Photo by Norma Jean Augustine.
Council of Canadians Moncton chapter activist Crystal Cookson is among a group of people participating in a 90-kilometre Unity Walk from the Elsipogtog First Nation to Moncton.
The Times & Transcript reports, “Armed with a series of flags and a stack of letters, around 75 shale gas protesters left Elsipogtog First Nation’s Kopit Lodge at 5:30 a.m. Friday for a unity march, slated to culminate in Moncton on Sunday. [A smaller group of] protesters will march approximately 90 kilometers over the course of three days to deliver letters detailing their opposition to SWN Resources Canada in Moncton.”
CBC adds, “They say their message hasn’t changed — they want SWN to stop its shale gas exploration activities in Kent County.”
“On their way to the SWN offices in Moncton, they will stop at the courthouse, where they will sing and drum to protest the charges against Germain Junior Breau, of Upper Rexton, and Aaron Francis, of Eskasoni, N.S., in connection with the Oct. 17 protest [against SWN]. Judge Leslie Jackson is scheduled to hand down his decision on their case on June 19. The marchers plan to camp out in Bouctouche on Friday night, make their way to Shediac, where they will stop at the remand centre on Saturday, and then continue on to Moncton on Sunday.”
“[It is expected that this summer SWN Resources] will be surveying land and doing other preparations for drilling the exploratory wells, including site construction… The company plans to drill four exploratory wells in 2015, in the next phase of its exploration program for potential shale gas development in the province. Two of the exploratory wells are planned for Kent County, in Saint-Charles and Galloway. The other two are planned for Queens County, in the vicinity of Bronston Settlement Road and the Pangburn area.”
The Council of Canadians is opposing to fracking, has called for a provincial ban in New Brunswick, and supports Elsipogtog First Nation and community activists in their ongoing opposition to SWN’s controversial activities in Kent County and Queens County.
