Premiere, C. Manning Declares Plant Officially Open Historic Day For Province, Tapping Of Vast Reserves
The Hon. Ernest C. Manning, Premier of the Province of Alberta, in his keynote address marking the official opening of the Great Canadian Oil Sands Limited Athabasca Project termed Saturday, September 30th, 1967, an Historic Day for the province of Alberta as it marked the tapping of a vast oil supply that has lain in the silent depths at Fort McMurray for ages. He added it was also a Red Letter for all of Canada, all of North America and was a most fitting project for Canada's Centennial Year. The huge project was made possible by responsible free enterprise. The placing on stream of the synthetic crude oil recovery project was the climax of a sequence of events that began millions of years ago. And, in the eons of time that have elapsed the last insignificant little period began with the invention of the internal combustion engine.
Mr. Manning noted that the revenue from this free enterprise endeavor will channel into Federal, Provincial and Municipal government. The $5 million dollar per year revenue to Governments from the Great Canadian project is expected to grow. The first project will in his opinion be followed by comparative or larger projects in the immediate area. Human resource development was given top priority by the Premier. He noted that not only must money and jobs be considered in projects such as the Tar Sands development but they must also produce man's needs lot enhancement of progress. He asked all to keep this objective in mind. He officially declared the plant open.
