Latest news with #AlbertaFirstNation
Winnipeg Free Press
04-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
First Nation seeking court ruling on Alberta ending coal mining moratorium
EDMONTON – An Alberta First Nation is asking a judge to review the provincial government's decision earlier this year to end its moratorium on coal mining. In an application for judicial review filed this week, Siksika Nation says Alberta failed in its duty to consult when in January it lifted its moratorium on new coal mining projects on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Siksika Nation, 95 kilometres east of Calgary, says the effects of coal mining in the Rockies threaten Treaty rights and the land that supports its livelihood. It's the second time Siksika Nation has challenged a United Conservative Party government's coal mining decisions. When Alberta lifted its long-standing coal policy in 2020, Siksika challenged the move in court, but proceedings were discontinued the following year when public outrage spurred the province to reinstate the policy. That policy flip-flop prompted coal companies to sue Alberta for a combined $16 billion, arguing that the reinstatement and effective moratorium amounted to expropriation of land. The province recently reached settlements with two companies involved in the lawsuit for undisclosed amounts. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Energy Minister Brian Jean's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025.
CBC
21-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
First Nation to get in-person meeting with Alberta after cancelling virtual discussion about AI centre
The Alberta government is working to co-ordinate an in-person meeting with a northern Alberta First Nation to discuss an ambitious plan from celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary to build a massive artificial intelligence data centre. Last week, the chief of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation sent a letter to Premier Danielle Smith and several cabinet ministers, cancelling his participation in a scheduled Feb. 24 meeting with government officials, saying the discussion's format was giving short-shrift to the band's concerns. "We were surprised to learn that this meeting was only scheduled for 30 minutes and would be held virtually. We understood it was in person and for at least an hour," Chief Sheldon Sunshine said in the Feb. 12 letter. "On its face, it seems that this meeting is being set up to provide a tick on the box so that the province can say they've fulfilled their duty to consult," Sunshine wrote. Plans for the $70-billion Wonder Valley project, slated to be built in the Municipal District of Greenview, were announced in December by O'Leary Ventures. Its location near Grande Prairie, Alta., about 455 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, would put it on traditional territory of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation. Sunshine's letter also questions whether the government was intentionally trying to evade treaty rights and its obligation to consult with First Nations. According to the letter, the First Nation met in January with representatives from O'Leary Ventures, "who at least had the respect to come to our reserve for a couple of hours." That meeting did not answer all the questions or concerns about the project, Sunshine wrote. "When we meet with government, we expect to have a substantive discussion regarding your decisions that will negatively impact our rights, especially in this case. We expect more than introductions. We cannot in good faith attend this meeting as scheduled." A provincial government spokesperson confirmed to CBC on Tuesday that efforts are underway to book an in-person meeting between Sunshine and Rick Wilson, the provincial Indigenous Relations minister. Concerns first raised in January Sunshine first voiced his concerns about the project in January, when he sent an open letter to Smith expressing "grave concern" with the proposal and reminding the province of its obligations under Treaty 8. At the time, a government spokesperson confirmed consultation would be done. In a Feb. 14 letter responding to Sunshine's concerns about the scheduled Feb. 24 meeting, Wilson emphasized that Alberta would be mindful of protecting Treaty rights. "We remain committed to meaningful consultation with First Nations when projects may adversely affect these rights or traditional uses and to accommodate where appropriate," he wrote. "Alberta's government consistently meets its legal and constitutional duty to consult, and the courts have upheld our consultation process." The Municipal District of Greenview has agreed to partner with O'Leary Ventures by building the off-grid natural gas and geothermal power capacity needed to enable the project to work. The M.D. and the company have signed a letter of intent for the purchase and development of thousands of acres of land within the Greenview Industrial Gateway. A spokesperson for Wilson confirmed to CBC News that provincial government money is not involved in the project. In his letter, Wilson said the provincial environment department has issued a preliminary certificate outlining conditions that must be met before a licence under the Water Act is issued. "The preliminary certificate does not, on its own, create any entitlement to water. Issuance of a Water Act licence remains contingent upon meeting all mandatory conditions, including appropriate consultation with First Nations," he said. Wilson's letter goes on to explain the province is committed to balancing economic development with the protection of Treaty rights and traditional uses.
