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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1981-07-22, Page 4With**, .3 ► 22, 1901 'from pigs 1 cattlemen are presently on an -extended tour , and as a result the work load has been doubled for other family members.' "I have hay that, should be going in the barn right now. It's costing our family money be at this. Meeting tonight....I think you're asking an awful'lot. And it'a one thing . to come out for a Meeting; for two Or `three hours, it's another to go through a booklike this (indicating the evaluation report : of alternative systems for. the Southwestern region). That takes morethan two or three hours. Other farmers at' the meeting indicated theyi had similar problems. and; could not promise to be at all meetings. RegUert Explanation Bryan Howard of Listowel,; general man- ager of the Maitland .Valley Conservation ,,Authority,;.requested Hydro representatives to explain the delay in responding to, the letter from the Huron. Federation of Agri- culture. "Oh, they responded, but they promised there would be ample time for public input," McQuail said, adding that it appeared as though Hydro "sat on r,it" until being instructed by Energy Minister Robert Welch to, hold the matter in abeyance. "The report was to have been released: in -November 1980 -...Hydro was instructed by Welch in a letter sent on December 15 to hold the matter in abeyance until the govertunent:had reached a decision. Accord- ing to Hydro, they did not get, the letter until January 6." Dave; Abbott, a Hydro cpmmunications officer, said he sympathized' with the. farmers but the delay was "not the fault of Ontario Hyrdo alone". • , "We (Hydro) were is a position to present our report in November 1980," he said. Mr. Abbott said there were `several reasons why the Energy. Minister wanted the matter held in, abeyance. ' The. final'. report of the , Porter Com- mission (on Electrical Power Planning); was not released until March of 1980 and governmenthad not completed its review. And Mr, Welch indicated he 'wanted ' to ensure ample opportunity for , meaningful public involvement in the.hearings to. begin in January 1982. Therefore we were asked to submit our. report by November 1, 1981." :Mr. Abbott said Hydro "recognized the inconvenience" of summer •meetings, but wanted to include ' the input of working groups in its , recommendationfor one of six .proposed site plans. . With *or without the input of the Central Welting Group, he said, the report includ: ing the recommendation would be submitted to the government at the end of October. At the same time, Mr. Abbott said Hydro would be willing to meet with the Central Working Group "right up tuna! , the . hear - 1R ings Dr.. Pleva said that if harvest o• perations; ' were completed earlier than expected `and farmers wanted ; to "go into an accelerated program in September - prior to the writing of the report in October - for heaven sake let us . know. We 11 come out as often as -necessary. Who knows, we might make that deadline after, all." However farmers appeared, to hold out little hope for such involvement. Involvement Essential Elbert van Donkersgoed of. Drayton, spokesman for the Christian Farmers, said he felt public involvement is :the "essential" part of the program and present scheduling is "making a farce" of such involvement. "We just felt it would not' be worth our time to get involved in something that would. be . a job not ; 'half -well-done," Mr: van Donkersgoed said: He said it is unrealistic to expect meaningful public input in such an involved project in just six weeks. Noting that this is not Hydro's first try" at public involve- ment. Mr. vat Donkersgoed said public groups in Eastern Ontario had "fairly extensive" input in Hydro planning in that area. • "And that involvement was no three months - it took years., And ask hi the Guelph area. There was involvement there for years on :',a 230 kV line from Fergus to Guelph nowhere near as complicated as the 500 "kV line down from the Bruce...you simply can't do the job that needs to bedone in three months. A Hydro representative interjected to report that public groups in Eastern Ontario had not been given the opportunity to input at thereport stage, as is the case in the Southwestern expansion program. • Tony McQuail opined that farmers "are Hydro's respon.se. "It is unfortunate that the Listowel work- ing orking Group has decided not to work with On- tario Hydro prior to Hydro making a recom- mendation to the government. Their input in the past, has been, valuable . to Ontario Hydro's planning process." That was the response of Ontario Hydro to a decision taken by the Listowel. Working. Group last week, to postpone a series, of meetings with Hydro until harvest opera - ' tions have been completed: The Listowel 'Working Group is comprised mainly of representatives of farm organizations. In 'a statement, issued Tuesday morning, Ontario Hydro said, "The two-stage process adopted by Hydro for this study is the result of requests fromthe public to become in- volved in the very early stages of. Hydro's planning." "The two-stage study calls for the first public hearing (under the Consolidated Hearings Act) to begin in January 1982, This will allow the agricultural community to participate at its least busy time. However, to accommodate the hearing at that time re- quires that Ontario Hydro submit its en- vironmental report, including a recom nen- dation plan, by October 31, 1981. "The public involvement program throughout the summer and early fall is aimed at helping interested individuals and groups obtain details and provide comment prior to the selection of a preferred plan and before the formal process starts. "Wit the addition of the plan stage public involvement, the entire study process will take approximately three to four years to complete Conducting the public involve- ment process in only the fall and winter as the agricultural community has suggested would take too long. "Ontario Hydro is willing to'rneet with in- dividuals and groups until the hearing. begins and will keep the Listowel group up- to-date on the public involvement process." Object to designation... *from page 1 "Maitland 'Valley has held up this plan froth the very beginning and for no reason," he said. "I've' never seen the water levels they're talking about." He