From: mike [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: May-24-15 ...

From: Carrie Sykes To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: GreenBug Energy @ Baysville Dam Date: May-25-15 10:07:22 AM Attachments: image001.png
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Carrie Sykes, Dipl.M.A., CMO
TOWNSHIP OF LAKE OF BAYS | Director of Corporate Services/Clerk 1012 Dwight Beach Road | DWIGHT, ON P0A 1H0 Tel: (705) 635-2272 x 236| Toll Free: 1-877-566-0005 |Fax: (705) 635-2132 www.lakeofbays.on.ca
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From: mike [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: May-24-15 10:45 PM To: Carrie Sykes Cc: Rob Horton Subject: GreenBug Energy @ Baysville Dam Hi Carrie, Hope all is well. I am following up on a post that "Stop GreenBug Energy" added to our Muskoka River X Facebook page promoting the opposition of the development of a hydro dam. Also, they suggested that the dam would result in people not being able to portage around the dam in Baysville. I did take a look at the documents posted for your May 26th meeting which I unfortunately cannot attend. There was nothing in the presentation that specifically indicated that land/water access would be limited or obstructed by the proposed project (image below copied from the presentation) therefore I can only assume that the project would not interfere with paddlers using the portage route that the MRX accesses, which exits at the town docks with the put in at the parking lot below the dam. Question: Would the West side location result in a decommissioning of the parking lot and thus a closure of the portage route? Personally, I am supportive of environmentally friendly energy projects however would voice concerns if the GreenBug project obstructed paddlers from being able to safely portage around the dam. If this would be the case, the project would destroy the heritage paddling route along the Muskoka River, a route that has documented history into the early 1800's and obviously would be the end of the Muskoka River X. The Muskoka River, as a direct result of the Muskoka River X has increasingly become know around the Province as a destination to paddle, has received international attention as a premier paddling route, and has drawn tourists and competitors from around the world to Muskoka. I personally view environmentally friendly and sustainable energy as positive projects. That said, these are private for-profit initiatives that should not obstruct and/or interfere with the safe access and use of water ways such as the Muskoka River paddling route. I am seeking perspective on this from an educated source as opposed to making assumptions without the facts. "Stop GreenBug Energy" directed questions to your email address therefore your professional advice and points of clarification on this issues would be appreciated. Sincerely, Mike Varieur
Mike Varieur, Race Director 256 Swallowdale Road Huntsville, Ontario, P1H-0A5 [email protected] / 705-349-2566 www.MuskokaRiverX.com
Muskoka River X: The Longest Single-Day Expedition Paddling Race in the World Classic ~ 130km / 1 Day Coureur des Bois ~ 220km / 2 Days Canoe/Kayak/SUP - Solo/Tandem/Relay September 10-13, 2015
Big East X: 40km Marathon Paddling Race Canoe/Kayak/SUP June 20, 2015
2014 OMCKRA RACE OF THE YEAR
From: Carrie Sykes To: kim laframboise Cc: Samantha Woods Subject: RE: Interesting FACTS - addition to my First impressions of Greenbug Energy Date: May-28-15 8:07:15 AM Attachments: image001.png
Good Morning Kim, Thank you for your email. I see that you have already forwarded your correspondence onto Council. I will include your correspondence on the next Council Meeting agenda for the record. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you,
From: kim laframboise Sent: May-27-15 7:30 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: Fwd: Interesting FACTS - addition to my First impressions of Greenbug Energy
I felt compelled to highlight to you the following excerpts from a report to the Council of Hanover regarding GreenBug and their proposal. Refer to attached you can find this report on www.hanover.ca/file-download/id/LHvJ8tojgITfK8UVEULtqg Pdf [March 23, 2015 Council.pdf - Hanover] The report is North Vista Advisors , March , 2015 Interestingly the comments on Page 10 note that "the duel screws would have a large visual footprint, Greenbug did not provide drawings for scale, but North Vista anticipates that the screw arrangements will be ~ 10 m (33 feet wide). This will require significant civil works to protect and support the mass of the turning screws under full water load. .....the design and space requirements will increase the cost/kw of capacity.... Greenbugs extra cost /kw does not have a corresponding energy or revenue benefit. The footprint of the facility will also be an "aesthetic" consideration since the project is located in a park setting.
I urge you to reconsider the proposal .. Get the facts and really do the research on Greenbug they are looking for a commitment for the fit program that best suits them. If they are serious we can wait another year and not be presured into deadlines where we have to make a " commitment" and if we decide to back out later .. Well that's for the lawyers .
Kimberly Laframboise Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: kim laframboise Date: May 27, 2015 at 11:27:04 AM EDT To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, Subject: Interesting FACTS - addition to my First impressions of Greenbug Energy
I felt compelled to highlight to you the following excerpts from a report to the Council of Hanover regarding GreenBug and their proposal. Refer to attached you can find this report on www.hanover.ca/file-download/id/LHvJ8tojgITfK8UVEULtqg Pdf [March 23, 2015 Council.pdf - Hanover] The report is North Vista Advisors , March , 2015 Interestingly the comments on Page 10 note that "the duel screws would have a large visual footprint, Greenbug did not provide drawings for scale, but North Vista anticipates that the screw arrangements will be ~ 10 m (33 feet wide). This will require significant civil works to protect and support the mass of the turning screws under full water load. .....the design and space requirements will increase the cost/kw of capacity.... Greenbugs extra cost /kw does not have a corresponding energy or revenue benefit. The footprint of the facility will also be an "aesthetic" consideration since the project is located in a park setting.
