Reader letter: Supply chain challenges due to Windsor blockade show importance of Line 5

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Supply chain difficulties of late, particularly via rail, have made the delivery of goods, including propane, very challenging.

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We witnessed impacts of a blockade at the Ambassador Bridge which connects Windsor to Michigan on supply chain movements.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently noted how important international infrastructure is and need to keep these vital routes open. She called on Canada to resolve the blockade because of the negative impact it was having on the “daily flow of goods and people to get things done.”

The blockade was taken down and a critical supply chain was restored.

The economic rationale for preserving critical infrastructure is compelling.

Given these recent issues that caused supply chain disruptions, we are left to wonder where we would be without Enbridge’s Line 5 — the pipeline that travels through much of Michigan stretching from the Upper Peninsula, through the Straits of Mackinac and into Sarnia.

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Line 5 supplies 65 per cent of propane demand in the state’s Upper Peninsula and 55 per cent of Michigan’s statewide propane needs.

It’s becoming more important we take decisive action on things within our power to influence.

There are no viable alternatives to Line 5 as some would have us believe. It would take 2,100 tanker trucks or 850 rail cars every day to replace the energy being delivered by Line 5. This would add to already congested roads, rail lines and high energy costs.

Adding additional rail or marine vessel capacity would also take years to develop.

We should not need to be reminded Line 5 is a vital part of the infrastructure between Canada and U.S. Just like the Ambassador Bridge, Line 5 provides essential resources. It provides critical energy to Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, but also fuels economies in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana and Pennsylvania.

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And like the Ambassador Bridge, Line 5 means thousands of jobs and millions in economic activity.

The lesson of the Ambassador Bridge blockade is just how important international infrastructure is to economies of Canada and U.S.

Whether it’s moving goods on roads or energy via pipeline, international supply chains must be maintained.

Allan Murphy, interim CEO, Canadian Propane Association

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