The Buzz Oct 10th 2026: Could Canada be an energy superpower?

The Buzz Oct 10th 2026: Could Canada be an energy superpower?

Welcome to the weekend and welcome to The Buzz.

Canada can be, and eventually will be, an energy superpower. That is the mantra of proponents as different in their beliefs as Mark Carney and Danielle Smith. And, quite frankly, the basic evidence to back up the claim is sitting right there, staring all of us in the face.

If we can get it out of the ground and transport it to market, what we have in oil, gas, and LNG rivals anywhere in the world. That’s superpower status. But wait, there’s more. Lots more. Wind, solar, nuclear. We can and are doing it all. And then there’s the source we often forget, yet its abundance is the envy of the world and becomes more and more important all the time. Electricity. It’s reliable. Affordable. And clean.

Give this piece I’m sharing with you now some time – it’s written by two guys who know their stuff on this file: Ian Bruce and Brian Detchou:

In An Uncertain Economy, Canada’s Power is its Electricity Advantage

When history is written, the finger of credit or blame is not just pointed at those who were leading during the moment being examined.

It's often also pointed at those close to power who had enormous influence on the decisions their leader made.

When the books are written about Donald Trump, one name will be front and centre for a lot of the disastrous economic policies that the former reality TV star and bankrupt casino operator made as President. And who would that name be? Not “sofa boy” Vance, not “little Marco” Rubio, not “weekend Fox anchor” Hegseth. No, the economic wizard who convinced Trump to bring you inflation, high gas and food prices, tariffs, and the trashing of Canada, is one Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary. He, say aides, can be an angry, foul-mouthed piece of work who, with mounting evidence that his ideas don’t work, just keeps plodding along, thinking they will work. And all with Trump nodding along the way.

The Wall Street Journal has been doing some really solid, heavily critical journalism of the Trump administration on all this. Including this take on Bessent and the mess he’s caused:

🔒 Inside Bessent’s Treasury: Tension, Turnover and Unmet Economic Goals

Have you been one of those waiting to hear more from Stephen Harper about the upcoming Alberta referendum?

Everyone knows he is strongly pro-Canada, but many were hoping to hear or read his best arguments. Well, you’ll find them right here:

Stephen Harper: Separatism poses 'significant risk' for Alberta

Canadians get everything they make, mine, harvest and grow to customers worldwide through Canada's biggest port - moving it safely, with care for the environment and in partnership with communities.

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There were stories this week about discussions between separatist leaders in Alberta and officials in Washington, and also planned talks between separatists in Quebec and the U.S. administration.

This was something that really got my podcast partner Bruce Anderson going. Here’s his Substack:

Time to call it what it is: separatists are promising to work with Trump and betray the rest of us.

Good moment to promote this week’s YouTube Bridge podcasts.

The aforementioned Bruce and Chantal Hebert did their Good Talk yesterday, and it can be found here.

Earlier in the week, Althia Raj and Rob Russo joined me for their Reporter’s Notebook, and here’s the link for that.

Lots of talk about the impact of Monday’s Quebec election in both those pods.

So, what’s Pierre Poilievre up to these days?

The Globe’s Shannon Proudfoot has been going through a lot of the Conservative leader’s interviews, speeches, and travels to answer that question:

🔒 Here’s what Pierre Poilievre is focused on these days

I always enjoy reading pieces written by Murray Brewster at the CBC.

He’s one of the few journalists in the country whose major beat is defence. If something is going on in the military, Murray probably knows about it or is about to know about it. Here is a classic example. The Canadian defence department talks a good game about being ready to defend our sovereignty in the Arctic, but is it ready? This Brewster story would suggest we need some upgrading, and quickly, on that claim:

Cold reality: Canadian troops struggle in Alaska as military relearns Arctic warfare

What exactly are we to believe about these stories of a possible plague in Russia?

The problem here is that there are so many questions being raised and so few answers being given. Check this out in the Washington Post:

🔒 U.S. raises pressure on Russia for information on plague death

Okay, this is a hard story to read, but it's an important one.

If you’re not up for a hard story right now, then maybe save it and put it aside for another time this weekend. But trust me, you can learn from this. It's from the New York Times:

🔒 Dying Patients Are Inundated by Misinformation. My Dad Was One of Them.

There are some shocking facts and stats in this next piece.

And they’re not about some far-off country. They impact us, right here. The story is about global food and water shortages. Brace yourself:

Global Food and Water Shortages are Imminent, Experts Warn

If you listened to my regular Monday conversation with Dr. Janice Stein on The Bridge, then you may find this interesting.

Janice was explaining the decades-long conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen and how it's still impacting all of us. This story from the Japan Times:

The reclusive Houthi leader wreaking havoc in the Middle East

Alright then, enough with the difficult stories.

This is different. A perfect closer. If you know me, you know I love aviation stories. Here’s one I wasn’t expecting, but perhaps I should have. Even when it's something that is clearly breaking the “rules” of air travel:

🔒 The Latest Nuisance on Flights Is a Zoom Call at 30,000 Feet

Maybe I should try doing Good Talk from the air one of these weeks!

The Buzz will be back in seven days. Stay safe.

The Buzz is a weekly publication from National Newswatch that shares insights and commentary on the week’s developments in politics, news and current affairs.