• CALL TO ACTION! Stop Spraying NB

    CALL TO ACTION!

    SSNB has launched a new sign campaign to call out THREE NB politicians, who have to power to #StopSprayingNB, namely DNRE Minister Mike Holland, DOELG Minister Jeff Carr, and Premier Blaine Higgs.

    Forestinf.ca has published the 2020 Forest Herbicide Spray Map,

    - We need you to pose in as many of your favourite clearcuts (preferably on Crown land) with our new signs.
    - Choose which sign you would like to pose with (all three if you like or pose with a few friends).
    - Please REUSE the signs by passing them on to friends to do the same photo-op, or return to us if not too much trouble. Of course you can put the sign on your property AFTERWARDS.
    - Too far away for a sign pickup? We can send you the pdf so you can print your own paper signs at home. Please don’t sell these though. 
    - As a thanks for your participation we won’t charge you for the signs, but please remember that they cost us $14 each (incl tax). So please don’t waste them. DONATIONS WELCOME of course so we can buy more! (e-transfer to stopsprayinginnewbrunswick@gmail.com. EMAIL US YOUR PASSWORD! Or a cheque works too to our Petitcodiac mailing address 31 Main Street, Petitcodiac E4Z4L8.
    - Please email stopsprayinginnewbrunswick@gmail.com if you have any questions, or if you want to participate in this campaign. We have signs in different parts of NB

    MANY of our supportesr have picked up signs and have submitted photos on our public Facebook group.

    FACTS NOT SPIN: These are the facts and promises we at SSNB have been given by DNRE minister Mike Holland, during two meetings Bruce Dryer and I had with Mr. Holland, his assistant DM Chris Ward and DOELG minister Jeff Carr, since March 2019:
    - A very very small reduction of spraying in watersheds (121 hectares) is the only forest spraying reduction we saw in 2019.
    We have been given 4 promises:
    - 5% more conservation (the land parcels not decided yet) from a dismal 5% to 10% (still way below national suggested 17%). Feds will provide $9.3 million from the federal Canada Nature Fund to achieve its goal. NB ngo Nature Trust, started the lobbying for this and was joined by CCNB, NB chapter of CPAWS, NB Chapter of NCC, NATURENB.
    - Enforcement of buffers promised with zero details.
    - More intensive spraying promised to make up for the enforced buffers/increased conservation, which will result in no decrease in hectares sprayed.
    - a promise that Irving will not receive greater alotment for the next 7 years, BUT Chris Ward mentioned in Feb’20 during the standing committee hearings that there are plans to increase plantations on crown land from 14% to 20%!
    - We were never given any indication that more wood will be sourced from NB private woodlot owners.

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  • COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE: Stop Spraying NB a recueilli le plus grand nombre de signatures de pétition jamais ramassé au Nouveau-Brunswick : 13,439 autres signatures à ajouter pour un grand total de 27,225 afin d’arrêter l’arrosage d’herbicides sur les forê

    POUR PUBLICATION IMMÉDIATE

    COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE

    5 décembre, 2016

    Stop Spraying NB  a recueilli le plus grand nombre de signatures de pétition jamais ramassé au Nouveau-Brunswick :  13,439 autres signatures à ajouter pour un grand  total de 27,225 afin d’arrêter l’arrosage d’herbicides sur les forêts  publiques ainsi que sous les lignes d’Energie NB

    FRÉDÉRICTON – Ce  mardi 6 décembre, 2016,  13,404 signatures ORIGINALES seront déposées à l’Assemblée législative provinciale demandant à ce que la province du Nouveau-Brunswick cesse l’arrosage de pesticides sur les forêts publiques et sous les lignes d’Energie NB. Cette troisième présentation de pétitions représente encore une fois des communautés tout autour de la province incluant des communautés francophones, anglophones et  autochtones.  La pétition continue de prendre son élan et SSNB va continuer  de soumettre d’autres signatures dans le futur.  Une délégation d’organisateurs de différentes communautés  à travers la province représentant "Stop Spraying NB-Arrêtons l’arrosage NB " feront le voyage vers Fredericton  pour une photo devant la législature mardi midi le 6 décembre,  2016.  Certains députés qui supportent la cause ont été invités à se joindre à nous pour cette photo. SSNB a reçu l’information qu’en plus du député de Frédéricton, David Coon, le député  Jake Stewart (sud-ouest Miramichi) va signer la pétition et va également se joindre à nous pour la photo. Le député Jake Stewart s’est  prononcé contre l’arrosage de la forêt durant la  dernière année, et nous sommes heureux qu’il se joigne à nous.

