The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) has formally urged the New Brunswick government to take a hard look at the health and financial risks tied to natural gas power generation — including the proposed plant in Tantramar. In a detailed submission to the Premier, Minister of Health, Minister of the Environment, and Chief Medical Health Officer, CAPE lays out the well‑documented health hazards linked to methane and diesel emissions, pairing those risks with the real healthcare costs already borne by New Brunswickers and Canadians.
Their message is clear: any evaluation of new gas infrastructure must account for the significant, long‑term public health impacts that accompany it. While not intended as an exhaustive review, CAPE’s primer establishes a solid baseline of the medical burdens — from respiratory illness to cardiovascular disease — that would inevitably rise alongside expanded fossil‑fuel power generation.
To reinforce the urgency, CAPE also sent a companion letter to all MLAs, highlighting both the health consequences and the unity among New Brunswick’s medical organizations. Their collective stance sends a strong signal: the province’s healthcare community is aligned in its concern, and sees the proposed gas plant as an unnecessary and harmful step backward.
Letter to Premier, Minister and CMHO:
Letter to MLAs:
About CAPE:
CAPE is a charitable organization that works with partners across Canada and internationally to amplify impact and build collective power. We support physicians in advocating for healthier ecosystems, and take action to advance health for all by engaging governments, leading campaigns, conducting research, and drawing media attention to key issues. This work is driven by our purpose: to mobilize the credible voice of health professionals, health science, and evidence to address the ecological and climate crises, and accelerate change towards a just, equitable, and healthier present and future.