Crowsnest Pass residents to vote today on Grassy Mountain coal project
CBC
Residents of Crowsnest Pass in southwestern Alberta will participate in a non-binding vote today on whether or not they support the development of a nearby coal project.
Grassy Mountain, a proposed coking coal mine near Crowsnest Pass, is a project with a long and contentious history in the community.
It's spearheaded by Northback Holdings (formerly known as Riversdale Resources and Benga Mining), the latest incarnation of a number of corporate entities tied to Australian parent company Hancock Prospecting, all focused over the past decade to mine Grassy Mountain for steel-making coal.
In Crowsnest Pass, it's long divided the community into two camps: those who hope mining will lift the local economy, and those who worry about the environmental impacts of moving ahead with such projects.
Coal mining was responsible for building up these communities. The last mine in the area closed in 1983.
An advanced vote on the matter took place last week. The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass said more than 1,000 people cast ballots, which represents about 20 per cent of the electorate.
Today, voting will take place 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with results expected to be posted online as they come in.
The result of the vote will be non-binding, meaning it won't require officials to take any specific action. But Blair Painter, the mayor of Crowsnest Pass, said the results will indicate to council how the majority of the community feels about the project, one way or the other.
"If it does come back that our community feels that this is a very important project for our community, then council will continue to support it, and we will lobby those powers that be to try to help this thing happen," Painter said.
"If it goes the other way, and our community doesn't want it, then we will stop proceeding to push this project forward."
A representative for Northback did not provide a comment by publication time, but previously told CBC News it was holding site tours and open houses in the weeks running up to the vote.
The company has registered as a third-party advertiser with Crowsnest Pass, a spokesperson with the municipality confirmed. All third-party advertisers will be required to file a report within 120 days of the vote.
While the Crowsnest Pass referendum won't carry any legal weight, judicial observers are watching other upcoming hearings closely.
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is scheduled to hold a public hearing, starting Dec. 3 and continuing on Jan. 14, tied to Northback's applications for exploration permits.
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