Rally urges New Brunswick government to rethink energy plans

The New Brunswick government is looking to power the province’s future, but some residents say it’s heading in the wrong direction.

From gas plants and data centres to mining and fracking, protesters rallied outside the Legislature on Tuesday to warn that decisions made now could impact generations to come.

“Government’s proposed Sisson mine, Tantramar gas plant, Lorneville data centre, and worst of all re-opening fracking, will worsen the problem by adding more sickness to an already overburdened system,” said Dr. Chris Arsenault, co-chair of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.

Advocates were rallying as Lt.-Gov. Louise Imbeault read the throne speech to open the latest session of the Legislature.

That speech highlighted health care, affordability and growing the economy as priority areas for the coming year.

But people in the rally said they are concerned that pollution, health risks, and higher power bills will result from some of government’s decision. They’re calling for a greater focus on renewable energy instead.

“This is the up-and-coming technology. Not the technologies of the past that burn carbon, jeopardize our futures and enrich American billionaires,” said youth advocate Liam MacDougall.

Ashley Anthony, a member of the Save Lorneville group, points to freedom-of-information records that reveal three data centre proposals in the area.

One alone would draw 200 megawatts from NB power, even as the utility warns of future power shortages and says it needs the Tantramar gas plant.

Beyond the environmental concerns, the group says it wants to know who will foot the bill.

“These AI data centres are coming way too quickly for the government to even understand and discern what’s happening,” she said.

“We need them to pause and be able to create science-backed policy that will help us have informed decisions that benefit our communities, instead of making places like Lorneville a sacrifice zone — which is exactly what they’re doing.”

In response, Premier Susan Holt said her government will only allow projects to go forward that meet stringent conditions.

“I need to see answers to the questions we laid out in the draft policy: can (the companies) do it without impact on water, can they do it without impact on energy rates, can they do it with a deposited benefit to the community,” Holt said.

“And if they cannot, then they haven’t met our threshold (that) a project would need to be able to have to go forward.”