Posts Tagged ‘Chris Tyrrell’
Scarborough Standing Up and Standing Strong
Rest of Toronto – you’ve gone and done it. Once again the rest of Toronto has come up with a ‘great’ plan for Scarborough, and this time instead of being the good neighbour, Scarborough is saying no. No we won’t tolerate our rights being taken away, no we won’t let you do untold damage to our natural environment, and no we won’t allow you and your bought and paid for supporters to tell us what to think. We will stand up and we will stand strong.
It started in Guildwood when Toronto Hydro Energy Services allowed folks who rely on grants to stay alive (and receive them from folks with a clear bias in favour of Toronto Hydro) to stack the meeting on a Class B Environmental Assessment and deny residents their right to participate. It turned a serious process into a circus and turned community concern into community action.
Franz Hartmann – the Executive Director of the Toronto Environmental Alliance was front and centre as were a number of other folks who know so little about Scarborough they couldn’t even read a bus schedule to see that their school buses were unnecessary as the TTC does exactly the same route they chose to take. He still defends his actions, even if Toronto Hydro recognizes how inappropriate it was. Hartmann made himself and his supporters the butt of many jokes about how little one can know about Scarborough while trying to get in the middle of an issue on the ground.
Toronto Hydro, their allies and hangers on have been totally dishonest in their representation of the merits of the project, it’s impacts and the sad thing is each of these organizations and people behind it survive on public money that they are using to attack members of the public.
I’ve lost a lot of respect for a number of organizations throughout this process.
Toronto Hydro is one organization I will always look at with mistrust due to the completely irresponsible and illegal approach they’ve taken so far, as a means to push this project forward.
The City of Toronto as defined as Toronto City Council is one that I will have great difficulty believing has the best interests of Scarborough at heart, considering it is they who are pretending not to see what Toronto Hydro is doing to this section of the City.
The Ontario Liberal Party – a party I’ve been involved in for years, but appears more interested in who donates than what is best for the Province and it’s people.
The Toronto Environmental Alliance and the David Suzuki Foundation each had a moral obligation to stand up and protect our great lakes, defend the Scarborough Bluffs – one of Lake Ontario’s most defining geological features against the unknown, and unstudied risks of a possible wind farm. Instead they listened to their biased financial contributors (some of whom also are funding the project TEA is supporting), and who have a financial interest in proceeding without the protect studies and tests. For it’s part the Toronto Environmental Alliance tried to silence those of us who were forced to make a very difficult decision and oppose a renewable energy protect.
The Premier – Dalton McGuinty. Someone I will not be able to vote for in 2011. Simply put, he trashed my community, and is sitting back and ignoring our concerns while those who are in favour of what is about to happen fill his re-election coffers.
The Deputy Premier – George Smitherman. Simply a disgrace to this province. How anyone can listen to anything he has to say and take it seriously is beyond me. He damages the view of government each time he opens his mouth. I used to think he could be a neat mayor.
Local Elected Officials. Both provincial and municipal representatives have a responsibility here. Neither have used even a fraction of the tools in their toolbox to help. Both have window dressed instead. As someone who has been involved in politics, I know how it works. I know what the limits are and neither Paul Ainslie or Margarett Best have done anywhere near what they could, if they chose to.
We’re still greener than any other part of Toronto. We have the highest rate of waste diversion, we’ve protected more parkland per capita than anywhere else and our former City’s symbols, whether the Civic Centre, the Flag or even our name are based on that amazing, awe inspiring 14 kilometre stretch of shoreline that is so unique on this lake.
Like Elizabeth Simcoe, the wife of Upper Canada’s first Lt. Governor, many of us have loved the bluffs since our first sighting of them. We will defend them, as countless generations going back to Canada’s first people’s who lived in their watershed and along their cliffs have dating back 8000 years. I wrote about Elizabeth Simcoe and Sir John Graves Simcoe in August. Here is the link to that. Scarborough Mirror: Scarborough has special connection to Simcoe Day
Scarborough residents have allowed a lot of NIMBY politics downtown see us host aspects of infrastructure that others didn’t want. We did so quietly and with the glass half full approach. But this is something many of us simply cannot stomach. Allowing someone to do untold damage to the Bluffs, the very core of Scarborough’s identity as a city is simply intolerable.
