Canada and Energy: The Centre Cannot Hold

With rising energy costs have come booming oil revenues for western and eastern Canada, while central Canada may be facing "brownouts" and a difficult future -- how will energy change the Canadian landscape?

1 minute read

January 9, 2006, 12:00 PM PST

By Michael Dudley


"Picture this. A decade from now, the path for young university graduates leads up to Yellowknife to join the growing throng of outdoorsy pilgrims making their first big money on the new Mackenzie Valley pipeline. When they've raked in a good chunk of money from the pipeline and have tired of the isolation of the North, they will head back to Alberta. There will be fabulous jobs in all the head offices that have migrated to the province, and they'll pay no tax on those salaries.

"But they certainly won't move to Ontario. That province's manufacturing base is rusting, the auto sector collapsed after General Motors filed for bankruptcy, and brownouts are as frequent as power bills are high.

"This vision of Canada is extreme, but not impossible. This has always been a country of regional divides. Any tenuous balance that may have developed over the past couple of decades is quickly being shattered by one key factor: high energy prices."

Monday, January 9, 2006 in The Globe & Mail

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Cars on a New York City street

USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing

Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.

February 20, 2025 - StreetsBlog NYC

Tiny home village for unhoused reisdents in Torrance, California.

Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi

One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.

February 20, 2025 - Mark Tirpak

Charred trees on hillside in Altadena, California after Eaton Fire.

Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.

March 3 - LAist

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Tent covered with camouflage tarp with American flag on front under freeway overpass in California.

Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing

Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.

March 3 - The Associated Press

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.