We always said if we could push them into the winter months – we’d have more time. To the folks at Toronto Hydro – my heartfelt thanks to you for giving us more time to defeat you.

Toronto Hydro Energy Services employs some of the dimmest lights I’ve personally encountered at the ‘Director’ or ‘Vice President’ level. These foolish individuals who’ve flatly refused to do any sort of meaningful environmental assessment have failed to understand the conditions, and had them moving their construction barge all over the general area looking for a place they could install the device.

Guildwood residents are quick though and pushed back whenever it appeared not to be in the correct spot. We now have emails from Joyce McLean stating on two occasions the construction barge was at the right coordinates at which point it moved again, and she once again confirmed it was in the right spot, and then it moved again. Once again – something she says simply can’t be true.

Many of us had that ‘kick in the stomach’ feeling watching this barge try and figure out how to anchor something in the sand bar off the Bluffs, worried and wondering about the anemometer or possibility for turbines in the future. Seeing this play out, and being able to literally hear the voices, the songs on the radio, and the sound of a generator running from the barge have shown how the sound will travel over water – something that will only strengthen community resolve.

Toronto Hydro Energy Services is in for one hell of a fight. Residents will not back down until Toronto Hydro’s proposal is defeated and disgraced. Not a single turbine will be going off our shores, and those who want to keep pushing the idea have my sincere pledge that we, residents of the area will fight you and will never give up until this horrible idea is gone, and our lakes are protected from the untold environmental degradation involved in installing these things.

Toronto Hydro took a big step forward in their defeat by backing off on this proposal. Something they claimed would take a month took nearly two and ended in failure. Just like this whole proposal will soon enough.

Residents have a lot of work to do to convince our City Councillors who have been slow and ineffective, the City of Toronto and Toronto Hydro Energy Services to stop this proposal.

Toronto Hydro owns an incompetent sister company called Toronto Hydro Energy Services that is proposing to build turbines in a part of Ontario where we all know they won’t work. Because the City of Toronto is the 100% shareholder in theory residents should be able to win this fight and keep this money making asset (this is why the City shouldn’t sell Toronto Hydro) from blowing $700 million bucks it doesn’t have on a project that doesn’t work.

Silvers however has made a good amount of money pushing a product that doesn’t work on former colleagues of his. Robert Silver (links are to his filings in the lobbyist registry) has represented the Canadian Wind Energy Association an industry lobby for the corporate welfare cases that make up the wind industry in Canada and fought so hard to have citizens rights taken away.

Joyce McLean – the Director of Strategic Services at Toronto Hydro Energy Services is the past chair of CanWEA. In fact the bottom of every email she sends shares that fact.

Toronto Hydro is a member of CanWEA (Robert Silver’s former client).

Silver has also represented the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association - an organization that founded the Green Energy Act Alliance and literally developed the framework to deprive citizens of their rights, strip municipalities of their planning controls and trample democracy to keep their financially not viable clients in business.

In fact his former boss Dalton McGuinty cited Scarborough Bluffs resident’s opposition to Toronto Hydro’s illegal application to install a wind testing device as the reason for introducing the bill Rob Silver’s clients (OSEA) wrote to take my rights and the rights of my neighbours away.

CanWEA is a member of OSEA as is the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, and the City of Toronto. The Toronto Atmospheric Fund is funding part of Toronto Hydro’s research and the City of Toronto is the 100% owner of Toronto Hydro.

Rob Silver has also represented Trillium Power – a wind farm developer with a pipe dream of putting a ridiculous amount of turbines in the east end of Lake Ontario. Trillium Power had previously been set back by the Ministry of Natural Resources ‘we-don’t-know-what-we’re-doing’ moratorium on offshore wind development in the Great Lakes. The end of that moratorium opened the door for Toronto Hydro to continue planning their project which has been under development since 2003 in some way or another.

Currently Silver is listed as the active lobbyist for Enbridge Inc. – which owns a wind farm in Ontario that is believed to be harming the health of local residents. In fact at a Liberal BBQ Silver’s former boss was hosting, that was being catered by Silver’s client Enbridge – I was threatened with arrest for organizing a protect to voice opposition to Silver’s other client (OSEA’s) Green Energy Act and it’s impact on our ability to oppose Toronto Hydro’s project that was being by the former Chair of another one of Silver’s former clients (CanWEA).

