“The oil and gas industry is on the verge of shutting down.”
“The natural resource industry is niche, there are no opportunities for me.”
These are only a few things I’ve heard about the natural resource industry amongst my peers over the last couple years. In general, the opinions of young Canadians regarding the natural resource industry are fueled with perceptions of the industry disappearing and that it is “the big bad guy.”
The truth is more complex. Canadian’s perspectives are often fueled by extreme media exaggerations, misinformation, political statements, and the intense speed at which we consume social media content. That is why we all need to strive for a more nuanced understanding of this industry. How do I know? I was one of those young Canadians with negative perceptions of the industry before I took my first co-op job with an oil and gas company.
I was born and raised in Fort McMurray, the beating heart of the oil and gas industry in Alberta. My family worked in the oil and gas sector; I was always fascinated by visits to oil and gas plants with my dad when I was a child. Something that filled up my childhood was the Oil Sands Discovery Center. I often went there for school field trips, summer camps, and days out. It was always fun to see bitumen samples up close, learn how oil is made, and climb up the old machinery on display.
This is also where my interest piqued in STEM as I started to form an understanding of the world.
In 2016, the Fort McMurray Wildfire drew attention both nationally and globally. Being part of the chaotic and frightening evacuation made me curious about why it happened. Returning to Fort McMurray, I developed a great passion for alternative energy and technologies. For the first time, I began questioning the impact of the oil sands.
Entering high school, my interest in STEM, particularly engineering, solidified. I promised myself that I would work to elevate the quality of life of those around us. I felt the natural resource industry was not viable at the time, so I avoided any aspect of it. Additionally, media coverage against the oil sands greatly intensified, especially during COVID-19, when prices dropped by more than 40% to US$20.00 a barrel in mid-April 2020, even slipping to negative numbers in late-April 2020.
The way it was portrayed, the industry seemed hopeless, and appeared as if it had lost its attractiveness of bringing wealth and economic growth to the country. Although the numbers climbed again post-COVID-19, newspaper outlets and politicians played a significant role in my perspective to not consider the industry, and I started to look ahead to a career outside the industry I grew up around.
Fast forward to when I began my second year of mechanical engineering at the University of British Columbia. I developed an appreciation for mechanics in physics, enjoyed hands-on projects, and loved the versatility of the field. Due to my shared interest in biology and particular enjoyment of thermodynamics, fluids, and mechanics of materials, I chose the specialization of biomechanics, with a focus on medical devices. This seemed to meet my desire to improve the lives of others.
The market was intense when it came time for me to apply for a co-op position in early 2024. As my first co-op job, I was open to finding a job anywhere within Canada within any industry to gain work experience and learn about something I would not have explored otherwise. Humorously, dozens of jobs were posted within the natural resource industry and featured prominently at the top of my web browser.
After ignoring the industry for over three years, I decided to take the chance to research it again. I began reading about the progress of new technologies, innovative practices., and work around environmental, social and governance (“ESG”). I was surprised at how much the oil and gas industry was doing in these spaces.
This brought my interest back to the forefront, and I took the chance to apply to some of the most innovative industry leaders. After two months, I chose Athabasca Oil Corporation (“AOC”)! I was over the moon about getting the position, but a part of me always felt doubtful if this was really something I wanted to spend 8 months working on.
What was more surprising was the number of peers who responded to the news with, “Oh well, it’s okay; it’s your first co-op.” or “Well, at least you are making money.” Hearing this negativity towards the industry expressed firsthand from others made me realize that many of us shared a negative opinion of the oil and gas industry.
Beginning my work at AOC, I immediately jumped at the chance to be involved with anything innovation related. Although I was at a mid-sized company, their approach to innovation surpassed my expectations.
Working on various innovative projects encouraged me to delve into the regulatory and policy side of the industry. I noticed all the complexities and contradictions between provincial and federal legislation and realized how difficult it is to get things done in this field. Participating in the YCR Case Competition further highlighted this. I recognized that the public could be easily misinformed about the industry, and despite my upbringing in the core center of Fort McMurray, this public included me.
This brings me to my beginning point: What does this more nuanced understanding of the industry involve? The reality is the world needs energy and it will keep needing more energy as the population grows. Over the past 200 years, we have never reduced our reliance on a single energy source. With the current trajectory of other energy sources such as nuclear, hydro, electric, etc., these industries will never meet the demand of the world’s citizens for energy consumption.
Some argue that we must cut down on our usage. However, we need light in our homes at night, heat in the winter months, gas to see our loved ones, and generally to live a high quality of life. The reality is that energy use will continue to grow.
However, this does not dismiss the importance of continuous innovation in the industry. It is important that the industry is given the support to achieve this innovation. I believe there will be a slow expansion from traditional fuels to include new, innovative energy sources, and we should embrace that. But for this expansion to happen, we need young people supporting and committing to making the changes necessary for the industry to continue to positively impact the world.
For this, young Canadians must do their own research and talk to industry experts rather than relying solely on media or word of mouth.
As someone who was skeptical of this industry from a young age and now works within it, I believe young Canadians are essential to redefining its narrative and direction to sustain our quality of life while promoting an innovative and adaptive industry.
Energy has, does, and will continue to shape Canada’s and the world’s future — be the generation that elevates it to new heights!
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