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The Department of Natural Resources recently released figures that show the importance of resources to Canada\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
Last year, income from the fields of energy, minerals, metals, and forestry generated nearly one-fifth of the country\u2019s overall GDP. In addition, the natural resources sector provided approximately 800,000 direct and a further 800,000 indirect jobs, which amount to roughly 10 percent of Canada\u2019s workforce.<\/p>\n
This industry is expected to continue expanding throughout the next decade. Most Canadian provinces are expected to benefit from this boom in industry. While Alberta is recognized as a leader in this sector (thanks to its oil reserves), provinces from Quebec to British Columbia are also poised to further open their natural resources to the global market.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not all oil sands and it\u2019s not all Alberta,\u201d says Resources Minister Joe Oliver. \u201cIt is forestry in British Columbia, potash and uranium in Saskatchewan, mining in Ontario\u2019s Sudbury Basin, hydropower in Quebec and all the related supply chains.\u201d<\/p>\n
He goes to emphasize the importance that this sector will have for Canada\u2019s economic success in the future. \u201cOur natural resources hold tremendous potential for Canadian prosperity and security, for jobs and for hundreds of billions of dollars in revenues for critical social programs,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
Hand in hand with this industry boom is a need for qualified workers to fill labour shortages in related fields. Increasingly, Canadian companies have made efforts to find these workers internationally.<\/p>\n