Man charged with mischief after fracking machinery vandalized on Anticosti Island
Marc Lafrance of Port-Menier posted social media video that has been viewed more than 26,000 times
A resident of Port-Menier, Marc Lafrance, has been charged with mischief causing more than $5,000 in damages after an oil company's installations on Anticosti, a remote island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, were vandalized.
The 55-year-old man will be back in court on Wednesday for a bail hearing.
In an online video posted to Facebook, Lafrance admits to having vandalized the property. The video had garnered more than 26,000 views by Tuesday evening.
In the video, Lafrance describes himself as an Anticosti resident, as well as an opponent of shale gas, which is produced through fracking.
A spokesperson from Pétrolia, a junior oil and gas exploration company, confirmed that machinery at its Canard site on Anticosti was damaged last week.
It is one of three sites on the island where Pétrolia, as a part of Anticosti Hydrocarbons, has rights to do hydraulic fracturing. The company said it intends to begin its fracking operation at Canard next summer.
Oil and gas operations on the island are opposed by many residents, including the mayor. They worry about the environmental impact and dangers posed to fish and wildlife.
with files from Angelica Montgomery and Radio-Canada