OCDSB votes to approve contentious elementary school program review

In critical North America oil hub, pipelines and uncertainty are shaping byelection

CBC

9 minutes ago

CBC

In critical North America oil hub, pipelines and uncertainty are shaping byelection

At first glance, the east-central Alberta town of Hardisty looks like many prairie communities. A semi-trailer rolls along a wide, open road beneath an expansive blue sky. An antique shop opens on the modest main street, drawing in treasure seekers for a chat and a quick barter. The popular local sports pub fills with locals ordering the daily special. Today, it's fried chicken and ribs. But just southeast of the town of about 600 residents, the landscape changes. Large tanks dot the horizon, holding millions of barrels of crude. Within Alberta's energy industry, everyone knows the name. This is the Hardisty Terminal, a critical hub in North America's oil and gas network. "If you want to get oil out of Western Canada, for the most part, almost all of it comes through Hardisty at some point," says Blake Moser, chair of the Hardisty and District Development Group. Inside the town limits, residents are proud to say that this infrastructure keeps the country's energy economy moving. At the same time, the town itself is grappling with a lack of services that threaten its sense of community amid a period of broader political uncertainty and rapid global change. Hardisty sits in the federal riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, where voters will head to the polls on Monday. While the town has an agricultural base, the oil industry dominates its economy and its politics. "Our energy sector is going to play a big role," says local realtor Connie Beringer of the upcoming election. 'Still getting by' Hardisty's fortunes flow with the pipelines and projects located outside its boundaries. When things are busy, restaurants and hotels fill up. When things slow down, so it goes for the town. Vince and Hayden Lehne, father and son, run Local Rentals & Septic Service, supplying equipment, water and septic services largely to oilfield and construction crews. There have been plenty of busy periods for the Lehnes, such as during the Line 3 pipeline replacement project. But over time, as projects started to slow down, so did activity on the streets of Hardisty. Some recent years have been more moderate, especially this past winter, when the phone largely went quiet. It's hard to put your finger on why that is. In Hayden's eyes, it could just be the way the world's going. Maybe everyone just wants to start getting away from oil and gas, he says. The father and son will congregate in the main office each morning to complete paperwork and dispatch equipment, but also to chat. Signs of the world changing are all around them. Some of it they find fascinating. "I'd say, our day-to-day in the mornings would be, sit here, talk about what crypto's doing," Hayden says. Much like the volatile, roller-coaster world of digital currencies, Local Rentals & Septic Service has ridden the wave of the boom-and-bust oil and gas industry's ups and downs. The shop was originally purchased by Vince's father, who began with small items like porta-potties before expanding into larger gear. Even at 79, he still comes in the shop daily, as does Vince's mother, who manages invoices and submits paperwork, all without taking a paycheque. Hayden joined the operation in 2017 after working as a journeyman welder. Now married with a young child, he handles much of the day-to-day work, including water, septic and equipment deliveries. "It's good," Vince says of having the whole family under one roof. He thinks for a moment. "Well, when it's good, it's really good," Vince says. "And then, when … let's say it's slow, it's kind of stressful, because now your whole family's [tied] into it, right?" Vince and Hayden share a sense of gratitude for what the industry has brought them, and the repeat clients they can count on. As it has always been, quiet times often give way to good times. That's playing out again, as the melt of a cold and unnerving winter has left behind brighter business prospects for summer. Still, those prospects don't erase the broader reality that the world is in a time of rapid change. While the sector is riding a wave of strong profits, much of it is being returned to shareholders rather than major expansions of operations. Government coffers continue to see significant contributions from the oil and gas sector in the form of royalties and taxes. However, among all sectors, it is Canada's single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for about 30 per cent of the national total in 2023. When there are global shifts in oil and gas demand or when tariffs and inflation hit, the ripple effects reach Hardisty. "It's getting kind of harder to make a living," says Hayden. "But you know. Still getting by. Grateful for the things we do have." Ups and downs Gratitude is on the minds of the Lehnes, and it's obviously a message that has caught on among the small community. On a town sign in the middle of the community, a placard reads: "As summer winds down, let August be a month of gratitude." Over the past few years, officials say they've attracted new residents and businesses. Beringer, the local realtor, says the market