The subject of transfer payments has been discussed below. I want to mention two more ways energy industry in Alberta has contributed to well-being elsewhere.

The subject of transfer payments has been discussed below. I want to mention two more ways energy industry in Alberta has contributed to well-being elsewhere. 1. Even ignoring equalization payments, federal corporate taxes from oil and gas companies and federal income taxes from high salaries they paid their employees have contributed more to federal revenues, which gets spent across the nation, not just in the province it is collected in. 2. For the past few decades, oil prices and the value of Canadian dollar have moved in tandem. It makes sense when you consider that even though oil is not a huge part of Canada's GDP, it is a huge part of its exports. At its peak, high oil prices brought the value of Canadian dollar above US dollar a few years ago (I think it got as high as 1 CAD = 1.3 USD at one point). The current crash sank Canadian dollar to less than 70 cents US. Anyone earning a salary in Canadian dollars enjoyed the higher purchasing power (for imported goods, vacations, and cross-border shopping) in the good times.