Natural gas coming soon to residents in St. Charles
Life is about to get more affordable for those living in the community of St. Charles.
On Wednesday morning, the provincial government announced its list of communities that will benefit in Phase 2 of its Natural Gas Expansion Program. St. Charles is set to receive more than $6 million.
The province has communicated with Enbridge and plans are now in the works to build a pipeline that will bring gas to 162 homes in the town.
That's good news for municipal councillor and homeowner Richard Lemieux.
"This is going to be a great chance for people to change over to a cheaper and more efficient system – fantastic … for us," Lemieux said.
Lemieux only recently made the switch to propane. Up until that point, like many in the community, he was using oil to heat his home.
He'd have to get his drum filled once a month, and he's certainly not going to miss it once it's gone.
"No, no, I guess not because it's always something ... I never had a problem getting it filled but you always wonder, well, are they going to remember to fill the tank this month," he said.
No one was happier though than the municipality's mayor.
Lobbied for 10 years
"Very big day -- it's something that myself have been lobbying the government for the past 10 years to bring natural gas to the residents of St. Charles and today's announcement of over $6 million is great news," said Mayor Paul Schoppman.
Schoppman said he never gave up and was confident the province would come through for the residents. He was only told about the news about an hour before the news conference.
Work on most of the projects is slated to start in 2023. The program is about expanding natural gas to northern, remote and Indigenous communities.
The hope is that it will benefit both taxpayers and local businesses.
"We've prioritized broad distribution across Ontario to as many homes and businesses to keep the cost of energy low, to support job and to attract new investment," said Associate Minister of Energy Bill Walker
"With roughly 5,000 jobs and $1.5 billion in local investment, this government is putting people first and putting more money in people's pockets," said Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
It's unclear when work will start on the St. Charles pipeline. It's also important to note, it's unclear how much work is left to be done to expand natural gas coverage to the entire region.
St. Charles residents, however, said they're ready to start reaping the benefits.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.