HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2016-11-23, Page 9Farm group, wardens
push for natural gas
John Miner
Postmedia Network
Ontario's largest farm organi-
zation and county leaders are
urging the Ontario govemment
to help the rural economy and
residents by looking back 100
years.
The Ontario Federation of
Agriculture, representing more
than 36,000 farmers in the prov-
ince,
rowince, wants the Liberal govem-
ment to embrace an approach
similar to the provincial pro-
grams a century ago that first
brought electricity to the prov-
ince's backroads and trans-
formed its rural economy.
Only this time it's natural gas
— not electricity — for which
agriculture and rural areas are
pushing.
"We can drive the rural
Ontario economy in a signifi-
cant way if we get this real
investment in rural Ontario,"
said Neil Currie, general man-
ager of the Ontario Federation
of Agriculture.
The federation has teamed
with the Eastern Ontario and
Western Ontario wardens' cau-
cuses to lobby for pipeline
expansion that would make
natural gas available to at least
60 per cent of rural Ontario.
About 20 per cent of rural
areas have access to the energy
source, the rest relying on more
expensive fuel oil, propane and
electricity. It is estimated rural
Ontario would save $1 billion a
year in energy costs if it could
switch to natural gas.
"That is a billion dollars of
new money in rural Ontario
each year. It creates a stimulus
for economic activity and new
investment;" Currie said.
In the last provincial budget,
the Liberal government
announced it would loan as
much as $200 million to munic-
ipalities to expand natural gas
infrastructure.
Currie said it was encourag-
ing that the govemment recog-
nizes the benefits of natural gas
for the rural economy, but the
program was a non-starter for
municipalities who already are
on tight budgets.
A letter sent to Ontario
Energy Minister Glen Thibeault
by the wardens caucus and the
OFA earlier this month thanked
the government for acknowl-
edging the importance of natu-
ral gas with its program.
But the letter went on to say
rural Ontario is not interested in
loans to try to secure vital infra-
structure. The previous pro-
grams were called "simply
inadequate'
"Realistically, this will be a
long-term project, as was the
electrification of rural Ontario a
century ago. We cannot over-
emphasize that it is equally as
important," the letter said.
Currie said there has been no
response yet from the
government
The OFA is suggesting a pro-
gram that would involve install-
ing 1,000 kilometres of pipe a
year for 20 years, an investment
of $75 million a year.
The potential benefits will
reach beyond rural areas, Cur-
rie said.
"Enabling competitive eco-
nomic development outside of
major urban centres will allevi-
ate the housing crisis and trans-
portation crisis in the urban
centres;' he said.
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