Infrastructure Minister Monte McNaughton made the announcement at Cedarline Greenhouses, just outside Dresden this morning.
He says the province is paving the way for Enbridge to build two new transmission pipelines and supporting distribution main lines in the municipality.
” This natural gas expansion will create 1400 private sector jobs, it will leverage 260 million dollars worth of private sector investment meaning more greenhouses in our area, and we have the commitment through Enbridge and Union Gas and the Ontario Energy Board that we will have shovels in the ground later this year”.
The expansion is expected to provide natural gas access to an additional 1300 households and 200 businesses, and be a boon for the local agriculture industry.
“Agriculture is a huge part of Ontario’s economy, one that’s growing right here in Chatham-Kent and across Southwestern Ontario,” McNaughton says. “Over the last decade, southwestern Ontario has been hard hit with manufacturing job losses, so to have an announcement right here outside Dresden in Chatham-Kent, announcing that 1400 jobs are going to be created because natural gas is going to be run is great news for families here.”
Access to natural gas is estimated to save the average homeowner up to $2500 per year on their home heating costs.