Mayor High River, Craig Snodgrass: “I didn’t vote for Jason Kenney because he’s full of shit.” Keep raging Albertans! I love it. The most powerful Court in the world is that of Public Opinion, and it won’t *bankrupt* you with legal and court costs.

One hot interview! Powerful and fun. Nice to see Albertans finding their courage and voicing their outrage.

“‘I didn’t vote for @jkenney because he’s full of shit.

High River @mayorsnod ain’t tipsy-toeing in the tulips on this morning’s #RealTalkRJ!

… High River @mayorsnod vaulted onto the short list of most memorable appearances on #RealTalkRJ with his indictment of @jkenney and the #UCP.

He started with a prepared statement, and went off-script from there. You’ll want to watch the entire interview:”

January 19, 2021 Ryan Jespersen interviews Mayor of High River, Craig Snodgrass, on UCP’s sly turfing coal policy by Ryan Jespersen, Jan 19, 2021, Real Talk Radio

About 30 Min:

Craig Snodgrass – Mayor of High River

My main statement from my interview with Ryan Jespersen.

To the people of Alberta – never think that you don’t have a voice – do not think you are not being heard – yesterday’s announcement proves that you are the critical piece necessary to restore this policy and protect the landscapes and watersheds of our eastern slopes in Alberta.

What has happened by the actions of Premier Kenney, Minister Savage and Minister Nixon is wrong on so many levels and we are being embarrassed across the country and around the world.

Yesterday’s announcement was another strategy by the government of Alberta and the coal industry only to try and whitewash over this scandal and calm the public.

It’s time to act now – I encourage all citizens of Alberta to either hit resend on any previous emails you’ve sent to the Premier, Jason Nixon, Sonya Savage, your MLA, your MP or anyone within the Alberta Government or to write a new one and send them over and over and over and do it now.

Make the calls, over and over and over until they get the message.

Do not mess with our mountains.

Premier Kenney – please put a stop to this charade.

I encourage all municipalities to take a public stand on which ever portion of this issue you choose.

It’s great to see Nanton taking a stand last night and great to see Calgary discussing this issue of zero consultation on an issue that effects all Albertans.

I encourage the people of Saskatchewan to take a stand and email your elected officials. Alberta is mandated to make sure that 50% of the water from our rivers must enter your province. This issue is in your backyard to.

Now is not the time to let up – we continue to fight for our people, our water and our landscapes. We will not stop until this is made right.

Jen Handley, Mayor of Nanton Jan 19, 2021:

Nanton council passed this resolution last night regarding open pit coal mining on the Eastern slopes

“Whereas Council wishes to express its concerns over the safety and quality of regional water resources that supply Nanton’s water licence allocations it directs the Chief Administrative Officer to draft a letter to Premier Jason Kenney for signature by the Mayor.

-Requesting a new and comprehensive consultation process subsequent to the Government of Albertas rescindment of the 1976 Coal Policy on June 30, 2020

-Seeking a more thorough analysis of the local hydrological, environmental and economic impacts of any watershed changes

-requesting further local public presentation and discussion prior to any further consideration or action regarding applications for open pit mining to the Alberta Energy Regulator.”

Craig Snodgrass, Mayor High River open letter to Mr. Robin Campbell – Coal Association of Canada, Jan 17, 2021:

Dear Mr. Campbell: Remember Me! I’m that crazy, snot nosed kid from High River who stuck his hand up to be Mayor right after the flood. I know crazy right!! If I remember you and I met a couple of times when you were the Environment Minister, working together for the greater good, you know – friends helping friends – the good ol’ days. I always thought we could be best friends forever.

Anyway – I saw your interview with Ryan Jespersen a few days ago. Congrats on the new gig as President of the Coal Association of Canada! Remember in the interview when you said “Selenium is just salt, nothing to worry about” at least I think that’s what you said but don’t quote me. Now like you, I’m no scientist (I’m actually a mortician that wishes he was either a professional musician like Corb Lund (future bff I hope) or a professional fly fisher like Jason Doucette – remember him he was on the same show with you – great interview, I liked him, I think we could be bff’s), friends helping friends during trying times. I tried getting into the show after you made the salt comment because I wanted to know that, if selenium is just salt – then I’m wondering if we could stock the Pacific Ocean with cutthroat trout and bull trout? I like fishing them better than bug-eyed cod.

