www.thenorthernview.com
Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - The Northern VIEW - Page 13
The Northern Gateway Project is generating healthy debate. British Columbians are asking many important questions like, is this pipeline worth it for BC and its northern communities? The benefits that the Northern Gateway Project will bring to British Columbia are significant. It will create jobs, generate new tax revenue for BC, and strengthen the province’s economy.
New jobs will be created... Many people will be employed to build this project. Here in BC, over 3,000 high-paying construction jobs will be created during the building phase. And over 500 new long-term jobs will open up when it’s completed–jobs to monitor and maintain the pipeline, jobs at the Kitimat Marine Terminal, and indirect jobs in areas such as food and hospitality, accommodations, and transportation. And all right here in BC.
Over $800 million will be spent on local goods and services... During construction, hundreds of millions will be spent in Northern BC on equipment rentals, worker accommodations, trucking and fuel, just to name a few. Businesses will grow and new jobs will bring a steady source of family income, as well as opportunities for young people right out of school. All of this will have a positive impact on local businesses and community stability.
Local communities will have a brighter future... On top of new jobs being created, the project will generate $40 million per year in new tax revenue for BC–that’s $1.2 billion over a period of 30 years. This will make a difference to local communities who can use it to build facilities and strengthen public services.
Enbridge will also provide an additional $100 million to support communities near the pipeline in BC and Alberta. We are also committed to partnerships with Aboriginal communities–funding will be provided for community investment, scholarships and education programs, and Aboriginal business opportunities will be created.
People will learn specialized work skills... Individuals from towns near the pipeline will be given the opportunity to learn the skills needed to work in the energy industry. Enbridge has created the Gateway Education and Training Fund, a $1.5 million commitment that will support training initiatives that focus on pipeline construction skills. The knowledge and experience acquired during the construction phase will serve them well as the demand for skilled workers in the energy sector here in British Columbia, Canada and around the world continues to increase.
New global markets will open opportunities for new growth... As it stands, Canada relies on just one customer for its oil exports. The Northern Gateway Project will provide access to the growing economies and the huge markets of the Pacific Rim eager for our energy, which will increase Canada’s Gross Domestic Product by at least $270 billion over 30 years. So not only will the residents of British Columbia see an increase in tax revenue, employment and long-term job opportunities, they will see the economy strengthened in both their province and country as a new gateway to more trade partners opens up.
The project will bring significant economic benefits to BC. Discover more and join the conversation at benefits.northerngateway.ca.
It’s more than a pipeline.
It’s a path to our future. ©2012 Northern Gateway Pipelines Inc.