In this edition of EcoNews, we invite you to join us in congratulating our Fundy Baykeeper, Matt Abbott, who last night was awarded the Atlantic Salmon Federation’s top honour. We also have the latest news on Parlee Beach pollution, our first take on a ground-breaking report on the future of our national energy regulator, a call for your story ideas and photo submissions for our upcoming summer issue of EcoAlert Magazine, another good news story about a Conservation Council staff member being recognized for her work in the community, and much more.
NEWS
Fundy Baykeeper receives Atlantic Salmon Federation’s top honour
Big news! The Conservation Council’s Fundy Baykeeper program received the Atlantic Salmon Federation’s highest national honour — the T.B. ‘Happy’ Fraser Award — during a gala ceremony in St. Andrews last night (May 17). Matt Abbott, Fundy Baykeeper since 2011, accepted the award on CCNB’s behalf, saying it is the result of a strong, decades-long tradition of marine conservation at the Conservation Council. Click below to read more.
Don’t stop at just one beach:
Corbett on Northumberland Strait coastal protections
Don’t stop at just one beach when it comes to protecting the Northumberland Strait — that was Lois Corbett’s main message during interviews with CBC Radio on Thursday, May 12.
The Executive Director of the Conservation Council spoke with CBC’s Information Morning in Moncton and Fredericton about the provincial and federal governments’ announcement this week of infrastructure investments and development restrictions specific to the Parlee Beach area. Click the link below to listen to the full interview.
Charting the future of Canada’s energy regulator
The report from a five-member expert panel asked by Canada’s federal government to provide advice on fixing the past-its-shelf-date National Energy Board (NEB) has landed. The recommendations in Forward Together: Enabling Canada’s Clean, Safe, and Secure Energy Future, are either ‘groundbreaking’ or a ‘red tape nightmare,’ depending on whether you read the National Observer, or the National Post.
In a nutshell, the 100-page report’s recommendations include scrapping the NEB altogether, replacing it with a Canadian Energy Transmission Commission; requiring major projects to undergo a one-year review by the federal cabinet to ensure they are in the national interest before an additional two-year environmental, more technical review conducted jointly by the commission and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency; squaring climate policy with energy policy; and, figuring out how to have real and substantive participation of Indigenous peoples, on their own terms and in full accord with Indigenous rights, aboriginal and treaty rights, and title, in every aspect of energy regulation.
Pretty heady stuff.
But, what does it mean for the proposed Energy East pipeline? Could that project be the last one put through the old fashioned 1950s style wringer washer, or should it, too, be subject to new rules designed fairly? Your Conservation Council team is pouring through the report now and we’ll provide updates in this space and on our blog.
Conservation Council’s Tracy Glynn wins Unsung Hero Community Award
Conservation Council Forest Coordinator Tracy Glynn has been awarded an Unsung Hero Community Award by the City of Fredericton in recognition of her work with the NB Media Co-op to support social and environmental justice here in New Brunswick.
Each year, the Unsung Hero Community Awards are presented in appreciation of people who go above and beyond to help build and shape their community for future generations. Tracy was presented the award on behalf of Mayor and Council during an acceptance ceremony held at City Hall on May 12, 2017. With her many years of community service, Tracy deserves no less.
UPDATES
Conservation Council is now hiring summer students!
Do you have a SEED voucher for the summer? Are you looking for a fun placement? The Conservation Council is now hiring summer students!
We’re looking for young people who are interested in engaging with the public, informing New Brunswickers about our work, blogging about events and workshops, helping out with the pollinator garden at Conserver House, organizing our seasonal BBQs, and more!
EVENTS
Join the Fundy Baykeeper’s beach clean-up at Paddlefest!
Here’s your chance to congratulate the Fundy Baykeeper in person! This Saturday, May 20, Matt is hosting a beach clean-up on Ministers’ Island as part of the Paddlefest 2017 weekend in St. Andrews. To join the clean-up, meet the Fundy Baykeeper at the end of the Bar Road at 11 a.m, where we’ll cross over to the island on the ocean floor as the tide recedes. We hope to see you out on Saturday!
Still time to help mom plant a Pollinator Garden this spring!
Spring is here, and that means it’s time for New Brunswick’s pollinators to begin buzzing about! Mother’s Day may have passed, but it’s not too late to get mom an extra-special gift: planting her a pollinator garden! Not only will you be giving a gift that will last all summer long, you will also be helping pollinators such as the bees, birds and butterflies that call our province home!
Get in on EcoAlert’s Summer Fun issue!
We’re looking for your story ideas and photo submissions for our upcoming, Summer Fun-themed issue of EcoAlert Magazine. Our June edition features stories on fishing along our precious freshwater rivers, tips for planting a pollinator-friendly native plant garden, the fun you can have while buying locally at N.B.’s many farmers markets, and more. Add your mark by submitting ideas, photos or stories to jon.macneill@conservationcouncil.ca. Do you own a business, or know of one that would benefit from advertising in EcoAlert? Take advantage of our engaged EcoAlert readership, and help support Conservation Council programs and publications — buy space for the June issue today!
Call for Nominations: Beth McLaughlin Environmental Journalism Award
The Conservation Council of New Brunswick, Southeast Chapter is seeking nominations for our annual Beth McLaughlin Environmental Journalism Award for outstanding reporting on environmental issues in New Brunswick. The nomination period closes July 31. Speaking of good journalists with New Brunswick roots, we encourage you to read Bruce Livesey’s National Newspaper Award-winning series on the dominance of the Irving family in New Brunswick. Read Livesey’s series for the National Observer here.
CONSERVATION COUNCIL IN THE NEWS
May 15, 2017 – Conservation Council’s Lois Corbett featured in Canadian Press story on Parlee Beach
Conservation Council Executive Director Lois Corbett spoke with the Canadian Press last week about New Brunswick’s ongoing efforts to address water contamination at Parlee Beach.
May 12, 2017 – Don’t stop at just one beach: Corbett on Northumberland Strait coastal protections
Don’t stop at just one beach when it comes to protecting the Northumberland Strait — that was Lois Corbett’s main message during interviews with CBC Radio on Thursday, May 12.
May 12, 2017 – Not the “final nail” in the Energy East coffin, but a step in the right direction
The Conservation Council’s Executive Director says the climate change impacts of large pipeline projects should always be factored into their review process, but noted the addition of a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions test for the Energy East Pipeline is not the final nail in the proposed bitumen pipeline’s coffin.
May 11, 2017 – Another important step, but not yet a solution: Conservation Council’s Lois Corbett on Parlee Beach infrastructure investments
The Conservation Council’s Lois Corbett was featured in a CBC article about the provincial government’s newly-announced infrastructure investments and restrictions on new development specific to Parlee Beach. Corbett called the funding an important step toward keeping our bays and beaches clean, but noted it’s not enough to solve the problem entirely.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
