Elections Alberta approves Corb Lund’s citizen initiative to stop coal mining

Alberta country music singer Corb Lund’s citizen-initiative petition to ban new coal mining on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains has been approved by Elections Alberta.Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure confirmed on Monday night that the petition met the requirements of Alberta’s Citizen Initiative Act.The question Lund put forward in the petition was, “the Government of Alberta shall prohibit by law any and all new coal mining activities, including new approvals and permits, within the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains.”Despite approval, Lund cannot collect signatures until he appoints a chief financial officer for the campaign by Dec. 15.Elections Alberta will then issue official petition forms and confirm how many signatures are required.Under current provincial rules, Lund needs to collect 177,752 signatures (10% of ballots cast in the last provincial election) from Canadian citizens aged 18 years or older residing in Alberta within 120 days of the petition’s approval.Lund has opposed coal mining in the eastern slopes for several years, saying new mines threaten water sources and agricultural land downstream, including the Oldman River watershed..Smith quips she might inspire a Corb Lund song in reaction to musician's anti-coal petition."I get a lot of flak about being a celebrity or whatever, and I should shut up and sing. And it's like, well, I drink that water — like, I drink the water out of the Oldman River," Lund told CBC News."My animals drink the water, my mother drinks the water. So I'm not a guy flying in from LA on a private jet. I am a sixth-generation rural Albertan, and I'm just trying to keep the water clean."He previously stated that the idea for the initiative began at a town hall hosted by Premier Danielle Smith in Fort Macleod on June 11.“At that meeting, Premier Smith encouraged me to bring a coal referendum forward on behalf of the voices of Albertans who have spoken overwhelmingly in opposition to coal development in our Rocky Mountains and headwaters,” he said.“[She] gave me the answer; she said that if we really didn't want coal, we should start a citizens' initiative. So I put together a legal team, and that's what I'm doing.”In response to Lund’s petition, Premier Danielle Smith has previously said she supports the citizen-initiative process and intends to watch the results “with great interest.”If the petition is successful, the provincial legislature would consider passing a law banning coal mining or sending it to a province-wide vote.

Elections Alberta approves Corb Lund’s citizen initiative to stop coal mining

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