Languages commissioner says Energy East documents in English will spark complaints

OTTAWA – Canada’s official languages commissioner says he expects complaints galore because of the predominantly English-only documents TransCanada has given the National Energy Board on Energy East.

TransCanada (TSX:TRP) says it will translate the filing within the next month but Graham Fraser believes all Canadians should be able to understand the details of such a project.

And Fraser is predicting there will be backlash against the documents.

He made the comments in Ottawa today as he tabled his last report as official languages commissioner.

Earlier this week, TransCanada gave the National Energy Board 39,000 pages outlining details of the controversial pipeline project.

They were almost exclusively in English and some environmental groups have complained that francophones will have less time to study the proposal even if it is translated within a month.

Energy East is a 4,500-kilometre pipeline that would carry 1.1 million barrels of oil a day from Alberta and Saskatchewan through Quebec and into New Brunswick for overseas shipping.

The cost of the pipeline is estimated at $15.7 billion, which doesn’t count the existing pipeline assets that would be converted for use in Energy East.