A Moment with the Mayor: The Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show is back

As some of you know, before the privilege of being elected mayor, the Canadian oil and gas industry was where I made a living to support my family. The oil industry brought my family and me to Lloydminster in 2005.

Lloydminster is synonymous with that thick, black, gooey substance extracted from the earth and sticks to everything it comes into contact with. Heavy oil was discovered in this area in the 1920s, extracted from the earth, and used for fuel oil and asphalt production.

Dating back some 40 years, local companies came together to showcase the latest improvements to the production and servicing of oil and gas wells in the heavy oil region of Lloydminster. Alas, the Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show was born.

Through ups and downs, the show has run every two years until the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee met and looked forward to hosting the 2020 show, but it was postponed until 2021. Fast forward to today, and we’re excited to resume the Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show this September.

Having pivoted to deal with market conditions, the recent price surge has recharged oil and gas. This industry is ready for 2022 and wants to showcase the innovations and technology employed today.

The show kicks off on Tuesday, September 13, with the banquet and opening ceremonies Rob Morgan, president and CEO of Strathcona Resources, and David Yager, who is an author and writer, energy policy analyst, executive, and consultant, will partake in a fireside chat sharing their views about the industry past, current, and future.

Wednesday, September 14, features a complimentary breakfast and presentation by Pathways Alliance with Rhona DelFrari, chief sustainability officer with Cenovus Energy. She’ll provide an update on the carbon capture opportunities the six members of Pathways Alliance are looking at and actions to follow. The morning gets underway at 7 a.m.

A ticketed lunch event will have a panel hosted by Rhona DelFrari, Cenovus Energy, with panellists: Hon. Jim Reiter, Saskatchewan Minister of Energy and Resources and the Hon. Jason Nixon, Alberta Finance Minister. The discussion will focus on the energy industry from the provincial lens. A ticketed supper event on Wednesday will allow individuals to participate in the Champion X Shrimp Boil, returning to the oil show after an extended absence.

The Lloydminster Heavy Oil Show is free and open to the public. If you are involved in the energy industry, this is the show to attend!! Maybe you are looking for a career change? If you want to see what is happening in the oil and gas industry in and around our community, please plan to come and take in the show on Wednesday, September 14, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday, September 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you are interested in attending, please check out the website at www.lhos.ca for tickets, times, and more event information.

I look forward to seeing you at the show!

Mayor Gerald S. Aalbers
City of Lloydminster