THUNDER BAY – Citing job creation and economic impact on communities in the Northwest, the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is lending its support to TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline conversion project.
Chamber president Charla Robinson on Thursday said the project will support nearly 4,000 jobs directly and indirectly during planning and construction phase and 1,500 jobs once it’s in operation, many of which could benefit living in Thunder Bay and surrounding communities.
The pipeline will also generate about $20 million in additional property taxes for 30 pumping stations being built in conjunction with the project. Eleven of the 30 will be located in Northwestern Ontario, including communities like Nipigon and Upsala.
“We think this is an important economic project for our region, particularly, but certainly in nation building for Canada. It’s trying to bring more oil from the west to the east, where we don’t really have that right now,” said Robinson, who issued a letter of support to Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs and members of city council.
Officials from TransCanada and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers were expected to appear on Monday before city council ahead of McKellar Coun. Paul Pugh’s resolution opposing the project, but the deputation was postponed at the last minute and will be rescheduled for the new year.
It didn't stop Pugh from lashing out at the Chamber's stance.
"I think it sad that the local Chamber, in taking this position, is putting the interests of a pipeline corporation and the bitumen sector ahead of the local economy," Pugh said in an email response, adding the project would increase the Canadian dollar and hurt Canadian manufacturing.
A group of environmentalists was also supposed to speak out against Energy East.
“Our initial stance of ‘too much risk, too little reward’ remains unchanged, but we have new information which further supports our initial deputation against the Energy East proposal,” the group said in a Nov. 21 letter to city administration requesting a deputation should TransCanada be scheduled to appear before council.
Climate change and safety cited as the group’s main reasons for opposition of the project, which they believe would ramp up production in western Canadian oil fields.
Robinson said she believes TransCanada would be held to the highest environmental standards, adding the pipeline will replace the use of 1,570 oil-filled rail cars traveling across Canada each and every day.
She’s confident the National Energy Board review will answer the environmental concerns.
“They’re not just looking at one piece, they’re looking at the big piece. They’re looking at not only the economic impact, but also the environmental impacts, the socio-economic involvement, the safety of pipelines versus the safety, or not, of oil. They’re looking at all those things,” Robinson said.
