Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Cappy

First chilly day of the winter/fall... grid alert

https://globalnews.ca/news/10824235/...ectricity-use/

Yeah, but we now have snowy, pristine views!

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by troutman

I’m stuck in the middle of this:

How a proposed mine is drilling a deep divide in a historic Alberta coal town

https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/...ack-plebiscite

Nothing like an open-pit mine to enhance those views!

I've become a broken record.

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by troutman

I’m stuck in the middle of this:

How a proposed mine is drilling a deep divide in a historic Alberta coal town

https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/...ack-plebiscite

600 people in the community already work at the Tek mine over the border in BC. Those people would be the first employed in the Gina Reinhardt mine in Alberta, so all it's really doing is making an easier commute.

An open pit mine would cover anything down wind in soot. It's pretty naïve thinking that it would turn Crowsnest into some kind of destination community.

Pouring money into tourist infrastructure, however.... the $1.6B spent on the pipeline to nowhere, could have twinned a low fare train line from Lethbridge (the freakin mag-lev Calgary to Edmonton would cost $9B), several hotels, a full cheap public transportation system (in whatever community you want to build... Sparwood?), and full grooming of whatever trails and sights you would want. The people of Alberta could have pretty outright owned another Jasper.

Hyperbole, yes, but any plan is better than an extremely low royalty mine with so many risks and downstream issues.

[troutman]

The community is already developing nicely without a coal mine. Property values up 40% in five years.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by troutman

I’m stuck in the middle of this:

How a proposed mine is drilling a deep divide in a historic Alberta coal town

https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/...ack-plebiscite

Thats BS. I read that whole article and there wasn't a single Crow in it!

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Locke

Thats BS. I read that whole article and there wasn't a single Crow in it!

Well ya, you will never see a single one. It's Crowsnest Pass, not Crownest Pass.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Well ya, you will never see a single one. It's Crowsnest Pass, not Crownest Pass.

They have all been wiped out by the windmills down there.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

They have all been wiped out by the windmills down there.

Thank goodness they use canaries in coal mines instead of crows.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

They have all been wiped out by the windmills down there.

Which is a shame, because they are supposed to be wiped out by coal dust, like god intended. That's why they are black, you see.

[Geraldsh]

Why does it have to be an open pit mine? Why not tunnel like in the old days? The extra cost could be/should be written off as saving the environment and the tourism.

[puffnstuff]

Because they only really lie about being concerned for the environment and tourism?

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by troutman

The community is already developing nicely without a coal mine. Property values up 40% in five years.

I’m not sure how much out-of-towners buying up vacation and retirements properties helps the locals economically.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I’m not sure how much out-of-towners buying up vacation and retirements properties helps the locals economically.

You mean other than the people who are paid to build/ maintain the these homes, or service their vehicles, or operate the grocery/liquor stores. and what about the restaurants and gas stations? C'mon.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

You mean other than the people who are paid to build/ maintain the these homes, or service their vehicles, or operate the grocery/liquor stores. and what about the restaurants and gas stations? C'mon.

Working in a mine is a far better job than bagging groceries or pouring coffee. Tourism in the Crow isn’t the jobs bonanza its made out to be. People load up on gas and groceries before they head out to their properties. As the locals in the story point out, they want real, long-term jobs that you can raise a family and pay a mortgage with.

[troutman]

It is estimated there are 1500 to 2000 people that own property in the Crowsnest that do not have their primary residence here. They are not eligible to vote in the “referendum”, but they should be surveyed too.

I’m not sure working in a coal mine is great for your health. More Americans died from working in coal mines than all Americans lost in Viet Nam, Iraq and Gulf wars combined.

Coal jobs are temporary until the coal runs out. It’s boom and bust.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by troutman

It is estimated there are 1500 to 2000 people that own property in the Crowsnest that do not have their primary residence here. They are not eligible to vote in the “referendum”, but they should be surveyed too.

I’m not sure working in a coal mine is great for your health. More Americans died from working in coal mines than all Americans lost in Viet Nam, Iraq and Gulf wars.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Locke

Thats BS. I read that whole article and there wasn't a single Crow in it!

They're pigeons covered inn coal dust

[Whynotnow]

Originally Posted by Geraldsh

Why does it have to be an open pit mine? Why not tunnel like in the old days? The extra cost could be/should be written off as saving the environment and the tourism.

I think it’s basically because they want to take away the whole mountain face, so tunnel doesn’t really work. Maybe the cardboard mountain cutout from bugs bunny in front of it would do.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by troutman

It is estimated there are 1500 to 2000 people that own property in the Crowsnest that do not have their primary residence here. They are not eligible to vote in the “referendum”, but they should be surveyed too.

I’m not sure working in a coal mine is great for your health. More Americans died from working in coal mines than all Americans lost in Viet Nam, Iraq and Gulf wars combined.

Coal jobs are temporary until the coal runs out. It’s boom and bust.

They could totally build Alberta’s answer to Fernie there. Might be a tough sell as a lot of the locals still love coal. My sister in law is one, even though coal mining shortened her father’s life.

[chedder]

It's also way bigger than what a few locals want or think. The crowsnest river flows into the old man which almost all of southern Alberta feeds off. It ends up in Hudson Bay. Polluting that kind of system could have disastrous results. Also many smaller creeks in the area where they want to mine that feed cattle etc.