This is the first in a series of stories highlighting the AER’s field centres. Field centre staff, from engagement specialists to field inspectors, are part of local communities and play a key role in regulating energy development throughout Alberta.
You may know the Bonnyville air show or the giant roadside pierogi, but did you know that Bonnyville is also home to an AER field centre? The Bonnyville field centre is the hub of a local AER team that oversees the regulatory compliance and environmental and public safety of energy production on a chunk of land the size of Portugal.
Just 240 km northeast of Edmonton, the Bonnyville field centre team is hard at work managing field operations along the eastern side of our province. Here, the team navigates oil and gas activity in the region, from conventional activities in the south, to a sizeable piece of the Athabasca oil sands in the north, and all the Cold Lake oil sands, none of which can be done alone.
Patrick Traudt, a field inspector at the Bonnyville Field Centre since 2014, gave us the inside scoop on life with his colleagues in our eastern-most office.
Nineteen team members call the Bonnyville field centre their homebase, and their work centres on inspections and making connections with industry, Indigenous communities, and stakeholders. This tight-knit group of colleagues has a sizable amount of land to oversee so having a good team, dedicated to their roles and the mandate of the AER is important.
“We rely on each other so much in this job,” notes Patrick. “There are so many things to know, so everybody leans on each other.”
Most of the team in Bonnyville were born and raised in the area, and because of this connection to the land and their home, they take pride and care in the work they do as employees of the AER. The team’s shared commitment and local knowledge enhance their work and foster a strong sense of camaraderie.
And, of course, no office (or field centre) is complete without food! The office is rarely without snacks, including treats that team members hunt or smoke themselves, adding to the sense of community and connection.
Outside of work, employees immerse themselves in local experiences that showcase the region's unique character and environment throughout the year. They explore farmer’s markets in the summer, traverse the Iron Horse Trail in every season, enjoy Minnie Lake M.D. Parks—complete with a beach, yes, even in Alberta—and take part in backcountry camping and stargazing at Wolf Lake Park during the spring, summer, and fall.
Whether in winter snow or the summer heat, the AER’s Bonnyville team are there helping ensure that the land they live, play, and work on remains safe and beautiful for all Albertans.
“There’s a ton of land that we care about a lot,” says Patrick. “Whether it’s farming, hunting, the boreal forest, or wild country, it’s something that ties us all together and defines who we are as people out here.”
Contact the Bonnyville Field Centre
PO Box 5169
4903 – 51A Street
Bonnyville, Alberta T9N 2G4
Phone: 780-826-5352
FieldOpsEast@aer.ca
In case of an Energy and Environmental Emergency, please contact the 24-Hour Response Line: 1-800-222-6514.
