About 200 people attended a public meeting Saturday in Tatamagouche, in northern Nova Scotia, to discuss the prospect of gas exploration on the north shore.

Don Wilson with the Sierra Club, which hosted the meeting, said at least one company has already been granted exploration rights.

He said he's concerned that if the right deposits are found, the north shore will see an influx of gas mining operations.

He said the Tatamagouche tourism industry would be threatened and he's not convinced about the promise of new jobs from development.

"Good paying jobs will go to people from Calgary and Houston, wherever the drilling companies come from," Wilson said.

Wilson said he's also concerned about the prospect of hydraulic fracturing, or hydro-fracking, that could be used in any future gas extraction.

Hydraulic fracturing pumps a mixture of chemicals and water into the ground, which creates cracks in shale rock formations. That allows companies to extract natural gas from areas that would otherwise go untapped.

"I think the most important thing that came out of the meeting was the fact that people were becoming so engaged in this topic," said Heidi Verhuel, an environmental education coordinator with the Sierra Club.

So far the Nova Scotia government has resisted calls for a ban on fracking.

"Towards the end, the discussion was becoming 'What do I do? Who do I give my email to? Where can I sign up?' — really connecting," Verhuel said. "I think that's the most heartening thing I've seen in a long time, just the level of engagement of people over this issue."

Verhuel said a coalition against hydro-fracking has been started, and they hope to gather 10,000 signatures by the end of November and present them to the province.

The Department of Environment says it's waiting for a report due in March, which will examine how other jurisdictions regulate the process, before making any decision.