Growing Public Resistance Challenges Foreign Takeovers of Natural Resources

A recent Ipsos Canada poll indicates 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 findings signal a surge in global resource nationalism and growing public sentiment toward reclaiming sovereignty over mineral wealth. According to the survey available at https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/64-canadians-want-foreign-sales-resources-blocked, this represents a significant shift in public opinion regarding foreign ownership of critical natural assets.

Darrel Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Global Public Affairs, explained the underlying sentiment: "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." He further noted that "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 public sentiment aligns with recent Indigenous opposition to major mining mergers. The Osoyoos Indian Band of British Columbia publicly opposed the proposed $53-billion merger between Teck Resources and Anglo American, as reported by Mining Weekly Canada on September 19, 2025. The article at https://m.miningweekly.com/article/indigenous-opposition-clouds-teck-anglo-tie-up-2025-09-19 details how 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, despite South Africa's Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act declaring minerals to be the "common heritage of all the people."

Both Canadian and South African contexts expose an enduring system of extraction without adequate restitution and consultation without consent. 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 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, 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 for state capture. The 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. This growing resistance to foreign takeovers of natural resources represents a fundamental shift in how citizens view national sovereignty and economic independence in an increasingly globalized world.