Toronto Hydro must know there could be a devastating impact on the fish habitat the Toronto Region Conservation Authority started rebuilding under the old City of Scarborough. They must know there could be severe impacts on shoreline erosion and the Bluffs, on the birds and bats that live and migrate through the area. They must know there could be real health concerns for fish, humans and anyone else that interacts with the lake.
Why do I say this? Because something has them so scared they refuse to do a full environmental assessment to discredit me and the thousands of other Scarborough residents who are digging in and fighting what is quickly becoming an epic battle to protect our lake, and generations of nature conservation from the irresponsible destruction that comes when a few downtown politicians and some irresponsible executives get together and decide to do something this stupid.
We’re standing up, we’re standing strong and getting stronger as we await the next number of battles with Toronto Hydro Energy Services and anyone else who is so mindless to think there are not consequences from something like this.
I have never been more proud to be from Scarborough or Guildwood as I am now. Standing up with residents of my community and standing strong against moneyed interests who frankly don’t care what happens to us, is something anyone involved can and should be proud of.
One thing is for sure, with two elections in the next two years or so, folks who support this idea can also expect some electoral consequences as well.
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GEA to Remove Citizen and Environmental Rights from 'Testing Devices' Too
Even so Scarborough Residents will not lay down. We’re stronger than ever and going to be getting louder. Toronto Hydro’s position grows worse with each attempt for them to move forward.
I am waiting to get my hands on a final copy of the amended Green Energy Act that made it out of committee and was reported back by said committee in near record time. Imagine this, the day after the amendments were agreed to the Committee report and amended bill were ready for introduction for third reading?
Why? Because McGuinty and co. had no interest in listening to anything the opposition was going to say and therefore was able to write the report before the debate was had due to their majority. It’s the height of arrogance, but one thing these guys seem to OK with.
Toronto Hydro Energy Services is currently being dragged over the coals for their attempt to install an anemometer in Lake Ontario. They’ve done a horrible job so far at following relevant legislation and seem not to be remotely worried about any of the detrimental environmental or geological realities of their plan.
The Green Energy Act strips all kinds of rights for citizens, and the environment. It allows the Government to take sleazy developers by the hand and help them through the stripped down regulations for ‘renewable energy projects’.
An anemometer isn’t a renewable energy project. It tests the wind (and is partially powered by solar because Jack Simpson made it clear three turbines on the water wouldn’t be able to power something smaller than a fridge without the help of solar, for the purpose of testing and transmitting double top secret data. The fact that he can recognize this and still see merit to test the wind is in itself suspect, but so is everything else he and his team have done on this process so far).
The Green Energy Act amendments seem prepared to fix the classification of anemometers so folks like Simpson and McLean can try to ram them through as well without any oversight, citizen involvement or environmental protection.
Straight from Laurel Broten – Smitherman’s friendly Parliamentary Assistant:
“renewable energy testing project” is one of a series of amendments that will ensure that testing facilities are subject to the same approvals processes as the facilities themselves. This addresses an issue raised at committee.
By ‘same approvals processes as the facilities themselves’ she must be referring to that little ‘information hiccup’ she had in the House when the bill was introduced.
“Most significantly, green energy projects would no longer be subject to the requirements under the Planning Act or, in most cases, the Environmental Assessment Act.” Laurel Broten, addressing the Legislative Assembly (for reference click this link to Hansard and look between 15:50 and 16:00)
Laforet.ca was quick to report it (Green Energy Act Proposes Major Setback for Environmental Movement)
Peter Epp and the good people at http://www.chathamthisweek.com followed suit, quoting laforet.ca in ‘It’s David versus the Jolly Green Goliath’
My response to this development is simple. If George Smitherman is trying to stack the deck by legislating away our rights to citizen participation and environmental protection – he will fail because he hasn’t gone far enough to absolutely block the other rights citizens have, all he promises is civility is impossible. If Smitherman is purposely trying to turn every renewable energy project into a massive fight with a legal element, and is trying to set this industry up for vilification and legal positions that will have lawyers on both sides shaking their heads – he is succeeding.
This bill is so twisted and lopsided no one in the Wind Industry or Government can reasonably expect residents to throw up their hands and walk away. They’ve hit us too hard with this abusive bill to not expect us to dig in. In a bizarre way, ridiculous legislation like this is what propels some of the strongest political activism in society and causes individuals to really understand the issues and rights that surround them.
