Our newsletter, 08 October 2026:
Karen Ogen on cross-Canada streams
Alliance CEO Karen Ogen hit social-media channels across Canada as she took part in recent events and videos.
- Most recently, Karen was featured in a video from Canada Powered by Women, on getting Canada’s major energy projects built, and said:
“The biggest piece to me is the Indigenous component. . . . As long as they have Indigenous communities onside, then there should be no problems in getting these major projects built.”
- Earlier, at a major Resource Works event (‘Get it Done BC’), Karen took part in a discussion with Shannon Joseph, chair of Energy for a Secure Future Canada and Chief Roland Wilson of the West Moberly First Nations. (Photo above, with Karen in centre)
Karen shared early findings from a lessons-learned study with the 21 Nations along the Coastal GasLink pipeline that feeds natural gas to LNG Canada: “Communities want careers and trades, not just security, housekeeping and kitchen jobs.”
- Then Karen was quoted in a special report by Karen Restoule of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute on Indigenous women and their economic leadership:
“Ogen heard clearly from her Nation’s citizens that jobs, contracts, and training were critical in building a strong quality of life for families in her community.”
(Karen Ogen is a senior fellow of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. So is Karen Restoule.)
- Karen also co-chaired the Canadian Institute forum on Indigenous Energy Ownership and Governance, at Edmonton, and spoke on a panel.
Alliance advisor David Keane posts too
David Keane, veteran LNG executive and special advisor to our Alliance, was the author of two important posts that underlined the role of First Nations in LNG development.
First he wrote about how Indigenous partnership is Canada’s next LNG advantage and how it could become one of Canada’s greatest competitive advantages.
“Increasingly, First Nations are looking beyond simply receiving benefits from projects developed within or near their traditional territories. They are seeking meaningful participation in the economic opportunities those projects create, through ownership, equity investment, procurement, employment, training, and long-term business development. . . . They are partners, proponents, and owners.”
Then came his look at how Indigenous equity is reshaping Canada’s major projects. He cited a report that identified 546 Indigenous-owned energy and resource projects across Canada, representing approximately $283 billion in value.
“Those numbers tell an important story. But I believe the more important story is what they represent: a fundamental change in the relationship between First Nations and major project development in Canada. . . . Indigenous equity ownership is becoming an increasingly important feature of Canada’s energy and resource economy.”
Also: David Keane now has joined the board of Equitable Origin (EO), which certifies natural gas for social and environmental standards, and supports Indigenous interests. See also: https://bit.ly/4B2ZyqH. Our Alliance has an MoU with EO.
Indigenous Clean Energy
While our Alliance focuses on natural gas and LNG, especially when First Nations are involved, we also support, and keep an eye on, Indigenous clean energy:
- Renewable energy makes up 65% of Indigenous-owned projects in Canada, with wind farms in the lead: https://bit.ly/4hkfADn
- Capstone Infrastructure and the Lower Nicola Indian Band in BC rename their Mount Mabel wind project as Winds of Syex̣t: https://bit.ly/4hmF2cD
- Indigenous communities and the Port of Belledune in New Brunswick work together to build a “green energy hub”: https://bit.ly/4y1cXg1
- Four First Nations in Ontario partner on a proposal to develop a solar-energy project for a gold mine: https://bit.ly/4AR8j6P
- Carbon-capture conference discusses Indigenous partnership: https://bit.ly/46SSkri
- First Nations see opportunity for partnerships as Saskatchewan lays out nuclear-power plans: https://bit.ly/4jDCfNF See also: https://bit.ly/4xWe68x
ALSO in the NEWS
- Canada has been called ‘an absolute natural-gas powerhouse.’ But there’s more to our natural gas than gas: Along with it come valuable natural-gas liquids. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4iX5Ql4
- Britain’s Centrica signs preliminary agreement to buy 1 million tonnes of LNG a year from Ksi Lisims LNG in BC, for 20 years: https://bit.ly/4ykScNe See also: https://bit.ly/4hUToB5
- Canada’s LNG exports now amount to one million tonnes a month. Prime Minister Mark Carney sees this future: ‘Doubling our liquid natural gas exports to 50 million tonnes annually by 2030, and then doubling them again.’ https://bit.ly/4h9ykGX
- Germany’s foreign minister says his country wants more LNG. From Canada? ‘Of course.’ https://bit.ly/4ym3Zem
- The Montney formation has become Canada’s dominant source of natural gas, at 45% in 2024. Now the Canada Energy Regulator reckons its share could grow to 63% by 2035 and 71% by 2050: https://bit.ly/4z1bbfT
EVENTS
- Oct. 26-28: World Indigenous Business Forum, Winnipeg: https://bit.ly/4wYCir7
- Oct. 26-29: Canadian Gas Association, CGA Energy Week, Toronto: https://bit.ly/4vs7f5J
- Oct. 28-29: Vancouver International Security Summit: https://bit.ly/4hwy70V. Our CEO Karen Ogen is a speaker.
- Nov. 4-5: spark Indigenous Energy Summit, Calgary: https://bit.ly/4rwUpmj See also: https://bit.ly/3VcZcgI Our Karen Ogen will be a panellist.
- Nov. 13: Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Energy and Natural Resources Forum, Vancouver: https://bit.ly/4yFDi47
- Nov. 17-19: Marine Renewables Canada Conference, Ottawa: https://bit.ly/4ezd2Bj
- Nov. 27: Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., online Indigenous Consultation & Engagement: Level 2: https://bit.ly/4rOJzYN
- Nov. 30-Dec. 1: Clean Energy BC’s First Nations Energy Summit, Vancouver: https://bit.ly/4xMQfci
- Dec. 2-4 (new date, changed from Oct. 20-22): National Coalition of Chiefs’ energy and natural resource summit, Calgary: https://bit.ly/4qSEVZo
2027 EVENTS
- Jan. 19-21, BC Natural Resources Forum, Prince George: https://bit.ly/4vcSF25
- Feb. 1-4, Assembly of First Nations’ National Natural Resources Forum, Montreal: https://bit.ly/4r5VGQZ
- April 11-13: First Nations Major Projects Coalition conference, Toronto: https://bit.ly/3TkH57K
- April 12-14, Canada Gas and LNG conference, Vancouver: https://bit.ly/
4AVMlzK - April 12-14, Canada Gas and LNG conference, Vancouver: https://bit.ly/4hIupkQ
- July 6-8: Assembly of First Nations’ annual general assembly, Edmonton. Details TBA.
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