The price of oil does not appear to be recovering to anywhere near pre-crash levels. Not any time soon, at any rate.
Nevertheless, Sundre seems poised to continue emerging from the recession created largely by the 2015 plunge that sent ripple effects around the world, especially in Alberta, where tens of thousands of livelihoods depend not only on exploration and extraction but also on the support efforts required for such operations.
Yet while the patch has unquestionably played a substantial role in the local, regional and indeed national economy, Sundre is fortunate in the sense the municipality is not solely dependent on the oil and gas industry.
The contributions of agriculture and forestry cannot be overstated. Neither can the significant amount of tourist traffic that is drawn to our largely untapped West Country, which is a true beacon for outdoor enthusiasts with a penchant for escaping the concrete jungle and exploring nature.
Then there’s also a new budding industry cropping up almost everywhere. With the federal legalization of recreational cannabis, Sundre and its municipal neighbours are seeing high-tech, state-of-the-art facilities being built that will not only provide gainful employment but also contribute considerably to the local tax base.
Sundre’s mayor, Terry Leslie, recently expressed optimism for future growth and sums the situation up succinctly.
“When we have growth, we are just like a business. With greater economy of scale we can be more efficient and keep the tax rate close to the rate of inflation.”
Administration and council are working on plans to upgrade the wastewater treatment facility to not only improve the quality of effluent released back into the Red Deer River, but also the capacity to accommodate growth. To paraphrase the mayor, an inability to flush a toilet would cause a devastatingly crippling restriction on the municipality’s potential for future growth.
While the oil boom was great while it lasted, we must now arguably more than ever focus our efforts on expanding and building upon other viable options. In fact, we might all benefit from accepting the distinct possibility that the days of soaring, sky-high rates are now relegated to the history books.
Depending on wishful thoughts and fond memories of the gravy train days of $100-plus per barrel at this point will only serve to hamstring future growth.
But we’re confident that with continued forward-thinking efforts to diversify in different directions, Sundre will find ways to prosper, and agree with the mayor’s perspective.
“We’re dealing with the difficult circumstances in a way that is typical Sundre fashion,” said Leslie, adding that means identifying the issues, developing solutions to resolve them and making improvements “for the people we serve.”
— Simon Ducatel is the Round Up’s editor
