Portlands Energy Centre deal signed

On Monday, the Portlands Energy Centre announced that they had signed a deal with the Province to begin construction of the 550 MW power plant.  Transcanada issued its own press release as well.  This was widely reported in the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Sun, the National Post and others.

This certainly makes the battle against the plant more difficult, with the CBC already announcing that the fight has already been lost.  Keep in mind though, that the Spadina expressway was halted in mid-construction, as residents realized the full significance of what was being forced upon them.  I asked the Environment Ministry for an elevation to a full Environmental Assessment, and was denied.  Today, I sent a letter appealing that decision to the Minister of the Environment. [Update: also denied.] We can bring in the Ombudsman.  We also have options under the Environmental Bill of Rights.  And we can always engage in acts of civil disobedience.  But there’s no doubt that the task of fighting off the plant just got much harder.

Councillor Paula Fletcher and MPP Peter Tabuns have requested that details of the deal be revealed under the Freedom of Information Act.