| Province Announces 11 Communities for New Service
Ontario is helping to significantly lower heating costs for thousands of families and businesses in rural, northern and First Nations communities by expanding access to natural gas. The move is expected to save families as much as $1,100 every year.Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Minister Responsible for Small Business, was joined by Lou Rinaldi, MPP for Northumberland–Quinte West, in the Hiawatha First Nation on behalf of Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure, to announce projects selected to receive funding to build the supporting natural gas infrastructure and expand access to natural gas, pending regulatory approvals for construction. This includes moving forward on constructing a natural gas distribution pipeline to connect homes and businesses in the Hiawatha First Nation and areas of the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan. Natural gas service will help attract new industry, make commercial transportation and agriculture more affordable, provide a cleaner source of energy, reduce costs and support greater consumer choice.
Expanding access to natural gas is part of Ontario’s plan to support care, create opportunity and make life more affordable during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 and over 65 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation. |