From: To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; Subject: First impressions of Greenbug Energy Date: Wed, 27 May 2015 10:47:33 -0400
I wanted to provide you with my first impressions of Greenbug Energy concerning several presentations they have made to town councils in Muskoka. Of note, I just sat in the back and listened to how they presented and how they responded to questions as well as questions raised by the public to be as impartial as possible.
First, Greenbug is very naïve to how the EA process works, often wanting to forgo the public process. Furthermore, they did not demonstrate an understanding of the complexity of landownership, MNRF rights (other than getting a portion of the profit), the District of Muskoka's rights (structures and equipment that are part of these dams, blasting etc.) other than profit to the local township. While they have an interesting idea, their presentation lacked professionalism and detail about the type and scope of the projects they proposed…a must when pitching to perspective investors!
They have no proven record of accomplishment for these types of projects. Only two “they say” they have built. Actually only one is built - you can see the video on their website (a small one), the others are still in the EA process. My background research reviled that these are all recent
"proposals" 2015. None have actually been approved under the Class EA process and there are no environmental reports, hydrological reports, or final documents (monitoring reports) for any of their projects which demonstrate the issues or concerns consultants, peer reviewers, MNRF, DFO, or councils have raised, and how they propose to mitigate them.
I find it disconcerting that they could not provide one photograph, one artist’s rendition, or concept plan other than a vague diagram. While everyone deserves a starting point, they did not instill confidence in what they are proposing, not even fully explaining the footprint and scale of the buildings and how many or the size of the Archimedes screw they would install at each site. As you know the sites of Port Sydney, Brunel Locks and Baysville are all very different. I urge you to search “archimedes screw” images. I have provided a few to help you envision what it might look like. One might ask why did they not have any of these? This is because it was a strategic tactic by Greenbug, and shows their incompetence. I am also happy to provide web links of my background (impartial) research.
I have posted these pictures on the Stop the Bayville Facebook site. This does not by any means that I am for nor against the hydroelectric concept of the Archimedes screw. I am only providing them to you to give a visual so that you may provide these to your public (those who cannot use the internet), a visual that Greenbug deliberately choose not to include.
Sincerely,
Please see the email below. Thank you,
Caution: This email is confidential and is intended only for the person(s) named above. Its contents may also be protected by privilege, and all rights to privilege are expressly claimed and not waived. If you have received this email in error, please call us immediately and destroy the entire email. If this email is not intended for you any reading, distribution, copying or disclosure of this email is strictly prohibited. From: Dan Shilt ] Sent: May-28-15 5:29 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: Baysville Dam Hydro Project Ms. Sykes: I am a seasonal resident of Lake of Bays located off South Portage Rd. My current position on the Hydro Project at the Baysville Dam is currently neutral. I do not have an objection to the project if the following concerns are met: - The project does not negatively impact the finances of the Town of Lake of Bays. - The project does not result in lower lake levels on Lake of Bays during the summer months. - The project does not significantly impact the beauty of the Baysville Dam site. - Any resulting noise from the routine operation of the project cannot be heard beyond the shores of the river. - The project does not pose any safety hazard to the residents of the area, plus wild life and water fowl. Dan Shilt
Huntsville, ON P1H2J3
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: Dam in Baysville Date: May-29-15 8:56:51 AM
-----Original Message----- From: wibryer Sent: May-28-15 7:52 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: Dam in Baysville Hi Carrie I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to add my name to the pile of folks undecided about the Baysville Dam proposal. I was not able to attend the session last night in Baysville, but I have read the proposal and I think there are a number of questions and concerns that need answered before we as a community agree to the project. I don’t feel it is appropriate to have anything move to a vote until many questions are answered not the least of which are water level control, financial impact to the local community, long term operational risk/commitment/fallout to the township should the company making the proposal disappear.. Just believe that its too premature. Thats it for now and have a great night Bill Bryer 1016 Browns Lane Baysville, Ontario P0B 1A0
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: Hydro Project at Baysville Dam, Date: June-01-15 9:21:11 AM
From: Liz Smith Subject: Hydro Project at Baysville Dam, Date: May 29, 2015 at 4:17:25 PM EDT To: Terry Glover <[email protected]> Cc: Ian Smith Reply-To: Liz Smith Lake of Bays of Township Council and Residents, My name is Liz Smith, living on Fairy Falls Road and I have been a year round resident of Baysville since July 2009. Prior to that I had been a year round weekend resident on Heney Lake Road, a few properties down from the dam since 1991. Having attended the presentation on Tuesday 26 May at the Baysville Community Centre I would like to make the following observations/suggestions: Half a dozen rotating photos of similar projects of varying sizes in Europe would have educated the audience as they awaited the presentation and reduced the "fear element" of what the village would be taking on. As the size of the system proposed is known, I recall 280kW being mentioned, then the audience could have been presented with a variety of sketches showing the varying building sizes that would have been needed to accommodate the turbines and the varying options for numbers of screws and their diameters to produce that amount of electricity. The number and diameter of screws would govern the intake size which could then also be incorporated into the sketches. Each sketch could then show a different possible finishing for the building, whether it be red brick, wood barn, pioneer cottage - as the final look is apparently an infinitesimal cost. As far as the village is concerned, perhaps the dam and Archimedes screw system (if properly designed for public viewing) coupled with the re-opening of the access from one side of the dam to the other ( which will obviously involve MNR input and approval) could become a tourist attraction. We heard how these projects are widespread in Europe (as that is a resource poor part of our globe) but that they are just starting to be considered here in North America - why not use this opportunity and have our village be part of harnessing this emerging technology? On the other hand, the uncertainty of the future of Hydro One concerns me. The present corporation could award a FIT contract and so the process of design, development and installation take it's course - but 3 or 5 years down the road, the new owners of the Hydro One network could, perhaps, renege on the contract - and then where would everything stand? In closing, I am not for or against this proposal at this stage, but I think that we should all consider this potential change with regard to its' both short and long term effect on our village and its' development. Sincerely, Liz Smith Sincerely, Liz Smith
