Bala Falls - errors and lies Part 10

The issue just does not seem to be able to go away. Much has been written about the Bala Falls Hydro Project. Many exhibit the NIMBY syndrome, despite the fact that many communities are vying for such in their local falls.

What appalls me is the newspapers are printing letters-to-the-editor that provide not only false information but misinformation despite info to the contrary. Jeff Mole, whose group arose from the Moon River Ratepayers Association, was a splinter group of the Savethebalafalls.com lobby group. The latter wanted NO development at all, the former keeps writing letters, which are published the local papers, presenting falsehoods.

Many of us received a long e-letter from Jeff Mole. In it he told us he has "recently accepted a position on the executive committee of Save the Bala Falls" and the Bala Falls Community Association is now defunct.

I am not sure how he claims to have been speaking on behalf of all Bala residents. Nor why the Moon River Association has such clout. He says, "On another note, it is my pleasure to announce that the office of the Minister of Natural Resources has confirmed that Minister Donna Cansfield has accepted my invitation to visit Bala on Friday October 2^nd, 2009. "

What concerns me is that he has access, as a lobbist, to the ADM at the Ministry, while I, as a taxpayer, have no input rebuking his claims. He is a self-appointed crusader who purports to speak for the town, but he has no authority, nor a mandate as he contacts duly elected officials.

Back in the good old days journalists checked sources and printed news. Now, readers are providing information, and making bizarre comments, and entertaining plans that are impossible. In fact, Mr. Mole has gone to District Council and further muddied the waters.

A friend wrote:
He was chastised for his misrepresentation of the facts regarding a meeting he had with Rosalyn Lawrence the Asst. Dep. Minister MNR, as reported to the Muskoka Today article of July 23rd. I hope in all instances of representation by Jeff, he does not purport to be speaking on behalf of MRPOA.

More information from the District meeting.

Trevor Griffin, Mgr. MNR spoke at length publicly correcting Jeff (by name) at the meeting. Trevor also stated;

• The south falls is not on the table
• The only way the south falls can be considered is if the proponent feels it is a suitable site to build;
• No other group or individuals are under consideration by the MNR other than Swift River;
• The MNR is not considering "pulling the plug on this project"
• His final comment addressed Alice's presentation requesting District write to MNR and have .7 Hectors of N falls area declared a conservation park. He stated the Bala area does not meet the ministry's criteria.

Mr. Mole has written in response to an article.

Dam will not ruin tourism in Bala

July 22, 2009

At risk of being lynched or labelled as someone who doesn’t care about the fate of the Moon River, there really is a point of view that runs contrary...

There are a few of us here in Bala who do not believe the plant will 'ruin' Bala Falls. We need to stay out of the falls, its time has come as it is dangerous. (For all of the responses, see below.)

What now appears in the public domain is a letter on behalf of the ADM, Natural Resource Management Division, is clearing up what has been misprinted.
Letter is as follows:

Dear Mr. Mole, I was disappointed to read the July 23, 2009 article in the Muskoka Today in which a number of points we discussed in our meeting of July 15th have unfortunately been mischaracterized or represented out of context. I thought, therefore, it would be beneficial to take this opportunity to clarify the nature and substance of our conversation. First, let me reiterate what I did commit to in the briefing – that is, to follow up with the project proponents to get their comments and perspectives on several of the issues you raised, in particular the alternative options you have presented. As a matter of courtesy, I am copying Mr. Ian Baines on this email to ensure that he is aware of the scope of my commitment as I am advised the Muskoka Today article has created much concern for the proponents which I would like to assuage. I will be making arrangements to speak to Mr. Baines this week. Second, the point I made about the current site release policy is not that it was “premature” but, rather, that it was designed to support renewable energy projects under a paradigm that existed prior to the province’s Green Energy Act and that staff at MNR were aware of the need to develop options to redesign the process to support the new renewable energy policy environment. In fact, this is currently underway. Third, I agreed with your observation that the Green Energy Act was clear in its support of community involvement in renewable energy projects and we will be very cognisant of that thrust in our redesign efforts.

Thank you.
David Au (on behalf of Rosalyn Lawrence)
Rosalyn Lawrence Assistant Deputy Minister, Natural Resource Management Division Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More references...

MNR blasts ‘Today’ article on Bala Falls

September 3, 2009 - by Karen Longwell

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is not “pulling the plug” on the Bala Falls hydroelectric project, despite reports to the contrary.

The True Cost of Electricity

Bala doesn’t need hydro station

August 5, 2009

A recent letter to the paper was headlined “Dam will not ruin tourism in Bala.” A more accurate headline would be “Hydro generating plant may ruin...

Tourists won’t travel to Bala to see hydroelectric station July 29, 2009 I am writing this letter in response to Mr. Webb’s claim that the “Dam will not ruin tourism in Bala.” While I appreciate that everyone has the right...

2008: The Year in Review, Bracebridge January - 02 A proposed ban on smoking in cars with children is receiving support in the Muskoka region. Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP...

Residents resist hydro plans

August 20, 2008 - by Karen Longwell

New plans for a hydro project in Bala were met with harsh criticism from some residents at a public meeting last week. “I am disgusted with the artist...

Bala Falls Videos

Bala Falls is a place to visit, but stay away from the water. You can see the power and speed of the water.
Below are some videos I have taken of the powerful falls.
I wrote a poem about the recent drownings on the Moon River. Such tragic events.


Last October


And in the winter, January, 2008.

So shocking: Bala Falls drowning 2009

Here we are swimming at Bala Falls in 1995. Now, we know it isn't a safe place to swim.

