Tell me more about Edmonton’s role in the oil sands development.
Edmonton’s proximity to the oil sands development in Northern Alberta is a distinct economic advantage.
Strategically located between the world’s second-largest oil reserves and the world’s largest energy market, the city plays a vital role in the development of the Athabasca oil sands. Greater Edmonton supports the energy industry as a centre for upgrading and refining petrochemicals, pipelines, manufacturing, transportation, and logistics. Edmonton is at the crossroads of international trade routes linking Asia Pacific with eastern North America and Mexico with Alaska.
While Edmonton benefits economically from the oil sands, we are also aware of the environmental footprint oil sands activities leave and are working to make Alberta’s oil sands more sustainable. For example, University of Alberta researchers continually focus on reducing the impact of the oil sands on the environment (see “New solutions” link below). And NAIT and the Ledcor Group recently announced the first-ever applied research chair in oil sands environmental sustainability at a college or technical institute in Canada.
