Crowsnest Pass residents vote overwhelmingly for new Alberta coal mine
Global News
In the end 72 per cent of the vote was in favour of the new project.
Heavy snow didn’t stop a steady stream of voters in Crowsnest Pass from casting ballots Monday in favour of bringing King Coal back to this scenic rocky patch of Alberta’s southwest.
The issue has polarized debate, but signs visible on the way to voting in the community hall were clear: I (love) Crowsnest Coal, said one. We are a Coal Town, said another.
A third was more succinct: Vote Yes to Grassy Mountain.
In the end 72 per cent of the vote was in favour of the new project. There was a 53.6 per cent turnout of eligible voters compared to just 38.5 per cent in the last civic election.
More than 40 years after coal mining ended in the Crowsnest Pass, the municipality is asking the 6,000 residents to say yes or no to a straightforward question: “Do you support the development and operations of the metallurgical 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 evening.
“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 result won’t be binding or have any influence on regulatory or legal challenges. It’s another factor in the heated debate of economy versus environment.
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