Alberta History 1973-1987

What can I do in Jasper Alberta?

Jasper Alberta's Historic View

1973

August 31: Shell Canada announced plans to build a 700 million dollar oil extraction plant at Athabaska tar sands in northern Alberta.

September 18: Syncrude Canada Ltd. agreed to build a 125,000 barrel per day extraction plant to produce synthetic oil from the Athabasca tar sands in northern Alberta.

October 2: A ruptured gas main near Red Deer Lake, Alberta forced the evacuation of 500 people from three communities.



1975

Imperial's Strathcona refinery at Edmonton, Alberta, replaces the refineries in Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg and Calgary.


1976

April 15: Dome Petroleum Ltd. of Calgary obtained approval to drill offshore wells in the Beaufort Sea- a first.



1978

Esso Resources Canada Limited, based in Calgary, Alberta, is formed to manage all company's natural resource activities.



1980

May 18: Mount St. Helens of Washington erupts making the world a smaller place as clouds of ash are noted in Alberta.



1981

January 1: The Government imposed an extra $2.50 per barrel to the Petroleum Compensation Charge; a new levy to pay for eastern imported oil.

March 1: Alberta, in retaliation, limited oil production. The Federal Liberal Government imposed a compensation charge, or Alberta Levy, of 75¢ per barrel to help pay for additional oil imports necessitated by the cutbacks. This action, by the Ontario Liberals, would poison the relationship of western Canada towards the Liberal party for decades to come.

June 1: The census of the west is: B.C. 2,744,467, Alberta 2,237,724, Manitoba 1,026,341, Saskatchewan 968, 313, N.W.T. 45,741 and Yukon 23, 153.

July 8: Imperial Oil Limited suspended its $12 billion Cold Lake oil sands project in Alberta, pending an energy policy agreement between the Federal and Provincial Governments.



1982

Thousands of job seekers ,mostly from Quebec and Ontario, flood to Calgary each month. The city welcome center said there are wall-to-wall bodies on the floor every night. They expect to provide ninety five thousand meals this year.

February 1: Amoco Canada and Chevron Standard Ltd. announced their withdrawal from a consortium to develop the $13.5 billion Alsands oil project in northern Alberta.

February 24: Dome Petroleum Ltd. and Hudson Bay Oil and Gas Ltd. withdrew from a consortium to develop the $13.5 billion Alsands oil project in northern Alberta.

February 25: Shell Explorer Ltd withdrew from a consortium to develop the $13.5 billion Alsands oil project in northern Alberta.

April 30: The Alberta Alsands 13.5 billion oil project collapsed despite offers of aid from the Federal and Alberta Governments.

May 10: A $600 million oil and gas exploration program is announced for the Beaufort Sea.

November 2: In Alberta's provincial election, Peter Lougheed, Conservative party, won 75 of 79 seats.



1985

Donald Ross Getty, Conservative is elected Premier of Alberta 1985-1992.

Imperial Oil begins commercial production on its oil sands recovery operation at Cold Lake, Alberta.

June 26: Premier Peter Lougheed resigned as leader of the Alberta Conservative Party.



1987

February 12: 110 whooping cranes from Alberta and Saskatchewan survived the 2,400 mile migration to Arkansas. In 1941 they only numbered 15 left in the world. It is noteworthy that my grandfather shot and ate one of these majestic birds in the early part of this century.

July 31: The northwest corner of Edmonton, Alberta was devastated by a tornado. There was 25 fatalities, mostly in a mobile home park. Another 250 people were injured as the tornado hit speeds of 60 miles per hour.

Jasper Alberta's History