Abstract I was very pleased to receive the invitation from the Program Committee to speak on the subject of Oil Sands Research at the Alberta Research Council, since we like to feel that we pioneered in this field in Canada. Our involvement dates back to the work of the late Dr. Karl Clark on the development of the hot water separation process in the early 1920's, and the operation of a small pilot plant at Fort McMurray in 1929. Since there are seven other papers at the Symposium by members of the Alberta Research Council staff dealing with specific aspects of oil sands research, I do not feel that it is appropriate for me to discuss any parts of our program in detail. Instead, I will first give a general picture of the Alberta Research Council's role and activities, and then describe our current involvement in the oil sands field. The Alberta Research Council is one of eight provincial research councils and foundations in Canada, and all of these have a number of features in common: they are applied research organizations dedicated primarily to the development of their regions; they receive varying amounts of base support from their respective provincial governments, but also carry out research on a contract basis for private industry 'and government departments and agencies; and most of them were originally offshoots of a provincial university. They have no organizational ties with the National Research Council, although they work jointly with it in such fields as the operation of the Technical Information Service in the provinces. Likewise, they have no formal ties with each other although they cooperate in areas of mutual interest and have a national association to represent them in matters such as Federal research incentive and contracting policies. To the best of my knowledge, this system of independent regional research organizations is more highly developed in Canada than in any other country of comparable population. Presumably it is one more reflection of the geographic extent of Canada and of the economic and cultural diversity of its regions. The Alberta Research Council is typical of these provincial research organizations in that its programs are directed primarily to the economic and social development of Alberta, with only limited activities in other parts of the world. It was originally established by joint action of the University of Alberta and the provincial Government, and for much of its early history was physically a part of the university. For the past 25 years it has had its own staff and facilities, although it still occupies a small amount of space in university buildings and operates several programs jointly with the university. The Alberta Research Council has the status of a provincial crown corporation and operates under the direction of a Board? made up of representatives of the Alberta Cabinet, the private sector, and the universities.