Category Archives: First Nations

NEB-to-announce-Enbridge-recommendations-today

NEB to announce Enbridge recommendations today

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NEB-to-announce-Enbridge-recommendations-today
Chiefs of the Tsimshian First Nation speak out against Enrbidge at a 2012 Prince Rupert rally

VANCOUVER – Following months of hearings, years of debate and dozens of protests, the federal panel reviewing the controversial Northern Gateway pipeline will release its report later today.

Much hangs in the balance.

The $6-billion pipeline that would connect the Alberta oilsands to tankers on British Columbia’s coast bound for the emerging markets of Asia has become the beachhead in the battle between economics and the environment.

If approved, the pipeline will likely be just the first to put billions of dollars into the coffers of Alberta, Ottawa and other provincial governments, not to mention the bank accounts of the proponent, Calgary-based Enbridge (TSX:ENB), and the international companies with a stake in the project.

“I would guess that in the early planning stages… they thought these were slam-dunks,” Marc Lee, an analyst at the left-leaning Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, says of Northern Gateway, Keystone XL and other pipeline projects now facing staunch opposition.

So, what went wrong? What didn’t.

The pipeline was always going to face an uphill battle west of the Rockies, in the province where the environmental movement was bolstered by the decades-old “War in the Woods” against old-growth logging.

Enbridge and the oil patch drastically underestimated the power of Green Corp., the older, wiser and better-funded modern version of the tye-dyed denizens who were arrested trying to save trees in the 1990s. Flush with cash from green philanthropists largely from south of the border, groups like Forest Ethics Advocacy, the Dogwood Initiative and Rising Tides have mounted a relentless campaign in Canada and abroad.

“Now, we could potentially see another ‘war in the woods’ over this pipeline,” Lee says.

Growing concern over climate change has been a factor.

Northern Gateway and other pipeline projects — the Keystone XL to the U.S. Gulf Coast, the reversal of Enbridge’s Line 9 through Ontario and Quebec, and Kinder Morgan’s proposed expansion of its Trans Mountain line to Metro Vancouver — mean production in the Alberta oilsands could as much as triple by 2035 and the greenhouse gases it emits along with it.

But while the global concern over greenhouse gas emissions may have spurred funding, protests in B.C. have been more of the grassroots, not-in-my-ocean variety.

There are also concerns that the heavy, molasses-like diluted bitumen coming from the oilsands is more corrosive and difficult to clean up in the event of a spill.

But perhaps the toughest hurdle for the project has been the simmering tension between B.C. First Nations and the federal government.

Unlike the rest of Canada, most First Nations in the westernmost province never signed treaties with the Crown. Decades of treaty negotiations have largely gone nowhere and aboriginal rights have been left to the courts.

Before Enbridge ever filed its application for the pipeline, Ottawa made the fateful decision to let the joint review of the National Energy Board and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency stand for its duty to consult with First Nations.

“The federal government would not support a process for aboriginal consultation separate from the (joint review panel) process…,” said an internal Aboriginal Consultation Plan obtained by The Canadian Press using an Access to Information request.

That didn’t go well.

“We’re treated as a stakeholder in this process,” Carrie Humchitt, a lawyer for the Heiltsuk Nation, said as the panel hearings became increasingly adversarial earlier this year. “We are not just stakeholders. We have specific rights very different from other interest groups.”

Many aboriginal groups opposed to the pipeline refused to take part in the review. Several have indicated they are already preparing court action should the project get the nod.

“Even if the joint review panel says yes, and even if the Harper government says yes, I don’t think this is going to get built any time soon. This will be in courts for a really long time,” Lee says.

The political backlash was not limited to First Nations.

The Conservative government became defensive over oil patch expansion, with Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver branding opponents “foreign special interests groups” that threatened to “hijack our regulatory system to achieve their radical ideological agenda.”

The government changed the rules to give cabinet the final say on the approval, and rewrote the rules around waterways and environmental protections.

It wasn’t until after the project was mired in controversy that Oliver announced rules that began to address some of the concerns around tanker and pipeline safety, and liability in the event of a spill.

