Canadian Church Leaders Raise Alarm Bell Over Alberta's Oilsands

After recently conducting a tour through northern Alberta to learn more about the oilsands, Canadian Church leaders have added their voice to a growing chorus of individuals and groups calling for the Alberta government to change its current oilsands development policy. Although their recommendations and findings are not new, the delegation of 10 Church leaders plans to raise their concerns with federal government officials this fall.

Among the issues that the delegation plans to raise are the concerns of the northern Alberta community of Fort Chipewyan. Residents believe that surrounding oilsands development projects have contaminated their ecosystem, which has led to rare and abnormally high cancer rates within the community. Subsequent government, industry and independent studies corroborate the view of residents. However, the Alberta government maintains that northern Alberta oilsands development projects are not polluting their surrounding ecosystems and the abnormal cancer rates among Fort Chipewyan residents are not the result of environmental factors.

The study released by the delegation of Canadian Church leaders expressed grave concern regarding what is occurring within Fort Chipewyan:

“In Fort Chipewyan, people told us of rare illnesses, the growing number of deaths from cancer and frightening changes to local ecology. We saw how rapidly the graveyard is filling up. People in Fort Chipewyan need answers about why this is happening and how it can be prevented.”

Currently, leaders are contemplating whether to ask “the federal government to conduct an independent review of how Alberta's oilsands are affecting people and the environment,” something that the community and other groups have been demanding for. The pressure for an independent review will likely increase, as the Federal Court has ordered oilsands companies to disclose their pollution data, something these companies were previously not required to do.

For the community, and Albertans as a whole, these should be welcomed developments. A sustainable oilsands development strategy and understanding the environmental consequences of oilsands development are likely the major policy issues facing the province, and certainly the ones that have caused the most controversy. However, the provincial government has been unwilling to engage in either. Perhaps increased pressure at the federal level will lead to some much needed change.