The Turner Valley Gas Plant, the site on which the Dingman No. 1 well struck natural gas and naphtha on May 14, 1914, is considered to be the birthplace of Alberta's oil and gas industry. The discovery marked the beginning of the modern era of oil and gas exploration and processing in Alberta, and saw the oilfields in Turner Valley become a major supplier of oil and gas for the next 30 years.

Today, the plant is closed to public tours, but Turner Valley town council wants to see the gas plant turned into an interpretive centre and educational facility, with a goal of recognizing the town's heritage and drawing tourists to the region. The relatively well-preserved plant and its machinery increases its value as a heritage resource.

However, it may be some time before cobwebs are cleared off the inside of the abandoned buildings as the Alberta Government has rejected a funding request to turn the historical site into a museum.

Join Ian Clarke, regional director of southern operations for historic sites for the Province of Alberta, as he narrates this virtual tour of the Turner Valley Gas Plant.

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