    Programme pour la présentation de la pétition:

    Mardi 6 décembre, 2016
    12:00 (midi) -photo avec les députés supportant la cause
    1:00 pm: entrée de façon pacifique dans l’édifice de l’Assemblée législative afin d’être témoin  de la remise de la pétition par le député de Frédéricton, David Coon,  et d’entendre les mots de support des députés qui supportent notre cause.
    Endroit: Edifice de l’Assemblée législative provinciale
                   706 rue Queen
                   Fredericton, NB

    Comme vous le savez, le mouvement pour l’arrêt de l’arrosage au Nouveau-Brunswick a subi une croissance rapide depuis la saison de chasse 2015 lorsque les chasseurs ont  observé qu’il n’y avait presque plus de chevreuils dans nos forêts publiques. L’effondrement catastrophique  du cheptel de chevreuil se poursuit, avec la population maintenant rendue au quart de ce qu’elle était 30 ans passés. Une campagne pour ramasser des signatures de pétition qui a  commencé le 16 décembre 2015 avec une soumission initiale de presque 1200 signatures de Kedgwick, a été suivie par la remise de 12,686 signatures le 18 mai, 2016. Cette pétition pour l’arrêt de l’arrosage d’ herbicides sur les forêts publiques et sous les lignes d’Energie NB  est maintenant la  plus GRANDE pétition enregistrée dans l’histoire du Nouveau-Brunswick. Notre  gouvernement a un devoir d’ écouter ces 27,225 électeurs. Ce nombre va continuer de croître, alors que  plusieurs membres de nos communautés deviennent actifs dans ce mouvement. Chaque semaine,  nous avons de nouvelles personnes prêtes à recueillir des signatures dans leur communauté.  En septembre 2016, un Néo-Brunswickois retraité, Amédée Boucher, s’est impliqué  activement pour la cause et a recueilli  7,000 signatures dans la Péninsule acadienne dans une courte période de 2 mois avec quelques autres résidents.  Donc, un événement fut planifié par des organisateurs de Tracadie, supporté par SSNB, afin de discuter de l’arrosage et a connu une bonne participation.  Ce soir-là, le député de Fredericton, David Coon, a pris le temps, malgré son horaire fort occupé, de voyager jusqu'à Tracadie en un vendredi soir, et a reçu un total de 12,877 signatures incluant les signatures recueillies par Amédée Boucher et un autre lot reçu par SSNB  de partout dans la province. Le 2 décembre, 2016 un autre lot de 566 signatures est arrivé dans le courrier de SSNB. Les députés libéraux locaux ont refusé d’assister à cette rencontre.

     "Les gens de la Péninsule acadienne refusent d’être empoisonnés," dit Amédée Boucher, responsable d’avoir recueilli un volume de signatures dans cette zone, "mais la signature de la pétition est seulement le premier pas. Ca va prendre votre présence le 6 décembre afin de laisser un message clair  à nos politiciens: assez, c’est assez." Les  données récentes du Maine Fish and Wildlife, Québec Chasse et Pêche, Ministère des  Ressources naturelles de la Nouvelle-Ecosse et du Nouveau-Brunswick démontre que le nombre de captures  dans le NB sont maintenant à 15% de ce qu’elles étaient  en 1985, alors qu’au Québec, le nombre de capture a triplé et dans le Maine, il est resté relativement stable pour cette même période. La combinaison de l’augmentation des  coupes  à blanc et de l'arrosage de glyphosates  sur les plantations en monoculture de bois mou ont éliminé une très grand quantité de nourriture des chevreuils, supprimant  l’approvisionnement en nourriture à  32,000 de ces bêtes chaque année. Les gens qui vivent près de la forêt ont eux-mêmes remarqué les effets sur la population de chevreuils au NB.

    Un guide de la faune et  propriétaire de lots boisés privés, Léo Goguen de Rogersville, est en forêt constamment et a déjà déclaré , "Notre moyen de subsistence dépend de la chasse du gros et petit gibier. Irving non seulement empoisonne la viande qui nous permet de manger mais détruit de nombreux habitats qui permettent à la faune de survivre et de se reproduire.  Nous perdons le revenu des activités de loisirs et nos familles sont dépossédées de nourriture saine provenant de nos forêts.  Léo a aussi été victime de préjudice sur les  effets sur son moyen de subsistance comme propriétaire de lots boisés privés.

