Resource World Magazine

Resource World - Aug-Sept. 2014 - Vol 12 Iss 5

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A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4 www.resourceworld.com 39 W e have a growing crisis in Canada, what we at the newly- formed Canadian Natural Resource Alliance (CNRA) call a "build-nothing paralysis." Our natural resource economy – and all the benefits it bestows as our chief economic driver – is at risk of stagnation and eventual decline if we cannot muster the will to fight the powerful forces of the anti-development lobby. Yes, it's a battle and one we in the resource development indus- try have been losing for a generation. Those of us who are older, and enjoyed a lifetime of prosperity thanks to the rich resource endowment that Canada has successfully developed, have become complacent; our youngsters have grown up educated on the environmental evils of industry. To win the war, as advocates for responsible resource development, we must educate and motivate all Canadians to speak up and to steel our political leadership to once again build our nation. There are a number of industry associations that are doing this at the government relations level, and we're also seeing more done by individual companies with project-specific communica- tions and advocacy. But our mandate at the CNRA is to engage all Canadians – a broad-based coalition of industry, small business, community groups, native leaders, unions, individual citizens – and equip them with the facts and empower them with a forum for spreading the message. That message is: Natural resource development is Canada's great strength, past, present and future. We stand for responsible stewardship of our resources to grow our economy, keep Canada strong, and preserve that legacy for our children. Job one is getting the facts out, principally that natural resource development is Canada's largest contributor to the country's econ- omy. Here in British Columbia, it's roughly 70% of our GDP, but how many of us know that? And if they do, how many people appreciate that the majority of the jobs are not in the mining and forestry communities but rather in the Lower Mainland of BC? Knowing this, would voters there be so against pipeline devel- opment (the latest environmental flashpoint) as polls suggest? Natural resource growth is not just for the benefit of miners, drill- ers and loggers; many in the professional class are employed in the resource sector – engineers, accountants, bankers, lawyers, geo- scientists, stockbrokers, consultants and yes, environmentalists. But it's not just the facts that have to get out. If David Suzuki's your go-to source of data, chances are you're part of the unsway- able 30% that pollsters say are dug-in on their views. What of the other 70%? They also need to be engaged. Here's where research- ers tell us women are a critical audience. Women want facts that support their primary issues – family income, healthcare, educa- tion and their children's future. A strong resource economy has always supported Canada's strong social infrastructure – amongst the best in the world – and therefore it must be nurtured. To get our message out will take money if we're to take on the well-funded environmental lobby at their own game: money for ads, direct mail, social media and television campaigns. We'll be asking for that soon, but most important will be the informed involvement of all Canadians, speaking up for resource devel- opment with good environmental stewardship and against the radical obstructionism that threatens our future. n Glen Phillips is a director of the Canadian Natural Resource Alliance. He may be contacted at glenp@shaw.ca OpINION Canadian Natural Resource Alliance promoting responsible resource development by Glen Phillips

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