was quite soft up until early spring this year. "We've seen about a 30 to 35 per cent increase in house sales, mostly people moving in from Ontario and B.C.," she says. Of course, the status of major projects, such as pipelines and rail infrastructure, significantly impact local business activity, says Wayne Jackson, the town's mayor. Political and economic uncertainty has slowed things down and has led to "one of the most uncertain times" the mayor has seen in his town. "The last few years, I've noticed the projects that are getting done are like … I see people working on what they have. They're not adding as much," he says. Service gaps frustrating Despite its central role in North America's energy network, Hardisty also faces rural service gaps that have become familiar all across the country. Its hospital operates with limited capacity. There's difficulty attracting medical professionals. And the local school has been closed for years. With the school's doors shut, kids start their days with long bus rides, heading out on the highway toward classrooms in Irma or Sedgewick. In winter, that can mean icy roads for big chunks of time before the first bell even rings. For all the pride they hold in their community and their industry, these issues are a lingering source of frustration for officials. "We have all of these hundreds of millions of dollars worth of product flowing through our back door," Jackson said. "It's truly bizarre to me that we don't have more attention." Without these basic services, some residents feel the town's future is at risk. "I feel really sorry for the young families that would probably move in here, that choose not to because of no education and health care," says Marilyn Devey, who's lived in the community for four decades. She believes these gaps deter young families: "They choose other communities." Pipelines and policy Moser, of the Hardisty and District Development Group, knows the maze of tanks and pipes that make up the Hardisty Terminal like the back of his hand. "As long as somebody's consuming, it'll always be moving through Hardisty. This facility, it's not going anywhere," he says. He wants to see someone elected in the upcoming byelection who can advocate for reduced barriers to market. In his view, that would benefit the entire country, including when it comes to additional royalties available for use by governments. "A lot of the large American companies, they don't have as much confidence in the oilsands, and developing some of these larger projects," he says. "That definitely impacts the amount of oil that we're able to move through here." Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who is running in the Battle River-Crowfoot riding to regain a seat in the House of Commons, has frequently criticized federal oil and gas policy, recently promising to "legalize" pipelines through new legislation. At a candidates' forum in Camrose, Alta., on July 29, Poilievre said electing a leader of a political party as a local MP could "bring a very powerful megaphone" to local issues of a community. "For example, getting a pipeline built from Hardisty over to Prince Rupert or to Kitimat, that is a local issue that requires national leadership," he said. Other candidates in the riding have also voiced their support for pipelines. During the July 29 forum, Liberal candidate Darcy Spady said he was in support of Prime Minister Mark Carney's stated goal to build the strongest economy in the G7. "I think it's time we have pipelines that sell our oil and gas, and solid trading practices around the globe," Spady said. Conservative MP Damien Kurek resigned to allow Poilievre to run in the race, which includes more than 200 candidates, most of whom are part of a group of electoral reform advocates known as the Longest Ballot Committee. Mixed picture on main street On Hardisty's main street, the mood is mixed. On a recent Friday, many Hardisty storefronts stay shuttered until late morning. Some are closed entirely. Fred Stolz is one of the shop owners opening the doors. He operates Old Town Mercantile, which deals in antiques, sports memorabilia and novelty items. In the store, the walls are lined with vintage licence plates dating from 1929 to the late 1970s. The space also features collectibles like original Tonka toys, a 1905 cash register from an old Alberta pharmacy, antique china cabinets and survey equipment. "Anything that's cool, we sell," Stolz says. He attributes the closure of some shops in the area to the ebbs and flows in the economy. Unlike in a big city, people are only going out for dinner on certain occasions. It's the influx of people that makes things exciting, in Stolz's view. He's seen new businesses open in recent years, including a live theatre, but knows success means saving in good times to weather the slow ones. "Ebbs and flows, you know," he says. For Stolz, there's hope that a friendlier environment for oil and gas could draw more people to Hardisty, boosting local businesses and making key services like the school and hospital viable again. He sees population growth as essential to sustaining Hardisty's future. But no matter what happens, he says it's the small town's resilience that is its constant, not the swings or the political debate. "No matter how tough the times are," Stolz says, "people survive."