    Le nord du Nouveau-Brunswick  est grandement troublé par ce qui se passe: "Nous,  à EcoVie, sommes très préoccupés  par ce qui arrive dans nos forêts", dit Clément Arpin, propriétaire à la retraite d’une ancienne usine à valeurs ajoutées, de Kedgwick. "28% de toutes les forêts arrosées au Canada sont au NB et le NB représente 0.7% de la superficie de notre pays. C’est beaucoup d’arrosage de pesticides tout autour nous! Nos belles forêts  mixtes sont transformées en plantations.... une monoculture n’est pas une forêt.  Nous devons réaliser qu’une forêt diversifiée nous apporte de la diversité dans les emplois et une stabilité dans notre économie. On ne peut pas faire du sirop d’ érable  avec des épinettes. Alors pourquoi tuer nos feuillus alors que nos érablières  ont  augmenter leurs revenus  de 1000% dans la dernière  décennie comme l’a déclaré notre Premier Ministre, Brian Gallant, lors d’une de ses visites à Kedgwick?  On doit travailler avec le forêt, mettre nos gens au travail au lieu d’utiliser des pesticides qui détruisent notre belle diversité."

    Le député David Coon est depuis longtemps défenseur de la cause pour l’arrêt de l’arrosage d’ herbicides sur les forêts et sous les lignes d’Energie N.B. Le 2 décembre, 2016, David Coon a fait cette puissante déclaration: "Arrêtons la coupe à blanc intensive et disons au revoir à l’arrosage d’herbicides » :
    http://greenpartynb.ca/en/8-news/1007-stop-the-runaway-clearcutting-and-say-goodbye-to-herbicide-spraying. Cette citation dans sa déclaration en dit long: "Notre province  est une de trois dernières provinces canadiennes s'accrochant à cette pratique, malgré de nombreuses pétitions semblables à celle-ci , et des voix s’objectant depuis longtemps provenant de nos milieux ruraux . Ils ont droit à un environnement sûr, à vivre sans peur pour leur bien-être et celui de la faune qui habite nos forêts." "Le fait que ce sont les contribuables qui paient pour l’arrosage de nos forêts à un coût de $ 2.4m/année est juste ridicule", dit le Dr. Caroline Lubbe-D’Arcy, organisatrice du groupe SSNB. "De plus,  notre gestion forestière crée moins emplois que jamais auparavant, ce qui ne fait aucun sens. Nous avons besoin de remettre au travail nos équipes d’éclaircisseurs.  Nous laissons des travailleurs formés assis chez eux pour soutenir une pratique de gestion forestière qui est non durable.   Ces gens pourraient être au travail et contribuer à notre économie au lieu d’être en manque d’emploi."

    SVP venez rencontrer des membres pour l’arrêt de l’arrosage  et autres Néo-Brunswickois qui sont grandement préoccupés par la poursuite de cette pratique en dehors l’édifice de l’Assemblée législative ce mardi 6 décembre, 2016 à midi. Tous les dirigeants politiques  et députés sont invités à assister et démontrer leur soutien.

    Contacts pour les médias: (seront présents à l’événement à Frédéricton)
    Dr. Caroline Lubbe-D’Arcy, SSNB,Fredericton, cellulaire 506-292-7503 (contact médias anglais)
    André Arpin, ECOVIE , Kedgwick, cellulaire: 506-284-0593 (contact médias français)
    Amédée Boucher, Péninsule acadienne, cellulaire: 709-792-4033

  • Film screenings in June: 40th anniversary of Neal Livingston’s Budworks, plus 100 Short Stories

    Fim Screenings
    The Conservation Council is hosting a pair of film screenings with award-winning independent filmmaker Neal Livingston on June 12 and June 13, including the 40th anniversary screening of Budworks, a film about the controversial, decades-long budworm spraying program in New Brunswick that was featured in Rachel Carson’s seminal book, Silent Spring.

    Watch Budworks (1978 – 35 minutes) with filmmaker Neal Livingston at Conserver House (180 St. John St., Fredericton) on Tuesday, June 12 at 7 p.m.

    The next night (Wednesday, June 13), Livingston will screen his latest film, 100 Short Stories (2016 – 68:30 minutes), an inspiring film about the struggle against gas fracking and renewable energy in Cape Breton, at Conserver House at 7 p.m.

