Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope strongly urges the Government of Ontario to provide clarity on the future of natural gas as a viable energy resource for Ontarians, as proposed changes threaten to sideline the much needed expansion of natural gas to rural Southwestern Ontario residents and businesses, and puts communities at a competitive disadvantage for future investments.
Mayor Hope was joined by Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara, Perth East Mayor Bob McMillan, Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain and Lambton County Warden Bev MacDougall at a press conference held Tuesday, June 7 at Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce. The municipal officials expressed their concerns about how these proposed changes will affect the province and their communities.
The Provincial Government has refuted an all-out ban on natural gas, however Premier Kathleen Wynne has not publicly denounced the details outlined in the leakedClimate Change Action Plan suggesting building codes will require new homes and buildings be off natural gas as of 2030, and all homes and buildings before 2050. Mayors Hope and McNamara foresee these restrictions, and the uncertainty this plan has created for future investments in infrastructure expansion, as having devastating effects on homeowners, businesses and economic growth in their communities.
“These widespread restrictions will make it difficult and certainly cost-prohibitive to use natural gas, and these changes will significantly impact our communities, municipalities and certainly, the greater regional economy in Southwestern Ontario,” said Mayor McNamara, President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). “We need clarity from the government and any restrictions for residential, commercial or industrial use of natural gas.”
Both Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent have played a major role in the Province’s overall Climate Change Mitigation Strategy, allowing it to shut down all the coal-fired generation facilities. The municipalities have made significant investments – both in the public and private sector – in Ontario’s green energy initiatives, including with solar installations, wind turbines, LED streetlight conversion and new planning standards to reduce the overall carbon footprint.
Lambton County is also home to Union Gas’ Dawn Hub, the largest integrated underground storage facility in Canada and one of the largest in North America. It is an important link in the movement of natural gas from Western Canadian and U.S. supply basins to markets in central Canada and the northeast U.S.
“We need to be prudent and measured in our approach to Ontario’s energy plan to ensure both our economy and our environment are sustainable. We need to continue to move forward on the plans to expand natural gas to the rural residents of Ontario,” said Mayor Hope, Chair of Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus. “Chatham-Kent truly believes in natural gas as a part of the energy mix.”
– Submitted photo
