Alberta musician Corb Lund to be in Red Deer next week for last-minute petition push

Lund said in an interview with rdnewsNOW that he’s unsure of exactly how many signatures they’ve gathered, but believes they may have enough.

Regardless, out of an abundance of caution, they’re going to keep their foot on the gas pedal until the end until they know for certain.

“[The support] has been overwhelming,” Lund said. “We’ve got signature sheets rolling in from all over the province in places we didn’t even expect. That’s why this issue is interesting because it’s not a right-left thing… I tell everyone this that I’m not partisan, I don’t like any of the parties, I think they’re all full of it. I’m also not anti-resource, but not every project makes sense.”

The main goal of the petition is to call on the provincial government to protect the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and their waters that supply drinking water across Alberta from proposed coal mining projects, which Lund said could impact water quality.

More specifically, the petition question is as follows:

“The Government of Alberta shall prohibit through legislation all coal exploration and mining activities within the Eastern Slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, other than mines that are in actual production as of January 1, 2026. For clarity, this prohibition includes Northback Holdings’ Grassy Mountain Project and Valory Resources’ Blackstone Project, as well as any projects to expand any producing mines.”

Lund explained he’s looked into this from all angles and has met with people from both sides, but believes there’s very little upside to these mining projects.

“It’s going to leave a big mess and screw up our water for no reason. The only people who are going to benefit from this are the foreign coal company billionaire people and the government,” Lund said.

Lund, who grew up on his family ranch in Alberta, and his grandfather made it clear to him the importance of water and soil health.

He said ranchland and the mountains are very important to him.

“I think they’re important to most Albertans. The Rockies are sort of the soul of the province, and these people want to put strip mines all the way up the Cowboy Trail. It’s disgusting. I would be against it even if it were profitable, but it’s not,” he said.

Lund explained that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has told him that his petition will be on the referendum this October if they gain enough signatures.

“I know there’s a lot of people who’ve heard about the petition and haven’t got around to signing it. You’ve got until the ninth, and I’m going to be at 15 places across the province from Sunday to Wednesday,” he said. “If you care about the Rockies, this is the moment.”

The other side

Rina Blacklaws, vice president of industry development at the Coal Association of Canada, said they understand the concerns of Albertans, and so does the industry.

She said that when it comes to the petition, she believes the coal mining industry is misunderstood.

Blacklaws explained it’s important to understand the value of critical resources like metallurgical coal, which is used to make 70 per cent of the world’s steel.

In addition, when it comes to any type of mining project, they need to first go through a very strict regulatory review before it is approved.

“Here in Alberta, we have some of the strictest requirements for environmental protection. Nothing gets approved that doesn’t meet that high standard,” she said, adding this includes detailed water management plans, and reporting of what’s going to happen from prevention to mitigation and treatment.

Once the projects are approved, the work doesn’t stop there, she explained, as there is still ongoing reporting that needs to happen.

Environmental protection is something she said the industry puts at the forefront of all of its operations and takes very seriously. This includes responsible water protection, transparency, and Indigenous relationships, and discussions with communities across the province.

“Coal making can and is done all across the world safely, and we stand at a very pivotal moment,” Blacklaws said. “We have an abundance of what we consider a critical mineral, and here in Alberta, we have the potential to lead in responsible mining, attract significant private sector investment, and secure long-term economic benefits for Alberta. All of this can be done safely.”

by Ian Gustafson

Alberta musician Corb Lund to be in Red Deer next week for last-minute petition push

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