As we watch the incredible work being done by a group of volunteers like the honourable Ed Stelmach and Thomas Lukaszuk, one has to marvel at Alberta and Albertans. The team of folks who have just stepped up to fill a plane with supplies and take in Ukrainian evacuees have been wonderful. What would you tell these evacuees about our community and province?
Born to immigrants who made Canada their home, I was raised in Alberta and so I have an inherent belief this is the best place in the world. I've had the opportunity to live in three provinces and work in all 10. Although all provinces are beautiful, the extraordinary physical gifts of the land and the resources, combined with the grateful culture that comes with people who have been blessed to arrive here as immigrants make Alberta extraordinary.
I did a presentation last week to a group of financial professionals and I talked about how bullish I am about Alberta and our future. At the end of the presentation, I was approached by many of the people in the audience who were thankful for the reminder of our blessings, and they were curious as to why they hadn't heard some of these things before.
Currently, the leaders of our province have identified our huge potential to develop our resources and create jobs, a robust economy, while respecting and protecting the environment. They have identified five key areas to focus on for the north central Alberta region. The development of the hydrogen market is projected to be a $2.3-trillion opportunity right in our backyard. The development of a bio-pharma strategy to bring the expertise and manufacturing to Canada is the second area of focus. COVID taught us a valuable lesson. The third is focusing on food and ag-tech to maximize the combined ingenuity of Alberta’s farmers and technology experts. Along the lines of technology, investment in artificial intelligence and machine learning in the early 2000s has created a centre of excellence that is one of the top three in the world (AMII). The fifth area is called Port Alberta and is a brilliant strategy to use our northern location as an advantage to become a hub for distribution throughout North America. For more information on these items, Edmonton Global or Invest Alberta have great websites.
Alberta is poised for extraordinary growth in the next 30 to 50 years. Companies such as Dow, Air Products, Suncor, and Atco are clearly recognizing this. The success of this journey will help us to pay for schools, hospitals, teachers and medical professionals, and the infrastructure we need to grow.
When the first Ukrainian Ivan Pylypow arrived in 1891 and settled in Star, Alta., this was a pioneering place where you could make your way if you acted with integrity, worked diligently, and showed gratitude. Our Ukrainian friends have played an integral role in the building of this great province, and we are ready to welcome any and all who bring those great character traits.
“For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited me in; I needed clothes and you clothed me; I was sick and you looked after me; I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Let’s remind ourselves of how blessed we are, and welcome those who need a helping hand.
John Liston is the vice-president of Alberta Enterprise Group, and a St. Albert resident active in our business and charitable communities.
