Alberta Chamber of Resources

The Alberta Chamber of Resources (ACR) is an industry association that represents and advances the interests of Alberta’s extractive industries, including mining, energy, and forestry sectors, as well as the companies providing infrastructure and services to resource development.11

Why the top 50?

The Alberta Chamber of Resources is a key organizational force championing extractive resource development in Alberta, including the fossil fuel industry. As it advocates for the ramping up of bitumen, natural gas production and pipeline infrastructure, the ACR makes it on our list as a key legitimator.

Key Stats

Head Office: Edmonton, Alberta

In Depth
Background

The organization was founded in 1936 as the Alberta and Northwest Chamber of Mines.  Following the Second World War, the Chamber’s scope expanded to include all extractive resource industries in Alberta and, after a series of name changes, it became the Alberta Chamber of Resources in 1977.1

Particularly since the 1990s, ACR has played a formative role in the development of the oil sands and Alberta’s oil sands policies. ACR organized the National Task Force on Oil Sands Strategies (dominated by industry) in 1992, whose recommendations were adopted at both provincial and federal levels of government by 1996. At the time, ACR’s President was Eric Newell (who also happened to be president of Syncrude). This history is presented in detail in Gillian Steward’s report, Betting on Bitumen.2

Strategy

The Alberta Chamber of Resources (ARC) describes itself as a leading voice for resource industries in Alberta.3 Among Canadian industry associations, ARC is unique in its specific focus on Alberta, as well in bringing together companies across resource extractive sectors, including in mining, energy, and forestry. It provides space for different interests within a broadly defined extractive resource sector to define issues of common importance and to organize strategies for advancing those interests.

Its members include nearly 150 companies, including some of Canada’s largest fossil fuel firms.4 ARC provides strategic analyses for its members and reaches extensively into policy-planning by lobbying different levels of government, creating research reports, circulating policy briefs and media releases.

ARC’s efforts are organized through its numerous Committees, which provide strategic sessions, presentations and policy development on ‘everything from education to transportation, and Aboriginal participation to the future of resources.’ 5 Committees include the ‘Environmental Forums Leadership Group,’ which provides information and strategic advice for dealing with public opposition and regulatory threats to extractive industries,6 as well as the ‘Indigenous Relations Committee,’ which is dedicated to advancing “best practices” in the area of relationship building between the resource sector and Alberta’s Indigenous Communities.7

Publications include white papers providing industry overviews of perceptions and concerns regarding extractive policy and the regulatory climate in Alberta, as well as research reports and strategic policy frameworks. One of their reports, titled ‘Learning From Experience: Aboriginal Programs in the Resources Industries,’8 provides companies with advice on how to  engage Indigenous communities on issues of resource extraction.  Another report titled, ‘The Oil Sands: a New Energy Vision for Canada’9 offers a strategic vision for enabling expanded bitumen production and pipeline infrastructure. They also publish an annual magazine to promote the competitiveness of Alberta’s ‘investment landscape.’ 10

Network Map

Learn more about Alberta Chamber of Resources at LittleSis.org

About the database

The intent of the Corporate Mapping Project database is to engage Canadians in a conversation about the role of the fossil fuel sector in our democracy, by “mapping” how power and influence play out in the oil, gas and coal industries of BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

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  1. Alberta Chamber of Resources (2018) https://www.acr-alberta.com/about/
  2. Gillian Steward (2017) https://www.parklandinstitute.ca/betting_on_bitumen
  3. ARC 2018. ARC About. <https://www.acr-alberta.com/about/>. Accessed 5 January 2018.
  4. Alberta Chamber of Resources (2018) https://alberta-chamber-of-resources.dcatalog.com/v/April-30-2018-Update/#page=44
  5. ARC 2018. ARC Activities Current . Available from https://www.acr-alberta.com/current-activities/. Accessed 5 January 2018.
  6. Arc (2018) https://www.acr-alberta.com/committees/environmental-forums-leadership-group/
  7. ARC (2018) https://www.acr-alberta.com/committees/indigenous-relations-committee/
  8. ARC 2006. Learning From Experience: Aboriginal Programs in the Resources Industries.< https://www.acr-alberta.com/app/uploads/Aboriginal-Programs-in-the-Resources-Industries.pdf>./>. Accessed 5 January 2018.
  9. ARC 2006. The Oil Sands A New Energy Vision for Canada. Available from <https://www.acr-alberta.com/app/uploads/The-Oil-Sands-A-New-Energy-Vision-for-Canada.pdf>. Accessed 5 January 2018.
  10. ARC 2018. Historical Reports. <https://www.acr-alberta.com/resources/category/historical-reports/>. Accessed 5 January 2018
  11. Alberta Chamber of Resources (2018) https://www.acr-alberta.com/about/