After very little discussion, the Town of Bonnyville voted unanimously in favour of writing a letter to the Joint Review Panel in support of Enbridge's Northern Gateway Pipeline Project.
The panel is currently reviewing Enbridge's application for the project, which would see two pipelines stretching from Edmonton to the west coast, opening up Asian markets for Canada's oil exports.
According to a letter to council written by John Caruthers, the president of the Northern Gateway Pipelines Project, the project would cost $5.5 billion and, once operational, generate over 1,150 long-term jobs.
Over the course of 30 years, the project would see Canada's gross domestic product increase $270 billion.
The two pipelines would be about 1,177 kilometres long, stretching from Edmonton to Kitimat, B.C. One pipeline would export up to 525,000 barrels per day of crude petroleum, while the other pipeline would import up to 193,000 barrels per day of condensate. Part of the project also includes a marine terminal in Kitimat.
The letter also states that the Joint Review Panel can only use oral and written evidence formally filed in the process to decide whether the project is in the best interests of the Canadian public.
The letter requested council submit a letter of comment before the deadline of March 13, detailing how Enbridge functions as both a corporate citizen and a community member and any benefits, financial and otherwise, that the community receives from the company.
During the Town council meeting on Jan. 10, CAO Mark Power brought the letter to council's attention and recommended council approve supporting the project.
“So much of our community relies on the oil and gas industry and being such a large service centre,” he said. “I think it's important for us to come out and take a position of support because it means so much, not just to this area, but to the entire oil industry.”
He discussed the emerging oil and gas markets in Asia, particularly China, which has seen growth from 2 million cars two and a half years ago to 16 million cars today.
“That is a huge, huge market that we need to capture,” he said. “Ninety-eight percent of our sales go south of the border right now, so we need to diversify.”
