TC Energy’s proposed hydro-electric pumped storage facility, which they hope to build on the grounds of our local military base, is a massive, multi-billion dollar project, the likes of which this, and most communities, have never seen.
If the project ultimately receives a green light after the five phase, three year IAAC (Impact Assessment Agency of Canada) impact assessment that is currently underway, there will be several years of construction that would see an influx of hundreds of workers into this municipality, which would bring overwhelming pressure to Meaford’s housing market. And the hundreds upon hundreds of massive trucks and heavy equipment that will bring congestion as well as additional wear and tear on our road infrastructure will add pressure to future municipal budgets.
As Deputy Mayor Shirley Keaveney noted during a special meeting held on Monday in order for council to receive the Meaford Community Readiness Study for the Ontario Pumped Storage Project prepared by consulting firm Deloitte, the economic benefits that could be realized from the project could be significant, but this municipality must prepare for the laundry list of not so welcome impacts that could overwhelm our social services, and create new infrastructure issues. Our current school, already overflowing, could not accommodate an influx of new students as those workers bring their families to Meaford; our local hospital could see increased numbers of visitors, and with already too few family physicians in town, and adding 800 to 900 new workers and some of their families virtually overnight certainly will not be helpful. The potential impacts should the project move forward will be many.
The reality is that Meaford is far from ready for the hydro-electric pumped storage facility proposed by TC Energy, but what community would be ready for such a mega-project? The harsh reality is that no community, particularly a small community like Meaford, can ever truly be ready for a project of this magnitude.
The study presented to council on Monday is long overdue. As Meaford’s CAO noted when introducing the study to council, it likely should have been undertaken three or four years ago, and he is right about that.
Since we first learned of the proposed project more than six years ago, there have been many that have expressed concerns. The list of concerns is wide-ranging, with some focused on environmental concerns, while others have fears of the 394-acre reservoir failing, flooding the homes below, and still others who worry about noise, or property values, species at risk, or a host of other concerns.
From the outset my primary concern has been how this small, rural community would be impacted by such a huge project, a mega-project that is unlike anything most of us have ever seen. The sheer size of the reservoir to be dug would require equipment and transport trucks in sizes and numbers that would be unlike any project this community has ever experienced.
How this municipality would handle many of the potential impacts should this massive project move forward has been my primary concern for the past six years. From housing, which is difficult enough to find as it is today, to infrastructure, a project of this size is bound to have a significant impact on a small, rural community.
As I wrote back in 2021:
“I do have concerns about how this small municipality would handle the enormous influx of both workers and heavy equipment. In short, I think it would be a multi-year nightmare. We have all seen the impact of a relatively minor amount of development in this municipality this summer. Large transport trucks and heavy equipment have been moving in and out of town, holding up traffic and causing frustration. Now imagine the volume of transport trucks and heavy equipment required to dig out a 394-acre reservoir and the construction of the facility’s infrastructure,” I wrote in a 2021 editorial.
Frankly, the impact on our roads might be a more minor concern when you consider the potential impacts on our school, our hospital, our fire department, and our police services, all of which, like this municipality, are not prepared for the realities of a massive project like this.
As the Deloitte study presented to council on Monday noted, “Meaford’s social and infrastructure systems were not designed to absorb a rapid, concentrated population increase. The arrival of 800-900 temporary construction workers is expected to create short-term pressure on local services, particularly housing, elementary education, and wastewater. Over the longer term, the project may contribute to gradual population growth and structural changes affecting municipal planning.”
While we might not be ready today, we have a few years to prepare and become more ready should the project ultimately be given the green light to move forward. So like it or not, this municipality must work toward being ready long before we know if the project will even become a reality.
I think it is crucial for this and the next council to ensure that current residents of this municipality don’t see a penny of their tax dollars pay for becoming more prepared for this mega-project. Any and all such costs must be recovered from TC Energy, or government funding. This is TC Energy’s project, not Meaford’s, and if TC Energy had never explored the potential for this pumped storage project, we would not need to be preparing for a mega-project, so we wouldn’t need to be paying consultants, we wouldn’t need to be planning to fund abnormal wear and tear on our infrastructure, and so on.
So we could end up putting a lot of time and effort to become more ready to be host to a mega-project only for it to never be approved, for it to never be built. But if the project is ultimately allowed to move forward, we will be thankful that this municipality took advantage of the three-year impact assessment period to work toward readiness.
As I have written a time or two over the past half dozen years, when it comes to this pumped storage proposal, we have a long, and bumpy road ahead. And whether the project is ultimately permitted to proceed or not, this municipality must be as ready as possible, so the next few years will be busy for this and the next term of council ,along with municipal staff, as community readiness will become more and more important.
