BOWDEN -- Like Olds mayor Mike Muzychka, Bowden mayor Robb Stuart believes some minds were changed in favour of the energy industry during the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) convention.
Stuart and Bowden councillor Paul Webb attended the convention, held held May 30-June 2.
Like other western Canadian delegates, they promoted pipelines and the energy industry in general.
"I thought it went well," Stuart told the Albertan.
"We talked to a lot of different people from a lot of different areas. Like the one guy just said 'those oilsands are an environmental disaster and they should just shut the whole thing down,'" he added.
"It's a $10-billion industry. It's managed under environmental rules and it's getting a lot better. But we've got to get our crude out, right? Like, how do you think Quebec City's paying for restoring the Citadel? With federal money that Alberta's transferring to them."
Stuart said they didn't just work to change the minds of eastern Canadians. They made the same pitch to delegates from B.C. as well.
He said various delegations "threw in X number of dollars each and bought these 'Support Energy' T-shirts and they were handing them out and people were wearing them non-stop. All over."
"And you changed minds? Even B.C. delegates?" Stuart was asked.
"I think so. I hope so," he said. "Some did. Some people, you can change their minds, and some you can't."
