From the Rockies to the Prairies, the fate of two communities hangs in the balance as residents fight to protect the natural world around them.

One saga begins with mine closures, the other with a mine proposal. But the tales are somewhat similar: a company comes in with a project, some residents are opposed, and then it spirals into a political controversy. 

In the Rockies, Canmore, Alta., is dealing with a $161-million lawsuit Three Sisters Mountain Village properties launched against the town and councillors for opposing a commercial and residential development project — one that could double the town’s population and eat into critical wildlife habitat.

Drew Anderson, one of The Narwhal’s Prairies reporters, has been following the story for a while. Last October, he drove to Canmore — which has grown into a tourism hub since the local coal mines closed in the ’70s — when the council was forced to vote in favour of the project because of the pending court case. Soon after the decades-long resistance ended, a source told him about a box of freedom of information requests that had been languishing in a garage somewhere.

“I reached out to get the box and, lo and behold, it had been snagged by one Jeremy Klaszus, editor-in-chief of The Sprawl,” Drew told me. And so, he and Jeremy began working together on a story — and a podcast episode! — in our first-ever collaboration with the Calgary publication.

The sprawling feature spans the tale of the former mining town — one nestled in mountains sacred to the Stoney Nakoda Nations — that could transform into a version of itself both residents and environmentalists had fought hard against. It looks at the impacts on wildlife like elk, deer and sheep, and a housing crisis that mires the region. It takes a walk down Canmore’s touristy main street and wonders out loud: would a miner from the ’60s know what to make of the tuna ceviche with passion fruit served at the town’s rustic-chic chalet?
 

To the east, a political scandal in Manitoba is putting a different community-industry tension under the spotlight. In another collaboration, Manitoba reporter Julia-Simone Rutgers brings us and the Winnipeg Free Press the story of a controversial mine project just outside the capital city.

Alberta-based Sio Silica has positioned itself as part of the green energy future by proposing a silica sand mine in Springfield, Man., which some believe will be key to sparking a lucrative green tech manufacturing industry in the province. But the proposal has been met with staunch resistance; residents fear the proponent’s plan to drill holes through their drinking water aquifer could cause irreparable harm.

After an independent review, residents were told the province was taking a second look at the company’s plans before deciding whether to grant an environmental licence: the last regulatory hurdle in Sio Silica’s way. Everything came to a head this winter when the newly elected Premier Wab Kinew alleged the project had been all but rubber-stamped before the New Democrats formed government. These allegations have sparked an ethics investigation into a few Progressive Conservative politicians — including the former premier.

With the allegations coming to light, some residents say it’s time to look into the company’s political dealings at all levels of government.

Sio Silica hasn’t backed down — it has threatened local councillors who oppose the project with legal action. And as we learned in Canmore, a lawsuit can seal the fate of even the most controversial projects.

But Springfield residents remain unwavering in their opposition, going toe-to-toe with the corporation’s leadership at community meetings, council sessions and environmental hearings.

“Ultimately, residents want accountability from their leaders and clarity on the risks they would absorb living near this proposed mine,” Julia-Simone told me. 

Both Drew and Julia-Simone have the most comprehensive accounts of these two contentious projects. Read Drew’s story on the Canmore saga here, and Julia-Simone’s account on the fate of the sand mine here.

Take care and take care of your town,

Karan Saxena
Audience engagement editor

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