Indigenous partnerships key to Canada’s economic future: RBC report
In a new report, Building Together: How Indigenous Economic Reconciliation Can Fuel Canada’s Resurgence, RBC’s Varun Srivatsan argues that Canada’s economic strategy needs a major reset — and Indigenous partnership is central to making it work.
With growing geopolitical tensions and a shifting global economy, Canada faces pressure to diversify trade, accelerate infrastructure, and boost resource development. But nearly all fast-tracked projects will intersect with Indigenous lands and interests. As Srivatsan puts it, meaningful Indigenous engagement will be key to moving at speed and scale.
The report notes: “Research indicates, 73% of the 504 major resource and energy projects planned or currently underway in Canada run through, or are within a 20-kilometre radius of, Indigenous territories—namely, treaty, title unceded and consultation lands. The value of the Indigenous equity opportunity of those projects alone is $98 billion over the next 10 years.”
Other major themes in the report include:
Renewing Canada-U.S. security ties, with investments needed in northern infrastructure and Indigenous communities.
The global race for critical minerals, with projects like the Ring of Fire and Golden Triangle requiring Indigenous partnerships.
A changing trade system, where Indigenous Nations—Canada’s youngest and fastest-growing population—are a vital strength.
As Srivatsan notes, our ability to move fast depends on our ability to move together.
“Canada’s future growth and prosperity depends heavily on getting Indigenous economic reconciliation right. If not, the country’s ability to diversify our resource exports, enjoy independence and resiliency in strategic sectors, and improve productivity, which has lagged that of other countries for years, are all at risk,” Srivatsan writes.
