Bala Falls and Dubai Foolishness

If Dubai with all it's money can't get it together to develop without dumping raw sewage into the ocean what hope is there for us here in Ontario to live sustainable lives and retain a clean environment? It took members of the local yacht club to notice a growing stench around the local beaches to raise awareness of the problem in Saudi Arabia. Clearly money is not the necessary factor that motivates good stewardship of resources. There are other factors that prompt us to behave differently than we might otherwise, and help shape a cleaner living space.

Here in Muskoka one of the only common rights left to all is the right to use our lakes freely as we choose- inside a few non intrusive parameters like speed limits, fishing and noise restrictions, conditions of sobriety among others. This particular right shapes what being in Muskoka is all about. We are generally here for recreation. To take in the beauty of the lake and the surrounding community which shares it. The harnessing of these waters for the creation of energy has to be framed in the general common use of these waters by all of us.

One of my concerns about the proposed project in Bala in the rebuilding of the power plants is the notion that the resulting energy production will benefit a private few who are developing it. Surely the green energy that can be reaped from our waters should be for the benefit of all who have a stake in the waters that flow. Lakeland Power, a local suppler of energy is owned by the municipalities of Bracebridge and Huntsville. Swift Energy, the developer of the Bala project on the other hand, is owned by a few individuals, perhaps cottage owners on the lake- who knows.

If we are going to mess with our lake levels and reap some energy let it be ourselves doing the tinkering and for the common good......