MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT CANADA’S RESOURCES

What are some factors that influence decisions about resource use in Canada? Global prices – how much will we get for it? Production costs – is it worth the cost? Transportation costs – how will we get it to market and can we afford the cost of shipping? Climate – will drought affect our production? Location – how hard is it to get at those resources? Transportation routes – can we build a pipeline? Can we ship through the Northwest Passage?

Who owns the land and the resources? Governments own all land not owned by private individuals or corporations. These are called Crown Lands. The provincial governments own the resources above, on and below the surface of these lands and manages them for the benefit of their citizens. Governments cooperate with companies who want to extract resources by giving them access to the land without giving them ownership of the land.

How do other countries affect our decisions about resources? Trade Agreements International agreements to protect environment Foreign ownership of resource extraction companies

Who else has a say in our decisions about resources in Canada? Governments at all levels (federal, provincial, municipal) Industry (eg. Imperial Oil) Environmental Groups (eg. Greenpeace) Special Interest Groups (eg. Concerned Citizens) Aboriginal Groups (eg. Nunavut)