Greg D’Avignon, president of the B.C. Business Council, says the outcome of the Northern Gateway project will shape B.C.’s future. Either the province will have a multibillion-dollar project or a reputation as the “no” province.

“The reality is whether you support this particular project or not, that culture is now building a bit of a reputation and we’re going to suffer the consequences in terms of our quality of life, our ability to fund education and health care if we don’t start to figure out how to get things done,” he says.

The demand for oil has not diminished, but it Canada can’t meet those needs the market will go elsewhere, he says.

There is disconnect in the public over the oil industry, D’Avignon says.

“Vancouver Island would shut down in three days if it weren’t for the oil barge that goes out of Burrard Inlet a couple times a week,” he says.

“So, we like the benefits of oil but we don’t want the ability to actually extract it, move it, sell it into the marketplace and create jobs from it.

“And we need to reconcile that, because even if we stopped using oil today, it would be 30 to 40 years before there would be alternative energy sources to pick up that demand in the market place.”

Despite the hurdles, the proponent remains optimistic.

Northern Gateway spokesman Ivan Giesbrecht says years of hard work went into the application, and the company believe it can build the safest pipeline in the world.

“It’s an important step for us, but it’s been a very thorough process by the joint review panel and we’re looking forward to the announcement.”

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Harper Government approves-Shell oilsands mine, despite significant adverse effects

Harper Govt approves Shell’s Jackpine oilsands mine despite ‘significant adverse effects’

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Harper Government approves-Shell oilsands mine, despite significant adverse effects
ACFN Chief Allan Adam outside an Alberta court in 2012, challenging Shell’s Jackpine development

Shell Canada’s Jackpine oilsands mine expansion plan has received the go-ahead from Ottawa, despite the environment minister’s view that it’s “likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.”

In a statement late Friday, environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq concluded that the effects from the 100,000-barrel-per-day expansion are “justified in the circumstances.”

The nearby Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation has said the project will violate several federal laws covering fisheries and species at risk, as well as treaty rights.

They said they had received so little information on how Shell plans to live up to conditions imposed on it by a federal-provincial panel that they asked Ottawa for a 90-day delay on the decision — originally expected Nov. 6 — to work some of those issues through.

They were granted a 35-day delay, but Friday’s decision didn’t even wait until that period was up.

Allan Adam, chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, was outraged that the federal decision came as the government was still supposed to be in talks with the band about how the project’s effects were to be mitigated, declaring:

[quote]They just kept us in the loop and strung us along and played games with us. To them it’s all a game.[/quote]

Although all 88 conditions the review panel placed on the project are now legally binding, Adam said neither the government nor the company has explained how those conditions will be met.

Adam said the government’s move to go ahead despite the serious environmental consequences of the project leave the band little choice.

“This government has to realize we’ll be holding them accountable,” he said. “We’ll be looking at legal action and we’ll pursue this through legal action.”

Greenpeace Canada issued a statement accusing the Harper government of putting the short term interests of oil companies ahead of environmental protection and First Nations treaty rights.

“Canada would be much better off diversifying its economy, investing in renewables, green jobs and projects that get us out of this madness not deeper into it,” the statement said.

[quote]How many more extreme weather events will it take till our Prime Minister realizes this is one problem he can’t mine his way out of?[/quote]

The Jackpine expansion would allow Shell to increase its bitumen output by 50 per cent to 300,000 barrels a day.

“We’re reviewing the recommendations and proposed conditions attached to the approval,” said Shell spokesman David Williams.

Williams added Shell must consult with the minority partners in the project — Chevron and Marathon — before making a formal decision to proceed.

A review panel concluded last July that the project was in the public interest but warned that it would result in severe and irreversible damage so great that new protected areas should be created to compensate.

The review concluded that the project would mean the permanent loss of thousands of hectares of wetlands, which would harm migratory birds, caribou and other wildlife and wipe out traditional plants used for generations. It also said Shell’s plans for mitigation are unproven and warned that some impacts would probably approach levels that the environment couldn’t support.

