Canada West Foundation Talks Energy

Canada West Foundation hosted its Board of Directors’ dinner last week at Hotel Arts. The theme - “Western Canada’s Energy Future” - was the topic of discussion for a post-meal panel including Tom Huffaker, vice-president of policy and environment for CAPP and former US Consul-General, Murray Edwards, vice chairman of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd, and Gordon Kerr, president and CEO of EnerPlus Resources Fund. The program was moderated by fiery business columnist Deborah Yedlin of The Calgary Herald. A three course meal was served, including roasted butternut squash soup and a duo of Alberta beef tenderloin and braised short rib.

Yedlin’s opening remarks focused on the increasing demand for low carbon energy, its corresponding market trends, and the need to combat a prevailing “ineffective public policy” in the oil and gas sector, particular in times of economic downturn. The participants, some smiling glumly at the mention of climate change debate and proposed cap-and-trade systems, took questions from the moderator and the audience. All echoed the need for more robust policy and predictable royalty frameworks - the current regime being one subject to frequent review and adjustment.

The first question was on the current feasibility of carbon capture and storage projects in the oil sands. Despite the onslaught of federal and province funding for such technology in recent months, the majority of projects selected to receive it have decline the support. Huffaker noted the fine balance needed between market and governance mechanisms to propel big change. Edwards explained the “long term progress” made in the oil sands developments - “This is a marathon, not a sprint,” he said - and spoke at length about proprietary technologies at work in his own development, which capture the carbon emitted when sand and bitumen are separated and push it back into the ground, “closing the loop” and shrinking the toxic tailings.

“That would have been a good story in the face of all those dead ducks,” quipped Yedlin.

Conversation flowed easily and ranged from the economic and environmental to the political and the financial. AIMCO, the institution by which the provincial government invests its public money, was a “classic example of a good idea with poor execution,” said Kerr. The people - and executives - of Alberta needed a clearer understanding of how, why and when those investments were being made, he explained.

Other guests included Alderman Joe Connolly, Adam Legge of Calgary Economic Development, Judy Hoag of Global Public Affairs, Art Korpach of CIBC, and Dr. David Swann, leader of the Alberta Liberal Caucus.

A few weeks earlier, the Gaining Ground Summit featured more discussions on the future of energy. Peter Tertzakian, an energy analyst and chief economist with Arc Financial, talked about the inevitable shift in consumer behaviour and the rapid technological changes taking place already to increase energy efficiency.

Published in National Post June 6, 2009

"Asper" - ations on Human Rights Day

Calgary Public Library became a hotbed of pith and substance this month. Two events –overlapping in theme - attracted substantial crowds peppered with cerebral celebrities and local well-knowns.

On December 5, author-provocateur Peter C. Newman sat down with CBC’s Donna McElligott to discuss his new biography of Canadian media mogul Izzy Asper. With Parliament prorogued a week earlier however, and an author who happens to be an Ottawa insider notorious for great stories and juicy gossip, the talk quickly turned to politics of a most interesting sort.

Almost immediately after taking his seat before the audience, Mr. Newman pulled a banana out of his jacket pocket and waved it around, saying “We now live in a banana republic – that is what you’ve witnessed. What’s happening is absurd.” Shortly thereafter, his eyes glazed over as he watched a young woman enter the library. “My daughter has just arrived!” he announced, prompting everyone in the room to turn around in their seats and stare awkwardly. Upon hearing that her father had just pulled a banana out of his jacket she replied dryly, “We’re lucky it wasn’t in his pants.”

Despite Mr. Asper’s messy financial legacy, wily business tactics, and controversial sense of humour, the author’s admiration for the corporate giant is clear. Others were not so lucky.

Mr. Newman revealed that Stephane Dion uses cutlery to eat hot dogs and asserted, “He will never set the world on fire except by accident.” About Stephen Harper he said, “His obsession with eliminating all opposition is just not democratic, and it’s not right.” And while he does not support a coalition of opposition parties, he had some kind words for their MPs. Jack Layton is very intelligent, he said, adding that Bob Rae is a “good leader and a good person.” He also noted that Michael Ignatieff is someone “Canadians can be proud of” in a global context, calling him a “world-class intellectual.”

The conversation eventually returned to the subject of his latest book, Izzy Asper. Mr. Newman claims he has written “a tough book about a tough guy.”

“His three loves were Canada, Israel, and Winnipeg, though not in that order,” he said.

Those affections linger in his proposed Canadian Museum of Human Rights, a project undertaken by his daughter, Gail Asper, who is tenacious in her fight for federal funding and a staunch advocate for Winnipeg as its home.

International Human Rights Day was celebrated at the library later that week. Sandra Crazy Bull opened with a Blackfoot prayer, MLA Manmeet Bhullar reflected on the importance of empathetic communication, and a choir sang Oscar Peterson’s Hymn to Freedom. Olivier Mills, of the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology, gave a humorous but provocative speech focusing on health concerns stemming from substandard human waste disposal technology in the developing world. Prominent guests included teachers Brent Novodvorski and Genevieve Balogun, City Alderman Joe Ceci, MLA Dr. David Swann, MLA Harry Chase, and president of the African Community Association Michael Embaie. Veggie platters, juice and cookies were served.

Published in National Post, December 20 2008