The Department of National Defence (DND) is currently conducting an impact assessment regarding the potential impacts of the proposed Ontario Pumped Storage Project by TC Energy on the grounds of the Army Training Centre – Central (formerly the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre) in Meaford, and they are accepting comment submissions until May 22.
“In 2016, Trans Canada (TC) Energy proposed the development of a 1,000-megawatt pumped storage hydroelectric facility on federal land at the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre (4 CDTC) in Meaford, Ontario. The proposed project footprint represents roughly 4% of the total area of 4 CDTC and 11% of the developable land. This land is not surplus to Defence requirements and is actively used by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF),” the DND notes on their web page on the Government of Canada’s website. “In July 2021, the then Minister of National Defence determined that TC Energy’s Ontario Pumped Storage (OPS) project could be considered for accommodation on land currently allocated to 4 CDTC. This consideration is subject to specific conditions, and pending feasibility studies and assessments related to the potential impacts of the TC Energy OPS project on CAF operations and departmental obligations.”
The DND says that if the project moves forward, it is expected to impact the existing infrastructure on the base.
“Should the OPS project proceed, the project is expected to affect existing CAF infrastructure at 4 CDTC, requiring relocation within the training area. While TC Energy continues its feasibility studies to assess the technical viability of the project, the Department of National Defence (DND) is independently advancing its own analysis to evaluate operational impacts, confirm feasibility from a Defence perspective, and inform a future ministerial determination on the project,” noted the DND.
In a media release issued on March 27, local advocacy group Save Georgian Bay suggested that the multiple studies hide the project’s true cost.
“While TC Energy continues to present the PSP as a single project with an estimated cost of $7+ billion, federal records show that the PSP-triggered infrastructure and environmental impacts are proceeding outside TC Energy’s own project description and cost estimates, effectively hiding the project’s true costs from the public,” said Save Georgian Bay in their media release. “As of March 24, 2026, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) announced that a separate, mandatory federal impact assessment under Section 82 of the Impact Assessment Act is now open for public comment regarding the Relocated Infrastructure Project at the Meaford Tank Range — a project that arises solely because of TC Energy’s PSP proposal. Although unveiled as a distinct project, the infrastructure relocation would not exist without the pumped storage megaproject. The new separate project raises serious concerns about who bears responsibility, how costs are disclosed, and how transparency is maintained.”
Contacted by The Independent for comment, TC Energy said that their project proposal is being assessed in compliance with the Impact Assessment Act.
“The Ontario Pumped Storage Project (Project) is being assessed in full compliance with the Impact Assessment Act, under a transparent, federally led process that is specifically designed to examine complex projects with multiple components. TC Energy officially commenced the Government of Canada’s Impact Assessment (IA) process on March 6, 2026. The Project is currently in the first of five phases of the IA process,” said Sara Beasley, Communications Lead, for TC Energy’s Ontario Pumped Storage Project. “Last week, the Department of National Defence (DND) initiated a separate federal regulatory process related to the Project, focused on the potential relocation of existing DND infrastructure at the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre in Meaford. DND has confirmed that if the Project proceeds, some infrastructure located at the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre in Meaford would require relocation. DND is currently seeking public input for consideration in the Environmental Effects Determination (EED) they will be making under S.82 of the Impact Assessment Act. The EED is one of the elements that will inform the future DND ministerial determination on whether the Project can be accommodated on Defence lands. To learn more, visit DND’s comment page. Any expenses related to the relocation of DND infrastructure, as a result of the Project, will be the responsibility of TC Energy.”
The DND has explained that the relocation of infrastructure is seen by IAAC as a separate project from the pumped storage project.
“It has been determined by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) that DND‘s Relocated Infrastructure Project is a separate project from the Ontario Pumped Storage Project. Therefore, DND’s Relocated Infrastructure Project will be assessed under the IAA independent of the Impact Assessment for the Ontario Pumped Storage Project that may be required by TCE. Since DND’s Relocated Infrastructure Project is proposed to take place on federal land administered by DND, it triggers the requirements under section 82 of the IAA where DND is one of the Federal Authorities who must determine if carrying out the project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects,” notes the IAAC web page dedicated to this separate project. “Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) will also make a determination on the DND Relocated Infrastructure Project because a Species at Risk Act permit and a Fisheries Act authorization may be required. The DND Relocated Infrastructure Project will only move forward if the proposed Ontario Pumped Storage Project is approved and moves forward.”
Written comments must be submitted by May 22, 2026, to:
Tonya Hughes, Team Lead
Mailing Address: 60 Moodie Drive
Nepean, ON K1A 0K2
E-mail: psp4cdtcconsultationspspci4div@forces.gc.ca
Only comments related to the DND Relocated Infrastructure Project (not the overall pumped storage project) should be directed to the identified contact.
More information can be found at the following links:
https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/90312
