The Redvers & District Oil Showcase saw beautiful weather for its May 30-31 event, and it was a perfect metaphor compared to the last show two years ago.
Then, it was cold, stormy, and generally miserable. And that fit the mood very much with those who were in attendance in 2016, whose companies were struggling, and many of whose companies had seen tremendous layoffs. Matt Axten, chair of the show, alluded to as much in his comments to the sold-out banquet crowd on May 30 this year.
He noted how they had put on a brave face two years ago with the show, but this year, there was more support.
This year, moods were much better. The show’s exhibits and banquet were both sold out.
“A lot of us are competitors, but as of recently, we’re all business partners, too. We just bought a pipeline. Congratulations everyone. We own a really expensive, highly controversial pipeline,” Axten noted at the banquet presentation, referring to the recent purchase of the Trans Mountain Pipeline and its expansion by the federal government from Kinder Morgan.
The banquet speech was by Pipeline News editor Brian Zinchuk. Entitled “I didn’t see their horses,” he spoke about how the Saskatchewan oilpatch has been portrayed in the media, and about how hypocritical its critics have been. His conclusion was that those in the oilpatch simply want to provide for their families and are fundamentally good people, and the rest of Canada needs to acknowledge that.
Rhonda Martin, administrative assistant for the committee, said just over 1,500 people attended. “I think it went over well. I talked to a lot of exhibitors and chatted with a lot. Everybody had positive feedback,” she said.
