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Fredericton chapter has information table at Boyce Farmers Market

Fredericton chapter

The Council of Canadians Fredericton chapter was at the Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market yesterday to share their concerns about the Energy East pipeline and a controversial forestry deal.

The Energy East pipeline is a proposed 1.1 million barrels per day pipeline from Alberta to Saint John, where a major tank farm and export terminal would be constructed in the community of Red Head for supertankers on the Bay of Fundy. 3,300 kilometres of an existing natural gas pipeline from Alberta to Quebec would be converted for oil, while 1,300 kilometres of pipeline would be built from Quebec to New Brunswick. The project would mean a 39 per cent increase in tar sands production from 2012 levels and would generate about 32 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from the crude oil production required to fill it.

The forestry deal refers to a 25-year agreement signed earlier this year between the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources, J.D. Irving Ltd. and other large forestry companies. In it, the province increased the amount of softwood the forestry sector can take from Crown land by 20 per cent, ended its role as trustee and regulator of the licensed land, eliminated the role of the public in how Crown lands are managed, and reduced the amount of Crown land that is off-limits to forest operations by 23 per cent. It did so without consulting the First Nations whose traditional lands would be impacted by this deal.

Fredericton chapter

The Council of Canadians is working with the Peace and Friendship Alliance, the Maliseet (Wolastoqiyik) people and the Wolastoq Grand Council to oppose both the pipeline and the forestry deal.

Council of Canadians Energy East New Brunswick campaigner Mark D’Arcy, who is also a member of the Fredericton chapter, participated in yesterday’s activities.

Chapter activist Joan Green notes that there was “lots of interest” in their information table.

Further reading
Fredericton chapter protests forestry deal that lacks Indigenous consultation (March 2015 blog)
Fredericton chapter challenges TransCanada at chamber of commerce meeting (March 2015 blog)


Photos by Fredericton chapter.