'It’s a terrible idea': UCP coal mining proposal targeted by Alberta country singers
Alberta county star Corb Lund is not backing down on his fight against coal mining in Alberta’s eastern slopes - as he enlisted some help in a new protest video.
Lund re-released his 12-year-old tune “This Is My Prairie” on Tuesday and some of the words have been tweaked to target a proposal for more Rocky Mountain mining.
“I can't blame the miners or the guys drivin’ truck. For feedin’ their families and makin’ a buck. But take a close look at the stock that you own. Cuz this is my prairie, this is my home,” the lyrics go.
Brett Kissel, Terri Clark, Sherryl Sewepagaham, Paul Brandt, Armond Duck Chief, Katie Rox and Brandi Sidoryk (Nice Horse) all appear in the song as well.
Lund said the tune was originally about a rancher trying to preserve the countryside.
The new version captures the fight Albertans launched against mining development in the mountains, he said.
“It's just a terrible idea because all we’re getting out of it is a handful of jobs. And if you weigh those against the agricultural impacts and the tourism impacts, and most of all the impact on our water, it’s a terrible idea,” he argued.
Lund started speaking out about the issue in January when he said he was “kind of pissed off,” about the plan and what he argued was a lack of consultation in building it.
At the time, the UCP government argued metallurgical coal exporting would create jobs for Albertans and the mines would be highly regulated.
But in April, after a public backlash, Energy Minister Sonya Savage said projects on certain lands would “be halted immediately.”
Alberta’s government is currently waiting to hear recommendations from a panel that's been canvassing Albertans to see how, or if, they want that type of development.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.