Pipelines, policy and uncertainty shape Alberta byelection in Hardisty's oil hub

CBC

31 minutes ago

CBC

Pipelines, policy and uncertainty shape Alberta byelection in Hardisty's oil hub

At first glance, the east-central Alberta town of Hardisty looks like many prairie communities. A semi-trailer rolls along a wide, open road beneath an expansive blue sky. An antique shop opens on the modest main street, drawing in treasure seekers for a chat and a quick barter. The popular local sports pub fills with locals ordering the daily special. Today, it's fried chicken and ribs. But just southeast of the town of about 600 residents, the landscape changes. Large tanks dot the horizon, holding millions of barrels of crude. Within Alberta's energy industry, everyone knows the name. This is the Hardisty Terminal, a critical hub in North America's oil and gas network. "If you want to get oil out of Western Canada, for the most part, almost all of it comes through Hardisty at some point," says Blake Moser, chair of the Hardisty and District Development Group. Inside the town limits, residents are proud to say that this infrastructure keeps the country's energy economy moving. At the same time, the town itself is grappling with a lack of services that threaten its sense of community amid a period of broader political uncertainty and rapid global change. Hardisty sits in the federal riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, where voters will head to the polls on Monday. While the town has an agricultural base, the oil industry dominates its economy and its politics. "Our energy sector is going to play a big role," says local realtor Connie Beringer of the upcoming election. 'Still getting by' Hardisty's fortunes flow with the pipelines and projects located outside its boundaries. When things are busy, restaurants and hotels fill up. When things slow down, so it goes for the town. Vince and Hayden Lehne, father and son, run Local Rentals & Septic Service, supplying equipment, water and septic services largely to oilfield and construction crews. There have been plenty of busy periods for the Lehnes, such as during the Line 3 pipeline replacement project. But over time, as projects started to slow down, so did activity on the streets of Hardisty. Some recent years have been more moderate, especially this past winter, when the phone largely went quiet. It's hard to put your finger on why that is. In Hayden's eyes, it could just be the way the world's going. Maybe everyone just wants to start getting away from oil and gas, he says. The father and son will congregate in the main office each morning to complete paperwork and dispatch equipment, but also to chat. Signs of the world changing are all around them. Some of it they find fascinating. "I'd say, our day-to-day in the mornings would be, sit here, talk about what crypto's doing," Hayden says. Much like the volatile, roller-coaster world of digital currencies, Local Rentals & Septic Service has ridden the wave of the boom-and-bust oil and gas industry's ups and downs. The shop was originally purchased by Vince's father, who began with small items like porta-potties before expanding into larger gear. Even at 79, he still comes in the shop daily, as does Vince's mother, who manages invoices and submits paperwork, all without taking a paycheque. Hayden joined the operation in 2017 after working as a journeyman welder. Now married with a young child, he handles much of the day-to-day work, including water, septic and equipment deliveries. "It's good," Vince says of having the whole family under one roof. He thinks for a moment. "Well, when it's good, it's really good," Vince says. "And then, when … let's say it's slow, it's kind of stressful, because now your whole family's [tied] into it, right?" Vince and Hayden share a sense of gratitude for what the industry has brought them, and the repeat clients they can count on. As it has always been, quiet times often give way to good times. That's playing out again, as the melt of a cold and unnerving winter has left behind brighter business prospects for summer. Still, those prospects don't erase the broader reality that the world is in a time of rapid change. While the sector is riding a wave of strong profits, much of it is being returned to shareholders rather than major expansions of operations. Government coffers continue to see significant contributions from the oil and gas sector in the form of royalties and taxes. However, among all sectors, it is Canada's single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for about 30 per cent of the national total in 2023. When there are global shifts in oil and gas demand or when tariffs and inflation hit, the ripple effects reach Hardisty. "It's getting kind of harder to make a living," says Hayden. "But you know. Still getting by. Grateful for the things we do have." Ups and downs Gratitude is on the minds of the Lehnes, and it's obviously a message that has caught on among the small community. On a town sign in the middle of the community, a placard reads: "As summer winds down, let August be a month of gratitude." Over the past few years, officials say they've attracted new residents and businesses. Beringer, the local realtor, says the market was quite soft up until early spring this year. "We've seen about a 30 to 35 per cent increase in house sales, mostly people moving in from Ontario and B.C.," she says. Of course, the status of major projects, such as pipelines and rail infrastructure, significantly impact local business activity, says Wayne Jackson, the town's mayor. Political and economic uncertainty has slowed things down and has led to "one of the most uncertain times" the mayor has seen in his town. "The last few years, I've noticed the projects that are getting done are like … I see people working on what they have. They're not adding as much," he says. Service gaps frustrating Despite its central role in North America's energy network, Hardisty also faces rural service gaps that have become familiar all across the country. Its hospital operates with limited capacity. There's difficulty attracting medical professionals. And the local school has been closed for years. With the school's doors shut, kids start their days with long bus rides, heading out on the highway toward classrooms in Irma or Sedgewick. In winter, that can mean icy roads for big chunks of time before the first bell even rings. For all the pride they hold in their community and their industry, these issues are a lingering source of frustration for officials. "We have all of these hundreds of millions of dollars worth of product flowing through our back door," Jackson said. "It's truly bizarre to me that we don't have more attention." Without these basic services, some residents feel the town's future is at risk. "I feel really sorry for the young families that would probably move in here, that choose not to because of no education and health care," says Marilyn Devey, who's lived in the community for four decades. She believes these gaps deter young families: "They choose other communities." Pipelines and policy Moser, of the Hardisty and District Development Group, knows the maze of tanks and pipes that make up the Hardisty Terminal like the back of his hand. "As long as somebody's consuming, it'll always be moving through Hardisty. This facility, it's not going anywhere," he says. He wants to see someone elected in the upcoming byelection who can advocate for reduced barriers to market. In his view, that would benefit the entire country, including when it comes to additional royalties available for use by governments. "A lot of the large American companies, they don't have as much confidence in the oilsands, and developing some of these larger projects," he says. "That definitely impacts the amount of oil that we're able to move through here." Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who is running in the Battle River-Crowfoot riding to regain a seat in the House of Commons, has frequently criticized federal oil and gas policy, recently promising to "legalize" pipelines through new legislation. At a candidates' forum in Camrose, Alta., on July 29, Poilievre said electing a leader of a political party as a local MP could "bring a very powerful megaphone" to local issues of a community. "For example, getting a pipeline built from Hardisty over to Prince Rupert or to Kitimat, that is a local issue that requires national leadership," he said. Other candidates in the riding have also voiced their support for pipelines. During the July 29 forum, Liberal candidate Darcy Spady said he was in support of Prime Minister Mark Carney's stated goal to build the strongest economy in the G7. "I think it's time we have pipelines that sell our oil and gas, and solid trading practices around the globe," Spady said. Conservative MP Damien Kurek resigned to allow Poilievre to run in the race, which includes more than 200 candidates, most of whom are part of a group of electoral reform advocates known as the Longest Ballot Committee. Mixed picture on main street On Hardisty's main street, the mood is mixed. On a recent Friday, many Hardisty storefronts stay shuttered until late morning. Some are closed entirely. Fred Stolz is one of the shop owners opening the doors. He operates Old Town Mercantile, which deals in antiques, sports memorabilia and novelty items. In the store, the walls are lined with vintage licence plates dating from 1929 to the late 1970s. The space also features collectibles like original Tonka toys, a 1905 cash register from an old Alberta pharmacy, antique china cabinets and survey equipment. "Anything that's cool, we sell," Stolz says. He attributes the closure of some shops in the area to the ebbs and flows in the economy. Unlike in a big city, people are only going out for dinner on certain occasions. It's the influx of people that makes things exciting, in Stolz's view. He's seen new businesses open in recent years, including a live theatre, but knows success means saving in good times to weather the slow ones. "Ebbs and flows, you know," he says. For Stolz, there's hope that a friendlier environment for oil and gas could draw more people to Hardisty, boosting local businesses and making key services like the school and hospital viable again. He sees population growth as essential to sustaining Hardisty's future. But no matter what happens, he says it's the small town's resilience that is its constant, not the swings or the political debate.

