IAN WILLMS

As Long as the Sun Shines (2009-2019)

“As Long as the Sun Shines” zooms in on the daily, intimate destruction, which takes place in the shadow of an industry that’s large enough to be seen from space. The Canadian oil sands are the largest, most environmentally destructive oil development on Earth. Oil sands infrastructure stretches across Canada and disproportionately impacts Indigenous communities with environmental contamination.

Rare cancers, birth defects, lupus and other ailments occur at alarmingly high rates. Cholangiocarcinoma, an aggressive form of bile duct cancer which typically impacts 1/100,000 people annually has been diagnosed six times in the past 15 years in Fort Chipewyan AB, where the total population is 1,200.

Intense forest fires, driven by climate change, devastate the land that has yet to be impacted by industrial development. Traditional Indigenous economies of hunting and fishing have been decimated, leaving First Nation band members with few options for employment outside of the very industry that’s consuming their traditional territory. In Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, locals will describe this process as a “slow-motion cultural genocide.” Meanwhile, the oil industry cities like Fort McMurray experience unprecedented economic growth.

After decades of advocacy, the Indigenous communities of Fort Chipewyan and Fort McKay, Alberta have yet to receive a comprehensive, public health study that is free of industry influence. The Canadian government refuses to act while people are dying, slowly, quietly, behind closed doors.

