Cottagers call on province to protect northern lake

May 15, 2007, CBC.ca -- Property owners are calling on Premier Ed Stelmach to stop a Calgary company from testing for oil beneath a pristine lake in northern Alberta.

Marie Lake has billions of barrels of bitumen — the tar-like substance excavated in the oilsands — under its bed. Oil Sands Underground Mining Corp. has applied to the province to do seismic exploration by shooting powerful airguns into Marie Lake, which is about 280 km northeast of Edmonton near the city of Cold Lake.

Fred Armbruster, 79, who has been living at the lake for almost 25 years, says he is worried the birds and fish in the lake won't be able to handle seismic testing.

"This is one of the … cleanest lakes in the province of Alberta – in Canada, let's put it that way – and once they go in there and start fooling around with the water, you know what's going to happen," Armbruster said. "They're going to pollute the water."

The company declined to be interviewed by CBC News until the government makes a decision on their application.

Cabin owners at the lake will give Stelmach a petition next week that will urge his government to deny the company's exploration application. Robert Ganske has already written letters to Stelmach and Minister of Sustainable Development Ted Morton voicing his concern.

"They're all sitting on the fence and if the oil company gives them more money, I think they're willing to tell us residents that 'I'm sorry, to hell with your environment,'" Ganske said. "They don't care about the environment. They're just looking for the dollar."