Chain-link Fencing Happens

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Sep 062010
 

There has been a power station on the Mill Stream (also called Burgess Creek) in Bala since 1917. As you see in the photograph above, it is a simple structure. Recently, this power station has been operated by Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

Without any community consultation or incident, last year they decided to install a fence.

So as you see below, after almost a hundred years of peaceful operation, in just a few days, an ugly chain-link fence has been installed, complete with sharp wire tops.

This is one of the many concerns we have for the proposed power station at the Bala falls.

The simple natural beauty of the area could be completely ruined if some safety or insurance requirement resulted in a fence being required.

Not only has the proponent not provided any effort to show a correct rendering of the structure, we have no assurance of what fencing would be required, both on or around the structure, as well as along the north channel.

Excellent Articles Published in Muskoka Today

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Sep 062010
 

Tom Millar has written two excellent articles whcih have been published in the September 2, 2010 issue of Muskoka Today, read them here.

The first article notes that the Township of Muskoka Lakes paid for an 8-page lawyer’s opinion which appears to state that the Green Energy Act does reduce the Township’s ability to stop the proposed project to build a hydro-electric power station at the Bala falls.

  • However, this opinion does not apply to this project since the project requires land from the District Municipality of Muskoka, and the Green Energy Act does not provide any right of expropriation (as noted here).
  • But Tom Millar’s article goes further, and provides confirmation from the Director of the Environmental Assessment and Approvals Branch of Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment that being a waterpower project, it is separately regulated (a summary of the process is here).

So our misinformed politicians do seem to be mistakenly under the impression that they have no power to stop this proposed project.

But wait, there’s more…

Tom Millar’s second article notes that the Township council did not honour their committment (made in front of hundreds of people at the Town Hall meeting August 14, 2010) to make a statement that they do not support this proposed project. Instead, our politicians simply repeated what they already stated; that they want the province to decide what to do (by requesting that the project be elevated to requiring further study). Our elected politicians should be listening to their electorate and should represent their electorate’s views – and simply state that they do not support this proposed project.