Failed coal petition shows the dark side of the Alberta government

On June 10, Corb Lund announced he submitted his Water Not Coal petition to Elections Alberta with over 200,000 signatures. The petition advocated for the prohibition of all coal exploration and mining activities within the Eastern Slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains through legislation. On July 3, Elections Alberta announced the petition did not have enough verified signatures, but the petition made waves nonetheless.

The petition made an impact across the province as musician and Alberta rancher, Corb Lund, toured to promote his citizen initiative petition. Many volunteers sat in cafes, had tables outside of libraries, and visited the University of Alberta to collect signatures. The petition truly showed that with many hands and a shared vision, everyday citizens can make a difference.

The petition required 177,732 signatures. Volunteers collected signatures between May 10 and June 10. The support was overwhelming. 

Elections Alberta announced that the signatures could not be verified and the petition failed. But before this, Premier Danielle Smith made it clear that this petition would be ignored by the province. Smith announced that the issue will not be on the fall referendum ballot before Elections Alberta’s announcement. The petition’s failure is disappointing, but I am more embarrassed of our premier’s initial response.

Soon after the petition was submitted, Smith claimed that there was not enough time to add the issue to the ballot. She shared that the signatures should have been submitted by June 1. This is disappointing as this claim makes the system seem rigged. How is a June 1 deadline fair if the signing period was to be May 10 and June 10? It simply was not.

The United Conservative Party (UCP) has shown that the Stay Free Alberta petition is it’s priority. The province set in motion the fall referendum, regarding this petition, to ask Albertans if they want to stay in Alberta. The Forever Canadian petition, which aimed to keep Alberta a province of Canada, was considered by a committee but no action was taken by the Alberta caucus to protect the province’s place in Canada.

The Water Not Coal petition is also doomed to be ignored by the province if not addressed in the fall referenda. Technically, the Stay Free Alberta petition was paused by the courts, but the province still acted on the movement while they appeal. Why could the province not also address the Water Not Coal issue on the ballot without it being a successful petition?

In April 2026, CTV News highlighted a scientific study raising concerns over long-term impacts from coal mining. These impacts included increased selenium contamination in fish from a coal mine that had closed decades prior. 

Valory Resources, CEO Ian Black claimed to CBC that they are committed to developing their underground metallurgical coal mine in Clearwater County responsibly. But, the effects of selenium contamination are not worth the risk. Through bioaccumulation, selenium can be transported up through the food chain until it reaches toxic levels. This can cause damage to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. 

Coal, while responsible for the historical European development in the province leading to the Alberta we know today, is not worth the long-term negative impact. In 2025, the Business Council of Alberta outlined in Alberta shut down its last coal plant in 2024, saving the province an estimated 234 million tonnes of carbon emissions. This, if continued, could make a major difference in Canada’s goal to be net-zero by 2050.

But unfortunately, in early 2025, the provincial government quietly allowed for coal mining exploration to begin again. Allowing for coal mine exploration and ignoring a petition is a step in the wrong direction. It sets a precedent that the government can ignore hundreds of thousands of citizens it disagrees with. The petition failed, but the popularity it gained across the province still shows that citizens value environmental protection.

Corb Lund brought hope for a coal–free Alberta built on listening to everyday citizens. But again, the province ignores the voices of the people.