Then & Now: What Happens When Canada Misses Out on Natural Resource Investment (11 Infographics)

Activists Say Canada Doesn’t Need Trans Mountain

THEN: To no surprise, activists said for many years that Canada didn’t need the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion (TMX).

NOW: Today, the pipeline is creating massive economic benefits for Canadians at a time when we need it the most, all the while global oil demand is projected to grow to new record highs and be at the same level in 2040 as it is today – at around 105 million barrels per day (mbpd) ^[1].

Greece ‘Interested’ in Canadian LNG

THEN: Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis came to Canada in 2024 and said that his country would be interested in Canadian-made LNG, if it were made available to his country.

NOW: Since then, Greece has signed onto LNG supply agreement deals with countries like the United States, while its LNG imports reached a record high at the beginning of 2025 ^[2][3]. Greece is said to be an LNG gateway for southeastern Europe, as natural gas is then sent through pipelines to nearby countries.

Poland ‘Interested’ in Canadian LNG 

THEN: Last year, Poland President Andrzej Duda joined a growing list of foreign leaders that have said they are interested in or would support Canadian-made LNG. Before him, Poland’s Ambassador to Canada also expressed direct interest in buying Canadian LNG to support energy security in his country and across the European continent.

NOW: Poland recently expanded its Świnoujście LNG import terminal from 6.2 billion cubic metres to 8.3 billion cubic metres of regasification capacity per annum ^[4]. The country is also set to invest further in boosting energy security with the construction of a floating LNG terminal in the Bay of Gdańsk, scheduled to be built by 2028 ^[4]. While Poland builds new LNG infrastructure and signs new deals, Canada still has yet to have any east-coast LNG facility approved by government.

European Conflict Highlights Energy Opportunity

THEN: Shortly after the war began, Ukraine Ambassador to Canada Yulia Kovaliv said that Europe’s energy crisis was an opportunity for our country to expand into the European market ^[5].

NOW: Ukraine has recently signed a major LNG supply agreement with the U.S. to source American LNG through Poland, helping to enhance energy security amid the war ^[6].

Germany Asks Canada for LNG

THEN: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made his way to Canada shortly after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022 to ask Canada for reliable LNG supply. Germany’s leader said he preferred to source Canadian-made energy because of the shared values our countries have. Unfortunately, he left with no promises for LNG ^[7].

NOW: Since Scholz’s visit, his country has gone on to sign multi-billion dollar LNG supply agreements with Qatar and other countries abroad, much of which is expected to come online in 2026 and beyond – another massive lost opportunity for Canadian families.

Japan Asks Canada for Reliable LNG Supply

THEN: In early 2023, former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida came to Canada asking for reliable LNG supply as it sought out new supply chains. Unfortunately, like Germany before him, Kishida left with no new promises for Canadian-made LNG.

NOW: Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to boost Japan’s imports of U.S. LNG as the country looks to boost energy security and defence capabilities ^[18].

Australian Company Exits Canada LNG Project

THEN: Australia’s Woodside was a 50-50 partner to develop the proposed Kitimat LNG facility in northern British Columbia, but pulled out of the project due to lengthy regulatory processes and delays and hundreds of millions of dollars spent on initial steps ^[8].

NOW: Woodside signed a long-term LNG supply deal with China, while the company expects LNG demand to exceed supply past 2030 ^[9][10].

Philippines Open to Canadian-Made LNG

THEN: The Philippines top diplomat said his country is open to discussions on trade and investment opportunities with British Columbia and Canada in several key areas – including LNG ^[11].

NOW: The Philippines has expressed strong interest in purchasing natural gas from the Alaskan LNG project to help meet its growing energy needs ^[12].

French Energy Major Leaves Canadian Oil Sands

THEN: TotalEnergies divested fully from Canada’s oil sands in 2023 after other sell-offs over the past several years ^[13][14]

NOW: TotalEnergies invested USD $10.5 billion into Suriname’s Gran Morgu development – an offshore field about 150 kilometres off the coast with an estimated 750 million barrels of recoverable reserves ^[15].

Activists Say Oil’s Decline Already Here

THEN: After the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the planet, non-governmental organizations suggested that the decline of oil had already begun – despite global demand always bouncing back and returning to new record-highs in the past.

NOW: The International Energy Agency is saying that global oil demand is projected to accelerate to more than 1 million bpd in 2025, while other organizations estimate demand to be the same in 2040 as it is today ^[1][17]

Northern Gateway Pipeline Cancelled

THEN: Canada’s federal government cancelled the Northern Gateway pipeline in 2016 despite receiving full regulatory approval and being supported by 80% of Indigenous communities along its route.

NOW: Global oil demand is set to reach new record highs, while competing producers in North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere abroad look to boost oil supply.

Let’s Build Canada Up

These examples of missed opportunities paint a clear picture: when Canada fails to develop its natural resources, other nations step in to fill the void, and Canadian families are left behind.

It's time to ask ourselves: who truly benefits when Canada misses out on natural resource investment? And perhaps more importantly, when will we stop listening to the “no-to-everything” anti-resource development obstructionists who are inadvertently helping other countries benefit economically at the expense of Canadians?

Let's champion energy, forestry, mining, and agriculture development that creates jobs, strengthens our economy, and supports our social programs, ensuring a brighter future for all Canadians.

SOURCES:

_{1 - https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/vitol-sees-2040-global-oil-demand-little-changed-current-levels-2025-02-03/}

_{2 - https://www.rivieramm.com/news-content-hub/news-content-hub/record-high-lng-imports-in-greece-amid-declining-russian-gas-flows-to-europe-83693}

_{3 - https://www.offshore-energy.biz/us-greek-lng-deal-opens-new-route-for-energy-diversification-in-europe/}

_{4 - https://safety4sea.com/poland-expands-swinoujscie-lng-terminal/}

_{5 – https://globalnews.ca/news/8906225/ukraine-ambassador-european-energy-crisis-canada-opportunity/}

_{6 - https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-buys-us-lng-deal-095516590.html}

_{7 - https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/winter-is-coming-germanys-scholz-leaves-canada-with-no-promises-lng-2022-08-25/}

_{8 - https://vancouversun.com/news/australian-energy-giant-woodside-petroleum-wants-out-of-troubled-kitimat-lng-project}

_{9 - https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/woodside-signs-long-term-lng-supply-deal-with-china-resources-gas-2025-03-17/}

_{10 - https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news-and-insights/latest-market-news/2661314-australia-s-woodside-sees-robust-demand-for-lng}

_{11 - https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/asia-pacific/philippines-opens-door-to-strengthening-bc-trade-ties-in-key-areas-8744885}

_{12 - https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/philippines-seeks-to-buy-lng-from-delayed-alaska-project}

_{13 - https://totalenergies.com/media/news/press-releases/canada-total-sells-its-interest-joslyn-oil-sands-project-cnrl}

_{14 - https://www.ft.com/content/164bea74-276f-4401-b283-194900e378dc}

_{15 - https://totalenergies.com/news/press-releases/suriname-totalenergies-announces-final-investment-decision-granmorgu}

_{16 - https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/29458/peak-oil-decline-coronavirus-economy/}

_{17 - https://www.iea.org/reports/oil-market-report-february-2025}

_{18 - https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2025/02/8126fca86e59-japan-pm-to-pledge-more-lng-imports-from-us-in-talks-with-trump.html}