Posts for Category “Heartland 101”

The quality of the water we use is vitally important to all community members living in the Heartland region. Additionally, the availability and consumption of water - both by residents and industry - is equally concerning for all who live and work in the Capital Region and Industrial Heartland. The North Saskatchewan River watershed stretches across central Alberta from the Rocky Mountains in the west, to the border with Saskatchewan in the east. Hydrologically, it is divided into 12 tributa...

The first ring road in Alberta was completed in the fall of 2016. The planning for this ring road – the Anthony Henday – started back in the 1970s. Many commuters who use the Henday may not know that the concept for this major piece of infrastructure pre-dated the GPS, internet, and iPhone they use to navigate it today. Planning Takes Time From concept to completion, it might take 20 to 35 years or more for a major piece of transportation infrastructure. This timeline can vary depending o...

Warmer temperatures naturally spark spring fever. With that, comes plans of clean up, maintenance, new projects, and outside activities. Facilities in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland also take advantage of spring weather. For many companies, spring signals the start of turnaround season and the continuation of construction projects. Maintenance is a must Just like your vehicle and home, industrial facilities require regular maintenance to keep them operating safely and efficiently. Compan...

  Flipping through your local newspaper, you may notice ads from time to time about industrial companies renewing an Operating Approval. Just like the renewal of a driver’s license and passport at set intervals, most industrial facilities must renew their Operating Approval every ten years. The need for Operating Approvals Most facilities operating in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland need an approval to construct, operate and ultimately reclaim their site. This is required from the provinc...

Most of the time, air quality in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland is of low risk to health, as indicated by the Air Quality Health Index. However, with frigid temperatures like we’ve experienced lately, combined with calm winds, fine particulate matter and other pollutants can be trapped close to the ground by warmer air aloft. This can negatively affect our air quality and people’s health. Controlling Fine Particulate Matter In 2015, a Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Response Plan was impl...

You may have helped an ambitious eight year old assemble all 658 pieces of a new LEGO Ninjago set. Piece by tiny piece, step by step, it eventually all fits together, days or even weeks later. The process of building an industrial facility – like a refinery – is actually very similar. However, there are thousands more steps and millions more pieces. If these millions of pieces came individually like in a brand new box of LEGO, the efficiency and cost of construction would be a major challe...

Risk assessment, response plans and access to resources are elements of industry and community emergency management programs. Confirming and improving these plans through drills, exercises and simulations not only enhances public safety, it also satisfies certain regulatory requirements. A number of industrial facilities in the region are required to have Environmental Emergency, or E2, Response plans under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. These plans aim to reduce the frequency ...

More than six decades ago, construction began on the first industrial facility in the region. A timeline of development from then until today required a steady stream of trucks, trains, pipelines, and cranes assembling more than $30 billion worth of facilities in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland. These Advantages Sound Familiar? In 1952, Sherritt started construction of their nickel refinery near Fort Saskatchewan. They would prove to be the first of many global companies who chose to locat...

The notion that two heads are better than one or that many hands make light work is nothing new. In fact, the value of partnership has been quite clear to the Northeast Capital Industrial Association (NCIA) for some time. Productive Partnerships NCIA has been harnessing the collective knowledge, goodwill, and expertise of its more than 20 member companies for more than a decade. Serving as a common voice for industry, the group has been a catalyst for collaborative work and partnerships t...

Inside a farm-style quonset just north of Fort Saskatchewan sits millions of dollars worth of instruments, tubes, pipes, and steel. It’s all assembled into Field Upgrading’s test facility. This is just one of the technology-leading projects that is putting Alberta’s Industrial Heartland on the innovation map. Between carbon capture and storage, offgas processing, energy mapping, and others, companies in the Heartland are exploring and adopting greener projects in our energy sector. From...