Two letters to the editor. One from the east. One from the west.
The first, from pollster Don Mills of Corporate Research Associates, based out of Halifax, published at the paywalled site AllNovaScotia.com on August 29:
No fracking? No problem. ~
Weak economic growth and out-migration of youth? No problem.
Aging population and rapidly rising heath-care costs? No problem.
Nova Scotians can always depend on the generosity of other Canadians to keep us in the lifestyle to which we have become accustomed through transfer payments.
The irony is that those transfer payments are largely the consequence of the extraction of natural resources from the so-called have provinces, including the use of hydro-fracking technology to extract shale gas.
This hypocrisy seems to be lost on Nova Scotians.
No fracking here, but completely willing to live off the proceeds of fracking elsewhere.
The federal equalization agreement is up for renegotiation.
The unwillingness of this region to find a way to extract our natural resources in an environmentally safe manner will not be lost on those provinces sending their natural resource cash to this region.
The willingness of the rest of Canada to be as generous in that situation will be sorely tested.
Given the shrinking percentage of the national population represented by Atlantic Canada, expect equalization transfers either decline or be frozen at their current levels.
The other, sent to the show I host, Battleground (M-F 5Et/9PT) on Sun News Network) from Rick S. of Carstairs, Alberta in response to news of a new poll (not CRA’s but Forum’s) which shows anti-fracking Liberals had a commanding lead in the current New Brunswick election. Should the Liberals win, they would likely join the new Nova Scotia Liberal Premier and block shale gas development through fracking:
“Liberals are generally vehemently opposed to the oil sands, opposed to fracking but are in favor of a pipeline east?! Which one is it; they want the oil pipeline, they also want to “Carbon Tax” the living crap out of the Alberta industry while always loathing our industry and longing for the day its destroyed. What’s next, elect Justin Trudeau on the premise he will rip off Alberta clean like his daddy did and create a massive Canadian unity problem which would make the Quebec question look like child’s play?
Maybe Alberta should cut off the transfer payments to the east, put a firewall around the province and if that doesn’t work then hold a binding referendum on separation; after that the Liberals could maybe get their welfare transfer payments from the Prince Edward Island potato farmers. I mean after all, maybe we should just go ahead and pull a stunt that would make their hatred for us and our livelihood justified?
Where does all of this above come from you ask? How about being sick and tired of our province paying way more than our far share into Canada for decades and then a pipeline east is only OK for jobs in the Maritimes but not west. What makes a lot of people from this province very upset is that our industry in denigrated continually while we pay more than our fair share of our “Dirty Oil Money” to the people that enviously want complete control over our livelihood and hate it at the same time?!
For at least 40 years now a very high percentage of oilsands wages (which are easily some of the highest wages in the country)are payed to workers from the Atlantic region. These workers are routinely flown at company expense for shift rotations to and from the east with their fantastic pay cheques. Very few have any opinion of Alberta that isn’t solely based on the jobsite and the Fort Mac airport. That opinion tends to be rather negative. Go to any of the oilsands projects and you’re hard pressed to find many workers from Alberta although they are available.
You’re absolutely right Al. I worked out there for close to a decade with a service company. Almost everyone I ever met on or around a rig was from eastern Canada. The only Albertans I ever met with the company were office staff or base managers who never had to go out in the field. I know that fracking CAN be done safely but I also know that the companies that do it will appeal for exemptions because it’s not cost effective. Having lived in places like High Level, AB and rural areas outside of Fort Nelson, BC, I’ve seen exactly how destructive the process is and I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep it out of Atlantic Canada. There should be a crown corporation that provides production well service – services, that has direct oversight by the local department of environments. That is the closest we’ll ever get to being able to trust their commitment to our safety.
First let me be the one to let Albertans know that How much of their population is from N.S., N.B., P.E. I, and N.F.L.D. and immigrants. Any one not already a Canadian. TFWs.
So much of what we get back is because of how hard our people work. OH and you Natulized Albertans.
