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Home My WebLink AboutTimes-Advocate, 1983-11-02, Page 9PP disputes Hydro facts and figures Times -Advocate, November 2, 1983 Pogo 9 Riddell .replies to Ontario Hydro Chairman's letter Dear Bill: Ontario Hydro Chairman, Milan Nastich's letter to the editor in response to my weekly article of September 28, is an excellent example of the way Hydro has misused numbers and information to justify poor corporate planning. If the Crown Corporation is doing as good a job as Mr. Nastich says, why is there the tremendous public outcry about its excessive borrow- ing, grandiose over -building, land increasing dependency on nuclear power? Let me shed some additonal light on the points raised by Mr. Nastich. ! • While electricity from the ' four reactors at the Pickering "A" nuclear generating sta- tion costs only 1.7t per kilowatt hour (Kwh), elec- tricity from the newly - constructed reactors at Pickering B and Bruce "B" will cost 5.5t per Kwh. Elec- tricity from the Darlington nuclear station will ..ost even more, reflecting the rising cost of constructing nuclear stations and the enormous cost of the debt incurred in constructing nuclear stations. In the meanwhile, coal plants which are much less expen- sive to build are experiencing a stabilization of coal prices al": main factor in the price of coal-fired electricity). • The $800 million savings by the Pickering station over coal plants is simply wrong. Ontario Hydro has not saved 8800 million by running Pickering as opposed to a coal plant. All operating expenses must be taken into account - including the cost of borrow- ing, the cost of repairs and the millions of dollars required for eventual plant decommis- sioning and nuclear waste disposal. The costs. alone of retubing reactors 1 and 2 at Pickering to replace the defective zirco ogy-2 pressure tubes will cost an additional 8800 million - wiping out any imagined sayings Nastich may have been talking about. • Both the Hearn and Keith stations had at (east a decade more generating life in each of them. But they weren't the only plants mothballed. The brand new Wesleyville station near Port Hope was mothball- ed before it was ever com- MAD HATTERS - Zurich Public School had almost 100 percent participation for their hat contest. Winners were (back left) Donny Weigand, principal Don O'Brien, Angela Fisher, Mark Watson, Joy Kuepfer, teacher Doreen Oesch, Kim Lovie and (front) Amy Elliot, Paula Watson, Jason Erb, Mark Stuart and Jason Lovie. $ PER SPECIAL WHOLE WHEAT, CRACKED WHEAT OR WHITE ZEHRSBREAENRIDCHED 675 g LOAVES FOR ( 1 SUPER SPECIAL FINE QUALITY KRAFT MIRACLE WHIP ONE LITRE SIZE 1119 SUPER SPECIAL ASSORTED VARIETIES DUNCAN HINES CAKE MIXES 520 g 9PKG.LIMIT 6 PER CUSTOMER PKG. SUPER SPECIAL ORANGE, GREEN OR GOLD WHITE SWAN PRINT TOWELS 2 ROLL 89' PKG. pleted. Two 300 -megawatt units of the Lakeview plant will be mothballed April, 1984. Atikokan which is still under construction is being con- sidered for mothballing as soon as it is completed. At total of 3,000 megawatts (almost the capacity of Darl- ington) generating capacity has been mothballed by On- tario Hydro, according to its own official records. • Hydro's rate increase for 1984 is 54 percent higher than the rate of inflation, current- ly running at 5 percent. On- tario Hydro ignored a recom- mendation by the Ontario Energy Board to keep its rate increase to 6.4 percent, rais- ing it i-istead to 7.8 percent. The reason Ontario has one of the lowest electricity rates in North America is because it has been able to rely upon cheap hydro -electric power for so long. But as it slowly moves to nuclear power the rates will sky -rocket, especially as the new plants are completed and the costs added to the rate basis. • A review of Ontario Hydro's 1982 Annual Report shows the company's total SUPER SPECIAL aooP..�EwE,� NABISCO SHREDDIES LARGE 800 g PKG. SUPER SPECIAL EXTRA SMOOTH EXTRA CRUNCHY YORK BRAND PEANUT BUTTER 149 500 g 750 mL DIET PEPSI. MOUNTAIN DEW PEPSI FREE. PEPSI - FREE SUGAR FREE OR REG. PEPSI COLA 9PHOTOa 41/mmiffiiimillIIIIIIIRNIIIIIN tit pRicE -FINISHINGEP PRAM 0 Kt PAPER 40 SsCi'�'' RED ONLY 54 100 mL TUBE CLOSE-UP TOOTHPASTE a BEEF, CHICKEN. TURKEY. SWISS STEAK OR SALIBURY STEAK 11 o:. FROZEN24 SWANSON DINNERS' EA • 12 EXE 1tit. us C'IA4 2A9 1K tom' to Spec* 3.24 eem SAS It, weever tip tir st•fcl�Ll SA C4f;00CM141,SIZES 1,atwo :saDisc tam* al.tlEr iltAtYOGURT MOWER moms Y1SO�iY NOV. 15/83 fad �► ASSORTED FLAVOURS GAY LEA SWISS STYLE 2 175 g 891 ASSORTED VARIETIES IP` VOORTMAN COOKIES :2/1.69 POWDERED COMET CLEANSER 400,69# LIQUID JOY DETERGENT 