Page - September 7, 2007
It is often argued that the social and economic benefits of tar sands activities outweigh the environmental harm they cause. This is clearly not the case in Alberta. The pace of tar sands development has exceeded the ability of anyone to deal with the social consequences.
The size and pace of tar sands development have exceeded the ability of Albertans to deal with the social consequences
Economically, Albertans are finding times tougher than ever.
Inflation and consumer prices in Calgary and Edmonton are rising
exponentially. Basic needs like housing are becoming unaffordable
as demand outstrips supply. Services by skilled tradespeople
(mechanics, plumbers, etc.) are expensive and hard to find because
so many skilled workers are working on tar sands projects. Access
to health care is becoming more and more difficult. Even traffic
is getting worse - commute times are longer, accident rates are
higher, and because most of the oil from the tar sands goes to the
United States, even the price of gas is high!
Workers working in the tar sands are seeing fat paycheques, but
there are enormous downsides: long hours, abusive situations, bad
accommodation, remote locations, and a lack of job security are
common complaints. Worker safety is another problem as drilling
rigs and mine sites are some of the most dangerous work
environments, and Alberta's industrial accident rate increased by
17% between 2004 and 2006.
Communities feel they are being destroyed by the economic
changes. Substance abuse, gambling and family violence has
increased in towns near tar sands projects, and as thousands of
workers are brought in by oil companies, towns in Northern Alberta
face housing crunches and much higher costs. Homelessness in
Edmonton increased by 19% in 2006 as there is not enough
infrastructure or social services in Alberta to accommodate the
increased population.