Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says fracking opponents are drowning out other voices

The Shell Groundbirch Saturn natural gas plant outside of Fort St. John, B.C., is pictured Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says some opponents of fracking are drowning out voices who want to have a conversation and learn more about new fossil fuel production.

Houston posted the comments on social media, along with a short video of a consultation session in Windsor, N.S., hosted by Dalhousie University on Monday evening.

The provincial government kicked off the consultations more than a year after lifting a ban on fracking that was in place for over a decade.

Houston says the consultations should provide a space where all Nova Scotians can speak, not just the loudest voices in the room.

He also says the actions of opponents could prevent the province from pursuing an important discussion about jobs, energy production as well as environmental concerns.

Badia Nehme, an energy coordinator with Halifax’s Ecology Action Centre, said those protesters represent just some of the many Nova Scotians who are concerned about the environmental risks tied to fracking.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2026.