Two major Ducks Unlimited Canada projects take flight
Encana's longtime environmental partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has made a big splash for wetlands conservation on both sides of the country.

In May 2010, DUC announced that resources from its Project Webfoot wetlands education initiative for elementary schoolchildren will be provided to public libraries in northeastern Nova Scotia. Support from Encana ensured these learning materials will be available outside of schools for the first time ever. For the past three years, Encana has partnered with DUC to offer the conservation awareness program to elementary schools in northeastern Nova Scotia near the landfall for the Deep Panuke project pipeline, as well as in Alberta and northeastern British Columbia.

And on June 1, DUC unveiled picturesque Piper Pond near Dawson Creek, B.C., a wetland habitat restored thanks to Encana's financial support of the Wetlands for Tomorrow campaign. In 2007, Encana became the first corporate sponsor of this DUC initiative by contributing $1 million to map, reclaim and conserve wetlands. The database accumulated by DUC staff through this effort is accessed by Encana staff to avoid disturbing these crucial ecosystems.

Bringing natural gas to Tomslake
Encana has entered a 20-year commitment to supply natural gas to the community of Tomslake, B.C. along with Pacific Northern Gas, who will be responsible for building and maintaining the system to distribute Encana gas to the community. This is the first access to natural gas for more than 400 residents and small businesses in the greater Tomslake area, who currently use propane or wood as fuel for heating.

For the past two years Encana has been working with the Peace River Regional District and Pacific Northern Gas on the agreement that will provide natural gas to residents and businesses in the Tomslake area currently without access to a local supply source.

This partnership was developed after conversations with residents in the region who have seen an increase in natural gas development in the area, some with wells on their own property, but have no access to natural gas for their homes and businesses. More than 400 residential and commercial customers will potentially benefit from the arrangement, with the physical delivery of natural gas service expected to begin in the fall of 2009.

Creating the industry's future one student at a time
Through Encana's support of educational and technical training institutions, we're helping to develop highly skilled technical and tradespeople, building our future workforce and improving the sustainability of our company and industry.

We support new and existing educational programs in the communities where we operate that are designed to develop the required skills for careers in our industry. One such program we supported in 2008 is the oil and gas technology program at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas. The program helps local high school graduates prepare for careers in the oil and gas industry. Graduates of the program are helping to build a local workforce for our East Texas operations. Another key component of the program is the scholarship funding for students that lack financial means to pursue post-secondary education.