Sometimes we don't give ourselves enough credit for the contributions the southeast region has made to the world of technology.
We don't necessarily expect people outside the region – especially those who live in larger centres – to recognize our impact. Too many big-city folks are too caught up in their stereotypes of those who live in smaller communities.
People like Dr. Eric Grimson, Jeff Sandquist and Andrew Wahba have come from Estevan and have gone on to make major contributions in the technological world.
For the past decade, we have had a marvel of technology and innovation in our backyard with the carbon capture and storage facility at SaskPower's Boundary Dam Power Station, which has slashed the emissions associated with a coal-fired power-generating unit while producing baseload electricity. And it's become very reliable in recent years.
The PTRC's Aquistore project near Boundary Dam continues to demonstrate the benefits of carbon dioxide storage, and the Deep Earth Energy Production Corp. – led by former Estevan resident Kirsten Marcia – is moving closer to having Canada's first geothermal power facility operating in the Torquay area.
People in oil and gas, mining and agriculture are coming up with new ideas of how to enhance their industries. We had a glimpse at some of those projects at Estevan's first-ever pitch party last fall, with two teenage boys, Wyatt Thompson and Logan Stewart from the Carnduff area, taking top spot for their portable irrigation system.
We've even seen young people at local schools come up with great ideas that show their creativity and imagination.
You might be a little bit skittish when you hear about technology, innovation and even AI, and we understand that. We recognized that innovation, like anything else, can't be allowed to proceed unchecked. But you might be surprised about the positive impacts that have occurred with local businesses.
Estevan isn't the only community that is seeing the positive impact of embracing technology.
Estevan will be hosting its first Innovation Conference for Economic Development in Rural Areas from Sept. 10-12. This is not just a locally-focused event with a few people coming in to present. This is a full-blown celebration of how smaller communities are embracing technology, and how that is shaping these communities' future.
There's going to be a lot of stories shared and a lot of lessons learned about what others are doing. And yes, the delegates are going to hear a lot about what is happening down here, whether it be through the Southeast College, the Southeast TechHub or elsewhere. And they're going to hear about how growing up in Estevan helped propel people like Sandquist and Wahba in the tech sector.
There have been previous attempts to have tech conferences in Estevan in recent years that just didn't get off the ground. So, you can understand why people were skeptical about this particular endeavour. But this time it resonated. With a mixture of people well-known in the community and those from outside of Estevan, it's generating a lot of interest both inside and outside of the Energy City.
These people might not be household names like a world-class athlete, a big-time entertainer or a prominent politician – although there is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas making the trip up here to present – but they are top of their fields.
This conference will be another opportunity to showcase what Estevan has to offer. It's another chance to impress the world. It's another chance for visitors to be charmed by those who live in our community. Those people can then return home and tell their family and friends about what a great time they had in Estevan – a community they might have only heard about recently – and the great things that are happening in a corner of Saskatchewan.
We should always make the most of these opportunities.
