This year marks the 150th anniversary of the first commercial oil well in North America. While most would guess the origin of the world’s oil industry would be in Alberta or Texas, it usually comes as a surprise to a lot of people that the birthplace of the modern petroleum industry is situated in Ontario.
In 1858, James Miller Williams dug a well in Oil Springs, Ontario marking the beginning of commercial oil production in North America. As quickly as the boom cycle began, the bust followed. By 1865, increased domestic and American production had severely defl  ated the price of a barrel of oil. Production shifted to nearby Petrolia, where more and more oil was being discovered. With the discovery of oil in Leduc, Alberta in 1947 the modern era of production in Canada began and shifted the focus westward. Today, with a dwindling manufacturing sector in Ontario, the province is hoping to tap into the booming oil sands development. Ontario is working on a number of fronts to help the province’s manufacturers become part of the oil sands supply chain. With about $160 billion of major oil sands projects announced or underway, this demand has forced many energy sector companies to seek additional manufacturing capacity outside of Alberta. Many Ontario fi  rms specializing in metal products, industrial machinery and equipment, and engineering and construction are hoping to meet that demand.
Ontario has partnered with the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters to help Ontario and Alberta companies expand their east-west supply chain. Services include business development advice, marketing support and matchmaking. (For more information call the oil sands hotline, toll free at 1-877-241-3649.) However short-lived the Oil Springs boom was, it left an indelible mark on the oil exploration and refi  ning industry. To commemorate its place in history, the Oil Museum of Canada was built in Oil Springs near the site of that fi  rst well, where a range of events are taking place this summer to celebrate the 150th anniversary.