Manitoba reeve offers positive feedback on Enbridge's L3RP community engagement
He’s the reeve in Manitoba’s Rural Municipality of Stanley. He runs a cattle and grain farm with his sons.
And for decades, Morris Olafson has regularly warmed up his vocal cords as an auctioneer. “I’ve sold everything from teacups to industrial equipment to livestock to real estate,” he says.
All of which is to say, Olafson recognizes capable communication when he hears it.
Last week, Enbridge representatives briefed municipal leaders in the Keystone Province on our proposed Line 3 Replacement Program, during the Association of Manitoba Municipalities’ 17th annual convention in Brandon. We made a similar presentation at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities’ midterm convention earlier this month in Regina.
Both events tied into our efforts to cultivate positive working relationships, and foster meaningful dialogue, in the communities where we live and operate.
“The information that Enbridge gives us is excellent, and the lead time is exceptional,” offers Olafson, whose rural municipality includes the communities of Morden and Winkler. “When Enbridge is planning a project, or makes a business decision that affects our community, there’s no surprise for us—we know what’s happening.
“I’d say our rural municipality is in contact with Enbridge on a monthly basis, in one form or another. The information funnel—or pipeline, I guess—is super-good.”
The Line 3 Replacement Program (L3RP), the largest project in Enbridge history, proposes to replace the majority of our existing Line 3 with new pipe and associated facilities on either side of the Canada-U.S. border, from Hardisty, Alberta to Superior, Wisconsin.
As a neighbor, we’re dedicated to the well-being and growth of communities near our Mainline pipeline system. In addition to continuing our community investment activities, we’re engaging with local municipal officials, like Olafson, on subjects important to them, such as:
- impact to infrastructure, including roads, during construction;
- local inclusion, employment and economic opportunity on major projects;
- our stringent weed management and biosecurity measures; and
- our prevention, monitoring, inspection, leak detection and emergency response procedures.
“The outreach that we see from Enbridge shows the personal side of a big company,” says Olafson. “It makes things so much easier. We feel like we know the company, and that is very helpful from a business relationship perspective.”
In addition to our ongoing community investment activities, which promote safety, education, and well-being, major projects such as the Line 3 Replacement Program provide further investment opportunities during their lifecycle.
In the RM of Stanley, Enbridge sponsored the municipality’s 125th anniversary celebrations, regularly supports the annual Morden Corn and Apple Festival, and sponsored part of a new play structure in Stanley Park.
“The contributions that Enbridge makes to the local community have been above and beyond,” says Olafson. “The company is so approachable. I don’t like begging for money at any time, but if I present the idea to support a certain activity or event, 90 percent of the time they’re gung-ho about it.”
