Energy Issues in Canada

During the Fall Semester, 1977 the Department of Geography and ContinuingStudies, Simon Fraser University presented a public lecture series, 'EnergyIssues in Canada.' The series was intended as a forum for public debate, with six lectures presented by experts playing significant roles in today's energydecisions. The lectures addressed a range of topics, including energy supplyand demand forecasts, the problems and potential of fossil fuels, the opportunitiesoffered by renewable energy sources, and energy conservation. Thefinal lecture in the series focussed upon current federal energy policy.In response to the interest shown in the series, we decided to issue avolume of proceedings in order that the infonnation and viewpoints presentedin the lectures could reach a wider audience. The following papers arearranged in order of presentation. Unfortunately it has not been possible toinclude the discussion of renewable energy sources and technologies given inthe fifth lecture of the series. Most authors address the Canadian and provincial energy scene in thecontext of world trends: the price increases introduced by OPEC (Organisationof Petroleum Exporting Countries) in 1973, and the looming gap between worlddemand and supply of petroleum which will result in a deficit sometime duringthe 1980s. These trends have undermined our sense of energy security, forceda reexamination of present energy use patterns, and given support to theidea of energy conservation.