250+ claims against one oil company. 'My life was hanging by a thread.'

Ember Resources—a Brookfield subsidiary with 12,000 wells across Central Alberta—faces over 250 tribunal claims from landowners for unpaid surface leases.

The amounts are often small: $80. $300. Under $3,000. But the pattern is clear.

Julia Waddy fought Ember for years over a $500/year lease. In 2024, she attempted suicide. “My life was hanging by a thread,” she told TheRockies.Life.

Anonymous farmer discovered a significant oil spill next to a new Ember well. The company only drilled after paying $7,000 in back rent.

The tribunal? No enforcement power. Government legislation has “no real consequences” for companies that don’t pay.

University of Calgary law professor Shaun Fluker: “The Alberta government seems willing and fine with increasingly using taxpayer money to pay landowners who are left unpaid by oil and gas companies.”

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After you read it:

1. Write your MLA - Surface lease enforcement matters
2. Share this story - Landowners need to know they’re not alone
3. Share your own story - Break the silence