Meaford’s shores, the present tariff war may actually kick-start a multi-billion-dollar project here. As Prime Minister Mark Carney aims to make Canada an energy superpower, the Ontario Government is advancing pre-development work for Ontario Pumped Storage (OPS) developed in partnership by TC Energy (TCE) and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON). It would be built on the 18,000-acre 4th Canadian Division Training Centre in the Municipality of Meaford. The project is expected to bring long term benefits to SON as well as to the Municipality. “There’s a pumped storage plant at Niagara Falls, Ontario, and another in Niagara Falls, New York. Tells me this is neither new nor a threat to tourism,” notes Mayor Ross Kentner. “What TC Energy has done, however, will probably double the original cost estimate to ensure that what is built on Georgian Bay is stateof-the-art technology.” Mayor Kentner sees Meaford playing a role in Canada’s clean energy future. He recounts, “We consider ourselves part of the Clean Energy Frontier which includes Huron, Bruce and Grey Counties. “You can’t ‘turn down’ a nuclear plant, but you can store surplus energy to maximize the benefit of your nuclear fleet.” THE SCIENCE OF TOMORROW The municipality’s proximity to Bruce Power also opens up potential as a hub for medical isotopes, a byproduct of nuclear energy. “I believe that the future for Meaford will largely be in the clean energy and medical innovation sectors. We’re really wellpositioned for that,” according to the mayor. “When you combine the medical isotope applications with the pumped storage infrastructure, and our hospital network, I see an important niche for Meaford in the jobs of the future.” The Meaford hospital is part of the Brightshores Health System, a six-hospital consortium, centred in the adjacent City of Owen Sound where it also operates a Wellness and Recovery Centre and a Research Institute. “A lot of towns the size of Meaford don’t have a hospital,” Kentner says.“We had 19,182 day-surgeries last year including cataracts, endoscopy and orthopedics; over 14,000 emergency visits; 11,300 radiology procedures; 587,000 lab 163 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08 MEAFORD, ON
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx