Oct 162014
 

At the All Candidates meeting at the Bala Community Centre on September 22, 2014, Don Furniss said:

Did you know that Swift has now obtained all the permitting necessary required to start construction of cofferdams above and below the north dam. This project is moving forward.

Listen for yourself, by clicking on the triangle at the left end of the player below.

 
Don, your statement is simply not true.

For the proponent to begin construction, they require the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to provide Plans and Specifications approval under the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act. The MNRF can then issue a Work Permit, and then before any construction could begin the proponent requires a signed Lease to Construct, also from the MNRF.

However, in an e-mail dated October 15, 2014 Tracey Mill, the Deputy Minister of the MNRF stated:

MNRF regional engineering and district staff are currently reviewing the plans, specifications and supporting documentation that SREL submitted for LRIA approval. LRIA approval will not be granted until MNRF is satisfied that LRIA requirements are met.

and

As part of LRIA approvals, the proponent has submitted supporting information with respect to their planned public safety measures associated with the waterpower facility and operations. This information is currently being reviewed by MNRF regional engineering and district staff.

That is, the proponent does not yet have Plans and Specifications approval from the MNRF, so they also don’t have the required Lease to Construct. To build these cofferdams the proponent needs to access the Crown land. So Don, the proponent does not have “all the permitting necessary”.

Furthermore, to build the cofferdams the proponent would also require from the Township of Muskoka Lakes a Driveway Entrance permit from Bala Falls road to the Crown land beside Purk’s Place. The proponent does not have this approval either.

So Don, this is what you get for meeting directly with the proponent – misinformation and misunderstanding. You’re a stooge for the proponent, blindly repeating everything they tell you. As a result, you’re spreading their false information. You are acting for a developer. This is entirely inappropriate for a sitting Councillor and even more worrisome that you are a candidate for Mayor. This is a disservice to the public, and you should apologize.

  4 Responses to “Don Furniss is misleading the public and should apologize”

  1. Don Furniss is clearly in for some type of financial “gift” from Swift River Energy. There is no way anybody could behave in the pathetic and ignoramic way that he has without some great motivation behind him. What kind of moron does it take to say the things he has said. He’s insulted everybody that wants to protect the falls, Peggy Peterson, and The Chief and residents of Wahta.
    He’s been given opportunity to retract his statements and still won’t. He’s as crooked as a hook, I’m looking forward to the election being over so I no longer have to look at his picture.

  2. Don Furniss is a disgrace to the office of Councillor of the Township of Muskoka Lakes and must immediately resign his seat at the council table.
    He has spread fear of the destruction of Margaret Burgess Park amongst the residents of Bala in order to divide our community and thereby gain the office of Mayor.
    He has impugned the honesty and integrity of our magnificent mayor, again seeking to divide our community and thereby gain the office of Mayor for himself.
    He wrongfully taken credit for the accomplishments of our dedicated District Councillors to puff himself up.
    He has desecrated the kindness shown by the residents of Bala towards our latest hero Peggy Peterson.
    He has disrespected our friends and neighbours, the Wahta Mohawks with his ugly innuendo about “Caledonia north”.

  3. Excellent …I agree fully. Furniss has been sucked in and probably as a power grab for himself.

  4. Don has yet to apologize to me for his slanderous and misleading comments about me , I suggest he get on that right way before it is too late to retract….
    Peggy Peterson
    #themuskokalorax

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