Edmonton | Amiskwacîwâskahikan/Treaty 6 Territory, Home To Métis Nation Of Alberta, Region IV | October 24, 2024 — As physicians and healthcare professionals gather in Edmonton to celebrate the closure of Alberta’s last coal plant – six years ahead of schedule – a major threat to this progress towards healthier, more climate-friendly energy looms: the proposed expansion of the Vista coal mine. 

The expansion could make Vista the largest thermal coal mine in Canadian history – despite federal commitments to eliminate thermal coal exports from and through Canada by 2030. 

If expanded, the mine near Hilton, Alberta, in the foothills of the Rockies, would produce up to 15 million tonnes of coal per year, releasing 33 million tonnes of carbon pollution — equivalent to the emissions from seven million cars annually. This undermines Canada’s climate goals, threatens nearby communities with increased air pollution, contributes to wildfires and other climate disasters, and blatantly disregards the need for Indigenous consent in decisions that directly affect their lands and rights.

Dr. Joe Vipond, emergency physician and CAPE past president, said:

“This coal mine expansion is a slap in the face to everything we’ve fought for. Alberta worked hard to phase out coal for the health of our people and the planet. Allowing Vista to expand is like throwing gasoline on a fire — it will drive up pollution, drive up deaths, and drive us further into the climate crisis. The health impacts of coal pollution are severe — from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases to increased hospital visits for asthma attacks. At a time when we need to act swiftly on climate change, expanding thermal coal mining is a step in the wrong direction.We cannot allow this recklessness to undo years of progress.”

CAPE and other groups are calling on the federal government to immediately designate the Vista coal mine expansion for a federal impact assessment under the recently amended Impact Assessment Act. Ultimately, CAPE is calling on the federal government to reject the Vista coal mine expansion altogether and prioritize phasing out all thermal coal projects to protect the health of people in Canada and abroad and uphold Canada’s commitment to a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future.

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Media contacts 

For more information or interviews, please contact:

Reykia Fick, Communications Director, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), 647-762-9168, media@cape.ca