MoUs don’t make mines, and partnerships don’t build processing facilities. What happens after the ink dries? By Ailsa Popilian and Marla Orenstein. Originally published in The Hub, April 15, 2026

By Marla Orenstein and Ashley Meller When the Prime Minister launched Canada’s first Defence Industrial Strategy a few weeks ago, it was an appropriate response to a rapidly shifting geopolitical reality. But alongside the important elements that the strategy contained, there was a conspicuous, and potentially even fatal, absence: energy. Specifically, domestic energy sovereignty didn’t merit a mention. But a Canadian defence strategy falls short if the fuel for your fighte