These are now signs of the times.
"Danger - fast water", as well as memorials to a man who died on the train track - drunk, passed out, he didn't hear the train coming.

I am dreading more sirens. Uh oh, I hear them. It is noon and off they go.

Families having a nice picnic at Bala Falls - who now have grief and mourning with which to cope.

The 44-year old father of the 9-year old girl drowned. His brother is on life support in hospital after being revived.


CTV News has more information. Update: Aug. 7, last night the uncle of the child rescued passed away.

The water is rushing furiously, although the dam had been closed to permit OPP Rescue to retrieve the bodies of those who drowned downstream on Sunday.

Tourists sit and watch the rescue attempts

Volunteers control traffic.
One is the wife of a volunteer firefighter

Bala Falls - stay clear stay safe

Bala Falls changes with the seasons. This season, it is swift moving.
July 29, 2009

October

November

December


YouTube - Water Safety - Stay Clear Stay Safe

Ontario Power Generation: LEARNING ZONEThe Kid's Guide to Staying Clear and Staying Safe. OPG has produced an interactive booklet warning children of the dangers around dams.
For more information about safety around hydroelectric dams and stations, to obtain a free video, or free interactive CD-ROM for children, visit www.opg.com

Click on the poster images for OPGs downloadable water safety posters.




Bala Falls: October, 2008

Bala Falls- A Guest Post part 9

Much has been written and published about the Bala Falls Hydro Project. Since one side (those bitterly opposed to it) has had more coverage, and more money invested in it, than the other side, I thought I would post the full text of this letter-to-the-editor.

A different point of view.

By Mike Webb, resident on the Moon River, Bala Muskoka.

At risk of being lynched or labelled as someone who doesn’t care about the fate of the Moon River, there really is a point of view that runs contrary to the current popular position within the Bala community. Those of us that do have a more temperate or eco-friendly stance on whether or not there should be some hydro power utilization from the dam structures in town are probably in the minority, but we do have an opinion never-the-less. I care about the health of my Moon River very much as my home is closer to it than probably any one else and for a few weeks in spring every year I live “over the Moon”.

To address the “natural beauty” of the Bala Falls proponents, who would prefer hydro generation further down the river system and not in our backyard, I offer to take you downstream to Sandy Gray rapids or Flat Rock falls to see some real “natural beauty” on our river. Do not read in any way that I am diminishing the beauty of the north or south falls in town from this as that is not the intent. They do have a large man-made content, however.
The Muskoka Heritage Foundation/Muskoka Watershed Council supports the use of existing man-made dam structures for power generation rather than new construction on any natural rapids or falls in Muskoka. I happen to agree with them.

The Bala falls were a “natural falls” until about 1875 when dams were constructed to moderate water levels on Lake Muskoka for navigation. The river also benefited as spring time levels on the Moon varied up to sixteen feet before construction. Can any of us imagine the impact of a sixteen foot rise in water level now? My home would certainly be wiped out along with Park Road, River Street, Trafalgar Bay Road and how many more landmarks? There is a huge outcry now when the level is up four to six feet during the annual spring freshet. Wow! 16 feet!

Subsequent to navigation considerations this dependable head of water on Lake Muskoka was harnessed for electrical energy. First the Mill Stream then the north falls had generator facilities built. I grew up with the concrete pillbox generator facility adjacent to the falls, as did my father and my grandmother and indeed all of us who vacationed here for many of the last 90 years. Its presence until 1972 did not seem to dampen tourism or swimming or fishing as is being touted now. Old pictures will bear this out.
Hindsight would dictate that if the old plant had been repaired and modernized in 1972 this whole “save the falls” issue would be a non-issue.

Interesting, that the Bala Electric Light and Power Company, the builder and owner of these two facilities, was a private “for profit” company before being turned over to provincial authority in 1929. This point is mentioned to address the fact that we are a free enterprise country and either Ontario Hydro (OPG) or a private company could be selected to construct such a facility and hopefully do it for a profitable bottom line. I think I trust private enterprise over OPG (read taxpayer) in this matter!

Indeed the Mill Stream plant, originally built by Thomas Burgess, was refurbished and re-commissioned not that long ago by a private company to sell power to the grid to pay for their investment. I can recall town meetings on that project as well with noise, boat launch issues, construction, fish habitat, profiting from our water, etc, etc being the rhetoric of those meetings as well. That issue today is another non-issue.

Other public outcries in Bala I can recall are the water and sewer line modernization including the outflow pipe which dumps treated town sewage into the middle of our river. If ever there was a stage for a Moon River protest, it was that!
What with the town being torn up for months and traffic jams and dust and blasting, we and the businesses in town got through it and as a result of that public works project going ahead, now have cleaner water to swim and fish in because less untreated sewage flows into the river. An issue of concern back then but certainly a non-issue now.

To sum up my thoughts on whether or not I “support” or “advocate” a new electricity producing plant at the Bala falls might seem ambivalent.

Ideally I would like the status quo to prevail and not have any change to the area in question. However, I also recognize the need for all of us to do small steps to reverse the impact of non-renewable production of power. Coal fired electricity production must end and it is difficult for us to send a message to neighbours in the Ohio valley where there are new facilities being built to do just that, when we are objecting to a small scale step back in time to have a small footprint, renewable resource facility here in Bala. If you have not seen Al Gore’s,
An Inconvenient Truth. I urge you to see it.

From meetings I have attended, Swift River Energy Limited have addressed objections and dealt with questions in a very professional fashion and I feel very comfortable with their proposal and honesty. If this project goes ahead it will not be the end of tourism for Bala or the Moon River and in fact there probably would be lots of benefits we would look back on and say, well that was kind of a non-issue wasn’t it.