Anyway – I googled Selenium just as a bit of a fact check and found that selenium has properties more similar to arsenic than salt. Now I’m no scientist, but since arsenic is a longer word than salt that means it’s worse.

Anyway – Here’s a picture of me with a real nice cutty that my saddle making / fly fishing buddy Steve Mason took a couple years ago on the Elk River in Fernie, B.C.. You know, that river that flows past the Teck open pit coal mine at Sparwood. I cropped another picture just so you could get a real good look at it’s gill plate. I know looks weird right!!! I’ve fished on that river for about 20 years and you can hook into fish like this on a regular basis. I asked around after a while as to what the dealio was with the deformed gill plates. Guess what – selenium poisoning!!

Crazy right – cause selenium comes from open pit coal mines like the Teck one! It’s all coming together now isn’t it. I’m not sure what the difference is but I’ve never caught a fish in my life on the Alberta’s eastern slopes that looks like this – I’ll ask Kevin Van Tighem I think he’s a scientist.

Thanks for taking time to read this Robin, I’m hoping that you can appreciate a little humour during such a stressful time for Alberta due to your plans to destroy our physical landscape and watersheds for a few bucks. I’m hoping that you and Gina could reconsider this plan – give her my number if you’ve still got it. I’m just trying to help out so we’re all speaking truths through this mess – you know Albertans helping Albertans.

Hope to see you soon, I’d love to catch up.
Craig

Alberta defends decision to allow for open-pit coal mining in Rocky Mountains, Lawyer for government says decision may be unpopular, but it’s not unlawful by Bryan Labby, CBC News, Jan 19, 2021

A lawyer representing the Alberta government urged the Court of Queen’s Bench on Tuesday to dismiss an application for a judicial review of the UCP government’s decision to allow open-pit coal mining on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Alberta.  

“There’s no getting around the fact that the decision to rescind the coal policy may be seen as an unpopular one to some Albertans,” said Melissa Burkett.

“However, an unpopular decision is not an unlawful decision,” she told the virtual court hearing via video conferencing.

Burkett says the courts are not the venue to resolve the issue, arguing such a policy change is within the mandate of elected officials.

“This case is a classic example of what happens when courts are turned into political arenas,” she said.

Political Judicial Arena Reality Check:

Emmett Macfarlane@EmmMacfarlane Poli Sci Prof, UWaterloo. Constitutional Law, Public Policy & Cdn Politics. Author & editor of books:

Law is politics people. Never forget.

End Political Judicial Arena Reality Check.

“The rescission of the coal policy was driven by economic, social, political factors. It was a core, high level policy decision, and it’s immune from this court review,” she said.

Landowners, environmental groups, municipalities and First Nations are hoping the court will force the government to revisit its decision to rescind the province’s long-standing coal policy that was brought in under former premier Peter Lougheed in 1976.

They’re trying to persuade Justice Richard Neufeld to order a judicial review of the decision to rescind the policy that had protected the eastern slopes of the Rockies — and the headwaters that flow from them — for almost 45 years.

However, during the two-day hearing that started Tuesday morning, Burkett says the policy is redundant and outdated since the province has since implemented a robust, regulatory framework that would review exploration and mining applications through Alberta’s energy regulator. Farce of the ages! Industry’s AER is filthy dirty, has no “duty of care” to any of us, or our environment and drinking water; is legally immune; breaks the law to protect polluters; spies on innocent Albertans and bills taxpayers for the PIs; sends its thug lawyers on staff to bully, threaten, and coerce citizens harmed by industry to shut up, and worse, admit to crimes not committed; has no public health mandate (Selenium poisoning? Not under AER’s mandate!); public interest was removed from the regulator’s mandate after my lawsuit went public; and worse, the all too political Supreme Court of Canada put the provincial AER (100% industry-funded) above our Charter (which is supposed to be the top law in Canada). We’re f*cked, so is our water, air and land. The only “just” regulator and court we have, is the Court of Public Opinion. Speak out loudly, often! And use your brain when you vote, instead heeding how your dad, granddad and great granddad tell you to vote (always con, no matter what)!

