This week we opened another stop on Canada’s Electric Highway™  - at Siksika First Nation in Alberta. These are the first EV fast chargers on a First Nation in Canada. Plus, these chargers complete the Alberta section of Canada’s Electric Highway. We’re making great progress on rolling out our chargers Canada-wide.

At the opening in Siksika, we heard from several individuals connected to this project. First, Shane Breaker – General Manager, SRDL Operations, Siksika First Nation - welcomed everyone. Shane is looking forward to great things from this partnership between Siksika First Nation and Suncor, including serving more customers as they move to EVs. Then Pat Pambianco – Petro-Canada – discussed the role these chargers play as customers look for low carbon solutions for their transportation needs. And finally Pat Lazenby – Petro-Canada – discussed the features of the chargers. There is a Level 3 DC fast charger (200KW) with universal connectors on site. And there is also a Level 2 charger which meets some electric vehicles' needs today.

Below is the video where you can view the opening ceremony and the full remarks.

Following the opening, I had a chance to chat with Corey White, Manager - Siksika Petro-Canada; we talked about the chargers and his customers:

Have you received any feedback from the announcement of a coast-to-coast network?
The feedback so far has been quite positive! There has been a lot of hype about the new chargers and questions about how it operates and such. Soon EV owners will be able to travel Canada coast to coast and our store is excited to welcome a new wave of visitors to Siksika Nation!

Why do you think having EV chargers is important to your customer?
I believe it is important that we continue to provide quality services to all consumers including those who are eco-friendly and those considering purchasing Electric Vehicles in the future. Having the only Fast EV Charger in the area we are able to provide even more to consumers now and in the future. As the first to have an EV Fast Charger on a First-Nation in Canada, our chargers signify the relationship our peoples have with the environment and sustainability efforts.

What are your initial thoughts on the charger?
The chargers are a great addition to our location, the unit itself is unique in design and the large touch screen is a nice touch to the charger. Features such as text notification updates better improve our customers’ experience.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the inauguration of the Siksika First Nation site! We’ll keep you up to date as we open more sites along Canada’s Electric Highway!

~ Braden H.

This year, as one way of honouring those who serve, we wanted to highlight the positive impact that being part of the Canadian Forces has had on members of the Petro-Canada family. We connected with Jo-Anne Doggett, a Petro-Canada station manager who has several family members who have served and who are still on active duty, and Jordan Stewart, a Canadian Armed Forces reservist and a Petro-Canada Fuelling Athlete and Coaching Excellence (FACE™) grant recipient. Jo-Anne and Jordan share their stories below.

Jo-Anne Doggett
Jo-Anne’s family has a proud and strong connection with the military. Her grandfather was a foot soldier in WW1. Her father-in-law was an ambulance driver in WW2. Her husband was in the Infantry. And her son currently serves in the Infantry and her son-in-law is an Air Nav. She also has two brothers-in-law who served in the Infantry. She is extremely proud of her family and its military connections.

L to R: Cpl. Crete, MWO (Ret’d) Doggett, Pte. Doggett, Maj. Christianson

We asked Jo-Anne why serving in the military is important to her family members and how she has been influenced by having family in the military …

My husband joined the military in February 1972 after High School. He was working a part-time job in a small town in Nova Scotia with no future job opportunities. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces to improve himself, start a career and travel the world. He signed up for 4 years and then re-signed and served for 40 years all over the world. During this service he led soldiers and lost friends. It is an honour for my family members to serve their country and help where it’s needed in the world while securing a career.

As a military spouse, it gave me an opportunity to see the world and to learn different cultures while being overseas. I developed a strong pride in our Canadian forces and support them any way I can. Being a military spouse also taught me to be independent while being on your own with your children while your spouse is away. You learn very early on to depend on your military family as they are always there when you need them.

We also asked Jo-Anne if she has a particular routine on Remembrance Day …

Having been to Remembrance Day Services here in Canada and aboard, I would just like to remind others to be very thankful for our men and women who have served or are currently serving our Country and for protecting the freedom and privileges we have as Canadians. Personally, I try to attend our local Remembrance Day Parade with my husband if I’m not working. But if I am, at 11 am, I stop and say Thank You to all those who gave up so much for our Freedom. I am very proud to be Canadian and very proud to be the wife and mother of serving members.

Jordan Stewart
Cpl (Corporal) Jordan Stewart is a reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces serving as a Mobile Support and Equipment Operator with the 32 Service Battalion based out of Toronto, Ontario. He provides transportation and logistical support for combat and field operations as well as domestic operations. When Jordan was searching for his first part-time job, he wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself, so Jordan decided to become a reservist because it would allow him to give back to his community while still learning and developing crucial life and social skills.

Jordan is also a world class Taekwondo athlete, currently ranked 6^th in the world in his weight class (-87kg). He hopes to represent Canada at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. We asked Jordan how being in the military has influenced his career as an athlete …

The military has influenced me to become a better athlete in a few ways. In my first military course, I learned several crucial life skills that are critical for soldiers to have and there are four that I feel translate directly into an athlete’s success.

