Canadians Demand Resource Sovereignty as Indigenous Groups Resist Mega-Mergers

A new Ipsos Canada poll reveals that 64% of Canadians want their federal government to block foreign sales of national resource companies in oil and gas, forestry, and mining sectors, signaling a significant surge in global resource nationalism. The poll results, highlighted in the Ipsos Canada findings, demonstrate growing public sentiment toward reclaiming sovereignty over mineral wealth, with Ipsos Global Public Affairs CEO Darrel Bricker emphasizing that "if globalization is being challenged, particularly by our southern neighbour, then we have to protect our key assets, and our key assets are natural resources." This data provides empirical evidence that ordinary citizens no longer support unchecked consolidation of natural resources, reflecting a broader global awareness that control of critical minerals is intrinsically linked to national identity, climate transition, and community justice.

The resistance extends beyond polling data to active opposition against major corporate mergers, as demonstrated by the Indigenous opposition detailed in the Mining Weekly Canada article covering the proposed $53-billion merger between Teck Resources and Anglo American. Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band, part of the Syilx Nation, stated that "deals of this scale have the possibility of significant impacts on Indigenous Nations and our people" and cannot proceed without including title-holders whose lands contain the mines and smelters. The Band specifically identified Teck's century-old smelter at Trail as a symbol of extraction without benefit, noting that new $750 million expansion plans were being negotiated without proper consultation, mirroring grievances of South African mining communities affected by Anglo American's operations where communities remain excluded from decision-making and benefit-sharing despite minerals being declared the "common heritage of all the people."

This convergence of public opinion and Indigenous resistance represents exactly the type of geo-economic maneuver that citizens are warning against—shifting control of critical-mineral supply chains from the public to global financial centers. The proposed Anglo-Teck merger exemplifies how such deals risk reinforcing economic dependency and potential state capture, particularly concerning given South Africa's Public Investment Corporation, custodian of millions of workers' pensions, stands among Anglo's largest shareholders. These developments occur against the backdrop of the United Nations International observation for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment, serving as a stark reminder that environmental exploitation in any form undermines global projects of peace, equity, and humanity that the world seeks to celebrate during November 2025 and beyond.