SUPPORT CANADIAN ENERGY: the launch of a respectful energy dialogue

The Resource Communities of Canada Coalition (RCCC) is a collaborative group established to support the responsible development of energy infrastructure projects. Responsible resource development is essential for the future of all municipalities. The just-concluded Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Annual Conference and Trade Show, held in Quebec City, provided the ideal environment for us to launch the SUPPORT CANADIAN ENERGY campaign—the first major campaign by the RCCC.

The campaign is a respectful conversation between municipal leaders outlining how municipalities are entwined with the energy industry. We wanted to promote respectful and open dialogue about the energy industry so different perspectives from across the country could be heard. The intention of the campaign was educating the elected officials and the public about the benefits of the resource and energy industry in addition to personal meetings so that relationships are built, and information shared. Attendees of the meetings left feeling informed, supported and felt they were a successful step forward.

There is great power in a structured and coordinated approach to representing municipal resource development interests across the country. The SUPPORT CANADIAN ENERGY booth at the FCM conference was a busy and energetic hub of respectful conversations. Campaign websites SupportOurEnergy.ca and SoutenonsNotreEnergie.ca have information related to the campaign and how you can continue to support it.

Since the launch of the campaign, we had over 300 new visits within 10 days of the launch of both websites, news media coverage in Quebec and Alberta, and over 14,000 social media impressions. Over 1,000 t-shirts featuring French or English messages were distributed to conference attendees. Similarly, 1,200 buttons inviting a chat about Canadian energy were distributed and visible on the lanyards of about 1 in every 4 delegates. The support received for the campaign has been tremendous. Thank-you for your support.

But, this is just the beginning for us. We will be continuing our efforts through the RCCC moving forward. We are partnering with our sister municipal associations and municipalities across the country to build on this momentum and formalize the RCCC with a detailed terms of reference. Thus, there is a strategic and long-term approach to ensure our unified municipal voice is heard on responsible resource development and to use it in the federal election.

This campaign is a perfect example of us working together to advance our municipal concerns in a positive and respectful manner. We are focusing on relationship building and collaboration with municipal colleagues who have a different perspective so that we all might benefit together.