The first meeting of what would come to be Pembina River Natural Gas Co-op Ltd. took place on March 4, 1971 sponsored by Unifarm Local no. 32-20 (an affiliate of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture). We were incorporated a week later on March 11th in the Jarvie School, with Hardy Terhorst elected as our first president. Initially operating out of a member home (and then a garage), it was not until 1986 when the organization moved into the building that still houses it today.

We joined the Federation of Alberta Gas Co-ops in 1975. The federation assists with organization and education of gas co-ops across Alberta, and the Federation has been a model for similar organizations across Canada.

The first meeting proposed an area including Dapp, Jarvie, Flatbush, Fawcett and Linaria. Linaria elected not to join the co-op, leaving the other communities as our founding area. Our boundaries were expanded in 1973 to include Halach and Rochester, and expanded again in 1992 to include Hondo and Smith. Finally in 1995 our boundaries expanded one final time to include Fawcett lake.

We have always been pleased to do most of our own construction. Work on the system properly began in 1974 and continues to this day, with new members being added every year.

Initially we were governed by fifteen directors. This number was first reduced to nine, then to seven, where it remains to this day.

The co-op has seen 11 premiers, 10 prime ministers and two monarchs. We serve members in Athabasca County, Westlock County and the Municipal District of Lesser Slave Lake. We operate today with the same madidate we have had for 50 years: to provide safe, reliable natural gas service to our members.