A Sarnia-Lambton union official who initiated a Line 5 e-petition will help make the case in Ottawa for keeping the pipeline running.
Local 663 Business Agent Scott Archer is to appear before the House of Commons special committee on economic relationships between Canada and the U.S. March 30.
"I'm going to present them with a five-minute introductory on what the line means to us, what the damage is going to be if it is shut down -- which will be catastrophic -- and more importantly, what the solutions are. And really there is only one solution, it is for our government to push back and not allow the closure of it."
Archer started e-petition 3081, which closed on March 8 with 10,377 signatures. The petition that calls on the prime minister to keep Enbridge's Line 5 open was presented to the House of Commons on March 10 by Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu.
Archer said basically a full-third of the employment in the surrounding area is directly tied to Line 5.
"It provides the feed stock for all of our refineries locally, and it's the backbone not only of our town and Sarnia-Lambton, but it's really sort of like the spinal cord of the infrastructure of Ontario."
Archer said he was disappointed that in a town of 72,000 people who largely depend on Line 5 to feed their families, the petition didn't get more signatures.
Gladu said moving forward, it's important to keep attention on the issue up in Ottawa.
"The prime minister had said this is an important issue, they are working to keep that line open, so I think [the next step] is to really make sure that at all levels of government -- municipal, provincial and federal -- that we are working together to come with a team Canada approach."
She said some progress is being made in the U.S.
"Catherine McKenna was able to get a meeting with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, when the natural resources minister was not. And I know that the court decision on whether or not to hear this at the state level has been delayed because the judge wants mediation. So certainly she indicated she wouldn't be able to hear arguments until after June, so that would push back the executive order date anyway."
Gladu said all of that time is needed to ensure that the lobby effort with Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan as well as in Washington, moves along.
"I'm really pleased to see that both the natural resources minister and the prime minster himself responded to my questions that I asked this week to raise that issue with President Biden, and to let us know that they are going to continue to advocate for Line 5 to stay open."
In November, Whitmer announced the State was revoking the 67-year-old easement allowing the pipeline to operate under the Straits of Mackinac, forcing its closure within 180 days. The line, which runs between Sarnia and Superior, Wisconsin, carries oil and natural gas liquids used in propane to industries in the city, and elsewhere in the province and Quebec.
Michigan has said it's taking the action to avert a potentially catastrophic oil spill.
Calgary-based Enbridge said the State’s action violates federal law and it has no intention of shutting the line down based on unspecified allegations. The company said Line 5 will continue to operate safely while it focuses on plans to construct a 6.4-kilometre tunnel to replace the lines beneath the straits.
-With files from Dave Dentinger