On May 23, the Calgary Chamber hosted the Hon. Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources for a keynote address and fireside chat with Calgary Chamber President & CEO, Deborah Yedlin. This discussion covered various aspects of Canada’s natural resources and energy industries, and the Minister’s vision for how Canada can become an energy superpower.
Minister Hodgson began his remarks by discussing his background in the Canadian Armed Forces, in the financial sector and within the energy and electricity sectors. The Minister provided an overview of the vision his government has for Canada’s energy future – through developing conventional energy infrastructure, cutting red tape and collaborating meaningfully with provinces, territories and Indigenous communities. Minister Hodgson described the value of Canada improving trade infrastructure across the country, including interties and economic corridors, and provided an update on the federal government’s vision for a Canadian critical mineral strategy.
Discussing national and international energy security, the Minister stated that Canada can help our allied nations to break dependence on authoritarian regimes and help the world reduce our emissions, noting that “Every barrel of responsibly produced Canadian oil and every kilowatt of clean Canadian power can displace less clean, riskier energy elsewhere in the world.” The discussion of energy security also included the need for vertically integrated supply chains across the country – in energy and in critical mineral mining and processing – to ensure that Canada’s competitive advantage in natural resources is not squandered.
The fireside chat with Chamber President & CEO, Deborah Yedlin, covered various topics relevant to Alberta and Canada’s natural resource and energy sectors, including:
- Short term actions that the government of Canada will take to get buy-in for key projects
- Regulatory concerns, and the approach a Carney government will take to red tape reduction
- The need for fast approvals, and the newly announced Federal Major Projects office
- How to effectively and responsibly use public dollars to catalyze investment in major energy infrastructure projects
Minister Hodgson closed by emphasizing the importance of Indigenous partnership in major projects, noting his experience working with Indigenous partners in the development of electrical infrastructure in Ontario.
Special thanks to our presenting sponsor Suncor, our thanking sponsor Imperial Oil, and our supporting sponsors AltaLink, ATCO, Canadian Association or Petroleum Producers, Capital Power, Cenovus Energy, Canadian Natural Resources, ConocoPhillips, E3 Lithium, Enbridge, Global Public Affairs, MEG Energy, Pathways Alliance, Pembina Pipeline Corporation, South Bow, TC Energy and Tourmaline without whom this event would not have been possible.
