Who Pays?
A series on how Canada’s economy intersects with its environment
Illustrations by Jarett Sitter
Canada has long had a resource-based economy. Fur, forests and fish anchored local livelihoods and international trade before this was a country. For the last century or so, oil, gas and minerals have done the same. As modern geopolitics become increasingly unstable, politicians across the country are — once again — promising economic stability through harvesting nature.
But a degraded environment isn’t stable, economically or otherwise. And pollution and the effects of climate change bring hard costs. Food prices rise when farmers can’t rely on the soil or the weather. Flood and wildfire evacuations cost families, businesses and governments. Poor air quality and extreme heat result in lost paydays for outdoor workers, as well as for caregivers who need to stay home with sick kids or vulnerable seniors.
Environmental foresight is good financial planning. From carbon pricing to water protection to flood-smart development, the ways we act and spend today could significantly reduce our future costs. Or, they could massively increase them.
A healthy economy requires a healthy environment. When we try to ignore that, somebody pays. Let’s take a look at who.
Choose a topic
Health
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‘In death and in debt’: how we pay for fossil fuels with our health
Talk of affordability often comes down to the price at the pump. But more and more Canadians are realizing the less upfront cost of coal, oil and gas use, as it affects their bodies
23.6%
In 2023, smoke days were responsible for up to 23.6 per cent more asthma-related hospital emergency visits in Ontario.
17,400
Federal research has found air pollution contributes to about 17,400 premature deaths each year in Canada.
Oil and gas
Coming up: Alberta’s finance minister has benefitted from a system that allows landowners to earn revenue from oil and gas wells on public land. He’s also used tens of thousands of dollars in government funds to help cover costs when companies don’t pay what’s owed. Drew Anderson digs into the details.
Plus: As Alberta struggles with the consequences of decades of poor oil and gas regulation, some landowners are reaping significant rewards — but also facing persistent headaches from using public grazing land.
And: How we dug into the details of Alberta landowners benefiting — and suffering — from decades of political and regulatory failure.
$0
The amount of money the Province of Alberta gets for oil and gas leases on public grazing land
$244,500
Estimated amount of money one grazing land leaseholder earns annually from oil and gas wells on public land
Disaster response
Coming up: Julia-Simone Rutgers sums up the economic impacts of Manitoba’s worst wildfire season in 30 years.
$375 million
In 2025, emergency wildfire expenses cost Manitoba $375 million.
+35%
That’s 35 per cent more than the budgets of the environment and climate change department and the department of natural resources combined.
Energy
Coming up: An influx of natural gas projects is set to demand much of B.C.’s already-stressed electricity grid. Matt Simmons and Shannon Waters consider the cost — and who will pick up the tab.
Cost for residential electricity by region (cents/kWh), based on 1,000 kWh/month of usage
Source: Canada Energy Regulator, 2026-03-04
Agriculture
Coming up: After a major cold snap in 2024 killed 90 per cent of their grapes, wineries in Interior B.C. turned to a government program to save them. Now, Paloma Pacheco reports, that same program could cause some winemakers to go out of business.
Coming up: Leah Borts-Kuperman looks at how the cost of beef is rising as the climate warms, driving some cattle farmers to move to cooler climates.
$3.75 billion
Wine is a $3.75-billion dollar industry in B.C., one that keeps not just vineyards but restaurants, hotels, supply companies and small family businesses afloat.
+23%
Beef prices in Canada are currently 23 per cent higher than the national five-year average — in part because droughts are reducing herd size, while global demand continues to grow.
Development
Coming up: The Ontario government is moving to block municipalities from asking developers to include green initiatives in new projects. Fatima Syed considers what this could cost taxpayers in the long run.
$800,000
The 2025 budget for the climate leadership division in Kingston, Ont., which runs a popular program to help homeowners access zero-interest loans for retrofits that reduce emissions, energy use and water use.
$11
How much the climate leadership division adds to Kingston’s average property tax bill.
Conservation
Coming up: The federal government has announced $230 million in funding for Indigenous Guardians programs — but questions remain about how the funds will be spent, Santana Dreaver reports.
$1 = $5.47
For every $1 invested in Indigenous Guardians, up to $5.47 is returned to the Canadian economy.
Labour
Coming up: Denise Balkissoon and her illustrated friends take an animated look at who gets paid to clean up after the effects of climate change — and who profits off activities that make it worse.
$4,995/hr
The CEO of Cenovus is the lowest paid head of Canada’s five biggest oil and gas companies. He makes about $4,995 an hour.
200x
That’s about 200 times the median hourly wage of Canada’s forest firefighters.