500m11.19 LIQUID MR. CLEAN CLEANER 15L149 3 VARIETIES ALLANS CANDY TWIRLS 2(xlq 69' BLANCHED PLANTERS PEANUTS ,5.q2.99 PLANTERS DRY ROASTED PEANUTS 2.59 =s AYLMER CUT GREEN OR WA[ OF ANT. CHOICE CREAM STrE( CORN CHOICE PEAS AND CARROTS 14 of 510 IN DIETRICHS SCONE ROLLS OF 12 115 WITH PORK OR VEGETARIAN VAN CAMP BEANS I ),,Ir 790 NEW ORLEANS OR DARK RED - STOKELYS KIDNEY BEANS 19 o2 79,75O 2 VARIETIES McCAINS DRINKS mL 1 .19 QUICK STYLE NABISCO CREAM OF WHEAT .c.1.49 NABISCO SHREDDED WHEAT 450 9 1.49 NESCAFE YIYA DECAFF. COFFEE R o1 f FINE QUALITY DEJEAN SMALL SHRIMP 4 oz _ 319 3,VARIETIES SEASONED CLUBHOUSE MIXES SI/f S 5 S9 PKG. OF 30's CONFIDETS MAXI MAXI PADS 30 s 339OF + EXTRA 'C' OR + IRON FLINTSTONE VITAMINS (, s 399, UTILITY 40-60-100 WATT PHILIPS LIGHT BULBS PKG 119 4 COLOURS WHITE SWAN TOILET TISSUE ROLL'q959 , 4 VARIETIES GARLIC OR NO GARLIC BEEf•1HICKEN•TURKEY WELCHS FROZEN BICKS BICKS arnation E I SPECIAL, I SAVARIN GRAPE PICKLES JAR50OmL 1.69 1/4 DILLS tavisAC,,,C CARNATION :or 1, 6 9 2 STORE OUPON 2°io EVAPORATED POT PIES D' 69 FA JUICE 341 mL 1.29 STAFFORDS PIE FILLING 42I'OFFER STAFFORDS65V APPLE MILK,LTIN1 PIE FILLINGCARNAL BADEN COLBY SOFT STYLECHERRY BECEL 19 or1,99 TION 19 or 1.1 9 COFFEE SPECIAL 0 CARNATION 10 FNVELOPFS 1280 q PKG 1 HOT CHEESE 277 g 169 MARGARINE 1 In 1.39 WESTONS RASPBERRY FRICO BABY MATE 5`�'° 2'1' CHOCOLATE 1'69 4 VARIETIES THIN STYLE -IND. WRAPPED SWISS ROLLS 994�ZRq GOUDA CHEESE CARNATION LITE LO ENVELOPES - HOT , 39 CHOCOLATE 1'6' CARNATION 3 FLAVOURS INSTANT BREAKFAST f99. VACHON PASTRIES 1.69PK<i ZEHRS SINGLES CHEESE SLICES S� U 2.7924, PURINA 3 VATtIEflt3` DHOW I kg 1.69 WHITE SWAN WHITE OR COLOURED SERVIETTES 60 SHEETS 771 DOW BRAND BATHROOM CLEANER 425 9 159 ZIPLOC QUART SIZE WIDE BAGS 25 UNITS 119. BUTCHERS BLEND R kg 9.99 BLUEWATER B S N BLUE FISH & CHIPS 750 9 2.39 GAY LEA DAIRIES SOUR CREAM 50o mL 159 WE T N CINNAMON BUTTER HORNS b.' 1.25 E '0 • FOIL WRAP 25 r 189 _SANKA EXTRA SAVINGS INSTANT COFFEE R 0,5.69_ WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT PURCHASES TO REASONABLE WEEKLY FAMILY REQUIREMENTS THESE SPECIALS 1 AVAILABLE ONLY IN: HIGHWAYS #4 & 83 MONDAY, TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY 9.6 P.M. EXETER THURSDAY & FRIDAY 9.9:00 P.M. SATURDAY 8:30.6 P.M. assets to be 820.7 billion and the total liabilities to be 820.7 billion. To compare assets of 823 billion (an inflated figure in itself used by Nastich) to debt, is like comparing apples with oranges. The fact re- mains that Ontario Hydro is borrowing up to its eyes to pay for a lavish nuclear pro- gram the Province doesn't need. There is already a 50 percent excess in generating capacity. If any of us were to go on a borrowing binge like Hydro we would have been cut off by the banks a long defaults. Without this Ministry of Energy has hard - guarantee, Ontario Hydro ly ever been able to get a han- would not be able to borrow dle on the giant corporation. another penny. As it is, The Ontario Energy Board Hydro's debt by the end of the has been expressly forbidden year will be 819.1 billion. to regulate Hydro. Instead, • What is most disturbing is the Board has been relegated that Ontario Hydro is begin- to reviewing rates and mak- ning to borrow large sums to ing recommendations which pay the interest on debt it are persistently ignored. previously incurred ($1 billion Most of Hydro's generating in 1982), and to pay off an old station programs have been debt which comes due for .exempted from the En - payment. In other words, it is vironmental Assessment Act. borrowing to pay back what it The final accountabilty has borrowed (in 1982 it bor- rests with the Cabinet, and rowed 8631 million to retire Mr. Bill Davis who for all In - time ago. The only reason old debt). Ontario Hydro is a tents and purposes have Hydro can continue to borrow financial house of cards held allowed Ontario Hydro to blanket guarantee by the ing justified by dubious con- condition. is that it has received a together by excessive borrow- slide into this most shaky Government of Ontario that struction projects the Pro- Yours sincerely, we, the taxpayers, will cover vince doesn't need. Jack Riddell, M.P.P. the debt in the event Hydro As for accountability, the Huron -Middlesex "slit EIEnLILLILLLIIL lii:1 nnELLLLLLELEEIREIIIII11111111111LEIIIIIIIIEEEIIII111111El LLlllliiiiiilllllliiimounll LEELEIEIEEI 11111111111111111111111. 