While N.S. pushes ahead on lifting fracking moratorium, N.B. minister says it's not on the table
Social Sharing
As Nova Scotia tries to lift its moratorium on fracking, it's unlikely New Brunswick will follow suit.
There's significant interest in expanding New Brunswick's resource exploration, but that doesn't include hydraulic fracturing, Natural Resources John Herron said recently.
Herron spoke in the legislature about launching a provincial "mineral strategy to unlock the economic potential of the mining sector."
But that strategy "has absolutely nothing to do with the development of natural gas from shale," Herron said after his speech.
"There is a moratorium in place and I don't see any evidence that there's an appetite amongst New Brunswickers to change the status of that moratorium."
Herron said that while there is "clearly a demand for critical minerals … the same cannot be said with respect to natural gas."
First of all, there's a moratorium in place.
"Secondly," he said, "to be quite frank, where's the market?"
He said there are substantial deposits in shale beds in Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York — enough to supply the northeastern United States.
"That's not our market and — this just in — it's a little difficult to trade with the Americans these days," Herron said.
"So the markets would have to be international and that would require a liquefaction plant — to make the LNG terminal in Saint John to an exporting terminal."
When that plan was last considered about a dozen years ago, the price tag was $4 to $5 billion, said Herron.
N.S. says fracking can strengthen province in tariff war
On Tuesday, the Nova Scotia government passed third reading of a bill that would lift a moratorium on fracking.
Premier Tim Houston began talking earlier this year about the need for the province to capitalize on the potential of its natural resources. In trying to explain the policy shift on fracking, he said it would also make Nova Scotia more financially self-sufficient in the face of a trade war with the United States.
Kris Austin, New Brunswick PC critic for natural resources, did not respond to an interview request on Wednesday.
Rocky road with Indigenous chiefs
The issue is a sensitive one for Mi'kmaw and Wolastoqey communities in New Brunswick.
The chiefs of both nations have always said resource development will not occur without their involvement or consent.
While at an international hydrogen summit in the Netherlands in 2023, then-premier Blaine Higgs told an online business publication the clock is ticking for the province to take advantage of willing partners in Europe for natural gas.
"We've gotta get on with it," he said.
"I want First Nations to be part of this, but there comes a time when you've just gotta find a way to move on, if I can't have any meaningful discussion to make it happen," he was quoted as saying.
At the time, the New Brunswick chiefs issued a joint statement saying the premier's "sudden change of position, without any further dialogue with First Nations, also underlines why First Nations lack trust in the Higgs government."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Observer
37 minutes ago
- National Observer
Many Canadians less confident in future of trade relationship with US: Poll
Almost two in five Canadians say recent court rulings in the US, and the ongoing legal battle over President Donald Trump 's tariffs, have made them feel less confident in the future of trade relations, a new poll suggests. The poll suggests that 38 per cent of Canadians say they feel less confident now about the future of Canada-US trade as well as trade between the US and other countries. Sixteen per cent of Canadian respondents say they feel more confident, while 37 per cent say their level confidence in the future of the trade relationship hasn't changed. The Leger poll, which was conducted online and can't be assigned a margin of error, surveyed more than 1,500 people between May 30 and June 1. The poll also surveyed more than 1,000 Americans. Their responses to the poll were substantially similar. Thirty-six per cent of American respondents said the recent court rulings and the ongoing legal battle over Trump's tariffs made them feel less confident about the future of trade with Canada and with the rest of the world. Another 19 per cent reported feeling more confident and 31 per cent said their opinion hadn't changed. Trump's tariffs are still hitting most countries around the world after a federal appeals court temporarily paused a decision last week by the US Court of International Trade to block his tariffs. The court said Trump went beyond his authority when he used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to take his trade war to the world. A federal appeals court granted the Trump administration's emergency motion for a temporary stay, allowing those tariffs to stay in place for now. The poll suggests that Albertans are reporting the lowest level of confidence in the state of trade relations — 48 per cent of them told Leger they feel less confident about the future of Canada—US and US–international trade relations. That's compared to 38 per cent of Quebecers, 37 per cent of Ontarians and 35 per cent of people in BC. Among Canadians 55 years of age and older, 43 per cent reported feeling less confident in trade relations; just 33 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 said the same. More women than men said they were losing confidence. While many Canadians expressed concern about the future of trade relationships, many also said the fact that US courts are trying to limit Trump's impact on trade policy increases their trust in America's institutions. The poll suggests that 45 per cent of Canadians say their trust in US democratic institutions has increased, while 17 per cent say it has decreased. Almost a third of Canadians said it has had no impact on their opinion. Quebecers were the most likely to say their