He also lobbies for the Renewable Energy Task Team which is co-chaired by Mike Crawley – President of Aim Power Gen, and the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario). Silver also lobbies for Vestas - the Danish wind turbine manufacturer in addition to lobbying for other wind energy types which can be found here.

Silver’s employment and client list has him firmly onside with the folks who are breaking down the process, denying citizens their right to participate and using pressure and influence to prevent citizen opposition from derailing projects.

In this light Toronto Hydro’s proposal is the most vulnerable as it is still in theory subject to the democratic will of folks who are at least marginally accountable to their constituents.

If I was Robert Silver I would support selling Toronto Hydro too. But as the President of Wind Concerns Ontario, and a Ward 43 resident there is no way I could support any plan to sell Toronto Hydro so long as it has a dual mandate because such a sale would harm my community and this is something folks like Rob Silver must know.

That being said, based on Rocco Rossi’s performance today I wouldn’t expect Rossi knows what Toronto Hydro is up to. His issue knowledge appeared weak when he suggested amalgamation happened in 2000 (it was 1997) or that Councillors voted themselves a pay increase this year (they decided not to vote to cancel an increase they’d passed in 2006).

The Scarborough Mirror says ‘John Laforet isn’t surprised to hear the anemometer is going in, however it was news to him it would be going in next week.’ Scarborough Mirror – Wind research platform approved – October 23th 2009

Rightly so.

Joyce McLean’s very friendly email to Councillor Paul Ainslie (below in italics) was sent on August 21st 2009 and states:

“Good morning -This is to inform you that today John Gerretsen, the Ontario Minister of Environment officially denied the 6 Part II orders (bump up requests) for an individual environmental assessment for the offshore anemometer proposed by Toronto Hydro. The process now reverts to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for final approval. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Joyce”

It would be nice if Councillor Ainslie was as friendly with residents of our community as he is with the folks at the municipally owned Toronto Hydro. Guildwood sure could use a friend right now, that’s for sure.

In the spirit of repeating old news as Toronto Hydro has done today, I will re-post my response to the first time their illegal application was approved on August 21st 2009.

Direct Message To My Readers At Toronto Hydro – I Will Comment On Your Illegal Application Later

by John Laforet
posted on August 21st, 2009 at 10:39:26 am

‘Never fight a battle where your opponent has everything to lose, because if they fear the prospect of a loss that steep they have nothing to lose in doing everything possible to defeat you.’ – John Laforet

To my readers at Toronto Hydro who have visited over eighty-one (81) blog entries on http://laforet.ca since this morning (it is 10:38 AM). I am sure you’re looking to see what I have to say about your illegal application that John Gerretsen decided to sign off on this week.

It is still illegal, you’re still a cesspool for unethical behaviour, flagrant violators of law and Guildwood residents are angrier than ever before. I still have nothing but contempt for anyone at Toronto Hydro who stubbornly supports wasting $700 million dollars of public money, damaging the environment and building a project we all know (yes you too) will never generate enough electricity to pay for itself.

We will defeat you.

You should know, not one turbine will be going in Lake Ontario off the Scarborough Bluffs, and you’re wasting your time and our money persueing your misadventure off the Bluffs.

We will ensure there will be consequences.

We will respond, and it will be fierce. We’re in this for the long haul and will not allow a single turbine to enter the Lake off our shores as part of your illegal application, through your law breaking, lies and other dirty tricks.

You will be stopped.

David O’Brien has already retired, perhaps it’s time for Chris Tyrrell, Jack Simpson and Joyce McLean to walk the plank before the next round of Scarborough Vs. Toronto Hydro kicks off.

If I were to write a modern ‘Prince’ or ‘Art of War’ this would be a message, I would dedicate to you: ‘Never fight a battle where your opponent has everything to lose, because if they fear the prospect of a loss that steep, they have nothing to lose in doing everything possible to defeat you.’

