The Lower Churchill Project could lead to loss of Sovereignty

Sovereignty you question? Yes Sovereignty!

Unfortunately we voted ourselves out of complete independence when we "joined" Canada. However there is still this little small item remaining that of a province.

You and I have listened to musings of creating one Atlantic Province called Atlantica. Many business people and some politicians have really entertained this.

From a business perspective - many elite billionaires dream about the super province wherein the resources of Newfoundland and particularly Labrador can be stripped from this geography and delivered to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick for processing and wealth. A corporate dream that would see Newfoundlanders and Labradorians flock to work in the Maritime region - leaving the province with no specific purpose other than camps of workers to extract resource after resource and the power to fuel industry will come from Labrador and delivered to the new Maritime business mecca. Almost like Great Britain when it sent fishermen for a season but would not allow settlement.

If you cannot imagine this - then you could not have imagined we would give up our Dominion status and sell-out to the mighty Canada. But - it did happen.

Since that time we have not enjoyed steady population and industrial growth - rather we have had decimation of resource after resource - and the decimation of our rural communities and population of youth.

We have seen naive politicians make deal after deal with global corporations - that always placed the needs of our people last. We have never enjoyed full benefit from any resource we have exploited.

Our history is in the fishery - but the fishery is almost dead - this after turning management over to Ottawa. This was a renewable resource - a food basket of the world - now it is a just a fraction of what it once was. Remember in 1992 it was only to take 10 years to recover - where is that recovery? Where are the 40,000 people it took with it? Where are the communities? Where are the fishplants? Disgrace!

Then there was the mines - the great wealth of minerals - hauled out truck by truck ship by ship train by train to be processed elsewhere - taking the high paying jobs and skilled workers with it. Communities stripped of their wealth without an heritage fund - left with nothing but a polluted place. Disgrace!

Our forestry - almost stripped bare - and then as we finally forced reforestation and sustainable harvesting - we lost the industry it fuelled. Two paper mills gone. Discrace!

Lastly our power - the tremendous Upper Churchill potential lost to generations of our people - nothing to show for it - not industry - not jobs. Where parts of Labrador continue to rely on thermal generation and not an aluminum smelter in sight. 5000 mw's fuelling the Quebec economy and fuelling Hydro-Quebec the most powerful of power companies. For years losing equalization based on revenues we could not even collect.

Now Dunderdale and the Tories feel compelled to export another block of power - this time subsidizing it for Nova Scotia and others - while not delivering this power to all of Labrador - and not one MW for industry in the Big Land. Dunderdale claiming she is willing to listen to real arguments opposed to the Emera giveaway - but as Danny would say "nothing could be further from the truth". Dunderdale drilling down with due diligence so she may be all over a file - she does not have a real clue about.

Tell me something Ms. Dunderdale - who or what is the Atlantica Centre for Energy ?

What of the description:

The Atlantica Centre for Energy is an industry association dedicated to the sustainable growth and economic development of the regional energy sector. Originally centered in southwestern New Brunswick, the Centre's board has expanded to include leading energy professionals and national professional services companies in Maine, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador and Ontario.
The Centre serves as a bridge between corporations and the community to help realize the opportunities associated with the energy sector in Atlantic Canada and the American Northeast. It provides a meeting ground for government, the education and research sectors, and the community at large to foster partnerships and engagement in energy-related issues and policy development.

Who is benefiting from power found in Labrador? Why would that be fuelling an Atlantica vision? How is it we benefit by creating wealth outside our province?

How about their vision for the Lower Churchill found HERE

I can tell you this Premier Dunderdale and Cabinet - what you are doing with the Lower Churchill will make the architects of the Upper Churchill look like patriots to this province and her people. Are you that naive - or are you that involved?

Again I remain amazed at the PC members so willing to become part of this - the worst giveaway in our history - the day we sold our province.

Who does Minister Shawn Skinner work for?

Minister of Natural Resources Shawn Skinner as quoted on a government of Nova Scotia website.

"I am pleased with the approach to work together, discuss issues, and exchange ideas to benefit a strong, united region. I was particularly pleased to discuss the development of Muskrat Falls, which will provide tremendous benefit for the region and indeed the country, and look forward to a continued partnership in support of the development."

"The people of Atlantic Canada will benefit from regional co-operation on energy issues. I am pleased with this spirit of regional co-operation among the provinces. Working together we can strengthen the energy sector, generate more economic activity, create more jobs and lower energy costs across the region."

Okay so I employ Shawn Skinner to aggessively develop Labrador resources so that the region can benefit and become strong and even the country for that matter. And I am also employing him so that we can use Labrador power to lower energy costs in the region. 

I have never witnessed in my adulthood such a skewed mandate and an absolute effort to marginalize one's own province so that other provinces in the region can move industrial development forward on our resources.

Is there anyway to put this politely? Minister Skinner your job is to use Newfoundland and Labrador energy resources to benefit our province - particularly Labrador - and if at all possible make our energy more competitive than our neighbouring provinces so we can attract industry here for our people. 

Your government's insistance on exporting the raw resource of hydropower has left us with little to look forward to. The method you have chosen to export - only makes it that much worse. Emera - a publicly traded Nova Scotian company - vulnerable to takeover by a party - Hydro-Quebec that would benefit them tremendously - all at the cost to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. 

