An airplane leaves a vapor trail as it passes in front of a nearly full moon above Tacoma, Wash., Thursday, July 26, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Ted S. Warren

EDMONTON - There are renewed questions over a recent comment by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on whether the province is being sprayed from above by so-called chemtrails.

Smith has faced recent criticism after a weekend United Conservative Party town hall in Edmonton, where she responded to an audience member's concerns about chemtrails being sprayed over the city.

Smith told the event that she spoke with the person in charge of Edmonton’s airspace, who confirmed to her that aircraft are not allowed to go up and spray the atmosphere.

But Nav Canada, the agency responsible for controlling civilian air traffic in Canada, said in a statement Wednesday that it has not been contacted.

“We do not have a record of any queries on the topic within our government relations team,” said spokeswoman Maryam Amini in an email.

“That said, Transport Canada sets regulations, so you may wish to confirm with them.”

Neither Transport Canada nor Smith's office immediately returned a request for comment. Smith's office was also asked to confirm who she spoke with and when regarding the airspace.

Opposition NDP technology critic Nathan Ip, in a statement, called it "truly horrifying to see the premier of Alberta spread conspiracy theories."

“No one should be surprised that Nav Canada says they haven’t heard from the UCP government," he said.

"Clearly, Danielle Smith will say anything she believes her base wants to hear whether it is true or not. Albertans deserve a serious government that denounces conspiracy theories at every opportunity and is focused on the real issues that matter to them.”

White streaks of condensation can be visible in the sky after planes fly by, and Smith has been criticized in recent days for giving credence to the belief that they are chemicals purposely sprayed from planes for nefarious purposes.

At the weekend town hall, Smith responded to concerns about chemtrails. The premier said, “The best I have been able to do is talk to the woman who is responsible for controlling the airspace, and she says no one is allowed to go up and spray anything in the air.”

When the crowd hooted and booed, Smith said, “That’s what she’s told me.”

“The other person told me that if anyone is doing it, it’s the U.S. Department of Defense,” Smith added.

The U.S. Department of Defense, in a request for comment, referred the issue to the North American Aerospace Defence Command, or Norad.

A spokesman for Norad said in an email Tuesday: "Norad and U.S. Northern Command are not conducting any flight activities in Canada that involve the spraying of chemicals.”

Also Tuesday, a spokeswoman for Smith said the premier was simply repeating to the town hall audience what she had heard and “was not saying that she believed the U.S. government was using chemtrails in Alberta."

Smith has said she does what she can to investigate allegations of chemtrails – checking with airports, the private sector and within her government — but so far no evidence has turned up that it's happening.

Health law professor Timothy Caulfield with the University of Alberta said chemtrails are a baseless conspiracy theory. He said Smith is misusing her platform as a leader and contributing to the spread of misinformation by not outright rejecting them.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2024.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2024