The proponent for the proposed hydro-electric generating station at the Bala falls is now showing that by ignoring their environmental commitments and by spending a lot of money, they can make a big mess.
But what they have not shown is how, or if, they could adequately warn and inform the public of the extreme dangers their proposed project would create.
The proponent does not have rights to land in locations where warning signs would need to be. And as shown by the graphic below, people participating in upstream in-water recreation such as renting a canoe at Purk’s Place, Scuba diving off Diver’s Point, or using the municipal docks on Bala Bay would be just seconds away from being drawn to the proposed intake trash-racks and drowned. More detail is here.
As noted here, hydro-electric generating stations too close to in-water recreation are deadly. Analysing the aftermath of such drownings shows; the station owner blames the victim, the owner’s lawyers pile on the chargeable hours and threaten the grieving family with these costs if legal action is pursued, and the owner’s insurance company wears down the grieving family with years of legal proceedings.
The mandate of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change includes protecting human life, but they refuse to do so. Instead the MOECC enabled this hazard by granting approvals and now attempt to free themselves of any responsibility by claiming that only the proponent has responsibility for public safety – even though it would be unprecedented to build such a dangerous facility in the middle of an extremely popular in-water recreational area. This would be like the government granting a Driver’s License to anyone that requests one, and if you are maimed by some idiot that can’t drive their car safely, then the government will stand back while you (or your estate) tries to sue the idiot.
The proponent apparently plans on using tourists and visitors as “crash test dummies”, to figure out on opening day if the public safety measures are workable in the real world.
What if it isn’t possible to operate this particular proposed project safely. Does the proponent, or whatever nameless/faceless corporation they hope to sell this mess to, expect to be protected by their lawyers and Darwinism – so those that do not display an abundance of caution won’t survive so are no threat.
The proponent refuses to disclose their safety plans or to acknowledge this issue publically, their parent company is apparently so ashamed and embarrassed about all this risk that months ago they took down their web site off-line to hide the names of those involved, and the owner has never even shown his face in Bala. Avoiding the public is no way to address public safety.
We don’t want to see Bala become the drowning capital of Muskoka due to tourists being deceived by inadequate public safety measures.