Former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna said the Maritime provinces are in a “death spiral” and don’t have much choice but to embrace the shale gas industry.
McKenna spoke in Saint John on Friday, telling leaders in the regional energy industry that the Maritimes are falling behind, even in their “own backyard.”
“Newfoundland and Labrador are doing extraordinarily well,” he said. “By comparison, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are poorer.”
McKenna has long championed the development of shale gas and fracking in the Maritimes.
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have put the brakes on fracking for now, but McKenna said they should reconsider their stance on shale gas development.
“You can’t have it all, and we are in a bit of a death spiral of a declining population base, high deficits and an aging population,” he said.
While he was premier, McKenna was known for being boundlessly optimistic. But on Friday he painted a grim picture of the Maritime economy and said the economies of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are “flat-lining.”
People in the Nova Scotia gas industry said the fracking ban is already being felt at home.
“The industry, the onshore industry will not develop, so what they’ve lost is real jobs and they’ve lost real economic activity,” said Ray Ritcey of Lighthouse Energy Inc.
New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant has returned home following an official visit to Alberta, where he touted the idea of not one, but two pipelines. But his critics say the visit was a lost opportunity.
“The premier was out there for three or four days and didn’t ask one question about natural gas out there, and Alberta has been in the natural gas and fracking business for decades,” said Conservative MLA Bruce Northrup.
When asked about how his position differs from Gallant’s, McKenna said the new provincial government is taking a thoughtful approach. He also noted that Gallant has not categorically closed the door on hydro-fracking.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron
