Alberta loses 3-year battle to keep names of alleged oilsands rule-breakers a secret
We filed an official complaint and consulted a lawyer to get the names of oilsands companies that allegedly broke regulations. In this week’s newsletter, we chat with director of enterprise and investigations Mike De Souza about it
It took three years for The Narwhal to access information on 16 oilsands companies that, according to the Alberta government, flouted environmental rules.
Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal
The cat’s out of the bagWe fought the Alberta government for three years to uncover the names of 16 alleged oilsands rule-breakers — and we won!
Sometimes, it just takes three full years for us to publish a story at The Narwhal. And it’s not just because our editing and fact-checking progress is that rigorous — every so often a government will fight you for years on end to keep, well, a secret.
The regulations provide a framework for a monitoring program, meant to prove to the rest of the world that Canada and Alberta were not in the business of producing “dirty oil.” Oilsands companies were asked to collectively pay $50 million per year to assess how the industry was affecting the surrounding air, water, land and biodiversity.
“When I noticed Alberta was paying a law firm tens of thousands of dollars to collect unpaid fees from oilsands companies, I decided to file some freedom of information requests to see that contract,” Mike told me. “The government refused to release it.”
Mike even consulted with Drew Yewchuk, a lawyer at the University of Calgary public interest law clinic, to help us win the case. Three years in, the story was finally published — but if you thought that’d be the end of this saga, think again.
“I filed a new request in 2024 for the most recent data. The government used the same excuses to refuse, before this case was settled,” Mike said. “It certainly won’t deter us from pursuing, and publishing, what Alberta officials would like to keep hidden from the public.”
That’s the thing about fighting these battles to access information that people in power don’t want you to see — it takes time, effort and patience. Oh, and money — lots of it.
A Canadian company wants to resurrect a gold mine on the B.C.-Alaska border, just downriver from a notorious polluter By Matt Simmons
The New Polaris gold mine would produce up to 1,000 tonnes of ore daily. Some Alaskans are concerned the B.C. mine would impact salmon populations.
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It took three years for The Narwhal to access information on 16 oilsands companies that, according to the Alberta government, flouted environmental rules.
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Your access to our journalism is free, always. Sign up for our newsletter for investigative reporting on the natural world in Alberta — and across Canada — you won’t find anywhere else.
With headlines blaring about tariffs, a trade war and a 51st state, it can be easy to feel helpless. Here’s where I see hope: The Narwhal is reporting doggedly on issues surrounding the natural world in Canada that feel so under threat today — including the autonomy and sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples. It’s why I’m a member — and why I hope you’ll be one of 400 readers who joins me this April. Sign up now and receive a Narwhal tote bag as a gift of thanks! — Tanya Talaga, journalist, author and recent Narwhal board chair
With headlines blaring about tariffs, a trade war and a 51st state, it can be easy to feel helpless. Here’s where I see hope: The Narwhal is reporting doggedly on issues surrounding the natural world in Canada that feel so under threat today — including the autonomy and sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples. It’s why I’m a member — and why I hope you’ll be one of 400 readers who joins me this April. — Tanya Talaga, journalist, author and recent Narwhal board chair