To my readers at Toronto Hydro who have visited over eighty-one (81) blog entries on http://laforet.ca since this morning (it is 10:38 AM). I am sure you’re looking to see what I have to say about your illegal application that John Gerretsen decided to sign off on this week.

It is still illegal, you’re still a cesspool for unethical behaviour, flagrant violators of law and Guildwood residents are angrier than ever before. I still have nothing but contempt for anyone at Toronto Hydro who stubbornly supports wasting $700 million dollars of public money, damaging the environment and building a project we all know (yes you too) will never generate enough electricity to pay for itself.

We will defeat you.

You should know, not one turbine will be going in Lake Ontario off the Scarborough Bluffs, and you’re wasting your time and our money persueing your misadventure off the Bluffs.

We will ensure there will be consequences.

We will respond, and it will be fierce. We’re in this for the long haul and will not allow a single turbine to enter the Lake off our shores as part of your illegal application, through your law breaking, lies and other dirty tricks.

You will be stopped.

David O’Brien has already retired, perhaps it’s time for Chris Tyrrell, Jack Simpson and Joyce McLean to walk the plank before the next round of Scarborough Vs. Toronto Hydro kicks off.

If I were to write a modern ‘Prince’ or ‘Art of War’ this would be a message, I would dedicate to you: ‘Never fight a battle where your opponent has everything to lose, because if they fear the prospect of a loss that steep, they have nothing to lose in doing everything possible to defeat you.’

David O’Brien personally ignored our calls for an end to Toronto Hydro Energy Services illegal process. His refusal to act or even respond to alligations is in my mind tantamount to his support of Toronto Hydro Energy Services illegal activity. Under his term, residents of Toronto saw two major privacy breaches in three months, both related to the internet. It saw a total disregard for safety as it relates to the maintenance of infrastructure that has the potential to have lethal consequences if not properly maintained. We watched as executives at Toronto Hydro told what can only be described as bald faced lies, as the legal counsel for Toronto Hydro made themselves aware of Toronto Hydro Energy Services illegal activity and did nothing to either deny the claims being made or to direct their client to not proceed with an illegal application.

Hopefully Anthony Haines, current President of Toronto Hydro Electric System, the company within Toronto Hydro that actually makes money and generates profit, does a reasonable job of carrying out its obligations in a safe manner will look at his poor cousins in Toronto Hydro Energy Services and see them for the finanacial parasite they are, and reign in Chris Tyrrell, Jack Simpson and Joyce McLean. It’s my hope he will tell each of these ethically challenged individuals that illegality is no longer acceptable, that they cannot lie when it suits them, cut corners as it pleases or violate laws that would prevent them if followed.

Let’s hope the new boss is nothing like the old boss, and is wise enough to realize that this proposal to build a wind factory where it is well documented their isn’t sufficient wind is a fool’s paradise that isn’t worthy of the 700 million dollars of public money that will be wasted damaging the environment, trampling democracy and wasting the hard earned money of Toronto taxpayers. Haines has the opportunity to reach out, and right the wrongs of his predecessor and the pathetic so-called sister company Toronto Hydro Energy Services which represents just three percent of total revenue for Toronto Hydro and is the source of most of it’s headaches. In the private sector a Chief Executive with deal with a problem like that swiftly considering Toronto Hydro Energy Services total revenue represents a rounding error on the balance sheet. Here’s to hoping Haines will too.

If Haines decides he should be the same as the old boss, I promise him this, we’ll be there to hold you to account, to challenge the inappropriate actions carried out by your organization and will defend our rights, our environment, and our tax dollars as long and with as much intensity as is required to come out on top. On the flip side, should Haines decide to cancel Toronto Hydro Energy Services illegal application, and end their attempts to put a wind factory in what may be the worst site selection on the lake (who builds in front of a cliff when you need wind?) residents would celebrate the move, and thank him for the wise business sense to see that a company whose annual income isn’t even enough to meet it’s own payroll should not be spending $700 million dollars of a sister companies money on a really bad idea that will not pay off in the end.

