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People will soon be free to see Chaudière Falls, even if the falls won’t be freed.
The distinction represents the difference between the installation of three new, publicly-accessible viewing platforms — as part of a massive construction project now underway — and the complete removal of a ring dam that has been in place for more than a hundred years.
Activists want the dam gone completely in order to restore a sacred First Nations meeting site and allow fish and other aquatic life to travel freely and thrive.
But Hydro Ottawa has a different plan.
On Monday, the utility showed off the construction pit currently being transformed into a new, 29-megawatt hydroelectric generating facility. Scheduled to open in 2017, the new, $150-million plant will feed into the provincial grid and power 20,000 homes annually without blocking views of the Ottawa River (because it is being built below ground). It is to feature three viewing platforms and a new bridge across the intake channel for pedestrians and cyclists.
“This is a great opportunity for us to give back to the City of Ottawa and the City of Gatineau their waterfront,” said Bryce Conrad, Hydro Ottawa’s CEO. “People will be able to walk down here, see these falls in all their grand splendour, ride their bikes, walk around, and celebrate the Algonquin heritage as well.”
Drawings of the site show plans for what’s being called a First Nations plaza, overlooking the falls. Conrad said Hydro Ottawa has been discussing its plans for the area of commemoration with the Algonquins of Ontario, an organization that represents 10 Algonquin communities and that is currently working to reach a settlement of the Algonquin land claim.
“We’ve signed an MOU (memorandum-of-understanding) with them to provide jobs, training opportunities, some cultural impact stuff, but we look at this as a long-term partnership with the Algonquins of Ontario and we’re exploring some other commercial opportunities with them as well,” Conrad said.
Lynn Clouthier, who represents the Ontario Algonquins living in Ottawa, praised Hydro Ottawa for its plans to open up the sacred site. “It has been industrialized, that’s not about to change, but we can make it better. We can still have people close to the water, we can have people in contact with the actual water from which the energies and spirits are generated,” she said.
Outside Hydro Ottawa’s gates, however, protesters Joanna McMillan and Luc-Anne Salm, waved placards in opposition.
They decried a lack of broad consultation and called Hydro Ottawa’s previous suggestion that water levels would rise dramatically if the dam was removed a “scare tactic.” The pair also raised concerns about fish habitat, including the American eel.
Hydro Ottawa says its plans include incorporating solutions to protect the migrating eel and noted new spawning beds are being built downstream.
The company is also supportive of Windmill Developments’ ambition development plan for the adjacent Domtar lands, a 37-acre site on Chaudière Island and nearby Quebec shoreline.
mpearson@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/mpearson78
查看原文...
The distinction represents the difference between the installation of three new, publicly-accessible viewing platforms — as part of a massive construction project now underway — and the complete removal of a ring dam that has been in place for more than a hundred years.
Activists want the dam gone completely in order to restore a sacred First Nations meeting site and allow fish and other aquatic life to travel freely and thrive.
But Hydro Ottawa has a different plan.
On Monday, the utility showed off the construction pit currently being transformed into a new, 29-megawatt hydroelectric generating facility. Scheduled to open in 2017, the new, $150-million plant will feed into the provincial grid and power 20,000 homes annually without blocking views of the Ottawa River (because it is being built below ground). It is to feature three viewing platforms and a new bridge across the intake channel for pedestrians and cyclists.
“This is a great opportunity for us to give back to the City of Ottawa and the City of Gatineau their waterfront,” said Bryce Conrad, Hydro Ottawa’s CEO. “People will be able to walk down here, see these falls in all their grand splendour, ride their bikes, walk around, and celebrate the Algonquin heritage as well.”
Drawings of the site show plans for what’s being called a First Nations plaza, overlooking the falls. Conrad said Hydro Ottawa has been discussing its plans for the area of commemoration with the Algonquins of Ontario, an organization that represents 10 Algonquin communities and that is currently working to reach a settlement of the Algonquin land claim.
“We’ve signed an MOU (memorandum-of-understanding) with them to provide jobs, training opportunities, some cultural impact stuff, but we look at this as a long-term partnership with the Algonquins of Ontario and we’re exploring some other commercial opportunities with them as well,” Conrad said.
Lynn Clouthier, who represents the Ontario Algonquins living in Ottawa, praised Hydro Ottawa for its plans to open up the sacred site. “It has been industrialized, that’s not about to change, but we can make it better. We can still have people close to the water, we can have people in contact with the actual water from which the energies and spirits are generated,” she said.
Outside Hydro Ottawa’s gates, however, protesters Joanna McMillan and Luc-Anne Salm, waved placards in opposition.
They decried a lack of broad consultation and called Hydro Ottawa’s previous suggestion that water levels would rise dramatically if the dam was removed a “scare tactic.” The pair also raised concerns about fish habitat, including the American eel.
Hydro Ottawa says its plans include incorporating solutions to protect the migrating eel and noted new spawning beds are being built downstream.
The company is also supportive of Windmill Developments’ ambition development plan for the adjacent Domtar lands, a 37-acre site on Chaudière Island and nearby Quebec shoreline.
mpearson@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/mpearson78
查看原文...
