SUNDRE — This is something of a milestone year for a local organization that was founded on a mission to facilitate communication primarily among petroleum industry partners, regulatory agencies as well as the community.
Not only is the Sundre Petroleum Operators Group (SPOG) celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2022, but the organization is also looking forward to bringing back this Friday the formerly annual Neighbour’s Day event at the local arena.
“We are super excited to be back this year,” said Tracey McCrimmon, SPOG’s executive director.
It’s the first time since the global emergence of COVID-19 that the event – which brings out crowds numbering anywhere between about 1,500 to 2,000 – has been able to go ahead as there are no longer the capacity restrictions that were in place in 2020 and 2021, said McCrimmon.
“Through COVID, it’s been a real struggle for us to be able to continue to connect with our community members. So, we’re thrilled to be back at it,” she said.
“We’re trying to get back to our real meat and potatoes of the work that SPOG does,” she said, referring to “building relationships between industry and community.”
This Friday’s Neighbour’s Day, which is deliberately scheduled in tandem with this weekend’s Bulls and Wagons, gets started at 8 a.m. with a breakfast that will feature addresses from several ministers from the ministries of Finance, Environment, Energy, and possibly Municipal Affairs, she said, adding the Alberta Energy Regulator’s chief executive officer is also slated to be present.
Following brief introductions about the ministers and their respective ministries as well as the regulator, there will be an opportunity for stakeholders to ask questions, she said.
After lunch, which starts at noon, the day will continue on in the traditional Neighbour’s Day format wherein people have an opportunity to chat with industry members about the companies’ future plans in the area as well as information and updates on SPOG’s own initiatives, she said.
“We’ve got a big focus this year with some of our climate companies that are working with us in our methane space and our regional methane emissions pilot and SPOG’s partnership on the Alberta Methane Emissions Program that we are in partnership with Carbon Management Canada,” she elaborated.
There will also be some entertainment lined up for children, with a live lunchtime musical performance courtesy of the Bergen Strings, she said.
Of course living up to the event’s namesake, McCrimmon said SPOG also always strives to make Neighbour’s Day a community function by partnering up with groups such as – but certainly not limited to – Bulls and Wagons with the objective of showcasing everything Sundre has to offer.
And at the end of every year, SPOG holds a year-end celebration at its annual general meeting, she said.
“That’ll be a big focus for us to celebrate our 30th anniversary,” she said.
“I am super proud to be able to represent this organization,” she said. “It’s not only been a leader in synergy and building relationships between industry and community, (but) we have (also) been able to branch out to provide collaborative models that reduce the cost to operate for our industry members.”
And as SPOG forges forward “into the climate space,” she said the organization is eager to offer those types of services with the objective of reducing footprints as well as taking a global leadership role that raises the bar.
“Our industry members are working together to move the needle on reducing greenhouse gas and methane emissions,” she said. “Globally, we know it’s a big issue, and it’s something that our industry cares very much about. We’re excited about opportunities that are coming.”
