Lest anyone forget that our economy is still overly dependent on resource extraction, this week’s political response to the Trump tariff threat is a harsh reminder. In just one week, moves were made to mine more coal and speed the extraction of critical minerals.

Calls also grew for yet more pipelines to ship Canadian oil and gas to markets more friendly than our currently hostile southern neighbour as panic ensued over the tariffs and what they would do to our economy. Most came from predictable quarters like Danielle Smith, premier of oil-rich Alberta, echoing Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” mantra.

It’s true Canada has energy challenges. There is currently no way to move oil from west to east except with pipelines that run through the U.S., which could be problematic if the current war of words turns into an actual economic blockade. It’s also true that even a crusading leader determined to end our reliance on oil and gas couldn’t do it overnight. Combine our own energy vulnerability with our economic reliance on fossil fuels and throw in a 25 per cent U.S. tariff threat, and what you get is the current national crisis.

Even ardent anti-pipeline activist B.C. Union of Indian Chiefs Stewart Phillip intimated his views were changing when speaking this week about the........

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