Union Gas helps build future entrepreneurs

$3,000 grant to Junior Achievement of London & District for educational programs

LONDON, ON, Aug. 7, 2014 /CNW/ - Union Gas is helping to prepare young people in the London area to succeed in the global economy through the continued support of Junior Achievement of London and District, courtesy of a $3,000 grant awarded today.

Ian Ross, Union Gas district manager for London/Sarnia and Dave Craven, Union Gas director of distribution fieldwork services presented the cheque to Bev Robinson, president & ceo of Junior Achievement of London and District today at the organization's office in London.

Junior Achievement of London and District programs are delivered to elementary and secondary school children developing business and life skills through hands-on activities and open dialogue with volunteers from the business community.

"Education creates a legacy that benefits not only the person, but families and communities. Education is a powerful force that can change the world, Nelson Mandela once said," said Ross. "Educational programs such as Junior Achievement are inspiring our future entrepreneurs and leaders. Those programs kindle a flame that will burn for a lifetime."

"Junior Achievement of London and District reaches over 6,500 students each year.  We look to expand this reach as we firmly believe all students should have the opportunity to gain the valuable skills that JA programs provide.  Every student in our community deserves to experience the JA Advantage," said Robinson.  "We are very grateful to Union Gas for their dedication and financial support. Together, we are taking the lead to ensure our community builds a solid foundation for its youth and future business leaders."             

For more than 100 years, Union Gas has been privileged to work in more than 400 Ontario communities. Each year, the company supports the communities where its employees live and work through thousands of volunteer hours for local charitable and non-profit organizations, major charitable giving and sponsorships. Last year, Union Gas donated close to $3 million to community and charitable organizations in Ontario, including over $928,000 to United Way.  In addition, Union Gas employees, retirees, family and friends provided over 17,000 volunteer hours to help strengthen the communities where they live and work. For more information visit uniongas.com/community.

About Junior Achievement of London and District
Junior Achievement is dedicated to educating and inspiring youth to succeed in a global economy.  The JA experience helps young people discover leadership, financial literacy, entrepreneurial and workforce readiness skills so they can achieve their highest potential and future success.  For more information, visit www.jalondon.org; twitter.com/JA_London; facebook.com/JALondonAndDistrict.

About Union Gas
Union Gas Limited, a Spectra Energy (NYSE: SE) company, is a major Canadian natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario with 100 years of experience and service to customers, assets of over $6.4 billion and approximately 2,200 employees. The distribution business serves about 1.4 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in more than 400 communities across Ontario. Union Gas is one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2014. For more information, visit uniongas.com or find us on Twitter: twitter.com/uniongas, Facebook: facebook.com/uniongas and YouTube: youtube.com/user/uniongas.

SOURCE: Union Gas Limited

CONTACTS: Union Gas Limited, Andrea Stass, Manager, External Communications and Media Relations, Ph: 519 436-5490 or 1-800-571-8446 ext. 5005490, Cell: 519 365-1010, Fax: [phone], [email protected]; Junior Achievement, Bev Robinson, President and CEO, Ph: 519 439-4201 ext. 224, Cell: 519 878-6239, Fax: [phone], [email protected]