Country musician Corb Lund continues his journey against coal mining in the Rockies

Country singer and activist Corb Lund hosted a weekend trail ride as he fights to protect Alberta's water from new coal mining development. Moses Woldu reports.

Corb Lund is back on the trail, singing a tune that speaks to his fans, and a cause near and dear to his heart.

Lund and a team of musicians and ranchers are collecting signatures since receiving re-approval on his petition from Elections Alberta in January. It asks the province to pass a law banning any new coal mining on the eastern slopes of the Rockies.

" I would much rather be playing music and all these folks who much rather be raising cattle. We have nothing to gain from this other than clean water. We’re not making a penny. In fact, it’s cost me a lot of money." Said Lund.

“The coal companies are on a massive PR blitz right now, and they’re telling us how great this is going to be and how great, how great it was of the environment they’re going to be, and how much of an economic boom this is going to be for the province. And in my opinion, it’s all BS.”

The group battled the elements during their five tour stop through Southern Alberta into Calgary, concluding in Edmonton.

Rancher Laura Laing is encouraged by the support they have received, and says that this is a cause all Albertan’s can get behind.

“As ranchers, we are environmentalists. it’s not always an easy word for us to say, but we are conservationists.” Laing said.

“The jobs they provide are sustainable in agriculture and ranching. And we want them to remain that way for centuries to come and generations to come.”

On her radio call in show, Saturday, Premier Danielle Smith said she recently spoke with Lund about this initiative.

“I let him know that we, we already had bought back 40,000 hectares of coal leases and coal rights, so that we have 40,000 additional hectares on the eastern slopes that won’t be developed,”

Lund says the most recent news from the province is better than the alternative, but its far from the end goal.

Lund and his team will need just under 178 thousand signatures by June 10th to get their question on the fall referendum ballot.