Edmonton

Alberta opens public submissions for environmentalist foreign funding inquiry

Inquiry commissioner Steve Allan says he is also planning to travel outside the province, with stops in Toronto, Vancouver, Haida Gwaii, B.C. and Washington, D.C.

Interim report expected by the end of January

Jason Kenney says his government will spend $2.5 million on a public inquiry into funding of environmental groups opposed to the oilsands and "foreign interference." (Monty Kruger/CBC)

The Alberta government has started a website to allow people to submit information to its inquiry into foreign funding of environmental groups.

Inquiry commissioner Steve Allan says he is also planning to travel outside the province, with stops in Toronto, Vancouver, Haida Gwaii, B.C. and Washington, D.C.

The inquiry is to also make use of American investigations into the activity of Russian social media bots in the United States.

An interim report is expected by the end of next January.

The province says public hearings may or may not be held.

United Conservative Premier Jason Kenney, who has long argued that foreign-funded charities are deliberately trying to landlock Alberta resources, has said the inquiry has a budget of $2.5 million.

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