Crowsnest Pass Vote 2024

Click here to read about our commitment to residents in the Pass

• Northback’s Commitment

  A Commitment to the Residents of the Crowsnest Pass from the Northback Team

  Since the beginning of the Grassy Mountain Project, Northback has engaged with the residents of the Crowsnest Pass and southern Alberta. We have welcomed public visits to the proposed mine site, open houses, and a listening tour to allow residents and visitors to understand the project and provide feedback.

  The vote on November 25, 2024, is an opportunity for you, the residents of Crowsnest Pass, to make your voices heard.

  To help you make a well-informed decision, we want to be clear as to how we are working to address your concerns and incorporate those into the redesign of the mine.

  We commit to:

  Redesigning the project to address stated concerns

  • Northback is working to redesign the project to address concerns with respect to the train load-out, water, fish, air, and noise.
  • The redesigned project will produce less than 3.75 million tonnes of steelmaking coal per year thus reducing environmental impacts through a smaller footprint (including significantly less waste rock) and enabling progressive reclamation activities to commence earlier in the life of the mine.
  • We will reclaim, that is renovate, previously mined areas to facilitate future use.
  • The project will remain within the originally planned mine boundary, which are all on Category 4. (As per Alberta Coal Policy 1976 – Category 4 is Lands where exploration and development are permitted under normal approval procedures for surface, in-situ and underground mining).
  • The project will not have an impact on lawful recreational and tourism activities.

  Protecting waterways and fish from selenium

  • With the redesigned mine, waste rock stockpiles will not be placed in the Gold Creek watershed, to reduce the risk of selenium release to protect the Westslope Cutthroat Trout population.
  • The project’s selenium management plan will employ more than one line of defence and will use proven treatment technologies from day one of operations.
  • The project will meet all existing environmental regulations, ensuring that the water remains safe for residents of Southern Alberta.
  • We will minimize water use through recycling in our process plant and site.

  Maintaining air quality

  • Proven dust suppression practices will be employed to minimize airborne particles during construction and operations.

  Being open about our construction and operations

  • We will continue air and water quality monitoring and reporting throughout the life of the mine, with operations managed to maintain air and water quality within limits permitted by the regulator.
  • We commit to continuing safe regular tours of the site for the public, including during operations, at all such times with visitor’s safety in mind.

  Minimizing disruption and sharing benefits

  • We will continue to redesign the proposed train load out and associated mitigative options to address concerns regarding noise, dust and visual aesthetics.
  • We will prioritize employment of residents of the Crowsnest Pass and the Piikani First Nation people as well as applicants from nearby regions over remote workers during operations.
  • We will consult with local residents on the intended next use of the site as part of reclamation planning.
  • We will continue our involvement with local programs, worthwhile charity events and improvement initiatives, doing our part to help make the Crowsnest Pass a strong and vibrant place where people will choose to live, work, and recreate.

  Both the construction and operation will bring opportunities to businesses in the area, as well as in Canada.

  Economics of the redesigned mine remain robust, which will flow into jobs and regional benefits

  • The forecast demand for steel-making coal and sea-borne prices remains robust. Along with reduced development costs from a smaller mine footprint, the project’s solid economic outlook is ensured and results in significant economic benefits for the local region, and First Nations, Alberta and Canada, including substantial royalty payments, construction and operational jobs, growth of small businesses, and contributions to the economy through wages and various taxes such as property tax and income tax.
  • Total royalty revenues will vary depending on coal price and production volumes. The construction and operation of the mine’s infrastructure will result in a significant industrial property tax base for the local municipalities on which the infrastructure is built.
  • Based on market forecasts, and estimated construction costs, the economic benefits with the sum of royalties, property taxes, income tax and other taxes generated over the life of project could amount to more than a billion dollars.

  Standing behind our commitments

  • We are a Canadian company wholly owned by Hancock Prospecting. Hancock is a large, diversified, and successful private company with longstanding experience in responsible resource exploration, development, and reclamation. Hancock has the capability and financial resources to stand behind its commitments.
  • Our focus remains only on developing the Grassy Mountain steel-making coal project. Northback does not have and is not planning to take any interests in any other coal projects in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

  We are making these commitments publicly and are prepared to be held to account.