SUNDRE – The Sundre Petroleum Operators Group chose water as the theme for the 2025 Neighbours’ Day trade fair that featured exhibits from industry as well as local businesses and community organizations.
“We have quite a bit of organizations coming representing different stakeholders and water uses,” said Tracey McCrimmon, SPOG’s executive director, prior to the Friday, Aug. 22 event.
There were approximately 60 booths set up.
Asked what prompted the organization to choose water as this year’s theme, McCrimmon told the Albertan there were looming concerns of ongoing drought conditions coming into this past spring and by extension concerns about water usage and fire.
“Fire and flood, there’s never a happy medium – it’s always one or the other. That tends to be a concern for two major industries here, for oil and gas and for ag,” she said.
“I know that there’s a lot of different stakeholder groups that are having meetings within their area, their different communities with regards to water.”
So SPOG decided putting a focus on water would offer an opportunity to bring forward some subject matter experts “to provide clarification on what the regulations are, what some of the usages are.”
Among the agencies and organizations that were available at the event to answer questions people might have were the Alberta Energy Regulator and the Red Deer Watershed Alliance. When McCrimmon spoke with the Albertan, she was still awaiting confirmation as to whether Alberta Environment and Parks would also be present.
The Town of Sundre had representatives on-hand regarding the municipality’s plans to upgrade the wastewater treatment facility, and Mountain View County was there also to discuss with anyone who’s interested their stance on water.
As water usage varies across the province, SPOG opted to focus more on the region, she said.
“When we deal with water usage and water concerns, I really like to stay specific to what we’re dealing with here regionally as opposed to what’s going on the Blindman or in the Athabasca,” she said when asked if any independent experts such biologists had also been invited to field questions people might have.
But SPOG may at some point look into hosting a separate function to dive deeper into the issue of water.
“About 12 years ago, SPOG did a proactive engagement process on water-based industries and usage for fracking. And we’re going to be probably going down that path again, and that’s when we’ll be bringing in those independent experts.”
SPOG, which is now in its 33rd year, initially introduced Neighbours’ Day to open a door for the public to engage with industry.
“The whole mandate of Neighbours’ Day and the reason it was started was to have an opportunity for industry and community to engage and allow both of them to understand what’s going on and where questions and concerns are, and to have industry update the community on what their operational plans are in the area.”
That to this day remains the primary intent, she said.
“One of the main roles that we play is that liaison between industry and community and that relationship building, and it’s the opportunity to continue to build on the relationship and open dialog between industry and community,” she said.
However, the event has since expanded to include local non-profit service organizations and even other local businesses.
“The intent was, years ago, to grow this into a community-based event where all of the community felt the ability to engage.”
Neighbours’ Day ran from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22 at the Sundre Arena. A pancake breakfast that ran from 8-9:30 a.m. got things started followed later by a beef on a bun lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m.
On the itinerary was a petting zoo, Asokewin axe throwing and face-painting. Members of the Sundre Fire Department conducted a demonstration and there was also live music.
People attended were invited to bring deposit-back bottles to help support a fundraising effort for The Den – Sundre Youth Centre
The annual event is the result of a multi-faceted partnership including SPOG, Sundre Hospital Futures Committee, the Town of Sundre, Bulls and Wagons, the Sundre Municipal Library, Greenwood Neighbourhood Place Society, the Sundre Farmers’ Market, as well as the Sundre and District Ag Society.
The Sundre Farmers’ Market held extended hours that same day from 1:30 to 7 p.m. at the Sundre Curling Rink, with the opening performances of Bulls and Wagons at the Sundre rodeo grounds that evening.
