We all have a role to play in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including CO2 (aka carbon dioxide) emissions. Petro-Canada is helping our customers contribute to a net-zero world by providing them with cleaner energy choices such as renewable fuels and the Petro-Canada™ Electric Highway.

Through it’s membership in COSIA – the Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance – Suncor, the proud owner of Petro-Canada, supports the Carbon XPRIZE, a partnership between the U.S.-based XPRIZE Foundation, American power company NRG, and Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), that is designed to accelerate new technologies for converting CO2 emissions from industrial facilities (electricity generation and oil and gas production) into valuable and usable products.

The Carbon XPRIZE competition is structured as a two-track prize, with the new technologies tested at either a coal power plant in Wyoming or a natural gas power plant in Calgary – the Alberta Carbon Conversion Technology Centre (ACCTC), which is an outdoor testing site designed specifically for demonstrating CO2 capture and conversion technologies. Suncor is a partner in the ACCTC.

Since 2015, teams from around the world have been taking their big ideas on what we can do with CO2 emissions and accelerating the development of technologies that transform CO2 into valuable products. Get to know the featured finalists and winner of the Carbon XPRIZE, all proud Canadian companies, through their explainer videos.

CarbonCure Technologies (Carbon XPRIZE Winner) – Dartmouth, NS
The Big Idea: embed CO2 in concrete— to improve its performance and make it stronger.

CERT Systems (Finalist) – Toronto, ON
The Big Idea: convert CO2 emissions into chemical feedstocks, and when powered by renewable energy sources, provides net-negative production of precursors for fuels and consumer plastics.

Carbon Upcycling (Finalist) – Calgary, AB
The Big Idea: transform CO2 into the base materials for a wide range of products, ranging from batteries to plastics to concrete.

Air Company (Finalist) – Toronto, ON and New York, NY
The Big Idea: transform CO2 into impurity-free alcohols, which can be used in everything from spirits and fragrances to cleaning products and carbon-neutral fuel.

~Kate T.

Professional truck drivers all across the country go the extra mile to make our families, businesses and communities proud. This year, of course, our reliance on truck drivers was all the more profound. For the past few years, we’ve recognized these essential workers through our driver appreciation contest at Petro-Pass^TM sites that we hold in the spring. Every Canadian truck driver deserves our gratitude, but for this year’s $2,000 prize, these four drivers really stood out in their communities.

QUEBEC
Jean-Guy Laflamme
He’s the hero of the wheel.
When Jean-Guy’s daughter nominated him, she talked about his passion, his 30-year accident-free record and all he taught her about trucks. But she was proudest of his commitment to driving so Canadians could have the supplies they needed to stay at home.

ALBERTA
Janet Brown
She drives to save lives.
Janet is passionate about hauling pharmaceuticals. Throughout the pandemic, she put herself at risk to make sure Canadians could get vital medications. Janet says she’s happy to be a quiet support in our healthcare system, but we know she deserves recognition for all she does. Thank you, Janet, for driving for a better world.

ONTARIO
Vijayan Ratnam
His small acts make a difference.
Vijayan is the type of person who directs people as they back out, shunts units when needed, and trains newly licensed drivers during his personal time. Vijayan was nominated because of his safe and reliable driving, but he won because of his willingness to go above and beyond to help others—in big and small ways.

NOVA SCOTIA
Branislav Simic
He hit the ground driving.
When Branislav came to Canada in 2013, he brought his work ethic with him. With a senior mechanic and international trucking background, he trained to learn the Canadian transport industry. After driving all over North America, Branislav started his own company, becoming a job creator, and earned a reputation for safety and reliability.

Many thanks to these four drivers and to all the truck drivers across Canada, working tirelessly to keep Canadians supplied and our economy moving.

~Kate T.

So many conferences and large events are going virtual this year – and in a number of cases are free to stream. I’ve attended sessions at Comic-con, the Hillside music festival and the Just for Laughs Festival – all online this year. It was obviously a very different experience, but I still managed to view some great content as well as make some connections. I did, however, have to provide my own refreshments.

This year, the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Sportif Conference (Nov 4 - Nov 6, 2020) – Canada's largest conference for coaches, researchers, sport executives, and administrators – is going virtual as well. And it’s open to everyone to attend for free!

Courage by Design is the theme this year; keynote speakers and breakout sessions will focus on how intentional acts of courage, inclusivity, and resilience can shape positive change in Canada’s sport community. Presenters and facilitators include Benoit Huot, Paralympic athlete, and Kimberly B. Davis, Senior Executive Vice President at the National Hockey League. You can see the full program at the #SLS20 virtual event space [2].

For more information and to register for the event, click here. Registration closes on October 28.

What do you think? Will you take advantage of this year’s virtual event? Let us know if you plan to attend in the comments.

~Rose R.

I think we can all safely say that it's been a bit of a crazy year. We've learned a lot about ourselves, the importance of community and valuing the everyday heroes that live and work amongst us. In anticipation of National Trucking Week (September 6-12), I'd like to give a special shout out to the women and men across Canada who kept us stocked in medical supplies, fresh food, toilet paper, fuel and pandemic-binge-purchases from our fav online retailers. National Trucking Week is a celebration of the important contributions made by the 400,000+ Canadians who work in the industry and keep the economy moving. And it also is an opportunity to remind ourselves as drivers to safely share the road with trucks.

Thank you to these dedicated folks who kept up their long-haul routes in the face of the unknown and continue to work so that Canadians can get what they and their families need!

~Rose R.

If you're a car enthusiast, this is the most wonderful time of the year – auto show season! The Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas just wrapped. As always, there were some pretty amazing and futuristic vehicles there; Driving.ca gives their take on the best concept cars and future auto technology of CES.

But don’t worry if you didn’t make it down to Sin City, there are a lot of great vehicles and automobile technology on display at Canada’s auto shows!

Happening right now is the Montreal Auto Show at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal from January 17 to 26, 2020. It features the Electric Zone where consumers can learn about the latest in charging technology and inspect twenty different electric vehicles as well as the Expose ton Char where ten cars that have been modded by young Quebecers are featured.

Next up on the auto show circuit is the Canadian International AutoShow at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from February 14-23, 2020. Features at the AutoShow include EV Test Drives, a celebration of Canadian military vehicles and a tribute to McLaren racing.

Early March takes us to Calgary for the Calgary International Auto and Truck Show being held March 11^th to 15^th at the BMO Centre in Stampede Park. Details are still forthcoming about exhibitors and programs.

And finally, in late March, the Vancouver International Auto Show  at the Vancouver Convention Centre West rounds out our cross-Canada auto show tour. This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the auto show in British Columbia and as such the show will kick off with a procession through Vancouver showcasing cars from each decade of the show. The parade will end at the Convention Centre and officially open the auto show on March 25.

Are you planning on attending any of these auto shows? Or are there more local ones that you prefer? Let us know in the comments!

~Rose R.