A resident walks his dog past a polling station as the town voted Monday in a plebiscite on whether to support a new coal mine near Crowsnest Pass, Alta. Just more than 70 per cent of those who cast a ballot, or 1,951 residents, voted in favour. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Crowsnest Pass residents voted decisively Monday in favour of bringing coal back, with more than 70 per cent of voters saying they’d support a nearby coal project.

Though the vote is non-binding, Crowsnest Pass councillors say the vote in support will guide them in the months ahead as they lobby decision-makers to advance the proposed coking coal mine at Grassy Mountain.

“The Crowsnest Pass has made a decisive decision and as mayor and council we will take your position forward to the upper levels of government and through the regulatory process,” Crowsnest Pass Mayor Blair Painter told The Canadian Press late Monday.

“This vote was about hearing from and getting direction from our electorate. It is about hearing from the people living here and finding out once and for all, without all the other outside voices, what the people of this community want.”

The turnout of eligible voters was 53.6 per cent, compared to just 38.5 per cent in the last civic election.

The proposed mine in southwestern Alberta is spearheaded by Northback Holdings (formerly known as Riversdale Resources and Benga Mining). It’s the latest incarnation of a number of corporate entities tied to Australian parent company Hancock Prospecting.

A resident shovels snow near a sign supporting coal mining on the day the community voted in a plebiscite on whether to support a new coal mine. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

High River sends letter to Alberta premier

Although the feelings of the residents of the historic mining community are now clear, some Alberta towns want their views to be considered, too.

On Monday, council members in High River voted unanimously to send a letter to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, stating that the Crowsnest Pass referendum shouldn’t be the only factor to consider when making a decision in regard to coal mining at Grassy Mountain.

The letter goes on to request additional local and provincewide consultation prior to any further consideration or action tied to the project.

Craig Snodgrass, the mayor of High River, said the Crowsnest Pass referendum was the right thing for that community to do, but added his community has its own priorities.

Mayor of High River, Craig Snodgrass, says decisions on coal mining projects like Grassy Mountain affect communities across the province. (Dan McGarvey/CBC)

“The letter was intended to just make sure that Premier Smith understands that the referendum, with her decision-making, should hold very, very, very little weight,” Snodgrass said.

“Because these are mining projects that affect all of Alberta … that water that gets polluted goes down the Crowsnest River into the Oldman.”

Concern around water quality was one of the factors in the federal government’s decision to reject the Grassy Mountain coal project in 2021, citing adverse effects “on surface water quality, including from selenium effluent discharge.”

Northback Holdings, the company behind the mine, has said its plan will “ensure management and mitigation systems are in place for elements such as selenium during all project phases.”

The big concern for High River has to do with what progress at Grassy Mountain could mean for the rest of the province, Snodgrass said.

“If Grassy Mountain goes, that’s where the main load-out is for all the mines north of Grassy … that just triggers the domino effect for all these other mines to have access to that railway and that infrastructure,” Snodgrass said.

“If Grassy goes, the mines north start to go, and that’s where it starts to affect High River’s watershed directly.”

Cautious support and a legal appeal

Fort Macleod Mayor Brent Feyter said he gave credit to Crowsnest Pass for holding the vote.

He said Northback has spoken to Fort Macleod’s council in recent months and has held an open house in the community.

“I think if we can work together on good solutions, hopefully something can happen that works for everyone,” Feyter said.

Fort Macleod council hasn’t taken an official stance yet on the project. Feyter said that if water was going to be seriously affected in the community, that would raise alarm bells.

Fort Macleod Mayor Bent Feyter says if it proceeds, he wants the Grassy Mountain coal project to be done safely and effectively. (Elise Stolte/CBC)

“Someone needs to be making sure whatever happens is being done exceptionally well and is not having a negative impact,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Municipal District of Ranchland — where the proposed coal mine is located, north of Crowsnest Pass — has been pushing back against the project for months.

The Alberta Court of Appeal will hear arguments from Ranchland that the Alberta Energy Regulator shouldn’t have accepted three applications from Northback for work at the site.

A spokesperson for the M.D. wasn’t immediately available Tuesday.

Other positions under consideration

Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen wasn’t available to comment on Tuesday. In a statement, a Lethbridge spokesperson wrote that the city had previously written to the provincial government regarding concerns about potential selenium contamination.

“[The city also wrote about] the need for monitoring and mitigation in the Oldman River headwaters and watershed, as it relates to the deep drilling permit on Grassy Mountain,” the statement reads. “Letters were sent from the previous city council in 2021 and the current city council in October 2023.”

Pincher Creek Mayor Don Anderberg declined an interview request, but he wrote in an email that the current town council has not made a decision on its position. He noted the Grassy Mountain project has been proposed over three council terms.

“As I am the spokesperson for council, it is important that I follow direction from resolutions of council. I will bring this issue forward as an agenda item for discussion,” Anderberg wrote.

A spokesperson with Northback said the company is sincere about its environmental responsibilities, adding all Albertans will have their chance to have their say as the project moves through the regulatory process.

WATCH | Crowsnest Pass residents vote in favour of Grassy Mountain coal project:

“We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously, and this vote provides a clear mandate as we move forward with the regulatory process,” Northback spokesperson Rina Blacklaws said in an interview.

“We are going to continue to engage transparently with the municipalities, the residents, the business owners and the First Nations and all of southern Alberta throughout this process.”

The AER is scheduled to hold a public hearing, starting Dec. 3 and continuing on Jan. 14, regarding Northback’s applications for exploration permits.