Globe and Mail

35 minutes ago

Globe and Mail

Cheap excuses for betraying free speech

This is getting out of hand in Canada. On Thursday, the chief executive of the Toronto International Film Festival was in damage-control mode after having announced the previous day that the festival was cancelling the premiere of a documentary because of unspecified safety concerns. Or was it copyright concerns? Or maybe a staff revolt? The film, The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, tells the story of a retired Israeli paratrooper who rescues his son and his son's family during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. TIFF officials originally said the film was being pulled partly because the filmmakers hadn't procured the rights to Hamas's livestream footage of its massacre at the kibbutz where the son lived with his wife and two children. But that excuse was not repeated in an e-mail TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey sent to the filmmakers explaining the festival's decision. Instead, he said 'the risk of major, disruptive protest actions around the film's presence at the Festival, including internal opposition, has become too great.' A day later, Mr. Cameron apologized 'for any pain this situation may have caused' and denied that TIFF had censored the movie. He said he 'remains committed' to working with the filmmakers in order to 'allow the film to be screened.' (Late Thursday, TIFF said the movie would be part of the festival.) TIFF pledges to work with filmmakers of Oct. 7 documentary after pulling premiere Opinion: TIFF's latest censorship controversy is more than just a tiff. It's existential So, then, what was it that prompted TIFF to cancel the premiere initially: the festival's concerns about the intellectual property rights of a terrorist organization, or the 'internal opposition' and the threat of 'disruptive protest actions'? The latter is the better bet. This is the same organization that last year postponed screenings of a documentary, Russians at War, because it was 'aware of significant threats to festival operations and public safety.' That film, which followed a Russian battalion into battle in Ukraine, was accused of whitewashing Russian war crimes and condemned as Moscow propaganda. Chrystia Freeland, then the deputy prime minister, said she had 'grave concerns' about the film, while the Ukrainian Canadian Congress called for the resignation of TIFF's board. A year later, and now that people have actually watched it, Russians at War is said by critics to be a courageous antiwar film about disaffected and angry Russian soldiers forced to carry out Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine. Moscow would never allow its citizens to watch this film. A year after controversial TIFF premiere, Russians at War deserves to be seen But it's not just TIFF that is cancelling shows and hiding behind unidentified threats to security these days. This summer brought the sorry spectacle of federal and municipal officials cancelling performances by a D-list American country musician who makes his living preaching the most retrograde parts of the MAGA agenda. After people protested, officials in cities where concerts were scheduled cited 'security concerns' to justify shutting them down, a move that of course gave Sean Feucht more visibility in Canada than he could have ever hoped for. Two things connect these examples. One is the fact that the security threats cited as grounds for cancelling shows are never spelled out. People have the perfect right to call for the cancellation of a screening or musical concert that doesn't jibe with their beliefs and values, but they do not have the right to threaten violence or disruption it they don't get their way. At the same time, organizers should not be able to imply coyly and without evidence that protesters will act illegally. By ducking behind vague security concerns instead of exerting the right to show what they please, officials leave open the possibility that what they are really doing is capitulating to the loudest voices in a polarized debate. The other disturbing commonality is that officials are failing to reflexively protect the invaluable right to freedom of artistic and political expression in Canada. We have no doubt that if noisy protesters demanded the withdrawal of a TIFF movie because of its glorification of violence, TIFF officials would be the first to stand up for the filmmaker's right to artistic expression. But when it comes to telling stories or singing songs that some deem offensive, that reflex has been replaced by a knee-jerk run for cover. This is an alarming development in Canada. In difficult times, we need people in positions of authority to stand up for freedom of expression – not look for excuses to abandon it. That never ends well for anyone.

OCDSB votes to approve contentious elementary school program review

Hashtags

Try Our AI Features

Comments

Related Articles

In critical North America oil hub, pipelines and uncertainty are shaping byelection

Pipelines, policy and uncertainty shape Alberta byelection in Hardisty's oil hub

Cheap excuses for betraying free speech

OCDSB votes to approve contentious elementary school program review

Hashtags

Try Our AI Features

Comments

Related Articles

In critical North America oil hub, pipelines and uncertainty are shaping byelection

Pipelines, policy and uncertainty shape Alberta byelection in Hardisty's oil hub

Cheap excuses for betraying free speech

Get Started Now: Download the App