Kent South NO SHALE GAS Kent Sud

The protest price tag 

(and a citizens’ response)

Telegraph Journal  ::  5 February 2014

Last fall’s violent confrontation in Kent County is once again top-of-mind among New Brunswick residents, as Premier David Alward has become increasingly vocal in his support of continued shale gas exploration in New Brunswick – no matter the opinion of the small minority who clashed with the RCMP last October.

Last fall’s confrontation between the GNB and citizens of Kent County and their supporters from throughout the maritimes was the result of Premier David Alward who was not willing to listen to or respect the 16 to 1 vote of Kent County mayor and LSDs representing Service District 6. These men and women stood up with the citizens they represent and demanded a moratorium on further unconventional gas exploration and development in Kent County.

Now, just as the shale gas question is starting to feel like the ballot issue in the run-up to the next provincial vote, the cost of ensuring public safety in the face of the Kent County protests has come in. And the final tab wasn’t cheap – it cost the provincial Department of Public Safety more than $9.4 million to allocate sufficient RCMP resources to Kent County.

The $9.4 million represents the cost that David Alward and the PCNB were willing to pay with our tax dollars to intimidate and arrest citizens of New Brunswick who did not agree with their decision to bring this hazardous, toxic and dangerous industry into their neighborhoods and near their homes without their informed consent.

In considering such a hefty bill, it is important to remember the events leading up to the October clash. The government of New Brunswick gave a private firm consent to undertake seismic testing in southern New Brunswick, and ensured that New Brunswick residents opposed to shale gas development held a right to protest. Unfortunately, that right to protest grew into something very different, as civil unrest replaced the much more basic freedom to protest.

The Alward government did not bring just any private industry into our province.  He signed a pact with a foreign company whose only obligation is to their out-of-province stakeholders. SWN’s track record as well as the entire unconventional shale gas industry has been far from safe or responsible.  Those who would be forced to live in such an environment find their very way of life threatened.  When David Alward and the PCNB government decided to ignore their concerns and belittle those citizens, it was Mr. Alward set the stage for civil disobedience.

The situation at the anti-shale encampment had become increasingly tense in the months leading up to the intervention by the Mounties. Regular highway traffic was interrupted on a number of occasions, and acts of vandalism were escalating. On the morning of the conflict, police cars were set afire, and countless weapons were seized. It’s a small miracle nobody was seriously hurt in the clash.

From day one, the citizens who supported and blockaded the SWN equipment in the Irving compound in Rexton acknowledged that what they were doing was an act of peaceful civil disobedience and were willing to be arrested.  It was either the Alward government or the RCMP who decided to prolong the standoff to the point that a significant confrontation was inevitable.  By waiting, they allowed those with ill intent - whether from outside or the RCMP itself - to infiltrate the compound.

Because shale gas continues to be an emotional issue, let’s collectively agree to hold the discussion firmly in the public sphere, and not relegate it to a protest campsite in rural Kent County.

Those who strive to protect the way of life we all enjoy and cherish have continuously sought a dialogue with the Alward government though many channels to no avail.  In order to have a “public discussion” it is imperative that all sides are willing to listen to each other and reach a consensus of action - that is the very definition of a democracy.

We already have working shale gas wells in the province, and they are quietly contributing to both the province’s jobs picture and the government’s finances. If the seismic testing results are positive, we can – if we choose – have a whole lot more wells, and produce real value for the provincial economy. But this is ultimately a choice that should be made at the ballot box by the majority of New Brunswick voters – not a small minority at a protest campsite.

The gas wells referenced are in the community of Penobsquis. While they do provide a few jobs and some small royalty payments, they have adversely affected the relationships between residents, affected their health and well being, reduced their property values and even their ability to sell their properties if they wish to leave.

Even if the seismic testing results are positive, a 10-year moratorium on further exploration and development should be initiated until much more baseline evidence can be peer reviewed to ensure ALL the citizens of New Brunswick understand what is ultimately at stake and can grant their consent to proceed.

The PCNB 2010 platform included the passage of a Referendum Act to allow citizens of New Brunswick to vote on issues that could have profound consequences.  This would have required a full disclosure of all impacts of the issue - positive as well as negative.  Perhaps if the PCNB platform promise had been enacted, we all could have avoided the angst and divisiveness that the Alward government created and the unfortunate of this past summer.

Richard Lachance & Eveline Haché

Cocagne NB

743-6582