Alberta Energy Minister Margaret McCuaig-Boyd is less than impressed with actress Jane Fonda’s visit to Fort McMurray with Greenpeace.
“I think any time celebrities come up, they need to combine that with the whole picture,” she says. “I used to be a teacher and I always encouraged my students to use critical thinking and look at all sides of an issue before you make a decision, so I pretty much agree with what the Premier said yesterday.”
Rachel Notley was not one to mince words about Fonda’s appearance in the heart of oil country.
Minister McCuaig-Boyd largely echoed those remarks in her own.
“I think her choice of coming up to Fort McMurray was a bit disrespectful considering everything they’ve been through and everything our province has been through in the last while. That shows a bit of a lack of thinking maybe.”
She adds that she believes Alberta does a great job on the environment. Fonda reportedly turned down and opportunity for McCuaig-Boyd’s colleagues to explain their environmental policy in detail, a decision she’s disappointed in.”
“I think she’s dismissing, or isn’t aware of a lot of the good work that’s going on, particularly here in Alberta. We have really good environmental standards here already. We have a world class industry. I think there’s a bit of a perception issue she and others might have that isn’t true.”
Fonda visited Fort McMurray on Tuesday to meet with Indigneous leaders and environmentalists. She was part of a media panel with activists and aboriginal leaders that fielded questions from reporters as well.
“We’re not here to trash Alberta, to trash Fort McMurray or the men and women who work in the tar sands, that’s not our purpose,” she said at the panel. “We are at a moment in human history that is absolutely unique, this has never happened before.”
Written by Chris Hunter, Country 99
