Letter to the editor: Northern support for the NextBridge transmission project

To the editor:

Open letter to the Ontario Energy Board,

We are writing on behalf of the Quad Council; a Northern Ontario political alliance that represents the municipalities of Red Rock, Nipigon, Dorion and the Red Rock Indian Band to provide a collective voice on issues impacting our regional communities.

This letter is to formally express our disappointment in your decision to allow Hydro One to disrupt the positive status of the East West Tie transmission project.

We are also officially declaring our unanimous support for the NextBridge proposal and its Supercom partners including the six First Nations of Fort William First Nation, Red Rock Indian Band, Pays Plat First Nation, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, Pic Mobert First Nation and Michipicoten First Nation.

The decision to allow the Hydro One hearing puts the entire transmission project in jeopardy, as well as the connected employment and business opportunities that our communities have spent significant time and resources preparing for. The people, communities and socio-economic health of Northwestern Ontario are relying on this project to meet its scheduled construction and in-service commitments. This is a priority project for Ontario but it is of even greater significance to our regionally impacted communities.

The merits of the NextBridge proposal are clear. The company and its partners have undertaken comprehensive consultation and engagement processes with our communities to develop the required trust and relationships to ensure the project is successfully delivered.

Moreover, the NextBridge proposal respects and accommodates the individual and collective needs of the impacted municipalities and First Nations. Specifically, the NextBridge proposal will bypass certain municipalities in order to minimize town centre intrusion and any threats to existing economic plans. The company has agreed to make these project accommodations despite the resulting planning and cost increases because they understand that constricting the future growth of our municipalities would have a much more significant cost to Northwestern Ontario and the province over the longer-term.

It is our opinion that NextBridge has visionary leadership, a collaborative corporate culture, and a strategic project approach that is unmatched by any of its competitors. This will result in a feasible, successful and sustainable transmission project that achieves the desired outcomes of all stakeholders.

We urge you to dismiss the Hydro One application and to set dates for the LTC hearing, not only as a commitment to fair process in Ontario but so that the economic impact of the project can be promptly realized.

Sincerely,

Gary Nelson, Mayor of Red Rock,
RichardHarvery, Mayor of Nipigon,
Ed Chambers, REEV of Dorion,
Chief Matt Dupuis, Red Rock Indian Band