Alberta Energy Minister Ron Liepert visited Alberta's other oilsands on Friday on his way back south from Fort McMurray, and while Liepert didn't drop any major public promises while passing through the Lakeland, his presence in the region must be viewed as a positive.
In particular, Liepert's trip provides some validation to the efforts of local officials to make sure the province is aware of some of the challenges faced by communities that are — through no fault of their own or the government — in the shadow of Fort McMurray.
The world's oilsands capital should merit a lot of attention from the federal and provincial governments. It is, after all, the biggest generator of economic expansion and activity in the country these days.
That said, the industry that put Fort McMurray on the map also has a lengthening and growing presence in this region, and we should always be looking for ways to put it in the spotlight with ministers, Consul Generals and the public.
Not only do local oilsands projects generate royalties for the province and economic activity that spans urban and rural jurisdictions, they lack something that major Fort McMurray area projects can't escape. What do they lack, you ask? An obvious image problem.
Yes, our industry could always be more environmentally friendly. But if you have to choose between tailings ponds that snare waterfowl in tar and limited-footprint well clusters that don't require “tar ponds,” the PR consultant will find it much easier to sell the well clusters.
That's something for regulators and government folks to keep in mind when they approve projects and market Alberta's industries beyond its borders.
It's also, we can argue, a pretty good reason to invest public infrastructure money into an area whose oilsands aren't a tough sell south of the border and beyond — where projects that don't poison large bodies of water are looking more attractive by the day.
