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The River

Selenium, Fairy Creek and the tap.

Four mines, 5,500 jobs, and a valley where selenium comes out of the rock as soon as you break it. Seventy per cent of our water comes from Fairy Creek.

Asked August 23750 votesOpen for 3 more days

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What Fernie says so far

  • Faster water treatment, paid for by the mines.35%
  • Independent monitoring the city controls, not the company.29%
  • Hard limits on further expansion until the river recovers.16%
  • Nothing. That is 5,500 jobs and the science is being handled.20%

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Why we’re asking

Elk Valley Resources runs four steelmaking coal mines in this valley. Elkview sits about three kilometres east of Sparwood, Fording River about 29 kilometres northeast of Elkford, Greenhills about eight kilometres northeast of Elkford, and Line Creek about 25 kilometres north of Sparwood. Between them they employ roughly 5,500 people. Glencore took a majority interest in Teck’s steelmaking coal business in 2024 and holds 77 per cent, with Nippon Steel at 20 per cent and POSCO at 3.

Selenium occurs naturally in Elk Valley rock. Broken waste rock has far more surface area than solid rock, and as air and water move through the piles they produce soluble selenium.

Fernie draws about 70 per cent of its water from Fairy Creek. There have been occasional exceedances above the 10 µg/L guideline in tap water, including a reading of 12 µg/L in 2023.

Sources: Elk River Alliance on selenium · Glencore, Elk Valley Resources · EVR operations

Curated responses

  • TerryWest Fernie

    My father worked Line Creek and my daughter swims in the Elk. I am allowed to want both looked after.

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