By Alex McCuaig

Cdn Energy Centre

Rocky start for Canadian Energy Centre

Dec 19, 2019 | 5:43 PM

Medicine Hat, AB – The Canadian Energy Centre is a little more than a week old yet it’s making its mark already – but not necessarily for its mandate to promote Alberta’s oil and gas industry within the province, nationally and internationally.

There was online furor sparked by the Energy Centre’s response to an op-ed in the Medicine Hat News on Monday. That was followed by revelations of the energy war room’s use and revocation of a logo trademarked by a US company. As recently as Thursday afternoon, the Google search box listing the Energy Centre’s address and information was linked to a parody Twitter account.

Despite this, Brooks-Medicine Hat MLA Michaela Glasgo, said she has faith in the organization and its CEO Tom Olsen.

“I know that the Canadian Energy Centre with their mandate to have an informative and pragmatic discussion about exactly the good things that our Canadian energy sector is doing, I know that will benefit them in the end because we need to make sure that information is out there,” said Glasgo.

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Glasgo said it’s important to ensure the facts get to the public regarding Alberta’s energy sector. Especially against, “a concerted effort to land lock our oil and gas sector here in Alberta.”

She added that effort is coming from the US and other jurisdictions, “where there are companies paying environmental activists to land lock our industry.”

But for Ecojustice, the organization says the war room is little more than a distraction which provides little in the way of substance.

“It’s difficult for Ecojustice to understand why it’s necessary to spend $30 million for this,” said Devon Page, executive director for the environmental legal advocacy group. “The inquiry, the war room – they aren’t actually about getting the truth. They’re about silencing people who would question the pace and scope of Alberta oil and gas development.”

Page scoffed at the idea the war room is set up to challenge well funded environmental groups from the US.

“We’re talking about a communication strategy to defend an industry that makes billions of dollars a week against an environmental community that makes hundreds of dollars a week,” said Page. “It’s so far fetched, it reminds me about what they are saying about Donald Trump – you just tell the biggest lie possible and the bigger it is, the more likely it is people will believe it.”

Ecojustice has filed a lawsuit against the terms of reference included in inquiry launched by the Alberta government into foreign-funded organizations who have campaigned against the province’s oil and gas sector. The group has been and continues to be involved in lawsuits connected to protections for sage grouse in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan.

CHAT News requested an interview with the Canadian Energy Centre but has yet to hear back.