Estevan 鈥� For all intents and purposes, the town of Coronach is a one-industry town 鈥� conventional coal-fired power generation. And with the federal government鈥檚 regulations requiring all conventional coal-fired power generation to end in Canada by 2030, the town along the southern Saskatchewan border is in a very tough spot.
Coronach Mayor Trevor Schnell signed a declaration with Estevan Mayor Roy Ludwig, Premier Scott Moe and Minister of Government Relations Lori Carr on Feb. 28 with regards to $10 million of provincial funding for coal transition strategies for the communities. Coronach, home of the Poplar River Power Station and Poplar River Mine, will receive $2 million of that, spaced evenly over three years, starting in 2020.
Speaking to reporters, he said 300 jobs are directly tied to coal. The 2016 census pegged the town鈥檚 population at 643.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have an oilfield. Our town is coal and power. That鈥檚 what we do. So, it鈥檚 huge. Huge,鈥� Schnell said.
鈥淲e try to stay positive. Morale鈥檚 coming down. There鈥檚 not much future. There鈥檚 over 50 houses for sale in our town, our tiny town, which is a significant number.
鈥淧eople are leaving. People that can bid out within SaskPower are leaving already, obviously for their future. So yeah, it鈥檚 tough.鈥�
Asked if there鈥檚 any hope of carbon capture being installed at Poplar River, he said, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have an oilfield to inject it into.
鈥淚t would have to be pipelined. I don鈥檛 see it happening. In talks with SaskPower, I can鈥檛 foresee it.鈥�
Asked about the future, he said, 鈥淲ith this announcement, with our money now, we can draw businesses in. We鈥檙e open! Coronach鈥檚 open for business. Come and see us. We鈥檙e here to help.鈥�
鈥淚 think we鈥檝e accepted that we鈥檙e not going to fill 300 jobs. There鈥檚 no point in trying to think you鈥檙e going to do that. Let鈥檚 start out small. Five, 10, 15 jobs, anything. Start out from there and keep going. But to think we鈥檙e going to fill 300 jobs, it鈥檚 not going to happen,鈥� Schell said.
Asked about federal responsibility, since it is federal regulations phasing out coal, Schnell responded that the Federal Just Transition Task Force had come to Coronach. 鈥淭hey came out, and saw us. I don鈥檛 think it changed anything. They should send money, help us with infrastructure. Our town is old, but our town was built bigger to accommodate the mine and all the workers. So that鈥檚 where the housing is going to be short. I think they need to come out with infrastructure money to help us rebuild the old part of town.鈥�
He reinforced they are looking for new businesses. 鈥淐ome see us, now that we鈥檝e got money. It helps!鈥� Schell said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e open to anything. Any sort of economic development would help, for sure.鈥�
He noted the 300 workers affected aren鈥檛 just from Coronach, but the surrounding area. Workers drive from as far as Assiniboia, Rockglen, and Bengough to work there. He said, 鈥淲e鈥檝e started an economic development group. This is where this money will go, and try to draw businesses.鈥�
Asked about how places like China continue to develop coal resources, and if its fair Coronach is being shut down by federal regulation, Schnell said, 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 make any sense, as it doesn鈥檛 make sense to you? It makes sense to no one. But it is what it is. There鈥檚 nothing we can do about it.鈥�
Asked by Pipeline Newsif Coronach was a sacrificial lamb on the alter of global warming, he said, 鈥淚 guess so, unfortunately.鈥�
