The Lucknow Sentinel, 1998-03-25, Page 1VC L. S VVI.12
WEDN4ES,DA
by Bev Try,
"The announcement from Ontario
Hydro is unsettling: and demoralizing but
don't give up," John. Murphy, president of
' the Power Workers' Union told Ontario
Hydro workers Wednesday;
Murphy was '.at the Kincardine District.
.Secondary School gym
the day 'after Ontario
Hydro's board of direc-
torss decided to lay-up
Bruce Generating Station
A, affecting.1,300jobs."
He told the full -house
British Energy is still
interested, in a public/pri-
vate sector partnership
with.cintario Hydro
The decision to lay-up,
theBrace was original
Iy made •in August,:mhen
Hydro announced its
Nuclear Asset
Optimization..Plan (NA.UP), The plan is
to'improve operations at. 12 of Hydro's:.
newer nuclear plants, (Darlington.
Pickering 4 and Bruce B) by shifting.
trained, staff to those stations, and•laying
up -the older Pickering A and Bruce A
stations.
Murphy, who was in the areato ()is,
cuss a recent contract offeir to the PWU
from Hydro, opened; the first half of that
meeting to discuss Hydros decision
the union's recent. campaign to preserve
jobs at Bruce •A by seeking private. sector. ,
partners,for the station. •
Eighteeen, months ago, the union was
against privatization of the. nuclear
'here
int.
in
public
'
rtnstili
**,
Al
, rivate
c
plants. Murphy addressed that issue,
We'believe public ownership is better
than private owners, from, a ratepayers'
perspective, but if purchasing power
from the United. States is the. only other
option, then the public/private partner-
ship is -better. It will keep jobs to the
. contnunity, rather than
jobs in the U.S;'''
I{e said Wednesday's
'Financial Post said
British Energy wasstill.
interested in a public pri-
vate.partnership.; .
"Theonly way we.'re
going to get investment
in nuclear plants is
through is partnership•
It's: Clear the government •
is not going to,, force
Hydro tO do anything."
Murphy said 15 British.
Energy employees are in
a; Toronto office doing due dilivence on
Hydro's reactors.,.
"Within two or,. three weeks they will
be "making a recommendation to their,
board of directorsi'n: the United'
Kingdom," •Murphy said ,
Murphy added'a; Canadian company is
also interested in a joint venture, with
Hydro,
He said he couldn't say anymore, about
the Canadian company because it is' in
negotiations: at the preset time,
• "I am .absolutely convinced it (a joint,
venture). will happen it's worth; fighting
•: see 'Hydro' page 3
2$,.1998.
65° INCL ,)D • •
These students took adr arttage:'of the babyWtting course offered .
through :the local recreation department during Match break. Learning ail",
about babies in this:'seeason- are, from the •left, Cassandra Ulbh, Cora
Brown, Jim John' Kulk► Laura Gere and Cory Hatnilton.. (Helm photo),
e it Great in '98
Tom Downey,
Parade chairman.
As. everyone in Lucknow isaware, the •reunion is
fast approaching (less than 100 days).: An important.
part of the event is the parade, which will take place on
Saturday, July 4, at 11 am,
At the. present time, we have The.Five County Pipes:
and; gums the Old Elgin Band, and the Lucknow.
Public School band. We have, plans, for other bands but
they are Rot • confirmed-
- Since We have no definite theme for the parade, we
ask that you remember that it is "homecoming"•, and.
"school reunion" and it follows after Canada Days
The theme colorsfor the reunion are purple and
fushia so try.• and use these colors in your float,
We areplanning a parade cotnmittee meeting for
April 2, ;at the tourism office. Please attend if you can
help us. We need People; power for crowd control, and
Organizers, at our starting points.
For more informationcall me at 395-5190 or Jim
Finnigan at 52S-3104,
by Pat Halpin
A conference call with
Ontario Hydro board chair
Ron Osborne last Tuesday,
March 17, 'dashed Bruce 540 jobs at Bruce A•will'
County's` hope's of prevent- be transferred across the
ing.lay-up of Bruce genet- BNPD Site to generating
ating station A at, the station,B;Another 680
Bruce Nuclear Power jobs will move out of the
Develop -meat, near • county as transfers w the
Kincardine, ' Pickering site. Hydro said
"It's the worst news we that loss will he offset by
c.o'u l': d200 jobs
have got," at a new
said Bruce• training
County ""J''bs. , c e. n. t r e,
Warden transferred:` ;proposed
Harry for the
Thede. to,Station .13 1),N.PD,
about the b u t
telephone 680 ,transfers municipal
c a t 1 l.eaders.
between t0 say the
Osborneoverall.
and the job loss' is'
•
reeves of 'devastat-
the eight ing news .
municipalities closest to for the, area's economy.
the BNPD. That ,call was "There's'onlY so: ninny.
held behind closed doors ways you can say it's been
during a break in county a; bad news 'day," said
council's regularly-scied- . Huron Township, reeve
tiled meeting . ' . Murray. Thompson, chair
The Nuclear Asset of the Impact Advisory'
,,Optimization Plant Hydro, Corttinittee, •
'confirmed March 17. Hydro's decision to, lay
,leans threo reactors at up Bruce 'A and bring it
Bruce A' will be laid up back on line after `
beginning next month. Pickering went 'against
They'll be brought back on everything" Brtice County,
line in.2003, after four municipal and business,
', says warden
units, at Pickering' are •
refurbished and restored`to
service.
The decision means
leaders lobbied for in the
r• past•seven months,
I feel upset in the fact
that the Bruce community
have been' very :supportive
of Hydro, behind thein;
100 per cent, and it seems;
that f m=
stancesbecause we areothecircuones':
that are paying . the full
price of this reorganiza-
tion,' said Kincardine-.
Reeve Norm Annetts,
Annetts said`municipal-
ities should continue to •
work with Hydro to initm-
gate Tuesday's decision,
• but he declared its time for
Ontario Premier Mike"
Harris, to "get intothe ball
game.".
Kincardine'wants -to
taut, to Harris about polit'i-
cal .intervention and.
‘Hydro's obligations to the
comnniunity under the
Power Corporations Act,
''Economic diversifica-
tion aid packages. with sig
nificant financial compo-
nents, similar to the Elliot;
Lake package will' also be,
addressed." Annetts' said
ina prepared statement.;,
While. Kincardine has,
•mapped out its first step,
other niunicipal leaders
are calling for a'unitiecd
effort, to replace, jobs at
Bruce' ''hoseReus' effopsrts
'1r'age