Please include on the agenda Thank you,
Caution: This email is confidential and is intended only for the person(s) named above. Its contents may also be protected by privilege, and all rights to privilege are expressly claimed and not waived. If you have received this email in error, please call us immediately and destroy the entire email. If this email is not intended for you any reading, distribution, copying or disclosure of this email is strictly prohibited. From: Scott Lillow Sent: May-21-15 5:04 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: Baysville hydro electric dam proposal Please accept this message to register my support for the proposed micro hydro electric system in Baysville, prior to the special council meeting to be on May 26. I am in favor of the proposal as it will provide sustainable green electricity for the forseeable future, benefit all parties involved, and have limited impact on the dam site or the community. As Hydro One moves to privatize the generation and delivery of electricity in the province Ontario, projects like this become increasingly important, and as such should be viewed as a win-win for all stakeholders. Finally, GreenBug Energy is to be commended for their initiative with the project, and congratulated on their 12+ micro-hydroelectric currently in operation. Sincerely, Scott Lillow MBA Baysville Ontario
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: Baysville Dam Date: May-29-15 9:00:31 AM
-----Original Message----- From: John or Lynn Murden Sent: May-28-15 2:37 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: Baysville Dam Hi Carrie, I am sending you my comments on the Baysville Dam. I couldn’t attend the meeting the other night but wanted to voice my thoughts. I personally think this is a great Idea. I don’t feel that this project would in anyway be an eyesore to the town. In my option the dam is kind of ugly anyway. The location of the building at the east side will give that concrete barrier wall some character. I have been asking myself for years, why aren’t we utilizing more hydro power instead of steam and nuclear power generation. I think it is the perfect fit and after a few months no one will even notice it there. I am 2 thumbs up for the project. John Murden, Baysville, 1002 Earth Park Rd.
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: Greenbug Energy Proposal Date: May-29-15 9:08:08 AM
From: Sue Arbeau Sent: May-28-15 8:11 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: Greenbug Energy Proposal Hi Carrie, Please include me as in favour based on the following. 8/05/2015 Green Energy Proposal for Baysville Dam. Baysville, why it even exists. The original Baysville dam was a stone weir built in the 1800’s to channel the flow from the Muskoka river to create water “power” for the lumber mill at the West side of the river. The second Baysville dam was a wooden crib style dam to raise the level of the reservoir (Lake of Bays) to provide additional water “power” through a water turbine to provide “power to additional lumber mill capacity and a grist mill. These were the enterprises that created the town of Baysville, had these enterprises not been established by our pioneer entrepreneurs then the Town of Baysville would not even exist as it is today, the area would be a crossroads in Muskoka. The third Baysville dam was built in the early 1960’s because the first two dams had created the additional shoreline of Lake of bays and resulted in an increase in cottage properties, value and usage that it was not possible to remove the dam to its original watercourse. The first proposal I saw for Hydro Generation at this site was shown to me by Phil Cote (councillor LOB) around 10 years ago, he let me borrow it to read, I liked it. This was before Green Energy FIT Program. As I recall. -There would be one building constructed down steam on the East side of the river on TWP property - It would be constructed in “Muskoka” style - There would be no other building, the dam itself would remain in-situ with no changes to its structure - Underground penstocks would be buried at the East end of the dam to the Generation Building - Generator Discharge would be underground back into the river - Manually maintaining seasonal dam flows by adding or removing logs would be much better controlled or eliminated - Historical flows over the dam would be maintained for scenic purposes - If insufficient water flows due to drought or low run-off then the plant would be shut down - Electric transmission lines would be buried to the point of connection to Hydro grid
Yours very truly, Wayne Arbeau
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: Electrical power from Baysville Dam Date: May-29-15 9:13:10 AM
From: david Morrison Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2015 8:08 PM To: Michelle Percival Subject: Electrical power from Baysville Dam We fully support pursuing the generation of electricity from the dam in Baysville. With the solar program well on it's way and this opportunity, Baysville will be well on it's way towards being environmentally responsible. David Morrison Margaret Morrison 1395 Dickie Lake Rd From Morrison IPAD
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: power project at Baysville Date: May-29-15 9:26:22 AM
From: anne Sherry [ Sent: May-28-15 9:59 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: power project at Baysville
Hi We attended the meeting Tuesday nite at Baysville. We found it very informative. we just want to let you know that we agree completely with putting in that power system at the Baysville Dam. People need to look at the BIGGER Picture of how we can help to go green. We think the screw should be placed on the west side of the dam so that it is not close to the residents homes thank you Bob and Anne Sherry Dickie Lake Baysville
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: Baysville Hydro project Date: June-01-15 9:26:04 AM
From: Michael Amosow Sent: May-30-15 3:12 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: Baysville Hydro project Hello, though I do not reside in Baysville, I am in LOB. I would like to express my support of this proposal by Green Bug Energy. at this stage, it appears to be a very good idea. I do have some sympathy for the direct neighbours of the dam, however these situations occur often and we must look beyond the "not in my backyard" attitude before deciding whether it is ultiamately a go or not... -- Thanks,
