Al Gore brought his climate change lecture to Calgary on Monday, and Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach said he would attend -- despite Gore's criticism of the province's oilsands industry.
"We're going to drop by and listen to what Mr. Gore has to say," said Stelmach.
"I've always said that, being elected to this position during the leadership race, we'll listen to difference points of views."
During an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the former U.S. vice president heavily criticized Alberta for how companies are allowed to extract oil.
"Take the tar sands of Western Canada," said Gore.
"For every barrel of oil they extract there, they have to use enough natural gas to heat a family's home for four days. And they have to tear up four tons of landscape, all for one barrel of oil. It is truly nuts. But you know, junkies find veins in their toes. It seems reasonable, to them, because they've lost sigh of the rest of their lives."
Stelmach said that comment could be considered hypocritical, considering where a large amount of Alberta's oil is sent.
"Where do you think we're selling the oil? Right to his own country," he told reporters.
The premier's office had sent a letter to Gore asking for a meeting, but apparently never heard a response.
Gore won an Academy Award for his climate change documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth,'' which is based on his acclaimed lecture.
The lecture began as a simple slide show in the late 1980s, building on a interest he developed in college. He then returned to his presentation after losing his 2000 presidential bid.
Tickets for the event were hard to come by in Calgary. Environmental researcher Julie Pereverzoff was still trying to get a seat just hours before Gore was set to take the stage.
"I wanted to see Al Gore speak because he takes the issues and he's able to break down the scientific jargon into layman's terms, so it's more of an issue for the entire community and not just the scientific community," she said.
Earlier Monday, Gore gave his presentation to Regina's Brandt Centre.
