As Mayor of the Town of…

As Mayor of the Town of Hawkesbury (and being a former municipal administrator) I wish to provide comments during the consultation process as to the role for natural gas in the Ontario’s energy system and the economy. There are two (2) points that I wish to mention and all relating to the accessibility and reliability of natural gas.

Regarding the economy, the Town of Hawkesbury (being the only urban municipality and serving a radius well beyond its geographic boundaries) needs to promote and increase its commercial and especially its industrial tax base. These assessment categories do not require soft municipal services, i.e., parks, recreation or libraries facilities but require hard and reliable services, being water, wastewater, and a dependable and economical source of power, being natural gas. The tax ratio of industrial development is three times that of the residential rate and is therefore required to support all other services of a municipality like the Town of Hawkesbury.

Secondly, the Town of Hawkesbury has a local distribution company for electricity, being Hawkesbury Hydro. Although the current rates are good, we also have a deteriorating infrastructure at all levels which also creates an unreliable source of energy for businesses including the residents of the Town of Hawkesbury. During the past several years and especially during the winter season, we have had serious issues at the sub-stations including the distribution lines. Therefore, natural gas, which is a reliable, dependable and an economical source of energy, is critical and must be part of the overall energy policy.

In summary, a Natural Gas Policy Statement in the province’s integrated energy plan is an absolute in Ontario’s future energy system.