EDMONTON -- Alberta's oil and gas "war room" says it is changing its logo after learning it used the same image as a U.S.-based data company.
The Canadian Energy Centre (CEC) is a $30-million project to promote the province's energy industry, and to investigate claims that foreign-funded campaigns are attacking Alberta oil and gas.
"We're here to help raise understanding of the Canadian energy sector's value to this country and the world, through the sharing of knowledge, facts and ideas," the CEC says on its website.
But on Thursday, some pointed out that it appeared to have "shared" its logo with Progress, a data connectivity solutions company that employs more than 1,500 workers and has offices in 16 countries.
The Progress logo, three geometric shapes in a green circle, does appear to be identical to the Canadian Energy Centre's logo—the same three shapes inside a blue circle.
"We have been made aware of this and are looking into it currently," a Progress spokesperson said in an emailed response.
In a statement, the CEC said it is taking steps to replace the logo, which was produced by marketing agency Lead & Anchor.
“This is an unfortunate situation but we are committed to making the necessary corrections to our visual identity,” said Tom Olsen, CEC CEO and managing director. “We understand this was a mistake and we are in discussions with our agency to determine how it happened.”
The marketing agency will pay for any costs associated with removal and adjustment of the logo.
CEC said a new logo is on the way and it's working with Lead & Anchor to determine how it was used in the first place.
The war room, officially launched last week, is a private entity owned by Alberta despite being funded by the province, and is not subject to freedom of information laws.
Premier Jason Kenney has said it will take a fact-based approach to countering "misinformation" about Alberta's energy industry.
