Opinion

Blaine Moen — Cowley

My entire life, I’ve known and lived my life based on the commitment that we humans, our basic function is to make more humans. Not just more, but better humans too. Bettering ourselves and our environment. Making our lives and the planet better.

My wife and I have two beautiful girls, in their 30s now. Those girls have partners and now we have a grandson.

Throughout our lives we have worked to help educate our kids and provide them a comfortable and hopefully challenging experience. To show them that they matter and, by extension, everything they do matters. I’ve grown confident, even comfortable, with the notion that our kids are helping to make our world a bit better every day.

Although I personally have not run for elected office, I’ve been the president of my community association, a board member of a group representing hundreds of rural families and landowners, and I’ve followed politics and government closely my entire life. The last 10 years have been a struggle for me in terms of health, but still I manage to contribute where I can with the help of a supportive partner.

I do worry about the future for our girls and, collectively, all our kids more and more. War prompted by one man’s insatiable desire to run the clock back in Ukraine. Political unrest and a worsening divide in the United States. And nearly nine billion people, many with the idea that unlimited growth is the only path forward on a planet with limited resources.

Most of what we do as a family is designed around leaving our kids and now their kids as much opportunity as is reasonable. The obvious topic most people focus on is money, “inheritance.” Yes, like nearly every other person with kids, we too are doing our best to leave them enough to make their lives more comfortable, hopefully, even interesting and fulfilling.

This leads to my main topic, legacy. While we all work to gain financial security, we owe it to our future as a species to consider how best to achieve that security. Income, jobs, careers and the economy are the simplest ways we all gain the security I mention, but these things don’t occur in a vacuum. All businesses’ or industries’ goals haven’t changed over the last hundred years: Provide the most profit within the context of providing a product or service.

All that considered, humans are learning, one way or another, if in the pursuit of our economic goals we compromise our future, financially or otherwise, then we will ultimately fail. In simpler terms, too many times we cut down the apple tree to build an apple juice factory.

This is where we are today in Alberta. Our UCP politicians are advancing coal mines along our Eastern Slopes against the wishes of a majority of Albertans, against the Alberta Energy Regulator decision to reject Grassy Mountain and against prevailing science. All in the name of economic prosperity and UCP fear of lawsuits brought on by UCP actions.

Recently, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith appeared with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe to bring attention to their desire to increase investment by expanding new pipelines. Smith said, “We need the increased investment and royalties to help fund the diversification of the Alberta economy.”

I’d like to point out the hypocrisy in that statement as Smith placed a pause on renewable energy (safe and clean energy providing the very diversity Smith claims to motivate expanding pipelines), citing environmental and viewscape concerns.

Increasing the madness of UCP actions, Smith, via Energy Minister Brian Jean, removed an exploration moratorium on coal development, which immediately allowed the AER to authorize Grassy Mountain to proceed with drilling. I suppose in the eyes of the UCP, wind and solar farms (which are removable) are less attractive than coal mines.

The real issue and the major reason behind my family’s specific efforts to stop these coal mines is to protect our water. Alberta has many riches. Energy, like oil and gas, solar and wind. Endless beauty, rolling foothills, oceans of farmland, and our Rocky Mountains are unmatched.

One item Alberta has a shortage of is water. Southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan are the driest, most arid areas of Canada. I know. I live in southern Alberta. Water represents our very existence here and if you think you won’t be impacted by the UCP opening coal mines where our water is generated, you might want to reconsider.

Beef, pork and poultry are all made possible by water generated in the Eastern Slopes of Alberta. Frito-Lay and McCain are just two of dozens of irrigators who depend on the Oldman River. Water was one of the main reasons listed when the AER rejected Grassy Mountain in 2021.

Some “in the know” people suggest the UCP are appearing to support foreign coal companies in some sort of backwards effort to make themselves look better to cut a better deal in court. Then, the AER will “decide” against Grassy Mountain, again, and the UCP will say, “See, we told you to trust our regulator.

It’s impossible to guess what is motivating an idiot when he lights his own hair on fire while running through a gas plant screaming, “I’m a lawyer from Fort McMurray! I’m minister of energy! I failed my driver’s licence four times! I know what I’m doing!”

This brings us back around to the point of what are we doing and why. I play pool; I’m not very good, but I play by the premise, it’s not what you make, it’s what you leave. That’s true about our economy as well. If in pursuit of economic prosperity we ruin our water, what have we gained?

Myself, I’d rather our UCP government fight foreign speculators in court and protect the water we have. Smith says she is concerned about financial losses from the court cases. On this she’s correct, the UCP should be concerned.

They fabricated this entire fiasco out of thin air. Whatever happens from this, win or lose in court, coal mines in our watershed or not, this is a legacy the United Conservative Party of Alberta owns, 100 per cent. And, just like last time, we Albertans will literally be made to pay, again, for conservative mistakes.

That said, water, not steel coal, not economic investment, not the threat of losing money from lawsuits, but water must be our primary focus. Personally, I have no desire to continue to fight the UCP. I’d much rather be focused on improving my health or spending time with family and friends. Unfortunately, that’s just not possible while UCP politicians threaten our water.

The things we do for our kids.

Blairmore Coal Piles Reclamation Project

Protecting and Preserving Our Natural Legacy — Alberta’s Environment

The removal, clean-up and rehabilitation of the Blairmore coal piles is the largest reclamation project undertaken to date by Alberta Environment. Approximately 660,000 tonnes of coal slack was removed from Blairmore to a prepared site at Cougar Canyon between 1987 and 1988. Completion of the $2.63 million project will improve water quality in the Crowsnest River and return 57 acres of land for productive use for Albertans now and in the future.

Since 1977, Alberta Environment’s land reclamation program has recovered abandoned derelict sites for the long-term social and economic benefit of Albertans province-wide. Unsightly and hazardous sites have been reclaimed for beneficial uses in agriculture, recreation or residential development.

This reclaimed site is dedicated to all area residents and was officially opened October 6, 1989.

Honourable Ralph Klein, Minister of Environment

Fred Bradley, MLA, Pincher Creek–Crowsnest

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