19 January, 2026
Dr. Graham Gagnon
Dalhousie University
Interim VP for Innovation and Research
Project Lead: Subsurface Energy Research and Development Investment Program
Re: Subsurface Energy Research and Development Investment Program
Dear Dr. Gagnon,
We are writing on behalf of the Nova Scotia Fracking Resource and Action Coalition (NOFRAC) to request that, in the interest of transparency and public accountability, Dalhousie make public the full text of the Subsurface Energy Research and Development Investment Program including all agreement(s) between Dalhousie and the Province establishing details of the program and conditions under which Dalhousie is to administer it.
Further, we are asking for your commitment, as project lead, to make public in a timely way the full text of any additional aspects of the agreement and program as they are developed, including the mandate, criteria and selection process of the oversight committee and the mandate and details of Dalhousie’s responsibilities in any consultation process. In a statement to Canadian Press, Dalhousie wrote, “Our role is to ensure that any exploration is approached with transparency, scientific rigour, and community input. The university will provide clear, evidence-based information so that future decisions are made with the highest level of public trust and accountability.”
Although some aspects of the arrangement have been presented in a press conference and press release, the agreement itself has not been made available to the public. We believe that it is critical that full transparency regarding this agreement and program start from the program’s beginning and continuing as the program and agreement evolves.
In agreeing to NOFRAC’s request, Dalhousie would be taking a first step to meet their stated commitment to transparency and public accountability on this project.
This project has a time frame of only one year. Dalhousie is expected to issue Requests for Proposals for Exploration in less than 3 months. With such a short time frame, transparency and public accountability clearly require that this information be available to the public quickly. We respectfully request your response to this letter within a week and urge that the full agreement be made available to the public within two weeks at most.
As a past member of Nova Scotia’s Independent Panel on Hydraulic Fracturing in 2014, you are aware that any onshore gas development in Nova Scotia is highly likely to involve fracking. You are probably also aware that over 1000 peer-reviewed studies have been published over the last decade. Together these studies establish that the risks of hydraulic fracturing to the climate, to citizen health, to clean water supplies, and to community wellbeing are even more serious and widespread than was recognized when Nova Scotia passed its legislated ban on hydraulic fracturing in 2015. You are likely also aware of the many billions of dollars of economic liabilities now associated with abandoned and inactive gas wells in Western Canada.
You have stated to the media that there are two main questions this year-long experiment aims to answer. The first is, what is the developmental potential of Nova Scotia’s onshore resource?
The second is, are people ready to accept “a sovereign energy supply?” It appears that this project skips over an essential question – whether development of onshore gas would be of net benefit to Nova Scotia.
Full disclosure of the agreement should help the public understand the project scope and Dalhousie’s role in the project including:
- Does Dalhousie have arm’s length independence in this project, or does the Provincial government have explicit or implicit control over the conclusions reached, or statements made regarding this research?
- For instance, is Dalhousie required to hold back from contradicting claims expressed by the provincial government as to the benefits and “safety” of onshore gas development for Nova Scotia?
- And/or, is Dalhousie’s role in “managing consultation with the public” and with First Nations to encourage consent for the government’s desire to develop onshore gas, including fracking, or to encourage informed decision making through full and honest discussion of all potential risks and benefits?
- How does this project define “a sovereign energy supply?” Is it broadly defined to include all possible ways the province could generate its own energy, or is Dalhousie bound by the project agreement to promote the government’s unsupported claim that onshore gas development is required for Nova Scotia’s energy security?
NOFRAC believes that any social licence or public consent for onshore gas development requires that the public be fully and transparently informed both about the conditions and goals of this agreement and about potential risks and benefits of onshore gas development including fracking.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at nofracns@gmail.com. In the interests of transparency, NOFRAC will be making this letter public. We also intend to make your response to this letter public if you have not done so. We hope to receive your positive response to this request.
Sincerely,
Ken Summers and Jonathan Langdon
For the Nova Scotia Fracking Resource and Action Coalition
The Nova Scotia Fracking Resource and Action Coalition (NOFRAC) was formed in December 2010 to share reliable information about the risks of hydraulic fracturing and the development of shale gas in Nova Scotia, and to raise public awareness about these risks. NOFRAC was part of the broad movement that resulted in Nova Scotia passing a legislated ban on hydraulic fracturing in shale in 2014.
Cc: By Email
Dr. John Silliboy, VP Indigenous Affairs, Dalhousie University
Dr. David Wheeler, Past Chair, Nova Scotia Independent Review Panel on Hydraulic Fracturing
Chief Carol Potter, Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs
Chief Tamara Young, Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs
Chief Michelle Glasgow, Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs
Regional Chief Andrea Paul, Assembly of First Nations
Claudia Chender, Leader, Nova Scotia New Democratic Party
Kendra Coombes, Natural Resources Critic, Nova Scotia New Democratic Party
Derek Mombourquette, Interim Leader, Nova Scotia Liberal Party
Iain Rankin, Natural Resources Critic, Nova Scotia Liberal Party
Premier Tim Houston, Nova Scotia Premier and Minister of Energy
Kim Masland, Nova Scotia Minister of Natural Resources
Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, MLA, Independent
Becky Druhan, MLA, Independent
NOFRAC 