Shell has said Alberta’s new management plan for the oilsands area will provide more concrete data to assess and mitigate environmental impacts. The company has purchased about 730 hectares of former cattle pasture in northwestern Alberta to help compensate for the 8,500 hectares of wetland that would be forever lost.

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First Nation in Ontario's 'Chemical Valley' affected by pollutants

First Nation in Ontario’s ‘Chemical Valley’ affected by pollutants

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First Nation in Ontario's 'Chemical Valley' affected by pollutants

A new study is drawing attention to the health problems being faced by a First Nations community living near one of Canada’s most industrialized areas.

Members of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation living on a reserve near Sarnia, Ont., have long suspected harmful chemicals were behind an unusually low male birth rate and slew of other reported health issues.

Now, tests performed by a McGill University professor suggest mothers and children are being exposed to higher-than-average levels of harmful hormone-blocking pollutants.

While the study doesn’t prove that the pollutants are to blame for earlier research that found baby girls outnumbered boys by a two-to-one ratio in the community, it does suggest a possible link.

Chemical Valley

The reserve at the centre of the study is located near a patch of southern Ontario that some environmental activists call “chemical valley.”

There are 60 industrial facilities found within a 25 kilometre radius of Aamjiwnaang lands.

“It’s the first study to really show that mothers and children in the area are exposed to a number of pollutants,” said Niladri Basu, a McGill professor and the study’s lead author.

More detailed research is needed to establish a connection between pollutants, health risks and the surrounding environment, Basu said.

Residents of Aamjiwnaang have been calling for such a study for years, though a lack of funding continues to impede more detailed research.

The Bucket Brigade

Ada Lockridge, who helped found Aamjiwnaang’s environmental committee, said pollution is a fact of life for the reserve’s roughly 800 residents.

Like others in the community, Lockridge keeps a special plastic bucket — as part of a group known as the “bucket brigade” — to collect environmental samples that can be tested for toxins whenever the air seems especially poor. The results are sent to a U.S.-based monitoring organization.

“It’s a beautiful place, but there is all kinds of industry close by,” she said.

According to Lockridge, the evidence continues to mount in favour of stricter environmental controls in the area.

“Everything we do gets us a little further, but it’s moving very slowly,” she said.

[quote]Every study we’ve ever done, people say, ‘this is cause for concern,’ but more studies need to be done.[/quote]

Sarnia home to 40% of Canada’s chemical industry

Approximately 40 per cent of Canada’s chemical industry is clustered in the area, according to a 2007 report by the Canadian environmental group Ecojustice.

Located at the southernmost tip of Lake Huron on the border between Ontario and Michigan, activists say the area has become one of Canada’s pollution hot spots — lined with chemical plants, manufacturing plants, and refineries.

Miscarriages and asthma

A 2006 community survey by Aamjiwnaang’s environment committee cited a number of health issues, including miscarriages, chronic headaches and asthma. Forty per cent of band members surveyed required an inhaler.

Elaine MacDonald, a scientist who co-authored the 2007 Ecojustice report, is hopeful Basu’s study will encourage further research.

As it stands, it’s difficult to draw a direct correlation between pollutants and health issues such as the low male birth rate.

“This is a start, and it’s a great start, but to me there’s so much that needs to be done, and there’s no money,” she said.

More studies needed, but government money hard to come by

MacDonald said it’s been difficult to get government funding at both the federal and provincial level. A more comprehensive study that includes the surrounding area, Lambton County, has stalled due to lack of funding. Said MacDonald:

[quote]The major exposures in this community are via air, so I would like to see a study focusing on air pollutants.[/quote]

Higher exposures to cadmium, mercury, PCBs

For the recent McGill study, 43 mother-child pairs from the community were tested for environmental pollutants. Blood, urine and hair samples were taken from those who participated.

Exposures were higher-than-average for chemicals such as cadmium, possibly mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs.

Potential sources of the chemicals are industry, the general environment, and the home. It’s not conclusive which is to blame in this case.