• • Discipline builds an athlete’s character to help them not only set their mind to achieve great things but then doing the necessary steps to accomplish those goals.
  • Time management from balancing rigorous practice schedules, work, homework, tournaments and travel, this skill is essential in order to be highly productive and accomplish many goals simultaneously.
  • Perseverance is the ability to dig deep and find a way to win, regardless of the challenges or obstacles in your way. This is something the CAF ingrains in all of its soldiers from the beginning.
  • Teamwork is strangers coming together for the pursuit of a common goal. And there is no better demonstration of that than the Canadian Armed Forces reserve units.

We also asked Jordan about Remembrance Day …

A tradition that has been ongoing for me since I joined the forces is the first Sunday before Remembrance Day, my unit heads to the York Cemetery and Funeral Centre in North York where we execute a formal parade to commemorate all soldiers past and present local and abroad.

To those before me, thank you. To those with me, stand proud. To those after me, be strong. Lest we forget.

Many thanks to Jo-Anne and Jordan for taking the time to be interviewed and for being a part of the Petro-Canada family and the Canadian Armed Forces. On Remembrance Day we echo Jo-Anne’s “thank you” and Jordan’s reminder “Lest we forget.”

- Rosemary R.

Earlier this year we celebrated the ten-year anniversary of the Petro-Canada and Suncor merger and the creation of Canada’s leading energy company. Over the years there have been a number of achievements that we’re proud of as an organization. Our colleagues over at Suncor’s Together blog compiled a broad selection of achievements that we’ve accomplished through the combining of our strengths. Here on PumpTalk, we wanted to highlight a few that are likely to be of interest to our readers.

Supporting the Olympic and Paralympic Movement:
Since 1988, through the Fuelling Athletes and Coaching Excellence (FACE^TM) program, we have supported more than 3,000 Canadian athletes and coaches by providing more than $11 million in financial support. And we’re continuing our support as a National Partner of the Canadian Olympic Committee and a premier partner of the Canadian Paralympic Committee through the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Building Canada’s Electric Highway™:
Our planned coast-to-coast network of electric vehicle charging stations that will span more than 50 Petro-Canada locations along the Trans-Canada highway helps Canadians get where they want to go. Each station, nine of which are already up and running, will be equipped with DC fast chargers featuring dual CHAdeMO and CCS/SAE connectors, which can provide up to a 200kW charge – enough to provide a full charge to most electric vehicles in less than 30 minutes.

Partnering with Indigenous Businesses:
Petro-Canada is proud that our partnerships with Indigenous businesses have continued and grown since the merger with Suncor. In 2017, Suncor purchased a 41 per cent equity interest in PetroNor, a petroleum products distributor across the James Bay and Abitibi-Témiscamingue regions of Quebec for whom Petro-Canada is the exclusive supplier of fuel and distillate. And on the retail side of our business, as of September 2019, there are 35 Petro-Canada branded retail sites owned and operated by First Nations across Canada.

We’re really looking forward to the next 10 years and helping Canadians get to what matters most. Thank you for being part of our journey!

~ Braden H.

Since announcing the launch of Canada’s Electric Highway^TM in February, we’ve been making good progress on its construction. We’ve installed nine EV fast chargers at locations along the Trans-Canada Highway in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan with more than forty more planned for the remainder of 2019.

Canadian drivers’ needs are evolving. While you’ve always been able to drive from the Rockies to the Maritimes, now you’ll be able to do it in an electric vehicle.

Stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram accounts for further updates about EV fast charge locations!

~ Braden H.

One of my favourite events in Vancouver happened a few weeks ago – the Vancouver Mural Festival. It’s an annual celebration of art, music and community featuring neighbourhood mural tours, live painting, live music and an all-around great time. The City of Vancouver has a strong tradition of supporting public murals; artists and building owners are encouraged to collaborate on projects that can bring a community together around urban neighbourhood beautification.

In addition to beautifying urban neighbourhoods, murals have been shown to reduce crime in areas where they are painted as well as increase community ownership towards crime prevention, particularly where the community has been involved in the creation of the mural.

Petro-Canada is piloting a mural project at one of our stations in downtown Toronto. We commissioned graffiti artist, Jessey Pacho (aka Phade), to design and paint the mural.

Before Jessey took to the wall he visited the Regent Park Community Centre where he met youth from the Jimmie Simpson and John Innes Community Centres. He spent the afternoon with local budding artists teaching them about responsible street art and giving them some style tips. And a few of the youth joined Jessey on site to help with the first day of mural painting.

Over the last week, Jessey completed this new piece of art. Doesn’t it look awesome?! Jessey shared his inspiration for the piece:

The mural design is a celebration of diversity. Born from the idea that there was one specific time, during the recent playoffs, that everyone in the city - regardless of nation, creed, political views or background - was united and connected.

We’re very proud of this collaboration between Jessey, the City of Toronto and our Petro-Canada team. Being an active participant in the communities in which we operate is important and projects like this mural embody our commitment to creating a safe and dependable space in the community.

- Rose R.