By Tim Sargeant • Global News
MONTREAL – The oil and gas industry won’t create a windfall of new jobs from the construction and opening of two new pipelines in Quebec.
The U.S. based Goodman Group argues the economic and job benefits from the reversal of oil flow in the Enbridge 9B pipeline and the possible construction of the TransCanada energy East pipeline concludes most of the jobs created will be temporary and will only represent 0.3% of the total Quebec economy.
It also determines the oil industry contributes to only 0.5 per cent of the total Quebec economy.
“There’s nothing in there for Quebecers. It is only risk that we will have for, it could be 50 years,” Patrick Bonin of Greenpeace Canada said.
The Enbridge pipeline company recently received permission from the National Energy Board to begin reversing oil flow in its 9B pipeline beginning October 15th.
The pipeline will be used to carry crude oil from Western Canada and the U.S. to the Suncor refineries in Montreal East.
And there are plans to build the Transcanada Energy East pipeline, which would be the largest in North America, if it’s given the green light to be built.
“These projects have marginal impact, beneficial impact for Quebec,” Steven Guilbeault of Equiterre said.
But one energy analyst counters the environmental groups are misleading the public.
Youri Chassin of the Montreal Economic Institute argued that environmentally friendly energy sources are heavily subsidized compared to jobs in the oil and gas industry.
“Oil industry is not subsidized that much but green energy is and that means high costs in energy, high costs for the consumers. The ordinary citizens,” Chassin said.
The Goodman Group report was published in January but released it on Monday.
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