“The coal policy really is obsolete because there’s a framework in place now that was not there in 1976.”

Earlier, several groups who plan to seek intervenor status in the request for a judicial review agreed to consolidate, to reduce duplication of their arguments and potentially speed up the hearing process. 

Justice Neufeld still has to hear arguments from those hoping to join application.

A number of groups were represented during the hearing, including the M.D. of Ranchland, the Alberta Wilderness Association, the Alberta Hiking Association, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and the Livingstone Landowners Group.

A lawyer representing Cabin Ridge Project Ltd., an Alberta-based coal company, also attended via video link. 

A request to adjourn the hearing by a lawyer representing the Ermineskin, Kainai, Siksika and Whitefish First Nations was dismissed.

Landowners and First Nations behind the legal challenge are expected to argue the government was in breach of their constitutional rights because it had a “duty to consult” them before the policy change was made. 

If the province’s application for a dismissal fails, the actual judicial review would go ahead at some point in the future.

Alberta lawyer argues coal policy decisions belong with politicians, not courts by ob Webber, The Canadian Press, Jan 19, 2021, North Shore News

CALGARY — Decisions on government policy should be made by elected officials, not courts, a lawyer argued Tuesday.

“This case is not about an unlawful exercise of government power,” Melissa Burkett said at a hearing to decide whether a request for a judicial review can proceed into Alberta’s decision to revoke a policy protecting the Rocky Mountains from coal mining.

“This case is about the government’s ability to create and dictate policy based on economic, social, political and other relevant factors.”

Burkett argued that Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Richard Neufeld should not allow requests from ranchers and First Nations for a judicial review.  

There’s nothing to review, said Burkett, who argued the 1976 policy was not rooted in legislation or regulation. 

“The adaptation and any amendment of the coal policy is exclusively under the mandate of the Minister of Energy,” she said.

Allowing a review would wrongly tie governments to the decisions of their predecessors, she added.

Burkett said the policy had become obsolete given the development of Alberta’s energy review bodies and laws. Overturning the policy has “no practical impact” because agencies such as the Alberta Energy Regulator now exist, she said 

And because those oversights now exist, revoking the policy hasn’t violated the rights of those seeking the review, Burkett said.

“The applicants’ rights have not been affected by the recission of the coal policy and therefore no duty of fairness has arisen.” 

Earlier Tuesday, ranchers and First Nations who filed separate requests for the review agreed to have their arguments heard together. The Bearspaw, Kainai, Siksika, Blood, Ermineskin and Goodfish Lake First Nations kept the right to bring separate constitutional arguments, which are not part of the application filed by rancher Macleay Blades. 

Sonya Savage, the United Conservative government’s energy minister, revoked the policy last May, quietly and without public consultation.  

Popular Alberta entertainment figures, including Corb Lund and Jann Arden, have strongly opposed the decision. Petitions against it have gathered more than 100,000 signatures.

On Monday, Savage announced in a news release that the recent sale of 11 coal leases would be cancelled and that no more would be sold on land where open-pit mines were forbidden under the old policy.

She did not provide any more details, promise any consultation or offer to reconsider the decision on the 1976 policy.

Environmental groups point out the 11 leases represented a tiny fraction of the leases sold since the policy was quashed. At least eight provincial recreation areas are either completely or largely surrounded by coal exploration leases. 

Alberta lawyer argues coal policy decisions belong with politicians, not courts by The Canadian Press, Jan 19, 2021, The Calgary Herald

CALGARY — Decisions on government policy should be made by elected officials, not courts, a lawyer argued Tuesday.

“This case is not about an unlawful exercise of government power,” Melissa Burkett said at a hearing to decide whether a request for a judicial review can proceed into Alberta’s decision to revoke a policy protecting the Rocky Mountains from coal mining.

“This case is about the government’s ability to create and dictate policy based on economic, social, political and other relevant factors.”

