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30 THE RURAL VOICE
NEWS
FARMERS UNDER POWER LINE WANT MORE
COMPENSATION FROM ONTARIO HYDRO
a special report by Glenn Creamer
After nearly a decade of research,
meetings, and hearings, the steel hydro
towers are rising like dots connecting
the Bruce Nuclear Power Development
with the city of London.
But the appearance of the tower is
only heightening concerns that already
exist: concern over the short and long-
term effects of living close to and work-
ing under the electro -magnetic fields
generated by the high voltage lines,
concern over how the landscape will be
permanently scarred by their presence,
and concern over how much farmers
should receive in compensation.
More than 400 properties are af-
fected by the line and many of the land-
owners arc not satisfied with the com-
pensation offers made by Ontario Hy-
dro. The utility is acquiring the land it
needs under the Expropriations Act.
Those who work the land realize
there is nothing they can do to stop the
project. They are now focusing their
attention on the compensation offers.
"They're trying to cheap -skate their
way through farm land. The people that
arc working for Hydro are getting well
paid and us farmers are working for
charity."
Gary Vanoenen runs a 700 -acre hog
operation in Ashfield Township. The
line cuts right through his land. He says
the offer made by Hydro is one-third of
what it should be.
"I feel that if we own the farm land
we should have a say in what we're
going to get for our property. If Hydro
is going to sell us poles or power, they
say you pay this amount or else you
won't get it."
Vanoenen is headed for an Ontario
Municipal Board hearing because he
says Hydro is willing to co-operate only
on Hydro's terms. The hog producer is
not alone. More than a dozen neigh-
bours feel the same way.
Gerald Dustow is one of them. He
says most of the dissatisfaction felt in
the farm community is a result of Hy-
dro's use of wide -based rather than
narrow -based towers, the appraisal of
land values, and something called "inju-
rious affection" — the compensation
factor for putting up with the power
corridor for the rest of their lives.
Shawn Drennan is another. The
Ashfield Township dairy farmer says
frustration among the landowners is
growing. The offers from Hydro are not
enough and while the landowners want
to negotiate a settlement Hydro sends
out representatives who have no negoti-
ating power.
"Basically I just keep putting the guy
off that comes to my gate and then when
he finally sends his boss, then we can
negotiate. It probably takes four or five
times for him to show up before I actu-
ally get somebody that comes out that
can do something."
Drennan adds that for the most part
representatives know very little about
farm ing.
Ken McGregor is the chairperson of
the Foodland Hydro Committee set up
three years ago to represent the land-
owners in the shadow of the Bruce to
London route and to argue against that
route.
Foodland Hydro lost. Now it's di-
recting its energies to the compensation
farmers receive. Of the 400 -plus prop-
erties affected directly by the line,
McGregor says, about 40 per cent have
accepted Hydro's offers. Fifty per cent
are still being negotiated, and 10 per
cent will end up at OMB hearings.
The Middlesex County farmer says
that the frustration of landowners is
growing, and McGregor himself is start-
ing to tire.
"Well ... how far back do we have to
go to when we first started working with
Hydro? Ten years maybe — when some
of us first got involved with the Food -
land Steering Committee, which re-
sulted in Foodland Hydro."
"Yes, you get tired. I mean Ontario
Hydro has changed personnel. They 're
working on their third set of people that
we've talked to ... We're still the same
old workhorses and yes we're tired,
sure, but we're not going to quit."
There are farmers in Ashfield and
Colborne townships who say they are
not going to quit either. They realize it's
going to be an uphill battle to get higher
compensation offers from Hydro, and