First Nations leaders say review is too brief
New Brunswick’s announcement that it will conduct a five-month review into whether to lift the province’s moratorium on shale gas development has drawn immediate scrutiny from Indigenous leaders and community groups who warn the timeline is insufficient to assess environmental risks, public opinion and treaty rights.
Traditional Grand Chief Ron Tremblay — known also by his Wolastoqey name Spasaqsit Possesom — said the period set by the provincial government is simply not long enough to examine complex questions tied to land, water, culture and governance.
“Five months is too short, it's just like a blink,”
Tremblay told reporters. His comments reflect longstanding tensions in the province over shale gas development that predate the current government.
Premier frames review as dialogue, not immediate approval
Premier Susan Holt said the review should not be read as an immediate go-ahead for shale gas projects. Instead, she described the process as the start of a five-month engagement with partners and New Brunswickers to chart a path forward.
The government has identified five guiding priorities for the review, aiming to capture technical, economic and social considerations:
- Evaluating natural gas resources in New Brunswick
- Science, technology and environmental impacts
- Economic benefits and potential outcomes
- Public support and community sentiment
- Commitment to First Nations rights, interests and priorities
First Nations say consultation has been limited
While the province said it has engaged in preliminary discussions with Indigenous leadership, Tremblay and other First Nations leaders say meaningful consultation has been lacking. For them, concerns extend beyond environmental impacts to include rights over decision-making in their traditional territories.
In New Brunswick, past disputes over shale gas left deep divisions between some communities and the provincial government, and those memories shape current reactions. Leaders emphasise that decisions with long-term consequences for land and water require careful, inclusive processes.
Political and environmental stakes
Shale gas development carries questions about potential economic gains, local jobs and energy strategy. At the same time, it raises well-documented environmental concerns such as groundwater protection, surface-water impacts and local air quality. The province’s stated five pillars for the review attempt to balance those various interests, but critics say five months will not allow for robust, science-based study nor thorough community engagement.
Calls for more time and clearer process
First Nations leaders and grassroots organisations have urged the province to extend the review period and to ensure that consultation follows both legal and customary standards. They argue that an adequate process must include transparent timelines, funded technical support for communities and clear mechanisms to address potential conflicts.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Keith Chiasson was named by the government as part of initial outreach, and the province said it would collaborate with First Nations during the review. However, several leaders say they were only recently contacted and that preliminary talks do not replace the need for detailed consultation structures.
What the short timeline means locally
For rural and Indigenous communities across New Brunswick, the review’s compressed schedule could limit the ability of local governments, landowners and civil society groups to gather technical evidence, commission independent studies or hold broad public meetings.
Those limits could matter in any eventual decision about lifting the moratorium, since environmental assessments, regulatory changes and project approvals can all involve lengthy procedures.
| Review element | Focus |
|---|---|
| Resource evaluation | Extent and viability of shale gas in province |
| Science and environment | Potential impacts, mitigation and technology |
| Economics | Jobs, royalties and provincial benefits |
| Public support | Community views and social licence |
| First Nations commitments | Rights, interests and consultation |
Next steps
The province has said the review will proceed over five months. How that timeline is managed — including the scope of hearings, the availability of technical experts, and the depth of engagement with First Nations — will determine whether stakeholders view the process as credible.
For communities across New Brunswick, the outcome could reshape conversations about energy policy, land use and reconciliation. Leaders who spoke on Wednesday warned that rushing a decision risks undermining both environmental safeguards and Indigenous rights.
As the review gets underway, groups on all sides will be watching how the government balances short-term timelines against the long-term consequences for land, water and communities.
