After participating in the mock “Future Search Conference” in my Sustainable Communities class, I was able to recognize the huge benefit to orchestrating this style of community event. I have also realized that this is the style of community engagement that energy companies are using to solve issues with regards to building pipelines and developing the vast resources of Canada.
I was recently reading the business section of the Calgary Herald and I stumbled upon an article about how Trans Canada Corp. has applied and successfully been approved for federal regulation of its Natural gas transport system; “the Alberta System.” This 23,000km pipeline system transports 66% of North America’s natural gas from different wells to markets across the continent. Instead of it being regulated by the province, it will now be regulated by the federal government.
A decision such as this may seem small but it will have impacts on all the thousands of stakeholders that come into contact with the pipeline. In response to this, Trans Canada Corp. is setting up stakeholder consultations all over the province to inform and get feedback on the decision. Some of the stakeholders mentioned are Aboriginal Communities, shippers, landowners, oil service workers, and other affected businesses. This is an enormous task to undertake for what seems like a relatively small decision.
It just makes sense that this is the way things need to be done. There needs to be face to face communication between these groups so that they can truly realize what is at stake. Although it is a lot of work, these companies can only benefit from these conferences by reducing the possibility of resistance in the future and by improving their corporate images.
I was recently reading the business section of the Calgary Herald and I stumbled upon an article about how Trans Canada Corp. has applied and successfully been approved for federal regulation of its Natural gas transport system; “the Alberta System.” This 23,000km pipeline system transports 66% of North America’s natural gas from different wells to markets across the continent. Instead of it being regulated by the province, it will now be regulated by the federal government.
A decision such as this may seem small but it will have impacts on all the thousands of stakeholders that come into contact with the pipeline. In response to this, Trans Canada Corp. is setting up stakeholder consultations all over the province to inform and get feedback on the decision. Some of the stakeholders mentioned are Aboriginal Communities, shippers, landowners, oil service workers, and other affected businesses. This is an enormous task to undertake for what seems like a relatively small decision.
It just makes sense that this is the way things need to be done. There needs to be face to face communication between these groups so that they can truly realize what is at stake. Although it is a lot of work, these companies can only benefit from these conferences by reducing the possibility of resistance in the future and by improving their corporate images.
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