Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Commends Federal Government Investment in Health Study on Oil Sands Impacts in Northern Alberta

Press Release

FORT CHIPEWYAN, AB, Aug. 7, 2024 – Today, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Stephen Guilbeault announced a federal investment of $12.5 million towards a health study in the community of Fort Chipewyan, Alberta.

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) commends this action, having called for a health study for over a decade. ACFN Chief Allan Adam joined Mikisew Cree Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro, and Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation Chief Kendrick Cardinal as Minister Guilbeault made this announcement in Fort Chipewyan.

The people of Fort Chipewyan have for many years raised the alarm about rare cancers in the community, as well as numerous dangerous incidents related to oil sands extraction.

“For decades the Peace Athabasca Delta has been treated as a dumping ground from the tar sands industry,” Chief Adam shared following today’s announcement, “Living downstream of one of Canada’s most heavily industrialized regions, we have been concerned about the safety of traditional foods and drinking water and the potential impacts of industrial development on our health and well-being.

Our community has been waiting on the federal and provincial governments to address our concerns over the health of our communities for decades. We are grateful for the announcement that was made today.”

The three-phase health study will help ACFN to:

• establish a health baseline,
• understand the causes leading to the pattern of high rates of cancer in Fort Chipewyan,
• and explore the implications on members’ health as we continue practicing our ways of hunting, trapping and fishing.

Chief Adam also called on the Government of Alberta to match the pledged Federal funding,

“We are calling on the Premier and the Government of Alberta to help conduct this health study, which the community has been calling for for thirty years. If the Premier and her government care about the health of the community and truly believe that Alberta has the best environmental regulations in the world, now is the time to prove it. Fund this study.”

ACFN thanks the Government of Canada for their investment and calls on the Province of Alberta to take this issue seriously and join our community and the Federal Government in making our health a priority on our lands.

For more information please contact: Jay Telegdi, 780-881-7062, jay.telegdi@acfn.com

IHT4