Red Deer County officials say they’ve been left holding the bag, and not the oil-soaked kind, after yet another petroleum firm evaporated faster than a gas flare. The now-bankrupt company, once a “proud partner” in local development, owed the municipality millions in unpaid taxes and cleanup costs before suddenly deciding financial responsibility was for suckers.
“It’s disappointing,” said one councilor, while staring at the smoking crater where the company’s office used to be. “We were promised jobs, investment, and maybe a hockey sponsorship. Instead, we got an abandoned pumpjack and a bill.”
The situation is hardly unique; across Alberta, dozens of towns are discovering that oil companies are terrific at drilling holes but less enthusiastic about filling financial ones. Red Deer County now joins the ranks of rural municipalities running on hope, duct tape, and a prayer that the next energy boom will last longer than a Tinder date.
