The organization was founded in 1936 as the Alberta and Northwest Chamber of Mines.  Following the Second World War, the Chamber’s scope expanded to include all extractive resource industries in Alberta and, after a series of name changes, it became the Alberta Chamber of Resources in 1977.¹

Particularly since the 1990s, ACR has played a formative role in the development of the oil sands and Alberta’s oil sands policies. ACR organized the National Task Force on Oil Sands Strategies (dominated by industry) in 1992, whose recommendations were adopted at both provincial and federal levels of government by 1996. At the time, ACR’s President was Eric Newell (who also happened to be president of Syncrude). This history is presented in detail in Gillian Steward’s report, Betting on Bitumen.²

The Alberta Chamber of Resources (ARC) describes itself as a leading voice for resource industries in Alberta.³ Among Canadian industry associations, ARC is unique in its specific focus on Alberta, as well in bringing together companies across resource extractive sectors, including in mining, energy, and forestry. It provides space for different interests within a broadly defined extractive resource sector to define issues of common importance and to organize strategies for advancing those interests.

Its members include nearly 150 companies, including some of Canada’s largest fossil fuel firms.⁴ ARC provides strategic analyses for its members and reaches extensively into policy-planning by lobbying different levels of government, creating research reports, circulating policy briefs and media releases.

ARC’s efforts are organized through its numerous Committees, which provide strategic sessions, presentations and policy development on ‘everything from education to transportation, and Aboriginal participation to the future of resources.’ ⁵ Committees include the ‘Environmental Forums Leadership Group,’ which provides information and strategic advice for dealing with public opposition and regulatory threats to extractive industries,⁶ as well as the ‘Indigenous Relations Committee,’ which is dedicated to advancing “best practices” in the area of relationship building between the resource sector and Alberta’s Indigenous Communities.⁷

Publications include white papers providing industry overviews of perceptions and concerns regarding extractive policy and the regulatory climate in Alberta, as well as research reports and strategic policy frameworks. One of their reports, titled ‘Learning From Experience: Aboriginal Programs in the Resources Industries,’⁸ provides companies with advice on how to  engage Indigenous communities on issues of resource extraction.  Another report titled, ‘The Oil Sands: a New Energy Vision for Canada’⁹ offers a strategic vision for enabling expanded bitumen production and pipeline infrastructure. They also publish an annual magazine to promote the competitiveness of Alberta’s ‘investment landscape.’ ¹⁰