Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia overturned the environment minister’s approval of the Alton Gas project, citing inadequate consultation with Sipekne’katik First Nation. Alton Gas must now resume consultations for 120 days, or until both parties are satisfied. Given the present circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, no start date has been set […]
Alton Gas
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Over 500 people march in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en in Halifax
The energy was palpable as hundreds of people gathered at Cornwallis Park in Halifax on Sunday to listen to community leaders speak about the importance of Indigenous sovereignty and voice their support for the Wet’suwet’en nation. Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs have been opposing a pipeline project that would cut through their traditional territory in British Columbia. […]
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Defending Indigenous sovereignty from Wet’suwet’en Territory to Mi’kma’ki
Since last week, the RCMP has been executing almost daily raids and arresting Indigenous land defenders on Wet’suwet’en territory in BC, enforcing a court order to remove people from the land granted to Coastal GasLink for its pipeline construction. Since the raids began, people in Halifax have been taking action—at MP Andy Fillmore’s office and […]
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How Nova Scotia can move forward from 300 years of coal and fossil fuel extraction
“No more coal, no more oil, keep the carbon in the soil” chanted Halifax high school students and their supporters outside Province House last Friday. They joined millions of other students around the world striking from school on Fridays protesting inaction on climate change, following the lead of Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg and fuelled by […]
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Time for a second look at Alton Gas
L ast week, news came down that we have a new environment minister: Gordon Wilson has replaced Margaret Miller. We welcome a fresh set of eyes on this important file. Minister Wilson arrives at a critical time to do right by Mi’kmaq communities dealing with environmental racism—from Pictou Landing First Nation’s long struggle to make […]
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Advocates push for environmental bill of rights in Nova Scotia
A new proposed environmental bill of rights seeks to ensure all Nova Scotians have a right to a healthy environment. The bill, released on Friday, is the first of its kind in Nova Scotia. The 15-page document was produced by the Environmental Rights Working Group; a collaboration between East Coast Environmental Law, the ENRICH (Environmental […]
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Not everyone is accepting Stephen McNeil’s apology
Premier Stephen McNeil has apologized for a legal brief referring to the Mi’kmaq as conquered peoples, but some feel he needs to back up his words with actions. On Thursday, McNeil started off his meeting with the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs by apologizing for a brief filed in the court case over Alton […]
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Colonization over reconciliation in Alton Gas fight
[Image-1] Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here? These are senator Murray Sinclair’s four fundamental questions for understanding ourselves and finding meaning in our lives. Last week I saw senator Sinclair, Manitoba’s first Indigenous judge and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, speak […]
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Flawed science, poor consultation the cause for Alton Gas appeal
“This is an environmental disaster. It’s got to stop. It’s got to be stopped.” Sipekne’katik member Jim Maloney didn’t hold back Thursday morning when criticizing Alton Gas’ plan to carve out dozens of natural gas storage caverns and dump millions of litres of leftover brine into the Shubenacadie River. “There’s no way this can […]
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Going against the tide: The fight against Alton Gas
[Image-1] In the fall of 2014, construction started on a brine discharge pipeline next to the Shubenacadie River, an hour north of Halifax. The development, by a company called Alton Gas, hadn’t yet received full government approval, and it was met with swift protest. A camp was soon erected that was largely occupied by local […]
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Former Energy director now employed as Alton Gas lobbyist
[Image-1] A Department of Energy communications director who became a lobbyist for the Alton Gas project just four-and-a-half months after leaving her public employer says the career move isn’t a conflict of interest. Karen White was communications director for Nova Scotia’s Department of Energy until April of 2015. She left that job and took a […]