PCBs are used in industrial applications such as coolants in transformers and motors and have been largely banned, although they can remain in the environment for years.

Previous studies of other populations have linked exposure to PCBs with low male birth rates.

Aamjiwnaang’s low male birth rate was documented in research published in the U.S. journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Between 1999 and 2003, the sex ratio of girls to boys was roughly 33 per cent for boys and 67 per cent for girls.

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Canada's largest energy union calls for national fracking moratorium

Canada’s largest energy union wants national fracking moratorium

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Canada's largest energy union calls for national fracking moratorium
First Nations and supporters protest fracking in Vancouver last month (Damien Gillis)

Canada’s largest private sector union, Unifor, has joined the growing chorus of concern over controversial shale gas development. The labour organization representing over 300,000 members in a wide range of economic sectors, including energy, is calling for a national fracking moratorium.

Unifor issued a statement from its 25-member National Executive Board Thursday raising concerns about the impacts of  shale gas development on the environment and on First Nations’ rights.

“Unconventional gas fracking has the potential to have catastrophic effects on our environment and economy. The safety risks are also a major concern for our union,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias.

[quote]Just because we can carry out this activity does not mean we should. We must enact a national moratorium on fracking activity.[/quote]

Provinces pass fracking moratoriums

The call comes on the heels of provincial fracking moratoriums in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador – and France’s recent national ban on shale gas.

Fracking has become a hot topic across the country in recent months.

In BC, a lawsuit against the provincial regulator over water permits for fracking was announced on Wednesday, while a high profile court case over water contamination winds its way through Alberta’s courts. The industry minister for the Northwest Territories is developing a new regulatory model for shale oil in advance of devolution, and fracking remains a highly controversial subject in New Brunswick, where First Nations recently clashed with the RCMP over exploratory work by an American company.

Support for First Nations

That last point was a key factor in Unifor’s decision to come out against fracking – as the union noted in its statement:

[quote]Any resource extraction industry in Canada must confront the problem of unresolved aboriginal land claims, and the inadequate economic benefits (including employment opportunities) which have been offered to First Nations communities from resource developments. [/quote]

Despite the potential job benefits to its, members, Unifor remains highly critical of the shale gas industry, concluding:

[quote]Instead of being guided by short-term swings in prices and profits for private energy producers, Canada’s federal and provincial governments must develop and implement (in cooperation with other stakeholders) a national plan for a stable, sustainable energy industry that respects our social and environmental commitments, and generates lasting wealth for all who live here.[/quote]

Council of Canadians calls for national fracking moratorium

Unifor’s call for a national moratorium echoes recent statements by public interest group The Council of Canadians.

Canada’s big energy workers’ unions are increasingly taking a critical look at the job promises from fossil fuel development. Watch this speech by president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, Dave Coles, at last year’s Defend Our Coast rally in Victoria, explaining why his members are “diametrically opposed” to Tar Sands pipelines to BC’s coast:

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Support for First Nations critical following Clark-Redford pipeline deal

Support for First Nations critical after Clark-Redford pipeline deal

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Support for First Nations critical following Clark-Redford pipeline deal
Chiefs of the Tsimshian First Nation speak out against Enrbidge at a 2012 Prince Rupert rally

You would have thought that they would have had the decency to wait until the Joint Review Panel had made its report before the two western-most premiers made a deal on the pipelines. Of course there was no need to because the federal government that prizes “process” so much has already made it clear it wasn’t going to pay any to attention the panel unless it supports pipelines.

I wonder what my MP, Conservative John Weston thinks of this considering how he’s been so vocal about “process”, it being his constant buzzword for environmental matters. Will he stand up in the House and condemn his government and the provincial governments for cocking a snook at the “process” he praised as for the reason for gutting the protection of fish habitat?

There is no sense getting worked up about Christy Clark and Alison Redford’s pact – yet. I suspect all environmentalists will condemn this cynical bit of business, where BC trades its environment for pipelines. I can assure you that The Common Sense Canadian will do so and will keep it up as long as necessary.

