In 2025, residents of Chute-à-Blondeau and other properties along Front Road in East Hawkesbury will be able to heat their homes and water with natural gas.
On Monday, November 7, Glengarry-Prescott and Russell Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Stéphane Sarrazin and East Hawkesbury Mayor Robert Kirby announced Enbridge will be expanding its service to the village. Currently, natural gas service ends at the Carillon Gardens subdivision, east of the Town of Hawkesbury.
The Ontario government is contributing $4,446,983 from the Ministry of Energy’s Natural Gas Expansion Program.
East Hawkesbury is currently the only municipality in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell with no natural gas service.
“I’m very proud and thankful Chute-à-Blondeau was chosen for the natural gas program,” said Kirby.
“I’m announcing this community’s first ever natural gas connection,” said Sarrazin, who also serves as the Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Energy, Todd Smith.
Once installed, up to 318 homes and businesses will be able to connect to natural gas service. Sarrazin said switching to natural gas could save homeowners up to 60 per cent on heating costs.
Enbridge Eastern Region Director Jean-Benoît Trahan said natural gas offers a more reliable, sustainable choice for customers switching from oil or electricity for home heating and hot water.
Trahan explained the project to bring the natural gas pipelines to Chute-à-Blondeau must first go through an environmental assessment and Indigenous assessment before going to the province’s utility regulatory agency, the Ontario Energy Board for final approval. All of those steps are expected to be completed in 2024.
“The work is already starting, and gas will be in the region in 2025,” Trahan said.
Kirby is pleased natural gas will finally be available to some residents of East Hawkesbury.
“It’s been a long time coming, but it’s coming!” he said.
