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The TMX Pipeline is as hot of a topic as there is in Canada. Polls show a majority of British Columbians, Albertans and Canadians support the project, but opposition groups have been successful in delaying its construction time and time again.

So, what is the TMX Pipeline all about anyway? Here are five main things you need to know about the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion in Canada.

Another final decision by the federal government on whether or not to approve the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion will happen tomorrow, June 18th, 2019.

In response to the National Energy Board’s second approval of the Trans Mountain expansion earlier this year, anti-pipeline groups have stepped up their attacks on the project, questioning its safety and the economic benefits it will bring – if any.

Another from environmentalists was the suggestion that there is no demand for Alberta oil sands in Asian markets whatsoever. To add, a former federal environment minister recently said there is no credible evidence to suggest that demand for Canadian heavy crude oil is alive and well across the pacific.

But just how true are these claims? Is there a demand for Alberta oil sands in China, South Korea and other Asian countries? Let us take a look at the world's second largest oil consumer to get an idea.

The IMD World Competitiveness Rankings 2019 named Canada the 13th most competitive country out of 67 nations, the lowest ranking for the “Great White North” since the annual survey began in 1997.

Canada dropped from 10th in 2018 to 13th this year, being outperformed by Ireland and Qatar which jumped from 12th to 7th and 14th to 10th, respectively.

Luxembourg fell from 11th to 12th, but still performed better than Canada on the latest edition of the world’s most competitive economies 2019 survey.

Here’s the top 15 countries along with the gain or drop in rankings versus the previous year:

It’s hard to fathom just how much a lost investment of $196 billion is. But thanks to a newly released policy brief by Canadian think tank SecondStreet.org, it’s much easier to put that figure into context.

Unfortunately the circumstances under which the report uses comparisons to help us grasp just how much $196 billion is is alarming to say the least. Alarming for all Canadians that is.

After scanning government websites, industry reports and media stories, SecondStreet.org calculated that Canada’s oil and gas and mining sectors lost about $196 billion in investment between March 2014 and March 2019.

That’s in addition to tens of billions in foregone tax revenues and the loss of tens of thousands of jobs across the country.

Twitter is a great way to stay up-to-date with our overall message in supporting Canada's natural resource sector and the commitment this industry has to being a world-class environmental steward.

If you don't have a Twitter account and are looking to stay informed, we've compiled a list of our best tweets from Oil Sands Action during May 2019 below. See all of our tweets here:

• Canada Action @Twitter
• Oil Sands Action @Twitter

Our Twitter accounts are an excellent way to keep up-to-date on the overall message we deliver to the public domain.

We believe it's critical to educate Canadians about the social and economic benefits given to us all by the natural resource sector and the industry's commitment to world-class environmental stewardship.

If you don't have an account and want to stay in the loop, we've compiled our best tweets from Canada Action's Twitter account below for the month of May 2019. Also see:

• Canada Action @Twitter
• Oil Sands Action @Twitter

Did you know that Ontario is a hotbed for mining activity in Canada? The industry is active in all parts of the province in a diverse set of communities including Sudbury, Windsor, Midland, Timmins, Perth, Marathon, North Bay and Attawapiskat to name a few.

The further north you get in Ontario, the more important mining becomes to local economies. In the far north of the province, mineral resource development is especially critical to business and employment opportunities.

As Canada's largest private sector employer of First Nations, the contribution of the mining industry to the well-being and development of remote communities across the country is significant. But secluded municipalities aren't the only ones that benefit from the sector.

Oil, natural gas, minerals, softwood lumber, water... you name it, chances are Canada has it. After all, it is the second largest country in the world with an incredibly diverse array of landscapes and geology from coast-to-coast.

In Canada, natural resources such as oil, potash, uranium and wood are extracted to some of the highest environmental and labour standards in the world. Such operations also bring massive benefits to governments of all levels in all provinces in the form of taxes and royalties.

So, what are the natural resources that Canada has in abundance? Here's a breakdown...

Sometimes it’s almost as if we live on another planet devoid of facts, logic and common sense.

The unbalanced and relentless attack on Alberta’s energy sector which has labelled the oil sands as the harbinger of the apocalypse is a prime example of where some logical thinking and common sense could be of great use.

Environmental groups claim that further development and production from Alberta’s oil sands will send the entire world into oblivion. Meanwhile…

Any Canadian who’s remotely familiar with nuclear technology has probably heard of uranium. A little factoid: it's an essential part of nuclear reactors across the country and around the world, with about 15% of Canada's total production used to support CANDU reactors in Ontario and New Brunswick.

But did you know that Canada happens to be the second largest uranium producing nation? This metal is found in abundance within the country, and uranium mining in Canada - Saskatchewan in particular - is nothing new.