Northeastern B.C. residents filed for an inquiry with Canada’s Competition Bureau in response to, what they claim to be, inaccurate images used in an anti-energy campaign.
Eight individuals accused the David Suzuki Foundation of misleading the public. They allege the foundation included a 19-year-old image of a natural gas development in Wyoming, but said it was the Montney Formation.
The Montney Formation, located about 20 minutes north of Fort St John, homes a natural gas development. It is one of the largest gas resources in North America and spans over B.C.’s eastern border into Alberta.
The disputed image depicts a tightly packed natural gas basin, which the group said is not a fair representation of the horizontal drilling in the Montney Formation.
Horizontal drilling does not require as much excavation as older methods and preserves Montney’s greenspace.
The accusers said the foundation used the image of Wyoming – under false pretenses – in social media posts, on its website and in media releases.
They believe the foundation violated the Competition Act by misrepresenting the image of the American development.
“The organization claims that it is ‘calling out the fossil fuel industry’s harmful pollution, practices and disinformation’ while knowingly misusing an image related to the fossil fuel industry,” the residents wrote in a statement.
Misusing the image also unfairly advances the foundation’s agenda due to it having a wider reach than the northeastern municipalities, the townspeople claimed.
The David Suzuki Foundation could not be reached for comment.
In their statement, the residents asked for the non-profit organization to be fined, in accordance with the Competiton Act.