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From: Michele Keeler [ Sent: May-19-15 9:51 PM To: Carrie Sykes; [email protected]; [email protected]; Robert Young (External) Subject: Keeler Opposition - Baysville Dam - Micro Hydro-Electric Proposal Importance: High Good evening all. To our absolute horror, it has come to our attention through several concerned Baysville residents that there will be a council meeting to receive and review a proposal from Greenburg Energy to develop a Micro Hydro-Electric System beside the Baysville Dam on May 26th, 2015. A Micro Hydro-Electric System beside OUR newly built little cottage. Beside what we “believe” is our future nest egg. Our property values in the area would be hugely compromised by the construction of such a large industrial building and cause change to the flow of the water forever at the Dam. From what we have read and reviewed, the end result would be a very small financial gain, for a very large loss of the beauty and rights to the Baysville Dam – for it’s visitors and property owners – forever. To begin – we have to say that we feel extremely alarmed that we, owning the property right beside the dam at 1026 Heney Lake Road, property owners who are certainly the “most” impacted by any change, were not notified by the Township in any way of this proposal or meeting. We did not receive a letter, an email or a call from the Township, to enable us to voice our concerns. Town residents approached us this past weekend of the pending meeting to be held May 26th, out of their concern for the future of the Dam. As we do not live year round in the community, we had no way of being aware that this was happening. We’re shocked. As responsible property owners, and choosing to invest in Baysville a few years ago, we have contacted the Township for direction and approval on changes we have made to beautify our property – from the smallest in resurfacing our dock, to rebuilding our cottage. Why, we ask, has the township not offered us the same courtesy in regards to the proposal meeting, when the change could potentially crush our investment and the reason people visit the small village of Baysville, forever? We know as well that, on the other side of the park on Heney Lake Road, new owners have taken possession of the property with a proposal to build a new cottage there as well. We know this as we received proper notice this was occurring, and we applauded their proposal to do so, as it would only increase the property values for all of us that are working so very
hard to make certain that Baysville is a pretty place to visit and live. Continued new builds could potentially also attract like-minded individuals wanting to invest in Baysville for their home or cottage property. This is only a win-win for everyone currently living in town. In writing this letter, we are concerned that our new neighbours, whom we have not yet met, do not know as well. Do they? I am certain they would be as alarmed as we are. If you are not familiar, we recently rebuilt a cottage at 1026 Heney Lake Road. We spent a number of years looking for just the “right” property, having once owned property on Dickie Lake and loving the people and town of Baysville. Our little space on Heney Lake Road was, in our minds, the most beautiful place in the world. Not big at all, a very small footprint and tiny lot, but charming with a stunning view of the Town of Baysville as well as the seasonal visitors that eat ice cream on the benches over by Miss Nelles. The visitors that come to gaze upon the beauty of the rushing water at the Dam. A wonderful community with wonderful neighbours, with a beautiful view!! We truly feel lucky to be where we are and could not ask for anything more. The project itself took over a year, and saw us purchasing the small cottage that was on the lot, only to realize the building needed proper reconstruction from bottom to top. We carefully worked on the cottage plans to compliment the lot – to make it look like it “belonged” there. We chose the colours to compliment our neighbours, as well as the colours of nature in Muskoka. We rebuilt the fence that borders on to the township park (with the Township’s approval) at OUR cost, just make things look pretty – for both our family, and visitors at the park. We wanted those people eating ice cream on the benches to think Baysville was just the prettiest little place to visit. Our hearts absolutely dropped when we read about the proposal being given the opportunity to be presented. We absolutely oppose the proposal with all of our being. The water flow alone that currently tumbles over the falls would change. We understand that the water would be drawn from below the waterline. How can that even be considered? Beside the obvious esthetic impact – sooo many other items cause us alarm. When we are at the cottage, we love watching the huge old turtles and otters that swim by our dock, and live nearby. We watch the Blue Herron that sits at the base of the falls and returns each year, and has since we purchased the property, fish for his early morning and dusk meals. We watch the visitors to Baysville enjoy the park on both sides of the Dam – and spend hours fishing – day in and day out by the side of the beautiful Dam. We watch and wave at the absolute hundreds of people each summer – both large children's groups and individuals – paddle from the Lake of Bays right to the park beside us to portage
to the lower river to continue their journey. And we swim in our waterfront. We do, our neighbours do, our friends do, our children do, and our pets do. We are a safe distance from the tumble of water over the falls, and we swim, we boat, we kayak and we canoe in our waterfront. We bought the property at 1026 Heney Lake Road so that we could USE our waterfront. Our waterfront would no longer be useable should a micro hydro-electric building be installed beside our property. Our waterfront would become an absolute deathtrap from the pull of the water from under the water line. How could this even be entertained? Would we have a barrier in front of our property and waterfront? Would part of the proposal include purchasing our property to accommodate the massive change in water flow, so that deaths would not occur by us – the property owners? Would our boathouse be appropriated? Our boathouse is 7 feet from the property line. Our dock is 20 feet. Our property would be worthless. Should the micro hydro-electric building be built on the other side of the Dam, who will compensate property owners for the loss in property value as our properties overlook over the Dam? How would Baysville attract the visitors to the town, to fish or picnic at the riverside if the park areas are gone? Do you think constructing a massive building and changing the Dam forever would attract new people into the town of Baysville to build, and bring money to the town? Absolutely not. Opportunity lost. Please don’t allow this proposal to go any further than this initial meeting. Don’t waste taxpayers dollars in entertaining a proposal that would dramatically impact the future of Baysville, forever. We are horrified, saddened and truly frightened for the future of the Dam, Baysville, and our investment in Baysville and will not back down on our stance. The loss to the community would be huge. With all respect, thank you for considering our very large concerns. Ken & Michele Keeler 1026 Heney Lake Road Baysville, ON home: cell:
From: Carrie Sykes To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: Proposed green bug energy project. Date: May-25-15 8:38:11 AM Attachments: image001.png
Agenda please Thank you,
Caution: This email is confidential and is intended only for the person(s) named above. Its contents may also be protected by privilege, and all rights to privilege are expressly claimed and not waived. If you have received this email in error, please call us immediately and destroy the entire email. If this email is not intended for you any reading, distribution, copying or disclosure of this email is strictly prohibited. From: Tara Kruusi Sent: May-24-15 8:09 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: Proposed green bug energy project.
