Our community investment program is strategic and impactful to the communities where we work and operate. We align our community investments with our core values and business strategies, and we believe the most effective social investments are made through strategic relationships with organizations dedicated to serving our communities.
In 2017, we worked closely with community organizations to focus our resources and support. Over the course of our work, we acquired an understanding of their concerns, needs and aspirations through:
In response to what we heard, we invested more than $23.9 million during the year in Canadian and U.S. organizations that are aligned with our three focus areas: Safety, Environment and Community. The table below summarizes the amounts we invested in each of our focus areas, and some of our investment highlights in 2017.
| Focus Area* | Safety | Environment | Community |
|---|---|---|---|
| What | We invest in local safety initiatives and organizations that are important to communities. | We invest in programs that promote environmental stewardship, conservation, habitat remediation and environmental education. | We invest in programs and projects that make positive and lasting impacts in the communities where we live and operate. |
| Importance | Enhances the safety of our communities.
Supports our local first responders in communities across Canada and the U.S. |
Supports our commitment to environmental stewardship. Educates communities on the importance of conservation and how they can contribute to improvement. |
Helps make our communities vibrant and attractive places for our employees and neighbors to live and work. Enhances the culture and identity of our communities. Contributes to employee leadership development and engagement. |
| 2017 Investment | ~ $2.8 million | ~ $2.8 million | ~ $18.3 million |
| Spotlights | Safe Community Program |
ClearWater Farm Ecofootprint Program Miistakis Institute and the Calgary Parks Foundation South Central Eco Institute Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority |
United Way Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer STEM Investments (First Robotics; Keystone Science) |
*Spectra Energy focus areas differed from Enbridge and all have been included in reporting under the Community focus area.
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | Legacy Enbridge | ~ $19 million | ~ $13.4 million | ~ $23.91 |
| Legacy Spectra Energy | ~ $9.2 million | ~ $10.2 million | ||
1 Data reflects investments by the combined company for corporate, project and operational community investment.
One of our key areas for investment in safety is through our signature Safe Community program, which provides grants to firefighters, emergency medical services, emergency management, 9-1-1 operators and other response agencies who would respond to emergency situations in or near our operational communities. The grants help eligible organizations acquire new safety-related equipment, obtain professional training and deliver or receive safety education programs. In 2017, we invested nearly $1.7 million in the Safe Community program and since its inception in 2002, we have invested about $13.3 million.
St. Louis County is Minnesota’s largest county and the country’s largest county east of the Mississippi River, which means a vast expanse in which to live, work and recreate. Emergency aid in the 7200-square-mile area is provided in part by a 60-member Rescue Squad that in 2016 responded to 437 calls involving 144 wilderness operations, 90 water operations and 156 vehicle accidents, and tallied 23,242 hours of donated time. In 2017, the Rescue Squad completed an advanced rope rescue training, which pointed to a priority need for updated rope rescue equipment for wilderness and confined space rescues. The Rescue Squad operates on a small budget and primarily through donations and grants. Enbridge values the safety and emergency response provided within the Midwest Region and granted $10,000 in 2017 to support its mission.
Shelby County provides 9-1-1 services to communities dotting 500-square-miles in Missouri, plus mutual aid to its surrounding counties. The agency initiates storm sirens and shelter information for community safety, alerts to emergency responders and law enforcement, and responses for emergency life-saving calls. When the county was challenged with a six-figure cost to upgrade its faltering 9-1-1 system, it requested financial partnership funds from Enbridge. A grant of about $12,000 funded a new logger for the system, and provided the first step in a much larger upgrade. The improvements will help ensure emergency services continue to provide safety to lives and property.
Sustainable Farm to Feature Renewable Natural Gas
180-year-old ClearWater Farm in Georgina, Ontario already enjoys significant ecological street cred. Its artisanal kitchen uses organically grown produce from local farms to prepare delicious food for those who prefer to buy fresh and local fare. They also train future 'agri-preneurs' in their summer camps, connecting kids to nature and providing a field-to-fork food experience unlike any other.
However, what really caught the attention of Enbridge Gas Distribution (EGD) was ClearWater Farm’s plans for an onsite bio-digester to turn locally generated organics—from local grocery stores, farms, etc.—into renewable natural gas (RNG) that can be used to heat their greenhouses and fuel farm vehicles. Also, the remaining 'digestate' can be used as a nutrient-rich fertilizer for the farm, helping grow more produce that will in turn create more feedstock for the bio-digester.
With funding from EGD, camp kids and farm visitors will learn first-hand about this innovative application of RNG through onsite experiential displays showing that organic feedstocks need never be wasted."RNG is an important part of the future of our utility," said Anne Creery, EGD’s Director of Public Affairs and Communications. "ClearWater Farm is a great example of how RNG can be part of a sustainable future."
In 2017, Union Gas supported the development of the Walter Devereux Conservation Area into a 32-hectare (80-acre) farm-demonstration site. “Visitors can walk the 2.5-kilometer trail to learn about best management practices on their farms, including cover crops, soil management, windbreaks, forest products, selective harvesting, bio fuel and uses for tall grass prairie,” explained Randall Van Wagner, LTVCA’s Manager of Conservation Lands and Services.
In addition to financial support, Union Gas employees, retirees, family and friends have invested hours of ‘sweat equity ‘in environmentally focused community projects. Through the Helping Hands in Action program, Union Gas volunteers planted trees and a prairie garden at the LTVCA’s C.M. Wilson Conservation Area to help restore the area and to showcase nature and wildlife for the local community.
At Enbridge, we place great importance on environmental stewardship and investing in the communities where we live and work. In 2017, as part of our partnership with the South Central Eco Institute in Manitoba, we were proud to fund Riverwatch, an international river-monitoring program.
“The Riverwatch Program gives students a chance to work alongside conservation professionals to learn about the protection of our ecosystems," said Lyle Meena, Enbridge’s General Manager, Central Region. “It’s important for younger generations to learn about our water sources so they’re there for generations to come.” In June, Meena joined junior-high-school students and teachers from Nellie McClung Collegiate in Manitou, Manitoba as they tested out the program at sites along the Pembina River and learned about river monitoring and the importance of protecting our water sources.
Union Gas is a proud Gold Sponsor of the FIRST Robotics Competition, which challenges teams of high school students to design and build robots for competition. One of the teams we sponsored was the C.K. Cyber Pack, a new team from Kent County, Ontario that in their first year of competition in 2015 won the Rookie All-Star Award at the Windsor-Essex Great Lakes Regional competition, qualifying them to compete in the FIRST Robotics World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri. The team has since gone on to compete at several regional events in Ontario in 2016 and 2017.
Eighty-five percent of the students who participated on a FIRST Robotics team across Ontario said they plan to study or pursue a career in a field involving science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). Seventy percent of the students who plan to study or pursue a career in STEM attribute their decision to participating in FIRST Robotics. These students are poised to contribute to the economic well-being of society and perhaps even Union Gas and Enbridge employees of the future.
For the past 15 years, Enbridge has partnered with the Keystone Science School (KSS) educator programs to address Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning by training teachers through the students’ perspective. In 2017, Enbridge sponsored nine teachers from Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Oklahoma and Illinois to attend an all-expenses-paid, week-long session. The training provides the potential to reach thousands of students each year with innovative STEM education. The KSS educator series aligns with our commitment to environmental education and stewardship. The partnership helps us maintain social license by contributing to citizens becoming better informed about science.