The sidewalk in front of Province House. Province House is home to the Nova Scotia Legislature, where new and existing laws and policies are debated and enacted. On Earth Day in April of 2011, this was the site of one of many large public protests against the practice of Hydraulic Fracking, and in November of 2014 the Nova Scotia Legislature finally passed “Bill 6”, a total moratorium on Hydraulic Fracturing.

Old Heart

…can be accessed anywhere at anytime, on the “Carry the Spark” EP on Bandcamp!

During the Nova Scotia government’s environmental impact assessment of hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking), the review commission was overwhelmed by citizen voices across the province and their concerns for the ecosystem damage, water usage, contamination of drinking water, and the storage and transport of chemicals associated with fracking. This response resulted in the 2014 legislation to prohibit fracking in Nova Scotia. The power of the people is the reason we were able to “keep it in the ground.”

In this song I wanted to capture Mother Nature’s voice on the issue. If they were provided the opportunity to submit a letter during the public consultation, I believe this is what they would say. I encourage you to listen and/or read along. Feel your feet connected to the earth and the history beneath them.

The transcript or descriptive text for this piece can be found by touching the "Text" button in the bottom right hand corner of your screen in the "View the Art" section.

Blending authentic songwriting with modern indie flare, Braden Lam is forging the path to a new 21st century folk-pop. The young artist from Halifax, Nova Scotia takes listeners on a journey of growth and aspiration with his latest EP "Inside Four Walls,” six songs that walk from adolescence and a wide-open future into the reality of adulthood and its sundry limitations, trying to find the ideal balance between art and responsibility. It’s music for driving and singing along to, for late night heart-to-hearts and Sunday morning papers, for growing up and letting go.

The album has garnered much media and industry attention including a 2021 East Coast Music Award nomination for “Rising Star Recording of The Year.” His most recent environmental activism work includes leveraging album sales to plant 100 trees in Atlantic Canada alongside the release of his song "Forest Fires" - a millennial call to action in the ongoing global fight against climate change. To listen and learn more, visit Braden’s website.

Photo credit - Paul Atwood

In 2014, Nova Scotia was considering whether to allow hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in our province. Fracking is a highly destructive method of extracting methane gas from shale rock, deep in the earth. It causes significant long-term pollution to groundwater and surface water, destabilises geology, and is a major emitter of greenhouse gases.

In response, EAC helped to form the Nova Scotia Fracking Resource and Action Coalition, or NOFRAC. Together they mobilised thousands of people dedicated to protecting our communities and the environment from the threat of fracking. Citizens from around the province spoke up to demand a moratorium and that a strategic environmental assessment be made which would explicitly define the environmental effects. Consultation rooms were packed and overflowing, and roads were lined with red banners: it was clear that fracking was not welcome in our communities. On November 14, 2014, a moratorium on fracking was legislated in Nova Scotia, and is still in place today.