Get over it, if they closed the tar sands where in hell would you be????????
Perhaps the writers of these letter should examine some of their claims. Atlantic Canada has had oil rigs for decades and the bulk of the proceeds from the Sable gas field has been sent to central and western Canada. Should Alberta stop transfer payments and stop easterners from working out there? By all means, that means that the rest of the country doesn’t have to keep cleaning up their environmental problems and we could watch their economy quickly collapse since 65% +/- a few percent of the labor jobs keeping their economy moving is staffed by easterners since most Albertans seem to have an aversion to physical work and all seem to only want supervisory or office jobs. We in the east aren’t against fracking when it can be done safely…however we don’t want to resemble areas like High Level, AB where the ground water is so contaminated with production chemicals that it can’t be consumed without extensive treatment which is why the vast majority of their drinking water has to be trucked in. Personally I’m in favor of fracking if companies like SWN will use the available technology to do it safely, however they have already shown that they don’t feel it’s necessary or cost effective and are more than willing to destroy other peoples environments because they have already ensured that production is blocked close to their own homes.
Jamie says:
“Perhaps the writers of these letter should examine some of their claims.”
Well Jamie I believe you need to examine your claims. Read on if you have an open mind and I will show you why.
Jamie says:
“Atlantic Canada has had oil rigs for decades and the bulk of the proceeds from the Sable gas field has been sent to central and western Canada.”
These numbers are actually easy to find. For more than 50 years Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario provided the majority of transfer payments to the other provinces. Can you please show us where you got your information regarding Sable Island’s profits going West. Since 1961 Alberta has contributed $147 billion, yes that is right, $147 billion more to Canada then it has got back and not once received money in that time. (I believe the program was started in 1950’S but can only find stats from 1961.)BC has contributed more than $10 billion during that same period of time.
Jamie says;
“Should Alberta stop transfer payments and stop easterners from working out there? By all means, that means that the rest of the country doesn’t have to keep cleaning up their environmental problems”
Well Jamie I would rate Alberta’s environmental record against the Maritimes any day. Our operations are big but relative to size we have the most stringent regulations in the world so I don’t know what environmental cleanup you have to pay for when you receive a large percentage of your tax revenue from other provinces. I would say if we mess it up Alberta will be paying for it either way.
Jamie says;
“and we could watch their economy quickly collapse since 65% +/- a few percent of the labor jobs keeping their economy moving is staffed by easterners since most Albertans seem to have an aversion to physical work and all seem to only want supervisory or office jobs.”
Again, I would love to know where you got your numbers from. Alberta has over 4 milling people. I did a conservative 50% in the workforce using numbers from a recent census and taking out children and people over 60 years old. So for your calculation be correct there are 5.7 million workers in Alberta and 3.7 million of them are from the East. All four Maritime Provinces have a combined population of under 2.4 million. So what I am saying is show me the study that shows me what you’re saying to be true because as I said earlier I think you need to examine your claims before making statements that do not compute. I have worked on a number of crews over the past 10 years of over 100 people and I cannot remember more than 8 to 12 people out of 100 from back East. You claim we have an aversion for work I just shake my head. Albertans are some of the hardest working people I have ever met. They get kicked in the teeth, lose their house and after the National Energy Program and they picked themselves up and rebuild the economy on their own and continued to pay into the transfer payments. See more rebuttal in next post.
Part two:
The reason we are in a lot of the Supervisory jobs is because when all others left the province we stayed and rebuilt thus we now have the experience needed to coach others and lead the way. But with that said on my last job the maintenance department had 3 Easterner supervisors. Two from NFLD and one from NB. Excellent guys but no better or no worse than any other supervisors. I am not sure if you just need to beat people down to make yourself feel good or you have some other motivation for beating Albertans down. To me it makes you look like a fool not knowing your facts. I have worked with people from all over this country and Easterners are hard workers but so are people from Saskatchewan, BC, Ontario, Quebec and so on. The people that come to Alberta are usually the people who are looking to better their lives so they work hard.
