The proposed site development is envisioned to consist of the following principal components:

• Design of 55 cubic meters/second for water diversion (FYI, there are only 2 months of the year when the Pet has that much flow... you can figure out what that means.)




• 400 m long access roads ±70 m long, ±0.8 m high concrete ogee spillway with 2 x 1.5m high Obermeyer type gates mounted a concrete dam structure each 35 m long;+ 110 m long dam embankments with a maximum height of ± 2 m


• 375 m long, 6 m deep x 16 m wide unlined intake channel


• Powerhouse building 10 m x 40 m to be located just upstream of the Petawawa Blvd bridge

This information was taken from the Waterpower Site Strategy document submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources dated September 2009. This is a full seven months prior to the meeting held on May 3rd 2010 when the representative from Xeneca said that they were still gathering data. Xeneca continues to use this excuse to avoid answering questions.

I cannot be any more serious about this.

If you want more specific project information ask mholmes@xeneca.ca

... stop the constant interference [ of provincial government ] in local-decision making. The voters put their faith in you to make the best decisions for your local communities.

The Government's Green Energy Act strips decision-making away from the elected municipal governments and bestows it on faceless bureaucrats at the OPA. This is why, in the face of strenuous local objections we have seen the government plough ahead with schemes to install giant wind industrial wind farms where ever they see fit. This is wrong.

Certainly renewable energy should be part of Ontario'a supply mix, but only where it is welcomed, and wanted, and at prices ratepayers can afford.

Remarks by Tim Hudak, MPP
Leader of the Ontario PC Party
Speech to the Association of Ontario Municipalities, Aug 17, 2010

It is expected that the public consultation will begin in late-October or early-November, intentionally timed so as not to become an election issue for the municipal government. As a side note, while not officially opposed to the project, the municipal government does appear very much concerned about the possible impacts and have publically stated that the project must in no way affect the flow of the river.

Do you know how your Councillor stands on the issue?


As an aside, Town Council has expressed a great deal of worry over the lack of decision-making power left in municipal hands. Though the Green Energy Act (May 2009) the Province has the ability to overrule the decision of the local communities in regards to 'green' energy projects. This effectively eliminates the ability of a town to choose what is best for themselves. The Petawawa Council has on a number of occasions expressed frustration over this, and in fact the Association of Ontario Municipalities is also concerned. To this end, MPP Sylvia Jones (supported by Hudak) has introduced Bill 29 to "amend the Planning Act to reverse the effect of the amendments made by the Green Energy and Green Economy Act." More details are the links below.

Additional Information:

Save the Petawawa (Facebook): http://www.facebook.com/ Groups / Save the Petawawa
CURRENTS Petawawa (video): http://vimeo.com/12174488
Bill 29, Ontario Legislature:
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&Intranet=&BillID=2306

This is an election issue! Where do they stand?

This is an election issue.

Photo courtesy of Martin Cayouette (http://www.cukc.ca/)

THIS PROJECT IS AN ELECTION ISSUE! WHERE DOES THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL STAND ON THIS?

Public 'consultation' will begin in the fall. This is intentionally being times to avoid becoming an election issue for the municipal elections.

Now I for one would want to know where my Mayor (or Reeve, or Councillor) stands on this issue. It is the most critical and contentious issue that the Town has been presented with in recent years, and resident should know where there elected official stand on the issue.

Why don't you ask them:

mayor@petawawa.ca; echow@petawawa.ca; tlemay@petawawa.ca; tmohns@petawawa.ca; jpark@petawawa.ca; tsabourin@petawawa.ca

Include: venskaitis@xeneca.com ; mholmes@xeneca.ca; jpg@asg.ca

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In other news, the Xeneca scientist team has been down to the river a few times in the past month to check things out. We know they arent there for the swimming.... Makes you wonder if the low water like we have now is what we have to look forward to once the damn dam and damn diversion goes in.

The full details of the Project have been released to the public through an Access to Information Request initiated by a concerned member of the public. It is 190+ page document, that scares the cr@p out of me (and it should you as well). I'll try to get it available to you shortly, as well as pull some of the more important pieces out as a highlight.

Please stay tuned. Please stay involved.

