Corb Lund says Alberta diversification bound to happen

Despite Alberta's economic downturn, a self-described sixth-generationAlbertanCorb Lundsays that the economy and its industry need to diversify, but he thinks the province "will figure stuff out."

Lund, a country musician, played in Regina and Saskatoon this past week.He spoke with Saskatchewan Weekendhost Eric Anderson about how he sees the oil's slumping value affecting his fellow Albertans.

He recently toured through wild rose country.

"My sense of the situation is when they came to our shows, it was a big chance to party and forget about all that [stuff], you know?" Lund said.

We can'tjustdependon oil. That's silly. I'm not anti-oil or anything like that. It's just common sense.- Corb Lund, country musician

Lund added thatthe made a point to thankeveryonefor coming out to his shows.

"It was meaningful that people came out in a time of economicuncertainty," he said.

Of the recent downturn in the province's economy, Lund said he thinks"it wasmaybedue for acorrection."

"So, oil boom, oil bust;we need to belookingbeyond that. We need to have beendoing it 25 years ago," he said. "Like I'm a sixth-generation Albertan. I've gota triple-great-grandpa in Mountain View buried in the cemetery. My desires for the province and my hopes are very wide and long reaching."

In his opinion, Lundsaid Alberta"can'tjustdependon oil."

"That's silly. I'm not anti-oil or anything like that. It's just common sense,especiallyif theSaudiscan flap theirbutterfly wings half a planet away and affect uslikethis," he said.

Lund said he thinks it makes sense for Alberta to diversify its industry.

"Idon't think that's revolutionary idea or anything," he said.

Lund saidthat'slikely to happen soon for the province.

"We got a lot of brain power over there, and a lot of industrial know-how. So I'm pretty sure that people will figure stuff out," he said.