EDMONTON — Elections Alberta says a petition calling for a ban on new coal mining in the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, spearheaded by musician and activist Corb Lund, has failed.

The Water Not Coal initiative needed almost 178,000 signatures to force Premier Danielle Smith’s government to consider passing a law banning new coal mining or send it to a provincewide referendum.

Three weeks ago, Lund delivered what he said were more than enough names to force the issue.

Smith kiboshed the possibility of including an anti-coal mining question on the province’s Oct. 19 referendum, saying last month it was too late to get it on the ballot.

Elections Alberta says 196,000 valid signatures were counted but only about 172,000 were verified.

It says some signatures were rejected because they were missing contact information to verify them.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2026.

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press