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This week, in Métro newspaper, Steven Guilbeault, cofounder and senior director of Equiterre, wrote: "During the last election, Quebec Liberal Party leader Philippe Couillard surprised many by saying that a strategic environmental assessment is needed for Quebec oil, notably on Anticosti, in Gaspésie and at Old Harry.
This was all the more surprising since it came at a time where both the Parti Québécois and the Coalition Avenir Québec were holding out the prospect of "billions of dollars of benefits" from Anticosti oil. It would have been easy for Couillard to do the same. After all, who would not want "billions of dollars"? But Couillard was cautious. A wise decision.
Couillard demonstrated a healthy dose of skepticism. This venture would require Quebec to take on too much risk, he said.
You know what? I totally agree with him.
The writer and director Dominic Champagne does a great job of portraying the issues related to oil exploitation on Anticosti in his documentary, Anticosti – La chasse au pétrole extrême (in French only). See it if you can.
I can't be the only one to find it strange that in spite of these supposed "billions of dollars of benefits" that Petrolia, Corridors Ressources and Junex – the junior companies behind this project – were unable to find financial backing for this venture.
If it was such a good deal, surely the Shells, Totals and Exxons of the world would have been first in line. The rumour circulating in the industry is that some partners of the government still can't believe that Quebec could have ever embarked on this project, let alone so eagerly.
Last week, four major unions (CSN, FTQ, CSQ and CSD) held a press conference with five environmental groups to remind the government of Couillard's commitment to hold an environmental assessment before embarking on oil development in Quebec – and to put the issue to public debate. It's imperative that this discussion take place. Our social, environmental and economic future depends on it."
To read the original: Pour une large consultation sur le pétrole au Québec.
