Neil Young ends Treaties tour in industry’s backyard
CALGARY — Bringing his tour into the heart of the oilpatch, rocker Neil Young trumpeted its success in shining a light on “broken treaties,” but insisted his ferocious criticism of the energy industry along the way doesn’t amount to an “anti-tarsands crusade.”
The four-city Honour the Treaties benefit concert made its final stop with a concert in Calgary on Sunday — wrapping up with no face time between Young and energy executives on their home turf, despite an invitation extended by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.
The legendary entertainer’s concert tour is benefiting the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, which is downstream from the oilsands and is fighting a major new project in court.
Young shrugged off questions about whether the core of his campaign to address treaty rights has been lost in the back-and-forth volley with industry and politicians over some of his more explosive statements on the oilsands.
“Our tour across Canada has been a great success. We have raised awareness on the subject of broken treaties. Now Canada must respond in the courts,” Young told reporters in Calgary, saying that so far about $75,000 has been raised.
The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation has filed a Federal Court lawsuit in hopes of overturning the approval of Shell’s Jackpine oilsands mine expansion — a project that will double Shell’s production in the oilsands, but has drawn criticism over environmental impact and consultation issues in the approval process.
Young has launched several salvos at the oilsands industry, arguing that aboriginal treaty rights are been infringed upon by oilsands development, and going as far as drawing comparisons between a Fort McMurray industrial site and the atomic bomb wreckage of Hiroshima, Japan.
He stood by those statements Sunday, but offered little in the way of fresh attacks on the oilsands. Asked whether he’d like to see development slowed, he said: “In my ideal world, I would like to see the treaties honoured. If the treaties were honoured the way they’re written, we would all be safer.”
Young said he remains a proud Canadian, but insisted his home country is falling behind in developing clean-energy industries and dealing with C02 emissions.
He pointed to the summer floods that devastated large swaths of southern Alberta and left parts of the Saddledome in Calgary under water. “That’s climate change, the beginning,” Young said.
“Mother Nature is nothing to screw around with.”
He acknowledged that he flies on private jets when required on tour, but said some of the work he’s doing now is meant to help make up for that damage.
A CAPP spokeswoman said Sunday she was disappointed Young turned down the offer to meet, but said his team wouldn’t agree to replacing David Suzuki with a neutral moderator. Geraldine Anderson said the offer to talk remains on the table.
As for the lasting impact of Young’s high-profile sweep through Canada, Anderson said CAPP has worked to ensure accurate information about industry development is also getting out there.
“I think Canadians have an expectation that we do put out the right information and we are responding to set the record straight,” she said.
Energy-industry executives have countered many of Young’s most blistering statements.