Canadians Demand Resource Sovereignty as Global Mining Mergers Face Indigenous Opposition

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. This sentiment reflects broader global awareness that control of critical minerals is linked to national identity, climate transition and community justice.

Darrel Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Global Public Affairs, stated that if globalization is being challenged, particularly by neighboring countries, then nations must protect their key assets, with natural resources being fundamental economic drivers. The polling data from https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/64-canadians-want-foreign-sales-resources-blocked provides empirical evidence that ordinary citizens no longer support unchecked consolidation of natural resources.

This public sentiment aligns with Indigenous opposition to major mining mergers, as demonstrated by the Osoyoos Indian Band of British Columbia's public opposition to the proposed $53-billion merger between Teck Resources and Anglo American. Chief Clarence Louie emphasized that deals of this scale cannot be completed without including the title-holders on whose lands these mines and smelters are situated. 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.

The Mining Weekly Canada article from September 19, 2025, available at https://m.miningweekly.com/article/indigenous-opposition-clouds-teck-anglo-tie-up-2025-09-19, details how Indigenous opposition is affecting major mining consolidation efforts. These grievances mirror those of many South African mining communities affected by Anglo American's operations, despite South Africa's Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act declaring minerals to be the common heritage of all people.

In both Canadian and South African contexts, communities remain excluded from decision-making and benefit-sharing, foreign-capital dependence continues to erode sovereignty, and downstream beneficiation lags behind potential in platinum-group metals, rare earths, titanium. Governance mistrust weakens the state's ability to act in the public interest, creating systems of extraction without adequate restitution and consultation without consent.

The proposed Anglo-Teck merger represents exactly the type of geo-economic maneuver that citizens are warning against one that shifts control of critical-mineral supply chains from the public to global financial centers. 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 among Anglo's largest shareholders, there is a clear warning that proposed deals risk reinforcing economic dependency and the potential 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. Evidence-based statistics from research organizations indicate the desire of citizens to call on governments to act as responsible custodians of mineral sovereignty. The global trend of corporate mergers challenges that principle, deepening the divide between those who extract wealth and those who live with its consequences during this United Nations observance period focused on preventing environmental exploitation.