According to the Lacombe Globe (a small town Alberta newspaper) Schlumberger Oilfield Services met with Blackfalds town council about a "99 acre development... located on the north side of the town is being eyed up by the company. If this deal goes through, the new plant would employ up to 500 people by 2010."

Apparently Claude Durocher, president of Schlumberger Canada Ltd., attended last Tuesday's council meeting said "This is a very large project,"Durocher said. "We don't make these types of investments readily and it is a big investment and a large commitment for maybe the 20 or 30 years for operations in Central Alberta."

Between the oil sands in Northern Alberta (Ft. McMurray) and other related oil field activity Alberta infrastructure is being stretched to the limit. Record high crude oil prices add fuel to the hot Alberta Economy. According to the globe and mail "Continued soaring oil and natural gas prices - the province's cash cow - pushed Alberta's resource revenues to $14.3-billion, nearly $4 billion higher than the previous record five years ago.

Alberta's surplus is more than the projected budget expenditures in six of the country's 10 provinces for 2006. Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador all expect to spend less money this year."

Will Albertan's see the Alberta Government mail out rebate checks again this year? They are nice but IMO we should be putting the money back into the economy and our infrastructure.