against the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta,” North Peigan explained.

At that time, a federal and provincial joint review panel ruled against the proposed coal exploration, leading to the Canadian government withholding permits. The Alberta Court of Appeal also ruled in their favour, providing a temporary victory for members of the Mountain Child Valley Society, he said.

However, the situation has re-emerged.

“After we successfully shut down the previous coal mining proposal, we thought the issue would go away,” North Peifan said. “But what has happened is Benga Mining Ltd. has rebranded themselves as Northback Holdings to continue to push their way into our ancestral territory and desecrate it.”

“So we have a lot of concerns coming from the members of the Piikani First Nation that we are continuing to oppose it, contrary to the elected leadership, Piikani Nation chief and council, who are supporting coal mining in the Crowsnest Pass,” he explained.

North Peigan also expressed frustration with the consultation process surrounding the coal mining project.

“Consultation has primarily been with the chief and the council, excluding the broader membership of the Piikani Nation,” he said.

“We feel that consultation not only needs to be done with the chief and the council, but they also need to be done with the members themselves.”

Although Northback Holdings attempted to hold consultation meetings in the community, North Peigan said they were poorly attended due to the widespread opposition among the Piikani people.

When asked if the chief and council had discussed the mining proposal with the community before giving their approval, North Peigan replied, “No, they did not. There has been very, very limited discussion with the members. It is our opinion that the members have really been excluded from this process.

“We need to be able to give a voice to the members, and we would like to see this come to a referendum within the community because it is such an important issue that will affect us for many generations to come.”

He also pointed to frustration among non-residents of Crowsnest Pass over the council decision to include only residents of the municipality in the voting process.

“I would very much support some sort of referendum right across southern Alberta — like in the municipalities of Pincher Creek, Fort Macleod and even Lethbridge — as well as among the landowners and ranchers living along Highway 22, the Cowboy Trail,” he said.

“Everyone should have a say in whether they oppose or support it, including the members of the Piikani First Nation. We are the closest First Nation in proximity to Grassy Mountain.”

North Peigan said the Mountain Child Valley Society had previously written numerous letters to their leadership and the governments of Canada and Alberta to express the group’s opposition. They also held a public rally about 2½ years ago, which he said demonstrated the community’s solidarity against coal exploration.

Looking ahead, he indicated that they are gathering community support and developing strategies to express their views on the coal mining issue.

“We haven’t formally sat down to make a plan yet, but we’re hoping to put something together in the next couple of weeks,” North Peigan said.

He further elaborated on potential environmental implications of the proposed coal mine: “There are concerns about selenium leaking into our watershed, which would pollute the waterways that run through our community. The coal dust from exploration could create a toxic environment.”

The opposition to this proposal is not just for the present but for future generations, he said.

“We are not only doing this for today; we are doing this for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” he emphasized. “It is a situation where we really need to protect our ancestral lands for many generations to come.”

The chief and the councillors of Piikani Nation were unavailable to comment.

Somya Lohia
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Shootin’ the Breeze