ON: CPA reaches out to re-elected Ford government

Following the re-election of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives in June, the CPA outlined important priorities to various departments including the finance, energy, transportation, agriculture, government and consumer services (responsible for the Technical Standards and Safety Authority), northern development and indigenous affairs, environment and rural affairs. 

Ministers were reminded that at a time when inflation is at 30- to 40-year highs, propane provides an affordable alternative to heating oil for homes and to gasoline and diesel for transportation; a replacement for emergency power generation; a clean back-up energy source for wind and solar operations; and a low-emission energy source for agricultural activities such as greenhouses or grain drying as well as for the construction and mining industries. 

Most importantly, the association asserted, propane provides a clean and affordable alternative to those Ontarians who are not on the natural gas line and can’t afford the prohibitive cost of electricity. Unlike natural gas, propane enjoys a unique and pan-Ontario distribution network that will be able to provide net-zero energy to all parts of Ontario, including rural communities that are off the natural gas grid and remote communities that are currently dependent on carbon-intense fuels such as furnace oil and diesel. 

Meetings with senior ministers’ offices have already begun, including with Tyler Lively, chief of staff to Energy Minister Todd Smith and ministerial staff in the office of Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney.