Pressure Systems edition
Pipelines, Carbon Captures, and Energy Corridors Strain Canadian Sovereignty
August 8, 2026
What this edition shows
As the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint drives Asian markets toward Canadian crude via TMX, federal and provincial leaders like Doug Ford are fast-tracking controversial bitumen pipelines and northern nickel mines under the guise of national interest. Meanwhile, corporate carbon capture promises like the Pathways Alliance mask ongoing flaring and public subsidies, locking Canadian infrastructure into extractive fossil fuel dependencies while sidelining workforce equity.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 9 sources
-
LNG Canada dropped commitments to operate ‘without routine flaring,’ docs reveal
For years, LNG Canada made environmental commitments in documents submitted to B.C.’s energy regulator. It removed them before the facility launched — then the flaring started
-
Doug Ford pushes a Canadian pipeline as Michigan shuts down Enbridge’s Line 5 update
With the energy giant’s plan to tunnel under two Great Lakes put on hold, the Ontario premier has a domestic pitch — as well as a growing reliance on American natural gas
-
Ottawa advances process to list Alberta-backed West Coast pipeline as national interest project
-
Ottawa approves northern Ontario nickel mine
Announcing the approval in a news release Friday, Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin said "the potential effects within federal jurisdiction are justified when taking into account the benefits this project will provide."
-
Pathways is a costly climate fiction — and Canadians are paying for it
The 2025 Alberta–Carney agreement explicitly links pipeline construction to the Pathways project. Despite record profits — $37 billion for oilsands producers in 2023 — Canadians are being asked to finance infrastructure that increases emissions while private companies reap the benefits.
-
Controversial West Coast pipeline one step closer to being fast-tracked
-
Japan turns to Canadian crude as Asia feels Hormuz supply pinch
Uncertainty over crude oil supplies via the Strait of Hormuz is pushing Asian states towards Canada's TMX crude oil.
-
Calling Carney’s Carbon Capture Bluff
He pretends the technology is a serious response to the climate crisis. Here’s the reality.
-
Canada’s energy transition needs a more diverse workforce
While Canada's clean energy sector is expected to grow in the coming years, the workforce remains persistently inequitable (Unsplash/Pramod Tiwari) Canada’s transition to a low-carbon energy system is creating one of the fastest-growing labour markets in the country. Yet despite strong job growth pr…