In today’s ever-evolving geopolitical landscape, Canada stands at a critical juncture that will define our country for generations to come. We can either choose to diversify our export markets and secure our economic independence, or continue on “business-as-usual” and remain susceptible to the economic whims of our largest trading partner, who, by the way, accounts for the majority of our exports, imports, and foreign investment.
There’s an old saying: “When the U.S. economy sneezes, Canada’s economy catches a cold,” which reflects our closely integrated trade relationship but also the sheer size of the American economy compared to our own (it's about 10 times as large). In other words, a downturn in the U.S. economy often leads to a more pronounced negative impact on Canada, and tariffs will be no different.
For anyone who values Canadian sovereignty, independence, and security, the right path forward is abundantly clear.
Canada Action has been sharing this path to economic prosperity for well over a decade. By unleashing the development of our natural resource wealth through the construction of new trade infrastructure like pipelines, we can create a stronger, more prosperous future for our families, businesses, governments, and country as a whole.
Canada must act now to build new pipelines, powerlines, ports, railways, and roads, to help diversify our international markets and take control of our economic destiny.
But don’t take our word for it.
Below are several quotes from Canadian leaders discussing the importance of market diversification and removal of regulatory barriers that have held back new resource development across Canada over the past several years.
- 32 Quotes on Why the Oil & Gas Emissions Cap Doesn't Make Sense
- 15 Quotes on Why LNG is Good for Canada and the World
- 10 Quotes on the Importance of Natural Resources to the Canadian Economy
--------------------
--------------------
“If you're not buying oil and gas from Canada and British Columbia, the alternative is Venezuela.
We believe that we are a friend and an ally of the United States with shared values around democracy and human rights. And we've demonstrated that through generations.”
David Eby, Premier of British Columbia [CPAC]
--------------------
“Canada has a secret weapon in this trade conflict with the United States. A trump card, so to speak. And it is located directly under our feet. And it is called Alberta Energy. You see, Alberta happens to have one of the largest deposits of oil and natural gas on the planet.
It is significantly larger and far more accessible than the quickly declining oil and gas reserves located in the United States. Whether the US President wishes to admit it or not, the United States not only needs our oil and gas today, they are also going to need it more and more with each passing year once they notice their declining domestic reserves and production are wholly insufficient to keep up with the energy demands of US consumers and industry, let alone having anything left over to export as they do today.
We in Alberta would love to increase the amount of oil and gas we send to our southern neighbours to help solve that problem for them. Currently, they buy about $100 billion a year of highly discounted oil from Alberta, which tens of thousands of US workers and refineries then upgrade into $300 billion worth of value to sell around the world.
We have made a lot of Americans very wealthy. It's in both of our countries' best interests to double the amount of Canadian crude moving south. It means more Canadian jobs and even more American jobs. It means lower fuel prices for consumers and more US and Canadian influence all around the world.”
Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta [Global News]
--------------------
--------------------
“Just like the Canadian Pacific Railway, connected and united a young Canada, a new generation of infrastructure and resource projects will bring our country together. They'll reduce our dependence on the United States, create new opportunities for Canadian workers, usher in a new century of Canadian prosperity.
New pipelines, transmission lines, more rail lines, airports and ports. We need to build them. We need to bring Canadian oil and gas, critical minerals, energy and electricity to new markets and new customers.
And we need to diversify our trade and maximize our leverage on a global stage.”
Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario [CPAC]
--------------------
“We're talking about the need to connect our entire country from one end to the other to make life just a little bit easier and more affordable for Nova Scotians, Ontarians and for every single Canadian. Which is why I also want to make it clear that connecting Canadians means also connecting Canada via a pipeline from west to east.
So that we in the Maritimes and Atlantic Canada no longer have to rely on the US for energy. We can get it from our friends in Alberta. We can get it from our friends in the west, from other parts of Canada. I urge industry and governments alike to get on board with that concept as well.
Whether it's energy, goods, or services, let's bring down the barriers between provinces for a true Team Canada approach.”
Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia [CPAC]
--------------------
--------------------
“Well, yesterday we had this amazing announcement. Some $80 million being invested into the port of Churchill and the rail line that serves it, so that our mining products, our AG products, can get to the EU, can get to Brazil, we can help resupply Nunavut.
This is a really smart investment that makes sense for the U.S. audience because it's strong on Arctic security, but it's also about diversifying the markets that we can ship our goods to from here in Manitoba. Like, everyone thinks about Manitoba as the prairies, as the bush.
But we have tidewater in the province, too. You can get to the ocean from our province.”
Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba [CPAC]
--------------------
“What do we do anyway? If there is or not some tariffs? We need to have diversification of market. So it includes working better with other provinces, but also with Europe, with other countries than U.S.
We have 71% of our exportation going to U.S. It's a lot too much. And we have also to increase our productivity, because right now my big fear is when you compare Canada to United States, there's something like 30% of difference for the productivity.
So we really need to work, all of us in Canada, on our productivity.”
