The impact created by the oilsands

Allan Adam and his people have a base in Fort Chipewyan, an isolated community that is 40 minutes by plane north of Fort McMurray. Likewise, Adam was at the front and center when he embarked on a tour of Canada five years ago. It collected tens of thousands of dollars for the legal struggle of ACFN against the expansion of Shell’s Jackpine oilsands project. 

The same tour was joined by rock star Neil Young and ecologist David Suzuki.

For his part, Adam expressed that the development of oilsands and oils should stop. This took place in one of several interviews with the media in Toronto. Just before the first concert. While the ACFN argued that the government’s consultation process was inadequate.

It should be noted that the tour of Honor to the Treaties was in such a way that it reached the international headlines. Possibly this is due to Young’s occasional rhetoric. In which I come to compare the impact of bituminous oilsands development around Fort McMurray with that of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. Despite all the headlines that circulated in addition to ticket sales, this was not enough to end the expansion project. Being that the legal challenge of ACFN was dismissed at the end of 2014. However, the project has not yet been developed.

Now, the same boss signed an agreement in support of the largest and most expensive mining project in the proposed blueberry mine.

Estimates

It has been estimated that the Frontier project of Teck Resources has a cost of $ 20.6 billion. It should be noted that this being so, its value would be significantly higher compared to any other facility in the region. In addition to this, it would cover a territory about half the size of Montreal.

Likewise, Frontier is designed to produce 260,000 barrels of bitumen per day for an estimated 41 years. The company estimates that up to 7,000 workers would be needed during maximum construction, and up to 2,500 people when it is operational.

We must not ignore what, due to taxes and oil royalties, the federal government would pocket $ 12 billion. While Alberta would earn $ 55 billion over the life of the mine.

Despite the benefits it would bring, there is a potential cost to the environment, wildlife and the traditional way of life of First Nations and Métis in the region.

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Source: Kyle Bakx & Geneviève Normand | CBC News