Dear Canada: An Open Letter to Canadians

Dear Canada,

Right now, our country is at a crossroads. We face significant infrastructure investment gaps across the country. In communities across Canada we require billions of dollars from all levels of governments to build desperately-needed transit, and affordable housing. We need to invest in our economy so we can provide services that we are proud of – education, healthcare, arts and culture, infrastructure, and recreation.

Our ability to make these investments is limited by our country’s inability to move our resources to market. As a country, we lose millions of dollars a day selling our resources at a sharply discounted price, resulting in decreased investment in all the public services we cherish. Canada’s energy future relies on getting a fair price for our natural resources globally and building a concrete path towards a lower carbon economy domestically.

As Canadians, we believe we can be a leader in energy innovation and in helping meet growing energy demand, while taking meaningful action to solve the global problem of climate change. There is enormous demand for responsibly-produced energy products, and Canada is a global leader in production of these products. By replacing coal with lower-carbon natural gas in developing economies, like China and India, Canada can have a more significant impact on reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions globally. Canada is missing an opportunity to grow our economy, invest in infrastructure and fight climate change all at the same time because of a lack of clarity on the path forward.

We need to talk about the economy, energy transformation and the importance of getting oil and gas to markets at dinner tables across Canada. Whether we live in Western, Central or Eastern Canada, we all have a stake in our country’s economic success. This is a tough conversation, but one that needs to happen because we cannot shut down one main source of our country’s prosperity without impacting quality of life for all Canadians.

Canada, we need action now. We need to take a stand for our economy by removing barriers to internal trade, increasing our market access for goods such as grain, oil and lumber, and using revenues to invest in our communities and protect our environment.

We need to invest in natural resource development and innovative technology so future generations can have access to reliable and affordable energy that fuels their daily lives, and supports a healthy environment and a growing economy.

To show your support for Canada, in the next federal election, vote for the economy and the holistic benefits of Canadian resources.

With hope,

Canadians for Natural Resources