Natural gas in Ontario

Natural gas is Ontario's most common heating source. It is more affordable than other sources such as electricity, oil or propane.

Currently, about 3.6 million homes and 160,000 businesses in Ontario use natural gas. We are expanding natural gas access across rural, northern and Indigenous communities to help keep the cost of energy low for thousands of families, businesses and farmers.

We are expanding natural gas access to thousands of households and businesses across northern, rural and Indigenous communities. 

Expanding natural gas will make life more affordable for families and businesses, and will help to increase economic development and job opportunities for these communities.

Natural Gas Expansion Program

The Natural Gas Expansion Program was created under the Access to Natural Gas Act, 2018 to help expand access to natural gas to areas of Ontario that currently do not have access to the natural gas distribution system. This program encourages communities to partner with gas distributors on potential expansion projects that would not be built without additional financial support and submit information on these proposals to the Ontario Energy Board.

Phase 1 of the program supported the construction of six expansion projects. These projects are forecasted to connect 9,000 customers in 16 communities over the next ten years and save customers an estimated $250-$1500 per year.

For Phase 2 of this program, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) accepted information submissions on potential projects from utilities for natural gas expansion projects. The deadline for submissions was extended by 60 days to August 4, 2020, in order to give municipalities and utilities additional flexibility to meet their priorities during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The OEB compiled a report on all submissions they received for the ministry’s review, and released it to the public on December 10, 2020.

Selected Phase 2 projects were announced on June 9, 2021. 

For more information, visit OEB.ca

Phase 1 expansion projects

The first phase of the Natural Gas Expansion Program launched on July 1, 2019.

Three natural gas expansion projects were completed and energized in 2019 and 2020 and three others are currently underway.

Completed

  • Chatham-Kent Rural Pipeline Expansion – construction completed and energized in 2019
  • Chippewas of the Thames First Nation – construction completed and energized in 2019
  • Saugeen First Nation – construction completed and energized in 2020

Currently underway

  • Southern Bruce – construction began in July 2019 and continues to connect new customers
  • Scugog Island – construction began in February 2020 and continues to connect new customers
  • Northshore and Peninsula Roads, North Bay – construction began in September 2020 and continues to connect new customers

Phase 2 expansion projects

On June 9, 2021, the Government of Ontario announced that 28 projects across 43 communities were selected for funding in the second phase of the Natural Gas Expansion Program.

When selecting natural gas expansion projects, the top priorities were to connect the most number of customers as broadly as possible across Ontario, in the most economically feasible way. The Southeast, Central, Southwest, Northeast and Northwest regions of Ontario will all have expansion projects in their communities.

Two expansion projects will directly benefit Indigenous communities, the Red Rock First Nation and the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation.

Two other projects, the Grimsby-Lincoln and Hamilton Airport Regional Expansion projects, will promote economic development in the Hamilton and Niagara areas by supporting jobs and attracting new investment.

The 28 projects have different construction start dates. Some will start as early as Summer 2021, pending permitting and other approvals, with other start dates extending to 2025.

The successful projects are listed below, by region:

Southwest

  • Boblo Island
  • Brockton
  • Neustadt
  • Perth East (Brunner)

Central

  • Caledon (Humber Station)
  • Cedar Springs (Burlington)
  • East Gwillimbury
  • Grimsby-Lincoln (Northern portion)
  • Hamilton Airport Regional Expansion
  • Hidden Valley (Huntsville)
  • Sandford (Uxbridge)
  • Severn (Washago)

Northwest

  • Kenora District (Highway 594)
  • Red Rock First Nation (Lake Helen Reserve)

Northeast

  • Burk’s Falls
  • St. Charles (Sudbury)

Southeast

  • Bobcaygeon
  • Chute- à -Blondeau (East Hawkesbury)
  • Eganville (Township of Bonnechere Valley and Cobden Road in the Township of Admaston/Bromley)
  • Glendale Subdivision (Township of South Glengarry)
  • Haldimand Shores (Grafton area of the Township of Alnwick/Haldimand)
  • Lanark & Balderson (Township of Lanark Highlands and Township of Drummond/North Elmsley)
  • Merrickville-Wolford
  • Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation (and parts of the community of Shannonville, in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory)
  • Prince Edward County (Cherry Valley)
  • Selwyn
  • Stanley’s Olde Maple Farm (Ottawa)
  • Tweed