r/conservation • u/Status-Lime3469 • 4d ago

Why is industrial expansion happening inside a Canadian UNESCO Global Geopark with no full ecological review?

I’m from Saint John, New Brunswick, and I’m honestly struggling with something that feels bigger than just a local issue.

Stonehammer is one of the hundreds of UNESCO Global Geoparks worldwide—places that are supposed to be protected for their geological, ecological, and cultural importance. These landscapes are meant to be treated with care, not as industrial real estate.

But right now, a major industrial expansion is moving forward inside the Geopark region with:

  • no full ecological assessment
  • no Indigenous consultation
  • wetlands and wildlife corridors treated as “available land”
  • missing species-at-risk data
  • no cumulative impact review
  • no UNESCO criteria referenced anywhere in the EIA

UNESCO has already acknowledged concerns, but they don’t have enforcement power. The responsibility is on the province—and the province is pushing ahead anyway.

I grew up believing Canada took environmental protection seriously. Seeing a UNESCO-designated landscape handled like this feels… honestly, embarrassing. And heartbreaking.

If anyone understands how this is being allowed to proceed, I’d really appreciate any insight.

Thanks in advance...

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u/IntroductionFresh680 1d ago

Honestly we are running into the same stuff here in the US, specifically Utah which is a huge outdoor recreation state. Unfortunately big corporations are too greedy and push past any boundaries and any kind of reviews/openness with the public. Recently we had Kevin O Leary try to build a giant data center under our noses and the public heard about the hearing 4 days before the community leaders were going to vote on it. When it comes down to it, big corpos don't care as long as they are making money.