Stelmach buys U.S. ad touting oil sands
Article submitted to the Washington Post was rejected by op-ed section, so Alberta government turns to half-page ad
Josh Wingrove
Edmonton — Globe and Mail
Jul. 02, 2010
For lack of another way to reach U.S. lawmakers wary of the “filthy” Canadian oil sands, Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach’s office bought a half-page advertisement in Friday’s Washington Post championing its energy industry and a proposed pipeline that would reach down into the United States.
The ad, which cost $55,800, was purchased after the newspaper declined to run Mr. Stelmach’s comments as an opinion piece, and is the latest in a string of efforts by the Stelmach government to support the lucrative oil sands.
The Premier expressed his support for TransCanada Corp.’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry bitumen to the U.S. There, the bitumen would be upgraded, an energy-intensive process frequently criticized by environmental groups.
Last week, 50 members of the U.S. Congress signed a letter urging the U.S. State Department to block Calgary-based TransCanada’s pipeline expansion because it would increase America’s dependence on “tar sands” oil, which it called “filthy.”
Mr. Stelmach sought to counter the message.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/stelmach-buys-us-ad-touting...