trust had increased, at 54 per cent, compared to 45 per cent of people in BC, 43 per cent of Ontarians and 39 per cent of Albertans. Canadians aged 55 and over were more likely to say their trust had increased than younger Canadians. Among the Americans surveyed, 38 per cent said the fact that US courts are trying to limit Trump's trade powers increases their trust in US democratic institutions. Another 24 per cent said it decreases their trust and 26 per cent said it had no impact on their opinion. Andrew Enns, Leger's executive vice-president for Central Canada, said that if there had been only one ruling — the one that blocked the tariffs — the confidence levels recorded by the poll might have been higher. "There was a second ruling and I think, if anything, it's left people a bit uncertain about the situation," Enns said, noting that levels of concern seemed to be higher earlier in the year. "I think the confidence, it's going to take some time to rebuild that." The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
National Observer
2 hours ago
- National Observer
Prince Rupert gas pipeline cleared to keep environmental permit indefinitely
The Prince Rupert gas pipeline project is 'substantially started' and will keep its valid environmental certificate for the life of the pipeline, the BC Environmental Assessment Office has ruled. The Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) pipeline is jointly owned by the Nisga'a Nation and Western LNG, but other First Nations and environmentalists say the decision favours corporate interests over climate commitments and Indigenous rights. Tara Marsden, sustainability director for the Gitanyow hereditary chiefs, said the decision was not unexpected, but still 'damaging and daunting.' She said the province frequently bends or breaks its own laws and regulations to accommodate PRGT, undermining the integrity of the environmental review process. 'This is absolutely not in the interests of Gitanyow and many other nations who have expressed concern,' Marsden said. 'It's going to be a significant reversal of the climate policy of this government." The BC government has legislated targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But according to critics, pursuing additional LNG and pipeline projects will undercut any progress made by adding significant new emissions that were not considered in the province's climate plans. Marsden said the government is acting without responsibility, forcing First Nations to fight in court because it doesn't respect consultation, Indigenous rights, UNDRIP or true consent — and the decision was politically and economically driven, not based on policy, law or sound science. 'This is absolutely not in the interests of Gitanyow and many other nations who have expressed concern,' Tara Marsden, sustainability director for the Gitanyow hereditary chiefs. 'It's going to be a significant reversal of the climate policy." 'This government can now do whatever it pleases with no accountability,' Marsden said. 'First Nations are left to fight for these things on the ground and in the courts.' She said the report by the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) — the agency tasked with technical review — was 'very slim,' noting that Gitanyow's own submission was likely twice as long. Janelle Lapointe, senior advisor at the David Suzuki Foundation and member of Stellat'en First Nation, said the approval casts significant doubt on the province's willingness to meet its climate targets, respect Indigenous rights and title, and even follow its own policy on determining whether a project has had a 'substantial start.' The keyword — substantial start — is critical because under BC's Environmental Assessment Act, a project's environmental certificate will expire unless enough real, physical work has been completed on the ground before a set deadline — in this case, November 25, 2024. According to the EAO report, the PRGT pipeline was considered 'substantially started' because the company cleared 42 km of pipeline route, built nine permanent bridges, upgraded or built 47 km of access roads, and set up work areas before the deadline. The company also spent about $584 million on the project since 2013. The concerns related to greenhouse gas emissions and incomplete permits were not part of the decision and was mainly based on the physical work completed on the ground. 'If PRGT was really a good project, it wouldn't need a decade-old permit, quiet approvals, and a government bending the rules to push it through,' Lapointe said. She said since the original environmental assessment certificate was issued in 2014, lands, waterways, and ecology have only become more vulnerable due to continued extraction, corporate greed, and the accelerating effects of climate change. Lapointe said the project will cross hundreds of fish-bearing streams and rivers in a watershed that her community depends on. The government is again refusing to ensure the project won't harm their ecosystems, especially salmon — a key species important to their culture and vital to the local economy, she said. 'The province has failed to address the concerns of the Indigenous nations asserting their rights to protect our territory. It sets a very dangerous precedent,' Lapointe said. She pointed out that newly passed Bill 15 and the PRGT approval highlight a troubling trend — the provincial government is making it easier for corporations to move projects forward, while making it difficult for Indigenous nations to exercise their rights and oppose developments that threaten their territories. 