Something remarkable has happened to Canadian public opinion on energy. According to recent polling, 88% of Canadians now say oil and gas is important to the current economy—a record high. Support for new pipelines has jumped 14 percentage points in a single year. Even in Quebec, 59% now support reviving the Energy East pipeline project.
The trade war with the United States has accomplished what decades of industry advocacy could not: it has reframed Canadian energy development as a question of national sovereignty rather than environmental politics.
For energy companies and their advocates, this represents both an opportunity and a responsibility. The public is receptive to the energy independence message—but only if it's communicated effectively.
The Strategic Landscape Has Shifted
Canada's energy vulnerability became painfully clear when tariff threats emerged. With 97% of crude oil exports and 100% of natural gas exports going to the United States, the country faced the prospect of its largest export sector being weaponized against it.
The Trans Mountain Expansion, which came online in May 2024, has already demonstrated the value of diversification. Capacity tripled from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels per day, and approximately 48% of shipments now go to Pacific Rim countries outside the United States. LNG Canada shipped its first cargo in June 2025, marking Canada's entry as an LNG exporting nation.
These infrastructure successes have shifted the debate. The question is no longer whether Canada should develop its energy resources, but how quickly it can bring them to market.
Framing Energy as National Security
The most effective communications approach frames Canadian energy development in terms of national security and allied energy supply—not domestic economic benefit alone.
The Allied Energy Argument
Canada possesses resources critical to Western defence and energy security. The country has massive reserves of lithium, copper, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements essential for defence applications and advanced technology. China controls approximately 90% of global rare earth processing, making Canadian resources strategically vital.
Canadian LNG has more accessible North Atlantic sea lines compared to Algerian, Azerbaijani, or Qatari supplies. Poland, Germany, South Korea, and Japan have all expressed interest in Canadian LNG as an alternative to supplies from less stable or adversarial regimes.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has previewed economic investment plans for an east coast LNG hub to supply Europe—recognition that Canadian energy is a geopolitical asset, not merely a commodity.
The National Sovereignty Message
The tariff crisis demonstrated that energy dependence on a single customer—even a close ally—creates vulnerability. When 97% of your exports go to one market, you have limited negotiating leverage.
Polling shows Canadians understand this. According to Ipsos, 83% agree that Canada should focus on expanding oil and gas exports beyond the United States due to the trade war. This is not an environmental debate—it's a sovereignty debate.
The Numbers That Resonate
Effective energy communications anchor messages in specific, credible data.
Economic Impact
- Energy sector accounts for 9.8% of nominal GDP
- Oil and gas contributes over $70 billion annually to GDP
- The sector generated $94.5 billion in taxes and royalties for governments between 2021-2023
- Energy directly employs 316,200 Canadians with another 428,300 indirect jobs
- Including induced employment, the sector supports approximately 900,000 jobs
Trade Diversification Results
- Since TMX came online, Canadian crude exports to non-U.S. destinations have more than tripled
- Trans Mountain is exploring optimization projects that could add 360,000 barrels per day capacity
- Canada is now the sixth largest energy producer in the world
Public Support
- 88% say oil and gas is important to the current economy
- 72% support expanding oil and gas exports for global energy security
- 75% support constructing new pipelines to ports in Eastern Canada or BC
- 71% think the project approval process is too long and should be reformed
The Quebec Shift
Perhaps the most significant development is changing attitudes in Quebec. The province that killed Energy East has reversed course:
- 59% of Quebecers now support reviving the Energy East pipeline project
- 61% favor rekindling GNL Quebec gas pipeline
- 54% support development of Quebec's own oil resources
- Support for Energy East in Quebec rose from 33% to 47% since 2019
This shift creates political space for projects that were previously considered impossible. Energy advocates should recognize that Quebec is no longer a monolithic opposition bloc—it's a persuadable audience.
Effective Campaign Strategies
Several approaches have proven effective for energy communications.
Grassroots Mobilization
Canada's Energy Citizens, formed by CAPP in 2014, has become the largest oil and gas advocacy organization in Canada with over 500,000 members. The organization has a larger social media presence than Greenpeace, Sierra Club, or the Suzuki Foundation combined.
Campaign tactics include email campaigns to elected officials, petition drives, and encouraging employees to become "vocal industry advocates." The approach treats energy workers as authentic voices rather than corporate spokespeople.
Indigenous Partnership Communications
In May 2025, 38 BC First Nations became minority owners in Enbridge's Westcoast natural gas pipeline in a $736 million transaction. This partnership model reframes energy development around reconciliation and economic opportunity for Indigenous communities.
Companies that can demonstrate genuine Indigenous partnership have a powerful response to critics who frame energy development as colonial imposition.
Economic Sovereignty Messaging
The Build Canada Now initiative, led by Enbridge and other major energy companies, organized an open letter campaign signed by CEOs of major energy companies. The messaging focused on economic sovereignty and prosperity—themes that resonate across political lines.
Policy Tailwinds
The November 2025 Canada-Alberta Energy MOU represents a significant policy shift:
- Shared goal of increasing production to reach export and national security goals
- Commitment to construction of a one million barrel per day new export pipeline
- Federal government agreed not to implement the oil and gas emissions cap
- Immediate suspension of federal Clean Electricity Regulations in Alberta
Premier Danielle Smith declared achieving seven of nine demands. This represents the most significant federal accommodation of provincial energy priorities in decades.
The regulatory environment is also shifting. Budget 2025 proposes extending maximum LNG export licence length from 40 to 50 years. The Conservative Party has pledged to repeal Bill C-48, the tanker moratorium that killed the proposed Indigenous-led Eagle Spirit pipeline.
The Path Forward
The energy communications landscape has fundamentally changed. Public opinion has shifted toward development. Policy barriers are falling. Infrastructure is being built.
For energy companies and advocates, the opportunity is to consolidate these gains through sustained, effective communications that:
- Frame energy development as national security and sovereignty
- Emphasize allied energy supply and reducing dependence on adversarial regimes
- Lead with economic data on jobs, taxes, and GDP contribution
- Highlight Indigenous partnerships and community benefits
- Advocate for regulatory reform to accelerate project approvals
The tariff crisis created a window for Canadian energy independence arguments that may not remain open indefinitely. Companies and advocates should communicate aggressively while public sentiment supports development.
At SHIFT, we help energy companies and associations develop communications strategies that capitalize on this moment of public receptivity. The argument for Canadian energy has never been stronger—but winning requires discipline, data, and strategic messaging.