Community must benefit
Gwenne Farrell
Vice-President, Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, Local 378
Powell River Peak
06-Sep-2007
The Powell River Peak has encouraged both community members and corporate citizens to participate in the public consultation processes surrounding two energy megaprojects currently being planned for the region ["Process vital," August 2].
Vice-President, Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, Local 378
Powell River Peak
06-Sep-2007
The Powell River Peak has encouraged both community members and corporate citizens to participate in the public consultation processes surrounding two energy megaprojects currently being planned for the region ["Process vital," August 2].
With a 31-stage dam megaproject on the Toba River system underway, the proposed 650-megawatt plant on Texada Island will require the consent and thoughtful feedback from their communities.
It is a bit of a misnomer, however, to be pumping either of these projects up as economic saviours for either Powell River or Texada. The record shows that private power developments actually result in very few jobs, and virtually all of the construction work will be contracted out to outside mega-firms.
Unfortunately, the power industry is not like the forestry industry, which brought sustainable and well-paying jobs, forest renewal practices, and which involves significant economic benefits for communities.
Hydro projects, like that on the Toba, pay no resource royalties and tiny water rental fees, negating any hope of economic benefits ever reaching the community.
As Texada Island and Powell River consider the impacts of a flotilla of supertankers loaded with imported natural gas, it will be crucial to determine to what extent these megaprojects actually benefit the community economically.
The community also needs to know if these projects are just to produce electricity for the energy-hungry United States, or for the benefit of Texada Island and Powell River.
As this consultation process goes forward, it will also be crucial to weigh the costs and benefits of the 31 dams on the Toba River, and if the cumulative impacts of these private, for-profit power projects actually measure up to the very few jobs and minimal economic infusion they bring to the community.
There is no question that these windfall public power giveaways are of benefit to someone. The question is if that benefit is to the community.
©The Powell River Peak 2007
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Unfortunately, the power industry is not like the forestry industry, which brought sustainable and well-paying jobs, forest renewal practices, and which involves significant economic benefits for communities.
Hydro projects, like that on the Toba, pay no resource royalties and tiny water rental fees, negating any hope of economic benefits ever reaching the community.
As Texada Island and Powell River consider the impacts of a flotilla of supertankers loaded with imported natural gas, it will be crucial to determine to what extent these megaprojects actually benefit the community economically.
The community also needs to know if these projects are just to produce electricity for the energy-hungry United States, or for the benefit of Texada Island and Powell River.
As this consultation process goes forward, it will also be crucial to weigh the costs and benefits of the 31 dams on the Toba River, and if the cumulative impacts of these private, for-profit power projects actually measure up to the very few jobs and minimal economic infusion they bring to the community.
There is no question that these windfall public power giveaways are of benefit to someone. The question is if that benefit is to the community.
posted by Friend of Texada at
1:18 PM
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