Enbridge (ENB.TO)(ENB) can trace its utility roots back to a dozen gas-powered street lamps in downtown Toronto, says Michele Harradence, president of gas distribution and storage for the Canadian pipeline giant.

A handful of these relics still stand outside the city’s famed St. Lawrence Market, she told a business luncheon audience earlier this week.

Today, Enbridge’s sprawling network of energy infrastructure criss-crosses Canada and the United States. The Calgary-headquartered company owns North America’s largest natural gas utility by volume, and the continent’s largest oil transportation system.

Chief executive officer Greg Ebel recently told investors that Enbridge is increasingly well-positioned “in front of…