The role of the Township Watch committee is to:
- Attend council meetings regularly as well as the district council
- Report on ongoing issues
- Monitor changes in the township by-laws and regulations.
What happened in the Township - October 2011
The Muskoka Ratepayers’ Association has been monitoring the Green Energy Hydro Project in Bala for 6 years now. The Provincial Government chose Swift River Energy Limited to build the Plant and a contract was signed. For several years Option No. 1 discussions were held with our Municipality, the District, and various interest groups, including the Muskoka Ratepayers’. The result of these deliberations was an agreement to offer a second site (Option No. 2), which would be less intrusive, more aesthetically pleasing, and user friendly. Then came last year’s election and with it a new mayor and several councillors who vowed to stop the project at any cost.
Until now, the Muskoka Ratepayers’ has not taken a public position on this project. However, after all these years, we are pleased that a decision to move forward has finally been made. Although we would have preferred Option No. 2, we understand the decision to build the less desirable Option No. 1, since the Mayor and Council have managed to make all the lands necessary for Option No. 2 unavailable.
We hope this decision will allow our council to move on from the issue of Bala Falls and start to deal with the many other concerns that exist throughout the Township.
We invite and encourage you to tell us how you feel about all this.
You can contact us at:
Muskoka Ratepayers’ Association
Box 336, Port Carling,
Ontario, P0B 1J0
Email: muskokaratepayers@vianet.ca
Or call: 705-765-0022
Last Updated: November 18, 2011