François Legault, Premier of Quebec [CTV News]
--------------------
“Well, I mean, in some respects and some others have said, and you know, in some ways, the president has done us a favor here. We should be diversifying our economy. We should be diversifying our marketplace. We need to have the flexibility to pivot to other markets.
I think the markets are out there. We're not going to find them overnight, but they are there to be had. For example, we know that we have the best snow crab in the world. You can't find better snow crab than Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab.
The fact that 90% of it is going to the United States, we should be looking to diversify that marketplace anyway, because guess what, There could be a higher price to be had in different markets. So irrespective of the trade dispute with the United States currently, it would be wise from a fiscal and economic situation and strategy to be looking at other markets.
For example, Asian markets, the Middle east, places with incredible access to capital, incredible disposable income, where they want the best product in the world. And we have the best product in the world. The same applies for oil and gas.
Different than the Premier in Alberta. We don't rely on pipelines. It's not landlocked. We can go to any marketplace in the world. So we should be working with our corporate partners to ensure that they have a fully diversified portfolio that allows for any mitigation of any trade wars now or into the future.”
Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland & Labrador [CPAC]
--------------------
You know, market access, trade access, trade agreements, these are all so very important to a province and a country that is an exporting province and country. And we certainly are in Saskatchewan. We certainly are in Canada. Almost virtually all, if not all of our oil goes to the U.S.
The Americans actually buy that oil to some degree at a discount, add value to it and provide it as gasoline, diesel to not only Americans, but others around the world. And we're displacing Venezuelan oil. At the same time, there isn't a lot of other options for oil because we as a nation have restricted our options to get that same product to tidewater, to get it to refineries in Eastern Canada.
And, you know, we all know the story behind Northern Gateway and Energy East. And, you know, those are two projects that I think we as Canadians should certainly become advocates for sooner rather than later. So that we are energy independent not only on a continental basis, but also ensuring that we have access to other markets for, you know, what is a very important economic driver in Saskatchewan, Alberta, of course, but across Canada as well in the folks that it employs.
Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan [CPAC]
--------------------
--------------------
“[The tariffs] serve as a wake up call in many ways to not just Canadian businesses, and the government but to Canadians more broadly to galvanize us to create a sense of urgency and ambition for our country where we do need to diversify and hedge a lot better than we have in the last 150 years.”
“Canadians need to work together to build up the trade arteries that we’ve really only created north and south and that’s to our own detriment and today is proof of that. We need to diversify that.”
“We’re going to see the return of inflation. Cost of groceries, cost of vegetables, cost of juices and then of course we all know how sensitive Americans are to the price of gasoline — they’re going to feel this.”
Goldy Hyder, President and CEO, Business Council of Canada [1]
--------------------
«C’est peut-être le coup de fouet qu’on avait besoin pour se mettre à la tâche et de rendre notre économie plus productive. C’est sûr que les secousses dans un an, deux ans, seraient extrêmement sévères. Est-ce que ça serait fatal? Non»
Robert Asselin, Senior Vice President, Business Council of Canada [1]
--------------------
--------------------
“Canada needs a New National Policy of nation-building: dismantling internal barriers, welcoming investment, building new infrastructure, ending business-bashing and regulatory paralysis, and taking our resources to the world.”
Perrin Beatty, Former President & CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Former MP & Cabinet Minister. Former President of the CBC. [2]
--------------------
“…now is the time to double down on protecting our economic sovereignty and security. Recent announcements from the federal and provincial governments on internal trade are steps in the right direction, but what we do in this moment can’t be incremental, it must be transformational. To build a resilient, self-reliant and future-proof economy, we need to diversify our trade partners, revamp the tax and regulatory system, and do even more to streamline internal trade.
Canada is resource and talent rich. Our economic future is ours to determine — it’s time to join our economic strategy with concrete action to not only minimize the short-term damage but to chart a more prosperous path long-term.”
Candace Laing, President & CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce [3]
--------------------
--------------------
“From our inception, Canada has been a resource-exporting nation. The fur trade, fisheries, timber and minerals built the Canada we know and love and can no longer be taken for granted. Today is no different. We are blessed with resources the world wants: uranium, potash, wheat, canola, lentils, oil, natural gas, steel, lithium and hydroelectricity. These hold the key to our next era of prosperity.
Yet Canada faces major challenges in exporting these resources. While our geography makes access difficult, we have compounded the problem with unnecessary, self-inflicted wounds that betray the values that have long defined our resource export economy.”
Kevin Krausert, Chief Executive and Co-Founder, Avatar Innovations [4]
--------------------
“For too long, Canada has been its own worst enemy. Our country is rich in resources, talent, and opportunity, yet over the last decade, government policies have undermined economic growth, driven away investment, and increased costs for both businesses and consumers. These policies, while occasionally well-intentioned, have made it harder, not easier, for Canadians to thrive.
It’s time to change course. We must put Canada first, prioritizing policies that enhance prosperity rather than hinder it. That starts with repealing regulations that discourage investment, increase the cost of living, and weaken our competitive advantage.”
