Friday, July 18, 2025

Letters

Reader: How Soon We Forget

Editor, Is there no one around to remember Hurricane Hazel anymore? Here we are, about seventy years later, planning to build an entire apartment block on a flood plain. Although Meaford was not the hardest hit by Hazel, it was bad enough and there have been other events since with the potential to present a significant threat to life and...

Reader Shares Thoughts on Proposed Condo Development

Editor, The floodplain condominium development to be constructed directly behind the Meaford Library and alongside the Bighead River has been a hot topic in your newspaper. A recent letter to The Independent indicated that the original proposal was for a massive structure that would be almost 3 times larger than any other building in Meaford. It now appears that one...

Change in Nursing Home Attitude

Dear Editor, I used to be so set against nursing homes because what I saw was dreadful. However, the ministry seems to be more efficient and the homes are now better run. The "park em in the hall" mentality is gone and there is caring in the caring. Please let people know to check before you judge. Things have changed. Thank...

Batteries vs Pumped Storage

Dear Editor, After reading last week's paper I am really confused. Both letters to the editor espoused the value of batteries over pump storage, but they were incomplete: If batteries in cars blow up, why would a bigger battery not do so? Getting Lithium out of the ground is environmentally bad too. In fact I can think of every complaint used against...

Healthcare & Bridges

Dear Editor, I was just reading your excellent editorial about opening the bridges. They were closed because of people who did not understand their importance and reopened because it was the right thing to do. It occurs to me that you can say the same things about public health care. Politicians want to sell it out to American style private companies,...

The Elephant in the District

Editor, You can ask just about anybody who lives in Meaford what it is they appreciate most about it and the things everybody will agree on is the heritage character of Sykes Street, the adjacent streets, the Bighead Riverscape, and the Georgian Bay shoreline and harbour area. This was so important that the Council in 2014 passed a Heritage Conservation...

Popular this week

Reader Compares Pumped Storage to Battery Storage

Editor, If you want to get real comparative data about Grid storage options, do this web search. “Grid Storage Comparisons”. There is a lot of information available from well researched, reputable sources. Or, you could just read TMI letters from local "experts" with their “opinions”. The following is based on my research from many sources. Batteries. ( Li-Ion) Life expectancy/warranty 10-15 years Efficiency:...

Reader: When Tenacity is Unbecoming

Editor, I write in response to a letter you published on June 5, from Mr. Mikkelsen of TC Energy. He has been using your 'Opinion' section for the past 6 years to promote the virtues of TC Energy’s proposed Pumped Storage Project (PSP) to be built atop the Niagara Escarpment in Meaford. During this 6 year period, no “much needed” storage...

Reader Suggests Alternatives For Energy Storage

Editor, Another TCE letter? Yes! Until the evidence, greed and perhaps corruption is acknowledged by this corporation and their Archaic Pumped Storage Project is finally cancelled, Meaford and all of Ontarians had best keep up and keep exposing the shortfalls of this project! The recent completion of the Oneida 250MW Battery Storage Project by the Six Nations of the Grand River sums...

My Three Favourite Shops In Meaford

Editor, There are many vibrant shops in Meaford, and it’s hard to rank them. But I’ve chosen these three because I love the way they care for, and support our local community. Craig Gallery A big call out goes to Jonathan and Bridget for championing the arts. The Craig showcases a wide selection of thoughtful paintings and functional art at a variety...

Reader Offers Thoughts on Proposed Community Benefits Agreement Bylaw

Editor, I have read the complete website that documents everything that is known on this subject. Because I am sure that the June 16 meeting will not afford every citizen a chance to have their say, I ask for clarity on 4 additional points and I offer my general opinions. 1. Does council honestly believe that this bylaw is sufficient to...

Reader: Meaford is Making a Huge Mistake

Dear Editor, I had a few problems with your editorial (June 5, 2025). I see 75,000,000 reasons why discussing Meaford’s flawed Bylaw to specifically target TCE’s proposal is a bad idea…oh, I’m sorry. Excuse me. …Meaford’s proposed Bylaw to provide a framework for discussing all the future multi-billion-dollar proposals that come before Meaford Council. Because all those future multi-billion-dollar proposals require a framework...

Rural Roads and Residents Deserve Respect

Editor, Further to Ken Risk's letter (well said Ken) regarding a dangerous rural intersection, the proposed diversion of traffic on SD/RD 13E will compound another already dangerous situation. If traffic is diverted to SD/RD 13E it will be an invitation to disaster as the intersection of SD/RD 13 and municipal road 7 is hidden making it necessary to pull out extremely...

Save Georgian Bay: What Meaford Council Isn’t Talking About

Dear Editor, At the May 26 Meaford Council meeting, councillors received an update from the Pumped Storage Advisory Committee (PSAC) and debated a motion for independent water testing related to TC Energy’s proposed pumped storage project. For those who didn’t tune in, there were some critical—and troubling—takeaways. First, let’s be clear about PSAC’s role. This committee is not evaluating whether TC...

Frustrated by Speeders

Editor, May 20 going 80 km, the speed LIMIT, from Meaford to Owen Sound at Rockford a racer sped past us doing at least 90 km. When we arrived at the third light, lo and behold there he was. Passing him I wondered what was his point. May 21 outside Thornbury just when the 80 Speed limit (MAXIMUM) came up another...

TC Energy: International Political Climate Underscores Need For Ontario To Bolster Energy Security

Dear Editor, In January, the Ontario Government announced its investment of up to $285 million to advance pre-development work for the Ontario Pumped Storage Project, positioning it as a key initiative in their “all-of-the-above approach to energy affordability and energy security.” This investment signals the pivotal role that energy storage will play in ensuring Ontario has a resilient and secure...