Proposed volcanic-rock mine divides northern New Brunswick town [Video]

In a vast quarry on New Brunswick’s north shore, Réjean Carrier looks up at towering walls of ashen-grey rock, cut deep into the landscape. 

“We have this presence of volcanic ashes in a zone around Dalhousie,” he explains in French, pointing out a rock called pozzolan. “It will bring good jobs to the area.”

Carrier, president of Quebec-based Carboniq Inc., hopes to turn an existing quarry into an open mine to extract the material as a low-carbon alternative for the cement industry.

His vision is to take the pozzolan from a small mountain, process it at a plant in the area, and export it globally using nearby port and rail lines.

WATCH | ‘Yes, it’s jobs, but a job at what expense?’:Residents on New Brunswick’s north shore are divided over a proposal to operate an open-pit mine in the community of Dalhousie. While many are embracing the potential for …