Restaurant Starting Food Truck to Serve Meals as Line 3 Workers Continue to Support Local Businesses and Communities

HARRY’S BAR IN HILL CITY IS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT COURT DECISIONS THAT COULD STOP THE PROJECT AFTER SEEING HOW LINE 3 WORK HAS IMMEDIATELY HELPED JUMPSTART THEIR BUSINESS AFTER TOUGH COVID-IMPACTED 2020

(HILL CITY, MINN) After surviving 2020 and the adverse economic impact COVID had on their business, the owners of Harry’s Bar in Hill City are not only seeing a dramatic increase in business from Line 3 construction workers, they are now launching a food truck. Harry’s Bar is a family owned and operated business that was founded in 1991 by Harry Hilton. Harry passed away a few years ago and the business is currently run by his children. Construction work on the Line 3 Replacement project started in December and now employs more than 3,000 workers.

“Last year was hard and an incredible challenge for our family and our business because of the pandemic and how it shut so many things down,” said Randy Ihle, Harry’s Bar Manager. “We counted on the construction of Line 3 to jumpstart our business in 2021. It has already done more than that. Line 3 and the people here to build it have helped us bring people back to work and given us a chance to grow our business by launching the food truck. As exciting as it is to see the positive change, we are also concerned this could reverse itself if court decisions stop the project.”

The Minnesota Court of Appeals is now being asked to consider a legal challenge that has the potential to delay or stop Line 3 construction work until other lawsuits challenging the project’s approval can be heard. The Line 3 project is the most reviewed pipeline project in Minnesota history and has been reviewed by state and federal agencies and regulators for almost six years. The process started in 2014 during the Obama-Biden Administration. Enbridge submitted their application for the replacement of Line 3 to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in 2015 as part of the company’s integrity and maintenance driven program.

Harry’s Bar said they have experienced good business since the beginning of Line 3 construction. With COVID-19 restrictions being semi-lifted, they expect to see an even larger increase by being able to open up their dining room. The idea for a mobile food truck was developed as an expanded way to serve pipeline workers who are coming to the bar and restaurant in the evening to order take-out meals for the following day.

“Seeing people buy meals for the next day challenged us to see if there was a way to make it possible to get them hot meals during the day, instead of having to get the food the day before,” Ihle said. “We put our heads together and felt that by bringing good hot food to where they were working would be an ideal situation for the construction workers. The idea we can go from barely making it through a tough year to now starting a new business endeavor shows how much Line 3 has really changed things for us.” The custom mobile food truck will open for business on January 12^th.

Workers on the project across the 14-county route are now doing the initial phase of construction. When Line 3 construction is fully operational, more than 4,000 union members will be working to replace the 340-mile Minnesota section. Enbridge will invest approximately $2.6 billion to fund work across 14 counties.

The Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Labovitz School of Business and Economics study estimated that that Line 3 will support 2,800 retail/hospitality sector jobs and 1,600 local supplier/manufacturer jobs. The study also shows indirect positive economic impacts will include more than $160 million in non-local worker spending on meals, lodging, and incidentals while working in the study area.

“We’re very much counting on the extra business from Line 3 to continue as this project moves forward,” Ihle said. “We’ve promised people their jobs are coming back and for those who’ve moved on, we will hire new people. In our community, local businesses are doing very well with the influx of new customers to the area. The town is humming. We are now watching to see what decisions the judges make and really hope they understand how much Line 3 means to the people who live and work here.

We can’t afford to wait any longer for Line 3

“It’s long overdue for those making decisions in this state to pause and look at the facts. We cannot afford another appeal. Too much time and taxpayer dollars have been used to repeatedly determine that Line 3 is necessary.

If we do not approve Line 3 and get started soon, the people of Minnesota will deserve an explanation about why the most studied pipeline project in our state’s history – that literally checks every box – was stalled at a time when our economy needs it so much.”

Rich Siegert, Rochester Post Bulletin

Minnesota needs Line 3 project

“Let’s get one thing clear: Minnesota needs Line 3.

Replacing Line 3 will bring thousands of jobs to our state at a time when we desperately need it. While our legislature stalls on a bonding bill and other forms of relief, how about Governor Walz and his administration making an easy decision to stop delaying a project that will bring thousands of jobs to northern Minnesota?”

Craig Gaasvig, Grand Forks Herald

Nearly six years to replace Line 3 is too long

“My family has farmed in Clearwater County for 85 years. As farmers, we take pride in our land and work hard to take care of the soil and water around us. We also take very seriously planning our farming operations, including rotating our crops and maintaining our equipment.

For 48 years, we’ve hosted six pipelines on our property and have always had a good relationship with the company. In 2014, we received a letter from Enbridge about the company’s intention to replace its Line 3 pipeline. Since that initial letter, we’ve worked with Enbridge on the easement for the replacement pipe and have considered our farming plans to accommodate construction.”

Brian Emmel, Bemidji Pioneer

Support Minnesotans by supporting Line 3

“In trying times like these, you would think local governments would try to work together to get things done. The fact of the matter is, they can’t — or they won’t. The gridlock in our state house is at an all-time high, and neither side seems willing to concede anything to the other. You would think they would care more about the people than these political chess matches; but for the most part, that’s not the case. Minnesota needs jobs more than ever — as well as the hope that things can get better. As we struggle with COVID19, the changes it has forced upon us have left too many of our businesses to drop like flies, with more people applying for unemployment every day.”

Dave Langfeld, Duluth News Tribune

Letters to the Editor Supporting Line 3:

We can’t afford to wait any longer for Line 3

Minnesota needs Line 3 project

Nearly six years to replace Line 3 is too long

Support Minnesotans by supporting Line 3

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