MPP Oosterhoff Welcomes Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response to Oil and Gas Well Emergency Exercise in Wainfleet

October 7, 2025

Wainfleet – Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West, welcomed Steve Pinsonneault, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response, to Niagara West today, attending an oil and gas well emergency exercise in Wainfleet.

Funded as part of a province-wide investment of $3.8 million to support emergency management needs in local communities, the training exercise was designed to test inter-agency coordination and enhance preparedness to address threats posed by old and inactive oil and gas wells.

“In our plan to protect Ontario, the province has implemented several new measures to improve public safety, support first responders and strengthen emergency response capabilities,” said MPP Oosterhoff.

“Being safe, ready and prepared is critical to ensure communities can hit the ground running when an emergency hits,” said MPP Pinsonneault.

“This exercise is just one of the many ways our government has supported municipalities to proactively protect their communities. Through the Community Emergency Preparedness Grant, we have also provided the Township of Wainfleet with $50,000 to purchase equipment to support on-site emergency response efforts.”

In January this year the Ontario government invested over $16 million to support emergency management needs in local communities and enhance preparedness to address threats posed by legacy oil and gas wells.

In May the province introduced the Emergency Management Modernization Act to enhance public safety and disaster response measures. The first comprehensive update to Ontario’s emergency response plan in more than fifteen years, the proposed legislation will enable a more effective and coordinated approach to provincial and community emergency management. The proposed changes will prioritize community-led approaches that help municipalities develop emergency management programs that reflect their unique needs and capacities, including communities like Wainfleet.

Under the Legacy Oil and Gas Wells Action Plan launched in 2023, the province is investing over $26 million to identify and mitigate risks posed by legacy oil and gas infrastructure. This includes an additional $6 million to double the Abandoned Works Program which arranges for the plugging of high-risk oil and gas wells.