Archief atu-4 - Slave River Coalition fonds

The Slave River Coalition is a conservation group concerned with environmental and wildlife protection in the Slave River region. In the early 1980s, the coalition was involved in researching the proposed Slave River Hydro Development Project, and the Slave River Hydro Feasibility Study (released in June 1982) conducted by Alberta Environment to investigate the economic benefit and environmental impacts of the proposed dam. The coalition criticized this controversial project that had the potential of jeopardizing nesting grounds of the White Pelican, threatening breeding areas of the endangered Whooping Crane, and causing flooding in the Peace-Athabasca Delta. In the mid-1980s the Slave River Coalition was also involved in investigating water resource management issues in the Mackenzie River Basin, especially the effects of an upstream Hydro-electric development on the Mackenzie Delta, and the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project. In April 1989, the coalition joined the Town of Fort Smith, the Dene Nation, and the Northwest Territories Métis Association in calling for a moratorium on pulp mill construction until a federal assessment could be held. The coalition expressed great concern over the potential deleterious effects on water quality, not only in the immediate area, but throughout the Athabasca and Slave River drainage basins, which extend into the Northwest Territories. The role of the coalition's coordinator was filled by Deirdre E. Griffiths, a freelance artist-ecologist who had been involved in Slave River issues for a number of years. She and her husband currently reside in Athabasca, Alberta.