Dodds Coal Mine, one of the many to feel the heat of Alberta’s carbon tax

Just outside Ryley, off Twp. Rd. 492 is a piece of Beaver County’s history, Dodds Coal Mine, proudly displaying the local UCP candidate Jackie Lovely’s poster.

It is definitely no coincidence as we speak to the plant manager and co-owner, Dave Bowal, why.

“In 2015, when the NDP announced the Climate Leadership Plan, we quickly realized that they failed to consult the end user and how it would affect them,” Bowal said. “The end user is the most affected by a tax on fuel, so when at the start of 2017 the carbon tax was first implemented, it was set at $20 per tonne of carbon emissions, which equates to $35.39 per ton of coal. In 2018 the carbon tax increased to $30 per tonne, which equates to $53.09 per tonne of coal. When coal is selling for $45 per ton that means the carbon levy has a 118 per cent tax applied!”

Trucks lining up on the mine yard is no longer an image he foresees in the near future, but he can hope.

“Our Alberta sales have dropped by 30-40 per cent, resulting in decreased revenues, and we have seen an increase on our fuel costs at the mine for daily operations since 2017, when the carbon tax was implemented,” Bowal lamented. “There has been an increase of $35,000 plus due to the added tax, and all this has resulted in Dodds having to decrease the number of employees.” . . . contd.