As Meaford council announced its pre-development agreement with TC Energy (TCE) for the proposed pumped storage project, the community continues to call for transparency.
The agreement – which will give the municipality up to $3.2 million over the next three years – includes four funding streams: a community support payment of $1 million annually funded by TC Energy; municipal capacity funding of up to $250,000 annually through provincial pre-development funding; scholarships totaling $25,000 annually funded by TC Energy; and a community investment fund matching up to $80,000 annually, also funded by TC Energy.
Six people attended Monday’s council meeting to voice concerns about the agreement not being made public and the project’s overall plan.
Once council began discussing the matter, Coun. Brandon Forder requested that the motion be amended to provide the public with the maximum possible transparency.
CAO Shawn Everitt then mentioned they could begin a freedom of information (FOI) process to get the agreement released in some form.
“It doesn’t happen very often, but one option that council has is [that] council could direct staff to go through an FOI process,” says Everitt. “We have that process undertaken, and then whatever the result of that is, be provided.”
Council then created a motion to begin the FOI process, but the discussion continued, during which multiple councillors noted that talks with TCE have been underway since 2019 and that the project remains in its infancy.
The Ontario Pumped Storage Project is a proposed 1,000-megawatt facility in Meaford, Ont., developed by TC Energy and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. The project functions as a massive natural battery, pumping water from Georgian Bay to an upper reservoir at night and releasing it through turbines to generate electricity during peak demand.
Coun. Eric Ennis expressed disappointment that citizens who spoke to council left before the issue was addressed on the agenda.
“First, I want to voice that I’m frustrated that so many people came in with such high emotions and then right as we are getting ready to discuss this in earnest, left the room,” says Ennis. “I find that very frustrating, especially from people that I consider friends that I’ve enjoyed being engaged in discussions with on this, I find that very irksome.”
He also sought to dispel misinformation surrounding the Pre-Development Agreement. This included addressing a speaker who accused Forder of voting for the agreement – when he actually voted against it – and the misconception that the municipality sought out the deal, noting instead that TCE initiated the process.
“For people to come in, accuse us of being unaware of the process and then accuse us of not being transparent when all of these things are documented in public knowledge to me is very frustrating,” says Ennis.
The motion to begin the FOI process was passed unanimously, and the original item passed in a 5-2 vote.