The Patch: The People, Pipelines, and Politics of the Oil Sands offers a sweeping narrative of Fort McMurray and northern Alberta’s oil sands, one of the world’s largest reserves of crude oil. Blending on-the-ground reporting with global context, it traces how this remote region became central to modern energy, finance, and climate debates.
The book follows workers, executives, activists, and community members whose lives intersect in the oil sands, revealing a place shaped by innovation, risk, and rapid boomtown growth. It shows how the Patch symbolized industrial achievement while also becoming a powerful symbol in the struggle over environmental stewardship and climate change.
Moving from Fort McMurray to shale fields in North Dakota and energy centres like Houston and London, the narrative demonstrates how decisions made in the Patch ripple across continents. Readers gain a clearer understanding of the tensions between fueling the world’s economies and confronting the environmental costs of resource extraction.
The Patch is ideal for readers interested in energy policy, Canadian history, and the human stories behind one of the most contested industrial projects of our time.
- Explores the rise and transformation of Alberta’s oil sands
- Connects local experiences to global energy and climate politics
- Narrative focus on real people inside a high-stakes industry
