Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Ont. passes natural gas legislation

Ont. passes natural gas legislation

Families could save up to $2,500 per year on home heating

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Ontario’s provincial government is taking steps to help rural families heat their homes and run their businesses at lower costs.

This morning, Monte McNaughton, Ontario’s infrastructure minister, announced the passing of Bill 32, The Access to Natural Gas Act.

The legislation will help up to 78 communities and 33,000 households receive access to natural gas, while saving money in the process.

Switching from other forms of heating to natural gas can save an average home between $800 and $2,500 per year, the government said.

And increased access to natural gas can have several benefits in rural Ontario, said Ernie Hardeman, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs.

"The passage of this legislation is important for families and businesses in rural Ontario," he said in a statement today. “Providing more access to natural gas will help lower the cost of living. It will give people more money to re-invest in the local economy, and help Ontario communities attract more businesses, create jobs and ensure that Ontario is open for business.”

Ontario’s ag community supports the legislation.

Expanded access to natural gas is part of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s (OFA’s) Producing Prosperity platform.

Watching the government commit to helping rural families is exciting, said Keith Currie, president of the OFA.

“Natural gas is something we’ve been talking about for the last six or seven years,” he told Farms.com. “I was on site for the announcement today, and it’s exciting to know that there’s going to be tools in place to help get natural gas throughout the province, especially in the rural areas.”

Minister MacNaughton made the announcement on Duane Ferguson’s farm in Warwick, Ont.

Using natural gas to dry his grain instead of industrial heaters could lead to thousands of dollars in savings, Ferguson said.

“With natural gas, I’d be saving about half my $50,000 heating bill,” he said in a statement. “For me and my family, that’s an unbelievable savings.”

The provincial government will work with the Ontario Energy Board to develop details for the natural gas expansion.


Trending Video

Ask A Farmer Podcast: How is the agriculture industry managing plastic waste?

Video: Ask A Farmer Podcast: How is the agriculture industry managing plastic waste?

Like other industries in Canada, in agriculture, there are some inorganic waste products that are used in the production of food. This includes containers for products, bags for grain and livestock feed, twine on bales, tubing for sap collection, and other materials. Barry Friesen is the Executive Director of Cleanfarms Canada, which provides solutions to some of these challenges and discusses how agriculture is working to improve sustainable practices on the farm.

The main points of this podcast include: What types of plastic farmers use that can be recycled. The different programs that allow farmers and ranchers to recycle their plastic. How Cleanfarms operates and partners with others in the agriculture industry. Different methods Cleanfarms is using to reduce their environmental footprint. What the recycled plastic is turned into, as well as the future of recycled farm plastics. The portion of plastics that are currently recycled from farms.

 

Comments (5)


Your email address will not be published

Along the road before you turn onto my road there is gas and high speed internet, but they won't come down my road. There is my farm and one more on this road but they won't even quote me a cost to run either one to my house or farm. I have a landline telephone and hydro run, but can't even get cable and the farm has been here for over a hundred years
Jeff |Dec 13 2018 3:22AM
Gas line goes along road to feed greenhouses but doesnt come down our road I like to dry my own corn 8 houses and corn dryer in a half km would benefit
Jerome Gagnier |Dec 12 2018 7:39AM
It would be nice to know who the lucky people are that are granted access to natural gas. I believe it`s about time this province does some rural infrastructure improvement some third world countries are further ahead then the rural people in this province
Franz |Dec 11 2018 5:20PM
Five minutes north of Woodstock and gas line ends few hundred meters from us and all neighbors north of us. Would cost us all thousands to bring it to us.
Morton |Dec 11 2018 1:15PM
Gas close to our home but enbridge wants big money to cross road crazy could use some advice as what to do
gary pultz |Dec 11 2018 9:23AM