Stephen Vance, Staff
With the Department of National Defence’s recent extension of the commenting period deadline from March 31 to July 31, members of local advocacy group Save Georgian Bay have additional time to raise awareness in the community about the pumped storage facility proposed by TC Energy. On Saturday, March 2, they took their protest to the gates of Meaford’s Tank Range, where the proposed facility would be located.
Several dozen residents, many carrying placards warning against the proposed $3.3 billion pumped storage facility, gathered outside the gates of the military base. Though they did not block the road, Save Georgian Bay members did briefly speak to some passing motorists about the proposal.
In recent months, members of Save Georgian Bay have attended council meetings as well as three information sessions hosted by TC Energy in December and January. Their goal is to raise awareness for a proposed project that they feel will be detrimental to the health of Georgian Bay and the community at large.
Resident Robert Baranski told The Independent that he and other Save Georgian Bay members have many concerns.
“My primary concerns are, first of all, number one the total disregard for the people it’s going to affect, by the DND, who will only consider themselves, they’re not considering the environment, and they won’t consider us, they’ve stated that three times at the meetings,” Baranski explained. “The biggest concern I have is that this is going to ruin a pristine section of Georgian Bay, which I happen to be privileged enough to be on. It’s going to make the water turbid, it’s going to kill countless fish, and it’s going to be built on the escarpment, and it’s old, obsolete technology, that by the time it’s built, I bet you it will be replaced by something new.”
While there has been vocal opposition to the proposal, it does have its supporters, but Baranski is convinced that those who do not oppose the proposal do not have enough information.
“They support it because I believe there has not been sufficient information. I think they paint this thing as green and a carbon saviour, and it’s not, and I think if more information was out there I don’t believe those people would have that same idea.”
For resident Dr. Renato Alessandrini, the potential for environmental and health issues as a result of the proposed facility are primary concerns.
“I have primarily environmental and health concerns. First for the environment, the fish, and the quality of the water for drinking. It’s unknown once they stir up the soot and the clay and the colloids that bacteria and viruses can attach to and enter into our drinking water, and bathing water, and swimming water, it’s quite a concern,” Dr. Alessandrini told The Independent. “And the environment obviously, the destruction of Georgian Bay itself and the fish, and also the escarpment as we see it.”
For Dr. Alessandrini the negatives outweigh the positives.
“Not to mention, the use of the land that was expropriated from my wife’s family several decades ago. It doesn’t make any sense from a financial, environmental, or health concern, it’s only for profit. For me, the only positive about it is that there’s going to be a little bit more energy during the day, but it’s very inefficient, and the negatives far outweigh the positives,” Dr. Alessandrini suggested. “Don’t give up the blue for the green buck. You’re destroying the environment, and you might actually get health concerns for people and animals just for money. The way to develop an area for economic growth and population growth is not to sell it out just for a profit company, there are better ways, and I think that this is not the best way. It’s one way, but it’s not the best way, there’s too many negatives. If there were slightly less negatives, maybe I would consider it. If it was a closed system, not involving Georgian Bay, maybe I would support some of it.”
Dr. Alessandrini’s wife, also a physician, expressed concerns for the potential impact on the community with an influx of hundreds of workers into the municipality during the construction of the proposed facility.
TC Energy has been granted permission to undertake a feasibility study, and the temporary access agreement provided TC Energy with one year of access in order to complete its studies. The DND is conducting its own study, which will determine if the proposed facility could co-exist with activities at the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre, and as part of that process they are seeking input from the community.
According to TC Energy, the proposed hydroelectric pumped storage facility would “consume inexpensive off-peak power at night to pump water from Georgian Bay into a storage reservoir located at the top of the Niagara Escarpment on 4th CDTC property. The reservoir would be emptied back into Georgian Bay during peak usage periods, driving hydraulic turbines to generate electricity.”
TC Energy has stated that the proposed project would cost roughly $3 billion to build the facility.
A staff report is expected to be presented to council at their March 23 meeting, and that report will help frame the municipality’s own official comments on the proposal as part of this feasibility stage.
The initial commenting period has been extended to July 31. Those wanting to offer input or opinions about the proposal can send an e-mail with your feedback to Holly King, Section Head, Directorate Real Property Services, DND, at ThirdPartyAccess@forces.gc.ca.
More information can be found by visiting www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/campaigns/consultations-4th-division-hydroelectric-pumped-storage-meaford.html and www.tcenergy.com/operations/power/pumped-storage-project/.