went on to say the Authority was jeapordizing the village's grants fin the Ministry ,a Housing because they were so delayed 'in providing the planning depart. ment with the technical data required. The Authority wants to do water levels on Inglis Street again because it has been reconstruct ed, said Joynt. That street was done three years ago and we're still waiting for the Authority to provide the technical data which was readily available from Burns Ross, he added: A copy of the secondary plan for the village of Lucknow is available at the municipal office to the public for their perusal. Lucknow council will be debating the approval of the plan within the next several weeks and making a decision about its approval: 88 getting a. little tired of the nice letters. "I hayed 'Until 11 p.m. last night" then' �up i tonight 1.httd to.huny..up with My chores and catch & ride with Bill (Jorgejan of the Power Line working committee) over to this meet- ing tonight.. I'mWelty my. hay's in the barn..I'm beginning to suspect that neither the Province nor Ontario Hydro really. cares - if they did they would have at leasleased this material: to ueeirlienso we Could have studied'. it prior to these Meetings. Mr. Jorgejan said his committee has also written 'to the Hydro chairman (Hugh Mac- aulay) to express concern at the delay of the • meetings. He then noted the public meet- ings far the route stage of programing "are.. also scheduled for the summer when farmers will be bust again. Mr. Abb replied the scheduling for those public meetings is for a more extended period - from July 1982 to November 1983. Question Need ' Prior to the . motion to postpone the meetings, farmers questioned the need for a second transmission. line out of the BNPD. When Mr. Abbott replied . that the Porter Commission had recommended a second line was necessary, Lloyd Moore of the, Concern- ed Farmers interjected. "Let's be honest 'about this thing," Mr. Moore said. "The Porter Commission orec ommended one 500 kV line out of Bruce in case of the loss of a line as a backup measure only. The Commission said present facilities are adequate for supply if the present lines are updated and 1 ':understand • that is 'being done. We should be talking about . one .500 kV out of Bruce and that's all." J. P. Bayne, supervising planning engin- eer wth Hydro's system planning division, replied the matter is :a '°complicated one. "If something were to happen, we could have another Northeastern blackout," Mr. • Bayne said..:` "We are interconnected with the Northeastern United States and after the blackout in 1965 we had an agreement to redesign our systems." Mr. Bayne also noted Hydro is planning facilities to take .care of need until the year 2000. The various Proposals for the expansion of transmission facilities out of the • BNPD include double circuit 600kV lines as well as single circuit lines and double and single circut 230 kV lines. '"One doesn't maker proposals unities there is a need," Mr. McQuail said. "t think Hydro is getting the cart before the horse." If we didn't think there was a need, we wouldn't be ere," Mr. Bayne .admitted. As farmers' continued, to, question the • need, Hydro representatives and Or, Pleva said the matter of need could' be dealt with in one of the subsequent meetings. "The year 2000 is far away .for ussitting here tonight," Mr. Moore commented. "Well, we need to: plan 20 years "ahead," Mr. Bayne replied, Mr. McQuail agreed with Mr, Moore. "I canmaybe plan for 'crop rotation for a seven-year period -,that's with all the facts. But how are we to know there will be a burning need for power in London in the year 2000?" Buying Coal In presenting details of the Southwestern region expansion program, Mr: Abbott said Hydro will be faced with a shortage of supply after 1987. The new facilities will not be in service until 1988. That delay of one year, he said, could cost the, people of Ontario ' P P up to' $250,000 per day in the purchaseof coal outside the province. In ,coming ' up with the six alternative. programs, Mr. Abbott said Hydro is accepting a "medium growth scenario - from three to 3.8' per cent growth on an annual) basis". The price tag for the six programs ranges from $550 million to $970 million. Following the public input stage, the issuing of an Environmental Assessment document and public hearings, one plan will be given formal approval by the: government in June 1982. . The program will then enter the route stage. Study for that stage is scheduled from. July 1982 to November 1983, to be followed b► the issuing df an Environment Assess- ment document in December 1983. Public hearings on the route stage willcommence in February 1984 with, formal route approval scheduled for July 1984. Land acquisition is scheduled from July 1984 to July 1987 and construction from July 1987 to July 1988 when the facilities are expected to be in service. Courtesy The WWgham Advance-27mes WINTER IS A GROWING SEASON rd After the geranl` ms have withered °and the bloom Is *off, the rose, there is' still an opportunity. to grow—yourself. We can .help ..you to cultivate Ideas and to grow In competence. For more 'than -half a century The University of Western Ontario has been assisting adults to do Just that, through one of the oldest and' most respected off .campus degree, programs in Canada. Western's offerings in CLINTON, GODERICH and KINCARDINE, starting In September are listed below. A booklet' containing full information on PartTlme Studies at Western can .be obtained: at the Clinton - Pubilc Library, the Huron County Public Library, or, .Kincardine Branch Library. If you have any questions, call 079-3632. Why Ili fallow this winter'? CENTRAL HURON SECONDARY SCHOOL - CLINTON 7:00 O.M. Socio) 140_ [Social Problems) Twee. Sept. 15 Social Work 001200 [intro to Social Welfare & Social Work] Wed.Sept. 16 Phsychology 1:00 [The Human Animal( Thur. Sept. . t.17 GODERICH DISTRICT COLLEGIATE'INSTITUTE-Goderich4:S0 p.m. Politics 020 [Introduction to Politicai Science( Mon. Supt. 14 KINCARDINE DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL'Kincardln 4:00/ot30 p.m. Music 397 (Special Tapia]. Mon. Sept. 14 Sociola y020 .introduction to.Soclologyj • Tues, Sept. 15 Psychology 150 (Human Adjustment j Wed. Sept. 10 FACULTY OF PART.TlME AND CONTINUING EDUCATION THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO