Editor,
Why is Doug Ford’s Ontario government gifting $285 million of taxpayers’ money to TC Energy—a publicly traded company worth more than $67 billion—for pre-development work on a proposed pumped storage project in Meaford, Ontario?
This enormous sum could be used to build hundreds of much-needed homes in the Grey-Bruce area. Instead, it’s being handed over to help a corporation with a troubling environmental track record fund early-stage cost estimates and one-sided environmental assessments for a project that threatens the pristine waters of Georgian Bay and the environmentally protected Niagara Escarpment—an area designated as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has raised concerns about the project, noting it may not deliver sufficient value to Ontario’s electricity consumers. The IESO has also stated that the project’s costs are high and that more affordable and effective energy solutions are available.
Why is the federal government even considering supporting this project? Why would they give away public land—land once expropriated from private owners—to a company known for causing environmental harm in Canada, all while claiming to strengthen environmental protections under Bill S-5?
Ontario and Canadian taxpayers deserve answers. Our public funds and protected lands should not be used to subsidize private for-profit companies at the expense of the environment, taxpayers, and future generations.
Therese Defoy, Meaford
