And why Resource Works spreads the word on responsible resource development and Indigenous reconciliation
As Resource Works heads into its 11th year as an advocate for responsible development of Canada’s natural resources, we look at how it got started, and continues today, with CEO and founder Stewart Muir:
In 2014 we were seeing a literal lineup of major projects in British Columbia that would have an impact on the Canadian economy like never before, and not since.
We had several pipeline projects, and plans for liquefied natural gas plants, plus gas development in the northeast of B.C. to feed the pipelines to supply the LNG projects.
We also had the development of an asset that had been dreamed of since the 1940s or even earlier: the Alberta oil sands.
The world was then looking for energy, as it still is now, because it needs to have reliable, safe, and affordable energy. So we had these big movements and projects happening that could create generational benefits for all Canadians.
It was clear that no projects would be able to go ahead unless they found sufficient support from the public, particularly in British Columbia on environmental issues. So really the struggle here was this: Can these projects be balanced with the quality of life that Canadians desire and really require?
With my background as a journalist, in communities and big cities in Canada and internationally, I felt that I could do something to educate the public on what it means to do projects safely, responsibly, and also beneficially.
I talked to labour leaders, local communities, First Nations, and businesses, a very long list of people.
For example, they included David Emerson, economist, businessman, and a federal cabinet minister in two governments: minister of industry, minister of international trade, and minister for the Pacific Gateway.
I had similar conversations with a former NDP premier of British Columbia, Dan Miller. He had been a vocal proponent of the resource-based economy of B.C. and had a long background with the labour movement of the people who work day to day to develop the resources and make sure they get to market safely. He, too, helped me understand the degree to which resources are a significant part of the economy.
I also felt it was important to listen to local residents, including in the resource- producing areas, so I went to the mayor of Fort St. John, Lori Ackerman. And from her and others in resource communities I received an astounding amount of advice on how we could connect the rural and urban parts of British Columbia, where often there's a big disconnect.
I also looked for advice on First Nations and their needs and priorities. So, among others, I talked with Kathryn Teneese, chair of the Ktunaxa Nation Council in the southeast corner of B.C. She was also chief negotiator for treaty negotiations with Canada and B.C. That was the start of my education in the true aspirations of Indigenous peoples, which I have found all over Canada.
Those are just a few examples of some of the brightest people. There were many, many others.
In short, they said: ‘We need to see this; we would like to do that with you.’
And a number of them joined our Resource Works advisory council.
We had done some polling, and that told us something about the values of people. And with that in mind one of the first things we did in 2014 was to host a series of workshops around the Lower Mainland of B.C., in municipalities where we gathered together local conservationists and union leaders, business people, and those who had an interest in the issues of economic development.
We threw them into a room and we facilitated discussions. We saw people who didn't agree with each other on some issues, but were willing to talk, and we sought to find out what those values were that they shared, that unified them, and we developed a report to governments. We went back to the municipal governments and places where we had met and we shared that information because we thought it was that important as a starting point in this project
A baseline what it is we're talking about, and over all these years since then I constantly go back to this idea that you need to start where people agree and then you can build from there and include where they disagree. That was the origin of our practice and our success.
We wanted to be known for not just our name, but also for our mission. So we had a tagline: ‘Jobs for BC. Innovation for the world.’
I think it's still very good, although we recognize that there have been some shifts in attitudes over time, and so we have continued to adapt on how we want to present these ideas.
For launch day, we commissioned a report from an eminent economist, Philip Cross, a career statistical scientist, former chief economic analyst for Statistics Canada, and now senior research fellow at Resource Works.
We asked him to tell us how significant the resource economy is, and this he did in his report: High Impact: the Importance of Natural Resources to the Economy of British Columbia.
For example, back in 2014, Philip Cross said a 10-percent boost in B.C.’s natural-resource economy would mean an extra $2.137 billion in the province's GDP, an extra $4.5 billion across Canada, and more than 39,000 new jobs for British Columbians.
And 55 percent of those jobs would be in the Lower Mainland.
I think it is still a surprise to many people that forestry, mining, oil and gas, and transportation of all these things create so many jobs in the urban Lower Mainland, jobs in finance, insurance, real estate, transportation, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, health care, education, food production, goods and services, even the arts and culture in communities, and much more. It was hard to find a part of the economy that did not benefit from natural resources.
And include governments in that list. The resource sector has a huge impact on government employment for tax collection, regulatory oversight and more.
