© Conservation Council of New Brunswick 2025
In this edition of EcoNews, we’re raising our voices to help build a cleaner, fairer future for New Brunswick. As N.B. Power pushes forward with its plan for a massive new gas and diesel plant in Tantramar — and even attempts to sidestep proper review — we’re making sure decision-makers hear loud and clear why this project would set us back on climate, cost New Brunswickers and put our precious natural spaces at risk.
You’ll also see how you can take part in Ripples, a creative new community film project exploring our everyday connections to climate, learn about our call for natural solutions to protect the Chignecto Isthmus and catch up on recent events like a cleanup at Hyla Park!
Fighting fossil foolish plans in Tantramar
At a time when we urgently need to say farewell to climate change-causing fossil fuels, N.B. Power is looking in the past, proposing a 500-megawatt gas and diesel plant in Tantramar. To make matters worse, the utility is trying to sidestep an Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) review of the project.
This deal will lock New Brunswickers into hundreds of millions of dollars in payments, fuel costs and other expenses — just like any other major capital project — and should not bypass any oversight. So we’ve written a letter to the EUB asking it to ensure a full review of this project, warning that letting this project skip this crucial process could set a precedent for future large-scale projects to avoid scrutiny.
Also, we’ve submitted our concerns about the environmental damage this project will cause by responding to the federal environmental impact assessment (EIA). We explain that the plant would bring more greenhouse gas emissions, destroy wetlands and forests in the sensitive Chignecto Isthmus and threaten species at risk and migratory birds. It would also draw enormous amounts of groundwater and create risks of pollution and spills, while leaving local communities with the health and environmental costs.
It’s time to leave fossil fuel projects where they belong — in the past — while building a better renewable energy future. Read both of our recent submissions by clicking the buttons below:
Ripples — Share your story, shape the future
Have you ever thought about how your everyday life connects to the bigger story of our changing climate? The Conservation Council of New Brunswick and Fredericton’s Strike Pictures invite you to help tell that story through Ripples, our latest From Harm to Harmony project, and we’d love for you to join us.
All you need is your phone and an openness to share. In a few fun, hands-on workshops, you’ll learn simple filming tips, meet neighbours who care about the same things you do and discover new ways to look at your daily routines. Together, we’ll explore how those moments connect to the environment around us.
Your footage will become part of a unique community film, and you’ll learn new skills that help spark meaningful conversations about climate and community in New Brunswick.
Spots are limited. Sign up by clicking below, and let’s create something hopeful, together:
Protect the Chignecto Isthmus, naturally
The Conservation Council of New Brunswick has joined other environmental organizations to call on governments to use natural solutions to protect the Chignecto Isthmus from the destructive impacts of climate change.
In this open letter, we say combining traditional measures like dykes with natural protections — like restoring salt marshes and wetlands — will better guard against flooding, erosion and rising seas. These natural defences also store carbon, clean water and create homes for fish and birds.
We’re urging governments to work with Indigenous communities and keep wildlife movement in mind while mitigating the effects of the climate crisis in the area.
Help protect our land, air and water
Wildfires, heatwaves and drought have strained New Brunswick this summer, while a proposed gas plant in Tantramar and more herbicide spraying licenses only threaten to set us back. These problems are too big to tackle alone, but we can meet these challenges when we band together with one united voice.
When you become a member of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, you add weight to a growing, provincewide chorus for clean water, healthy forests and a safe climate. Simply, the more members we have backing our work, the bigger our voice becomes with decision-makers.
If you aren’t already a member, consider joining us today to turn concern into influence and help win the solutions our communities deserve. If you’re already a member, consider becoming a monthly donor to support our work further.
Rolling up our sleeves at Hyla Park
On Monday, July 28, staff from the Conservation Council of New Brunswick and our friends at the Nature Trust of New Brunswick came together for a joint cleanup at beautiful Hyla Park!
Together, we rolled up our sleeves, cleared debris, and made a real difference for this park, home to the gray tree frog.
Beyond the bags of trash collected, this event was a chance to connect, laugh, and build bridges between two organizations passionate about protecting New Brunswick’s natural spaces.
Big thanks to everyone who came out!
We work hard to ensure a strong environmental voice is heard in New Brunswick’s print, radio and television media. Last year, our staff appeared in the media more than 50 times to shed light on ongoing environmental issues and success in New Brunswick. Here are some of the biggest stories Conservation Council staff have been called upon for expertise, analysis and commentary this year:
Conservation Council in the News
Aug. 5, 2025 | N.B. Power is looking to sidestep an Energy and Utilities Board review of its proposed 500-megawatt gas and diesel power plant in Tantramar. Dr. Moe Qureshi, our director of climate research and policy, told the CBC that N.B. Power’s questionable claims about the plant’s emissions reductions need to be tested through the public hearing process to determine if it’s truly the best option for the province. He warned that without oversight, the project could end up costing ratepayers more than expected and said the public has a right to see the full details before moving forward. Read more.
Aug. 4, 2025 |During the 2024 election campaign, the now provincial government promised to eliminate the “cost of carbon adjustor” loophole shielding polluters from the cost of the federal clean fuel regulations. But the loophole is still in place, tacking on 9.19 cents per litre on the price of gas, more than double the cost from one year ago. Our director of climate research and policy, Dr. Moe Qureshi, tells the CBC that the increase is “quite absurd” and said it’s unfair to make consumers pay more than nine cents without clear information on oil companies’ actual costs to meet federal environmental standards. Read the full story.
July 23, 2025 |In this story, our director of forestry and freshwater, Marieka Chaplin, explains that plans to convert the Belledune Generating Station to burn biomass would need an unsustainable amount of wood, harm forests and wildlife and waste most of the energy from the fuel. She warns that it could increase greenhouse gas emissions, rely on imported biomass and offer few local benefits. Instead, Marieka says, N.B. Power should close the plant by 2030 and choose cleaner, more sustainable energy options. Read more. (French)