Extreme weather and flooding are among the risks associated with climate change for people living in the Sackville area, contributing to calls for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels. 

But the energy sector is a big part of the Canadian economy, raising questions about the future for workers who depend on those jobs and their communities.

The federal Liberal Party’s 2019 platform said the government would introduce a Just Transition Act to give workers “access to the training, support and new opportunities needed to succeed in the clean economy.” 

Rallies took place in communities across Canada this month calling for Ottawa to follow through on that pledge. As part of that campaign, a rally is planned in Moncton this coming Saturday. 

It’s happening outside the office of Ginette Petitpas Taylor, who is Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. She's also the MP representing Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe.

In response to a query from CHMA, her office directed questions to Kaitlin Power, a spokesperson for the Minister of Environment Steven Guilbeault.

Power provided a statement saying the government received a strong mandate from Canadians to "transition our economy to net zero in a way that ensures no Canadian is left behind, and that is what we are going to do.”

Daniel Légère, president of the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, is among the speakers scheduled for this weekend’s rally.

He spoke to CHMA about what a just transition means for workers in this province.