Our Social Performance

LOCAL COMMUNITIES

At Enbridge, corporate social responsibility is about building strong and vibrant communities. Whether it's funding for the arts and health services, organizing local United Way campaigns or creating innovative partnerships with non-profit groups, we recognize that our company's success and growth plans are only as good as the strength and social well-being of our communities.

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT

Enbridge makes voluntary contributions to charitable and non-profit organizations in our different geographic regions in Canada and the United States. Our community investment programs focus on using our dollars, our partnerships and our human resources to support organizations that contribute to the economic and social development of communities where we live and work.

Corporate donations total $4.2 million

In 2004, we invested $4.2 million in local charitable and non-profit organizations, up 20% from corporate donations in 2003. Our contributions benefited more than 615 organizations in Canada and the United States, and represented about 0.9% of our average pre-tax earnings. We are committed to increasing our community investment dollars over time to meet the Imagine Canada annual target of 1% of pre-tax earnings.

Some examples of our community investment activities are provided as follows.

Mentoring business students

Mentoring students who are preparing to enter the workforce supports our communities by contributing to the development of future employees and leaders. In 2004, we partnered with the University of Calgary and other companies to establish the Enbridge Undergraduate Mentorship Program, a mentoring program for undergraduate students at the university's Haskayne School of Business. The new program matches students with corporate professionals in multiple disciplines, offering them the opportunity to learn from corporate employees, get a better idea of what corporations expect and what opportunities exist in the business world. In the program's first year, our employees provided mentoring and coaching to 49 students.

Providing financial assistance to low-income families

In Ontario, Enbridge Gas Distribution is committed to providing assistance to customers who have a genuine inability to pay for their energy use in a timely manner. That is why in late 2004 Enbridge Gas Distribution, together with Toronto Hydro and the United Way of Greater Toronto, officially launched the Winter Warmth Fund. The fund provides financial assistance to help low-income families and individuals struggling to meet their financial commitments, including heating bills. Last winter, the fund helped more than 600 families in need. In 2005, with the added participation of local United Ways and community-based agencies, the Winter Warmth Fund will be expanded to reach Enbridge customers in other Ontario communities.

Engaging young Canadians on community issues

We are a strong believer that corporations can play an important role in promoting civic engagement and encouraging younger Canadians to become more involved in community issues. In 2004, Enbridge sponsored the Canadian Unity Council's Young Leaders Luncheon Series, a series of monthly luncheons in Calgary and Edmonton designed to expose young business people to current community issues, including Aboriginal involvement, voter apathy and women in politics. In early 2005, as part of this series, D'Arcy Levesque, Enbridge's Vice President, Public and Government Affairs, delivered a presentation on corporate social responsibility.

Supporting first responder organizations

Enbridge is helping to ensure first responders have the proper supplies, training and equipment to react as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency along our pipelines. Each year, for instance, the Eastern Region of our Liquids Pipelines system contributes $10,000 to first responders along the pipeline, which runs between Sarnia, Ontario and Montreal, and down to Buffalo. The groups, the majority of which are voluntary and have limited funding, spend the money on resources that would assist in responding to a pipeline-related emergency.

In the United States, we operate a similar program, called the Enbridge Energy 911 Fund, which contributes small grants to different fire responder groups to underwrite special projects or equipment acquisitions. In 2004, we contributed more than $18,000 US, benefiting about 30 different groups throughout the southern and northern United States. The 911 Fund was launched as a memorial to the heroes and victims of the September 11, 2001 tragedy to show our company's appreciation for local fire departments, emergency medical services, and police and sheriff's departments.

We contribute corporate donations to education and social programs that stress the importance of continuous learning among local youth. This is especially important in northern communities where the dropout rate among youth remains high. In 2004, for the fourth consecutive year, Inuvik Gas sponsored students to attend the Beaufort-Delta Education Council's Youth Entry Level Skills Program. The program is designed to keep local high school students interested in learning and provide work-related experience by enabling them to spend a week learning about daily jobs in the oil and gas sector. In 2004, 10 students took part in the program. "The purpose of the program is to give students a well-rounded introduction to our business and enlighten them about possible career choices," says Ken Jacobson, General Manager, Inuvik Gas. "This program promotes continuing education and provides a positive impact for our youth."

