Messages from our Supporters

Strathcona County

“Estimates by the Canadian Energy Research Institute put bitumen production at four million barrels per day by 2025. The potential is absolutely staggering. The Canadian Association of Petroleum producers estimate investment in he oilsands could contribute 1.1 trillion dollars to gross domestic product, 410 billion dollars to the federal government and 280 billion dollars to the provincial government over the next 25 years.

The magnitude of oilsands resources expected to come into production and the associated economic impact is undoubtedly a boon to this region. We believe it is as important; however, to capture some of that new production in Alberta, giving us the opportunity to ship refined and tertiary products anywhere in the world for top prices.

The Heartland vision of a world-scale, industrial cluster, producing clean synthetic oil is still our focus. The benefits to our Strathcona County alone are immense — job creation, the resulting spin offs from small business, new revenues from personal and corporate income and property taxes, and expanded or new community services and programs.

Such an industry has the potential to take this region, this Province and this Country to the next level. Indeed, a report prepared for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce estimates the potential at three times the oilsands investment.”

–Mayor Cathy Olesen

City of Edmonton

“We are putting together an area plan to create the right environment for industry. Edmonton’s Horsehills Energy and Technology Park in the northeast has a future as an eco-industrial area that uses by-products. Working together to integrate activities ensures our shared efforts will lead to shared success.”

–Mayor Stephen Mandel

City of Fort Saskatchewan

“Fort Saskatchewan has been home to major industry since the 1950’s and we consider ourselves the gateway to Alberta’s Industrial Heartland. Over the years, our community has seen significant economic benefits as each new industrial project developed. In fact, we can benchmark community growth by industrial growth. Our residents consider Fort Saskatchewan to be a safe community and they place a high value on their health and safety, and on the environment. Our experience is that industry will live up to their commitment of sustainable development through balancing economic objectives with environmental stewardship and social responsibility.”

–Mayor Jim Sheasgreen

Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association

At Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association, we recognize the importance of value added industries within our provincial borders. Since the 1950’s, world class companies from various stages of the value chain have chosen to locate in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, from those involved in primary resource extraction to those producing highly specialized end products. The benefits of a well functioning value chain include job creation, tax revenues, and generating billions of dollars in economic activity.

However, when it comes to Alberta’s oil sands, the benefits of value added extend far beyond the obvious. Upgrading our bitumen at home helps provide the foundation for a multi-billion dollar petrochemical industry by supplying feedstock, or the building blocks for end products like anti-freeze, plastic films, and coatings. Upgrading creates a talent pool of highly educated professionals, and provides a reason for schools like the University of Alberta and SAIT to continue training engineers and tradespeople. Upgrading our bitumen into synthetic crude oil also opens doors to emerging and growing markets around the world like China and India.

Alberta has all the inputs to become much more than simply a resource-based economy– the resources, the knowledge, the skill, and the fortitude. Taking advantage of our natural resources all the way up the value chain from extraction, to upgrading, to petrochemical spin off developments provides a bright future for Alberta and is the wise choice. It’s time to make the wise choice.

–Executive Director, Neil Shelly

Below is a list of some of our supporters and their websites.