INSIDE
INSIDE
I-Summit held in Lloydminster
Special Feature Salute to Seniors
INSIDE Bobcats close to full potential Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Volume 11 Issue 15
www.lloydminstersource.com
CANADA VOTED: Lloydminster residents lined up across the city at polling stations to cast their vote in Monday’s federal election. See Thursday’s Source for election coverage or check our website for the latest. Andrew Brethauer Photo
Lloyd oil sector rallies against NDP by Geoff Lee geoff@lloydminstersource.com
A convoy of oilfield trucks led off a vocal Stand Up for Alberta rally held at Top Grade Construction Ltd. on Highway 16 just west of Lloydminster on Oct 17. Rally organizer Drew Lake, president of Engage Energy Services Inc., spoke to about 200 people, urging everyone to send a message to Alberta’s NDP government to stand up for industry, the economy and small business. “I was inspired by the actions of other Albertans. This is the fourth rally now that’s happened in Alberta,” Lake told the Source before taking to the podium. “We’re experiencing low prices and nobody’s going to blame the NDP government
for that. “It’s the mandates and the policies that they’re bringing forward that are damaging the industry.” Lake said the NDP policy of raising corporate taxes and reviewing energy royalties have created a negative atmosphere for investment in Alberta. “Combined with the low oil prices that we are experiencing, it’s going to be a very big problem for our industry down the road if they don’t reverse that,” he said. Lake said it’s irresponsible of the NDP not to have released an official budget more than five months after they were voted into office. “That’s really not acceptable. That also creates concern with investors down the road,” he said. Lake noted he is not surprised by
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the turnout for the rally held the same day as a Stand Up for Alberta rally in Calgary. “Albertans haven’t been ones to stand back and let things go if they don’t agree with them. The ball is just starting to roll. It’s going to be a big thing,” he said. “We need to shore up the oil and gas industry that’s already beaten down by low oil prices. “We need to shore it up, increase investor confidence to ensure the industry can sustain long term.” Lake said the ongoing royalty review is also contributing to uncertainty in Alberta’s oil and gas industry. “Oil and gas companies with billions of dollars to invest - they are really not sure about the future prosperity of their investments. They don’t know what’s coming down the
line,” he said. Royalty review panel chair Dave Mowat held a province-wide telephone town hall on Oct. 15 to gather input from all Albertans. Lake delivered his message to the NDP government at the rally wearing a T-shirt with the catch phrase: Alberta oil feeds my family. Lake said he didn’t know what the current jobless rate is in the Lloydminster area, but he recalled reading an article a couple of years ago that ranked us the sixth richest small city in Canada. “The latest media reports are saying the local food bank cannot keep up with the demand right now,” he said. Engage Energy is a small business that operates two steamer vac trucks with just three employees. See “Rally,” Page 9
“Volunteer to read to a child! You’ll be opening a whole world to them.” Sandra Sims, Librarian St. Mary’s Elementary School