Coaldale resident helping collect signatures in town for Water Not Coal petition

Sunny South News Photo by Kristine Jean. PETITION: Coaldale resident Dennis Mikalson was out at the Coaldale Sportsplex on March 28 helping collect signatures for the Water Not Coal petition. Petition organizers are hopeful they will collect the almost 200,000 required signatures by June 10.

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

One Coaldale resident is hoping to make a big difference in the fight to save Alberta’s water. 

Dennis Mikalson has been out at various locations in Coaldale since early March including the parking lot at the Coaldale Sportsplex on Saturday, March 28, helping collect signatures for the Water Not Coal petition that was launched earlier this year by country singer Corb Lund. 

“Water quality is important, especially in Southern Alberta where we have all the irrigation that’s vital to our agri-food industry and our livestock industry,” said Mikalson. “The whole economy of Southern Alberta is based on agriculture and if we get our water contaminated, we have no way to sell our food. People aren’t going to buy milk that’s contaminated with selenium and metals from the coal mine run-off.”         

The Water Not Coal petition movement officially kicked off in mid-Feburary with events in Lethbridge, Calgary and Edmonton. 

For six years, Lund has advocated for the protection of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains and headwaters from coal development and the threats it poses to water, ecosystems, and communities. 

“This is a chance for all Albertans to have their voice heard on this issue and to protect our Rockies and headwaters from coal development.” said Lund in a recent press release. “,esponsible mining means no coal development in the heart of our headwaters and sensitive areas of our Rocky Mountains. That is precisely what this petition is advocating for.”

Mikalson noted the drinking water in Coaldale comes from the Old Man River in Lethbridge. 

“The proposed coal mine in the Crowsnest Pass area is directly on the watershed of the Old Man River,” he said. “So it comes from the coal mine and it’s going to end up in your tap.”    

Over the past several weeks, Mikalson has collected more than a hundred signatures for the petition movement, and says it’s important to make people aware of the petition, what it’s about and give people a chance to sign it. 

“I don’t find there’s a problem in finding people to sign (it). I think it’s more of a problem giving people the opportunity to sign,” he said. “That’s why I’m here, to give people the opportunity to sign (the petition).”

Volunteers across the region including those in Lethbridge and Coaldale will be out helping collect the almost 200,000 signatures that are required for the petition by June 10. 

Mikalson said petition organizers are hopeful they will collect the number that’s needed. 

“This is an issue that’s across political boundaries – it’s not a Conservative thing or an NDP thing. This is a people thing – this is a people issue,” said Mikalson.       

For more information on the Water Not Coal petition movement visit http://www.waternotcoal.ca