National Energy Board

www.neb-one.gc.ca

Common menu bar

• Français
• Home
• Contact Us
• Help
• Search
• canada.gc.ca

Breadcrumb

Video Stories - John Bulger - Transcript

My name is John Bulger. I served two terms as an NEB Board member between 1998 and 2008. I served first under Ken Vollman as Chair and then under Gaétan Caron. It was a pleasure working with them both; through good times and tough times too - it was a pleasure working with them both. Working at the NEB was the best job I ever had. Why? Well for two reasons that you can probably guess. First I had the privilege of working on important issues of national scope and secondly I enjoyed the people. With regard to the issues, I traveled to every province and territory in Canada except PEI, doing Board outreach, having meetings and of course, holding hearings in both official languages. The Board's main job in my view is to promote the construction and operation of energy infrastructure that Canadians need, subject to the highest standards of safety and environmental protection. Protect and enable as Ken Vollman used to say. And I'm proud to have been a part of doing that job and of the results that we achieved. When I think of the people I came across I think first of my colleagues on the Board some of whom provided videos for this series. Jean-Paul Théorêt, Rowland Harrison, Elizabeth Quarshie, my old friend from Gas Métro days Roland George, Judith Snyder, Strater Crowfoot and Kenneth Bateman, Deborah Emes and Carmen Dybwad. Working with these bright, interesting and opinionated colleagues in an atmosphere of collegiality and mutual respect was a wonderful experience. We were supported by an expert staff always ready with well considered advice yet fully respectful to the Board Member's role as an ultimate decision maker. And the public, the public, the farmers, the Aboriginals, the corporate types, the consultants, the experts, the lawyers, all passionate, articulate and committed to their point of view. It was a wonderful cast of characters. And you know, issues are important, they come and go, in fact some come and never go, but the greatest thing was the people. Seeing them interact, debate, get mad, compromise, refuse to compromise, seeing them make new friends and new enemies and binding our country together.

Thanks for the ride and bonne fête NEB.

Primary navigation (left column)

Date Modified:

2011-10-26