Today we recognize that natural resources contribute billions of dollars to provincial and national economies and pay or public services such as education and healthcare. In 2023, the latest year for which we have full figures, natural resources directly and indirectly accounted for 19.2% of Canada’s GDP, Canada’s economy, and provided 1.7 million jobs in Canada.
In addition, Canada’s natural-resource exports amount to almost 60 per cent of the value of Canada's total merchandise exports. And it’s those exports that help pay for what we import.
And so in April 2014 we brought this new project, Resource Works, into the view of the public, and we haven't looked back since.
We wanted to create and underline constant awareness of the importance of natural resources. And we have done this constantly through social media, news stories, media interviews, guest columns, our website, and more.
We have also made submissions to parliamentary and legislative processes when we think there's an issue that needs to be addressed.
And we have held events to discuss responsible resource development. Nothing beats humans getting together in person, meeting each other, hearing from each other, and connecting with each other. So we've doubled down on such meetings.
We’re also operating outside British Columbia. Recently we brought two Canadian premiers - Danielle Smith of Alberta and Andrew Furey of Newfoundland - to Bay Street in Toronto to talk about what it means to be from the resource regions. We're also working with local communities in the Atlantic provinces and Ontario, and around B.C., to bring out experts who can speak to these things.
One of the things I'm proudest of is the Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase that we created in 2020. It’s a business conference connecting business leaders and Indigenous leaders and communities in pursuit of economic reconciliation.
The Showcase conferences came out of the arrival of federal and B.C. provincial UNDRIP legislation. That began to build the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into laws and their application in Canada.
So the importance of First Nations in the Canadian economy was more recognized, and has never been more important.
No resource project in Canada will succeed if it doesn't have the participation and support of Indigenous peoples who have constitutional and land rights.
In its long history, Canada has over and over again made the mistake of arriving at First Nations territory to say ‘Hey, we have a solution for you, and, whether you like it or not, you're gonna get it.’
We now have an opportunity for Canada and Canadians to approach the future differently, and to say to First Nations: ‘Here’s an opportunity that could carry benefits for you. What does success look like?’
I think that's the right and proper way to do this, and that's how we set the stage for the Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase. We said: ‘Who's succeeding? Who wants to share their story in how they're partnering with others to develop the economic capabilities they would need to achieve their aspirations?’
We have held five years of Showcase conferences, including one online during the COVID epidemic. The large format is on a break this year, but there will be some smaller events with the main stage coming back in 2026. We're working with our partners to pin down the time for that.
Another thing that we started was the Energy Futures Institute. It’s led by Barry Penner KC, an eminent former legislator and minister of the environment for B.C.
Energy issues need a greater spotlight, and Energy Futures is there for that. Energy is really the foundation of any human endeavour and economy. It is fundamental across society, and yet we see so many challenges in terms of supply of energy and the environmental conditions necessary for energy to be produced sustainably over the long term, in a way that people can rely on and they can afford.
Energy Futures has been very successful in its first year, and I anticipate it will grow.
Another thing we're pleased about is the launch in October 2024 of the Power Struggle video podcasts, of which I am the host.
Power Struggle is about the quest to develop energy that checks all of the boxes in the ‘energy trilemma’ — energy that must be reliable, affordable, and acceptable.
It's all too rare that the world gets all those three things in its energy supplies, but we must strive for it all the time. So on Power Struggle I talk with experts who have particular understanding of a whole range of issues.
What's next for Resource Works is, I think, that we're going in 2025 to spend a little more time on innovation. We want to understand what's going on in the world of energy, natural resources, critical minerals and forest products, things that are green and renewable and that the world wants.
The other thing that we want to continue is to be a place for young people to learn about and be excited by natural resources. And we want to be a place where careers can start. We've been a launchpad for a lot of student interns, and now there's quite a little cohort out there who are working in industry and government after they came through Resource Works. We taught them — but they also taught us. So I hope that we continue to do much more with young people.
As for me personally, Resource Works is a career capstone. It's probably the best thing I've ever had a chance to be part of, in terms of making a difference in society and standing up for Canadian values and Canadian success.
Stewart Muir had a career as a journalist and writer before founding Resource Works, including being deputy managing editor of The Vancouver Sun.
He was a contributing author to the award-winning The Sea Among Us: Life and History of The Strait of Georgia, published in 2014. And he is a founder or co-founder of Headwaters Strategy Group and Tersa Earth.
As well, every week, he hosts the Power Struggle series of podcasts on resource issues.