Richard Prokopanko has spent decades in Canada’s resource sector, from forestry to mining and energy. Now chair of Resource Works, he draws on that experience to assess its role in a changing landscape.
A growing need for balance
“In 2014, when Resource Works got established, there was a very serious need for timely, accurate and responsible information.” He sees the organization as a response to that long-standing gap in public conversation.
Andthat need has only intensified. Domestic debates have become more complex. International pressures now shape local decisions. In that environment, reliable information carries more weight than ever.
Prokopanko points to a simple function that often goes overlooked. “Resource Works does provide that timely and accurate information for people to understand the issues and make difficult but important decisions.”
The emphasis is not just on speed, but on balance. Information must reach multiple audiences, from communities to policymakers, without distortion. For Prokopanko, that balance is what gives the organization its staying power.
A place to meet and solve problems
Beyond information, Prokopanko highlights another role that has grown in importance: convening people who rarely sit at the same table.
“Resource Works does a great job of providing a forum for groups, whether they be industry leaders, communities, governments, Indigenous people, and organisations, to talk about these difficult issues.”
These forums are designed to move past debate and toward resolution. The goal is not just discussion, but practical outcomes. Participants are encouraged to “look for solutions, and to execute them.”
What began as a regional effort has now expanded across the country. The conversations reach beyond British Columbia into Alberta and other provinces, reflecting the broader national challenges faced by the energy and resource sectors.
Prokopanko sees this expansion as essential. Canada’s resource questions no longer sit within provincial borders. Therefore, the answers require coordination across jurisdictions, industries, and communities.
The personal stakes behind policy
For Prokopanko, the value of the resource sector is deeply personal.
He traces his own path through the industry, from an early interest in the outdoors to a career that spanned government and private enterprise. Along the way, the sector shaped his life in tangible ways.
“It’s put my daughter through school, it’s given her opportunities we could have only dreamed of.”
That perspective informs how he views national debates. Resource development is often discussed in terms of policy or economics. Prokopanko frames it instead through lived experience.
Careers, families, and communities are tied to these industries. Decisions made at a policy level ripple outward, affecting everyday lives in ways that are easy to overlook.
Information, trust and the road ahead
Prokopanko often highlights the concept of trust. That trust begins with credible information and grows through open dialogue.
Resource Works aims to provide both. It informs, but it also connects. It creates space for disagreement while pushing toward shared understanding.
As pressures on Canada’s resource sector continue to evolve, Prokopanko believes that role will only become more critical. The challenge is not just to debate issues, but to do so with clarity, accuracy, and a willingness to engage.
In that sense, the organization’s mission remains straightforward. Provide the facts. Bring people together. Help them move forward.
Ian Biana writes for the Resource Works Accelerate team and can be reached at [email protected].
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