Journey along the pipeline
This is the story of a pipeline and the people whose lives it passes.
It was built in 1975, of quarter inch steel made in Hamilton, coated in a single layer of polyethylene tape, designed to be reversible, to change with the ever fluctuating oil markets.
More than two decades later, Enbridge reversed the flow as a glut in overseas markets led to lower prices. Foreign oil has been glugging down Line 9 from Montreal to Sarnia ever since.
But North America is in the midst of another oil boom, with Alberta oil sands and North Dakota Bakken region alone producing nearly 2.7 million bapatagonia discount code pizza2rrels per day in 2012.
There aren enough pipelines to move it all to market. And, because North American product is selling for less than the oil that comes from overseas, Quebec refineries are eager to get their hands on the cheaper supply.
So, Enbridge wants to turn the oil tides again, reversing Line 9 to flow eastward, carrying hundreds of thousands of barrels a day across Ontario to Montreal.
Canada federal pipeline regulator, the National Energy Board, already approved the direction chanpatagonia clothing for cheapge of Line 9 between Sarnia, Ont., and North Westover, north of Hamilton, in 2012.
Now it considering Enbridge application to re reverse the section known patagonia down jacket washing instructionsas Line 9B, which runs 639 kilometres between North Westover and Montreal. The company also proposed an increase in capacity, from 240,000 barrels per day to 300,000 (though the pipeline only actually moved about 64,000 barrels a day from 2009 to 2011). Public hearings held in Toronto and Montreal concluded in October 2013.
The board recommendation will need the federal government stamp of approval.
The Star followed Line 9 from Montreal to its birthplace in Sarnia, meeting with people living and working alongside it. To some, it is a means to riches or, at least, survival. To others, it a ticking time bomb that threatens all they hold dear for themselves, and for generations to come.
MONTREAL, Que. It s a straight shot east along Rue Notre Dame, away from the skyscrapers of downtown Montreal toward a new skyline of smokestacks and tpatagonia nano puff vest closeoutank farms and low lying brick apartments.
The Industrial Association of East Montreal has its office in city hall, on the fourth floor with a view of the St. Lawrence River and, in the distance, the outlines of the steaming facilities that compospurchase patagonia outdoor clothing and technical apparel onlinee one of Canada s petrochemical powerhouses.
Once, there were six oil refineries in Montreal s east end. Four shut down in the 1980s; in 2010, Shell Canada closed the gates of its 76 year old facility.patagonia discount code pizza1 Suncor s Montreal refinery is the last one standing.
Dimitri Tsingakis, gewomens patagonia trail running shoes size 8 new in the boxneral manager of the association that represents the area titans of industry, says that refinery is the starting point of an economic web that largely sustains the community.
The refineries are very important for the community, in the sense that overall they provide significant jobs, says Tsingakis, an engineer who s worked for the association since 2006.
Some 21,000 people patagonia better sweater womens salework in Quebec chemical industry. The province exported $5.8 billion worth of chemicals and plastics in 2011, according to federal government statistics. There are an estimated 4,000 jobs affected by the Line 9 project.
But it s mostly the indirect impactpatagonia discount code pizza3 which is important, says Tsingakis.
An association study suggested 800 businesses supply goods and services to that industry, everythingpatagonia discount code pizza from waspatagonia discount code pizza0hing uniforms to renting equipment to bars that sport names like Pub L Industriel.
The Line 9 project woupatagonia discount code xiserld free Suncor and Valero Energy s Levis, Que. based refinery from having to import more expensive oil from overseas.
Enbridge put savings for Quebec s refineries at $23 billion over 30 years if given access to lower cost Canadian and American oil.
In its submission to the National Energy Board, Suncor wrote that its market in Quebec and Eastern Canada is the country s mpatagonia everlong review reviewost competitive.
While refined product supply may be sourced from outside the province of Quebec, these supply sources would not provide the jobs, the spending nor provide the petrochemical feedstock that a Quebec refining operation does, notes, which was not available for an interview.
Suncor Montreal refinery cannot afford to be left behind as its competitors secure access to the most competitive supplies of oil expected to be available for the foreseeable future.
And the larger community can t afford to have Suncor struggling or gone. It s hulking refinery is the first point in a tightly linked industrial ecology upon which thousands rely.
Suncor, for example, is the first link in the polyester chain, producing the xylene that, after stops at several other petrochemical factories in East Montreal, emerges as polyester plastic, the stuff of water bottles, Kraft mayonnaise containers, fleece coats, food wrapping.
And when the big players are hurting, the smaller ones are going under.
People have told us their business base has gone down since, for example, Shell shut down, says Tsingakis. I know some companies, their business has gone down to the point where they re just barely breaking even.
KANESpatagonia jacket women giftATAKE, Que. Grand Chief Serge Simon has a stack of glossy brochures on his desk and a cheque for $5,000.