I oppose the proposal to build a micro Archimedes type hydro electric station at the Baysville dam. I am a resident and home owner in Baysville and i do not consent to this proposal. Tara Kruusi 11 Dickie street. Baysville.

From: Dale Vanclieaf Sent: May-25-15 9:55 AM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: Baysville Dam Hydo Proposal Hi Terry, I hope you received my previous email regarding the Hydro Proposal at the Baysville Dam. I would like to know if the Ministry of Natural Recourses has communicated their position to the Township of Lake of Bays regarding Ownership and Liability of the Baysville Dam should the proposal proceed? Will the people from the community who attend the presentation on May 26th, be advised by the Township as to how risk and maintenance costs associated with this transfer of responsibility be mitigated, should the Ministry of Natural Recourses take the same stand they did to the last Hydro Proposal at the Baysville Dam? For the record, we are totally opposed to the destruction of the natural beauty of the Baysville Falls and Parks. The natural beauty will be destroyed by the installation of a Hydro-Electric Generating Station at the Baysville Dam. Regards, Dale and Catherine Vanclieaf
From: ] On Behalf Of Marlene and Richard Robinson Sent: May-25-15 4:26 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: The Robinsons vote NO re Baysville Dam project... Richard and Marlene Robinson of 988 Dickie Lake Road, Baysville, P0B 1A0 are against the GREENBUG Baysville Dam project. We will attend the meeting on Tuesday.
From: Dynamic Abrasives Sales Sent: May-25-15 10:41 PM To: Carrie Sykes Cc: ; Robert Young; Terry Glover; Shane Baker; Nancy Tapley; Virginia Burgess; [email protected]; Ruth Ross Subject: Baysville Dam Project Dear Carrie Sykes; We purchased our property at 1032 Heney Lake Road, Baysville, August of last year. We have strong objections to this project and would like this conveyed to all Council Members. Carrie, could you please be kind enough to forward a copy of this e-mail to the all Council Members on our behalf as we are not sure if we have included everyone in our c.c. While looking for retirement property in the area we came across the listing for 1032 Heney Lake Road and were immediately drawn to it because of the sound of the water flowing over the dam and the gorgeous parks on both sides of the river. We worked with Lake of Bays planning department and obtained a minor variance, to replace the derelict buildings but before we are even able to start the build were informed a Hydro Electric project is being proposed by Greenburg with the proposed structures to be less than 100 feet from our new home. If we were informed about the project prior to purchase we would have looked elsewhere. When applying for our minor variance, we were given a copy of the “Fish Habitat and Shoreline Protection” graph. It indicates all shoreline on both side of the river, directly below the dam as “Type 1” Fish Habitat and included in the Environmental Protection – Type 1 (EP1). How can this proposal fit
From: Carrie Sykes To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: Baysville Dam Date: May-28-15 3:33:07 PM Attachments: image001.png
Please place on council agenda Thank you,
From: Stephen Martin Sent: May-28-15 1:05 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: Baysville Dam Hi Carrie, I’m writing to you to express my concerns on the proposal for the Baysville Dam. I was born and grew up in Baysville and my parents still live there. Additionally I have property on Lake of Bays and am a tax payer to the township. My concerns with the Dam project are: - The damage (both physical and aesthetic to the site) - The cost to the town of Baysville and the taxpayers of Lake of Bays Township - An overall distrust of this sort of project based on experience including the Baysville sewer project. It is my understanding the the company making the proposal has targeted every site like this in Muskoka and is in the business of selling these sorts of installations. They make their money up front from selling the system and maintenance not from the actual electricity being generated. From looking at the similar 2011 proposal, I believe that the return on this investment would be small and not realized for a long time. Additionally, the upfront costs are
Catherine Vanclieaf
1012 Dwight Beach Road
Dear Mayor Bob Young:
I am a current full time resident of Baysville, and am proud to say that my family is among the founding
members of the town. My great grandparents are among the first pioneers populating the town and working
the mills and river to support the logging industry. I have been an active volunteer within the community, and
have loyally served as Chair of the Baysville Riverfront Group, Chair of the Baysville Cemetery , as well as
numerous other volunteer positions within the town. I was awarded the Ontario Heritage Award in Council
Chambers for my work at restoring the records of the Baysville Cemetery. I am a healthcare professional, an
RN, in a leadership position working for Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare.
