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Marathon mayor plans to continue push for LNG project

Marathon Mayor Rick Dumas wants to move forward on long-awaited Lakeshore Natural Gas Project.
Certarus
Certarus operates eight compressed natural gas distribution centres across North America. A new distribution centre scheduled to open in Timmins later this year will truck compressed natural gas to mines in a 400 to 500 kilometre radius to replace more expensive diesel and propane fuel.

MARATHON —  The Lakeshore Natural Gas Project is seeing a push forward as Marathon Mayor Rick Dumas aims to make the project a priority of discussion at the upcoming Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference later this month.

Lakeshore Natural Gas is jointly owned by five municipalities — Marathon, Terrace Bay, Schreiber, Manitouwadge and Wawa. 

Back in 2021, the municipalities signed a $55 million proposal which includes the Certarus plant in Red Rock which would handle, compress, deliver, store, and decompress the natural gas for all five municipalities.

“We just talked about it as part of our strategic plan. That project started, believe it or not, in 2015. I know we had the first transfer of funding, in which the government announced to supply of more gas opportunities to communities. Not only along northwestern Ontario but all of Ontario. We weren’t successful and we continued to pursue the project itself,” Dumas said to CFNO Radio earlier this week.

Dumas plans to discuss the project with the Ministers at the ROMA conference with a renewed plan to get the project back on track.

“It makes economic sense. It’s providing, potentially, gas to 15,000 customers within those five municipalities,” said Dumas.

Schreiber’s Chief Administrative Officer, Nathan Dias, states that “it will take regional momentum to push this project forward.”

“The provision of natural gas to our communities can serve as an alternative to electric, propane, fuel oil, heating and help lower costs for residents and businesses,” Dias said.

Manitouwadge Mayor Jim Moffat, feels the same optimism stating that if they can push this forward at ROMA the lower cost would benefit the community exponentially.

“That would be absolutely great for the north,” said Moffat.



Clint Fleury

About the Author: Clint Fleury

Clint Fleury is a web reporter covering Northwestern Ontario and the Superior North regions.
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