Jamie says;
“We in the east aren’t against fracking when it can be done safely…however we don’t want to resemble areas like High Level, AB where the ground water is so contaminated with production chemicals that it can’t be consumed without extensive treatment which is why the vast majority of their drinking water has to be trucked in.”
Another example of please show me the study. Fracking is done thousands of feet below surface and ground water goes down a few hundred feet. Fracking has been safe for 50 plus years. High Level and other areas of Alberta are not contaminated with fracking fluids but have been bad since the beginning of time due to natural occurring H2S in the water. Areas of Alberta where fracking doesn’t occur have the same issue but I wouldn’t want to confuse you with facts.
Jamie says;
“Personally I’m in favor of fracking if companies like SWN will use the available technology to do it safely, however they have already shown that they don’t feel it’s necessary or cost effective and are more than willing to destroy other peoples environments because they have already ensured that production is blocked close to their own homes.”
Again show me a scientific study showing fracking is not safe.
Last part;
Finally, I will say there is always risk involved in any activity. You drive to work each day I assume. You drive to the store. You walk past buildings taller then a story probably daily. You climb a ladder to clean the toughs on your house. You possibly hike in bear country. You go swimming in the ocean. Maybe you take rides in a boat, maybe even without a life jacket. Possibly take your family out to a movie and drive home later in the evening with the possibility of drunk drivers coming at you. All with a greater degree of risk yet you fear progress and helping yourself. It is sad to me that fear destroys a better quality of life for people. Either way Alberta will keep working and building because that is what we do. We want to give our children a better life and we believe we are. Oil is around for 50 to 100 more years, at least, and we would rather develop it ourselves then pay countries that disrespect women, have no environmental regulation or have any democracy. Your choice as you are free to choose.
Interesting debate. If Albertan’s are happy with exploitation of natural resources, let them exploit away. They beleive money or financial stability is best for their children and I can’t blame them. But we as Eastern Canadians value the environment as it should be valued, priceless! The economy is slow but there will always be work for someone who has enough ambition to look for it. Providing our families with a house (not a mansion) and good home cooked meals (gormet chefs will never be able to top grandma’s cooking)and Fresh Clean Water out of the tap is not something to be ashamed of or in need of change. The oil industry will become irrelavant eventually everything does, lets just hope that the Albertan’s have no regrets when that day comes because I know us Maritimers will not. (While we sit on our beach chairs drinking home brew, enjoying nature in all its glory)
Apparently John, it is ironic that no one shows concern for the ‘tar ponds’ in Nova Scotia.
What about the ‘TAR PONDS’ in Nova Scotia loaded with chemicals. It could be that the chemicals from the TAR PONDS is seeping into the water.
Released 15 minutes ago by Premier Stephen McNeil: Nova Scotians have overwhelmingly expressed concern about allowing high volume hydraulic fracturing to be a part of onshore shale development in this province at this time.
Our petroleum resources belong to Nova Scotians, and we must honour the trust people have put in us to understand their concerns. We will therefore introduce legislation to prohibit using this technique to stimulate onshore shale projects.
The decision comes after considering comments submitted by many Nova Scotians over the past 10 months, as well as studies, including an independent review commissioned by the government of Nova Scotia, and the recent Council of Canadian Academies’ report for the federal government.
All submissions, presentations, and documents for the hydraulic fracturing review are available at http://www.cbu.ca/hfstudy
The hydraulic fracturing report is available at http://energy.novascotia.ca/oil-and-gas/onshore/hydraulic-fracturing-review
Just because frackers want to crap in their water does not mean that the East has to follow suit.
I have lived on the east coast most of my life and have never worked the western front. I as well as the majority of Nova Scotians are not pro fracking UNLESS strict regulations regarding safety are upheld. I personally think our country should be developing more green energy alternatives that do not depend on fossil fuels for all our futures. As for transfer payments and easterners taking westerns jobs…when did we become two different countries? The bigger problem albertans need to look at are the billions these US companies are driving across the border.