1939 - Convention Report

              02 A L B E R T A WOMEN'S INSTITUTES
panies have spent over $ 3,000,000 on . Calgary refineries. The British Amer­ican
Oil refinery built in East Calgary was completed this summer at a total
cost of about $ 1,500,000, while Imperial Oil Company additions to their
Ogden refinery, expected to be completed by the end of the year, were
estimated to cost about $ 1,750,000 before the work was started. In addi­tion
many smaller refining units and distributing agencies have been located
throughout the province.
This brings work for Alberta unemployed, and provides payrolls mount­ing
into millions of dollars. Entire towns have risen in Turner Valley as a
result of the oil activity . At present Turner Valley wells are producing
about 23,000 barrels of oil per day, according to the Conservation Board
regulations. But that is only about one- third of what the field could pror
duce. Tests this summer showed a potential yield of about 70,000 barrels
daily.
Oil development is also progressing in other Alberta fields, ranging from
the Peace River country in the north to Coutts on the Alberta- Montana
boundary; and from the foothills of the Rockies on the west to Lloydminster
on the Saskatchewan border in the east.
Another major development has been the conserving of waste gas in
Turner Valley field— a step taken by the Provincial Conservation Board.
Where formerly nearly 4,000,000 cubic feet of gas per day was burned as
waste— leading to Calgary's " midnight sun," the red glow from burning
flares— now gas production is limited to market requirements, and wastage
has been largely eliminated.
Canadian mining industry made marked progress in the past five years,
adding new wealth to the extent of about two billion dollars. During this
period Canada has become an important producer of radium, sulphur, sodium
and rock wool. New mining fields have come into prominence throughout
Western Canada and the Northwest Territories.
A new market for Canada's cellulose pulp, produced from the northern
spruce tree, is seen in a new product, Pervel, recently introduced here.
Pulp fibres are pressed into sheets to which chemicals give body, strength
and beauty. The finished product looks and feels like broadcloth and is used
for draperies, curtains, aprons, linens, and scores of other articles.
Another new product is Nylon— a chemically created " silk.' This is
manufactured from coal, air and water, is said to possess strength far
greater than silk itself, and to be much cheaper. It is expected to be widely
used for hosiery, and will likely strike a blow at Japan's silk industry in its
last stronghold, the stocking market.
Alberta's wool industry has shown an increase in production during
the past year, and continues to lead the Canadian field, with Alberta's wool
production far ahead of that of any other province.
It is expected that higher prices and increased demand for sugar
throughout Canada will bring an early increase in Alberta's production, A
greater aci'eage is expected to be planted in sugar beets i n both Alberta
and Ontario next year, to meet wartime needs. In this respect, it is inter­esting
to note that Alberta sugar, beets have about 25 percent higher sugar
content than the Ontario beets. Another sugar refinery has been planned
for southern Alberta in the near future, in addition to those already oper­ating
at Raymond and Picture Butte,
In closing my report, I would like to urge even greater work i n agri­culture
and Canadian industries by our members. It is of value to the
members and to our Province as a whole. And it is appreciated, as the fol­lowing
letter from the Alberta branch of the, Canadian Manufacturers^ As­sociation
shows: „'