In response to the federal government’s Powering Canada Strong strategy, David Miller, former Mayor of Toronto and Co-chair of the Elbows Up for Climate campaign, said:

“The Prime Minister this week told Canadians that our country can be an energy superpower. This is only possible by prioritising renewable energy. Local elected leaders know first hand how important this is—for our nation and for our communities. 

Almost 300 mayors and councillors across Canada, representing more than 10 million Canadians, have been calling on the federal government to double or triple Canada’s total electricity generation. We are therefore pleased to see the government’s commitment to furthering electricity supply and distribution. Prioritizing electrification and a national electric grid increases our energy sovereignty, builds a clean economy, and, importantly, increases affordability for everyday Canadians by insulating them from the wild swings of global oil prices. 

But this alone is not enough, and the government’s continued investment in insecure, dated fossil fuels risks undermining our country’s progress. By allowing more fracked gas to remain in the grid, the government is delaying the inevitable transition to cheaper, cleaner, truly nation-building renewable energy. 

The expected weakening of the industrial price on carbon through the MOU with Alberta is a further step backwards, increasing pressure on every other level of government, alongside businesses and households to reduce their own emissions while the highly polluting oil sector continues with business as usual.

Instead of dismantling the policies that protect communities from fossil-fueled wildfires, treacherous floods, severe storms and another summer of evacuations, we can choose a different future.

We can ensure households don’t have to choose between heating and grocery bills. 

We can support communities to build the energy infrastructure they need. 

We can make sure that energy decisions work for all Canadians, now and into the future. 

We need nation building, not nation-burning, projects that do two things at once: protect our economy against tariffs and war-induced price shocks and make our communities safer from floods, fires and other climate impacts. Fast-tracking the electrification of our economy and our communities is a positive step forwards. Weakening the industrial price on carbon sends us backwards.

It’s time to say Elbows Up for Climate — and to build the Canada that we need now and in the future.”