3 Ways Natural Resources Make the Winter Holidays Possible for Canadians

3 Ways Natural Resources Make the Winter Holidays Possible for Canadians

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3 ways natural resources make winter holidays possible for Canadians

From everyone at Canada Action, we want to welcome you to 2022! We couldn't be more excited to carry our passion, advocacy and education on the importance of Canada's resource industries into the new year.

We want to take some time to reflect on the crucial variety of natural resources that carried us into the new year. Whether it was a warm home during the polar vortex, Canadian farmed goods at the dinner party, or the transportation trucks and planes that delivered our gifts… it can't happen without Canada's natural resources!

#1 - Keeping Families Warm

family near fireplace during holiday season Christmas thanks to natural resources

At Canada Action, we love the facts. And one of the coldest, hardest facts from this holiday season was the freezing temperatures of Northern and Western Canada.

Recorded amongst the coldest in the entire world, Deadman Valley of the Northwest Territories saw conditions of -45°C. British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba were not far behind, bearing extreme temperatures and frigid winds. Weather warnings could be found across the entire country as Canadians were encouraged to stay indoors.

While different provinces and territories utilize various energy sources to generate power, we ALL rely on natural resources. Natural gas, electricity and hydroelectricity are the principal energy sources for heat in Canada. As published by NRCAN:

"B.C., Manitoba, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Yukon each generate over 80% of their electricity from hydroelectricity. Ontario, New Brunswick, and NWT rely on various combinations of nuclear, hydro, wind, biomass, coal, natural gas, and petroleum – although not all provinces use all of them. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and Nunavut generate the majority of their electricity from fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, or petroleum".

Without our reliance on responsibly produced Canadian fossil fuels and renewable energy infrastructure, freezing temperatures can quickly turn dangerous and deadly for millions across the country.

It is easy to take the privilege of safety and comfort that we afford from Canadian energy for granted. But just because these essential services are out of sight does not mean they should be out of mind!

#2 – Reliable Transportation

winter travel natural gas thanks to Canadian natural resources

Beyond keeping us warm, Canadian energy played an essential in providing safe, reliable, and consistent transportation this year.

With deliveries and packages sent surging over the holidays, we recognize the impact that courier services, cross-country trucking, and cargo aircraft have in making our wishes come true. These transportation services and postal employees could not fulfill their duties without the necessary fuel.

Further, petrochemicals and mined resources are integral in building the infrastructure necessary to make deliveries, from the tires on the trucks and planes to the rare earth minerals that build our vehicles.

Canada is a top 10 producer of several minerals and metals essential to the infrastructure that we use every day. For example, Canadian mined copper is essential to the smartphones that we use to order gifts for our family and to produce the electricity that keeps us warm when we do!

#3 – Bringing Families Together

natural resources help us gather for food during winter holidays in Canada

One of the most important parts of the holidays is the food that brings our loved ones together.

Canadian farmers meet the demand for traditional holiday foods while also providing millions of Christmas trees to families across the nation.

In 2016 alone, 1872 Canadian farms grew Christmas trees. In the same year, the industry's value was an impressive $91.2 million dollars, supporting agriculture families and communities across Canada. In December of 2017, Canadians spent $4.9 billion at major grocers to support their holiday food needs.

These numbers and the support they provide back to our economy would not have been possible without the hard and relentless work of Canadian farmers.

Check out some of our favourite stats on Canadian agriculture below. Holiday season or not, Canadian farmers fuel our country!

  • Canada is the #1 producer and exporter of canola, which contributes more than $26 billion to the economy each year (Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada)
  • Canada is a top 5 wheat exporter, with an average of $7 billion exported annually (Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada)
  • Canada is the world's 3rd largest exporter of pork, with nearly $4 billion of exports each year (Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada)
  • Most Canadian cranberries come from Quebec and British Columbia. Quebec alone produces 25 per cent of the world's cranberries
  • The vast majority of Canada's turkey is domestically produced. As of 2020, about 98 percent of the turkey we consumed was local
  • On Thanksgiving and Christmas last year, Canadians purchased an estimated 4 million whole turkeys, making up about 77 per cent of all whole turkey sales for the year

Thank You Resource Workers!

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We are grateful for the Canadian resource industries and workers that make our holiday celebrations possible. We also recognize the importance of reflecting on how essential these natural resources are in our favourite days!

For more, check out our blog to learn why we are grateful for reliable and affordable energy in Canada. Or, take a look at how Canadian farmers fuel our favourite turkey dinners!

Thank you to all those who work in and support Canada's natural resource industries, and thank you for supporting Canada Action. We hope that you had a safe and happy holiday season, and we are excited to grow together in 2022!