Canada is a model in the management of its natural resources. Third-largest electricity producer among OECD countries, third-largest gas producer in the world, and seventh-largest oil producer in the word, Canada is one of the rare countries in which the discovery of natural resources does not lead to economic or political instability.
No instability, and no waste. While the exploitation of natural resources has led to an increase in GDP of 58.2% during the last 20 years, end use has only increased by 28%. This low increase is due to Canadian determination to minimize waste and maximize energy efficiency. Nevertheless, the exploitation and close monitoring of energy resources is not synonymous with massive job creation.
In 2017, the number of jobs in this sector was 276,000 (not including gas station employees and petroleum wholesale sector jobs). So the number of jobs has been declining for several years now. It is representing only 4.9% of total jobs in the Canada economy. This recession is the result of changing needs. Nowadays, the energy sector has well-paid jobs, but mainly for highly qualified professionals with advanced skills in the application of technology.
In Canada, jobs in the energy and natural resources sector are distributed in four areas: forests, minerals, energy and geomatics and geosciences. Each of these areas includes a multitude of professions from the lumberjack to the engineering specializing in oil well drilling.
One of Canada’s big advantages over other energy-producing countries is the diversity of energy sources and their distribution. Not only does the country have oil, gas and water in abundant quantities, but these sources are distributed throughout its entire territory. Quebec’s water power and Alberta’s oil sands are two examples.
QUEBEC HYDRO POWER
More than 95% of the energy generated in Quebec comes from hydro power. Hydro-Québec, the crown corporation in charge of harnessing water power and transforming it into energy, employs 19,800 people, with another 17,000 jobs directly or indirectly dependent on this sector. Aware of the importance of hydro power for the economy, the Quebec government is investing massively in this sector. In 2007, it made available $25 billion over a period of nine years to build new generating stations. This construction has created 10,500 direct jobs and 70,000 indirect jobs across the province.
ALBERTA’S OIL BOOM
The discovery of the world’s second-largest oil reserves in Alberta has provoked a stampede towards the black gold decades ago. For 30 years, the province has been the job creation leader in Canada. In 2003, the employment rate was 69.6%, with the number of jobs increasing by 48,000 in the same year. Seventy-five per cent of jobs in the oil and gas sector were located in Alberta. The province has finally experienced a recession due to changes in the price of oil, as well as many job losses. In 2017, resources extraction only generated 5,500 new jobs and the number of workers has fallen by almost 20% since 2014.
RENEWABLE ENERGY: A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
Harnessing renewable energy sources is the biggest challenge facing Canada in the years to come. This energy represents 17% of Canada’s primary energy supply, with its proportion increasing from one year to the next. According to Natural Resources Canada, wind and solar power are the renewable energy sources with the highest growth potential over the short and medium terms. Not only because the public sees them as an alternative to polluting energy sources, but especially because its availability (in the case of wind power) only depends on the wind. In 11 years, wind power generating capacity has increased tenfold, from 2,000 MW in 1990 to 20,000 MW in 2001.
In 2017, renewable energy represents 56,000 jobs! Federal departments, agencies and federal organizations increased their Mission Innovation * expenditures to $ 479 million in 2015-16, up 24% from previous years.
* (Mission Innovation is an international initiative of 24 governments to accelerate innovations in renewable energy technologies)