Turner Valley
 The Turner
Valley gas plant, constructed in 1913, was the first petroleum production
facility in western Canada. In 1914, W.S. Heron, a miner from Ontario, noticed
an oil seepage on a farm near Turner Valley, southwest of Calgary. He bought the
farm, acquired its mineral rights, formed a company, and started drilling for
oil. In May 1914, they struck wet gas and oil.
 News of the find
hit Calgary like a bombshell and a horde of new exploration companies were
formed. The excitement was so great that within one 24-hour period, promoters
formed more than 500 oil companies. Turner Valley became the cornerstone of
Alberta's early oil and gas industry and became the training ground for the
industry as we know it today.
In dealing with
various technological and environmental problems, Turner Valley achieved a
number of "firsts" in Canadian gas processing and served as a centre
for the diffusion of expertise for the oil and gas industry in Canada and around
the world.
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Heritage Community Foundation Presents
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