By Pat Warren
KAWARTHA LAKES-Councillor Ron Ashmore’s pipe-line dreams were shot down by council on Tuesday.
At the Council meeting meeting on January 15th Ashmore brought forward a resolution in support of pipelines and the energy sector. The resolution read as follows:
“be it resolved that completing critical pipeline infrastructure is vital to the whole country economically and environmentally. Therefore ,we the Council of City of Kawartha Lakes fully support the completion of these pipelines and the employment and tax revenue that it will give our country.
Ashmore wanted the resolution sent to the Prime Minister, the Provincial Premier’s and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
He said his rationale for bringing this forward is that he feels pipelines bring jobs to the country which supports families .He further said that the Canadian energy sector is a vital employer in the country, in all provinces and territories. According to Ashmore ,the energy sector provides $7 Billion in tax revenue for Canadians which helps pay for transfer payments, health care, education and infrastructure as well as a multitude of essential government programs. At present, Canada imports 800,000 barrels of oil per day from foreign nations. Most of Canada’s oil is exported by rail which can be dangerous as proven by the Lac- Magentic accident in Quebec.
Councillor Seymour-Fagan extracted Ashmore’s resolution and moved to just receive and not support it. She stated she couldn’t support the motion because it wasn’t a municipal issue. She however understood his intention .
Ashmore then moved the main motion which was seconded by Councillor Yeo.
Councillor Ashmore spoke to his motion saying “I brought this motion forward because a lot of people I have spoken to are concerned about this issue. Things aren’t getting done in other parts of the country, which is affecting us. There are a lot of people in our community that work in the energy sector and we can’t get our product from the west to the east. We need to get weaned off foreign oil so we can use our own oil and gas so we don’t have to import 800,000 barrels a day. I care about western Canada and all of Canada.It may be an insignificant motion but it is important to the people who brought this to my attention. It is a basic feel good motion.”
He further said” we have the most stringent environmental regulations in the world and we have Carbon Taxes coming out our ears, we need to get our product to market which is primarily central Canada. I’m tired of the energy sector being demonized every day. Our resources are not a curse but a blessing.”
Councillor O’Reilly said he has mixed feelings about what Councillor Ashmore is saying and agreed with Councillor Seymour Fagan that the issue isn’t part of our municipal mandate. O’Reilly further said “I understand Councillor Ashmore’s intent regarding supporting people who have gone out west to work but it wasn’t many years ago that Prime Minister Harper said that they should put a fence around Alberta and let eastern Canada freeze in Hell. We can talk about being one country, but we have work to do in our own community and province so I have mixed emotions whether this is our business.”
Councillor Seymour Fagan said “ just to be clear I support the energy sector and the people who work in it. However, supporting the motion would be opening a can of worms and it isn’t our can of worms”
A recorded vote was called and everyone except Councillor Yeo voted against the motion. Councillor Dunn was absent.
Pat Warren lives in Bobcaygeon.
