Leaders of Stop the Tantramar Gas Plant. L-R: Juliette Bulmer, Terry Jones, Kristen LeBlanc
Members of the Stop the Tantramar Gas Plant group asked town council Monday to join their constituents in writing letters opposing the big gas/diesel generating plant that NB Power wants to have built near Centre Village on the Chignecto Isthmus.
“What we are asking from the Town of Tantramar specifically is to oppose the gas plant proposal,” Midgic resident Kristen LeBlanc told council.
She asked that council write letters to federal and provincial decision makers.
“Send them to Susan Holt, send them to Dominic LeBlanc, send them to fellow MPs,” she said, “so they’re eventually heard by the Liberal Party.”
LeBlanc said her group has been gathering signatures on a petition that Green Party leader Elizabeth May has agreed to present in Parliament, but unfortunately there’s been no response to their letters so far from Beauséjour MP Dominic LeBlanc or his federal colleagues.
She made her request after Midgic resident Juliette Bulmer showed a series of slides describing the effects of a 500 MW fossil-fuel plant in such an ecologically sensitive place.
Bulmer said up to seven million litres of water could be drawn from the underground aquifers every day — enough to fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools — with three million gallons of diesel fuel stored and used on the 500 acre site.
“There will be threats to our economy, our health and our way of life,” she added.
“Air pollution causing asthma, increased respiratory illness and lung disease especially in vulnerable populations,” she said before mentioning falling property and business values.
“A peaceful natural community replaced with toxic industry.”
Council reaction
Councillor Michael Tower
“It does baffle me that in this day and age of climate change and forest fires, like we’ve had across Canada and the United States too, that we’re going to put jet engines into a forest and say it’s safe to be there,” Councillor Michael Tower said as about 25 spectators applauded.
“I do love the idea that we write to Dominic LeBlanc and I think we should also be writing to [Prime Minister] Mark Carney,” Tower added.
He referred to “false information” that NB Power and the American company PROENERGY were spreading, an apparent reference to their claim that Mi’kmaq chiefs had agreed to invest in the project as equity partners.
(The Chiefs issued a news release last month saying they had not agreed to invest and wanted a thorough, Indigenous-led rights impact assessment before they would consider consenting to a project on land that is subject to their claims for Aboriginal title.)
Councillors Bruce Phinney and Debbie Wiggins-Colwell also expressed support for a council letter-writing campaign.
“When I first heard about this, I’m like, yes, you know, this is extra income to our municipality and it will bring in tax dollars,” Councillor Josh Goguen said.
“But then, the more and more I’m reading about it, it just does not make sense,” he added, pointing to the “horrible” conditions of the roads around Midgic.
“This is definitely not needed in our area and I totally support you guys and I’ll sign whatever needs to get signed.”
Estabrooks keeps quiet
Deputy Mayor Matt Estabrooks
As Mayor Black called for last questions or comments, an audience member called out to ask for support from Deputy Mayor Matt Estabrooks who represents the municipal ward that includes Midgic, Centre Village and the property that would house the gas plant.
“He can speak if he wishes to, but that’s up to him,” Black said. “I’m not going to make somebody say something.”
Estabrooks stayed silent. After the meeting, he told Warktimes he did not wish to comment and he walked away when Juliette Bulmer approached him.
In e-mail exchanges obtained by Warktimes, Estabrooks wrote in reply to questions from area residents that the gas plant project is making its way through provincial and federal environmental impact assessments.
“I am confident in these processes,” he wrote. “They are the Experts.”
In another e-mail, Estabrooks wrote:
“I will share that I have received lots of feedback from residents regarding this project, the resounding majority being in support of it…that said, any support offered has been unanimously contingent on receiving a stamp of approval from the Provincial and Federal environmental assessment processes.”
Tower promises to act
Councillor Michael Tower said he wanted to move a motion asking council to write letters opposing the gas plant project, but he agreed to wait until council’s budget meeting on September 23rd after Mayor Black suggested it would give staff time to review the matter.
More strongly worded letters. What a waste of time. We need real action to stop this, but let’s write a letter.
( y’all know where letters go – in the garbage can )
write to the silent, see no evil, hear no evil, smell no evil:
abutcher, mestabrooks, bhicks, gmartin. shameful response to their constituents.
Under the new governance model in which the newly amalgamated “The Corporation Tantramar” although ‘based’ on the Westminster style of governance where citizens have input, YOU do not. The terms Council,Councillors are used because they make the citizens (now owners) feel more comfortable. Any petitioners brought to the table are deemed not to be representatives of the public will. The first to be trained in this style of corporatism were Education “owners” elected at large as now carefully outlined on the education Governance web page. A fantastic presentation is seen as “knowledge listening to ignorance.” The petitioners do not have a legal leg (or foot) to stand on. Unless there is a general uprising of citizens there is little hope you’ll change a three-decades-old system adopted by Fredericton.