As such, with my personal, volunteer, educational and professional experiences, I feel that I am qualified to
speak to some of the concerns that I have related to the GreenBug Micro Energy Project. I also wanted to
take my time before framing my personal response to you, until the public meeting was completed, ensuring
that I had the most up to date information, and felt informed.
First, I would like to speak to the potential placement of the project. Going into the meeting, we were under
the impression that the project would be built on the east side of the river. Frankly, it is a no brainer that this
is entirely inappropriate. This is a residential area. Mr. and Mrs. Keeler’s residence sits right in the shadow of
the dam. It appears that they will have to dock and swim within the immediate vicinity of the intake grate. I
imagine that they will have to drive close to the intake with their boat in order to park it in the ir boathouse.
Any blasting that occurs will automatically damage their beautiful property. The infrastructure itself will
devalue their property. Will their taxes be reduced? Furthermore, the residential homes within that stretch
are some of the nicest homes within Baysville. These are people that contribute a great deal to our municipal
tax base, and who have taken pride in their homes and properties. The development of the hydro
infrastructure upgrade will rape the entire road of large mature trees, including many white pine. The park on
the east side is widely used by the public. An example would be the children and youth of Camp New Moon
who use that park regularly as part of their summer camp experience in their canoe voyages down the South
Muskoka River. I had the pleasure of meeting someone who attended the camp in their youth. They are now
in their 50’s and have wonderful memories of summers in Baysville. The 44ft.building that is proposed would
be an atrocity to the neighbor south of the park. This neighbor, Mr. Newton was obviously not informed
about the potential future plans for the park setting when he was granted his costly building permits, and
informed of rules related to what he could do with the shoreline and trees. These rules certainly don’t seem
to apply to Greenbug.
Page 2
Let’s move on to the west side of the river, the side that Greenbug indicates they favor. This side is extremely
shallow, indicating the need for additional blasting for stone removal and to bury the intake “chamber”. I
would like to remind the Township of Lake of Bays of the history of the west side of the river. In response to a
planning document in the late 1990’s and the upcoming millennium, the Riverfront Project was founded. This
committee was mandated with the efforts of undertaking riverfront improvements to enable and attract
tourists to the town and improve access from the Lake of Bays. This was my group since 1999. We applied for
a Federal Millennium Grant, and were turned down because it was determined by the federal government
that we were incapable of raising 50% of the funds we needed to develop the shoreline and create a walkway.
So we raised 100%. These funds were generated by community donation and fundraising. A lot of the work
was done by people in the community or donated by services in Baysville. The infrastructure that exists on
the west side of the river above the dam was created through the Riverfront and Community Group efforts.
The docking and finger docks has brought tremendous traffic to the town to enjoy our community events, to
shop at our stores and to enjoy the parks. Businesses have flourished since this access has been created. The
docks extend to a walkway, which travels into town, with a scenic lookout on the northwest corner of the
dam, a scenic gazebo at the face of the dam, numerous gardens and donation cases. The walkway continues
up the hill at the end of the town parking lot, and travels down Dickie Street past our cemeteries. The
Baysville Community Group has done a naturalization project, to re-naturalize the slope around the bay, with
heritage and natural shrubs. These plants have flourished. This was community money that funded these
projects. This work and the efforts of the other groups in town to beautify the town has been done on the
backs of community volunteers. I wou ld like to know how much of this infrastructure will be “blasted “and
carried away to have concrete channels and generator houses built instead. I am offended that our efforts,
created by this community and for this community, in response to a public planning document, will have no
value, in order to station a third party “for profit” company in town. The G8 offered us the opportunity for
funding that allowed the building of a public washroom and community gazebo. This infrastructure supports
the community and its events. Photo boards are located throughout the town with this funding as well.
Please review these photos and the celebration of the history of the town that they have documented. I
would like to also point out that Mr. and Mrs. Newton, owning property on the east side of the river, will not
have a desire to look at a 44’building at the dam site. I am sure this not what they signed up for.
As a small town, we are very fortunate to have two parks around our main water system that offer such a
diverse range of recreational and natural opportunities for enjoyment. We have a Parks and Recreation
Committee within township. What is their opinion about the loss of any use of these recreational lands?
Surely, we should be protecting these natural green spaces.
In response to the meeting itself, I heard some very disturbing information.
First the credibility of the company was legitimately questioned, with staff misrepresenting
themselves as professional engineers. This misrepresentation of the expertise driving the project is
very disturbing. I am hoping that this is as offensive to the members of township as it was to
community members. My husband and I are professionals, and have worked hard to achieve our
designations and status. Being “named” a professional by the leader of the company, without
legitimate professional credentials is outrageous and unacceptable.
When asked about the size of the generator house directly, the presenter indi cated that he could say
it “won’t be 10’x 10’, but it might be “that” size. A vague and indirect answer. I suspect the company
knows how big the house has to be and what the impact will be to any view of the dam or river.
