NEW Publication - After a Century of Oil Extraction: Reclaiming the River at Norman Wells

Annie King, a Northern Community Engagement Specialist in the Sahtú region and ECRG Alumni was published by the Yellowhead Institute. See article details below.

King, Annie. “After a Century of Oil Extraction: Reclaiming the River at Norman Wells,” Yellowhead Institute. May 14, 2026. https://yellowheadinstitute.org/2026/after-a-century-of-oil-extraction-reclaiming-the-river-at-norman-wells

This article discusses Imperial Oil's upcoming closure, based on Annie's time spent in Fort Good Hope during her Masters research.

Image of Imperial Oil on the Mackenzie River

Article Highlights

"More than 100 years ago, in 1919, a settler working for Imperial Oil “discovered” oil on the banks of the Mackenzie River. Nearly overnight, the region was transformed. Within two years, the Norman Wells Oilfield was established, and the town of Norman Wells sprung up nearby to house its employees. Its size, output, and impact have since grown dramatically. The oilfield has been harmful to the K’asho Got’ine way of life, all while enormously benefitting Imperial Oil. In the 1980s, against the wishes of local people, the oilfield underwent a massive expansion, which included the construction of six artificial islands in the middle of the Mackenzie River.

The very embodiment of colonial extraction, a company from southern Canada extracting oil from Indigenous territory for more than a century, has a fitting, almost cartoonishly evil name: Imperial Oil. The company owns two-thirds of the Norman Wells Oilfield, and the Government of Canada owns the other third."

"In years when Imperial Oil makes $200 million on revenue, and the Canadian government additionally makes $100 million, local people receive less than $300k in total royalties and only $100-200k in donations."

Continue to the rest of the article here

Congratulations, Annie!