The Canadian Press reports, “A collection of community groups and labour organizations opposed to shale gas development in New Brunswick is organizing a series of town hall meetings to be held across the province. The series of meetings, which begins next week, is called the Voice of the People Tour.”
“Jean Louis Deveau of the Council of Canadians said the government has the wrong attitude towards the province’s resources when it comes to the economy. ‘Our premier is focused on the dig it up, cut it down and ship it out economy’, (Fredericton chapter activist) Deveau said. ‘We think there are all kinds of opportunities in clean energy that we haven’t even started to talk about.'”
At the town hall meetings, “The groups will present a number of recent studies from the United States that contradict the New Brunswick government’s position that shale gas development can be done safely and will create jobs, Jim Emberger of the New Brunswick Anti-shale Gas Alliance said.”
Council of Canadians Atlantic organizer Angela Giles lists the 19 confirmed town hall meetings – taking place between March 24 and May 27 – in her recent blog New Brunswick ‘Voice of the People’ tour. In that blog, she notes, “The Voice of the People Tour will be coming to communities in every corner of the province. The purpose of our tour is to provide public education about shale gas, clean jobs, and clean energy.” Giles will be attending four of the town hall meetings.
Council of Canadians chapter activists gathered for the Atlantic regional meeting April 4-6 in Saint John will be able to participate in the ‘Voice of the People’ town hall at St. Joachim’s Church in Saint John on Saturday April 5 starting at 7 pm. Chapters will also be tabling and participating in the town hall meetings in their own communities.
