Bala Hydro Project - letter to the editor part 11

I sent a letter to the editor, it was not published, so I publish it myself...

It is with great chagrin that I read yet another stall to the Bala Hydro Falls Project. I am losing faith that our counsellors can continue to uphold the Official Plan of the District Municipality Of Muskoka Lakes, they continue to bend to lobby groups like the Moon River Ratepayers, or the Muskoka Landowners, who fight progress and environmentally friendly development.

The Strategic Vision in the official plan states that Muskoka will create “land use designations, and environmental and infrastructure policies to help ensure the long-term economic, social and environmental health of Muskoka.”  It is crucial, especially in the light of the talks in Copenhagen, that we show the region, the province, the nation, and the rest of the world, that Muskokans show respect for renewable energy sources, and thoughtful, carefully planned, environmental development of our region.

It is most disturbing that the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference has resulted in Canadians being targeted for exploiting our precious non renewable resources, while many locally seek to halt the development of the hydro dam to harness the power of the water. Come election time, I am one who will be remember who chose to stand up for the land and the water, and not for lobbyists, and non-residents, who protest this development and the wise use of our land.

There are only three seasons in Muskoka; bugs, snow, construction.

We are familiar with these barriers, and yet, Muskoka has managed to make it through all sorts of developments: new roads in Gravenhurst, bridge repairs in Port Carling, Port Carling demolition, road repaving on Highway #11,  and the multi-year plan of Streetscape development in Port Carling and Bala. I suspect that there will be some impact when construction begins in November, but the seasonal tourists have gone home.

Seasonal tourists, and residents, have learned to adapt to these situations. Traffic comes to a standstill during Bala's Cranberry Festival, yet the tourists all come to visit.
I feel that many are finding new and different objections to this project, none of which create a strong enough barrier to redoing to dam, and reducing our dependence upon non-renewable resources. The reports are in regarding the impact to the environment, the flora, fauna, and residents. It is time for those protesting to determine how to ensure that this development meets the town, and the municipalities Strategic Vision, while creating jobs, and providing an avenue for a renewable resources, like hydro.

Bala Falls walk on the wild side in winter.