Opinion — From taboo to mandate: Women say develop our resources now |
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Opinion — From taboo to mandate: Women say develop our resources now
The majority of engaged women surveyed by Leger think decision-making is too slow to get the job done
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Until recently, talking about developing Canada’s resources was almost taboo — the default script was “environment first.” New Leger research for Canada Powered by Women shows that script has flipped: Canadians, especially engaged women, now overwhelmingly back pragmatic resource development.
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We talked to engaged women across Canada — women who follow the news, pay attention to politics and think about public policy. Their voice was unmistakable: they want government to get going and, where it makes sense, get out of the way of development.
Opinion — From taboo to mandate: Women say develop our resources now Back to video
In public opinion terms, the numbers are big. Eighty-six per cent say a strong energy sector supports economic stability and 72 per cent say pipelines matter more now given global instability. We have been tracking sentiment around oil and gas contributing to Canada’s prosperity: today 73 per cent of women agree; in 2024 only 51 per cent agreed. That is a 22-point jump in two years.
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Last year, 80 per cent said Canada’s natural resources give the country strong bargaining power internationally. Today that number has grown to 85 per cent — robust and durable support.
Why the change? Two big reasons. First, households are hurting. Energy is not abstract — it heats homes, gets us to work and impacts the cost of groceries. Second, global politics and markets are more volatile than they have been in decades. The war in the Ukraine; the current inward U.S. posture; and the Iran conflict have stressed global markets. Put those facts together and developing and securing Canadian energy stops being an ideological debate and becomes a strategy for survival and prosperity.
Canadian women do not want to turn their backs on the U.S.; most women we surveyed say keep the U.S. as a partner while opening new markets. But they also know we must build export corridors beyond the United States, moreover 84 per cent favour domestic refining so Canada keeps more of the value at home.
The women we talked to give leaders permission to act. Seven out of 10 say governments should act quickly. However, there is a credibility gap: only 23 per cent of the women we surveyed have high confidence Canada can approve and complete large projects on time. There is a tension: women back speed and scale provided governments prove they can deliver, but the majority of women surveyed think decision-making is too slow for this to come together.
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We also heard that 65 per cent of engaged women say the ability to attract capital should be a core policy objective — investment is a key proof point. But we know that investors won’t show up without predictable process for approval and delivery.
For women, this is not a choice between economy and environment. A commanding majority — 82 per cent — of women we surveyed want to balance environmental policy with growth, not choosing one over the other. Today though, only a sliver, 11 per cent, would prioritize the environment at the expense of development. That is a step change for conversations in Canada over the past decade.
It’s also a mandate for political and industry leaders that’s real but fragile. Deliverable action requires transparent process with near-future end dates, and visible local benefits as well as environmental and Indigenous safeguards. Do those things and private capital and public trust follow.
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Regional nuance matters. Alberta and the Prairies are the most enthusiastic proponents of export-led growth; British Columbia and Ontario back responsible development and market fixes. Quebec, historically an outlier on federal energy policy, has moved toward the national position — about three-quarters there see resources as national leverage and roughly two-thirds support developing resources across regions. Yet Quebec remains process-sensitive: only about four in 10 Quebec women would back Ottawa overriding provincial authority. The practical answer is to set firm national objectives, then deliver them through provincial co-design, environmental and Indigenous safeguards, and conditions that attract private capital.
The question for leaders is simple and urgent: will we convert this permission into actual delivery that speaks plainly to households — about jobs, lower bills and the revenues that fund our hospitals and schools — or will we let the moment pass?
Special to National Post
Heather Owen is a Senior-Vice President at Leger. Tracey Bodnarchuk is the CEO of Canada Powered by Women. Data is from a CPW survey of 1,048 Engaged Women conducted with Leger’s panel Feb. 11-16, 2026. Engaged Women are Canadian women 18+ who follow the news, are politically aware and want to influence economic and energy policy; those who are strongly left (~5%) were excluded. For more information, visit canadapoweredbywomen.ca.
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