Burkett argued that Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Richard Neufeld should not allow requests from ranchers and First Nations for a judicial review.

There’s nothing to review, said Burkett, who argued the 1976 policy was not rooted in legislation or regulation.

“The adaptation and any amendment of the coal policy is exclusively under the mandate of the Minister of Energy,” she said.

Allowing a review would wrongly tie governments to the decisions of their predecessors, she added.

Burkett said the policy had become obsolete given the development of Alberta’s energy review bodies and laws. Overturning the policy has “no practical impact” because agencies such as the Alberta Energy Regulator now exist, she said

And because those oversights now exist, revoking the policy hasn’t violated the rights of those seeking the review, Burkett said.

“The applicants’ rights have not been affected by the recission of the coal policy and therefore no duty of fairness has arisen.”

Earlier Tuesday, ranchers and First Nations who filed separate requests for the review agreed to have their arguments heard together. The Bearspaw, Kainai, Siksika, Blood, Ermineskin and Goodfish Lake First Nations kept the right to bring separate constitutional arguments, which are not part of the application filed by rancher Macleay Blades.

Sonya Savage, the United Conservative government’s energy minister, revoked the policy last May, quietly and without public consultation.

Popular Alberta entertainment figures, including Corb Lund and Jann Arden, have strongly opposed the decision. Petitions against it have gathered more than 100,000 signatures.

On Monday, Savage announced in a news release that the recent sale of 11 coal leases would be cancelled and that no more would be sold on land where open-pit mines were forbidden under the old policy.

She did not provide any more details, promise any consultation or offer to reconsider the decision on the 1976 policy.

Environmental groups point out the 11 leases represented a tiny fraction of the leases sold since the policy was quashed. At least eight provincial recreation areas are either completely or largely surrounded by coal exploration leases.

More here:

Reiger: Alberta pauses future coal lease sales in Rocky Mountains, cancels 11 recent leases, Province had faced opposition for decision to rescind decades-old policy

… Only 0.002% of leased land cancelled …

Nikiforuk: Alberta’s Cancelled Coal Leases Called a ‘Trick,’ An ex-deputy minister terms yesterday’s step back ‘misleading.’ And it won’t deter a court challenge by ranchers and First Nations.

Nikiforuk: Singers, Ranchers and Environmentalists Are Now Battling Kenney’s Coal Plan, Province’s move to allow coal mines in protected mountains is creating a rising wave of broad-based opposition.

One of the comments to above article:

linda

It is the people that decide. When you don’t choose, that’s a choice as well. If you talk loud enough, your voice can echo if you’re passionate. When it does, you are heard from coast to coast and way beyond and then they have no choice but to listen. The last thing they would ever want is for the people to revolt /rebel. We are more numerous. The power has always belonged to the people. It is all in our hands.

Refer also to:

2020 12, Andrew Nikiforurk: Threatened by Coal, Ranchers Take the Kenney Government to Court, Alberta is poised to let miners destroy mountaintops and vital watersheds grazed for a century. Excellent visuals.

2020 10, Andrew Nikiforuk: The Australian Invasion: Big Coal’s Plans for Alberta, Meet the speculators from Down Under aiming to carve up the Rockies with a chain of open-pit mines. And the growing revolt

2020 10, Connor Gunn: Mayor Spearman issuing letter of concern over water quality from Grassy Mountain project

2020 10: Canadian & Alberta gov’ts & Australian coal billionaire Gina Reinhart! Listen up: “Water is more important than coal and mountains hold more value than mines.”

2020 02 23: Jason Kenney is so full of shit, it’s a wonder he doesn’t spend all his time in the toilet. Teck does only smart thing possible given the pathetic economics and investors globally rejecting fossil fuels; Withdraws Frontier Tarshit project. Excellent, now Teck can clean up its toxic coal mining pollution in BC and heed court orders against the company.

2019 11 24: Alberta Minister of Red Tape Reduction, Grant Hunter, proclaims UCP to give itself ‘a giant enema.’ Excellent news! UCP is full of shit and needs a good clean out.

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