TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 10, 2012) -

Editors Note: A photo for this release will be available via Marketwire on the picture wire of The Canadian Press.

Today, representatives from Enbridge Gas Distribution, the Province of Ontario and the City of Markham celebrated the official opening of Enbridge's state-of-the-art Technology and Operations Centre. The hallmark of the new Centre is an innovative "streetscape," the most comprehensive and realistic training facility for a natural gas utility in Canada.

"The safety of our workers, customers and the public is our top priority," said Guy Jarvis, president, Enbridge Gas Distribution. "We're committed to ensuring our workers have the training they need to do their jobs safely. When designing the Centre and streetscape, we tapped into our employees' expertise and industry best practices to create the most dynamic and realistic training opportunity possible."

With a focus on operational excellence, the 1.5 acre streetscape consists of infrastructure common in an urban community with a natural gas distribution system, full-sized roads and scaled-down buildings that represent residential, commercial and small industrial customer premises. Compressed air is used to simulate natural gas and offers a controlled, safe environment for training. Inside, the facility offers practical, hands-on learning as well as traditional classroom environments.

"As Minister of Labour one of my top priorities is the health and safety of Ontario workers," said Honourable Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Labour. "I applaud employers like Enbridge who take the health and safety training of their employees seriously. This centre will play a key role in giving trainees a realistic setting to learn about how to reduce workplace injuries and fatalities."

In keeping with Enbridge's long-standing commitment to sustainability, the Centre was designed to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold level designation. It's been designed to use 78% less natural gas, 68% less electricity, 50% less water and produce 50% less waste when compared to a facility of similar use built to building code standards.

"Enbridge Gas Distribution has delivered natural gas to the City of Markham for 56 years," said Frank Scarpitti, Mayor, City of Markham. "We're proud to continue our long-standing relationship with Enbridge by welcoming this new facility, which has sustainability in its roots, to our growing cluster of advanced training and R&D establishments. It's another example of how Markham continues to attract investment from Canada's leading organizations."

The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the end of the year-long construction project, which broke ground in July 2011. The eye-catching, 105,000 square foot facility is located in Markham, Ontario and now serves as a central hub for the training of hundreds of workers.

Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. has a more than 160-year history and is Canada's largest natural gas distribution company. It is owned by Enbridge Inc., a Canadian-based leader in energy transportation and distribution and one of the 2012 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations. Enbridge Inc. has been selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers for 2012 and is one of Canada's Top 100 Employers. Enbridge Gas Distribution and its affiliates distribute natural gas to more than 1.9 million customers in Ontario, Quebec, New York State and New Brunswick. For more information, visit www.enbridgegas.com.

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