The Prime Minister will deliver remarks on Canada's response to unjustified US tariffs on Saturday, August 22, 2026. The address is scheduled for 11:00 am at the West Block Foyer on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Schedule of Events

The full day's agenda includes the following engagements:

Media Access

Coverage of the 11:00 am remarks is open. However, media wishing to cover the event must be accredited with the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery. Both the Cabinet meeting and the First Ministers' Meeting are closed to media.

British Columbia’s oil and gas production rose 92.2% between 2015 and 2025, transforming the province into a dominant force in Canada’s energy sector. A new study by economist Philip Cross, released by Resource Works, attributes this surge to completed infrastructure projects including LNG Canada and the Trans Mountain expansion.

The findings highlight how physical capacity built over years allowed Canada to offset manufacturing declines during recent trade tensions. While tariff-exposed manufacturing output fell $21.6 billion since January 2023, mining output expanded by $16.2 billion in the same period.

Production and Investment Surge

Real oil and gas production in B.C. climbed significantly over the last decade. The province’s share of Canada’s natural gas output increased from 25.3% to 37.5%. This growth was supported by substantial capital expenditure in engineering construction, which peaked at $21.1 billion in 2023, up from less than $5 billion in 2016.

B.C. now accounts for 59% of all pipeline construction in Canada, a sharp rise from less than 10% in 2009. The province’s share of national oil and gas investment grew from under 10% to about 30%.

What the Numbers Show

The data reveals a strategic shift in export markets that insulated the sector from U.S.-centric trade volatility. Energy exports to China more than tripled, rising from $3.2 billion in 2023 to $9.7 billion in 2025. This increase almost exactly offset the decline in energy exports to the United States over the same period, demonstrating that pre-built export capacity absorbed the shock of tariffs rather than improvised responses.

Employment and Future Outlook

Industry employment has more than tripled since 2001, reaching 11,328 jobs in April 2026. Average weekly earnings stood at $2,755, the highest of any industry in the province and more than double the B.C. average.

Resource Works president Stewart Muir noted that the diversification was physical, relying on pipelines, liquefaction plants, and ports. Germany has signed for natural gas from the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG project, expected to attract $30 billion in investment. International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol stated in June that Canada has a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to become a "real energy export superpower."