FREDERICTON – A collection of community groups and labour organizations opposed to shale gas development in New Brunswick are organizing a series of town hall meetings to be held across the province.
Jim Emberger of the New Brunswick Anti-shale Gas Alliance says the groups want to give people a voice in the debate over the industry’s future.
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“People in the province have been doing their own research on these problems, and have come up with questions that they didn’t have before,” he said. “I think that’s what we expect to get into on this tour.”
He says they 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.
Jean Louis Deveau of the Council of Canadians says 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,” he said.
He says the government needs to explore the economic benefits of investing in clean energy developments.
The tour begins next week.
*with files from Global News reporter Emily Baron Cadloff
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