Dr. David Sego is Professor Emeritus of Geotechnical Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta. He is part of the core organizers of the Oil Sands Tailings Research Facility at the University of Alberta. Dr. Sego provides a concise summary of the importance and challenges of oil sands tailings management and treatment for Alberta's oil sands mines. Dr. Sego gave the welcome address to the Oil Sands Tailings 2014 Conference, Lake Louise, Alberta, Dec. 7-10, 2014.