Anticosti oil: Quebec chambers of commerce say drilling should go ahead

A Quebec group of chambers of commerce is asking the provincial government to let Petrolia finish exploring for oil and gas on Anticosti Island.

The Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec has already said it's in favour of drilling on the island. It's now saying a recent report by the federal government validates its position.

The report by the Geological Survey of Canada, released Friday, says that 78 per cent of hydrocarbons on the island are oil, and the rest are natural gas.

This contradicts the Quebec government, which made the opposite conclusion that 80 per cent of the deposits are gas.

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The Federation's president, Françoise Bertrand, argues that a decision in this matter cannot be made without knowing the facts.

"The company Petrolia is waiting for approval for the second phase [of exploration], and we hope it will be able to proceed because the facts are always the best basis for making these kinds of decisions," she said.

Opposition from premier and mayor not a problem

Premier Philippe Couillard has repeatedly opposed the exploitation of oil and minerals on Anticosti Island. Bertrand doesn't see this as a definitive ban.

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The Federation also argues that Quebec imports $11 billion to $15 billion of oil each year and that this is unlikely to change.

"While we share the goal of reducing the impact of greenhouse gases, we still have a large use of oil," Bertrand said.

"It's hard to imagine that in 10, 15, even 20 years, we could reduce imports to zero, so maybe it's better to know exactly what's underneath the soil."

She also doesn't see the recent election of Mayor John Pineault, who campaigned against drilling on the island, as a referendum by its residents.

"The mayor is one thing, the general population is another," she said. "If it was just one mayor or city council that made these decisions, we would not be talking about the complexity that is social acceptability."