Conservative members on the House committee on fisheries and oceans are raising concerns about the impact of and science behind marine protected areas that the federal government is establishing to meet its 2030 conservation goals. They say fishermen in their coastal ridings have not been consulted and are worried the plan will shut down fishing grounds and take away their livelihoods.
A handful of proposed expansions to major pipelines in the country could noticeably increase the amount of oil that can be exported out of Western Canada. In total, they add up to the equivalent to constructing a large brand new pipeline. Enbridge is proposing four different expansions to its pipeline system, which is the largest in the country. The Calgary-based...
Energy Minister Tim Hodgson is set to announce a new alliance to secure critical minerals for G7 countries, a source told CTV News. The goal of the alliance is to “secure transparent, democratic, and environmentally responsible critical minerals for G7 partners,” according to the source who spoke on background. They described it as a central outcome of Canada’s G7 strategy...
There’s growing interest among U.S. investors in the Canadian oilpatch, a trend driven by friendlier rhetoric from the federal government and a belief that the industry north of the border will more reliably return cash to them in the years ahead. Jeremy McCrea, a Calgary-based managing director at BMO Capital Markets, described the trend as a “rotation,” with more investment...
On October 9, Beijing unveiled sweeping new export controls on rare earths and related technologies, marking a major escalation in its use of critical minerals as a geopolitical tool. The move tightens China’s grip on the supply chains that underpin global defence and advanced manufacturing. In response, the U.S. and its allies — including Canada — are accelerating efforts to...
Canada is unlikely to object to US government investments in two Vancouver-based mining companies, Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said, describing the deals as “capitalism in action.” The Trump administration announced last week that it would take a 10% stake in Trilogy Metals Inc. as part of a $35.6 million investment to boost critical minerals projects in Alaska. The US also...
Reviving Keystone XL is, in the eyes of former Alberta premier Jason Kenney, a brilliant “judo” move. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s suggestion that the Keystone XL pipeline project could be revived could end up tying Canada more closely to the United States, rather than diversifying trade. But the idea turns U.S. President Donald Trump’s own talk about Canada on its...
Premier Danielle Smith says Alberta is committing $14 million to a West Coast oil pipeline do-over that hinges on First Nations getting on board early and Ottawa reversing a tanker ban that would make such a project unworkable on the northern B.C. coast. It’s a project Smith hails as the fulfilment of a higher duty to humanity, while her B.C...
On September 19, I was invited by Ontario’s Minister of Energy to moderate a panel discussion with some of the country’s leading energy executives. As part of that panel, I delivered a short briefing on some new polling I did to prepare for the Energy Summit. This research was independently designed and was paid for by my company Abacus Data...
U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, threats to annex Canada and musings about the use of economic force against us are shaking the foundations of our economy. This is not just another storm to be weathered. It demands a rethink of how Canada engages with the U.S. and the world, including how we approach foreign direct investment (FDI). In March, in...
Canada’s critical minerals strategy needs to move past broad ambition to systematic, prioritized, and partnership-focused action. We need an approach that right-sizes the China challenge, adjusts to the evolving environment south of the border, embeds within a national industrial strategy, and updates our 2022 critical minerals strategy with targeted tools and deeper partnerships across the Indo-Pacific, Europe, North America, and...
Pipeline is operating at about 80%, while tankers are only 70% full. A little more than one year after completing construction of the Trans Mountain expansion oil pipeline, the crown corporation is pursuing two different methods to increase how much oil can be exported. The move comes at a time when the pipeline still isn't operating at full capacity.
Premiers say a pipeline would connect western oil and gas to Ontario ports, refineries, boost self-reliance. The government of Ontario, working with Alberta and Saskatchewan, wants to explore the feasibility of a new west-east pipeline to bring western oil and gas to southern Ontario refineries and ports. Ontario issued a request for proposals to conduct a study "exploring options for...
The head of Enbridge Inc. says he's encouraged by conversations in both Canada and the U.S. on building more energy infrastructure, but that it remains to be seen what concrete action will result at home. "I'm optimistic about our ongoing conversations and the alignment we're seeing today on both sides of the border to advance projects and legislation," said Greg...
Canada is at a pivotal moment in its energy transition, with hundreds of major projects — spanning LNG, hydrogen, wind, nuclear, hydro, pipelines, and Indigenous-led infrastructure — representing over $600 billion in actual and potential investment. According to the Government of Canada’s Canadian Centre for Energy Information, “In 2023, there were 223 planned (announced, under review, or approved) major energy...
Trump has called for a revival of Keystone XL. He may not appreciate Canada instead building a pipeline that offers Alberta's oil to China.
