Backgrounder: New initiative to examine fossil fuel networks in Western Canada

The new six-year research and public engagement initiative, Mapping the Power of the Carbon-Extractive Corporate Resource Sector, is a collaborative project hosted by UVic and jointly led by the university, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (BC and Saskatchewan offices) and the Parkland Institute at the University of Alberta. It is supported by a $2.5-million SSHRC partnership grant and by an additional $2 million in matching contributions from participating universities and community partners; the majority of matching support comes from UVic (approximately $730,000); CCPA-BC and SK (combined, approximately $680,000) and the Parkland Institute (more than $200,000).

The 10 partner organizations are:
•    Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC office
•    Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – SK office
•    Parkland Institute, University of Alberta
•    Public Accountability Initiative
•    Simon Fraser University
•    Unifor
•    University of Lethbridge
•    University of Northern British Columbia
•    University of Regina
•    University of Victoria

The project group includes a team of 28 academic researchers from 12 universities, as well as a diverse mix of advisors and partners from environmental, Indigenous, labour and social justice communities. Most team members hail from Western Canada, but the project also builds connections with researchers and organizations in other parts of the world, including the US-based Public Accountability Initiative which has extensive experience developing open source corporate databases.

The project will produce an interactive online mapping tool and database for use by media, policy makers, affected communities, civil society groups and the public. This mapping tool will enable research and collaboration by citizens, academics and civil society groups, who will receive training and support as a community of wiki contributors is developed. Co-applicants, collaborators and students will be trained and supported as public intellectuals, enabling them to actively contribute to public discussions about Canada’s energy policies. For a full list of team members, visit https://www.policyalternatives.ca/node/13239.

For general information about this project, please contact UVic sociologist and co-director of the partnership Dr. Bill Carroll by email at wcarroll@uvic.ca.