For decades, we have acted as though our energy destiny begins and ends at the American border. We dig the oil from Canadian soil, transport it south through Canadian-built infrastructure, sell it at discounted prices, and then wonder why our economy remains so dependent on decisions made in Washington.

If Canada is serious about becoming more economically independent, strengthening national unity and protecting its sovereignty, then the answer is clear: build pipelines east, west and north, but stop building new ones whose primary purpose is sending our resources south to the United States.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s comments this week should resonate well beyond Alberta. He said the previous federal government treated Alberta “like garbage.” Whether one agrees entirely with that assessment or not, many Albertans genuinely feel they have been asked to finance Canada’s prosperity while facing endless political resistance whenever they seek to develop their own resources.

The proposed Northern Shield Energy Corridor offers an opportunity to change that conversation. A pipeline running from Hardisty, Alberta, through Saskatchewan and Manitoba to Sarnia, Ontario, while opening access to James Bay, Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes, is far more than another infrastructure project. It is a nation-building project.

We may have energy wealth, but we have lacked the political courage to build the infrastructure that allows Canadians to benefit fully from it.

Eastern Canada still imports significant amounts of foreign oil while Western Canada exports much of its production to a single customer. That contradiction borders on absurd. Canadians should be supplying Canadians first before looking elsewhere.

The proposal to expand access to ports on Hudson Bay and James Bay is equally significant. For generations, Canadians have spoken about developing the North. Here is a practical opportunity to do exactly that, creating new trade routes to Europe and Asia while strengthening Canada’s presence in its northern territories.

The United States will remain Canada’s closest friend, largest trading partner and most important ally. But friendship should never become dependence.

Recent years have demonstrated how quickly trade disputes, tariffs and political changes can threaten Canadian industries. Every additional pipeline aimed exclusively at the U.S. market increases our vulnerability instead of reducing it.

A truly sovereign country does not place all of its economic eggs in one basket.

Nor should this be viewed simply as an Alberta issue.

Steel mills in Ontario would supply Canadian steel. Manufacturers across the country would build equipment. Construction workers from coast to coast would find employment. Ports would expand. Railways, engineering firms, Indigenous partnerships and northern communities would all benefit from one of the largest infrastructure projects in Canadian history.

That is why this debate is ultimately about much more than oil.

Canada has spent too many years allowing major projects to become political battlegrounds instead of national priorities. Meanwhile, competing countries have continued building the infrastructure needed to strengthen their economies.

The time has come to think differently. Build pipelines east to supply Canadians; west to reach Pacific markets; north to unlock Canada’s Arctic and global shipping opportunities. But let us stop measuring success by how efficiently we can ship more of our wealth south, and use our energy to strengthen Canada.

If we truly believe in national unity, economic independence and Canadian sovereignty, then our infrastructure must finally reflect those values. That is the pipeline strategy worthy of a confident nation.

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  Alberta