Skip to navigation Skip to content

Completed

We must say NO to Bay du Nord!

A threat to biodiversity and climate

The campaign

Bay du Nord is an offshore oil development mega-project, which would be located off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. Owned by the Norwegian company Equinor, the project received federal government approval in April 2022, despite its horrendous impacts on the climate and biodiversity.

On June 16, the Federal Court dismissed our challenge to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change's decision to approve Bay du Nord. We have decided not to pursue the appeal of the decision undertaken by our partners at Ecojustice, Sierra Club Canada Foundation and Mi'gmawe'l Tplu'taqnn Incorporated (MTI). Équinor has also decided to suspend the project for three years. We will reassess the situation in due course.

Did you know:

  • There’s a 16% chance that an extremely large oil spill would occur with the Bay du Nord project;

  • If a spill were to occur, Equinor estimates that it would take anywhere from 18 to 36 days to cap one of the site's wells and up to 115 days to install a relief well;

  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada "did not have sufficient information to conduct an ecosystem assessment of the impact study provided by Equinor”;

  • Offshore oil and gas activities in the Atlantic provinces pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems;

  • The Bay du Nord project is expected to produce 300 million to 1 billion barrels of oil.

Chronology

2023

July 

Our legal action against Bay du Nord has been rejected

On June 16, the Federal Supreme Court decided to dismiss our appeal against the federal government's approval of Equinor's Bay du Nord mega-oil project. We will not appeal the decision as we are confident that the postponement of the project will lead to its cancellation in the long term.

May 

On hold for 3 years!

On Wednesday, May 31st, Equinor announced delaying the development of the mega oil extraction project Bay du Nord by three years. While the project is officially on hold, it still isn't cancelled! So let's keep voicing our opposition!

Shareholder pressure at the Equinor AGM

In collaboration with our international partners, we lobbied shareholders at the Equinor AGM in Norway.

2022

December

Bay du Nord is a threat to Atlantic marine biodiversity. 

The Canadian government is not an environmental leader: it contradicts itself. 

What are the risks and impacts on marine biodiversity?

Imagine if an accident or leak were to occur at sea, the repercussions on marine life would be catastrophic. In this december (french speaking) webinar we discussed the risks to marine ecosystems from oil projects.

May

Équiterre and Sierra Club sue the federal government

Represented by EcoJustice, Équiterre and the Sierra Club Canada Foundation challenge the decision of the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, to approve Equinor's Bay du Nord project.

April

Bay du Nord is approved

Équiterre vigorously denounces the federal government's decision. This project will cost $12 billion. Have we learned nothing from TransMountain?

Mars

A new TransMountain?

The idea of the Bay du Nord oil drilling project, off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, is taking shape. This will show that Canada has learned nothing from the Trans Mountain pipeline acquisition in 2018.

Related content

Mobilization Manager

meleclerc@equiterre.org
See profile