I wasn’t at the creation of the “westminister’ style of goverance and I assume neither were you. But by all indications and reviews, that initial ‘westminister’ style of goverance has evolved and changed over time and space and definitely in the historical/political/geo-political CONTEXTS to date. As democracy has evolved and changed since it’s basic creation in Athens, one of its basic, most fundamental premises is “Public (demo) Power (Politica) “. And that basic centuries-old premise has stood strong and foundational even through the three-decades-old-system you claim adopted by Fredericton. And the STOP THE TANTRAMAR GAS PLANT project is an uprising of citizens, peaceful in every way possible. We are using every PEACEFUL means possible and will continue to do so. And as for little hope? We have so much support that we have UNLIMITED hope fueled by ‘we are doing’ the right thing.
In New Brunswick the Municipal Councils were created in the New Municipal Act based on the Policy Governance Model (when capitalized purchased) from an American clinical psychologist John Carver. Council (board of Directors) have the authority to make policies that determine ‘local policies”
The Directors serve OWNERS =COMMUNITY. In the corporate world the Board is accountable to shareholders, this is less obvious who “owns” the town. Your Councilors were elected by universal suffrage in wards as geography positions, not advocates for any particular area. So here is the thing. Your council speaks with one voice,through written policy decisions, or not at all. This one of many failures of the Carver model. One key obstacle in a increasingly volatile world is the Directors have only one employee who runs the corporation on your behalf. Neither the elected members or citizens were informed of this until sworn in. Elected officials believed they were elected by citizens to bring to the table concerns and issues of citizens in their wards.
They now find that they only represent the greater good of the whole community. These same principles apply to First Nations and and all Citizens. #1 Director Michael Tower represents no one but the whole community or not at all., not any petitioners however large or how right they are. So the ROAD SHOW is what Carver added to get the WHOLE community since the Directors can never truly express an opinion without being slapped by an infraction of the CODE OF CONDUCT. THE WHOLE COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO BOLT and put their citizens first. Good Luck with that.
These local passionate ladies were actually pleading and asking council and mayor to ask for “Indigenous” input / assessment / approval of this project.. did I hear that right? Um… Why? That could/ would really backfire on them if these empowered and lawyered up “natives” were all for a project [or any project around here] that makes them and their’s some money. Folks, please think hard before you stand before “authority” and make yourself a willing player that is happily subservient to a N.B. “native” group… just something to think about when you present in Town Hall and on the record for others to observe.
You ask why Indigenous people should be asked for input/assessment and approval.
Because this is THEIR land, that’s why, and they’ve a right to have a say.
Now if they support it, that’s how it is. If they don’t, that’s how it is. But their voice HAS to be heard.
Specifically you should look at “Duty to Consult”, FPIC and is considered an IPCA by the Mi’gmaq – which while right now has the 124 acres around the old CBC facility they are also looking to add more land to it. That would include what they can acquire of the Isthmus itself which leads to the land this plant is in.
There is also this:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ab6bc0da0a424b069def013d424758f0
“Because of the ecological significance of the region, it was selected as Community-Nominated Priority Place (CNPP) as part of Canada’s Nature Fund . The Nature Conservancy of Canada is currently coordinating a joint conservation plan to address some of the threats to wildlife on the Isthmus. The purpose of the Chignecto/Sikniktewaq Partnership is to bring together a diversity of views to develop and implement a collaborative plan to conserve Species at Risk (SAR), the broader biodiversity and Mi’kmaq cultural heritage of the Chignecto Isthmus.”
Just to note: unless things have changed, the Indigenous people STILL do not have any record of true support of this project. Rather there was a lack of consultation and… misinformation presented by the American Company on that very issue.
There’s nothing wrong with standing up with the Indigenous community in this or anything else for that matter.
That you put “Indigenous” and “native” in quotation marks is… interesting; are you suggesting that there are “Fake” natives/Indigenous somehow involving themselves in the project, or something else about this is “Fake” to you? Neither word would need quotes otherwise. Your tone in the post comes across as… not exactly good here.
“Because this is THEIR land, that’s why, and they’ve a right to have a say.”
In reality, it is the land of whoever owns it according to the NB Land Registry.
Your uncritical advocacy of race-based land ownership, and the idea that non-Indigenous land ownership is illegitimate, also comes across as not good.
If there is a legal duty to consult, then that should be done, but making far-reaching claims about ownership of everything based on race is at odds with the 21st century and the goal of a free equal Canada where race, sex, etc, doesn’t give people advantages or disadvantages, and every citizen has the same right to be here.
Being a person who has spent the better part of 25 years working in oil and gas, I’ve been following the articles about the proposed gas plant. I admit to being a little dismayed at the rumours and general lack of knowledge of this type of facility, that seems to be manifesting itself in various individuals/groups urging the plant construction to not be allowed. My tenure on projects like this has been with some of the ‘heavy hitters,’ like TC Energy, BP, Shell, CNRL, ExxonMobil, Sable Offshore, Hebron offshore, Hibernia offshore, St.Fergus gas plant, TransMountain Pipeline, Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline, Brunswick Pipeline, Southern/Connecticut Gas, Berkshire gas, among others. Along the way, I also worked for some of the larger EPCM giants, like Bechtel, Kiewit, SNC Lavalin, which has given exposure to all stages of projects like this, from front end engineering and conception, to construction and reclamation, including the relevant environmental considerations and protocols that must be followed.
