Don Darling will take 'balanced approach' in supporting Energy East

A change of leadership in Saint John has already brought a change in tone when it comes to TransCanada Corp.'s proposed Energy East piepline project. 

Less than three months after being elected as mayor, Don Darling says the city has yet to finalize its position on the pipeline project and may only choose to do so many months from now, after TransCanada provides more crucial information.

"I ran on a mandate of growth," said Darling on Wednesday, as he was working on his presentation for the National Energy Board [NEB] hearings that start in the city on Aug. 8. 

"I think this, obviously, is one tremendous opportunity that could feed the growth for the region. So I'm very positive about it," the mayor said.

• Energy East public hearings begin Aug. 8 in Saint John

"But, [I] also know there are groups inside the region and outside the region who have concerns."

This is a contrast to the passionate exuberance often expressed by former mayor Mel Norton.

We should be able to answer with confidence to citizens, how are we going to  keep them safe?- Don Darling, Saint John mayor

Norton gave rousing endorsements of the pipeline project, calling it Saint John's first chance in many generations to have an impact on a national scale. 

"Typically, we're in the business of receiving transfer payments from most of Canada and this gives us a real opportunity to give back and unlock the natural resources of this country," said Norton before council passed a motion in November of 2014 to support Energy East. 

• New Energy East memo reveals conflicting government views on pipeline's value

Back in 2013, Norton made national headlines on a visit to Calgary, where he told oil executives that Saint John was on board with Energy East and that the pipeline project had social license in New Brunswick. 

And earlier this year, when Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre rejected the pipeline for being too environmentally risky, Norton called Coderre a hypocrite in the media and told him to get out of the way. 

Looking for answers

Darling says his style may be different, but he also points out that the previous council, led by Norton, had started the work of drilling down on pointed questions the city does want answered.  

Those information requests to TransCanada, have been posted online. 

"We should be able to answer with confidence to citizens, how are we going to  keep them safe — you know, the environmental elements of the project, social elements and again the economic elements," said Darling.

TransCanada began to provide some answers at a presentation to council in June and more information should be forthcoming through the hearing process, which starts in Saint John next month and then moves to Fredericton and then Montreal. 

The full list of interveners has been posted by the National Energy Board's website. The NEB says it will be conducting the hearings in Saint John's uptown with a venue to be announced shortly.

As an intervener on behalf of the City of Saint John, Darling will have 10 minutes to make a presentation and another 10 minutes to listen to the response from TransCanada.

Interveners will be able to present again in another round of hearings that will be scheduled next year, with a final report from the NEB due in March, 2018.