A staunch supporter of the oil sands, author, blogger, political pundit, and self-described “general trouble-maker,” Ezra Levant will headline The Global Address on January 19 at Keyano College. The event will take place on the mainstage in Keyano Theatre.

His talk is named after his book Ethical Oil: The Case for Canada’s Oil Sands.  Levant says audiences can expect two things from the event:  “Number one, my "case for Canada's oil sands" using the Ethical Oil framework; and two:  a report on how that case is doing in the court of public opinion against opponents like Saudi Arabia, Chiquita Banana and foreign-funded NGOs,” he shared in an interview from Calgary.

 

He says his inspiration to stand up and learn more about the oil sands came after attending an “awful panel discussion in Ottawa one day, where everyone in the room bashed the oil sands and implicitly preferred OPEC conflict oil. I was so mad at how Fort McMurray was defamed, and so frustrated by the implicit support for conflict oil, I felt that I had to make this fight my fight,” he explains.

 

Indeed, Levant, who also hosts The Source on SUN TV, “your go-to for controversially Canadian content,” is looking forward to returning to Fort McMurray – he has visited our region about ten times, and Keyano College once.

 

“I'm really glad to be coming back. I think about and talk about Fort McMurray so much, it's important that I keep in touch with it, instead of just the romantic version of it that lives in my mind!”

 

Russell Thomas, Director, Marketing & Communications, Keyano College believes Levant’s talk will provide an interesting perspective on the resource that surrounds us.

 

“Ezra has a great way of framing the industry that drives our economy,” he said. 

 

“Not only is he fiercely proud about what happens in this region every day, he gives us a new way of looking at ourselves, within a global context.  In that way, this is the perfect kind of presentation for the speaker series.”

 

As for Levant, he says fighting Fort McMurray and oil sands stereotypes has become second nature to him.

 

“I am used to fighting against stereotypes of the oil sands. But some of the worst stereotypes are about Fort McMurray itself -- that it's violent; that it's transient; that there are no women there; that there's nothing to do there for recreation, etc., etc. There is this whole hostile mythology that has been allowed to fester, since most "media experts" have never set foot there. Even MPs who condemn Fort McMurray (e.g. Megan Leslie, who flew down to Washington, D.C. to condemn it) haven't even had the courtesy or curiosity to visit the city itself.”

 

“I love the city; it is a great family city, it's Canada's most generous city according to the United Way, and its people are uniformly hard-working, nation-building Canadians. I wish every other city had a bit more Fort McMurray in it!” Levant enthused.

 

The Global Address speaker series at Keyano College brings a variety of perspectives on important issues to students and the community.  The event is sponsored in part by the Shell Campus Ambassador Program, Country 93.3 and Rock 97.9.

Tickets are $23.  Visit www.keyano.ca/theatre to purchase, or call the Box Office at 780-791-4990.

 

For more information, please contact:

Communications Specialist

Marketing & Communications

Keyano College

Kiran.Malik-Khan@keyano.ca