Mayor Bob Young
May 27, 2015
Page 3
Greenbug indicates that it has the MNR approval to go ahead with this, yet “they won’t speak to
them”. We are well aware of previous attempts to grab the dam’s resources by a hydro generation
company which resulted in the township being told that should blasting take place, the asset and
liability of the dam would be turned over to the township, as the dam’s integrity could not be
guaranteed. I might suggest to you that in the current climate of the province divesting its assets and
liabilities, like Ontario Hydro and the LCBO, that we be extremely cautious about “wolves in sheep’s
clothing”, offering apparent support, while drafting the paperwork to get rid of the liabilities
associated with a 55 year old dam.
Greenbug has no experience with this size of a dam. They had no drawings, no deta ils, and were
unwilling to commit unless there was some gesture from the community. Lack of preparation for this
meeting undermined confidence in the company to ensure that the town was well informed. It did
not appear to me that the community felt content that they had all the information. It was poorly
prepared and lacking the due diligence and research that is needed to make an informed decision,
both from a company and a community perspective. The fact that they offered that there “were no
other models in North America” is not reassuring.
In conclusion, Mr. Mayor, we are against this proposal for the reasons above. In addition to my personal love
of some of the more beautiful areas of Baysville, I have committed my efforts since 1999, in helping to make
Baysville more beautiful and accessible for others to enjoy. There are those in the community that have
expressed that the dam and park isn’t beautiful, and are using the broken down properties at the entrance to
the town, as a surrogate marker of the value and beauty of our town. While I would love to see the township
take an active role in ensuring that these types of “dumps” and visual atrocities are addressed, I personally
focus on the beauty and value of my community and offer my voice to protect it from industry , greed and
disregard. In addition, it was brought to our attention, that Port Sydney felt strong enough to have a
Facebook page in place rejecting the proposal. Please ensure that the honorable council members have the
opportunity to view the one that the community of Baysvil le established. It can be found at “STOP GreenBug
Energy Generation in Baysville.” The support of this site rose by 30 members after the public meeting.
Currently, there are 137 supporters for the page. I predict the support will continue to rise.
Many thanks for the opportunity to share my feelings and concerns. The outcome of the decision related to
this GreenBug project will impact everyone. How will this decision be made?
Sincerely,
Dale Vanclieaf, P.Eng., C.E.T., B.Eng.
P.S. As I was about to send this letter, I received a notice that there would be a future meeting with
GreenBug, for them to re-present their proposal. My husband and I will not entertain sitting through another
meeting with this company. Our impression s and support will remain the same. We wish our “no” vote to be
registered for the next and all future GreenBug meetings. Please advise on whether you will require another
letter to indicate this for all future GreenBug events to ensure that our voice is heard.
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: OPPOSE the lease proposal by greenbug energy Date: May-29-15 9:16:19 AM
From: Gloria-jean Browne Sent: May-28-15 8:38 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: OPPOSE the lease proposal by greenbug energy I OPPOSE the lease proposal by greenbug energy of the Baysville Dam. I do not want to see it ruin beautiful Baysville. Thank you Gloria-Jean
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: Greenbug Date: May-29-15 9:18:40 AM
From: Jake Darke Sent: May-28-15 8:44 PM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: Greenbug My name is Jacob Armstrong-Darke, I live at 4 carol st baysville Ontario and I am opposed to the lease proposal by Greenbug Energy
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: I oppose to the baysville site. Date: May-29-15 9:28:47 AM
From: Jackie Arbuckle Sent: May-29-15 7:41 AM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: I oppose to the baysville site.
My name is Jackie Arbuckle I have lived in baysville for 32 years and I do not agree that our beautiful falls should produce energy. It would affect to much of what this town has. 3 Lena St

From: jen mccoll Sent: May-29-15 8:29 AM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: opposition to proposed hydro electric generation at baysville dam To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to express my opposition to the proposed hydro electric generation at the Baysville dam. My name is Jen McColl I am at property owner at 1069 Heney Lake Road. Thank you Jen McColl
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: Opposed - GreenBug Energy Proposal, Baysville Dam Date: June-01-15 8:37:32 AM
From: Michele Keeler Sent: Friday, May 29, 2015 1:12 PM To: Carrie Sykes Reply To: Michele Keeler Cc: Robert Young; Robert Lacroix; Virginia Burgess; Ruth Ross; Nancy Tapley; Terry Glover; Shane Baker; Rick & Kathy Newton; Paula Sheppard; Dale Vanclieaf; Catherine Vanclieaf Subject: Opposed - GreenBug Energy Proposal, Baysville Dam Good afternoon Carrie, Mayor Young and Councilors: We write to you this afternoon to voice our concern for both preserving the integrity and beauty of the Baysville dam, as well as extreme concern for our little piece of Baysville beside the dam. Our property is at 1026 Heney Lake Road, on the east side of the dam, and right beside one of the proposed sites for the installation of the micro-hydro electric system by GreenBug Energy. We absolutely believe in green energy, however we don’t believe in destroying people’s lives and futures, and are not sure why we are in this situation, after investing our life savings in Baysville. We are responsible property owners, pay our taxes, and take great pride in our cottage to make sure it is beautiful as the surroundings we are in. We are concerned about the experience of the contractor involved, the blasting, and ultimately the end result after listening to the presentation on May 26th. Our family swims in our waterfront, we boat in our waterfront, we invite our friends and neighbours to do the same. Installing