Canadian Energy and You
In Canada’s economic landscape, the energy sector is a pivotal force in shaping a more affordable future. The impact of the oil and natural gas industry stretches across the nation, creating jobs, contributing government revenue, and empowering Indigenous communities. Canada’s energy sector is not only powering the nation today; it will also play a role in fueling a more prosperous future.
Affordable Futures: Energy and the Economy
Canadians want an affordable life and a strong, dynamic economy, and Canada’s oil and natural gas industry can contribute to this. In 2022 alone, the industry contributed $70 billion to our nation’s GDP. This amount exceeds other important industries like agriculture and auto manufacturing by a considerable margin. The industry’s success fuels Canadian prosperity and bolsters government revenue, all while creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and powering our lives.
Petroleum and Public Prosperity
Canada’s oil and natural gas industry contributed $45 billion in payments to government in 2022. This massive infusion funds social programs, infrastructure, and health care initiatives that contribute to our nation’s well-being. So, when we talk about the industry’s contributions to the economy, we’re talking about more than just numbers. We’re talking about art galleries and museums, hospitals and high schools, and the roads and bridges that connect communities.
Creating Careers across Canada
Canada’s oil and natural gas industry impacts every facet of the economy. It’s one of the country’s most important job creators, both directly and indirectly. When you include induced and indirect jobs, the industry is responsible for creating approximately 800,000 jobs across the country. A recent study found that for every $1 million spent by Canada’s conventional oil and gas industry, five jobs are created.
These jobs aren’t limited to big cities – industry also generates employment in rural communities, towns, villages, and Indigenous communities across the country. And these are well-paying jobs – the average oil and gas worker earns $90/hour in compensation, double the national average.
Indigenous Opportunities
Indigenous participation in Canada’s oil and natural gas industry is strong and growing. Indigenous peoples make up a significant portion of the energy industry’s workforce, comprising 6.9% compared to the national average of 3.9%. Increasingly, Indigenous communities are partnering with oil and gas firms to build relationship and share benefits, fostering mutual trust and respect.
Canadian Energy and the Country
Canada’s energy industry positively impacts the lives of millions of Canadians. It improves our national wellbeing through operations across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, bolstering our balance of trade, and strengthening our energy security.
Fueling Canada
Alberta is rightly known as an energy powerhouse. But many provinces produce oil and natural gas, from southwest Manitoba to northeastern British Columbia, as well as offshore Newfoundland. Nearly half of Canada’s refineries and most of our refining capacity are located east of Manitoba. This means that central Canada and the Maritimes play a key role in providing domestic energy security and keeping Canada moving.
Oil and natural gas make up a significant portion of Canada’s mix, providing over half of the energy consumed in most provinces. These commodities are critical to transportation, industrial manufacturing, feedstocks, heating, electricity generation and more.
Balance of Trade
Oil and natural gas are Canada’s largest exports in dollar value. No other industry comes close. This massive volume of exports is important for our national balance of trade, which supports Canada’s economic stability, currency value, international competitiveness, and other beneficial components of our economy. Having a stable, competitive trade environment allows us to import the things we don’t produce ourselves, including electronics, industrial machinery, consumer goods, and more.
Fueling the World: Energy Security
Canada is one of the few stable democracies that produce oil and natural gas, and our potential as a reliable global energy provider is vast. In times of international instability and conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, our oil and natural gas can go a long way to providing the world with the energy it needs. With robust infrastructure development (such as LNG Canada and the Trans Mountain Expansion Project).
Canadian Energy and the Environment
Preserving Water
Water, essential for energy production and sustaining life, is carefully managed by Canada’s oil and gas industry. In Alberta, 82% of water used in operations in 2022 was recycled, just 17% was sourced freshly, and an additional 1% came from alternative sources. In British Columbia, where the use of water in hydraulic fracturing is significant, over half of the water used in 2021 was recycled, minimizing reliance on fresh sources. This stewardship reflects a dedication to responsible water use, setting a global standard for environmental respect in energy production.
Reforestation and Reclamation
Many of Canada’s oil and natural gas operations occur in remote wilderness areas. Here, the industry is devoted to land restoration, exemplified by extensive reforestation efforts. Since 2016, companies in the oil sands region have planted 7.5 million trees and shrubs, rejuvenating the landscape.
Restoration also encompasses wildlife. The industry has reintroduced bison, a once-native species, to a former oil sands mine area. Beginning with a core herd of 30 bison in 1993, today the population has grown tenfold, with over 300 thriving in the herd. This initiative highlights the industry’s dedication not only to energy production, but also to preserving Canada’s natural heritage for future generations.
