Keystone XL bottles up community support

Alberta construction workforce organizes bottle drive competition to help fill community needs

As a company and as people, helping build strong communities by giving back and volunteering is essential to our values. Our Empower program is integral to this sentiment and speaks volumes to the dedication and character of our workforce.

The construction of Keystone XL has created a lot of jobs, which has in turn created a lot of enthusiasm to give back. As a result, our large workforce has not only been busy building pump stations and putting pipe in the ground, they have also been busy determining ways to raise money for communities along the right of way. One of these initiatives was to save and collect recyclable cans and bottles for donation.

Keystone XL Project field staff and prime contractors — Michels Canada/Royal Camps, WorleyCord LP and Graham — formed three separate teams (Pipeline, Hardisty and Bindloss) to support local organizations by recycling bottles and collecting the funds at their respective locations.

The three teams were challenged through friendly competition to see who could collect the most refunds at our Alberta Project sites to donate to local charities.

Each individual teams’ goal is to raise $20,000. To date, they have raised more than $9,400 for organizations that are important to them and are continuing to raise money for various charities through bottle drives and other initiatives.  

“These dollars will help us provide programs for all ages in our communities,” explained Maryann Burns, Executive Director of Oyen Family and Community Support Services (FCSS).

The bottle drive campaign is just one example of the many initiatives that Keystone XL workers are organizing to support communities along the right of way.

“I’m very proud of our team as we have come together and created a number of initiatives to raise money for local charities in the area, having a positive impact is important to us all,” added Tracey, who is working on Keystone XL construction facilities in Hardisty, Alberta.

Since 2013, TC Energy’s Empower program has been a driving force for positive change in the lives of our people and the communities they serve. Each year, we see our people’s generosity continue to grow.

Through Empower, in 2019, TC Energy contributed C$3.1 million and logged over 36,500 volunteer hours for more than 4,600 deserving causes across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.