by John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Source: Telegraph-Journal
October 30, 2026

Premier Holt sparring with Ashley Anthony last month over the proposed hyperscale data centre in Lorneville that would burn fracked gas to generate electricity

The Liberal government’s shale gas review faces its first real test Tuesday evening when it holds an inaugural public meeting about lifting the 12-year-old moratorium on developing the controversial resource.

Billed as a community dialogue, the meeting is advertised on the Town of Sussex’s events webpage as taking place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Sussex Lions Club.

The provincial government did little to promote the event.

Asked about it by a reporter at the legislature on Friday, Premier Susan Holt said her government chose Sussex because it’s closest to where shale gas has been extracted for many years.

“We thought it was the right place to go first, to the people who will be most impacted by the development of this sector and who have already lived through the impacts of the development of the sector.”

Battered by criticisms of her government’s record deficit spending, Holt announced a five-month public review of New Brunswick’s natural gas anti-fracking moratorium on Aug. 26.

Her hope is that fracking would create jobs and generate taxes and royalties.

The province is thought to have about 70 trillion cubic feet of gas deep underground, a potentially lucrative resource mostly trapped in shale and tight sand formations in southern New Brunswick.

2013 anti-fracking protest

Elsipogtog Chief Arren Sock accompanied by Indigenous warriors and members of his community as he entered the anti-shale gas blockade in Rexton on Oct. 1st, 2013. Photo: Dallas McQuarrie, NB Media Co-op

But the Liberal government of Brian Gallant introduced a moratorium on shale gas fracking in 2014 a year after protesters clashed with police near Rexton over exploration work. Several police vehicles were torched, and scores were arrested.

The Higgs Tory government that took over in 2018 wanted to end the moratorium, but said it wouldn’t make sense until investors showed a renewed interest in fracking the resource. Instead, the Tories carved out a small piece of the province from the moratorium, the McCully field near Sussex, to allow extraction to continue there in limited quantities.

Hydraulic fracturing – better known as fracking – is controversial because it uses lots of water and chemical additives to break rock deep underground and push the gas to the surface. Many people worry about the health and environmental risks of developing the industry.

On the other hand, natural gas burns cleaner than coal or oil, and provides affordable, high-efficiency energy for homes, businesses, and heavy industry.

The Holt government says the review will include consulting with First Nations – many of which were opposed to shale gas 12 years ago. It will also look at the latest scientific and technical developments when it comes to capturing the gas, and gauge the economic benefits and public support for such projects.

Fracking & climate change

Opponents are furious, arguing the gas should stay put, warning that burning the fuel will contribute to global warming. They also say the industry will pollute the air, ground and water.

“We have scheduled the town hall and are getting ready to go and share information with the people of Sussex to listen to their experiences with this industry over the last number of years and to hear their questions, concerns, and feedback,” Holt said.

The premier said her government had set up several working groups to examine different sides of the review. She said their findings would be made public.

“Once we can share that information with New Brunswickers, then we can engage with them to say what do you think about this information. We’re all learning what the economic case, what the environmental case looks like today. Then we can take their reaction to it and incorporate that with the questions that they told us they had through the surveying that we’ve done.”

One of the biggest opponents of shale gas was Arren Sock, who in 2012 became chief of Elsipogtog. He led protest marches in 2013 against the gas exploration company SwN, eventually driving the American company out of the province.

The leader of New Brunswick’s biggest Mi’kmaq community has been re-elected ever since.

‘Great conversations’

Miles Howe’s book provides of first-hand account of the 2013 anti-fracking protests

The premier said she had talked to Sock and others in the community about shale gas when she visited on Thursday to announce the opening of the first long-term care home operated by a First Nation, a 60-bed facility that will be established in Five Rivers, near Elsipogtog.

“We had great conversations with Chief Sock and members of his team,” the premier said.

“Obviously, this is a sensitive subject for them because of the history. We’re talking about a different area, right? We’re talking about the existing area of development as opposed to the work that SwN had done getting up close to Elsipogtog in the past. But like all chiefs, he wants to understand what are the impacts, what are the benefits? What role can we play if we want to play a role?And so that conversation is ongoing with Chief Sock and with every other chief,” Holt added.

The previous Higgs government had strained relations with First Nations chiefs on several issues. Holt said her Liberal government was different.

“Since day one, this government has been demonstrating respect for and a desire to partnership, to partner with First Nations on virtually everything we do, and so the relationship is in a good place. We can have really good back and forth conversations, express concerns, identify opportunities, and find new ways to work together. So that’s what’s happening.”

The premier is scheduled to meet with the 15 chiefs in the second week of November to discuss shale gas again. She said she wanted to make sure that that the dialogue was constructive and “that we’re both moving forward together to get our questions answered, so that we can have a clear decision come the end of January.”

This story was written by John Chilibeck, a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter at Brunswick News.