From the Field

Trust and the truth make for strong, healthy relationships

Judy Winter has been a landowner and agricultural producer for 35 years. A grandmother of eight, Judy is a retired substitute teacher. Her involvement with the synergy movement began in 2000 and she is member of the Butte Action Committee and the West Central Stakeholders, synergy groups based in the Rocky/Caroline area. Judy is also a director on the Synergy Alberta board of directors and brings a rural community viewpoint.

In the late 1990s, most of the landowners I knew had a very negative impression about oil and gas companies. We felt we had been bullied, disrespected, and run over. The negotiations were minimal, the communication was just adequate, and the response to concerns was often nothing or rude.

Companies would promise anything just to get a landowner’s signature on the contract. The promises rarely were kept, the agreements were often broken, and the distrust and disrespect grew in the minds of the landowners and industry folk alike. Threats and violence began to raise their ugly heads.

Very tentatively it was suggested that what we were doing was obviously not working, so maybe, instead of always fighting each other, we should try talking to each other. It seemed a crazy notion to some, but really we had to try something.

So groups were formed; some with just community members, some with only industry. I’m quite sure in several of those early meetings, the company representatives invited to the table by the community groups probably were afraid they were invited to the table to be eaten, but they came. Once we started talking to each other—instead of at or about each other— something started to happen. Soon the discussions revealed the people behind the company façade and the farmer’s ballcap.

Bit by bit, by learning about each other’s needs and concerns, the respect started to grow…just a little, mind you. This was the beginning of the synergy movement in Alberta. Very simply, synergy means working together.

I remember the first meeting with one company, and one of the oilmen said, “Wow, I never thought about it that way before,” after we had explained our position on water use. It was a breakthrough moment for all of us. It showed that communication would work. As a landowner, I felt validated and a little euphoric.

In any discussion, I believe respect must be shown for the person, their opinions, their occupation and lifestyle, and their property. I am not saying that we must agree with each other, because that may never happen, but we must basically put ourselves in the other’s shoes to try to understand where the avenues of communication could be opened.

To me, if we show respect, there is a chance to grow respect. Someone said that is why we have two ears and one mouth. We don’t generally annoy anyone when we are listening.

We all have the right to our own opinions and, this is important to remember, we are emotionally attached to these opinions. When someone thrashes our point of view, they thrash us emotionally. No one thinks clearly when they are smarting from a thrashing. To earn respect, handle all points of view with respect. Agreement is not necessary, just acknowledge and respect their position and open up the communication.

I was at a recent meeting—held in a true synergistic manner—which involved community people, lots of industry people, a couple of forestry representatives, First Nations, an Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) rep, municipal rep, two high school students, and a very capable facilitator.

We actually like each other, and enjoy the teasing and banter that comes with a good relationship. We look forward to our meetings. We work together to raise the awareness of landowner rights, pipelines, road-use agreements, and agricultural interaction with industry. We commiserate about the down turns in agriculture and the oilpatch, comment on new ERCB directives and municipal programs, and enjoy hearing what the students are up to. We trust each other’s information and know that everyone can ask a question that may sound stupid and still get a respectful answer. It is a wonderful learning environment. We eat together and visit about our lives. When we see each other on the street, we make a point to acknowledge each other. I now have friends who work for the oil and gas industry. This is where the respect in synergy has taken us.

But if someone says, “Trust me” and they haven’t earned my respect, they may as well say, “Ignore me,” because without my respect for you or your point of view, there is no effective communication. I know this sounds brutal, but I really believe it. To accomplish the mission of promoting awareness, building capacity, and engaging stakeholders in the advancement of energy literacy in Alberta, the first baby step is to show respect for all the stakeholders and work to earn respect from all the stakeholders.

We must be respectful of what people know, what they don’t know and—most importantly—what they think they know. This respect will allow trust to grow.

Trust opens the communication channels, dialogue becomes comfortable, and new information can be discussed in a nonconfrontational atmosphere. All opinions and points of view can be openly discussed with no fear of criticism or disrespect. We may not agree, but we can keep talking. This is synergy at work.

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