Arguing in court that the Sipekne’katik Band is a conquered people and that therefore the duty to consult does not apply is exactly the wrong thing to do for the McNeil government, writes contributor Art Bouman. But he isn’t surprised, it’s all about money and fossil fuels.

Ken Summers takes the pulse of the Alton Gas project in light of the company’s recent announcement that it will not begin its brining operation this year. The company’s future here doesn’t look quite as bright as it did say three years ago. It’s what happens when you’re not welcome.

The Alton Gas salt caverns have managed to escape scrutiny from the regulators, writes researcher Ken Summers. But news that two of the four drilled wells are unusable should cause some alarm bells to go off.

Alton Gas is getting plenty of press coverage. However, that the proposed gas pipeline for the Alton Gas storage project is set to cross the Stewiacke River Wilderness Area has somehow escaped attention. It appears that the current government would like to keep it that way.

Chances are that Justin Trudeau,federal ministers and Stephen McNeil are going to find their inboxes and Facebook and Twitter timelines rather full this week. The group that is trying to stop Alton Gas from dumping brine into the vulnerable Shubenacadie River kicked off a one-week social media blitz to make the politicians aware of the issues.

This weekend’s featured video is a very good new documentary about the residents, First Nations people, fishers and naturalists fighting for a pristine Shubenacadie RIver and the rural lifestyle that made them settle in the community.