Weyburn – The Saskatchewan Oil & Gas Show, also known as the Weyburn Oil Show, has secured two big names for speakers at the event, to be held June 5-6.
Rex Murphy, formerly of CBC and currently a columnist for the National Post, will be the keynote speaker on Thursday, June 6. Murphy is well known for his acerbic commentary in which he often skewers political correctness and sacred cows. He is unafraid to call a spade a spade, especially when it comes to the defence of the energy industry. In a recent speech he gave in Vancouver, Murphy laid out how Alberta and its oilsands essentially saved the people of Newfoundland when their primary industry, the cod fishery was laid to waste by a fishing moratorium.
The other headliner is Vivian Krause. Until recently, Krause has been relatively unknown, working for the last seven years to expose the influence of foreign money in opposition to Canada’s energy industry. But in recent months, Krause has gained considerable attention for her efforts, and was most recently a headline speaker at an information forum in Kindersley on Feb. 6. Krause will be speaking on Wednesday, June 5.
Krause’s biography notes she gives a compelling presentation in which she makes the case that the energy industry is the target of a multi-million dollar campaign that explicitly aims to “land-lock” Canadian oil and gas, keeping Canada out of overseas markets. Vivian provides a practical, constructive roadmap for how industry can deal with the activism against it.
She has testified to committees of the House of Commons and the Senate. Her work has prompted investigations by Elections Canada and a CRA audit of the political activity of registered charities. Of the 42 audited charities, 41 were ruled as non-compliant by the CRA.
“We are very glad to have these two amazing speakers attend our show,” said Tanya Hulbert, show manager.
This year the show will change its format somewhat. This year, both the Saskatchewan Oil Patch Hall of Fame and Southeast Sask Legends Awards will be presented together, at the noon lunch on June 5. Supper will see the awards ceremony for the Saskatchewan Oilman of the Year and Southeast Saskatchewan Oilman of the Year awards.
Bookings of exhibit space are filling up. “We still have a few booths,” she said on Feb. 8. Currently they are reaching 75 per cent occupancy.
“A lot of new companies are coming,” she said.
The day before the show, there will be an exhibitors and platinum sponsors’ golf tournament, followed by an exhibitors steak and lobster meal.
