Provided by the office of Piikani Nation Chief and Council

“The only individuals that can and should speak on behalf of the Piikani Nation on all matters related to our lands is myself, the Chief, along with my Council. Without hesitation, the Piikani Nation, fully endorse the Grassy Mountain initiative as this site has been previously developed, disturbed, and laid dormant for at least 45 years. Back then Piikani Nation was never consulted at all and have no indication that any type of environmental standards were applied at that time.

As this project falls within our unceded ancestral lands territory, it is believed that our Piikani members will receive much needed employment, rewarding careers and revenue for our small community that so direly needs it. 

Today’s global economy heavily relies on a wide variety of commodities including steel, and as such, there is a strong demand for metallurgical coal. Responsible resource development can create thousands of good-paying jobs, something that our neighbours in surrounding areas have taken advantage of for decades. 

Our Nation, through our Consultation Policy, have undertaken exhaustive traditional land use reviews along with environmental and ecological studies and have implemented an extensive cultural and environmental monitoring program for the entire life of the mine. Therefore, we are confident that the proponent Riversdale Resources will mitigate and protect to the highest degree any risk to the environment.

The demand for high-quality metallurgical coal, a necessary component of making steel, will continue to grow and be an area of interest and investment from around the world. That investment provides jobs and economic benefits to our people, to our local community and to the entire province of Alberta.”