Adam Legge, President, Business Council of Alberta [5]
--------------------
--------------------
“We also have to be more competitive with the U.S. on the tax front. And generally speaking, in terms of regulations. That's it. But we also need to build the economy east-west and not just north-south. And that's what it's all about.
So we need to review and rethink gas-oil pipelines. That's something I mentioned today. And we also need to position ourselves well, I think, in the event that the federal government, if it starts increasing defense spending.
Quebec is very well positioned in this respect. And so, we need to prepare ourselves and revitalize our industrial sector in the face of a potential increase in spending.”
Laurent Ferriera, Chief Executive Officer, National Bank of Canada [7]
--------------------
“With good reason, Canadians are talking about finally removing interprovincial trade barriers to strengthen the internal economic union. But that will take time — unless, given the urgency, we act much faster than our usual glacial pace on such matters — and it offers only a partial offset even in the medium term.
Trade diversification is even harder since proximity so strongly favours trade with the U.S. We have many free trade agreements but it will take years — again: if we stick to our usual pace — to build infrastructure and adopt the necessary regulatory and tax policies to compete internationally.”
Jack M. Mintz, President’s Fellow of the School of Public Policy, University of Calgary [6]
--------------------
--------------------
“Canada’s future prosperity depends on successful wind, solar, hydrogen, natural gas, nuclear, pipeline, and mining projects.
The best thing our governments can do is to design a regulatory system that is timely and accountable – and then have the wisdom and leadership to get out of the way and allow Canadians to build a better future for all.”
Jack Middleton, Vice President, Policy and Advocacy, Association for Mineral Exporation [8]
--------------------
“We have a big decision to make in this country: whether or not for future generations and future prosperity, we want to create a truly sovereign system of pipelines and energy corridors, not just oil and gas but electricity, across this country….”
“What we have is a peculiar situation in this country that’s not just economic. It’s also about energy security… We don’t have an East-West energy security situation, and it also hurts us economically.”
“We have to have the will to invest in it, get it done quickly today for future generations.”
Peter Tertzakian, Founder, ARC Energy Research Institute [11]
--------------------
--------------------
“With the United States imposing punishing tariffs on Canada’s economy, it’s never been more important to strengthen Canada’s economic position and competitiveness. A major key to achieving that goal is unleashing Canadian energy…
…No one in Canada wanted to see the Trump administration impose tariffs on the Canadian economy. As a response, Canada should be doing everything it can to diversify its economy. Given the global demand for energy, one of the best ways for Canada to pursue trade diversification is to fulfill its destiny as an energy powerhouse.
It’s time to build pipelines, approve projects, build new partnerships, and equip Canada’s energy sector with the tools it needs to power the world.”
Jay Goldberg, Canadian Affairs Manager, Consumer Choice Center [9]
--------------------
“For too long, Canada has been complacent. Over the past decade we’ve allowed $280 billion in energy projects to be cancelled while our competitors surged ahead. The consequences of inaction are severe: lost revenue, lost jobs, and lost opportunities.
Canada needs to walk parallel paths — restoring trade stability with the U.S. should remain a priority, but we also must aggressively move to diversify our global customer base…
…The choices we make today will determine whether Canada becomes a global energy leader or continues to fall behind. With decisive leadership, smart reforms, and a renewed commitment to investment, we can unlock our full energy potential, create jobs, and build a resilient, tariff-proof economy that protects Canadian sovereignty.”
Lisa Baiton, President & CEO, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers [10]
--------------------
--------------------
Canada Needs to Act Now & Secure Our Economic Future
The writing is on the wall.
Actually, it’s been there for many years, as we’ve advocated for the construction of new trade infrastructure like pipelines to help diversify our export markets and maximize the value of our natural resources for over a decade.
It’s time Canadians step up and get the job done. Let’s secure our economic independence from the U.S. and take control of our country’s future by building new pipelines, powerlines, ports, railways and roads.
Join us today to learn more about how natural resources form the foundation of our national economy and help support our social programs and standard of living as Canadians.
--------------------
--------------------
SOURCES:
1 - https://www.thebusinesscouncil.ca/publication/canada-must-respond-to-tariffs-with-urgency-and-ambition/
2 - https://x.com/PerrinBeatty/status/1886559864408703194
3 - https://chamber.ca/news/our-statement-on-u-s-decision-to-impose-25-tariffs/
4 - https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-lets-make-canada-a-great-resource-exporting-nation-again/
5 - https://thehub.ca/2025/03/17/adam-legge-putting-canada-first-a-plan-to-restore-prosperity/
6 - https://financialpost.com/opinion/jack-mintz-canadas-perilous-place-in-trumps-new-world-order
7 - https://x.com/geraldfillion/status/1886582436563124665
8 - https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/getting-canada-back-on-track-how-to-build-major-projects-in-the-coming-decade-jack-middleton/
9 - https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/jay-goldberg-canada-should-counter-tariffs-by-unleashing-canadian-energy
10 - https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-canada-lets-get-elbows-up-on-energy
11 - https://financialpost.com/commodities/energy/oil-gas/canada-needs-control-energy-supplies-tariff-threats