Grassy Mountain and the Threat of Coal – Adventure for Wilderness, June 27, 2026

July 1, 2026

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• Adventures for Wilderness
• Coal
• Energy
• Events
• Livingstone-Porcupine
• Pipelines

Text by Lindsey Wallis
Photos by Lindsey Wallis and Nicole Olivier

We met Nicole from Y2Y and Brenda from the Crowsnest Conservation Society just past the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, where we heard about some of the work their organizations are doing to protect southern Alberta’s headwaters. Then we carpooled up a rough gravel road to the trailhead where we headed up the trail. As we rounded a bend a stream was pouring down the trail. This was along the right of way for TC Energy’s pipeline that was put in a few years. We could see some of their reclamation efforts, but water from the underground springs was no longer underground – instead, running down the road picking up sediment to be deposited downstream. We then followed the steep, rough track cutting into the hillside.

As we continued upwards we delighted in the many flowers growing on the slopes, they were pleased with all the rain that we had received. As we crested the hill, we were gifted with views out into the prairie. We stood on the south end of the Livingstone Range, which is the point where mountains almost immediately turn to prairie in this part of the province. To our west, we could see the Continental Divide, only a few kilometres distant. Snow melt from this narrow band must feed the Crowsnest River all year, providing drinking water for those downstream and feeding the Oldman Reservoir, which was visible to the east. It was a stark reminder of the aridity of southern Alberta and how important these headwaters are, for wildlife, livestock and humans.

As we continued along the shoulder the locoweed blooms were prolific, alongside many other wildflowers, including townsendia, arnica, Jacob’s ladder, saxifrage, and many more. We also saw a number of Alberta’s five needled pines, both living and as bleached, twisted trunks. We learned that there are more than 21,000 of these endangered pines on Grassy Mountain, which will be removed as part of the mining process.

A little further on the south peak of the Livingstone came into view and from where we would relax and eat our lunch we could see Grassy Mountain, the proposed site of Northback’s hugely controversial mine. From our vantage we could see exploration roads crisscrossing the slopes. Kennedy, our AWA Conservation Specialist who has been working on this issue, and Nicole talked about the grave threats to our water and air that will come from this mine if it is approved. Already, there are sites like Window Mountain Lake that are experiencing negative effects from coal dust from mines operating in BC. In an exceptionally windy region like the Crowsnest Pass this toxic dust could be spread over great distances, including our agricultural lands and into our waterways, not to mention creating health hazards for those living in the area.

The most concerning piece for many folks is the impact the mine will have on our water. In addition to using water for industry in a basin that is already over-allocated, there are dozens of toxins that threaten to contaminate the waters of the Crowsnest headwaters, and would affect hundreds of thousands of people and livelihoods downstream along the Oldman River. Northback has promised our water will not be contaminated, but other companies in BC have spent millions on technology to remove contaminants like selenium from the water. So far, none have been successful.

As we headed back down, through the fields of wildflowers, clouds scudding by overhead, we talked about the economy of the Crowsnest Pass and mused on what a vibrant place it could be for culture, tourism and sport. Some of us had just come from a nearby music festival in Beaver Mines. And from our lunch stop we had watched racers for the Canadian National Skyrunning Championships dotted along the high ridge of the Livingstone. What if, instead of the Alberta government spending money to promote coal development in our Eastern Slopes, they invested in the communities to support local businesses and entrepreneurs?