    Admission to each film is by donation. Livingston will be on hand for discussion following each film.

    Budworks screengrab

    Budworks takes an in-depth look at the politics and environmental decision-making surrounding New Brunswick’s controversial aerial insecticide spraying program which began in the 1950s and ran for decades, and how spraying was stopped in Cape Breton with the lead activist being a young activist Elizabeth May.  An important part of New Brunswick’s history, the film explores the role of government and community activists, and examines the economic and health impacts of aerial insecticide spraying. It was featured in “What’s Happening?”— a weekly series of new films at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1978.

    100 Short Stories     is a first-person account of the years-long struggle to develop Black River Wind’s renewable energy project while the community of Inverness County worked to stop oil and gas drilling and fracking on Cape Breton Island. With a focus on eco-activism and contemporary life in Atlantic Canada, the film explores energy policy, governance and regional culture in Nova Scotia. Premiering in Halifax in 2016, the film has received wide recognition, including the 2017 Energy Award at Cinema Verde in Gainesville, Florida, and presentations at the Planet in Focus Festival 2016 in Toronto, and the Bozcaada International Festival of Ecological Documentary in Turkey 2017.

    Neal Livingston has been making films for more than 40 years. He lives in the Mabou Inverness area on Cape Breton Island, where he also makes art, runs a renewable energy business, is an active woodlot owner and runs a commercial maple syrup farm.

    Film screenings CCNB 1

  • Glyphosate protesters set up camp in Kedgwick River clearcut

    Covered by CBC, Radio Canada, Acadie Nouvelle:


    http://www.acadienouvelle.com/actualites/2016/08/24/glyphosate-occupation-pacifique-contre-larrosage-restigouche-video/?pgnc=1

    http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/atlantique/2016/08/24/015-acadie-nouveau-brunswick-epandage-herbicide-kedgwick.shtml

    MEDIA RELEASE: AUGUST 23, 2016
    COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE URGENT 23 AOUT, 2016
    Les joyeux campeurs protegent notre avenir et nos forets
    (ENGLISH TEXT FOLLOWS)
    Dans le Restigouche ouest, un groupe communautaire avait depuis trois mois l'intention d'occuper une clearcutting qui devait être arrosé cette année avec l'herbicide glyphosate. « Nous devons cesser d'empoisonner nos forêts, protéger la faune et la flore, et sauver l'environnement pour les générations à venir », a déclaré Francine Levesque, membre du groupe EcoVie, situé dans la région de Kedgwick-Saint-Quentin.
    Plus tôt cette semaine , un site a été choisi pour établir un campement pour protéger l'environnement . « Le plan original était de garder l'action en silence, » a déclaré Jean MacDonald, un autre membre de EcoVie. « Mais vous savez que nous sommes dans une petite communauté. Il est devenu difficile de garder tout cela en silence, étant donné l'intérêt des gens pour arrêter l'arrosage. Quelqu'un passe près de notre camp et a pris des photos et a été le partage sur Facebook.»
    « Maintenant, nous recevons plusieurs offres de support », a déclaré Francine . « Nous ne sommes seulement un petit groupe de personnes . Nous aurions souhaite que le plan d'action soit dévoilé lors de la réunion mensuelle du groupe de la Paix et de l'Amitié (Peace & Friendship Alliance) le samedi 27 Août à Kedgwick River. L'Alliance comprend acadienne , autochtone et anglophone du Nouveau-Brunswick qui sont fortement opposés à l'arrosage. Mais presentement le chat est sorti du sac " .
    Les “Joyeux campeurs” sont maintenant situés sur le Chemin de la Shop a Savon, un peu en dehors de la route 17 , près de l'ancienne église de White’s Brook. Un code très sévère de l'éthique et de la non-violence sont mis en application sur le site.
    (English next page)
    Happy Campers Protecting our Future and our Forest
    In Restigouche West, a community group has had plans for three months to occupy clearcuts scheduled to be sprayed with Glyphosate herbicide. “We need to stop this poisoning of the woods, to bring back the wildlife, and protect the environment for future generations,” said Francine Levesque, a member of EcoVie, which is centred in the Kedgwick and Saint Quentin communities.
    Earlier this week, a site was chosen to make this stand for the environment. “The original plan was to keep the action under wraps,” said Jean MacDonald, another member of EcoVie. “But you know how it is in a small community. Someone went by and took photos of the camp we are setting up, and put them on FaceBook. We could not keep it quiet because so many people around here oppose the spraying.”
    “Now we are getting many offers of support,” says Francine. “We are just a few people. We had hoped to wait to announce to the media until this Saturday, August 27, when the provincial Peace & Friendship Alliance network will be having its monthly meeting in Kedgwick River. The Alliance is made up of Indigenous, Acadian, and Anglophone New Brunswickers who are very opposed to the spraying. But I guess the cat is out of the bag.”
    The “Happy Campers” site is located on Chemin de la Shop a Savon, just off Highway 17. Travel in White's Brook Road by the old church about 4.5 km, and then turn right when you come to a “T” in the road. A very tight code of ethics and non-violence is being enforced at the site.

