The village of Fort Simpson, N.W.T. is enjoying a little economic renaissance.
The bustling community is a sight for Kirby Groat's sore eyes. The Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce president has watched businesses struggle through two years of scant spending in the Dehcho region.
In 2016, Enbridge shut down its Line 21 oil pipeline, which runs 869 kilometres between Norman Wells, N.W.T. and Zama, Alta. The company made the move because a riverbank beneath a portion of the line near Fort Simpson had become unstable.
According to Groat, shutting down the pipeline effectively shut down the economy in the region.
"It's been quite a depressing last couple years with no activity whatsoever," he said, adding the economy pretty much dwindled to government-driven spending.
Earlier this month, Enbridge started work to replace the 2.5-kilometre section of pipeline through a horizontal drilling process underneath the Mackenzie River.
The company is only just setting up right now, preparing the work site and building camps, but Groat has already noticed a big difference in his community.
"The town is full of people right now from communities [such as] Fort Providence," he said. "Young fellas are all in here working. They are very happy, very excited about the prospects of steady employment."
The $53-million project is expected to bring approximately 120 jobs to the area, according to Enbridge spokesperson Jesse Semko.
He said the company is trying to source workers locally.
"I don't have an exact number in terms of employees who will be hired, but we are working with the [Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce] throughout the application process," said Semko.
Some controversy
The Line 21 replacement project isn't going forward without some controversy. Last fall, Liidlii Kue First Nation Chief Gerald Antoine criticized the company for not keeping First Nation groups informed of its plans. In January, Antoine announced the First Nation had changed its stance, offering full support to the project.
- Enbridge pipeline repair won't go to environmental review, despite First Nations' concerns
- N.W.T. First Nation changes stance, now fully supports pipeline repair project
According to Semko, preliminary work and camp construction is scheduled to run through May, with horizontal drilling expected to start in July.
"Demobilization from the site will happen in October," he said.
"We expect to resume safe operation of the pipeline in September 2018, subject to regulatory approval."
The prospect of a fully operational pipeline has Groat feeling very excited, because the economic activity won't stop just because construction is completed.
"There's continuous traffic up and down the valley to do maintenance on this pipeline," Groat said.
"It creates a lot of activity even after this repair is all finished. There's quite a bit of ... money spent and time spent with Enbridge keeping the line working."
