Fort Chipewyan, Alta., residents still have unanswered questions after oil spill town hall
A public meeting in the northern Alberta community of Fort Chipewyan was heated Wednesday night as Imperial Oil employees faced residents.
The town hall, which was live streamed by a local First Nation, followed a tailings pond leak at its Kearl Lake site.
"You put our community at risk just for that almighty dollar?" one man said.
"You have the money, you should have been there. You talk about trust. How are we going to regain that trust?" one woman asked.
It was the first time Imperial Oil representatives faced members of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation since the spill started last May. A second, larger one, happened in early February.
"You got to understand why the people were upset and continue to be upset, not only from the community of Fort Chip but also downstream as we go further north," Chief Allan Adam told CTV News Edmonton.
Many are worried it's no longer safe to harvest the fish and wildlife they feed their families.
A company spokesperson said it has several plans in place to monitor fish and animals.
"I know you don’t trust me. Hopefully you trust the municipality, hopefully you trust Environment Canada. They have both said the water is safe to drink," he said.
"We’re doing fish salvage at water body three in the spring here and those fish will be put downstream, we’ll be doing tissue sampling of those fish at the same time."
But the arrival of spring brings new concerns.
"Has this spill been contained? What's the reclamation time period? What’s going to happen when we have thaw, when we have runoff? Is it going to contaminate the river system? These are the kinds of things that we need to know," said one resident.
Many are also upset that it took Imperial Oil and Alberta's Energy Regulator so long to notify anyone about what happened.
The company has since apologized and Premier Danielle Smith has said Alberta needs to ensure future alarms are sounded quicker.
"We had no input to give any kind of advice on how to correct the problem," Chief Adam said.
"There was some serious concerns and some serious questions that never were answered."
He says many still feel in the dark after the town hall, but believes at least one positive thing has come from the situation.
"We’re being invited by the other oil sands players to go investigate their tailings ponds and see how they’re managing. So now the doors are starting to open in regards to oversight," he said.
Imperial Oil officials say they will return with more answers next month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Senators reject field trip to African Lion Safari amid elephant bill study
The Senate legal affairs committee has rejected a motion calling for members to take a $50,000 field trip to the African Lion Safari in southern Ontario to see the zoo's elephant exhibit.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Police in Paris detain a man wearing fake explosives vest at Iran's Consulate
A man wearing a fake explosive vest and making threats was detained Friday outside the Iranian Consulate in Paris after police locked down the area, authorities said. His motive was unclear.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
CFIA monitoring for avian flu in Canadian dairy cattle after U.S. discoveries
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is encouraging veterinarians to keep an eye out for signs of avian influenza in dairy cattle following recent discoveries of cases of the disease in U.S. cow herds.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.