  • MEDIA RELEASE: SSNB has the largest petition that has EVER happened in New Brunswick: Another 13,439 signatures to make a grand total of 27,225 to Stop Herbicide Spraying in New Brunswick Public Forests and NB Power right-of-ways

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     
    MEDIA RELEASE

    December 5, 2016

    SSNB has the largest petition that has EVER happened in New Brunswick: Another 13,439 signatures to make a grand total of 27,225 to Stop Herbicide Spraying in New Brunswick Public Forests and NB Power right-of-ways.

    FREDERICTON - On Tuesday December 6, 2016 13,404 WRITTEN signatures will be tabled at the Provincial Legislature which demands that New Brunswick stops spraying of public forests and NB Power right of ways. This third petition presentations represents again communities from every part of the province including francophone, anglophone and Indigenous communities. The petition drive is continuing to gain momentum and SSNB will continue with future petition signature submissions. 

    A delegation of community organizers representing “Stop Spraying in New Brunswick” (SSNB) will be travelling to Fredericton from communities across New Brunswick to gather for a photo in front of the Legislature at noon on Tuesday, December 6 2016. During this time supportive MLAs have been invited to join us in this photo.

    SSNB has received word, that in addition to Fredericton MLA David Coon,  MLA Jake Stewart (South-West Miramichi) will sign the petition and stand with us in the photo. MLA Jake Stewart has spoken out against forest spraying in the past year, and we are pleased that he is joining us.

    Petition Presentation schedule:

    Tuesday December 6, 2016
    12:00 noon photo with supporting MLAs
    1:00 pm: peaceful entry into the Legislature building to witness Fredericton MLA David Coon as he tables the signatures, and to hear supportive words from MLAs who are supportive of our demands.
    LOCATION:
    Provincial Legislature Buildings
    706 Queen Street
    Fredericton, New Brunswick

    As you know, the Stop Spraying in New Brunswick movement has been growing rapidly since the 2015 hunting season when hunters found that there were almost no deer in our public forests. A catastrophic deer collapse continues, with the deer population now one-quarter of what it was 30 years ago.  A petition campaign which was started on December 16 2015, with an initial submission of almost 1200 signatures from Kedgwick, was followed by the submission of 12,686 signatures on May 18, 2016. This petition to Stop Herbicide Spraying in New Brunswick Public Forests and NB Power right-of-ways is now the LARGEST petition collection on record in New Brunswick history. Our government has a duty to listen to the 27,225 voters. This number will continue to grow, as more community members are becoming active in this movement. Every week we have new people coming forward to collect signatures in their communities.
     
    In September 2016, a retired New Brunswicker, Amédée Boucher became actively involved in this issue, and collected over 7,000 signatures on the Acadian Peninsula in a period of just 2 months together with a few other residents. Therefore, an event was held by organizers in Tracadie, supported by SSNB, to discuss the spraying issue with great attendance. That evening Fredericton MLA David Coon, who had taken time out of his busy schedule to travel up to Tracadie on that Friday evening, received a total of 12,877 signatures that included the signatures collected by Amédée Boucher and another batch received by SSNB from all over the province. On December 2, 2016 another 566 signatures arrived in the mail to SSNB. The local Liberal MLAs refused to attend.

    "The people of the Acadian Peninsula refuse to be poisoned," said Amédée Boucher, responsible for having collected a bulk of signatures in that area, "but signing  the petition is only the first step. It'll take your presence on December 6, 2016 to leave a clear message to our politicians: enough is enough."

