Pipeline Online Podcast

Dr. Chris Keefer is a leading nuclear power generation advocate in Ontario and President Canadians for Nuclear Energy. He's also a Toronto Emergency Room physician. As Saskatchewan is looking seriously at nuclear power, Ontario has long led the way.

Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Economy and Jobs Aleana Young is also the critic for SaskPower. She discussed the NDP's response to the Saskatchewan Party government's plan to rejuvenate its coal-fired power fleet. The discussion also went into the NDP's plans for nuclear power, "From rock to reactor." It's a lively discussion. 

While there's been a lot of talk about shipping out of Hudson Bay, most of that has focused on Churchill. But a competing project is in the works, with a terminus at Port Nelson. It's called NeeStaNan, which means "All of us" in Cree. The idea would be to build a brand new port close to where one was attempted unsuccessfully over 100 years ago, at the mouth of the Churchill River. This new port would be built offshore, and could be used for a variety of commodities, including LNG and potash. But surprisingly, this podcast revealed that the First Nations backers are not keen on an oil pipeline, which premiers from Saskatchewan and Alberta are eager for. 

The massive Northern Ontario critical minerals develoment known as the "Ring of Fire" has been years in the making, and is still many more years to go. Federal government overregulation is a key issue, according to guest Greg Rickford, Ontario Minister for Ring of Fire. Are there parallels to be drawn here with oil and gas pipelines? Is the Ring of Fire another example of "Can'tada?" At the end, Bronwyn Eyre and Brian Zinchuk discuss those broader implications, including the possibility of using a port on Hudson Bay for exports. 

Minister of Crown Investments Corp. and SaskPower Jeremy Harrison explains how Saskatchewan will indeed proceed with rebuilding its three coal-fired power stations and run them for years as a bridge to eventual baseload nuclear power generation. This is the most significant energy policy decision Saskatchewan has made in a decade, and likely for years to come. It also lends to the possibility of adding more carbon capture, and using that CO2 to greatly expand CO2-enhanced oil recovery. 

Dr. Tammy Nemeth is an energy analyst, originally from southern Saskatchewan now based Oxford, UK. She does a lot of work on the "energy transition" that is being forced upon our society, and how unrealistic that is. Originally broadcast June 9, 2025.

Ken From is former CEO of SaskEnergy, TSASK, PTRC and oil company Prairie Hunter. The discussion goes over Saskatchewan natural gas reserves and production, LNG, and the Economic Impact Assessment Tribunal he was a member of. The second have focuses on From's keynote address to the recent Williston Basin Petroleum Conference. It was called "Humanity, we have a problem."

Originally broadcast on May 26, 2025.

E. Craig Lothian has founded 11 oil companies in Saskatchewan over the years under the Keystone and Villanova names. He is the CEO of Lex Capital Corp. The federal election, Trump's trade war, Alberta's demands, growing Saskatchewan oil production and more are discussed.

Mark Scholz has been with the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors more than 17 years and has been CEO for around a decade. He's one of the leading voices of the Canadian energy industry, and we spoke to him on election day. This has been an election where energy has been centre stage. 

Saturn Oil & Gas has grown from a few hundred barrels of oil production per day to around 42,000 bpd. Most of that is in Saskatchewan. And John Jeffrey has led the way. We talk about Saturn's phenomenal growth for the first part of the podcast, then get into the trade war and federal election for the second half.