1,606 Ducks Died Landing On Toxic Waste Pond

onApr 3, 2009 @ 08:54 PDT

Eleven hundred more ducks died after landing on a toxic waste pond in northern Alberta last year than was originally estimated, a Canadian oil sands official acknowledged earlier this week.

The carcasses of 1,606 ducks were collected from the oily waters, compared to the 500 originally counted, Syncrude Canada chief executive Tom Katinas said.

The deaths of the mallards last April drew widespread attention and prompted Prime Minister Stephen Harper to lament that Canada’s international reputation had been tarnished by it.

Here’s a video clip from the incident:

This month we’re giving away FREE copies of Thomas Friedman’s bestselling book Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America.

Go here to find out more details about DeSmogBlog’s monthly book give-away.

By Emily Murgatroyd

Carney Government Knew Carbon Capture Was ‘Very Limited,’ Docs Show

ByGeoff Dembicki

onFeb 20, 2026 @ 06:01 PST

Briefing notes obtained by DeSmog reveal the Carney government had major knowledge gaps about CCS even as it made the technology central to its climate plan.

Series: Mark Carney’s Climate Betrayal

Series: Carney's Climate Betrayal

Analysis

Alberta Separatism Has Always Been About Joining Trump’s America

ByMitch Anderson

onFeb 19, 2026 @ 07:22 PST

Leaders of the Alberta separatist movement are insisting they do not want to become the U.S.’s 51st state, but their actions (and own words) say otherwise.