Dear Editor,
Building trust and continuing to earn the support of Meaford community members is important to us. Through numerous community engagements, including weekly coffee chats at our office on Sykes Street, door-to-door discussions, and open houses, we have interacted with thousands of residents to share Project information, combat misinformation, and seek valuable feedback. Most importantly we have listened and have incorporated citizen feedback into the design of the Project.
As a tool for continued collaboration and dialogue on the Project, we respect and fully support Meaford’s interest in establishing a Pumped Storage Advisory Committee (Committee). We commend the Municipality for being proactive and taking action to initiate it. As a company, we have been part of many community committees over the years and have seen firsthand how diversity of opinion can shape better projects.
During Meaford Council’s February 12 meeting, we asked Council to support a process that would enable more community feedback and input on the proposed terms of reference for the Committee. To clarify, we want the Committee to move forward, and we want it to be valuable for the community and for Council. To achieve this, however, we believe more community engagement on the terms of reference would be valuable to ensure that the Committee is ultimately effective, representative and inclusive.
The Ontario Pumped Storage Project has the potential to operate for 100+ years, and we are still only at the very beginning of a long relationship with Meaford. We are encouraged by Meaford’s interest in a community committee and we support all efforts to maximize community dialogue and collaboration. The Ontario Pumped Storage Project has the potential to provide Meaford with lasting benefits for decades to come – let’s take the time now to develop this Committee right, and let’s take the time to do this together.
Sincerely,
John Mikkelsen, TC Energy