'Are they going to allow outdated permits from 2014 to be treated as more legitimate than the rights of sovereign nations? I am left wondering, why is our province bending over backwards to hand over critical energy infrastructure to American billionaires?' Lapointe said. Christina Smethurst, communications head at Dogwood BC, a Victoria-based non-profit, non-partisan citizen action group, said while the EAO issued the approval, there has been no clear public statement or ownership from elected government officials about the decision, with significant environmental, Indigenous rights and economic implications. "The BC NDP have abandoned any semblance of caring about climate change,' Smethurst said. "Where is the government on this? Who of our elected officials will take responsibility for making this decision?' Marsden said Gitanyow is preparing legal and other actions, and the fight to protect their lands will continue. Lapointe said they would follow Gitanyow's lead in the ongoing opposition to the pipeline. Marsden also challenged the narrative that this project would help Canada's energy independence. 'This isn't about getting out from under the thumb of Americans. It's actually about enriching people who are in Trump's inner circle,' Marsden said.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
In the news today: Liberals set to table internal trade bill
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed… Liberals set to table internal trade bill The Liberal government is poised to table landmark legislation to break down internal trade barriers and increase labour mobility within Canada. The government has put a bill on the House of Commons notice paper that could potentially be tabled as early as today. Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to break down internal trade barriers by Canada Day to create one economy — although the time left on the parliamentary calendar suggests the legislation will not gain Royal Assent by the time the House rises for the summer. Several other provinces, including Ontario and Quebec, have also tabled such legislation to remove interprovincial barriers to the trade of goods across the country. It comes against a backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump roiling the country's economy with stop-and-go tariffs in an escalating trade war — and as Carney has been engaged in behind-the-scenes talks with Trump on trade. Here's what else we're watching… Wildfire evacuees take refuge in Niagara Falls Some Manitoba residents who have taken refuge in Niagara Falls, Ont., after fleeing wildfires raging in their province say they're grateful for the hospitality but worry they won't have a home to return to once the flames die down. Kelly Ouskun says he saw so much fire and smoke along the highway on the drive from his family's home in Split Lake to Thompson, about 145 kilometres away, that he felt 'nauseated' and his eyes hurt. The family flew to Niagara Falls from there and he says they've now settled in at one of the five downtown hotels taking in evacuees, while hanging on to hope that what he's heard about his home — that it's still standing and intact — is true. More than 18,000 people have been displaced due to the wildfires in Manitoba since last week, including 5,000 residents of Flin Flon near the Saskatchewan boundary, along with members from at least four First Nations. Some residents from Pimicikamak Cree Nation, east of Flin Flon, were taken to Niagara Falls on Sunday, with more arriving since then. Wildfires included in G7 leaders summit planning Security officials at the G7 leaders summit in Kananaskis say plans are in place, including the possibility of evacuations, if wildfires become a serious threat later this month. Kananaskis, located about an hour west of Calgary, is in the foothills and front ranges of the Rocky Mountains. Its western edge borders Banff National Park and the Alberta-B.C. boundary. Its remote location is considered to be ideal from a security standpoint for the meeting of the leaders from Canada, the United States, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy, as well as the European Union from June 15 to 17. But with an explosion of wildfires in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and in northern Alberta, a contingency plan is in place if the situation moves south. 'Wildfire has been part of our planning since the summit was announced here in Alberta,' said RCMP Chief Supt. David Hall, an event security director for the Integrated Safety and Security Group, in a recent briefing. StatCan to publish May jobs numbers Statistics Canada is set to reveal employment numbers for May today. A poll of economists provided by LSEG Data & Analytics heading into today's release calls for a loss of 12,500 jobs last month and for the unemployment rate to rise a tenth of a percentage point to seven per cent. Canada's unemployment rate rose two ticks to 6.9 per cent in April amid a gain of 7,400 jobs. That month's figures got a one-time boost in hiring tied to the federal election but also showed a contraction in manufacturing as the tariff dispute with the United States started to bite. The Bank of Canada will be watching the labour market data closely just two days after it left its benchmark interest rate on hold for a second straight time. Fans react to criticism of Gretzky over Trump ties It wasn't long ago that some Canadians were up in arms about hockey legend Wayne Gretzky's ties to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. But as the Edmonton Oilers skate their way through the Stanley Cup final, hockey fans say it's time to let bygones be bygones. The statue was vandalized in March and smeared with what appeared to be and strongly smelled like feces. On Wednesday, a hip-high metal fence was up around the bronze figure. Gretzky, the Ontario-born hockey star who led the Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories in the 1980s, recently drew the ire of Canadians for his public support of Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire for Canada to join the U.S and become its 51st state. Darren Rogers, a Gretzky fan since the Oilers' inception into the NHL in 1979, said Gretzky's leadership led the team to win multiple Stanley Cups. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
