Musician and activist Corb Lund delivered a petition to Elections Alberta on Wednesday to demand a halt to coal mining in the province [1].
The submission marks a significant escalation in public pressure on the provincial government to prioritize water security over industrial extraction in sensitive ecological zones.
Lund, who is also a rancher, handed over boxes of the "Water Not Coal" petition at the Elections Alberta office in Edmonton on June 10 [1], [2]. The petition specifically calls for the province to prohibit all coal mining and exploration within the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains [2], [3].
"More than 200,000 Albertans have signed my petition demanding the province prohibit all coal mining and exploration in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains," Lund said [2].
The campaign targets specific industrial developments, including the Grassy Mountain and Blackstone projects [2]. Activists argue that these projects threaten the region's water resources, and the broader environment [2], [3].
Lund said the volume of public support is now sufficient to force a government response. "We've collected enough signatures to compel the province to take action," Lund said [3].
The delivery of the physical signatures to the electoral office is intended to formalize the demand for a legislative ban on exploration in the region [1], [2].
“More than 200,000 Albertans have signed my petition”
The submission of over 200,000 signatures leverages Alberta's petition process to force a formal government acknowledgement of environmental concerns. By targeting the Grassy Mountain and Blackstone projects, the movement seeks to shift the provincial balance between economic resource extraction and the protection of the Rocky Mountains' watershed.
