Town, RM seeking support for Energy East proposal

September 11, 2018, 1:39 am
Kevin Weedmark

The town and RM of Moosomin are asking people who support their plan to take Energy East off the drawing board to let them know.

Anyone who is in support of the town and RMs’ plan to have Energy East reconsidered is asked to send an indication of their support to supportenergyeast@sasktel.net.

The town and RM have formed the Energy East Development Committee to promote the development of Energy East, and former SARM president Sinc Harrison has agreed to work on the communities’ behalf.

As well, the Moosomin Chamber of Commerce has invited the three main federal party leaders to attend a public forum on pipelines in Moosomin this fall, if a date can be found that works for them.

Energy East was a proposal by TransCanada Pipelines to repurpose part of the existing pipeline across Western Canada and Ontario from natural gas to oil, and build new pipeline through Quebec and New Brunswick, to take Western Canadian oil to eastern refineries in Quebec and New Brunswick, and potentially to an export position at St. John, New Brunswick.

TransCanada withdrew its application to the National Energy Board for approval of the pipeline a year ago, after the federal government announced a change that would take all upstream and downstream emissions into account for any future pipelines.

Moosomin would have been a major beneficiary of Energy East as TransCanada planned a 1,050,000 barrel tank farm at the Moosomin compressor station, a feeder pipeline from Cromer to Moosomin, and potentially an additional pipeline from Williston, North Dakota to Moosomin.

The town and RM had sent resolutions to the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities in the fall, calling for the organizations to lobby for the reinstatement of Energy East. Since then, SUMA president Gordon Barnhardt has met with TransCanada to discuss the issue. Barnhardt also recently met with SARM president Ray Orb to discuss the issue.

Souris-Moose Mountain MP Dr. Robert Kitchen said last week that he is fully behind the town and RM’s efforts.

“I think it’s a great approach,” he said Thursday. “I truly believe Energy East is the solution we need and I will push for Energy East to be reopened once we get a change of government.

“Andrew Scheer has stated he would like to see that brought forward. It was brought forward at convention and was supported by the members, so this is an issue we need to work on, and any way we can do that is helpful.”

Sinc Harrison said that letters of support from individuals, groups, businesses, municipalities, or organizations are welcome to submit letters to supportenergyeast@sasktel.net.

“Any support we can get would be greatly appreciated,” he said.