Sponsoring the arts

Our sponsorship philosophy is to look for unique opportunities to advance artistic work in our different communities.

In Calgary, Enbridge became the title sponsor for Alberta Theatre Projects' playRites Festival of New Canadian Plays. Our corporate dollars will be used to foster artistic excellence in the development of new Canadian plays.

In 2004, for the third consecutive year, our U.S. operations sponsored Houston's Alley Theatre, one of the leading regional theatres in the United States. The theatre brings high quality productions to the Greater Houston Area, and promotes the arts to students and Houston communities through education and community outreach programs. In addition to our donation dollars, we contribute business expertise to the theatre. Dan Tutcher, Group Vice President, Transportation South, is a member of the theatre's Board of Directors and is now the theatre's president.

UNITED WAY

Enbridge assists the United Way in reaching its goals through employee-led campaigns in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Houston. In 2004, the time, effort and generosity of Enbridge's employees in carrying out these campaigns was a clear signal to the communities where they serve that our commitment to corporate social responsibility is embraced throughout all levels of the organization.

Here are some examples of the different ways that employees raised money and connected with our communities during the 2004 United Way Campaign:

• In Houston, our staff contributed 835 hours to complete an "extraordinary makeover" of an elderly widow's home during a United Way Days of Caring event
• In Toronto, employees and their friends climbed the world's tallest staircase as part of the Enbridge CN Tower Stair Climb for United Way. For the first time, this event raised $1 million for the United Way
• In Superior, Wisconsin, employees painted both a gymnasium and hallways in a local Salvation Army office
• In Cushing, Oklahoma, our employees made local headlines when they contributed $15,000 - the largest single donation ever - to the local chapter of the United Way
• And in other parts of the company, there were many car washes, barbecues and other employee pledge events.

Thanks to the company's policy of matching employee donations, more than $1.5 million was raised for United Way in Canada and the United States.

People like Ms. Angel are the reason why Enbridge employees are committed to the United Way. Ms. Angel, an 82-year-old, low-income woman in a poor area of Houston, and her husband, were saving all the money they could to refurbish their home. They were prepared to start the repair when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. They spent all their savings trying to cure the disease, and when the savings were gone, Ms. Angel borrowed money. Then three years ago her husband lost his battle with cancer, leaving her without any savings and in serious debt. In 2004, United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast chose Ms. Angel for their Extraordinary Makeover, a Days of Caring event where United Way teamed up with Enbridge and two other area companies to remodel a needy local resident's home. In September, more than 50 Enbridge employee volunteered up to five days of their time, working nights and weekends, to remodel and repair the inside of Ms. Angel's home. "We had so many employees dedicated to helping this cause," says Terry Register, Financial Services Lead for the U.S. Natural Gas Business and co-chair of the Enbridge Houston Office's United Way team. "In the end, Enbridge contributed at least 835 hours to help someone in need." The Extraordinary Makeover later aired on local television in a special half-hour program and featured Enbridge employees as they remodelled Ms. Angel's home.

EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT

We estimate that in 2004 more than two-thirds of our employees were involved in community activities with company support and encouragement.

In 2004, for example, our Houston employees volunteered their time to answer telephone calls for the annual Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Telethon. In Calgary, employee-run volunteer initiatives raised money for the Families in Transition Program, which helps provide more stable living conditions to families who are homeless or at extreme risk of becoming homeless. And in Ontario, our community events team supported more than 360 community events, and employees helped people in need get through the winter by collecting blankets and clothing as part of Enbridge Gas Distribution's Winter Warmth Clothing and Blanket Drive.

Throughout our organization, employees responded with compassion to an effort to support the millions of people affected by the tsunami that devastated a dozen countries on Boxing Day in 2004. Enbridge immediately contributed $30,000 and launched an employee-matching program, with all funds directed to the Canadian and American Red Cross. Enbridge employees stepped up, generously giving almost $99,000 company-wide. In total, Enbridge contributed $230,000 to support this humanitarian relief effort. The funds were used by the Red Cross to support the short-term and long-term needs of all the communities affected.

^ top of page

At Enbridge, there are no dividing lines between good business practices and being a responsible company — one that is ethical, is a steward of the environment, is safe, engages its stakeholders and is attentive to social needs.

more...