More than 1,000 protest hydro-fracking

More than 1,000 people gathered in Fredericton Monday to protest the development of shale gas in theprovince and the use of the hydraulic fracturingprocess to remove the gas.

The protesters marched through the streets of Fredericton to the New Brunswick Legislature.

There were 16 groups taking part some representing small communities such as Penobsquis, where a lot of the shale gas exploration is taking place.

Othergroups such as the Sierra Club, the New Brunswick Conservation Council, people from First Nationscommunities and the Council of Canadians also participated.

Representatives from the Green Party, NDP and Liberals were alsoin the crowd.

The groups want the province to stop shale gas development for natural gas because they're concerned about theprocess of extraction.Hydraulic fracturing pumps a mixture of chemicals and water into the ground, whichcreates cracks in shale rock formations. That allows companies to extract natural gas from areas that would otherwise go untapped.

The protesters say that process couldlead to well water contamination and other property damage.

The protestmade its way tothe New Brunswick legislature however Monday was a holiday andgovernment officials weren't there or at the nearby government offices.

New Brunswick has brought in more regulations for mining companies exploring for natural gas, such as disclosure of the chemical mix being used in the hydraulic fracturing process, and pre-testing of well water before any process is under way. It also calls for companies to set up a security bond to protect homeowners from any potential accidents.

Last month, the Opposition Liberals called on the New Brunswick government to put a moratorium on shale gas activities until stricter regulations and oversight are put into place.