June 4
That morning we met with Deputy Speaker of the House Wayne Cao, from the Albertan Provincial Government. It was a very fascinating interview. Mr. Cao was very down to earth for a government official, and very generous with the time we spent with him(we interviewed him for an hour and a half!).
One of the most interesting things that Mr. Cao said in his interview was that the Albertan government is wrongly accused for overlooking environmental needs. He said that Alberta is one of the first bodies of government to actually implement legislation regulating emission levels. There is a penalty system set up, so when corporations exceed levels or standards set by the government, they are required to pay a fine that is then put into a general research fund. This fund subsidizes programs that look into alternative forms of energy production and ways to decrease carbon emissions.
It was very interesting to hear such a positive report about efforts that the government and industry are taking in light of environmental implications in the Canadian oil industry. What was even more interesting was going from one extreme that morning to an entirely different extreme later in the afternoon. Mike Hudema leads a campaign that is directly involved with what he called "tar" sands development(which is the term that is generally associated with the negative view of oil sands production, and is generally used by environmentalists). The main mission of the campaign: stop tar sands production.
Literally everything that the deputy speaker said was refuted by Mr. Hudema, to an extreme extent. What is fascinating is that both sides can essentially say completely opposite viewpoints, but both will be incredibly convincing. It is as though both of the things they are saying are right, even though they clearly couldn't be right at the same time.
Although both interviews were drastically different, both interviews spoke using the same language. Both individuals essentially have the same goals in terms of economic and environmental success, but disagree immensely on the means of achieving those goals. In other words, both want progress, but both have a different opinion of what that progress would entail.
Completely unrelated to the research topic at hand, one of my favorite parts of the day was listening to Mike Hudema speak about what he is so passionate about. At this point, he could have been speaking to me about anything and I would still admire his passion exactly the same. I have such respect for people that believe in something bigger than themselves to such a degree that they will risk their life and their livelihood to have their voices heard. When Mike started talking about the people that he works with that have horrible stories to tell about their health, he started welling up. His voice trembled and slowly dropped off in volume--it was clear as day that he truly invests his heart into these people and their experiences, as if they were his own. That is what stuck out for me. I wish I cared about anything that much...or do I? :)
June 5
We weren't planning on doing any interviews, but after a hectic scenic, round-about tour of the greater Edmonton area we ran into some luck. We were planning on visiting Leduc County, which is home to the #1 oil well. This was the site where oil was first discovered in Alberta in 1947. We left about 10:30 after we thought we found the directions.
After many, MANY U-turns and discovering that our directions led us to the mailing address for the facility, we had our doubts about the day. Luckily the mailing address is not too far off from the site itself, and we were able to ask around and locate it.
We ended up at the #1 Oil Well at the Oil Discovery Centre in Devon, Alberta (a very small town, to say the least...there isn't even a Tim Hortons coffee shop). We interviewed one man, Ed Rylander, who was 13 years old when oil was first discovered in Devon (and in Alberta in general). He talked about his experience as a farm boy moving into the oil business, and his positive support of the current industry. He began the discovery center in the mid-80s and it has flourished since, thanks to the numerous donations from oil industry stakeholders.
By luck (and with a little help from the front desk woman), we caught up with a very prominent local who has been involved in the industry for 52 years, Dan Claypool. He was recently inducted into the Canadian Petroleum Hall of Fame at the Centre, and worked internationally in the oil business after leaving the farm as a young boy. He helped Ed start the Oil Discovery Centre, and was very vocal about how ridiculous environmental groups are (he reminded us that they use airplanes and cars to get around to their various protests).
Both of these interviews were great, filled with wise anecdotes and wonderful comic relief. Yet again, the same language about environment and progress was used between both of these elderly men. I am starting to find that it is the definition of progress and the means of getting there that people tend to disagree about.
June 6
Ft. McMurray Airport was definitely an experience. I have had my fair share of small, propeller planes as my main mode of transportation, so that was not so daunting. What was truly shocking was the size of the "International" airport in Ft. Mac. It has one baggage claim belt, a small room for security (that closed for a lunch break), and the check-in counter is right next to the rental car counters (which were right in front of the ONLY washrooms--which were singles). In other words, this airport was SMALL!
What was even more daunting was the ratio of men to women. I could barely spot a female face outside of our group (a group where females actually dominate over men, mind you). Intimidating, yes. Surprising, no. In a hick town that exists merely for oil production, I am not surprised whatsoever. But the smell wasn't attractive--B.O. and cigarettes. Lovely. Like Vegas, but way less glamorous.
I can't explain this small town to people that can't see it themselves. You will just have to see it in our film to understand. The fron-page news story was the rodeo we drove by on our way to our Quality Inn. It is a hoppin' town, full of oil money (where the average KFC front-counter worker makes the upwards of $15 Canadian/hr). I am pursuing the wrong business...
I have so much more to catch everyone up on (it is midnight on June 8). But my lovely friends are laying down to sleep. We have our big Syncrude bus tour tomorrow. I already know that my mind will be blown. Pictures to come ASAP.
Everyone is in my thoughts...I wish you were all here to see it for yourselves. Much love.
Until next time...