Canadian steel is fundamental to Canada’s economic and national security. We have a long and proud history of nation building. While our industry now aims to build the next chapter of our country’s history, our future is deeply threatened as Canadian steel producers, workers and communities are under attack by the Trump administration. The United States has been the destination...
Projects in various stages of development could represent capital investment of $109 billion. A decade after a promised boom in the liquified natural gas industry failed to materialize, Canada has arrived at the starting line, rekindling some aspirations of becoming a major LNG player. The long-awaited LNG Canada project is now up and running — and there are six more...
The oilsands continue to pump out more crude and more greenhouse gas. Another year, another record for Alberta's oil industry. Oilsands production is on pace to reach an all-time high this year as production in northern Alberta is expected to grow by five per cent in 2025 compared to last year. The latest forecast released Wednesday by S&P Global Commodity...
Just under 3 in 4 Canadians would support (51%) or somewhat support (22%) building a national energy corridor including a pipeline to move Canadian oil and gas from Alberta to Eastern Canada even if there are environmental and Indigenous land claim concerns about the route. About one in four Canadians would somewhat oppose (12%) or oppose (12%) this. This is...
How Canada can seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity and win the coming natural resource arms race The transition to a clean and digital economy has ignited a global race for critical minerals — the essential inputs for batteries, electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines, solar panels, advanced electronics and defence technologies. These minerals (such as lithium, cobalt and nickel) are now as...
The completion of the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) pipeline in May 2024 has coincided with the beginning of a new era in global trade. Fueled by escalating US trade tensions and tariff policies that underscore Canada’s heavy dependence on a single market for its oil exports, TMX’s significance as a strategic gateway to the Asia-Pacific region is increasing, and China...
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has forever changed global commodities markets. The economic sanctions subsequently imposed on Russia exposed multiple risks related to (over)reliance on a single or dominant suppliers of critical materials (Sukhankin 2024a).
In the rush to diversify Canada’s trade routes and export destinations, provincial, territorial, and federal politicians of all partisan stripes have heralded new corridors and ports. With major ports already established on the Pacific side, in Vancouver and Prince Rupert; and the Atlantic side, in Montreal, Halifax, and Saint John; attention has turned to the Arctic.
The British government is looking to back investments in Canadian projects—including nuclear energy—through its export credit agency, which helps firms secure financing so long as 20 per cent of their procurement comes from the United Kingdom. U.K. Export Finance (UKEF) has been around for more than a century, but set up shop in Canada just last fall. Ozgur Kutay, a...
In the wake of an unpredictable relationship with the Trump Administration in the US, Canadians are quite supportive of a new government funded oil pipeline from Alberta to Eastern Canada. Three of four Canadians favour this project including almost six in ten Quebecers. A majority of Canadians support or somewhat support this potential energy project in every region and demographic...
Over the last five years, competition over critical minerals has become a focal point of great-power rivalry — particularly between the United States and China. These strategic materials, including rare earth elements, are vital for producing the advanced technologies underpinning the green economy, defence industries, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. Given that the world is rapidly transitioning to cleaner energy...
B.C. First Nations claim betrayal, bad-faith bargaining and a propane monopoly that lets a foreign company cap Canada's export potential
As mining and investment leaders gather in Toronto this week for the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference, the Northwest Territories (NWT) is once again front and centre in the conversation about Canada’s critical minerals future. With global demand soaring and geopolitical tensions heightening the need for secure supply chains, the NWT is uniquely positioned to help...
Donald Trump is an all-purpose distraction, a threat on so many fronts, that concern about climate has been temporarily pushed aside. But people still care. So much for climate change. It is no longer an issue, apparently; hardly an afterthought, in the current political moment. Donald Trump’s threats to our economy have spurred, among other things, a bizarre panic to...
Ken S. Coates explains how salmon farming could benefit Canada by providing economic stability to coastal communities, fostering greater co-operation with First Nations, driving technological innovation, and protecting wild salmon
Conversations about trade wars with Canada’s historically most trusted ally have forced Canadians to take a long, hard look at the domestic capacity of their economy, from agriculture, to manufacturing, to oil and gas. With respect to the latter, new debates have dredged up old projects as Canadians and their leaders consider how to transport energy across the country. New...
If we want to be economic masters in our own house, then “buying Canadian” to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign to attack our sovereignty through a tariff war, while admirably patriotic, isn’t enough.
Completion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion (TMX) project in May 2024 marked a transformative moment for Canada’s crude oil industry, increasing the amount of oil that can make it to tidewater, and unlocking significant new export opportunities. Contrary to many analysts’ expectations, early data indicates that a large amount of this new export capacity is finding its way not...
