Dear Editor,
I read Mr. Dave MacDougall’s thoughtful, factual letters (Jan. 18, Feb. 15). He debunks the same evidence-free arguments over and over. I wonder if he’s asking himself the same question that I’ve been asking myself?
Specifically?
How stupid do these Save Georgian Bay people think we all are?
I’ll illustrate my question with five examples drawn from the letters page of the Meaford Independent and Save Georgian Bay’s (SGB) own “material”.
First was the fellow who struggled to propel his motorboat into the cooling system of a functioning nuclear reactor. But the “current was so strong that I needed full engine power to make any headway against that current.” He believed – somehow – his attempt casts doubt on TCE’s input/output design for the pumped storage proposal. It – somehow – raised questions whether the design will work as modelled? TCE isn’t proposing a nuke plant or anything requiring cooling. Good luck getting your boat through those little holes in the ducts. Even fish won’t fit. Attend the free education and you’ll know that too.
Second, dams fail. The ones that fail are usually made of dirt. They dam a river. Often a big river. They’re subject to risk if it rains heavily. When you read Save Georgian Bay’s own list of examples (examples intended to terrify us all), it includes dams that failed 100 years ago! But every now and then a dam fails. Therefore, Meaford must oppose the TCE proposal. SGB’s dam expert says so. This despite the fact TCE doesn’t plan to dam anything. It’s an open-air reservoir. You can open the gates if it rains. Or tell it to stop filling up if you suspect it might rain. No river. No dam.
Third, Purdue Pharma addicted what seems like half of the USA to Oxycontin. Somehow this translates to Meaford must conclude that all “corporate claims, ads and ‘coffee chats’” are “misleading”. And Meaford can’t listen to, nor trust, what corporations say. And TCE is a corporation! Therefore, facts about TCE’s plans mustn’t be believed? Or maybe it was that approving the proposal and allowing TCE into Meaford will cause us all to become addicted to opioids. I really, really, lost the train of thought on that one.
Fourth, oil pipelines sometimes leak. Pipelines operate at very high pressure/temperature. Sometimes TC Energy has a pipeline that leaks! Meaford is told repeatedly to believe that this proves TCE cannot operate an open-air reservoir (no heat, open to air, atmospheric pressure) without a reservoir failure wiping out much of Meaford. More importantly, we’re told that if a Company owns an oil pipeline, they are somehow disqualified from building a reservoir full of Bay water. In the SGB Universe, that first thing leads directly to the second. No exceptions.
Lastly, SGB’s “Talking Points” say that “TC Energy lacks experience with pumped storage projects, this would be their first.” (Talking Points are the things organizations want you to remember. Even when they aren’t true or are designed specifically to mislead you). Save Georgian Bay expects us to think that due to “inexperience” TCE will probably hire 25 interns, hand them shovels, and say “Dig here”. Resulting in the gruesome death of much of Meaford. Further, we’re not to be deceived by TCE’s stated public plan to hire the best, most experienced designers, general contractors, safety, and construction specialists. SGB needs us to remember “inexperienced”. Only that. Remember, all “corporate claims, ads and ‘coffee chats’” should be assumed to be “misleading”.
Just how stupid do these people think we all are? To buy into any of that? And rest assured. That’s their “best” stuff! The rest makes less sense!
I’m tired of Meaford, including me, being treated like we’re all idiots by these people.
This would all be sad, local, comic relief if not for the fact the SGB cause based on imaginary victim-hood is spreading. Their fight to make climate change worse has opened new fronts.
Save Georgian Bay found an enabler to help spread their message. The Georgian Bay Association, an organization that appears to have no critical thinking capability nor access to scientists anymore, promoted SGB’s “material” without even token attempts to verify anything they were handed for publication. Once caught, and confronted, GBA pivoted to “presenting both sides of the story”. Their website now contains some facts – supplied by TC Energy. But unfortunately, GBA’s influence led to a third township – another township with councillors too lazy to question what they were asked to do – to act as unwitting dupes in the Save Georgian Bay sideshow. (Not ONE GBA director, councillor or mayor asked the question, “If the water goes from the Bay and back in less than 24 hours, how will it change the temperature of Georgian Bay again?” Is TCE putting in a nuke plant? Not ONE person?).
I would love to hear the Georgian Bay Association, and the Townships of Blue Mountains, The Archipelago, and Georgian Bay address Mr. MacDougall’s Jan. 18 concern:
“We have our own subset of these types of groups in the Georgian Bay region. They make broad negative assertions, apparently without looking into the positives of the Pumped Storage Project. The final designs, environmental assessments, and financial impacts have not been completed and yet they seem to “know” that the project is “a very bad financial deal for Ontario.” They can not possibly know that to be true.”
“They can not possibly know that to be true.” But…
Georgian Bay Association? Rupert Kindersley? Townships? Anything any of you would like to say? We’re listening.
I’ll keep my thoughts about Meaford Council’s failed attempt to establish a Community Pumped Storage Advisory Committee – showing a clear bias for Committee Members who are proud to tell us they have zero interest in hearing or learning from what TC Energy have to say – between myself and Meaford Council.
Bruce Mason, Meaford
