KAKABEKA FALLS — Several dozen people attended an open house-style information session in Kakabeka Falls Thursday evening to learn more about a multi million-dollar project to upgrade the nearby hydro plant.
The open house was hosted by Ontario Power Generation, and took place at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Kakabeka Falls branch. It featured a number of informational displays set about the main hall, and members of OPG’s project team were on-hand to answer questions from the company’s perspective.
“The community is excited, so the economic benefits to, not only the community, but to the region is going to be great,” said Brian Dietrich, a regional vice president for OPG. “It's supposed to be about 105 jobs created during construction, which is planning to start sometime later this year all the way through 2028.”
OPG is redeveloping the nearly 120 year-old generating station — one of the oldest in Ontario —with the expectation of extending its lifespan by another 90 years. Dietrich said the new technology they will be installing will also allow the station to produce more power.
Gary Ramsdale was one of the area residents who dropped by Thursday’s open house. He currently lives in Thunder Bay, but lived in Conmee Township for years. His main concern, he said, was the restrictions he said OPG puts on people recreationally using the property and the nearby waterway. He said that should be allowed, while still making sure the company’s assets are secure and people don’t get too close to dangerous waters.
“I've been talking to the VP and the project manager, and both of them said they're going to go back and take a good look at it because OPG wants to have a good relationship with the community as well,” Ramsdale said. “That waterway's been there for years, and it's time to allow it to be used again and yet still be safe in terms of security for OPG.”
The project has drawn opposition from Fort William First Nation. Prior to the event, the community posted a statement reiterating its stance, and asked community members to come by the session.
As far as the construction process, Dietrich said there hasn’t been any ground-breaking yet, although the company has conducted archeological investigations and other pre-construction studies.
