Published on January 31, 2019
Alumni Award of Distinction ’97
Guy Turcotte’s foresight for economic opportunities is guided by his respect for the environment and the value he places on people.
Turcotte’s connection to nature has its origins on the Chauvin family farm, where he milked cows from age eight and could spend 10 hours a day on the tractor as a teenager. That connection has remained with him thoughout his career as an oil and gas executive, financier and property developer.
As president and chairman of Stone Creek Resorts, Turcotte’s approach to developments at Canmore and Invermere, B.C. reveres what nature has to offer, creating world-class destinations where visitors find tranquility, great golfing and magnificent views.
He founded three successful public companies – Chauvco Resources, Fort Chicago Energy Partners (now Veresen) and Western Oil Sands– never losing sight of employees while managing these multi-billion- dollar enterprises. “Creating excellent careers, opportunities and wealth for employees, that’s what’s important.”
His passion for clean energy is exemplified in Western Hydrogen Limited.
“This is potentially the biggest thing I’ve done,” he says of the private company founded in 2006.
With a pilot project scheduled to commence operations this year near Fort Saskatchewan, Turcotte envisions huge global opportunities from commercial rights to a leading-edge technology using sodium salts as the catalyst to manufacture hydrogen. The technology has far-reaching implications for fuel cell power, hydrogen costs and greenhouse gas emissions – good for people and the environment.
— Nancy McGuire