09ach i 090i/1,19J By Jack Riddell MPP Opposition Leader David Peterson and the members of the Liberal Caucus this week announced a major pro- gramme to provide up to one year's work experience at the basic minimum wage to long- term unemployed youth in Ontario. Calling lingering youth unemployment one of the most serious problems con- fronting Ontario, Mr. Peter- son said there is an urgent need to provide work for the thousands of jobless 18 to 24 year olds. Educational upgrading and career/employment counsell- ing is part of the Liberal programme. "Being unemployed is a disheartening and dispiriting existence for anyone. Being young and unemployed is especially debilitating - out on the streets, looking for work, stymied at every turn," Mr. Peterson said. "In September 1983, 159,000 young people were unemployed, representing almost one in six youth in the labour force. The incidence of long-term unemployment among youth is particularly alarming -- in 1982, approx- imately 28,000 18 to 24 year olds in Ontario were unemployed for a period of twenty weeks or more. A national survey publish- ed in 1980 found that 21% of unemployed youth had been without jobs for over ten months. The prospects for youth are not promising. Forecasts predict that cur- rent levels of youth unemployment will continue for more than another year. "Statistics and charts well document the continuing plight of Ontario's unemployed youth. However, statistics cannot measure the despair of those who cannot get a job because they have no job experience. Nor can statistics measure the desperation of those who do not Suggest youth program know how or when to begin to look for work, or unfortunate- ly, the frustration of those who have difficulty even fill- ing out a job application form. This is a generation losing confidence in themselves, and lacking hope for the future. "The youth of Ontario need jobs. They need the ex- perience and the self- confidence that come from working. They also need to in- vest in themselves, through increased educational effort and life skills development. "The program we are an- nouncing would give them that opportunity. This pro- gram offers youth an ex- perience which no other pro- vincial or federal program currently provides. "Our youth program would give a guaranteed opportuni- ty for a work experience of up to one year to every youth, 18 to 24 years of age, who has been unemployed for 20 weeks or more. "However, this is not just a job creation program. Par- ticipants would be required to enrol in education courses, at levels commensurate with their needs. In addition, par- ticipants would be required to take part in employment counselling services to familiarize them with job search techniques and proper job performance habits. Such counselling would also help them seek further employ- ment opportunities, or as the case may be, further educa- tional or skills training possibilities. "The best estimates of the costs of such a program are 890 to *110 million, servicing approximat3ly 14,000 youth each year. It is not possible, in advance, to accurately put a dollar figure to the benefits of such a program. However, experience with these types of programs uniformly show that benefits outweigh the direct cost, on the basis of the goods and ser- vices produced, the unemployment insurance and welfare payments saved, increased motivation among youth to seek skills upgrading (the eventual result being a better skilled and more employable work force), reduced crime rates, reduced alcohol and drug abuse, in- creased tax revenue from a working, previously unemployed sector. Actual estimates of benefits per dollar generated from other programs range from 81.65 for the California Conserva- tion Corps, between *1.05 and *3.13 for the United States Job Corps, and up to 86.40 to 87.80 for the Canada Manpower Training Program (not youth specific) in 1970-73. - "In sum, our program would offer real benefits to youth andto the province as a whole. We can guarantee for youth a positive employ- ment and educational oppor- tunity and for the Province, productive social gains. "Ontario's most important natural resource is our youth. We're prepared to give them the right chance." Introduce Katimavik Salut, my name is Francois Morin. I'nm 20 years old and I'm the oldest boy of the group. I live 15 minutes from Pierre's house. Exeter is a nice town, and I really like the town spirit. Now I work at ARC Industries in Dashwood. It's a really good ex E rience for me. • I came to Katimavik to have a break and to try a new Life style as well as see the country. I really like my experience at Katimavik because Katimavik has helped me with my English, and adap- ting to group life. We are also learning a lot about you and your life in this community. VICTORIA AND GREY TRUST Since 1844 Exeter: 425 Main St. 235-0530 1