Activists rallied outside the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday calling on the province to reverse course on several controversial projects, including a fossil-fuel burning power plant, a hyperscale data centre, and a massive open-pit mine.
They also expressed opposition to a lifting of New Brunswick’s moratorium on shale gas fracking, a policy that’s currently under review. An estimated 350 people were in attendance for the rally, which took place as MLAs returned to Fredericton for the new legislative session.
“These projects will endanger our health, pollute our air and water, worsen climate change, and raise our electricity rates,” said Jim Emberger, spokesperson for the New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance, in a media release.
He said those projects are also leading New Brunswick “away from an affordable future and the transition to clean, renewable and inexpensive energy that we need and deserve.”
A significant police presence around the legislature grounds caught the attention of many of the environmentalists who attended the rally. Photos taken at the event show a police officer monitoring the crowd from the roof of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery armed with a rifle mounted on a tripod.
Sources said it appeared to be a high-powered sniper rifle, though camouflage netting made it difficult to identify the model. At least one drone was also spotted hovering over the crowd.
People who were present at the event also noticed a sharpshooter on the roof of the nearby Crowne Plaza hotel. Some environmentalists expressed shock about the police presence.
“This is what awaits peaceful protestors in New Brunswick,” said Liane Thibodeau, in a Facebook post accompanied by photos from the scene. “Drones monitoring us overhead and not one sniper but two — one on the roof of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and another on the roof of the Crowne Plaza.”
In response to queries from the NB Media Co-op, Fredericton Police Force spokesperson Megan Barker provided an emailed statement confirming that the “individual observed on the roof [of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery] was a member of the Fredericton Police Force, and the RPAS (drone) operations were conducted by the Fredericton Police Force.”
While some activists described the police presence as overkill, Barker described it as standard procedure.
“The security measures in place yesterday were part of standard planning for the opening of the legislature, which included a military parade, dignitaries, and large crowds,” Barker said, adding that they are “routinely implemented” during various public events.
“These measures are precautionary in nature and are intended to help ensure the safety of all attendees, including participants, spectators, demonstrators, and members of the public,” Barker said. “They form part of contingency planning should a critical incident occur. No specific threat prompted these measures.”
Barker added that Tuesday’s events unfolded without incident, and police didn’t intervene in the demonstration. The police spokesperson declined to comment on “specific deployment tactics or capabilities,” citing operational security. Shayne Davies, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, said that his office doesn’t comment on security matters.
The rally was organized by Protect the Chignecto Isthmus Coalition and Seniors for Climate Tantramar.
Supporting organizations included the NB Anti-Shale Gas Alliance, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment–New Brunswick, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, Save Lorneville, Stop the Tantramar Gas Plant, the Atlantic Wildlife Institute, the Coaltional for Responsible Energy Development NB, the Stop Sisson Mine Coalition, No Data Centres NB, ACORN, and NB Lung.
Last update: 11:35 a.m., Oct. 22, 2026
David Gordon Koch is a staff reporter with the NB Media Co-op. This reporting has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, via the Local Journalism Initiative.
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