Canadians Demand Resource Sovereignty as Global Mining Mergers Face Indigenous Opposition
A new poll shows 64% of Canadians want foreign takeovers of natural resource companies blocked, reflecting growing global resource nationalism and Indigenous resistance to major mining mergers that threaten community rights and national sovereignty.
A new Ipsos Canada poll has revealed that 64% of Canadians believe their federal government should block the sale of national resource companies in oil and gas, forestry, and mining to foreign buyers. The results signal a surge in global resource nationalism and growing public sentiment toward reclaiming sovereignty over mineral wealth. https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/64-canadians-want-foreign-sales-resources-blocked
Darrel Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Global Public Affairs, stated that if globalization is being challenged, particularly by our southern neighbour, then we have to protect our key assets, and our key assets are natural resources. Canadians understand that natural resources are the fundamental driver of our economy. Anybody trying to buy a Canadian natural resource asset must be very, very careful.
The poll reflects a broader global awareness that control of critical minerals is linked to national identity, climate transition and community justice. This sentiment is exemplified by Indigenous opposition to major mining mergers, as seen in the Osoyoos Indian Band's public opposition to the proposed $53-billion merger between Teck Resources and Anglo American. https://m.miningweekly.com/article/indigenous-opposition-clouds-teck-anglo-tie-up-2025-09-19
Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band emphasized that deals of this scale have the possibility of significant impacts on Indigenous Nations and our people. These deals cannot be completed without the title-holders on whose lands these mines and smelters are situated being included. The Band, part of the Syilx Nation, described Teck's century-old smelter at Trail as a symbol of extraction without benefit, noting that new expansion plans worth CAD$750 million were being negotiated without consultation.
These grievances mirror those of many South African mining communities affected by Anglo American's operations. South Africa's Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act declares minerals to be the common heritage of all the people, yet communities note that the lived reality falls short in critical ways. Communities remain excluded from decision-making and benefit-sharing, foreign-capital dependence continues to erode sovereignty, downstream beneficiation lags behind potential in platinum-group metals, rare earths, and titanium, and governance mistrust weakens the state's ability to act in the public interest.
The Osoyoos Indian Band's statement is identical to lived realities of mining affected communities in South Africa. Both contexts expose an enduring system of extraction without adequate restitution and consultation without consent. While Mining Weekly Canada reports Indigenous opposition to proposed foreign mergers, industry media in South Africa seemingly lack a comparable rapport with stories from South African communities.
The Ipsos poll provides empirical evidence that ordinary citizens no longer support the unchecked consolidation of natural resources. In this context, the proposed Anglo–Teck merger represents exactly the type of geo-economic manoeuvre that citizens are warning against one that shifts control of critical-mineral supply chains from the public to global financial centres. While Canadians demand government action to protect domestic resource companies, proposed mergers such as Anglo–Teck appear to advance in the Global South with minimal public scrutiny.
With South Africa's Public Investment Corporation, a custodian of millions of workers' pensions, among Anglo's largest shareholders, there is a clear warning that proposed deals risk reinforcing economic dependency and the potential risk for state capture. This latest Ipsos poll and the Osoyoos Indian Band's resistance reflect a broader public trend, where citizens across continents are asserting the right to equitable and inclusive development, and sustainable management of natural endowments.