What is more important now is support for First Nations as they formulate their battle plan and thereafter.

One can never be sure of steadfastness until it is seen in action. Reading between the lines, one would have to conclude that Enbridge, Kinder Morgan and the senior governments are satisfied that they can get over this hurdle. From my meetings with leaders and working the room at conventions, I don’t believe this. First Nations leaders are politicians too and must answer to their voters. Whether those voters can – pardon the bluntness – be bought off or not remains to be seen.

If First Nations – particularly the coastal nations who have been unshakable in their resolve – maintain their position hitherto, it will obviously do very little good to the governments and corporations who have to ship their grisly product once they get it to the coast.

I’m too damned old to be shocked or surprised at what a government or company will do for a vote or some money.

I don’t know what my colleagues in the environmental movement will do – I suspect we will know soon.

For me, this creaky crock will fight these pipelines and tankers as long as he has the breath to do so.

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No Prosperity for Taseko? Report should kill mine, but company keeps digging

No Prosperity for Taseko? Report should kill mine; company digs in

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No Prosperity for Taseko? Report should kill mine, but company keeps digging
Xeni Gwet’in Chief Roger William is celebrating a scathing new report on a proposed mine in his territory

A second, damning federal report on a proposed mine west of Williams Lake, BC, amid Tsilhqot’in First Nation territory, should sound the gold and copper mine’s death knell.

The report, which follows five weeks of hearings earlier this year into an updated version of the mine proposal, states:

[quote]…the New Prosperity Project would result in several significant adverse environmental effects; the key ones being effects on water quality in Fish Lake (Teztan Biny), on fish and fish habitat in Fish Lake, on current use of lands and resources for traditional purposes by certain Aboriginal groups, and on their cultural heritage.[/quote]

Strong words from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, which suggest the “New” Prosperity Mine proposal did little to address the reasons its predecessor was rejected by Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice in 2010.

The Panel also foresaw a “significant adverse cumulative effect on the South Chilcotin grizzly bear population, unless necessary cumulative effects mitigation measures are effectively implemented.”

The report will now be referred to the federal Cabinet for the final decision.

Taseko vows to keep digging

While the Panel’s findings were celebrated as a “victory” by local First Nations – who came out 100% against the project throughout the recent hearings – the company downplayed the report’s impact and vowed to press on with the project.

Taseko Vice President and project spokesperson Brian Battinson told the CBC this morning, “The report, in many respects, agrees with our assessment – the risks are modest and the social and economic benefits are enormous.”

But in the scientific lexicon, “significant adverse effects” do not equate to “modest” risks. It was this sort of language in a previous report that killed the mine’s first iteration. So what Battinson and company are counting on is disproportionate weight being given to the “enormous” economic benefits they’re touting for the project.

Jobs vs. Environment

Taseko may be right, given the political climate in Ottawa and Victoria. We know that Premier Christy Clark has been pressing the Harper Government to approve the mine and the Prime Minister has made no bones about his commitment to  “extractive industries” as the cornerstone for Canada’s economy.

The decision will likely come down to whether the federal Cabinet agrees with Mr. Battinson’s risk-vs.-reward characterization – i.e. whether the impacts are as minimal and the job benefits as “enormous” as he contends.

But should it? Is it acceptable to contaminate a lake, potentially destroy fish populations, trample on the rights and quality of life of local First Nations, seriously threaten grizzly populations…so long as enough jobs are created?

Worth the risk for Harper?

Moreover, in the “risk” column lies more than just environmental impacts. Stephen Harper seems to have recognized of late that some of the key energy projects on which he’s basing his economic vision – the proposed Enbridge and Kinder Morgan oil pipelines to BC’s coast – have been severely undermined by his tone-deaf approach to First Nations.

In redering their verdict on the New Propsperity Mine, Cabinet will have to weigh out the broader political implications of overruling not just their own government panel’s report, but the strong objections of First Nations. The latter would further undermine Harper’s efforts to win First Nations’ approval for proposed pipeline projects in BC.

My bet is Harper will wisely cut Taseko loose.

