Imperial's Sarnia Products Pipeline

Imperial’s Sarnia Products Pipeline is important infrastructure that provides products used by households and businesses across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. This includes a significant portion of jet fuel for Toronto Pearson International Airport, as well as gasoline and diesel fuel that keeps people, goods and services moving throughout our region.

Operating safely in the region for many years, Imperial is proactively replacing approximately 63-kilometres of the line with new pipe.

Waterdown to Finch Project location

The Waterdown to Finch Project runs from Imperial’s Waterdown pump station in rural Hamilton to the company’s terminal storage facility in Toronto’s North York area.

Ontario Energy Board regulatory application

In March 2020, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) issued a Decision and Order to grant leave to construct the Waterdown to Finch Project with conditions. Imperial acknowledges the conditions specified by the OEB and is committed to addressing any requirements in a timely manner.

The OEB Decision and Order is an important milestone that reflects the robust environmental planning, Indigenous consultation, stakeholder engagement, cultural, social and heritage assessment process, and engineering and design work that has taken place since the Project launched in spring 2018.

Imperial submitted the Waterdown to Finch Project leave to construct application to the province’s energy regulator in early 2019. Key documents related to the application, including the Decision and Order, are available below in the Resources section under Leave to Construct and on the OEB’s application page.

Work timeline*

Current status

Imperial is committed to ensuring the safety and reliability of the Sarnia Products Pipeline throughout the construction period of the Waterdown to Finch Project. The existing pipeline will continue to operate reliably until the Waterdown to Finch Project is complete.

In addition to receiving OEB approval in March 2020, Imperial has since passed a number of additional permit approvals and is now able to begin construction of the proactive replacement initiative in early December 2020. Imperial will commence construction activities on the western end of the Project, beginning with the first 11-kilometres located in Hamilton and Burlington.

Imperial has selected a third-party contractor to complete the initial phase of construction.

The replacement project is anticipated to create 400 direct jobs in Ontario supporting project management and construction activities. Imperial and our third-party contractor will look to work with local and Indigenous contractors and business services throughout the life of the Waterdown to Finch Project.

To protect all of our stakeholders including employees, contractors and the general public, Imperial will follow all relevant public health measures and COVID-19 workplace guidelines along the entire Project footprint.

Minimizing construction impacts

Imperial will respect all landowners’ property and will seek to minimize disruptions during construction. Most replacement work will take place in close vicinity to the pipeline.  

Imperial builds safety and integrity into its pipelines from the outset of construction. Our pipeline projects have rigorous material, design and construction standards that comply with all applicable government and industry standards. Imperial is working closely with independent pipeline regulators and different levels of government to limit disturbance due to construction. To learn more about the construction techniques used in the Waterdown to Finch Project, such as open-cut construction and horizontal directional drilling (HDD) watch our video below.

While working to deliver the fuels and energy Canadians rely on every day, we aim to minimize our impact on the environment, local communities and Indigenous groups by routing pipelines around sensitive areas and adopting construction practices that decrease disruptions. This includes safely deactivating the current pipeline, which will cause the least disturbance to the local environment and minimize our construction footprint. To learn about the pipeline deactivation process, watch our video below.

Further detail about the construction methods and our approach to protecting the environment can be found in the Waterdown to Finch Project brochure or in our information session poster boards.

Focused on safety

Imperial’s safety performance is among the best in the Canadian energy industry. We attribute our record of safe and reliable operations to our preventative maintenance and proactive pipeline inspection programs. Learn how Imperial prepares for continued safe pipeline operations below.

Our commitment to community engagement

Imperial is committed to meaningful community, government and Indigenous engagement throughout the duration of the Project.

During the Project period, community members will have several ways to receive information and ask questions:

• Email: questions@imperialon.ca
• Phone: +1 416 586 1915
• Community information sessions (summer/fall 2018)
• Construction notices delivered to landowners and adjacent landowners a minimum of two weeks before activity begins
• Ongoing information sharing

Ontario Energy Board Leave to Construct process

Leave to Construct application*

Ontario Energy Board route realignment review

Environmental report

Leave to Construct interrogatory responses

Notice of Commencement of study

Compliance with Canadian Navigable Waters Act

Under the Canadian Navigable Waters Act (Act), Imperial is required to follow federal reporting and notifications requirements as it pertains to areas of work where the proposed pipeline installation will cross bodies of water. Below is a public attestation notice that indicates Imperial has complied with the reporting requirements under the Act administered by Transport Canada. Imperial is proposing to install four pipeline crossings under navigable waters using a trenchless pipeline construction method. The location of each crossing can be found within the notice. Through the use of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) trenchless technology, the proposed crossings will be installed below the watercourses and no construction or vehicle access will occur within the ordinary high water mark.

Community information session notifications

Online information session

Regional maps

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