Northback’s local support continues to wither like noxious weeds at first frost
Aussie speculator loses loudest boosters as Grassy Mountain minions quit Crowsnest Pass council in face of certain defeat at municipal polls
Hard on the heels of the bruising defection by Piikani First Nation’s band council, the foreign swagman’s leading proponents on Crowsnest Pass municipal council have headed for the hills to avoid a humiliating repudiation by voters.
Trailing in the dust of outgoing Mayor Blair Painter, four current council members declined to submit nominations for re-election by yesterday’s deadline. A fifth pro-mine councillor is running for mayor but has zero chance against popular nominee Pat Rypien whose campaign has focussed on developing the town’s growing recreation-based economy.
At a candidates forum Sept. 25, only one of the 13 aspirants alluded to the Australian scheme to reopen the clapped-out Grassy Mountain mine — and even he (Dean Ward) did not use the four-letter C-word.
All 13 did dutifully respond that they support the mine project when challenged by the moderator for a yes-or-no answer.
The good news, as one of the candidates pointed out, is that the municipal council has no jurisdiction over the coal mine scam scheme and should not be distracting voters with issues beyond council control.