The proposed project to build a hydro-electric generating station at the Bala falls is a disgusting relic of the previous Liberal government’s failed energy policies, some reasons why are (click on the underlined links for more detail) …
- We have found that the only six donations Tony Zwig has made to the Ontario Liberal Party in the past 13 years were while he had three well-connected lobbyists hired to help him get the final environmental approval he desperately needed. These “donations” were made over a 14-month period ending in November 2012 and provided Zwig direct access to then-Premier Kathleen Wynne. Zwig received this approval exactly two months later. This is a classic example of a secret back-room deal, as Zwig got the approval he paid for.
- The proponent reneged on their commitment last month that they would show whether people in front of their own docks on the Moon River would be safe from the treacherously-turbulent water the proposed project would create.
- We met with Township of Muskoka Lakes Mayor Don Furniss and are disappointed he is blindly supporting the proponent’s dangerous proposed project, rather than ensuring the public is informed now whether it would continue to be safe to use the Township’s municipal docks.
- We have found that the proponent has recently hired three lobbyists to scare Premier Doug Ford, his Ministers, and his newly-hired government political staffers into believing the government could be successfully sued for $100M if the proposed Bala project was stopped. We have found that Zwig often initiates, threatens, and participates in lawsuits for intimidation – but then doesn’t actually do anything.
It takes clean government to make clean energy projects. But instead we have a private developer using well-paid lobbyists to threaten and intimidate the government. The proposed project in Bala is a stinking rotten left-over from the previous Liberal’s bad governance. If this dangerous proposed project isn’t stopped, Ontario taxpayers will be required to pay this private developer a $100M subsidy over the next 40 years. Bad projects such as this are why Ontario’s electricity rates are so high that they need to be subsidized by taxpayers.
We have found that the proponent continues to try keeping their back-room deals with the government secret as they now have a team of lawyers attempting to prevent the government from releasing documents to us which we have requested through the Freedom of Information process.
We are in a race against time with the proponent and we are working hard to help the government keep Doug Ford’s promise to Bala residents. We know that the proponent is working as fast as they can to to increase the costs for which they hope to be compensated. The new provincial government provides new opportunities for us, and we’ll have more information in upcoming e-Newsletters, but this fight is not over, and your help will be needed in the coming weeks.