Roger Gibbins
President and CEO, Canada West Foundation

Few organizations, and few people, have been as determined to disseminate a pro-western Canadian viewpoint as the Canada West Foundation and its president and CEO of the past seven years, Dr. Roger Gibbins. Op-ed pieces- written by Gibbins and his CWF staff frequently run in Canadian newspapers. Gibbins, a former U of C department head and one-time co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Political Science has written 20 books and more than 100 articles, most dealing with western Canadian issues. A recurring motif in Gibbins's work is western alienation, and lately he has devoted much of his energy to determining what should be Alberta's place in Canada. Gibbins has been telling Albertans the old "West wants in" attitude of begging for inclusion in the national scene has become demeaning in the wake of our own independently achieved prosperity. Last March, the CWF announced the completion of its "Building the New West" project, the culmination of five years of research and consultation with influential thinkers. Gibbins's report recommends the governments of the four western provinces convene a landmark meeting to develop a master plan for regional co-operation. This year, Gibbins will be preoccupied with determining how Alberta can transform its current wealth into a powerhouse economy in the future. Once he and the CWF figure that out, well, let the op-eds roll. - AD

The Canada West Foundation has strong opinions on what the West must do to effectively compete in the global marketplace. What issue is most important?
We have to capture the tremendous transformative potential of our energy wealth to create the kind of economy that will ensure a prosperous tomorrow.

Who do you think is the greatest Albertan ever?
I would probably go with Peter Lougheed. He was the person who created the contemporary Alberta. He led us through a major transition from the Social Credit government and he was there when Alberta's oil wealth was discovered and ensured the province would protect it.

In 100 years, will you warrant your own chapter in the history books, a footnote to great events or a single Google hit?
I'd shoot for the footnote. I think I'm past a single Google hit. I see myself as a commentator and interpreter of events in the West.