The merger of Union Gas with Enbridge has been given the rubber stamp.
Roughly a dozen people including municipal officials and Enbridge employees congregated outside of the corporate head office in Chatham on Friday, to formally mark the transition.
Despite the name change, Cynthia Hansen, the executive vice-president and president of gas distribution and storage at Enbridge, said the company will remain committed to the community and its 840 employees after nearly 100 years of Union Gas service.
"Chatham-Kent and the surrounding areas are very, very important to us," said Hansen. "We have a significant storage hub... that's not going anywhere and we're not going anywhere."
One of the projects Enbridge is currently working on is $19 million pipeline connecting natural gas with communities across Chatham-Kent, which could be in service by the end of this year, added Hansen.
Enbridge Inc. (previously Union Gas) is developing potential expansion facilities which include a 20-kilometre long, eight-inch-wide pipeline from the "panhandle system" near Tupperville, which encompasses areas like Base Line, Dresden, and Kent Bridge. As well, the expansion plan includes a 500-metre, 12-inch diameter pipe near Dover Centre.
Plans for the Chatham-Kent rural expansion were introduced in 2017 and as of today, the company has gone through the regulatory process, ensuring that we've had some sufficient demand growth, said Hansen.
Enbridge adopts Union Gas' reputation as being a major employer in the region. Many people have come and gone from a union gas office including Mayor Darrin Canniff who spent almost 20 years with the organization. He was on-hand at the ceremony to cut the red ribbon, at which time he expressed how important it is for the natural gas distributor to be committed to the people in the municipality.
"[Enbridge] and the mayor's office and the municipality have met many times over the last several months," said Canniff. "We're confident that moving forward, Chatham-Kent will be a major presence for Enbridge... we're excited for the next 100 years of what Enbridge will contribute to Chatham-Kent."