Save Georgian Bay is calling on residents to attend a public information meeting this Thursday, February 12, on TC Energy’s proposed pumped storage project near Meaford.
The meeting, hosted by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, will take place at 5 p.m. at Meaford Hall.
The Meaford-based volunteer group says a strong turnout is needed to show opposition to the multi-billion dollar project, noting more than 40,000 people have signed petitions against it.
The proposal would see a 375-acre reservoir built on the Department of Defence lands at the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre in Meaford.
Save Georgian Bay members say they are concerned about the short notice given for the meeting and fear it could be the only formal environmental review of the project.
Recent federal and provincial legislation aimed at fast-tracking major developments could limit further assessments.
“This is very short notice—barely a week,” says Save Georgian Bay director Tom Buck. “People all around Georgian Bay will be affected, and it feels like the public is being left out.”
Buck adds: “We’re very concerned that the current provincial government is advancing this project without the protections that we all deserve as residents of Ontario.”
The project was first announced in 2019 and has been supported by the provincial government. However, Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator has twice rejected the proposal, saying it does not make economic sense for ratepayers. Despite that, the province announced a decision last year to invest $285-million conduct environmental studies and prepare cost estimates.
Federal approval is required because the site is owned by the Department of National Defence. Opponents warn decades of live-fire military training have left the area contaminated with unexploded munitions and other hazards, and say construction could pose a risk to Georgian Bay, a key drinking water source for communities around the bay.
The Impact Assessment Agency says TC Energy had not yet filed its Initial Project Description as of February 5.
Save Georgian Bay is calling for more transparency and clearer opportunities for public input as the process moves forward.