L3RP team amps up engagement at Saskatchewan, Manitoba municipality conventions
From construction through operations, maintenance and emergency preparedness, clear communications are integral to pipeline safety.
So when representatives from Enbridge’s $7.5-billion Line 3 Replacement Program (L3RP) brief municipal leaders in Manitoba and Saskatchewan this month, we’ll be delivering meaningful, concise news they can use.
“The fact is our L3RP team wants to stay in contact with municipalities near our facilities and our pipeline, and we want to answer all their questions,” explains Lyle Neis, director of Enbridge’s Stakeholder and Aboriginal Engagement team for L3RP.
“So that means bringing project and operations folks together to make sure every question from one of our neighbors gets a good, substantive answer.”
Members of our L3RP and pipeline operations teams are on the ground Thursday, Nov. 5 in Regina as the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities begins its two-day, midterm convention. As many as 90 guests are expected during an Enbridge-sponsored evening dinner.
We’ll also have a presence in Brandon from Nov. 23 to 25 as the Association of Manitoba Municipalities holds its 17th annual convention, with another Enbridge-sponsored dinner.
At both sessions, municipal officials including mayors and reeves will view presentations on Enbridge’s commitment to pipeline safety and Pipeline Construction 101. Our subject-matter experts from both pipeline operations and major projects will be on hand to help answer questions.
“We’ll also touch on community investment opportunities involved with the Line 3 Replacement Program, as well as some of the Saskatchewan and Manitoba tax revenue that Enbridge’s mainline operations continue to deliver,” says Neis.
For Saskatchewan, it’s estimated the L3RP will contribute over $1 billion to provincial GDP, and a projected $183 million in tax revenue, during design and construction phases–over and above the more than $33 million in property tax Enbridge paid across Saskatchewan for its pipelines and related facilities in 2014, and more than $3 million in other taxes.
For Manitoba, estimates indicate the L3RP will add almost $392 million to Manitoba’s GDP, and a projected $108 million in tax revenue, during design and construction. That’s in addition to the $11 million Enbridge contributed in property tax in 2014 across Manitoba for its pipelines and related facilities, and more than $3 million in other taxes.
On a national scale, Enbridge contributed more than $148 million in property taxes and $35 million in other taxes during 2014.
Neis explains Enbridge is constantly looking for engagement opportunities along our right of way to boost the level of knowledge.
To date, we’ve actively engaged with about 4,500 of our neighbors on L3RP alone—including some 15 coffee talks, seven open houses, nine mailouts covering project updates and information, and many one-on-one meetings.
“It’s part of our enhanced engagement—taking communications to the next level,” says Neis. “Because at the end of the day, an educated and engaged elected official can manage constituents’ questions and concerns far more effectively, and is more comfortable in reaching out to us with their own comments or concerns.”