    Recent data from Maine Inland F&W, Quebec Chasse et peche, NSDNR and NBDNR shows that hunting numbers in NB are now 15% of what they were in 1985, whereas in Quebec the numbers have increased threefold and in Maine they have stayed relatively stable over the same period of time. The combination of increased clearcutting and glyphosate spraying of monoculture softwood plantations are eliminating a very large amount of deer food, removing enough browse to feed 32,000 deer each and every year.  People who live near or in the woods have noticed the effects on the deer population in New Brunswick themselves.

    Wildlife guide and woodlot owner Leo Goguen from Rogersville is out in the woods all the time and has stated this before,  "Our livelihood depends on hunting wildlife and fowl. Irving not only poisoned the meat we eat but destroyed multiple game habitat that this game depends on to reproduce and strive. We are losing revenue on recreational activities and our families are being robbed of healthy food.”  Leo has also felt the detrimental effects on his livelihood as a private woodlot owner.

    Northern New Brunswick is feeling the pain: “We at ÉCOVIE are very much preoccupied by what is being done in our forests”, says Clément Arpin, retired businessman from a value-added wood industry. “28% of all the forests sprayed in Canada are in NB and NB represents 0.7% of the surface of our country. This is a lot of pesticides sprayed all around us! Our beautiful mixed forests are being transformed into plantations....A monoculture is not a forest. We have to realize that a forest with diversity will bring diversity in jobs and a stability in our economy. We cannot extract maple syrup from a spruce tree. So why do we have to kill hardwood when those trees provided us a revenue increase of 1000% in the last decade as stated by our Prime Minister, Brian Gallant, on one of his visits in Kedgwick? We should work with the forest, put our people to work instead of working with pesticides and destroying our beautiful diversity.”

    MLA David Coon has been a long-standing champion for the cause to stop herbicide spraying of NB forests and hydro-power lines . On December 2, 2016, David Coon released this powerful statement: “ Stop the Runaway Clearcutting and Say Goodbye to Herbicide Spraying” http://greenpartynb.ca/en/8-news/1007-stop-the-runaway-clearcutting-and-say-goodbye-to-herbicide-spraying. This quote from his statement says enough: “Ours is one of only three Canadian provinces clinging to the practice, despite numerous petitions similar to the present one, and long-standing, vocal objections from our rural residents. They have a right to a safe environment, to live free of fear for their well-being and that of the wildlife inhabiting our forests.”

    “The fact that taxpayers are paying to spray our forests at a cost of $2.4M a year is just ludicrous”, says SSNB organizer Dr. Caroline Lubbe-D’Arcy. “On top of that, our forestry is creating less jobs than EVER before, which makes no sense. We need to bring thinning crews back to work. We have trained workers sitting at home so that an unsustainable forest management practice can exist. People could be working and contributing to our economy instead of being underemployed.”
     
    Please arrange to meet members of Stop Spraying New Brunswick and other New Brunswickers who are alarmed about the continued use of these sprays outside the legislature buildings on Tuesday December 6, 2016 at noon. All political leaders and MLA's are invited to attend and show support.

    Media contacts: (will be present at the event in Fredericton)
    Dr. Caroline Lubbe-D’Arcy, SSNB, Fredericton cell 506-292-7503 (English media contact)
    André Arpin, Écovie, Kedgwick cell: 506-284-0593 (French media contact)
    Amédée Boucher, Acadie Peninsula, cell: 709-792-4033

  • Media release: SSNB seeks info on spraying costs to taxpayer

    MEDIA RELEASE

    SSNB files request for spraying costs
    Fredericton – Feb. 5

    Today, Stop Spraying New Brunswick, Inc. (SSNB) filed an official request seeking to learn how much the taxpayer pays to have forestry companies spray glyphosate-based herbicides on Crown forests.

    “It’s important for the public to know how much they are subsidizing big forestry companies,” stated Vern Faulkner, a director with the non-profit advocacy group. The Right to Information and Privacy Protection Act request, better known as a freedom of information request, asks for total costs spent in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

  • Stop Spraying NB UPDATE for August 2019

    Stop Spraying NB NEWS:

    - Stop Spraying NB has launched a NEW ACTION ITEM for supporters:

    Please set up an appointment with your MLA in your local constituency office on a Constituency Monday and BRING SSNB's brand new pamphlet full of great facts to counter govt spin. Every MLA has a duty to be available to you on Mondays!

