Canada is now largest US oil supplier, but activists fear the heavy environmental costs of tar sands crude.
Controversy is stirring as a campaign launches to rebrand oil sands exploitation as “supporting democracy”.
As thousands of people descend on Washington DC to protest against a proposed pipeline to transport oil from Canada to US refineries, a campaign to rebrand the Alberta oil sands is creating controversy.
Many are alleging the advertising is merely an attempt to divert attention from how the sands devastate the environment and contribute to global warming.
Al Jazeera’s David Mercer has more from Calgary.