It seems there are still eco-bullies in high places who know so little about the internet they don’t get why their highly ignorant and insensitive comments get them in hot water. Natural Resources is probably the most inappropriate place for someone to be belittling an individuals moving and painful experience. As such, I hope the comment results in an individual finding themselves removed from the public service. 

First read this post about Barbara Ashbee having to abandon her home due to the health effects of a poorly planned wind project, and then view the totally insensitive comment from some Ottawa based hack who could choose to help residents, but instead decides to mock them. 

Below is the comment the cowardly individual from Natural Resources left. 

Please let me know when the property comes up for sale. Since everyone claims that property values will decrese, I will expect a bargain basement price!

Not only does this person not know how to spell but I checked the IP address of the originator of this comment and lo and behold:
 
OrgName:    Natural Resources Canada
OrgID:      NRC-41
Address:    580 Booth Street
City:       Ottawa
StateProv:  ON
PostalCode: K1A-0E4
Country:    CA

Author : (IP: 132.156.196.29 , 132.156.196.29) E-mail :
URL :
Whois :
http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/whois.pl?queryinput=132.156.196.29

Here is the Wind Concerns Ontario post on this incident. 

Based on my previous writings on Toronto Hydro it’s pretty clear that I do not believe anyone on their executive team has the skill set or intelligence to confidently change a light bulb let alone run the largest utility in the province. While everything Midas touched turned to Gold, it seems everything Toronto Hydro touches turns into an unnecessary legal situation brought on by a unique mix of callousness, ignorance and incompetence. 

These guys have once again breached the privacy of Torontonians, this time through their online billing system. It seems the folks at Toronto Hydro are incapable of working technology if it was developed after 1992 (the internet, wind turbines, adobe – let alone 90 year old hydro poles). 

They knowingly allowed their infrastructure to electrocute and kill people’s family pets, promising to fix that problem over the course of months while more pets needlessly suffered electrocution. They denied kids could be electrocuted until many were one afternoon. They’ve lied left right and centre as part of their illegal application for the installation of an anemometer off the Scarborough Bluffs. They breached hundreds of individuals privacy during that process, and now 179 000 of their client’s private data is breached through their website. 

When their lawyer reviewed my writings on Toronto Hydro’s illegal application, culture of lying and general inability to operate with the slightest bit of competence during a public consultation process – she agreed that the application I had linked to constituted a violation of law, did not dispute any of my charges and merely asked me to change the link to a new illegal application that was missing some of their privacy act violations.

The scary part is these guys are involved in very serious business and clearly well over their heads. 

They’ve already killed people’s family pets, failed to act immediately to prevent further deaths, electrocuted children who were just playing in the streets, committed over three hundred violations of law as part of their anemometer application, and now failed to properly secure their 179 000 client’s private data. If this represents the last few months at Toronto Hydro – what’s next? 

They still have done nothing to address their breach of privacy for the over three hundred individuals including myself affected by their illegal application’s breach of privacy in April. If you’re one of the 179 000 clients whose privacy has been breached, my only words for you with these guys is ‘good luck’.

Toronto Hydro Corporation attracts scandal like sugar attracts ants. 

It’s a good thing they aren’t responsible for the drinking water. 

It isn’t known how the privacy breach occurred this time, but the Toronto Police and the Privacy Commissioner are investigating. 

For more on their latest privacy breach (the second in three months) see the links below:

The reference in the title is, of course, the famous response that saw Snow White chased into the forest by a Queen as shallow about appearing ‘fair’ as Toronto Hydro and the city is about appearing ‘green’.

Just as the Queen in Snow White was not as ‘fair’ as her intended victim  - the eco bullies behind the plan to distrupt, damage and distroy some of the most lasting and beautiful nature that can be found in Toronto – are not nearly as green as those who stand and fight on the side of environmental conservation.

Scarborough as fought to preserve more green space and parkland than any other former municipality in both real and per capita terms.

Scarborough diverts more garbage from landfill per capita than any other former municipality. In fact a former Scarborough landfill saw hundreds of thousands of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours put to work remediating the site and capturing the landfill gases which are now used to generate 26,600,000 kWh or enough power for 2300 homes annually. This happened long before green was the ‘in’ thing and back in the days long before Joyce McLean sold out and when she was an NDP staffer at Queen’s Park. 

Now even while eco bullies were slamming residents who opposed Toronto Hydro’s plans to hurt the environment while trying to build a meritless $700 million project that meets literally no international standards for proper development, and fails to even meet Ontario’s barebones environmental protection – Toronto Hydro came up with the ‘Count me in’ program:

‘Created by Toronto Hydro, the Count Me In Toronto challenge offers Torontonians an innovative and unique way to encourage energy conservation in the City of Toronto. The program will see Toronto’s wards competing against one another in a friendly challenge to determine which ward is the greenest!’ - Count Me In Toronto

Which former municipalities house the top five wards?

1) Scarborough

2) Scarborough

3) Scarborough

4) North York

5) Etobicoke

The best part – George Smitherman’s Toronto Centre ranks 43rd and 44th of 44. Clearly his constituents haven’t gotten the memo he attacks Scarborough for apparently not getting. 

As I’ve said before – Scarborough is by far the greenest former municipality by any measure. Unlike the eco bullies and moneyed interests who stand to make serious dough through their environmental distruction in Scarborough – we do care about the environment, we do our part and we will continue to do so by opposing the illegal application Toronto Hydro Energy Services has put forward. 

My advice for those who seek to tear down my friends and I who oppose this project – walk the walk. Look to your own ways first. Change your light bulbs, turn down the AC, walk, take the TTC, recycle, compost, plant a tree – and stand up and fight for the environment. I know the good people of Scarborough will continue too, and just as we’ve shown time and time again that we are more in tune and in touch with environmental issues – we will once again prove by defeating this bizarre and illegal experiment of Joyce McLean and Jack Simpson’s, that we do have a deeper attachment and a stronger concern about the environment than the double speaking, paid lobbyists who fund those who attack us, and the politicians who’ve sold us down the creek.

While organizations, professionals and politicians may sell their principles, ethics and values for a pay cheque – residents of Scarborough see a higher purpose and will continue to reach for it over the cynicism that sees others peddle faulty logic to defend illegal and otherwise inappropriate applications for projects without merit. 

Finally – I would like to thank Toronto Hydro for recognizing how truly green Scarborough is, and I would like to encourage them to do their part by dismantling Joyce McLean and Jack Simpson’s illegal application before they do any real damage to Scarborough’s environment in their attempt to chase a pay cheque. 

I watched Jack Simpson (for whom it is clear I have nothing but contempt) and Joyce McLean (whose ability to stay employed amazes me) sit quietly and listen, Jack taking notes (hopefully on how to properly run a meeting and treat folks who have an interest). When I lined up for the mic, they both looked at me and exchanged some words together. I smiled – not because I wanted to, but frankly couldn’t help wondering what folks who feel the need to read my blog everyday could possibly be thinking I would say out loud after what I’ve written. This was the only time either acknowledged my presence with Jack trying to be the strong silent type when we made eye contact, and Joyce walking from the fifth row from the bottom of the room, all the way to the top and over and down a different row to avoid me as I spoke to an individual from the Ministry of the Environment about their wrongdoings.

I would be embarrassed too if I was such an ignorant proponent and recognized that my project was entirely undoable and very likely to result in all kinds of legal processes that are going to be both embarrassing and damaging simply because the conduct of two morons who are way above their head (12 meters above their head based on their latest proposal).

But enough about the fools at Toronto Hydro and back to the meeting put on by the Ministry of the Environment as part of the regulation development surrounding the Green Energy Act.

We were asked to give our names and affiliation before our comment, so I introduced myself as ‘John Laforet, a citizen whose rights are being taken away by the Green Energy Act’ and then went on to describe the Scarborough Bluffs project, the total lack of environmental protection, the lying, the illegality, the lack of response to these issues by MNR and the lack of environmental assessment currently required simply because Toronto Hydro is owned by a public entity. Regulation 334 would exempt them from the Environmental Assessment Act entirely. I told the room that this lack of protection and total ignoring of any international standards would make environmental lawyers standing on the side of the environment very rich fighting the folks who want to exploit this lack of protection. I was actually impressed how many people applauded me as we did not stack the room, or even attempt to.

The representative from the Ministry of Natural Resources came up to explain/defend their response and the didn’t really say anything meaningful or committal about proposed regulations or current requirements. I felt the need to respond, and did, by telling him that his Ministry has ignored letters from our lawyer advising them about the illegality of this application, that all of our evidence to this fact has simply been overlooked and that they are both aware and complacent in allowing Toronto Hydro to violate the law and lie. I threw in that even Toronto Hydro’s lawyers do not dispute the characterization of Toronto Hydro’s application as illegal or Joyce McLean or Jack Simpson as liars, I offered the email I have from Toronto Hydro’s lawyer as proof of this.

The MNR guy didn’t respond to that. It should also be noted that Joyce McLean definitely gave me what can only be described as ‘stink eye’. Like someone whose position is totally indefensible and wrong, both she and Jack Simpson did the right thing by sitting down and shutting up. Now if we could only get them to recognize this project is destined to fail and back away quietly.

I spoke to one of the individuals from the Ministry of the Environment on my way out and requested that we be treated as a stakeholder during the development of the offshore setbacks as we have legitimate environmental knowledge it is important to share and no other avenue to date has allowed us to participate properly including the committee hearings. He seemed to feel it was reasonable to engage members of the community in consultation with other stakeholders and I am hopeful we can work cooperatively to mitigate any negative impact irresponsible and ignorant developers like Jack Simpson and Joyce McLean could have on the environment if they and folks like them were the only folks consulted. It is key though that we are heard and part of the discussions that see the proposed regulations developed, and are not just invited to comment once they are developed and in the final stage of formal consultation.

I also shared Toronto Hydro’s failed approach to the Class B environmental assessment with him and now they felt no need to explore impacts on the over half of Toronto’s last remaining natural wetlands within a couple kilometres of their proposed anemometer, the fifty-five known fish populations that live in the Rouge River and presumably find themselves in Lake Ontario not far from where the Rouge lets out near Toronto Hydro’s site, in addition to a total lack of information sharing as part of their failed and illegal consultation period. His response was that he felt like he would be hearing a lot from us, my promise was simple, – yes you will, and if you’re prepared to listen we can work very cooperatively, but we won’t be going away.

The willingness of Ministry of Environment officials to honestly and fully explore the legitimate environmental impacts of near shore wind farm development is a positive breakthrough. If they are committed to this process (and I have every reason to believe they are) they may be able to do what so many of us in Scarborough are trying to do – protect Toronto’s drinking water, a beautiful untouched shoreline full of aquatic life and bird habitat and ensure that renewable energy projects don’t have special permission to carry out environmental damage.

The main thrust of the meeting was about onshore setbacks. Many folks present agreed that a 40 decibel maximum on sound output 550 metres away is reasonable. These are the same regulations in place for a quarry as an example. All wind farm developers, investors and those I will refer to as ‘profiters’ as they derive income from wind power were opposed to any formal, measured setbacks and complained such a setback would prevent their development. None provided any legitimate arguement outside of business case against a measured setback of 550 metres. Folks who live near wind farms and are not engaged or profitting from wind power held a different view and felt that measured setbacks are neccessary. Opinion was split on whether 550 metres was enough and most believed it should be measured from lot line, not dwelling so that they can rightly enjoy full use of their property. Wind Concerns Ontario and many of the thousands of members across Ontario believe a setback of 2KM is required to ensure safety. This is inline with Germany’s 1500 metre setback for on land turbines. Germany has a considerably smaller land mass and appears able to make do with these. 

I think the Ministry of Environment officials did an excellent job tonight and should be congratulated on their meeting. It is my hope that they take the feedback seriously and listen to especially folks who don’t profit from wind power. I do genuinely hope to be able to cooperatively engage with Ministry staff in the setting of offshore setbacks when they begin to develop their regulations on that front, and do believe it would be an opportunity for the professionals (Ministry staff) to step in front of the profane (Minister Smitherman and co.) and ensure that bad statues which make up the Green Energy Act and improved with good regulations.