    You can download and print the pdf of our pamphlet directly from our website (it prints well in black and white!):

    http://www.stopsprayingnb.ca/?page_id=103

    - SSNB has also started sending out a monthly email newsletter to our email list. here is our debut August Newsletter. Please join our email list if you want to be kept up-to-date. we promise not to fill your inbox.

    Link to our SSNB Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/b773cbb8c314/welcome-to-ssnbs-first-newsletter?fbclid=IwAR1mNBSZ1ze7MVSJdzeIt_IrVJauKSmllN13EHlZfp5Ua_pEYuQZJsqmkwk

    IMG 4304

  • Stop Spraying New Brunswick calls for human health, wildlife health studies and immediate moratorium

    Stop Spraying New Brunswick group calls for human health study, wildlife health study and immediate moratorium.

    New Brunswick’s acting Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Jennifer Russell has concluded that there is no need to stop glyphosate forest spraying at this time in NB. After review of the Glyphosate report released by the Chief Medical Officer of New Brunswick on July 26, 2016, Stop Spraying New Brunswick group calls for an immediate moratorium on forest spraying and the start of human and wildlife health studies.

    “What I saw was a report that acknowledged that the use of Glyphosate is contentious,” says Peter Gilbert, co-organizer of Stop Spraying New Brunswick. ”Some say it’s okay and some say it’s not. There are provinces, states, countries and scientific authorities on both sides of this debate. That in itself is enough reason to press pause on the use of this controversial herbicide.“

    “The extent of forest spraying in this province and the dramatic drop in the deer population are two compelling reasons to launch a major health study immediately in NB including humans and large forest animals”, says Dr. Caroline Lubbe-D’Arcy, co-organizer of stop Spraying New Brunswick.

    New Brunswick is seeing an increase in forest spraying as a result of the 2014 Forest Management Strategy, which allows for more Crown forest clearcuts than before with resulting plantations that are managed by herbicide spraying. 40% of cut forest was sprayed in 2014, a much higher percentage than any other province in Canada.

    “Canadian Environmental Protection Law recognizes that the protection of the environment is essential to the well-being of Canadians,” says Francine Levesque from Écovie, Kedgwick River. “It includes a precautionary principle that says that "lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation" and "The application of this principle is a legitimate and distinct decision-making approach within risk management". This principle should be used in NB at this moment with glyphosate since we have the second-highest cancer rate In Canada (Statistics 2015).” 

    Clearly something is wrong as we are witnessing with large mammals (other than humans) living in our forests. One only has to look at the significant drop and change in distribution of New Brunswick’s deer population. Our deer population is now a quarter of what it was 30 years ago (New Brunswick’s deer population has plummeted from 270,000 to 74,000 over the past 3 decades). Data comparing New Brunswick, Maine and Québec show that the deer harvest numbers in New Brunswick have decreased to 15% of 1985 LEVELS, whereas numbers are up 300% in Québec and have remained stable in Maine. Québec has had a ban on forest spraying since 2001. 

    It should be noted that it has been reported that deer will not eat sprayed vegetation and that they will migrate to find food in unsprayed areas, but their supply of food is diminishing due to increased clearcuts and herbicide spraying. Moose however, will eat sprayed vegetation so the health of these large mammals should be studied. If there is no risk this needs to be proven and not assumed. A study would help answer several important questions since a large percentage of our population hunts moose and fishes for food. Is their meat and organ tissue tested for the presence of this chemical? 

    “New Brunswick’s wildlife such as deer and moose are our canaries in the coal mine with respect to forest spraying," says Dr. Caroline Lubbe-D'Arcy. “Stop Spraying New Brunswick (SSNB) is asking for an immediate health study to be launched on humans and large mammals in New Brunswick as well as an immediate moratorium or outright ban on forest spraying. Our acting CMO should be applying the precautionary principle and not use the New Brunswick rural population as guinea pigs."

  • Stop Spraying New Brunswick unveils new logo

    February 19, 2018


    The board of Stop Spraying New Brunswick today approved a new logo. The simple, clean design features a leafless tree and the name of the organization.

    Several designs were displayed on the SSNB Facebook page with a poll seeking input, and the tree-and-name design proved the most popular, with a similar design coming second.

    “The logo that won captures the main concern of our supporters: the loss of hardwood trees and our biodiverse forests, with the resultant loss of wildlife and economic opportunities in rural New Brunswick,” stated SSNB president Caroline Lubbe-D’Arcy.
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