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A new national report from Canada Powered by Women (CPW) and PwC Canada finds senior women executives across Canada’s energy sector are optimistic about the country’s resource potential but increasingly frustrated by a lack of policy certainty and project execution.
The report, Fueling What Matters: A National Conversation with Women Business Leaders on Energy, the Economy, and Powering Canada’s Future Opportunities, is based on roundtable discussions held in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Toronto with women leaders from energy, utilities, mining, finance, regulatory agencies, and related sectors.
The central message was clear: Canada does not need more ambition—it needs action.
“The mood during these conversations was unmistakable: cautiously optimistic, but impatient,” the report states.
Participants pointed to unprecedented global demand for Canadian energy and natural resources, including oil and gas, LNG, hydroelectricity, nuclear power, and critical minerals. However, many expressed concern that Canada’s regulatory complexity and inability to execute major projects are preventing the country from capitalizing on the opportunity.
As one Vancouver participant remarked, “We’re a resource country. Let’s embrace it. Let’s be proud.”
An Edmonton participant highlighted a recurring challenge facing Canadian industry: “We’re so good at innovating in Canada, but we’re really bad at scaling that innovation.”
Meanwhile, a Calgary participant summed up investor concerns succinctly: “With uncertainty, capital just sits on the sidelines.”
Four Key Themes Emerged
1. From Energy Ambition to Energy Execution
Roundtable participants repeatedly questioned whether Canada can deliver on its energy and economic ambitions.
Only 23% of engaged women surveyed expressed confidence in Canada’s ability to approve and complete large energy projects in a timely manner. Participants emphasized the need for clear, durable policy frameworks, streamlined permitting, and stronger alignment between governments and industry.
One Toronto participant advocated for “no regrets decisions” and stressed the importance of Indigenous consultation and economic participation from the outset of project development.
The report notes that 86% of engaged women believe attracting capital should be a key element of Canada’s energy policy.
2. Collaboration is Working—But a Common Language is Missing
Participants said partnerships between governments, regulators, Indigenous communities, and industry are improving, but communication gaps continue to slow progress.
“Government speaks in policy. Business speaks in ROI,” explained one Edmonton participant.
Several executives warned that capital is increasingly flowing to the United States because investors see more predictable regulatory processes and stronger returns.
The report argues that governments and industry must align around shared outcomes such as jobs, growth, competitiveness, and investment attraction rather than operating in separate policy and business silos.
3. Workforce Shortages Represent a Generational Opportunity
Rather than viewing labour shortages as simply a challenge, participants described them as one of Canada’s greatest economic opportunities.
One executive called the coming labour demand “the employment opportunity of a lifetime—if we dismantle the barriers and present it that way.”
Discussions highlighted the scale of workforce needs across major projects, including an estimated 100,000 skilled workers required for nuclear developments alone, alongside significant demand from LNG, mining, transmission, energy infrastructure, and data centre projects.
Retention remains a concern.
“We get them in, then they don’t stay,” said one Toronto participant, while Vancouver-based executives pointed to interprovincial labour mobility barriers and a limited construction workforce as key challenges.
The report calls for workforce planning to be directly linked to project development timelines and for greater investment in trades and apprenticeship pathways.
4. Canada Needs a Stronger Energy Narrative
Across all four cities, participants agreed Canada has failed to clearly communicate the economic importance of its energy and natural resource sectors.
One Calgary executive acknowledged that the industry “never did a great job of telling our story outside our borders.”
A Toronto participant added that “energy has been positioned as a sunset [industry], as a phase out… so it’s not well branded.”
Participants argued that Canada must do a better job explaining how energy development supports jobs, affordability, economic growth, Indigenous economic participation, and national competitiveness.
The report points to the successful rebranding of mining around “critical minerals” as a model that other resource sectors could follow.
Strong Public Support for Resource Development
Supporting the roundtable discussions, CPW’s national survey of engaged women found:
- 85% believe Canada’s natural resources strengthen the country’s position in global trade.
- 86% believe a strong energy sector supports economic stability.
- 73% agree oil and gas contributes to a successful and prosperous economy.
- 85% support removing barriers to facilitate affordable and reliable energy development.
- 84% support developing domestic refining capacity.
- 72% support building new pipelines to reduce reliance on U.S. markets.
At the same time, respondents expressed concerns about Canada’s ability to deliver major projects, highlighting what the report describes as a growing “delivery credibility gap.”
Looking Ahead
The report concludes that Canada’s women business leaders are already focused on execution—building workforces, structuring partnerships, attracting investment, and delivering projects—and are urging policymakers to match that mindset.
Kirsten Baker, National Energy Leader at PwC Canada, said the opportunity is significant but requires collaboration.
“This is only the beginning. At PwC Canada, we’re ready to work with governments, the private sector, Indigenous communities, and important organizations like CPW to turn Canada’s ambition into meaningful and measurable action. We need to collaborate so that Canada can harness its full potential.”
Erin Campbell, CPW Board Member and Founding Partner & CEO of Moneta Capital, said executive women should play a larger role in shaping policy.
“The Fueling What Matters report brings forward their insight—and calls on policymakers to engage them as partners to accelerate the ‘how.’ The moment is now, and their leadership is a strategic advantage Canada should fully leverage.”
The report’s overarching conclusion is straightforward: Canada’s energy opportunity is real, but turning that opportunity into economic growth, jobs, and investment will require policymakers to focus less on vision and more on execution.
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FEATURE: Women Energy Leaders Call for Action Over Ambition as Canada Faces Historic Growth Opportunity – A PWC – Canada Powered by Women Report