I have run for public office, been a Liberal party riding president, worked at Queen’s Park and have been involved in countless campaigns, but I have never been this involved in my community or politics, and for that I am thankful to Joyce McLean, Jack Simpson, Chris Tyrrell, George Smitherman and Dalton McGuinty. I have seen dozens of other Guildwood residents who can thank their involvement to the three amigos at THES and the two clowns at QP as well.
Scarborough residents will defeat Toronto Hydro’s proposal. Not a single turbine will be built by these guys, off Scarborough’s shores in our lake, and frankly the longer they keep up the fight, the more damage the individuals and the corporation behind this process will receive. – That is my promise. We will continue to grow, branch out and offer support to others who are in the same situation.
It will be a good day if the only thing damaged by the end of this are a few sleazy politicians, ethicless, conscienceless, irresponsible project managers and a company that should get back to delivering electricity (a business they sort of know) and staying out of areas so far above their head and one where they have tried and failed miserably in past.
4 Comments »Update on the Green Energy Act, Toronto Hydro's Antics and the Great Work Happening on the Ground in Guildwood
Citizen’s Voices Will Be Heard But Will Smitherman Listen
It worked! There will be public committee hearings on the Green Energy Act. Residents from across our province sent emails to the opposition House Leaders telling them to force the Standing Committee on General Government to go out into the Province and listen to the real voices of citizens, and not just the paid voices of the wind lobby.
Setting the committee agenda is about the only place in the legislative process where the opposition has a majority. Folks from across Ontario called on the opposition to refuse to make deals with the government that would shut down our voices. Once again, both the NDP and PC caucuses stood up for residents of our province in the face of the ‘bought and paid for’ advice, the wind industry has provided the Liberal government through massive amounts of donations and their paid lobbyists.
As residents we now must take advantage of this opportunity, and head out to the hearings, send in submissions and tell the government ‘residents’ won’t lay down’. It’s clear Smitherman and his staff prefer listening to donors and lobbyists over the people of Ontario, and they will be out in full force trying to keep straight faces as they praise a bill they all but wrote. We need to join them and shame their lack of concern for the environment or democracy. Just like the oil industry, these folks are out to make a buck – regardless of the damage they do.
Toronto Hydro’s Latest Trick
Toronto Hydro Energy Services is without a doubt the most disgusting example of sleazy decision making I’ve ever witnessed. Joyce McLean and Jack Simpson have run such a totally dishonest process both they and Chris Tyrrell should be fired. McLean and Simpson have abused the public trust through absolutely unethical tactics, allowing the ‘affected public’ to be abused by their allies who receive funding from the same folks who fund their research. Chris Tyrrell has demonstrated he doesn’t have the guts to stand up to the bizarre, twisted and irresponsible actions of these employees of his – so he too must go.
For her latest stunt, Joyce McLean has decided to submit an application, she must know does not meet the requirements for the Class B Environmental Assessment, to the Ministry of Natural Resources in the hopes of receiving the permit to go ahead with the Anemometer before the Green Energy Act is through committee. Anywhere else submitting a factually inaccurate paperwork would be legally frowned – but at Toronto Hydro it’s just another day’s work.
We will prove they have not completed the steps in the Class B environmental assessment and we expect the Ministry of Natural Resources to stand up to Toronto Hydro and tell them they need to follow the law like everyone else and also run a fair, open, legal process. Guildwood is ready for a fight and is not going away. Should MNR accept the application, I promise to make the bureaucrat, who we’ve begun sending evidence to via registered mail, famous. You will know his name, where he works, and what we showed him prior to the decision being made.
Guildwood Takes Action
I had an amazing day delivering flyers to Guildwood residents, informing them about our community meeting. With a lack of political representation, Cabinet Minister’s attacking our community and Toronto Hydro lying their way through the process – we are standing up. I am thrilled to be working with dozens of volunteers who have been speaking to their neighbours about what is at stake here and educating each other.
Many are looking forward to a meeting where they can come with questions, collect information and answers and do so without a restrictive process, abusive paid eco-bullies like the ones the Toronto Environmental Alliance bussed to our last meeting.
Although it is horrible to see a community railroaded and treated this way, Guildwood residents are working together to demonstrate the real strength behind democratic ideals that is alive and well in our community. It is heartening to see so many residents out of necessity getting involved in the political process, to stand up for their rights where those who have been elected to do so have failed to.
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