A petition led by country musician Corb Lund to ban new coal mining on the eastern slopes of the Rockies has failed.
Alberta’s election agency announced Friday that Lund’s petition didn’t gain enough verified signatures to move it forward.
Lund, in a statement, said it appears roughly 35,000 signatures were rejected by Elections Alberta, and he has “grave concerns” about the fairness of the process.
“We are simultaneously shocked by this outcome, yet, unfortunately, not surprised, given the continual government rule changes and roadblocks we have faced throughout this campaign,” he said.
“This has been an unreasonable and opaque process from the beginning. And despite diligently following every rule, we are left with more questions than answers.”
Lund thanked volunteers and those who signed, saying the announcement doesn’t mark the end of the fight.
“Your commitment to protecting our headwaters and ranchlands has been extraordinary. This effort — and your effort — will not be in vain,” he said.
His petition drive, titled “Water Not Coal,” needed almost 178,000 signatures to force Premier Danielle Smith’s government to consider passing a law banning new coal mining or to send the issue to a provincewide referendum.
Elections Alberta, in a news release, said 196,000 valid signatures were counted but only about 172,000 were verified.
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It said some signatures were rejected because they were missing contact information to reach electors to verify them.
It was an unexpected setback for Lund.
Three weeks ago, he delivered to the agency what he said were about 205,000 signatures, collected by thousands of canvassers.
The issue became moot. Smith rejected the possibility of including an anti-coal mining question on the province’s Oct. 19 referendum, saying it was too late to get it on the ballot.
Her United Conservative Party government is putting 10 questions on the referendum, including one asking Albertans whether they want the province to remain in Canada or to hold a second, binding referendum on secession.
Elections Alberta said it needed to receive all questions by June 1 to prepare for the referendum, in part because they need time to staff up.
Lund has long been fighting coal mining on the eastern slopes, citing potential damage to the environment, particularly water.
Lund said he didn’t trust foreign coal companies’ promises of jobs, wealth and strict environmental stewardship.
“Nobody wants this,” Lund said in late May during the final drive for signatures.
The petition singled out two potential coal mining projects — Northback Holdings’ Grassy Mountain project and Valory Resources’ Blackstone mine — and called for them to be stopped.
In a statement, Northback said its revised mine design aims to protect water quality in the Crowsnest Pass for the people and wildlife downstream.
Valory didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Coal Association of Canada said in a statement that it hopes the end of the petition will prompt a more constructive conversation.
“There will always be differing views on resource development, and that is healthy in a democracy,” president Robin Campbell said. “But Albertans have spoken.”
Sam Blackett, a spokesperson for the premier, thanked Lund and those who took part in the petition.
He said the government respects the independence and integrity of the citizen initiative and signature validation process.
The province is working to finalize a new coal development policy, Blackett added.
“All new mining projects must use modern underground mining techniques or other mining technologies that keep selenium out of rivers and streams.”
He said there will be testing at 58 monitoring stations in and downstream of the eastern slopes.
The controversy stretches back years.
In 2020, the United Conservative Party government rescinded a decades-old coal policy to reopen much of the eastern slopes to mining. It rolled that back the following year due to public outcry.
The government reignited the debate in 2024, when it introduced rules banning new mines on the slopes while exempting advanced projects.
Under Smith, it also changed the rules for citizen-initiative petitions multiple times, forcing Lund to restart his application process late last year.
I only signed that one once. They required pretty rigorous proof on signature on that one. Even had to show proof of residency, so I would say it is accurate. I would also say the pro stay in Canada and slave away for Ottawa was also accurate. The veting work was done properly. That’s why ‘dingus’s’ coal petition got caught out.
comments on an earlier story on this topic right here included one from a commenter who admitted to having signed the petition multiple times.
that makes me wonder about the actual final number of the separation signatures, the verification of which has now been given the go-ahead
da @anonymous, you are right. Dee is actually former KGB agent trolling Global Comments site. We are hoping to hook dumb a$$ commenters like you to help repopulate work camps in Siberia.
But now you have found me out.
Go to BC and live you zero. Never even heard of this loser
No body wants this?! Except hundreds of people in and around those community, who need to work , all I see is old retired people who have already made there retirement, piss off and let next generations make a living, and maybe they will do it right God knows older generation, screwed everything up , Coal ,logging,oilpatch, pipelines, fisheries cant make a living now because older gen feels guilty about the what they have done
No way in h*ll 35,000 signatures were not valid AND verified. Somebody pulled strings somewhere (dani) to make sure this petition “failed”. The most crooked government EVER
@Anonymous. Alberta had record rainfall in June. Your post is so ill-informed.
Coal is BC’s #1 export. Not fruit, not manufactured goods, not hydroelectric power… Coal. So how many people are suffering from water contamination from coal mining? Zero.
Lunds attempt to stop Alberta coal mining is just an attempt by BC coal mining companies to prevent Alberta coal from competing with them on the world markets.
The only recall or referendum proposal that Danielle doesn’t like?
Enjoy the heat and wildfires.
Coal in 2026 in Smithland.
“Dee” below is a Russian troll.
Checked “her” isp address.
Yeah, sure Danielle. You’ll do ANYTHING to get a vote on separation.
Meanwhile, you can’t throw enough rocks at a petition against coal mining in the foothills.
Where do you think most of the drinking water in Alberta comes from? North Saskatchewan River? Bow and Elbow rivers? Athabasca and Peace Rivers? Hello?
Contaminate even one major River, even just a little. See what happens. But coal money is whispering in the Premier’s ear, and she can’t hear Albertans.
There should be NO mining of ANY kind in Canada, Alberta, or anywhere, that is not wholly under policy control of the region it is in, for safety, tax and financial consideration. In short, NO CHINESE MINES.
A lot of commentators below LOVE to bath in and drink highly acidic water, toxic heavy metals like arsenic and lead, and harmful chemicals enjoy !!!
It didnt “fail in alberta”, the govt is going against our rights to shut it down.
No way in h*ll 35,000 signatures were not valid. Somebody pulled strings somewhere (Dani) to make sure this petition “failed”. The most crooked government EVER
I like living in a steel making society, so meteorological coal is ok by me. Especially when some of the media pictures shows the coal seam is already at surface level.
Hey, not fair. I signed it many times. Some of those signatures should have been ok.
They tried to cheat and got caught. Better luck next time.
Actually Iona lot of nothing because I’m a conservative.
Me not good at thinking on me own
Dirtbag Dani, acting like Dirty Diapers Donny
I’m sorry that the petition failed, along with 190,000 others
that signed it.
Corb Lund = 🤡
TRUMP 2028, make Canada great again.
There’s a shock.
We need the coal for more intense heat waves.
It really does not matter, the issue was voted on by the locals, and they endorsed it. Who is Lund to think he can override that?
Send Corb the bill for the FAILED petition that tax payers paid to varified. A Million bucks should cover it
Oh Boo Friggin Ho Poor Corb.
Coal mines are problem? There’s only 3 in the province. Perhaps ol’ corb should just worry about his career and stay out of politics