Chatham-Kent councillors have made a unanimous vote to take steps in keeping Union Gas headquarters in Chatham.
Concerns have been rising since Enbridge Inc. announced it's buying Spectra Energy, the parent company of Union Gas.
During Monday night's council meeting Councillor Douglas Sulman presented a non-agenda item.
He proposed that a municipal task force be assembled to ensure Union Gas' head office and jobs remain in Chatham-Kent.
"As a council we've got to do what we can to protect the economic base of the community and people's jobs," says Sulman.
He says the idea is to investigate what the next steps are for Union Gas and doing whatever it takes to keep the jobs in the municipality.
"We're going to try and find out exactly what's planned, and what's going on, and what we can do to protect the people of Chatham-Kent," says Sulman. "It goes beyond Chatham-Kent, this kind of thing effects the whole Union Gas franchise area where there are people employed."
Sulman adds, in the past Chatham-Kent has lost businesses (in the automotive and food processing industry) so this is an area of concern.
"I've been told [Union Gas has a] six to one ratio, so for every one job at Union Gas it affects six other jobs out in the community," says Sulman.
The motion also involves Mayor Randy Hope writing a letter on behalf of council to Premiere Kathleen Wynne, the Minister of Energy, and the Ontario Energy Board, to discuss the impact the proposed merger could have on Chatham-Kent's economy.
