Ford breaks promise to stop Bala Falls hydro project due to legal costs

Doug Ford stood in front of the hydro plant construction site last October and committed to putting an end to it when he got elected. Wednesday he said it would cost the government too much money.

BALA — Supporters of Muskoka’s two-hospital model ought to be worried now that Doug Ford has reneged on his promise to stop the Bala Falls hydro project.

Wednesday in Milton, in response to a question about his promise, the premier said he was going to have to break his promise to the people of Bala who re-elected his Tory party representative in June’s election, Norm Miller.

Ford has said for many months, before and after the election, he would put an end to construction now well underway.

Matt Richter, the Green Party of Ontario spokesperson — and 2018 candidate for Parry Sound Muskoka— made the following statement in response to news that Doug Ford is breaking his campaign promise on Bala Falls:

“In his bid to become leader, Ford misled the community of Muskoka Lakes, telling them what they wanted to hear in order to harvest votes, rather than having an honest conversation about what could reasonably be done.

“The Liberals put corporate profits ahead of community interests with the Green Energy Act. They should have followed international best practices for community ownership of renewable energy projects like we’ve seen in Denmark and Germany, where locals have input and share in the benefits.

“Instead of making populist campaign promises to stop projects in their tracks, Ford should have been honest with people and offered to work with them to negotiate the best profit-sharing deal for their community.”

Ford did announce $5 million last week to study water issues in Muskoka, specifically mentioning efforts to keep flow levels over the north dam in Bala at levels intended to kept and attract tourism to the tiny Muskoka village.

This alls comes following a story in the Toronto Star Wednesday about the Save The Bala Falls grassroots group.

Ford was asked Aug. 28 about his promise to scrap the Bala Falls hydro project today at an unrelated announcement in Milton, says a news release from savethefalls.

It says Ford claimed cancelling the project would cost at least $20 million dollars, and blamed the Ontario Liberals for the problem.

The Bala group’s release says that “For over a month Save the Bala Falls has been trying to secure a meeting with senior officials in Premier Ford’s office, who have been told that the group has found opportunities to cancel this project without incurring any legal liability.”

According to them, Ford officials have refused to even hear the ideas.

“Doug Ford and his team chose to sell out the people of Bala instead of keeping his promise,” the release goes on.

“His excuse that Ontarians could be forced to pay $20 million dollars or more to cancel the project is not only untrue, but would represent a savings of $80 million dollars to ratepayers over the 40 year agreement,” said groups spokesperson Mitchell Shnier.

Save the Bala Falls says it has offered opportunities to Ford’s teams that would “save ratepayers $2 billion dollars over 40 years and add $170 million to the provincial treasury, helping him keep his promise to lower hydro bills, cancel the Balls Falls project and also reduce the province’s deficit.”

Shriner added: “It sadly seems that premier Ford and Norm Miller are far more interested in the opinions of the elites and Ontario Liberal Party mega donors than they are in the opinions, interests and ideas of everyday Ontarians.

“We are stunned that they’ve refused to hear ideas that would allow them to keep their promises and save hydro customers over $2 billion dollars. It isn’t credible that Ford’s team is so busy, no one can come up with 30 minutes to even listen.”

Save the Bala Falls says it will continue to fight to kill this project and will be pressuring Ford to keep his promise, “listen to the opportunities to save ratepayers billions of dollars and will use every tool at our disposal to do so.”

Shriner said: “If Doug Ford chooses to turn his back on his promise to Bala, he will own this broken promise personally.

“It will be Doug Ford’s fault when this hydro development damages our local economy. It will be Doug Ford’s fault when someone drowns due to the safety issues this project is likely to create.

“He can choose to do the right thing, or he can continue to be in bed with the proponent, an elite, Ontario Liberal Party mega donor. The choice is his.”