Thanks for visiting, and thank you for your interest in knowing more about how you can help protect the Petawawa River

Please take a moment to read through the information provided below. We have tried to keep it current, but this website - just like everyone else - struggles to get information from a damn developer that is unwilling to share.

We'll try our best to keep you informed.

What can you do to help?

1. E-mail this website (http://www.petawawa-river.blogspot.com/) and the Currents video clip about the project: http://www.five2nine.ca/ to all those you know that may have an interest in knowing more about the project.

2. When you send your e-mail, Cc petawawa-river@hotmail.com and we'll add you to the mailing list when there is new information to share. Or, just send an e-mail and we'll keep you posted.

3. This is the big one. We are asking you to write in to several people to express your concern about the project and the Green Energy Act specifically how the power to make decisions has been ripped from the hands of the very communities most affected by the projects.

If you scroll right to the bottom, you will find a form letter that you can use, or feel free to pull from your own.

Send it to:

mstillman@petawawa.ca; john.yakabuskico@pc.ola.org; GallaC@parl.gc.ca; perry.m@forces.gc.ca; mholmes@xeneca.com; VEnskaitis@xeneca.com; FIT@powerauthority.on.ca; info@powerauthority.on.ca; mayor@petawawa.ca

We are still a year or two away from the actual shovels hitting the ground on this one, so please speak up and try to save this river. It needs our help.

Thanks.

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Photo©David Rhodes, Deep River. Taken at Lover's Rapid, May 2, 2010 during the Hell or High Water Race.

Council concerned about power generators on the Petawawa River

Read the Xeneca presentation here: DAMN PRESENTATION

It truly is a wonderful resource for the people of this area, and to have to destroyed for a small amount of electricity (all of which is surplus for our local communities) would be a shame.
The communication with the public on this project has been deplorable. You can hear the Mayor and Council express their concerns with this aspect as well. The project has been steamrolling ahead for years without any real opportunity for residents to have their say.

The Xeneca presentation at the May 3 2010 council meeting was more of the same. Empty promises to do more, and questions left unanswered.

What will happen to Catwalk pond?
What about the fishing at the mouth of the Pet?
Will there be water left to swim or float the rapids?
How many trees will be cut from the side of the bank when they build the roads to construct this dam, the tail race, the turbine and the diversion canal?
Will there be lasting jobs in our area, once the construction is done?
All of these remain unanswered.

Are residents nervous? You bet we are.

++++

On a more positive note, the 2nd annual Hell or High Water Festival was held on May 1, and saw over 200 boaters and en equal number of people out spectating and interacting with the river in a positive way. There is alot at stake with this damn project.

The council has every right to be nervous, and so do residents.

What does this mean to you?

Source:http://www.blackbay.ca/BBRA/Issues/PowerStations/Petwawa%20version%202.ppt

So what has happened over the winter? Good question. The developer certainly isnt forthcoming with information, but one wouldn't expect that from a company that is seeking to steal a river from the people of Petawawa.

It remains difficult to get answers on the project progression.

It also remains difficult to get even updates on the project.

This is what we know so far:

The received their feed-in tariff, which means that the Province will allow them to sell electricity to the grid. That is a big win for the developers.

An advisory committee has been selected. It seems that they chose the participants at random. No one from Petawawa's recreational user community was asked to participate.

They held a 'public consultation' in the summer with select resident of Black Bay, the group least affected by this project. Didnt hear about it? Not surprised. Its not like they wanted you to attend anyway.

So that's where we sit.

Still locked out from discussions, still looking for answers and still left waiting and hoping that somehow these theives and vandals will leave the river the way it should be.

Tell your friends, to tell their friends to tell anyone who will listen.

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The picture at the top is from the Ashlu River, a very similar situation to the one in Petawawa. Water is diverted through a huge pipe and returned to the river once the gradient is gone. The water that remains in the riverbed is coming out of that small tube. Seriously. That is what is left over.

As you see in the second picture, the Developer would take water from Railroad Rapid and return it BELOW Catwalk rapid. Thanks. Green energy my ass.
Even the Squamish town council fought to prevent this dam and lost. Don't let it happen to the Petawawa.

Check this for more: http://reelwaterproductions.com/previous-projects/49-megawatts/

Pic courtesy of http://liquidlore.blogspot.com/2009/12/end-of-ashlu.html