INNISFAIL – The message was loud and clear.
Alberta’s oil and gas industry is desperate for help.
More than 100 trucks and citizens from Innisfail, Olds, Bowden, Didsbury, Red Deer and Calgary gathered in Innisfail last weekend to share that message with an oilfield support rally and convoy to Olds.
The one-day event took place from Innisfail's Westgate Industrial Park to Olds on Jan. 26.
“I think we’re just trying to get the message out and show our solidarity and our concern about the oil and gas crisis that’s going on,” said Ron Bristow, president of Bristow Projects in Innisfail, one of the organizers of the event, along with Parkland Pipeline Contractors in Olds.
“We are probably the most regulated oil and gas industry in the world with safety, quality control, training for our employees. People don’t recognize the money that we spend on training these people to do a good job and protect the environment,” he added.
Derek Britton, president of Parkland Pipeline Contractors, said the response for the rally was positive.
“Businesses around town are engaged. Our town has suffered as a result of this (crisis),” said Britton. “It’s affected Alberta but it’s also a Canadian issue as well.”
Both Olds mayor Michael Muzychka and Innisfail mayor Jim Romane were at the rally in Innisfail to show their support.
“Unless we get back to marketing some of our reserves here to a world market, the drilling and service companies are just going to sit still,” said Romane.
“I’d like to think this (support rally) is going to give some reflection to the rest of the people in Canada, not just the politicians,” he added. “There’s a problem here, but everybody’s chosen to ignore it. We’ve got to do something. We need the people of Canada to come together.”
Brian McCutcheon of Red Deer works with the rigs and pipelines in the steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) industry in the oilsands. He was joined by his son and nephew at the rally on Saturday.
“We’re here to support pipelines. It’s killing us not having these pipelines,” said McCutcheon.
Several supporters, not a part of the rally, lined the route to show support for the convoy as it passed by on its way to Olds.
One of them was Innisfail’s Chris Llewellyn.
“We’re just here to support the rally and support all Albertans that are suffering and need jobs,” said Llewellyn. “We need this pipeline and we need Mr. Trudeau to pay attention.”