It is noted that a local opposition group is proclaiming that this facility will induce asthma due to the poor air quality, with an increase in respiratory illnesses and lung problems occurring. I personally don’t buy this and would submit that verifiable proof or facts be offered, to back this up. Anything else, is hearsay/fiction. With all the compressor stations, SAGD, pipelines I have worked on, none of the alleged illnesses resulted from construction or operations on any of those. Matter of fact, the restrictions in place for construction are such that they have to be followed, be it in Dawson Creek BC or Tantramar.
I side with Charles Langlois, the deputy mayor and numerous others in supporting this project.
Thanks fo explaining how biased you are in favour of oil and gas companies in your first paragraph. At least you’re honest about it.
Asthma is one of about 50 reasons why this gas plant and location are horrible ideas. If you lived next to the plant (which should be built far from residences and children), you might be more concerned about the dust, smog particles, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides that local residents will be forced to breathe.
But hey maybe you can get a job there…They’re going to employ a whopping 10 people to sweep the floors while the high paying jobs go to Missouri residents who run the plant remotely.
Thanks for your comments, Kevin. By stating ‘biased,’ I assume you mean having the training, experience and education to know how this type of a facility is built/operated, which gives a certain credibility to whatever points I make in this forum.
You may not be aware that, any facility such as this where hydrocarbons are utilized, is obligated to have air quality testing/sampling done on a regular basis, by either company or third party personnel. In the event that a higher reading than allowed is observed, known as threshold limit value, an alarm sounds and mitigation measures are enacted. An example of this is when sour gas, hydrogen sulfide H2S, increases in concentrations above the maximum allowable limit (usually by burning). Sour gas will not be used at the plant.
Once again, I don’t buy into the belief that asthma, dust, smog particles, CO, NO will be detrimental to the available oxygen content in the local environment. Perhaps you could send along some proof to back up these contentions. Perhaps at the same time, you could also inform of the other 49 reasons, this facility should not be built.
By the way, there are hundreds of other oil and gas producing/refining and transportation facilities across Canada that are currently in operation, in ecosystems more fragile than that in Tantramar. Perhaps you could explain the differences, please.
Thanks very much for your suggestion to pick up a broom, there.
Jon,
Question for you: Do you believe that the lands we reside on are the unceded and un-surrendered lands that belong to the Mi’kmaq?
When it comes to the RIGS project, the problems with it started off with just a “We didn’t even know, weren’t consulted, left ignorant”. When the initial information on the plant came out (just in July even), people were surprised. But then they started to look into it.
IMO there are two camps that take issue with the project. There are the environmental ones (which are going to happen with any project regardless), and there are the ones that feel angry and frustrated that we were kept in the dark, we’ve been ‘misled’ by information from the get go (and has continued) it seems, and that the company is a US based company which considering the current problems with the US, is completely tone deaf by NB Power (let alone the MP who is the Minister trying to work out trade with the US right now) to associate with.
Had the company decided differently on the second group’s issues, more would likely support the plant than be against it. But they didn’t. Right now it doesn’t matter how safe the plant may be or how stringent the regulations are held, NB Power and the company have shown they have no regard for Tantramar and that’s driven people to be against the project. They at least have to try to push for accountability, clarity and for NB Power and the company to listen to them; rolling over will only be to our detriment.
Were you also against the new AIL pipe plant off the highway too?
You’re basically sitting back and complaining about industry in the region.
That’s it. Anti-oil and gas and no solutions to offer other than NIMBYism.
You’ve also happily surrendered to “natives” on behalf of the rest of us here any land rights we might have dating back to 1762 when Sackville N.B. was established by Europeans who had come here and carved out their lives through hard work and pioneering spirit to thrive — something I find extremely unfortunate and ill-advised for everyone living here invested here.
“Were you also against the new AIL pipe plant off the highway too?”
I was against that it seemed to be another one of those “don’t talk to the locals about their concerns” things, yes. But then my father worked for AIL for YEARS and years before retirement (just to be full disclosure).
“You’re basically sitting back and complaining about industry in the region.”
No, on that you’re wrong. What I have issue with is industry not being HONEST with the local region. I take issue with the feeling that they could do whatever they wanted here and who cares. I take the MOST issue with an American Company – which I have repeatedly said – coming in and attempting to set up an operation in Canada when we are currently having Economic and Political issues with said country. Or did you miss all of that?
“That’s it.”
No, it’s not.
“You’ve also happily surrendered to “natives”…”
I’m stopping right there because the rest of your comment is not just outright false but ignorant as well. And your continual degradation of the Indigenous people by applying quote marks around Native or Indigenous proves that degradation. You may not respect the Indigenous people’s of our region, but I do.