Location

Murray Edwards was born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada. He graduated with a BCom from the University of Saskatchewan, and after gained an LL.B from the University of Toronto. In later years, the businessman relocated to London, UK, where, despite the international relocation, he continues to preside over the Calgary Flames, Canadian Natural Resources, and Ensign Energy – all Canada-based entities.

Remarkable Investments

Aside from his investments in sport as co-owner of Calgary Flames, Edwards owns major stakes in the second biggest oil services company in Canada, Ensign Energy, and one of the top energy trusts in Canada, Penn West. Arguably, N. Murray Edwards has a bigger interest in the Athabasca oil sands than any other person. Located in Alberta, Canada, the oil sand is the largest crude bitumen deposit known to the world. Edwards’ company, Canadian Natural Resources, has allocated US$25 billion to convert the bitumen-rich sand in the area into barrels of crude oil.

The investor owns controlling shares in Imperial Metals and is the Chairman of Canadian Natural Resources. In 2013, he arranged fundraising of US$1 million for the re-election bid of B.C. Premier Christy Clark.

In the News

In 2017 there were rumors about selling Calgary Flames which Murray Edwards denied. The rumors were sparked by a contentious disagreement between the NHL and Roberts over funding for a new arena. In May 2018, the Cambridge Times reported that a new committee would be formed with the goal of attempting to re-engage negotiations with the team. Flames owners, including Roberts, offered US$200 million of their own money to resolve the issue with an arena. 

Edwards has been recognized for his dedication to sustainable development and environmental conservation. In his capacity as chairman of Canadian Natural Resources, he is a member of the Pathway Alliance. The group includes leaders from Suncor Energy, Cenovous, and a few other oil producers, which together represent 95% of Canada’s oil sand production. The group’s goal is to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 with a proposed CA$16.5-billion carbon capture and storage network, with hopes of receiving a 75% grant from the Canadian government. 

He is active in Canadian politics and has close ties to six companies that have backed the B.C. Liberal Party with over US$436,000 in campaign contributions, including a contribution of US$131,390 from Imperial Metals and US$153,480 from Canadian Natural Resources.