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Singer Corb Lund has been given the go-ahead to start collecting signatures for a petition to ask the Alberta government to pass a law banning new coal mining on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
Elections Alberta posted the official OK on its website Monday.
Lund, who has received multiple Juno and Canadian Country Music Association nominations and awards, lives in southern Alberta and has been a vocal opponent of coal mining.
In his application for the petition, he said he’s seeking the intervention because mines could threaten land and water in the area.
“I get a lot of flak about being a celebrity or whatever, and I should shut up and sing. And it’s like, well, I drink that water — like, I drink the water out of the Oldman River,” Lund said in a phone interview from Las Vegas, where he has been performing.
“My animals drink the water, my mother drinks the water. So I’m not a guy flying in from L.A. on a private jet. I am a sixth generation rural Albertan, and I’m just trying to get the water clean.”
Country music singer Corb Lund spoke at the Alberta Legislature after submitting his application on Nov. 19, 2025, for a petition to ask the province to pass a law banning new coal mining on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
He added: “There’s no subterfuge; there’s no hidden agenda. It’s just we don’t want coal mining in the headwaters of the Rocky Mountain rivers. Simple.”
Once Lund has completed some other housekeeping matters over the next few days, such as appointing a chief financial officer, the signature collection can officially start.
Lund then has four months to gather signatures equal to 10 per cent of votes cast in the last general election — almost 178,000.
If successful, the legislature would consider passing a law banning coal mining or send it to a provincewide vote.
What On Earth27:32Country star Corb Lund won’t just ‘shut up and sing’ anymore
There are always a few comments on Instagram telling Corb Lund to ‘stick to music.’ But he finds himself, reluctantly, donning his activist cap. The reason? Water quality near his home in Southwest Alberta, which he says is threatened by coal development.
Leading up to Monday’s petition approval, he has been preparing a team of canvassers to help him, Lund said.
They’ll also be the ones to oversee the work of gathering signatures in March while he’s on tour across the United States.
Lund said he’s confident the issue will extend beyond partisan lines, and appeal to urban and rural Albertans to draw signatures from around the province.
It’s the latest in a string of petitions underway to force government action on everything from recalling politicians to confirming Alberta’s place in Confederation.
Lund recently said it was Smith and her government’s pursuit of coal mines that inspired him to get to work.
Asked for comment on Monday, Premier Danielle Smith’s office directed reporters to her earlier public comments. Last month, she said: “I’m glad I’m able to be his muse.”
“Maybe he’ll write a song about me,” she said.
“I support citizen-initiated referenda — I think it’s really important that people have their say — so the rules are out there, and I’ll watch with great interest.”
And more is expected to come. CBC’s Robson Fletcher breaks down why taxpayers are on the hook for changes to Alberta’s coal policy.
Alberta’s coal policy has been on a roller-coaster ride in recent years.
The United Conservative government rescinded a decades-old coal policy in 2020 to reopen much of the eastern slopes to mining. They rolled back that decision the following year due to public outcry.
However, the government reignited the debate in 2024 when it introduced rules banning new mines on the slopes but exempting advanced projects like Grassy Mountain near Crowsnest Pass.
