Mar. 10, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SARNIA, ON—MP Marilyn Gladu presents petition to Help Keep Line 5 Open in the House of Commons

Sarnia-Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu presented to the House of Commons on Wednesday an e-petition calling for the Prime Minister to act in the interest of keeping Enbridge Line 5 open.

E-petition 3081 was initiated by Scott Archer, a resident of Sarnia-Lambton and business manager of Local 663, a cross-border union representing pipefitters in both Ontario and the state of Michigan. It calls for the Prime Minister to “appeal to President elect Joe Biden to intervene and prevent Governor Whitmer from inflicting overwhelming and catastrophic economic effect to communities in Ontario, Quebec, Wisconsin and Ohio.” MP Gladu sponsored the petition, as the livelihoods of more than 23,500 Canadians, many of whom live in Sarnia-Lambton, are of utmost concern to her.

The petition closed for signatures on Mar. 8, 2021, with 10,377 signatures in support of the petition’s goals.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has slated the closure of Enbridge Line 5 for May 2021. However, doing so would put more than 50,000 related jobs on both sides of the border in jeopardy, as well as the region’s energy security.

Gov. Whitmer’s decision to shut down Line 5 directly contravenes the 1977 Agreement between the Government Of Canada and the Government of the United States Of America Concerning Transit Pipelines, as Line 5 crosses international borders, and therefore is beyond her authority to order. However, the fate of the Line remains uncertain without direct international intervention from both the Prime Minister and U.S. President Joe Biden.

“I have consistently called upon Prime Minister Trudeau to raise the issue with U.S. President Biden. In Question Period, the Prime Minister responded that he had indeed raised the issue with the President during their virtual bilateral meeting—but no transcript or specific remarks were made public. Time is of the essence, and we continue to call on the Prime Minister to take real, concrete action to keep Line 5 open, and protect the livelihoods of thousands of Canadians and Americans alike,” says MP Gladu.

“It is my hope we are able to keep Line 5 open and protect those 50,000 employees and energy security across the region,” says MP Gladu.

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