A review of our Community Investment and Focus Guidelines would tell you that Osum is passionate about initiatives that help children and youth develop into extraordinary people.  Not only are we inspired by the creativeness of young minds; we are wowed by their ability to see possibilities where, sometimes, the more “experienced” generation might see obstacles.

Recently, members of the Osum team attended the kick-off night for Junior FIRST® LEGO® League – offered through Cold Lake and District FCSS.  The program is focused on building an interest in science and engineering in children aged six to nine.  Participants are faced with a real-world challenge and then asked to direct their curiosity and imagination towards solving it.

The program runs from April 11th until May 16^th and I think you can tell from the picture below that our staff had just as much fun as the kids!

Consultation for our proposed Taiga project in Cold Lake started early (2008, in fact) and has been ongoing.  During that time, we have been able to speak with local community members about our project – and have made significant changes to the initial project plan based on their feedback.

In this video from the Osum Conversation Series, Lisa Charleyboy speaks with Brad Braun, our Manager of Environment & Stakeholder Relations.  Brad answers more of the commonly asked questions that we receive at Osum – and also addresses some misconceptions.  For instance, Osum will not be using any bird deterrents for our project (these are typically associated with tailings ponds which our project does not have).  We have also committed that no fresh water will be used to generate steam for the project.

We mean it when we say that two-way dialogue is a priority for us.  We want to talk with our stakeholders about our project throughout its lifecycle.  Answering questions, correcting inaccuracies and learning from each other is important.  We are committed to being part of the Lakeland region for many years to come.  As Brad mentions in this video – if you have any questions or feedback about our any of our projects, we want to hear from you.

At Osum, you will often hear us say that we are committed to the Taiga Project being a “positive example of oil sands development.”  A part of what that means to us is that people understand that we have taken a thoughtful approach to planning this project, that we have had open and honest dialogue with local residents, that we have made important changes to the project based on consultation with the community – and that we’re committed to being a good neighbour.

In today’s video from the Osum Conversation Series, Lisa Charleyboy sits down to speak with Jamie Carlson, our Manager, Operations.  Jamie speaks about access to the Taiga Project site for traditional land use and about Osum’s overarching approach to community consultation that starts early and is ongoing.

Stay tuned for more videos in the series – and if you have any questions that you’d like us to address, please share those with us.

At Osum, one of our guiding principles is to be a good neighbour in the communities where we live and operate. Local community members are important to us so we look for ways to be involved in the community that fits the needs of the area and also align with Osum’s values.  If you visit our Community Involvement page, you’ll see that we’re particularly passionate about Science & Technology, The Environment, Vibrant Communities and Sport  – although, we will consider any project/group with good intentions and BIG IDEAS!

In today’s video from the Osum Conversation Series, Lisa Charleyboy sits down for a kitchen table discussion with Marie Robidoux, our Aboriginal Relations Coordinator.  Marie speaks about a few of our Osum initiatives – including the Osum Innovation Challenge and the Osum Day for Aboriginal Women Entrepreneurs – that aim create positive, lasting impact in the community.

Stay tuned for more videos in this series – and if you have any questions you’d like for us to answer in future videos, please share those with us.

In today’s video from the Osum Conversation Series, Lisa Charleyboy speaks with Dr. Jen Russel-Houston, Manager of Geosciences.  In this video, Jen talks specifically about where water resources for Osum’s Taiga Project will come from – and how the project has been designed to recycle water and use it responsibly.  We’ve included above the image that Jen is referencing in the video, so that you can easily see what she’s pointing to.

Stay tuned for more videos in the series – and if you have any questions that you’d like us to address, please feel free to share those with us.

As we create energy for the future, it is Osum’s belief that our Taiga project should be a positive example of oil sands development.  In this video from the Osum Conversation Series, Lisa Charleyboy sits down with Stan Bergen, our Thermal Operations Superintendent.  Stan speaks about his role and the added measures Osum has taken to have minimal impact on the environment and our neighbors.

Stay tuned for more videos in this series – and if you have any comments or ideas for other interview questions, please feel free to share those with us.

Earlier this month, we were pleased to welcome Aboriginal blogger, Lisa Charleyboy back to the Osum office.  You’ve probably heard us talk about Lisa before as she was one of the guest speakers at the Osum Day for Aboriginal Women Entrepreneurs in Bonnyville last fall.

During her time with us, Lisa had conversations with a number of Osum employees on a variety of topics, including:

• What the Taiga project means to our neighbors and what we are doing to develop environmentally responsible solutions that work the best for everyone;
• Investing in the youth and communities where we operate;
• Working together with Aboriginal communities.

So far, we have six videos to share with you.  Below is the first video with one of our Aboriginal Advisors, Darrell Anderson of Bigstone Cree Nation.

Stay tuned for the rest of the videos in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, please feel free to spend some time on this website, visit our YouTube Channel or our Facebook page for other information.

And finally, your comments and questions are always welcome.  We look forward to continued conversations with you all.

But because the carbonates are a relatively novel type of geological formation (that is, so far as Canada’s heavy oil industry is concerned), we are often asked about the differences between carbonate reservoirs and clastic reservoirs (i.e. traditional bitumen-bearing sand formations).

Now you can see the carbonates up close by joining us on a trip to the core lab.  Osum’s Geoscience Manager, Jen Russel-Houston and her team take you through Carbonates 101 in these short clips. Who says only geologists can get excited about rocks?

With great ideas and powerful stories to share, Aboriginal women of all ages came representing First Nations communities and Metis Settlements in Northeastern Alberta.

Throughout the day participants took part in informative, hands on learning sessions such as the REALLY BIG VALUE IDEA workshop with Dr. Alex Bruton and shared in the incredible stories of successful women entrepreneurs such as Cathrine Ann, Lisa Charleyboy, Dianne Buckner, and Susan Aglukark.

The perfect ending to the day brought everyone together for a traditional round dance.  We are excited to see the ways in which these inspiring women are creating value and providing opportunities for themselves and others.

For more photos from the day, click here.
For a summary of the event by Lisa Charleyboy (one of our guest speakers), click here.

At the second Osum Innovation Challenge in October 2011 students at Cold Lake High School spent two days with innovation experts from the Silicon Valley designing and building their own theme park experience. The projects look fun but it’s not the towers of cardboard that are important for the students.  It’s the innovation process they’re learning to get there.

One guest speaker, George Kourounis, an adventurer and host of the Discovery Channel’s “Angry Planet”, challenged the students, “If you want something you’ve never had, do something you’ve never done.”  And that’s exactly how we feel about our partnership with CLHS.

We’re inspired to have been part of a distinctive and unique partnership that allows us to promote student interest in science and innovation by collaborating with teachers who are passionately devoted to their students, and we hope to continue with this partnership in the future.