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New-Brunswick-group-questions-RCMP's-tactics-breaking-up-fracking-protest

NB group questions RCMP tactics in breaking up fracking protest

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New-Brunswick-group-questions-RCMP's-tactics-breaking-up-fracking-protest

MONCTON, N.B. – A group opposed to shale gas development in New Brunswick is raising questions about the RCMP’s enforcement of an injunction against protesters last week in the province.

Jim Emberger of the New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance says the Mounties should be asked about the authorization, timing and necessity of their actions Thursday near Rexton.

Emberger says there have been many peaceful anti-shale gas demonstrations in the province.

Forty people were arrested and weapons seized when the Mounties enforced the court-ordered injunction to end the blockade of a SWN Resources storage compound for exploration equipment and vehicles.

Six police vehicles including an unmarked van were burned and the RCMP have said they had Molotov cocktails tossed at them.

In response, police fired non-lethal beanbag-type bullets and used pepper spray to defuse the situation.

Emberger told a news conference in Moncton that his group will track the position of candidates on the shale gas issue in next year’s provincial election.

He says the alliance is also raising money to fund a legal challenge to the shale gas industry in New Brunswick.

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Judge lifts injunction against Elsipogtog fracking protest

Judge lifts injunction against Elsipogtog fracking protest

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Judge lifts injunction against Elsipogtog fracking protest
photo: Jen Choi/CBC

New Brunswick Justice George Rideout declined today to extend an injunction against members of the Elsipogtog First Nation who have been protesting exploratory activities for fracking on their territory.

A video posted on facebook following today’s hearing shows several Mi’kmaq people, having just exited the courtroom, rejoicing over the judge’s decision. “There is no more injuction on the people who have been named or the Jane and John Does of New Brunswick,” one woman tells the camera.

A short-term injunction issued by the court on Oct. 3 to a subsidiary of Texas company SWN Resources resulted in last week’s heavy-handed RCMP raid of a peaceful Elsipogtog protest camp – provoking outrage and supportive rallies across the country last week.

According to CBC:

[quote]In the minutes leading up to the ruling, shale gas opponents, many from Elsipogtog First Nation, were drumming and singing in the courtroom and hallway. The court building was also crowded with supporters of protesters arrested on Thursday during a confrontation between RCMP and shale gas opponents in Rexton, N.B.  [/quote]

The judge’s ruling is drawing praise from environmental groups supporting the Mi’kmaq fracking protest. “We are thrilled with the reports coming out of the courtroom in Moncton today that SWN’s injunction has been lifted,” says Angela Giles, Atlantic regional organizer with the Council of Canadians.

[quote]I visited the site and stayed in Elsipogtog over the weekend and the community is standing strong. The Mayors of Kent County, the Assembly of First Nations Chiefs of New Brunswick have publically supported the anti-shale gas movement… when will Premier Alward and his government listen to the people?[/quote]

Justice Rideout declined to give a reason for today’s decision but will be issuing a written statement.

Updated 12:20 PM PST. Watch for more updates on this developing story

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Elsipogtog First Nation vows to continue fracking battle

Elsipogtog First Nation vows to continue fracking battle

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Elsipogtog First Nation vows to continue fracking battle
Elsipogtog First Nation Chief Arren Sock with supporters (Miles Howe/Halifax Media Coop)

REXTON, N.B. – The chief of the Elsipogtog (ell-see-book-took) First Nation in New Brunswick is criticizing the RCMP for its conduct last week in controlling a protest against shale gas exploration, promising his community will continue to oppose the industry’s development in the province.

Arren Sock says every effort will be made to keep its opposition peaceful after 40 people were arrested and weapons seized when the Mounties enforced a court-ordered injunction Thursday to end the blockade of a compound near Rexton, where SWN Resources stored exploration equipment and vehicles.

Grand Chief Derek Nepinak of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs is in New Brunswick to show his support for the band and described the Mounties’ actions last week as the violent use of state power.

