Province Reopens Coal Mining in Eastern Slopes; Smith Promises 'All Coal, No Mines' Approach

Premier insists the new framework will deliver economic benefit without environmental cost, a balance she described as 'fundamentally a vibe.'

By Staff Reporter · The Alberta Advantage · 2026-04-08

CALGARY — The Government of Alberta on Tuesday announced the formal reopening of coal mining exploration on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, reversing a moratorium that had been in place — in some form — for most of the past three years. Premier Smith described the new framework as "all the benefits of coal, with none of the mining," a balance she said the government would be working out the details of as it went.

The framework, formally titled the Eastern Slopes Responsible Energy Recovery Initiative, permits open-pit and surface-extraction mining under what the Premier described as "modernized" environmental standards. Pressed on which standards had been modernized and how, the Premier said the standards now reflected "the realities of the modern coal sector," a sector she identified as "ours."

"The eastern slopes are an Alberta asset," said Energy Minister Brian Jean, who attended the announcement wearing a hard hat indoors. "We are committed to developing these assets responsibly, in a way that respects the land, the water, and the people downstream from them, where 'respect' is defined according to the new framework's definition of respect."

The water question is expected to be the most contentious. The eastern slopes feed several of southern Alberta's major rivers, including the systems on which ranching, irrigation, and municipal water supplies depend. Asked how the framework would protect the water, the Minister referred reporters to a section of the document titled Water, which, when retrieved, consisted of a single page with the words "see Section 4" in the centre. Section 4 of the document, when located, said only "Water concerns will be addressed at the project level."

The Assembly of Treaty Chiefs, which last month passed a unanimous non-confidence vote in the government, issued a statement calling the announcement "predictable," "consultation-free," and "the reason we voted." The Premier's office responded that consultation had occurred, and declined to specify when, with whom, or in what form.

Ranchers downstream of the proposed exploration areas were divided. One rancher, who had voted UCP in the last three elections, told The Alberta Advantage that he supported the government but had also paid a lot of attention to what his water tasted like, and the two were starting to be in tension. He asked us not to use his name, citing the small community he lived in.

We can responsibly extract coal in a way that does not involve the holes, the trucks, the dust, the tailings, or the water — provided you let us tell you what counts as responsible.

⚠ The Alberta Advantage is a satirical publication. All articles are fiction. Any resemblance to actual government policy is the government's problem, not ours.