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"It made my body ache;" Jane Fonda after oilsands aerial tour

Last Updated Jan 11, 2017 at 6:07 am MDT

Jane Fonda made her way through Fort McMurray after finishing an aerial tour over the oilsands Tuesday afternoon. The actress, who criticized oilsands pipeline development, isn’t getting a warm welcome from many locals who believe it’s another high-profile visit made to bash the energy sector.

Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation accompanied Fonda during her flyover and says he explained oilsands development and reclamation projects. Adam says he welcomed the actress into his traditional territory.

“If you promote a business and you promote it in a way that it’s environmentally friendly, well then don’t be scared to open the door to celebrities or to people from around the world that want to get to see what’s going on here,” said Adam.

Later Tuesday afternoon, Fonda told reporters that looking over the oilsands hurt her and “made my body ache.”

Chief Adam says they discussed his concerns about the link between oilsands pollution and higher cancer rates in his community of Fort Chipewyan, and while he recognizes the benefit of the industry, he notes his father recently died of the disease.

“I will not take a spoon or fork away from a person who is going to feed their family, as long as you don’t give me a shovel to bury my loved ones,” said Adam.

Wildrose Leader Brian Jean says Fonda joins a list of celebrities who fly into his hometown for a day or two and complain about the energy industry. He calls her a hypocrite who needs to look closer to Hollywood if she wants to protest.

“Right in the middle of California they have one of the dirtiest crude oils on the planet and yet they seem to ignore that and protesting that just doesn’t seem to exist. I’m very concerned about the opinions of out of touch American celebrities who spread their mistruths.”

He says Greenpeace is using Fonda as a pawn to dissuade from the environmental and ethical components of oilsands development, and high-profile visits like this one have made an impact on pipeline approvals in the past.

Robbie Picard of the pro-energy group OilSands Strong says he would have welcomed Fonda and given her a tour if she had an open mind.

“[…] Even if she left not liking the oilsands, I’d be fine. But she’s brought up here by Greenpeace and their mission is to stop the expansion of the pipelines. And the worst part is they’re trying to say they’re doing this for the positive of First Nations and the majority, the vast majority of First Nations especially in Fort McMurray, support these pipelines.”

Greenpeace Canada is holding an event at the University of Alberta in Edmonton Wednesday night where Fonda is one of several speakers.