For the past 40 years, the fortunes of countless Canadian communities have risen and fallen with the strength of our energy sector. Oil booms in Alberta generated enormous prosperity and created hundreds of thousands of jobs, invigorating resource towns and rural Canada more generally. The existence of nuclear energy in Ontario requires thousands of workers, and its future expansion will generate thousands more. Energy is the economic lifeline for thousands of young and maturing families, but they are not invulnerable.
Global market swings have buffeted these jobs, as have changing provincial and federal policies, as well as international political shifts.
In the middle of the 1980s, oil prices collapsed and shocked Alberta and employment rose from four to 10 per cent as oil and gas jobs disappeared overnight. This was echoed in 2008 and 2014 when lurches in oil prices hit communities in places like Fort McMurray in Alberta, Fort St. John in northern British Columbia, and Estevan, Saskatchewan.
Every cycle of boom and bust was accompanied by hardship, but the people in these communities proved their resilience by rallying and holding onto their livelihoods.
Today, the Canadian energy sector still supports about 200,000 workers with direct employment and up to 400,000 more indirectly. However, as in years past, these workers and their families are subject to global tides, and none has been dictating those flows more than President Donald Trump and his wielding of tariffs to reshape the world economy.
The correct response is for Canada to diversify its trade and expand its energy infrastructure to grow the reach of Canadian energy, our most valuable and important export, and one of the most plentiful job creators in our arsenal. Fortunately, both of Canada’s two major parties, the Liberals and Conservatives, have reached a strong measure of agreement on this matter.
Our rookie prime minister, Mark Carney, has put forward a plan to transform Canada into an “Energy Superpower”. His plan is intended to ensure Canada’s economic security through new trade partnerships around the world and make all forms of Canadian energy competitive.
Some provinces are already charging ahead, with Ontario’s provincial government announcing plans to build Canada’s first small modular reactor (SMR) by 2030, which is projected to power over 300,000 homes and create up to 18,000 jobs. The existing Bruce Power facility in Kincardine already supports 4200 jobs, and is a pillar of the province’s energy grid.
Crucial to Carney’s plan are faster, streamlined project reviews paired with true Indigenous partnerships, along with plans for a national energy corridor. This could have a transformative impact on the security and health of energy-centric communities. Moving beyond the debate about questioning the obvious need for new projects towards focusing on execution is a welcome breath of fresh air.
There are concerns in some communities about how shortcutting the consultation process and existing oversights may impact local communities, especially Indigenous groups. Resolving these in an equitable and permanent manner will be part of this positive transformation, setting new precedents for economic development in Canada that includes meaningful considerations and involvement for the growing Indigenous economies in BC and across the country.
When it comes to people, however, the mounting job losses over the uncertain economic climate make it imperative to protect jobs and clear the way for new ones. The impact of resource projects on communities like Hope have demonstrated how a reliable industry empowers families. Over 5,400 jobs are created for every $1 billion spent in the oil and gas sector.
The route of the Trans Mountain pipeline ran through Hope, and it revitalized the local economy with job creation and renewal. Pipeline workers not only brought money into Hope, but sprang into action to assist in local firefighting and flood repairs, revealing how the energy sector brings far more to communities than money.
Emulating this across the board is a complicated but essential task. The tightrope between environmental protections and resource development is a delicate one, but Canada has no choice but to walk it with purpose.
Prime Minister Carney’s pledge to make Canada an “Energy Superpower” will mean making choices about economic power, job creation, and locking Canada into its seat at the global energy table.
That means collaboration with people, respecting Indigenous rights, and anchoring policy in the experiences of workers and their families. Trump’s shakeup of the global economy is fraught with peril, but for Canada, it should bring opportunity for a fresh start.
Most importantly, however, it would ensure that hundreds of thousands more Canadians and their families, as well as their communities, can look forward to a bright future.
