News release

Premier Announces Energy Council

Petroleum Directorate

Premier John Hamm has unveiled details of his new 16-member Premier's Energy Council. He made the announcement during a speech today to the Offshore/Onshore Trade Association in Halifax.

Premier Hamm also gave the council its first assignment. It will look at what steps need to be taken to ensure exploration and development are conducted in a manner that is sensitive to other interests, in particular the fishery.

"I think it is important for people to understand that our government believes it is possible for both the oil and gas industry and the fishing industry in this province to happily co-exist," he said. "We will not have one rise at the expense of the other."

The establishment of the Premier's Energy Council honours a government commitment made by the premier last summer.

The council members are Tim Brownlow, Bob Fournier, Brian Giroux, David Nantes, Larry LeBlanc, Don MacLeod, Hugh MacPherson, Blaine McQuarrie, Ken Miller, Norm Miller, James Ritcey, John Sears, Deborah Walsh, Don West and Jim Wooder.

They include experts in the oil and gas industry and the related service sector as well as people with backgrounds in marine environmental issues, regulatory approval processes, the fishing industry, municipalities and community perspectives.

The framework for the establishment of the Premier's Energy Council, the premier's speech to OTANS and a list of members with their backgrounds can be found on the Petroleum Directorate website www.gov.ns.ca/petro

NOTE TO EDITORS: The following are brief biographies of the members of the Premier's Energy Council.

  • Premier John Hamm, chair.

  • Gordon Balser, Minister responsible for the Nova Scotia Petroleum Directorate

  • a representative yet to be named by the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities

  • a representative of the Offshore/Onshore Trade Association of Nova Scotia, Tim Brownlow, chair OTANS 2000. Mr. Brownlow is Director of Offshore Services for J.D. Irving Ltd. He is responsible for getting 32 Irving companies in Nova Scotia involved in the offshore industry.

  • Bob Fournier, professor of oceanography, Dalhousie University. Mr. Fournier has an extensive background in marine biology and was chair of the Joint Public Review for the Sable Gas project, 1996-98.

  • Brian Giroux is executive director of the Scotia Fundy Mobile Gear Fishermen's Association and a long time fisherman. He is a member of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board's Fisheries and Environment Committee. He is also a member of the SOEP Fisheries-Environment Monitoring Liaison Committee and secretary-treasurer of the Oil and Gas Observer Program Ltd.

  • Larry LeBlanc is vice president of east coast operations, PanCanadian Petroleum. Mr. LeBlanc has been with PanCanadian for the past 15 years, most recently responsible for the company's Nova Scotia offshore production and development. Mr. LeBlanc has worked in the oil and gas industry for 25 years and has extensive offshore experience.

  • Don MacLeod is vice-president - general counsel of Secunda Marine Services Ltd. The Dartmouth-based company operates a fleet of 18 vessels engaged in offshore oil and gas development, ocean towage, salvage, cable laying and general cargo. Secunda operates in Canada and internationally.

  • Hugh MacPherson is president of Ocean Strategies Inc. and Western Ocean Research Inc. These companies specialize in environmental law and business and maritime development. He is a founder and former chairman and president of Seimac Ltd. and Focal Marine (now Focal Technologies).

  • Blaine MacQuarrie is director of social work at the Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital. Mr. MacQuarrie has an extensive background in community volunteer work. He will bring a community perspective to the discussion of offshore oil and gas development.

  • Ken Miller is senior vice-president and production manager, Eastern Canada, for Mobil Oil Canada. He is responsible for all Eastern Canada production in Halifax, St. John's and Calgary. He is on the board of the Sable Offshore Energy Corp. and the board of Hibernia Management and Development Co.

  • Norm Miller has extensive experience in offshore oil and gas development with companies such as Petro-Canada and Shell. In 1990 he lead LASMO's effort to develop the Cohasset and Panuke oilfields offshore Nova Scotia. He is currently president of Corridor Resources Inc. which has extensive oil and gas exploration rights in the Maritimes and trades on the CDNX Exchange.

  • David Nantes is executive vice-president for the Jaques- Whitford group of companies, a private employee owned firm of consulting engineers, environmental scientists and risk consultants. He is a professional engineer. His responsibilities include development of business strategies and operations in the oil and gas industry throughout Atlantic Canada. He is a former MLA and cabinet minister with experience in public policy development and consultation.

  • James Ritcey is founder and chief executive officer of Dominion Diving. The company has grown from its base in Dartmouth to become the largest professional diving and remotely operated vehicle company in Canada, with activities around the world.

  • John Sears is a retired professor of business administration at St. Francis Xavier University. He has national and international consulting experience. He also served as a commissioner on the Sable Gas Project review (1996-97).

  • Deborah Walsh is manager, East Coast, of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers in Halifax. She has an extensive background in the business and marine area including her role as founder and president of Walsh, Worden Lee Business Consultants; manager of the consulting group, Coopers and Lybrand; and special assistant to the vice president of the Marine Institute of Newfoundland and Labrador.

  • Don West is a member of the board of directors for Nova Scotia Resources Ltd. He has 40-years experience in the international oil business. Prior to his retirement, he was president and CEO of Rigel Energy, successor company to Total Petroleum (North America) Ltd.

  • Jim Wooder is executive director of the Atlantic Canada Petroleum Institute. He was seconded to this position in October of 1999 from PanCanadian. He has a background in maritime law, and moved from legal responsibilities in the Cohasset-Panuke Project to operations management, and later to stakeholder management, information systems and business development for PanCanadian.

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