Oilsands advocate chides Jann Arden over 2016 tweet

An oilsands advocate is chiding singer Jann Arden for being “insensitive” to the plight of the ailing industry in a social media post she made more than two years ago.

In the 2016 tweet, Arden criticized the Alberta government over its policy of rounding up wild horses on Crown land, saying the horses don’t do as much damage as the “Tar sands” - a derogatory term for the oilsands.

Robbie Picard, who has a Facebook page called OilSands Strong, is calling on Arden to apologize for the tweet.

Picard says if she doesn’t, fans should boycott her Oct. 30 concert in his home community of Fort McMurray.

He says Arden, who was born and grew up in Alberta, should be aware of how the oilsands benefit the economy and First Nations.

Picard also notes that Arden is doing television ads for Toyota.

“Once again the total ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ hypocrisy of these celebrities,” he said Wednesday.

He said Arden should be held to a higher standard because she is from the province.

Arden took to Twitter to respond to Picard.

On her website she noted that she had to block dozens of people on Twitter Wednesday.

“So I basically said in a tweet 2 and a half years ago - that the WILD HORSES - didn’t do as much damage as the Tar sands - which is what they used to be called,” she wrote.

“But I’m old. Wild horses. Just saying.”