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By Deidra Garyk
TDS (aka. Trump Derangement Syndrome) has Canadians – politicians, media, academia, and keyboard warriors – supporting the “New Current Thing.” That being an odd, insincere surge of Canadian pride and interest in energy development, particularly oil and gas.
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, without a hint of irony, said Canada should build an east-west pipeline across Canada. This is a one-eighty for Wilkinson. He has been hung up on non-existent hydrogen for as long as he’s been in office, insistent that commercialization is magically around the corner. Just… just… just over there… He even pontificated about reaching peak oil at the end of 2024, negating the need for further oil and gas development.
Desperate to find evidence to support their belief that the newly re-minted President is a fascistic dictator hell-bent on world domination that he will forcibly take over Canada, (maybe he will, maybe he won’t; who knows what’s going on in Trump’s head?) the anti-oil, anti-Canada politicians have now become pro-Canadian oil. This has awakened the never-to-be-converted anti-oil, anti-Canada die hards, who grabbed their keyboards to write muddled hit pieces for an underinformed audience.
This one from Maclean’s comes enshrined with a possessive “my precious Canada” banner. It is baffling with its intermingled comparisons of oil sands and traditional oil and gas production. At best, context is missing, and at worst (most likely), it’s an intentional agenda-driven hit piece against the oil sands using a former oil employee as its author to lend credibility to the keep-it-in-the-ground, we-don’t-need-pipelines argument.
Not to be outdone, the Globe & Mail put out this wishful thinking article, authored by a woman who teaches at the McGill University Bieler School of Environment whose “research explores the comparative politics of energy and the environment.”
She argues that pipeline companies have moved on from pipelines, and the rest of us should too. She claims TransCanada “mysteriously” (her word) chose to scrap Energy East for reasons that had nothing to do with regulations and changing project requirements that caused uncertainty, while simultaneously arguing the very thing.
Later, she contends that pipelines only benefit private investors while being a burden on taxpayers and government, playing into the anti-capitalist mantra of businesses privatizing the benefits while socializing the costs.
The overly simplistic articles claim there is no economic case for new infrastructure, certainly not energy corridors and pipelines. They vociferously argue that oil projects are not economic because they are not economic! The argument is stupefying and betrays a lack of knowledge coupled with an ideology that requires all innate curiosity mechanisms to shut down in favour of the prevailing belief. They ignore that markets, regulatory burdens, political uncertainty, and market access contribute to project economics, or lack thereof, and dictate business decisions. They neglect on purpose to mention that other jurisdictions have built and are still building mega projects.
Fortunately, something has shifted in the cultural zeitgeist. People have grown weary of the false claims and jumbled arguments disguised as genuine concern for society and the planet. There’s confident, unapologetic pushback against climate alarmism and the subsequent demands to end hydrocarbon usage immediately without a viable replacement.
Thinking only in the theoretical abstract no longer appeals to people. They demand truthful plans, grounded in reality and practicality. Now is the time for people who work directly in the energy sector to share their knowledge with an information-hungry public. It’s up to each of us; do not let this opportunity waste away out of unfounded fear of being disliked.
This message was echoed at EnergyNow’s Federal “Energy” Election ’25 event on February 19, and after listening to the panelists, I issue four friendly challenges to producers and oilfield services companies:
- Talk to your employees about these articles and others. Ensure they understand what is accurate, what is partially true but missing context, and what is blatantly false and why. Your employees are your best ambassadors; arm them with information to compete against the narratives being used by the ENGOs so that we don’t remain the villain.
- Write a rebuttal to constructively challenge these articles and any others that you think mislead on the industry. Ask the authors where they got their facts. Talk about the things we do every day for the betterment of Canada, and do not use the language of the activists. Send it to the media outlets, then share it with your employees and amplify it on social media. Now is not the time to sit apologetically on the sidelines – be part of the national conversation.
- Share factual information with your network. Make sure they know about the technology your company uses, the jobs created, the royalties and fees paid to governments and landowners, and the new projects that positively impact communities. Energy is a robust, complicated topic that extends beyond climate and emissions. Remind your network of this.
- Bring the industry to the people. Showcase your equipment at events like the Global Energy Show and other public outings. Fill the space with the equipment that gets our work done: feats of modern ingenuity, creativity, and mastery along with a fearless embrace of risk.
Keeping the suppressive Bill C-59 in mind, do your advocacy with honesty and facts, but also with a bit of emotion. Bring back the pride from decades past.
Deidra Garyk is the Founder and President of Equipois:ability Advisory, a consulting firm specializing in sustainability solutions. Over 20 years in the Canadian energy sector, Deidra held key roles, where she focused on a broad range of initiatives, from sustainability reporting to fostering collaboration among industry stakeholders through her work in joint venture contracts.
Outside of her professional commitments, Deidra is an energy advocate and a recognized thought leader. She is passionate about promoting balanced, fact-based discussions on energy policy, and sustainability. Through her research, writing, and public speaking, Deidra seeks to advance a more informed and pragmatic dialogue on the future of energy.
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