Poisoned Waterways
Alberta tar sands development threatens local watersheds
As a child in Fort
Chipewyan, Steve
Courtoreille was able
to dip his cup into
the Athabasca River
and drink straight
from it. Today, as a
First Nations councillor
and a grandfather,
he laments that anyone going out on
the river on a trapping expedition now
is forced to carry copious amounts of
bottled water in order to stay hydrated,
because water from the river is no longer
safe to drink.
This past August, Fort Chipewyan hosted
an international conference dealing
with the impacts of tar sands development
on water. The Water Keepers III
conference brought 300 guests from all
over North America, including representatives
from environmental and social
organizations, politicians and journalists.
Fort Chipewyan is considered ground
zero for the devastation caused by
Alberta’s oil boom.
The Globe and Mail reported in May
2006 that the sequestered hamlet of
1200 residents has experienced rare
forms of cancer in numbers comparable
to those of large cities. Both the federal
and provincial governments have dismissed
the concerns.
A few years ago, the community’s family
doctor, Dr. John O’Connor, spoke
out about the unusually high cancer
rates. Dr. O’Connor was shocked when
Health Canada denied the claims and
responded with measures that threatened
his medical licence.
Growing resistance to tar
sands development
In 2003, the community decided it
had seen enough. The leadership of
the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
(ACFN), the Mikisew Cree First Nation
(MCFN) and Métis local 135 called for
a halt to new tar sands developments
until the health impacts on their community
could be determined.
The community is calling for a thorough
investigation that will include,
among other elements, a baseline health
study, a land use plan and a cumulative
effects assessment.
But their call has fallen on deaf ears.
According to Miskew Cree Chief
Roxanne Marcel, five new tar sands
projects have been approved since then.
Discussions with the Alberta government
have been facilitated through
the multi-stakeholder body called
the Cumulative Environmental
Management Association (CEMA),
which has included representatives from
industry. In 2006 the ACFN pulled
its membership from CEMA, and the
MCFN withdrew in 2007.
Now First Nations’ leadership is calling
for meaningful consultation through
government-to-government discussions
– without the presence of industry – at
key stages of the approval process, and
not after the fact.
Both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
speakers at the conference argued that
in continuing to allow the destruction
of the Athabasca watershed, the provincial
and federal governments were in
violation of Aboriginal treaty rights.
Water protection was central to the concerns
of Fort Chipewyan members and
to those of other Athabasca watershed
communities gathered at the conference.
Laura Webb of the West Moberly First
Nations emphasized that water was
never ceded in treaty negotiations. “We
never gave up the things we considered
sacred,” said Webb.
Strong concerns were also raised about
the impacts of deteriorating water quality
and quantity on the ability of First
Nations communities to maintain their
traditional way of life. Water contamination
impacts on local wildlife have
prevented communities from consuming
their traditional diet, leaving them with
less healthy alternatives such as packaged
foods.
Vice-Chief Bill Erasmus of the North
West Assembly of First Nations also
raised concern about the threat of bulk
water exports and stated that Northern
communities would be most vulnerable
if the federal government ever decided
to sell water to the United States.
Above all else, delegates to the conference
stressed the need for unity opposing
the tar sands. This means that as
Aboriginal communities move forward
in their uphill struggle against the powerful
oil industry, the Alberta government
and the federal government, it will
be crucial for environmental social justice
and citizen advocacy organizations
like the Council of Canadians to chip
in and help.
Meera Karunananthan is the National Water
Campaigner for the Council of Canadians.
Printer-friendly version: Poisoned Waterways in PDF Format (83kB)
Photo: An aerial view shows the proximity of Fort
Chipewyan to the Athabasca River in Alberta. Credit: Sheila Muxlow
