Coal-built Grande Cache, Alta. But plans for a new mine are not well received by some residents
The long black streaks in the hills along Highway 40 outside of Grande Cache, Alta, are a clear sign of the rich coal seams that run through the eastern slopes of the Rockies.
About 270 miles northwest of Edmonton, the community was established in the 1960s to service the mine that still extracts coal outside of town. The volatile coal industry has fueled the local economy from the start.
In recent years, as coal plants in Alberta were being phased out, the future of the city’s existing mine became more uncertain. The local power plant was converted from coal to mainly natural gas in 2019.
Only the continued demand for metallurgical coal to make steel abroad has kept the mine going. There is now a proposal to build a new mine in the area to produce more coal for steel production, a project that some people in Grande Cache are thinking twice about.
The Summit 14 mine, proposed by Maxim Power, would be built on Grande Mountain, which towers over Grande Cache.
Fear of tourism, pollution
The potential mining site is also visible through the trees of Jules Desrocher’s camping and trail riding business.
“The haulage road will run into what we’re looking at — right on Grande Mountain,” he says, pointing to the potential mining site in the distance.
Desrocher fears that tourists will stop coming to enjoy the area’s natural beauty if there is a coal mine overseeing his business.
The Metis entrepreneur is also concerned about what the mine will mean for drinking water in the area.
Desrocher, who also works part-time in the oil and gas sector, is quick to point out that he’s not anti-industry. But he says there are too many unknowns when it comes to the new mining proposal.
‘A good thing for the city of Grande Cache fiscally’
In Grande Cache, during a packed open day on the proposed mine held in July, questions about its environmental impact are high on the agenda of many attendees.
Maxim Power, the company pitching the new project, says the mine will be underground, meaning local water will be better protected than in an opencast mine.
Maxim Power’s Kyle Mitton adds that the company must “do the environmental monitoring and demonstrate that this will be a responsible operation” before being given the go-ahead to build the mine by the county.
If the company gets the permits it needs, the mine could produce metallurgical coal by the end of next year.
“This is a good thing for the city of Grande Cache on a tax front – to keep the city running,” says Yakielashek.
Project can create 120 new jobs
The Alberta government has flirted with the idea of opening several new metallurgical mines in the province in recent years. However, strong public opposition forced most projects to be shelved.
The Summit 14 mine was the exception, as it had been under construction since 2008.
“There are still several approval steps for this project, but its approval would provide economic security for the Grande Cache area,” said a spokesman for the Alberta Ministry of Energy and Minerals.
The local Chamber of Commerce agrees, noting that it would be great to “bring employment to the Grande Cache economy for an estimated 120 workers.”
But if the mine is built, it would change Grande Mountain’s landscape, and some worry it could impact the area’s burgeoning tourism industry.
‘Something special about this area’
Gina Goldie, who grew up in Grande Cache, started her rafting business in the area 25 years ago. “There’s just something special about this area. It’s just so quiet and serene and beautiful,” she says.
Like many people from Grande Cache, Goldie is conflicted about the new mine, acknowledging the environmental risks but also aware of the economic benefits.
“So in an ideal world we don’t use coal mines anymore — but we don’t live in that world, we’re on the verge of serious climate problems and so how do we solve those — that’s a very big complex problem.”
Goldie is most concerned about the mining site being drained once it has finished producing coal. She is also concerned about the ability of regulators to ensure that the site is cleaned up.
Still, she says the fact that the mine produces coal for steel production, not electricity production, is an important distinction, as there are currently no viable alternatives.
“There’s a balance to be struck between preserving our natural areas and using our natural resources and I think that’s the challenge,” says Goldie.
Goldie points out that the steel produced from the Grande Cache coal seams could be used to build wind turbines or electric cars, key pieces for decarbonising the planet and tackling climate change.
As the Summit 14 mine works its way through the approval process, people in the area say they’re struggling with how the coal industry and the environment can coexist, with no easy answers — just hard questions about their town’s future.
