MONTREAL, July 23, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The Federation
of Chambers of Commerce of Quebec
(FCCQ), together with a dozen prominent representatives of
Quebec's business community, civil
society and municipal sector, participated in a three-day study
tour of Alberta's hydrocarbon
industry. During the tour, participants visited industries involved
in oil and gas exploration and development and met with
Alberta's regulatory body,
entrepreneurs, farmers and public decision makers who all expressed
their desire to ensure the sustainability of their businesses while
contributing to the province's economic development and
safeguarding the public's safety.
"Quebec should draw its
inspiration from the Alberta
government, which has chosen to work with its industries. In-depth
expertise, cutting-edge technologies, extensive scientific research
and cooperation with local communities have made this industry into
a model of success that the population of Quebec should learn more about," stated
Françoise Bertrand, President and Executive Director of the
FCCQ.
The Federation noted in particular one of the lessons that
Quebec should draw from the
Alberta model: how the two main
pillars of Alberta's economy—the
oil and gas industry and agriculture--coexist in a harmonious,
balanced manner that allows both sectors to develop without it
being at the expense of one or the other.
"We observed that often the problems discussed in the public
arena and used to show the risks related to the development of
these sectors exist in jurisdictions where there is a lax
regulatory framework. This is not the case in Canada, and particularly not the case in
Alberta, where this modern
industry relies heavily on research and technology and moves
forward hand in hand with local communities," added Ms. Bertrand.
Thus, when conducting its strategic environmental evaluation of the
petroleum sector, the government of Quebec should study best practices that have
been implemented in jurisdictions such as Alberta, in order to create an appropriate
legislative framework.
With respect to the economic impact of this industry, the FCCQ
noted that, according to a study that it published last November in
collaboration with KPMG-SECOR, in 2012, western Canada's petroleum sector generated economic
spin-offs across Canada valued at
$44.1 billion and was responsible for
creating 420,000 jobs. Quebec also
reaped approximately one billion
dollars in economic spin-offs; furthermore, over 10,000
direct and indirect jobs depended on western Canada's petroleum industry in 2012, not to
mention its impact on the calculation of equalization payments.
Finally, the FCCQ stressed once again that more than ever, it is
time for the government to be proactive and allow some targeted
demonstration projects to be carried out in order to determine the
real potential for developing Quebec's shale gas sector. "Pilot projects
would enable us to demonstrate that it works and to develop an
appropriate model for Quebec while
respecting the three principles of sustainable development," Ms.
Bertrand concluded by saying.
About the FCCQ
With its wide network of more than 140 chambers of commerce and
1,200 corporate members, the Federation des chambres de commerce du
Québec (FCCQ) represents over 60,000 businesses and 150,000
business people involved in all sectors of the economy throughout
Quebec. As the largest network of
business people and businesses in Quebec, the FCCQ is both a federation of
chambers of commerce and a provincial chamber of commerce. Its
members—be they chambers of commerce or businesses—all share a
common goal: to foster an innovative, competitive business
environment.
SOURCE Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec