Joint Letter with St. John's Board of Trade re: Bay du Nord project

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P., Prime Minister of Canada & All Current Members of Parliament

March 9, 2022

Dear Prime Minister and Members of Parliament:

We are writing today to encourage you and your government to make the right decision and approve the critically important Bay du Nord project.

There is a lengthy list of legitimate and significant reasons why this project must proceed—many of which anchor to the economic realities and the fiscal devastation that a premature end to the oil and gas industry will cause for Newfoundland and Labrador, Atlantic Canada, and the country as a whole.

While that reality is alarming, it is not the most compelling reason for why the project must proceed. Bay du Nord must go ahead because, simply put, we still need oil. We may wish that wasn’t the case, we may regret the fact that we, as a nation, or a global community, are not further ahead in our plan to eliminate our collective reliance on fossil fuels but, unfortunately, we are not there—yet.

While we work to decarbonize, reduce emissions, and change our collective behaviours, it is critical that we develop and use the lowest carbon-emitting products possible. Bay du Nord provides exactly that. It can provide the lowest emission oil in the country, allowing us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while funding our transition to greener sources of energy. Shelving the Bay du Nord project will not speed-up the energy transition or decrease the global demand for oil.

Instead, it will force countries, including Canada, to source their oil from jurisdictions that do not produce products that are environmentally responsible or regulated. While we transition our energy sources, the global supply of oil must come from projects like Bay du Nord.

Thank you for your consideration on this critically important matter.

Sincerely,
AnnMarie Boudreau, CEO St. John’s Board of Trade
Norm Dimmell, Chair St. John’s Board of Trade
Sheri Somerville, CEO Atlantic Chamber of Commerce

CC:
The Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development
The Honourable Seamus O'Regan, Minister of Labour
Ms. Yvonne Jones, M.P.
Mr. Ken McDonald, M.P.
Mr. Churence Rogers, M.P.
Mr. Clifford Small, M.P.
Ms. Joanne Thompson, M.P.