Assistant commissioner Roger Brown, the Mounties’ commanding officer in the province, has defended the police response, saying officers seized firearms and improvised explosive devices that were a threat to public safety.

Six police vehicles including an unmarked van were burned and Molotov cocktails were tossed at police, who fired non-lethal beanbag type bullets and used pepper spray to defuse the situation.

Sock says no decisions have been made on how the band will proceed but he expects a meeting later this week with Premier David Alward, whose government believes shale gas exploration can be done while protecting the environment and encouraging economic growth.

On Sunday morning, about 50 people gathered in the rain at the protest site on Route 134. Protesters on Highway 11 in Rexton set up a blockade Saturday for a short period of time.

Sock was among those arrested last week. Police say the arrests were for firearms offences, threats, intimidation, mischief and violating the injunction.

The RCMP blocked Route 134 three weeks ago after protesters began spilling onto the road. Protesters then cut down trees and placed them across another part of the road, blocking the entrance to the company’s equipment compound.

The protesters want SWN Resources to stop seismic testing and leave the province. The company says it’s only in the early stages of exploration in New Brunswick.

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Elsipogtog community meets over fracking protest

Elsipogtog community meets over fracking protest

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Elsipogtog community meets over fracking protest
Members of the Elsipogtog Nation and RCMP clash at a recent protest over fracking in New Brunswick

REXTON, N.B. – Hundreds of people gathered at a community hall in New Brunswick on Sunday to discuss their opposition of the development of a shale gas sector in the province as their protest garnered support from a Manitoba grand chief.

Elsipogtog Chief Arren Sock said the meeting at New Brunswick’s Elsipogtog First Nation was a chance for people in his community to tell their stories.

“It’s just part of the healing process and I wanted that to begin,” said Sock after the meeting, which drew about 300 community members and protesters and was closed to media.

Sock would not say if anything was decided during the meeting on how to proceed with the protest over shale gas exploration, noting:

[quote]We just started the healing process and in the coming days I will have more information.[/quote]

Manitoba, NB chiefs stand together

Sock and Grand Chief Derek Nepinak of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs were expected to hold a news conference at Elsipogtog Monday morning.

Nepinak said the assembly chiefs in Manitoba sent him to New Brunswick to stand in solidarity with the community and protesters.

“We recognize that there are a lot of consistencies in a lot of what is happening across the land with extractive industry and corporate interests versus indigenous rights and our fight to preserve our ecosystems,” he said. “We have a commitment and responsibility to the land and people need to respect that.”

Nepinak wouldn’t say what he thinks Elsipogtog should do next in its opposition to fracking, but said he would stay as long as he was needed.

Apologies to media over equipment seizure

One speaker at the community hall apologized to media who had their vehicles and equipment seized by a small group of protesters Saturday. The apology sparked a standing ovation from the crowd. Some protesters told reporters for Global and CTV News to leave their vehicles and their equipment. Everything was later returned.

Earlier Sunday, about 50 people gathered in the rain at the protest site on Route 134, where tents were set up and protest signs scattered about.

Protesters on Highway 11 in Rexton had set up a blockade Saturday for a short period of time.

Burned vehicles

Days before, six police vehicles including an unmarked van were burned and Molotov cocktails were tossed at police before they fired non-lethal beanbag type bullets and pepper spray to defuse the situation.

The gutted vehicles have since been towed to a nearby parking lot, about five minutes from the protest site.

RCMP said they also found improvised explosive devices on Thursday that were modified to discharge shrapnel and used a fuse-ignition system after enforcing a court-ordered injunction to remove protesters at the site of a compound in Rexton where SWN Resources stored exploration equipment.

40 members arrested, including chief

Officers arrested 40 people — including Sock — for firearms offences, threats, intimidation, mischief and violating the injunction.

The RCMP blocked Route 134 on Sept. 29 after a protest there began spilling onto the road. Protesters subsequently cut down trees that were placed across another part of the road, blocking the entrance to the compound.

The protesters want SWN Resources to stop seismic testing and leave the province, although the company says it’s only in the early stages of exploration in New Brunswick.

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