Which Nova Scotian resource are they shipping here to Newfoundland and Labrador to assist us in developing our industries and long term sustainability? 

What Canadian resources are being shipped here to help this province develop?

As Quebec also in many cases fall within our region - what will Quebec be shipping our way? Do you even talk to them and what of your government's promise for redress on the Upper Churchill?

What of the equalization formula which continues to rip away any benefit we will get from our depleting oil resources? We already expect to lose 10 billion or so on that - while Ontario and Quebec benefit?

Why are you down on bended knee for a loan guarantee from Ottawa when they have already stripped a billion a year from us for mismanaged groundfish stocks?

If I were cynical - Minister Skinner - you are speaking like you are a Minister of Atlantica - do you support that concept of joining the four provinces together? I'd like a polygraph on that. 

Keeping our eye on the ball...

On this day of oil frenzy - I am not commenting on until I see the meat - we must keep our eyes on the ball. Lower Churchill Power


First of all most of Sue's Blog readers know I am not a fan of Atlantica. This new corporate version of the 4 Atlantic Provinces - which best I can tell boosts Nova Scotia and New Brunswick first and foremost

Now the latest - seems Newfoundland Power has jumped into energy policy and the Lower Churchill by selling the concept of an Atlantic transmission line to Atlantica participants

Recently Atlantica (AIMS) held a conference where energy was discussed.

Here is what the Newfoundland Power representative said - according to Charles Cirtwill acting president of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies.

Newfoundland Power took that opportunity to outline the significant benefits of the Lower Churchill development. Access to the energy generated by this clean and renewable hydro-electric project could enable provinces and states throughout Atlantica (and beyond) to shift to lower-cost, reliable energy while taking off-line older, and arguably less clean, coal-fired generation capacity.

Cirtwill then adds:

The proposed route for this energy would bring the power via undersea line from Labrador to Newfoundland and then from Newfoundland to New Brunswick. Yes, New Brunswick, not Nova Scotia – despite the fact that Nova Scotia is significantly closer to Newfoundland and that undersea power lines are very expensive. I was curious as to why, so I asked.

It turns out that, first off, "pancaking" of transmission rates (stacking one rate on top of another) would drive up the price of Lower Churchill electricity. Apparently, the longer undersea power line is cheaper than the pancaked rate of running through two provinces. Second, Nova Scotia has only a single connection to the continental grid, increasing the risk of service interruption due to breakdowns or maxing out the capacity of the existing infrastructure; whereas New Brunswick has just upgraded some of its linkages to the grid and is exploring how to do more.

These types of barriers are not only going to keep Lower Churchill electricity from travelling through Nova Scotia (and make it more expensive for consumers than it needs to be even if it goes through New Brunswick), they are also limiting the potential for further expansion of our own renewable energy projects. Proponents argue that the potential for Nova Scotia to become a centre of renewable energy is virtually limitless. They are quick to point out, for example, the innumerable potential locations for wind farms (locations that would not, by the way, require us to put one in Anne Murray’s, or anyone else’s, backyard).

The problem is, they have limited ability to ship the power off once they generate it; and even if they could send it along to market, pancaking and other inefficiencies guarantee them a higher cost product when it comes time to sell it to you and me.

Atlantica isn’t just about ports and roads and bridges. Saint John is fast becoming an energy hub. Nova Scotia, indeed all of Atlantica, needs to be seriously exploring the potential of becoming a sustainable energy gateway.

First of all Atlantica is not real - however when AIMS makes such declarations we should be looking behind doors or under beds because a bogeyman is close. Cirtwill speaks of the Atlantica concept in such real terms - you and I are left to wonder why our Premier has not told us about the deal yet. Or whether Williams even knows the discussions are taking place in Halifax on Newfoundland and Labrador resources and the benefits it can bring other provinces and states.

This is however the hangover of presenting the Lower Churchill as an export project designed to help everybody else where their economies or environmental problems or industry woes. This type of talk - which is essentially other provinces divvying up our power before we develop it - is because Danny Williams will not treat this power potential with the same level of detail and protection "accorded" to oil and gas.

Now if all this is not enough - the Atlantica ghost held another preach-in called "Reaching Atlantica: Business Without Borders" 2006 in Saint John - New Brunswick.

According to a story in the Telegraph-Journal - Tim Curry director of the Atlantica Centre for Energy had this to say during that get-together:

"It's an energy age and people are going to be increasingly mindful about the diversity and security of energy sources.."

"It doesn't matter what you're doing. If you're going to plunk money down to build a manufacturing plant or any other business that is critically dependent on a source of energy, then you're going to look long and hard at the energy regime in the area where you are looking..."

"If you don't have both secure and diverse energy supplies, you're not going to invest. Not anymore."

Well you can't say it better than that - if you want manufacturing - smelters - heavy industry - you use power (energy) to attract them. If we export the Lower Churchill then what?

By the way what information does Newfoundland Power have on all the transmission route potentials - that we the people do not have. Will Fortis be the one to build and operate the transmission grid for exports? Is that the private sector Williams alluded to recently?

Clearly the discussion of Lower Churchill Power is very public and open in Ontario - New Brunswick - and Nova Scotia - not here! Clearly the only reason it is being discussed is the anticipation that other Provinces and States might get their hands on this superior renewable power supply.

And again - our media asks nothing.

If one wanted to be a dictator - there's no better place than Newfoundland and Labrador to fulfill that personal need for "power".