This Time It's Permanent

If we can get it right, this boom could last forever.

In the past the Alberta oil and gas booms and busts have been tied to two pivotal details - access to markets and the world price of oil.

But things changed two years ago when the production of petroleum from the oil sands surpassed conventional production for the first time.

No longer is the oil industry in Alberta reliant on discovering oil and gas, fighting for a place in the market, and at the mercy of international oil prices.

Okay, that may be overstating the case, but the oil patch in Alberta is now a commodity like coal. We have an almost unlimited supply of petroleum in the oil sands and the international demand for oil is strong and getting stronger.

The Alberta government has the opportunity to create a stable and sustainable economic climate. Or at least there is more of a chance now than ever before.

The royalty rate issue, so dominant in the daily news, is actually just a temporary distraction.

The real question is much larger. Can Alberta manage the boom, this time, in a way that will create economic, social and environmental stability?