McLennan News Kevin Laliberte For The Smoky River Express. Good things come to those who wait. By Kevin Laliberte. September 20,2006 There was definitely no shortage of interest from residents of the region towards Peace River Oil's open house in McLennan last Tuesday. That much was clearly evident Sept. 19 as an estimated 500 curious people (a figure which might be conservative) crammed into the local Elks Hall for an opportunity to hear about the company's plans to construct a $1.4-billion oil upgrader/diesel refinery facility south of McLennan at Kathleen. "The interest from the community was absolutely incredible. I think we doubled McLennan's population in one night," joked Don Allan, president and chief executive officer for the Red Deer-based company. But he certainly wasn't joking around when he accepted the microphone from Smoky River Economic Development Officer Greg Radstaak and layed his company's cards on the table in an effort to bring residents up to speed on the status of the oil-based mega-project. A confident Allan, his brother Doug (vice-president), and Peace River Oil staff were on hand at the meeting to introduce stakeholders and answer questions from the general public as part of the company's open door policy towards responsibility and accountability. Those questions and concerns ranged from the company's desire to involve local industry-related companies in the various aspects of the construction project, to infrastructure growth and demand in area communities, investment opportunities, staff training initiatives, land acquisition and the development of a pipeline along the proposed McLennan to Peavine connector route. Trust me when I say it was a great deal of information to digest in one evening. The bottom line of it all is that funding for the project is now in place. The only remaining wrinkles for the company to iron out are meeting regulations specified by Alberta Environment and receiving formal approval by the Alberta Energy & Utilities Board - both of which Allan says are expected to be finalized in the coming months. So, what exactly will this project mean for the region assuming that it's not a matter of if it will happen but rather when? Well, plenty. McLennan has being identified as the primary hub for the project and is expected to receive the "glut" of attention in terms of fulfilling the company's local infrastructure needs. New residential subdivisions are presently in the works for the community of 800 people to help absorb the influx of construction staff (estimated between 2,000 and 4,000 for each of the four phases) required to complete the oil mega-project. Email:   twnmcl@serbernet.com