ABSTRACT

Through the ages of recorded history up to less than 200 years ago, man was dependent on the strength of his hands and back plus the use he could make of domestic animals, wind and waterwheel. In China today we find man moving dirt in baskets on his back, but we in North America would be lost without the energy sources provided by the steam engine, the gasoline and diesel engines and water power.

The same energy sources we enjoy today have been in existence over the ages. It is only in our ability to discover and utilize them that we gain advantages that our ancestors did not have.

Utilization is as important a factor as possession of energy sources, but possession of the sources is not at all evenly distributed and Alberta has within her boundaries just over half of Canadian coal reserves, and five-sixths of Canadian oil and gas reserves. Installed hydo-electric generating capacity is relatively small, a mere 1.6 percent of the Canadian total, but it is very useful and will expand to some extent with demand.

Atomic fuel looms as a future source of energy but present forecasts suggest that uranium is not likely to replace coal, oil and natural gas in parts of the world where they are easily accessible. Alberta has no known uranium that can be mined economically, although deposits at Great Bear Lake and Lake Athabasca are close.

Alberta has been handicapped geographically in utilizing energy sources for manufacturing. Every item we bring to the province costs more because of freight rates and everything we have to sell is less remunerative because of transmission costs. As population grows in the province the handicap lessens. In the meantime Albertans must be efficient in exploiting such natural advantages as they possess.

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