Stakeholder Relations

Our company's stakeholders are diverse and cover everyone who has an interest or stake in Enbridge's activities: regulators, local communities, First Nations, environmental organizations, educational institutions and governments. We believe that openly and transparently consulting with our stakeholders on our project plans and activities is not only the right thing to do - it also benefits our business.

Stakeholder consultation

Our stakeholder consultation programs are designed to be proactive and comprehensive, involving as many organizations and individuals as possible. Inside our company, we take a similar approach, regularly sharing information from our consultation programs with our project leaders and managers to enhance their understanding of stakeholder issues and concerns. In each case, we create stakeholder programs that fit the project and the stakeholders involved.

Significant stakeholder consultation activities in 2003 included:

1. meeting with leaders in more than 120 First Nations and Metis communities across northern Alberta and British Columbia to discuss the proposed Gateway Project, which would run more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) of liquids pipeline from Alberta's oil sands to the B.C. north coast. Our dialogue resulted in changes to the project's preliminary design to deal with environmental issues and potential impacts to wildlife and traditional lands;
2. consulting with the Aamjiwnaang First Nation during replacement of a 14- kilometre (nine mile) lateral pipeline that crosses the community's lands near Sarnia, Ontario. Together we identified job opportunities and collaborated on an environmental impact assessment for the project;
3. consulting with state and government officials on our plans for the Southern Access Pipeline, a 1,050-kilometre (650-mile) pipeline from our terminal at Superior, Wisconsin, south to Illinois. Our discussions led to an improved understanding of other industrial development issues along the proposed right-of-way; and
4. meeting with local and state government officials in Texas to discuss our plans for adding a 160-kilometre (100-mile) transmission pipeline to our East Texas natural gas gathering system.

Public awareness programs

One of our best opportunities to create rapport with people along our pipelines and near our facilities is through public awareness programs conducted along our pipeline systems. By providing safety education and awareness, we increase safety awareness of pipeline neighbours and plant the seed for good stakeholder relations.

In our Liquids Pipelines operation, our staff regularly communicate important information on pipeline safety to landowners, tenants and emergency response agencies along our pipeline rights-of-way. In 2003, Liquids Pipelines contacted more than 12,000 stakeholders along the Lakehead System in the United States and our mainline right-of-way in Canada.

In our U.S. Natural Gas Business, operations personnel spend hundreds of hours reaching out to emergency response agencies along our pipelines and plants to coordinate our emergency plans and raise responders' awareness and emergency preparedness. During 2003, the business contacted at least one million residents by mail along our pipeline systems to promote their awareness of the pipeline facilities, inform them how they can avoid damaging the pipelines and to communicate to them what to do in case of an emergency. On the Northeast Texas System,where Enbridge handles sour gas,we expanded our program to include door-to-door visits. During 2003,Enbridge represen- tatives visited 10,000 homes and met many citizens while educating them about the potential dangers of hydrogen sulphide.

For some pipeline segments, we have surveyed landowners on the effectiveness of our pipeline safety information materials. Results of our most recent survey, published in 2003, showed that 99% of 1,200 respondents along our Canadian mainline said they were aware of what to do in a pipeline incident and 98.5% said they were aware of our 24-hour emergency information number. Enbridge has also provided leadership to an effort in the United States to develop comprehensive surveys of public awareness programs throughout the industry,starting in late 2004.

Relations with indigenous peoples

In many areas of our operations, indigenous peoples are key stakeholders in our activities, and positive relationships based on shared respect and positive relationships are of mutual benefit.

Enbridge employs an aboriginal relations manager and has instituted a company-wide indigenous peoples policy. The policy lays out key principles for relations with indigenous peoples, such as respect for traditional ways and land, heritage sites, the environment and traditional knowledge. The policy is also designed to ensure a consistent and thorough approach to consultation and engagement with aboriginal communities.

In early 2003, Enbridge signed a long-term agreement with the Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC). The agreement aims to foster dialogue and collaboration among First Nations, industry and government in and around the Athabasca region of northern Alberta. Through the agreement, ATC members hope to increase the number of agreements that are successfully negotiated between First Nations communities and industry. They are also intended to see Aboriginal communities gain wide access to training, education and jobs.

In the United States, sections of our Terrace III pipeline expansion project cross the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation in north central Minnesota. Last year we continued to work closely with the band to complete restoration of the pipeline right-of-way and to manage our impacts to the land and their community.

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