Letters

Dear Editor, About a year ago I made a presentation to Meaford Council about the government plan to further privatize our health services. The hospital in Minden had been closed a few months before and I asked the question, “ Which small rural hospital will be closed next with no community consultation?” Well, we have our answer, Durham hospital has,...

Editor, The Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) claims the Municipality of Meaford to be part of its territory from the signing of Treaty 45 1/2 in 1836 by its ancestral combination of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation and Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation. In fact only the area of the former Sydenham township is within Treaty 45 1/2. The history...

Dear Editor, It is time to re-purpose the use of the land currently occupied by 4th Canadian Division Training Centre. With release of the Federal government 2024 budget, there is a way to do this. Here is an excerpt from the section on handling the housing crisis. (Link to the 2024 budget site) https://www.budget.canada.ca/2024/report-rapport/chap1-en.html#s1-1 Building Homes on National Defence Lands “National Defence owns 622 properties...

Editor, The new capital gains tax introduced by the PM and his merry Liberal band in their recent budget is estimated to raise over $9 billion over the next five years. What they have failed to recognize is that this could drive many entrepreneurs from Canada, especially software and AI companies, who seek more advantageous capital gains taxes elsewhere. It is entirely...

Dear Editor; Good for Owen Sound Council! Clair Balfour’s April 18th letter asks why Owen Sound Council voted to support the Pumped Storage proposal when four other Councils opposed the proposal? I can clarify that. I’ll warn you. It’s pretty ugly. Councils who considered facts and performed due diligence have conditionally supported the proposal. Subject to key criteria being met. When the required...

Editor, I’m unsure where Mr. Carr gets all of his numbers but some, many, are dubious to me. The assumption that EV owners will charge their cars to 100% every day is bogus. Even gas vehicle owners do not fill up every day. EV owners with no home plugin would not go to a public charger every day either. The assumption...

Dear Editor, Firstly, kudos to the Meaford Independent for being our best local advocate and political watchdog, thank you! There has been much controversy about the pumped storage contract, and as much as I've read about it I still have several crucial unanswered questions which go to the heart of the viability of the project. 1. Who's paying for this project? As...

Dear Editor, With all the pros and cons of the proposed pumped-storage project buzzing around, I'd like somebody to answer this question: "Where are workers and their families going to live?" From Wasaga Beach in the east, to Owen Sound in the west, and to nearby points to the south of Meaford, including Meaford, there is a shortage -- perhaps non-existence --...

Dear Editor, During Owen Sound's March 25 Council meeting, Councillor Jon Farmer asked why staff were recommending a sudden vote of support for TC Energy's pumped storage project in Meaford, which had been the subject of stormy debate for at least four years. "I don't understand the rush," he said. It is all too clear why the company was putting pressure...

Editor, I am writing on behalf of Enbridge Gas in response to the letter to the editor published on April 5, 2024, titled “Thoughts About Bill 165” written by Melissa Tervit of Meaford. While we appreciate the author’s perspective, we would like to provide some additional information on the Ontario Energy Board's (OEB) rebasing decision and its impact on Enbridge...