A cut line through the Boreal Forest leads to an industrial glow on the horizon, near a Shell oil sands development, near Fort McKay AB. Canada's Oil Sands are the largest and most environmentally destructive oil development on the planet. The industry is
Nadia Bouchier and her son Dylan share an embrace at home in Fort McKay AB, on a Saturday afternoon, just after a funeral for a fellow community member. The Fort McKay First Nation's reserve is surrounded by oil sands developments.
The kitchen table of a fur trapper's cabin, north of the oil sands mines, near Fort Chipewyan AB. Fur trapping used to be the primary economy of the Cree, Dene and Metis peoples of Fort Chipewyan. Today, the oil sands industry is the main employer.
Joey Fraser hunts for ducks at the Métis territory of Big Point, near Fort Chipewyan AB. Traditional food sources are becoming more scarce and more polluted as time goes on. Local hunters and elders blame the vast impacts of Oil Sands developments. Studie
A herd of elk feed a couple hundred metres from the route of the Trans Mountain oil sands pipeline, which runs through Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Alberta. The Canadian government and Kinder Morgan built twinned the Trans Mountai
Kanahus Manuel brings her niece Wasayka, 2, to the banks of the South Thompson River, in Shuswap BC. For years, many the Secwepemc First Nations people have been rallying to protect their water and prevent a new oil sands pipeline from being built through
Commercial fisherman Raymond "Smokey" Ladouceur throws a whitefish to his sled dogs, in Fort Chipewyan AB. After generations of commercial fishing on Lake Athabasca, located downriver from the Oil Sands mines, the fish caught there are believed by many lo
Cutlines in the Boreal Forest on land that is leased to a Suncor Oil Sands development, near Fort McKay AB. The oil industry uses cut lines to search for underground oil deposits and build infrastructure for future development.
Ida Manuel carries out an offering ceremony at the Tiny House Warriors camp, in Shuswap BC. The Tiny House Warriors are a group of activists who constructed a series of homes in the path of the Trans Mountain oil sands pipeline development. If constructio
Geraldine McManus and hereditary Chief of Sagkeeng, Alma Kakikepinace light a sacred fire and celebrate one year of resistance at The Spirit of the Buffalo camp, on the Canada/US border in southern Manitoba. The camp was set up on top the Enbridge oil and
Malachi (centre) and his friends play ball hockey in Little Buffalo AB. The land surrounding Little Buffalo is filled with oil and gas developments. The town has been impacted by several oil spills in recent years. Despite the robust oil and gas infrastru
A temporary water intake pipe, leads from the Athabasca river to an oil sands development near Fort McKay AB. The process of separating crude from raw oil sands bitumen consumes three barrels of fresh water for every single barrel of oil produced.
Glen Henry of the Chippewas of the Thames waves his nation's flag, along with a Mohawk Warrior Society flag, on the steps of the Supreme Court of Canada, in Ottawa ON. The Chipewyas of the Thames v. Enbridge Pipelines Inc., sparked from opposition to an o
Kendrick Cardinal shoots a caribou in the Northwest Territories, north of Uranium City SK. Caribou hunting used to be an essential way of life in Fort Chipewyan AB, but today, the herds have been displaced by industrial impacts and climate change. People
Indigenous wildfire fighters comb the woods near Fort McMurray AB for hotspots, following a devastating wildfire in 2016. The blaze, which was driven by climate change, destroyed 2400 buildings and led to the evacuation of 90,000 people.
The removal of 'overburden' before the construction of Suncor's Fort Hills oil sands mine, on the traditional territory of the Fort McKay First Nation. The oil sands industry has so-far cleared about one million hectares of boreal forest to make way for d
Wade and Chelsea (at centre) say goodbye to their infant daughter, during her wake, in Fort McKay AB. Chelsea suffered a miscarriage five months into her pregnancy. Cancer, stillbirths, miscarriages and other serious health problems are prevalent in Fort
Sisters Makenna (L), 7, and Mia, 3, play around their family's custom truck, in Fort McMurray AB. Their parents first came to Fort McMurray over a decade ago to work in the Oil Sands industry and quickly secured well-paying jobs.
A Suncor oil sands surface (strip) mine on the traditional territory of the Fort McKay First Nation. The region shown used to be covered by boreal forest.
The Syncrude oil sands upgrader plant on the traditional territory of the Fort McKay First Nation. The oil sands industry releases over 70 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions every year.
Aamjiwnaang First Nation members participate in the annual pickerel fishing derby on their traditional territory along St. Clair River near Sarnia ON. The waterway is a major shipping route for oil tankers and is heavily polluted by mercury contamination
Warren John Simpson is comforted by a nurse and his family as he dies of a rare form of bile duct cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma, at Warren's home in Fort Chipewyan AB. Cholangiocarcinoma typically impacts 1/100,000 people annually. Warren's was the
Warren John Simpson (second from right) is surrounded by friends and family as he copes with a rare form of bile duct cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma, at his home, in Fort Chipewyan AB. Warren died a few hours later.
Warren John Simpson's body is taken to the nursing station hours after his death, in Fort Chipewyan AB. Warren died of cholangiocarcinoma, which is an aggressive form of bile duct cancer that typically impacts 1/100,000 people annually.
Friends and family gather for Warren John Simpson's funeral at the local church, in Fort Chipewyan AB. Warren died of cholangiocarcinoma, which is a rare and aggressive form of bile duct cancer.
The shuttered Indian Residential School, in Fort Chipewyan AB. Until 1996, the Canadian government facilitated a national network of residential schools, which were designed to "kill the Indian within the child." Generations of children were subjected to
Travis Whitehead says goodbye to his mother Dorothy at her home in Fort Chipewyan AB. After years of working in the oil sands industry, Dorothy has been impacted by a mysterious, degenerative neurological condition which has limited her mobility and motor
The abandoned Bitumont facility, on the traditional territory of the Fort McKay First Nation. Bitumont was the first Oil Sands project in Canada. It ceased operations in 1955. According to the government of Alberta, "Industry is legally obligated to recla
Fort McKay First Nation band member Dez in his bedroom in Fort McKay AB. At seven years old, Dez had already endured two open heart surgeries after being born with a heart defect. Local doctors and family members of Dez believe that industrial pollution c
The northern lights are seen over the main cemetery in Fort Chipewyan AB. Local residents of Fort Chipewyan are impacted by rare and aggressive cancers at a disproportionately high rate. Birth defects, lupus and other serious health problems also plague t
A Syncrude tailings pond is seen on the traditional territory of the Fort McKay First Nation. At 1.5 trillion litres, the oil sands tailings ponds are the largest of their kind in the world. They house a liquid mix of toxic waste which contains dangerousl
A two-metre-wide area of the shoreline of the Shell Albian Sands tailings pond, on the territory of the Fort McKay First Nation, September 27th, 2010. The oil sands tailings ponds are leaking toxic waste into the surrounding environment and poisoning loca
An animatronic bird pf prey sits on a floating platform that is equipped with a strobe light, loudspeaker and a propane canon, at a Syncrude oil sands site on the traditional territory of the Fort McKay First Nation. This contraption and other like it are
After living almost his whole life around the oil sands industry, Michael Beamish was diagnosed with advanced thyroid cancer in 2016 and given 2-3 years to live. Here, Beamish uses a dust mask to protect himself from wildfire smoke and other pollution in
Dene elder Freddy Marcel on Lake Athabasca, on the way home to Fort Chipewyan after hunting for caribou in the Northwest Territories. Caribou hunting used to be an essential way of life in Fort Chipewyan, but today, the herds have been displaced by indust
Fort McKay First Nation band member Nadia Bouchier looks out at the lights of oil sands developments which now encircle what used to be her ancestors' traditional hunting territories.
Burned down homes in Fort McMurray AB, following a devastating wildfire in 2016. The blaze, which was driven by climate change, destroyed 2400 buildings and led to the evacuation of 90,000 people.
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