a micro-hydro electric station, and subsequent intake channel on the East side of the dam, would be beside our cottage a mere 6’8” away. We urge the councilors that have not yet walked out on our dock, to please do so, to understand the extreme impact this proposal would have. The blasting alone would damage structures on our property, as well as our close neighbours – this IS a residential area. GreenBug had clearly stated during the public meeting on May 26th that blasting would have to occur, and the intake channel would be 12’ in width, and 5’ in depth wherever it were to be placed. Please again refer to the photo attached. A system beside us would impact us, our neighbours, our lives, our investments and our futures. It will be debilitating on all fronts, and we are absolutely shaken to the core. On an emotional level, you need to know that our lives have been turned upside down like never before since we heard of GreenBug’s initial proposal through concerned residents, a mere 2
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: Greenbug energy Date: June-01-15 9:18:57 AM
From: Tara Kruusi Sent: May-29-15 4:05 PM To: Carrie Sykes; Michele Keeler; Dale Vanclieaf Subject: Greenbug energy
To Township of Lake of Bays, I am opposed to the lease proposal from greenbug energy. Their presentation was unprofessional, vague and dismissive. They lack credibility and a cohesive and concise plan. I was under the impression that council was to remain unbiased at the meeting on Tuesday, I know Bob Lacroix wasn't able to comment. Yet our mayor made it very clear he is in support of this lease agreement, both to the public and again when being interviewed by the Huntsville Forrester. I would like to know why other council members and township staff are not supposed to comment, join groups opposed (or supportive) or basically have any opinion on the matter until after a vote and yet our mayor is allowed to publicly endorse this lease proposal. This seems like it would contradict council rules about at least appearing unbiased. The fact that blasting has been ruled out in previous proposals around our dam should be enough to curtail this project. The fact the company misrepresented the credentials of their staff should have been enough for council to reject any further dealings with greenbug. The fact that greenbug has never done a project this big and can only tell us about two previous projects completed yet provides no references, pictures or addresses that would allow us to see one of their systems installed and operating correctly is another reason council should have rejected it. The fact the CEO claimed he has had people ask them to make their system look like an old barn or painted, or steel roofs etc but then admits he has only done two projects leads one to wonder where are all these other people asking him about the exterior and where are their systems? There are so many issues with their presentation and the credibility of their company. If we do the math with the numbers the CEO gave us we come up with this. the system could generate a minimum of 290kwh X the .27kwh FIT contract price he will be paid by the IESO and we have a total of $78.30 per hour. $1879.20 per day approximately $56,376 per month approximately $685,908 per year over a 40 year contract (not adjusted for inflation) $27,436,320 This seems like a lot of money to be made by greenbug with very little benefit to the community. Please consider the impact this will have on the people who live in Baysville, the people who spend their free time at our dam, who bring their extended families there to show them the beauty we are so lucky to have here. There is also the issue of adding to the Global Adjustment charges Hydro One rate payers pay on their hydro bills. With a project this small the effect will be minimal, however adding electricity to a grid with no viable storage system in place is simply unnecessary. We sell excess hydro at a loss to quebec, new york, michigan and manitoba. The HOEP (hourly ontario electricity price) is variable and goes up and down by the hour, often dipping deep into the negatives where our hydro is being sold at far below value or in some cases simply
dumped without making any money at all.This has to stop. Between the fiasco with hydro one networks and the ombudsmen office, between the OEB, IESO, hydro one and our ministry of energy's inflated salaries. We should all be concerned when the provincial government wants to pay more for a product than it can reasonably sell it for. And adding even a small amount to the GA is an increase many Ontarians simply cannot afford. I wish be attending the meeting next Tuesday. Sincerely, Tara Kruusi 11 dickie street Baysville
From: Samantha Woods To: Samantha Woods Subject: FW: Grenn Bug Date: June-02-15 9:27:10 AM
From: Kerrie Blackmore [ Sent: June-01-15 11:16 AM To: Carrie Sykes Subject: Grenn Bug
To whom it may concern, My name is Kerrie Blackmore I live at 21 Dickie Street in Baysville. My yard backs onto the park on the west side of the river. I am opposed to the proposal from greenbug to lease our park lands to install a hydro electric generation system. This park and the dam and river are some of the main reasons we purchased our home in november. Before we bought we walked through the town and met some of the local people. We were charmed by the scenic dam and surrounding park areas on both sides as well as the history of the dam and area. Please include this letter of opposition in the list of correspondence on this matter. Thank you Kerrie Blackmore
15 06 09 - Kim Laframboise - Letter re GreenBug
15 06 09 - Dan Shilt - Comment letter_Redacted
15 06 09 - Bill Bryer - GreenBug
15 06 09 - Liz Smith - GreenBug
Letters of Concern - June 9 2015
15 06 09 - Stephen Martin - Letter of Concern
15 06 09 - Vanclieaf Letter in response to Greenbug proposal May 27 2015
15 06 09 - Gloria Jean Browne - GreenBug
15 06 09 - Jake Darke - GreenBug
15 06 09 - Jackie Arbuckle - GreenBug
15 06 09 - Jen McColl - GreenBug
15 06 09 - Michele Keeler - GreenBug
15 06 09 - Tara Kruusi - GreenBug
Letters of Support - June 9 2015
15 06 09 - John and Lynn Murden - GreenBug
15 06 09 - Wayne Arbeau - GreenBug
15 06 09 - Dave and Margaret Morrison - GreenBug
15 06 09 - Bob and Anne Sherry - GreenBug
15 06 09 - Michael Amosow - GreenBug

From: mike [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: May-24-15 ...

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