2.3 Critical Events to Inspire Discussion
Deirdre Maultsaid and Gregory John
Dale, the project manager and several engineers are planning a trip to Northern Alberta to hold community meetings and an open house to discuss the possible partnership with the affected Indigenous communities in the area of the proposed lithium mining.
Some members of the three Indigenous communities have expressed frustration with the process through emails and phone calls to SilverRocks. They feel rushed. They are experiencing pressure from members of their communities who want to protest the lithium mine development.
There has been heated language on social media with someone posting on a Facebook page, “SilverRocks will bring in [swearword] from Newfoundland and make us hire them. We have lots of unemployed people ready here. The partnership is just [swear word]. Meet at the rodeo grounds. Let’s show SilverRocks what we think.” This post got momentum: community protests and road blockades were planned.
The particular members of the SilverRocks team were individually mocked.
The project manager was called names.
Dale was called a “sellout” as an Indigenous person.
Leaders in the communities heard through local talk that some protestors have planned to damage the company rental cars, to smash up the open house displays in the trailers on site and to disrupt the community meetings.
