Vegreville ATCO HVDC mtg

[Kathy]

I'd be interested in hearing the thoughts of anybody
who may have attended the VALTO (Vegreville area
landowners transmission line opposition
association) meeting in Vegreville August 25.

The panel consisted of David Swann, Liberal Party
leader, Daniel Smith WildRose Party leader, and
Brian Mason, NDP leader. Vegreville MLA and
Premier Ed Stelmach did not attend the meeting,
although he was invited. He held a press
conference at the local library at the same time as
the mtg started (7pm) to announce that he could
not attend the mtg because the ATCO line might go
through his property, therefore it was a conflict of
interest thing preventing him from attending.

Approximately 600 people were in attendance.
VALTO organized a handout with a short brief on
Bills 19 "Land Assembly Project Area Act", Bill 36
"Land Stewardship Act, and Bill 50 "The Electric
Status Amendment Act". Five questions from
VALTO were asked to the panel, followed by a "few"
questions from the audience. [Dr. Swann had to
leave at 9pm which really put a monkey wrench in
the whole thing].

I happened to be in Vegreville visiting relatives at
the time and went to this pretty informative meeting
about these bills and the ATCO power line running
from Redwater to Brooks. I want to now what the
locals thought of the meeting. If you were there,
please give me a rant/opinion on the topic.
Thanks.

I'll post some of the highlights when I have time.
Meanwhile, round and round I go (or should I say
back and forth, back and forth) Finally some good
haying weather!!!

[Kathy]

Before I went out to swath, I looked up what the
media said about the meeting (Edmonton CTV).
Here is the article, below. NOTE: this article is ALL
ABOUT Ed Stelmach not attending the meeting; and
NOT ABOUT the three bills that have decimated our
rights as Albertans and landowners. No mention of
how these transmission projects, deemed "Critical
Transmission Lines" (for export by the way)..... will
hike our electricity bills by at least double, if not
much much more. This is a fine example of how
the media manipulates our thought processes and
decisions. Also a fine example of how media has
changed in Alberta since CTV bought out our local
television stations.


"Updated: Thu Aug. 26 2010 08:37:19

Stewart Shaw, ctvedmonton.ca

Emotions ran high Wednesday night in Vegreville at
an open forum in Premier Ed Stelmach's
constituency.

A landowners group gathered hundreds of people
to discuss and get answers to their questions
regarding a proposed transmission line running
through Vegreville.

The group invited representatives from all political
parties to attend. The premier, who is also the MLA
for the region, declined the invitation. The move
frustrated and angered some residents.

"Pretty sad, considering it's his own constituency,
it's pretty sad that he didn't show up," said T.J.
Wartena.

The premier was in Vegreville, but not at the
meeting. He was talking with reporters just a few
blocks away to explain his absence.

"Attending the line meeting to influence
transmission capacity and routing would be
inappropriate given that I'm potentially impacted,"
cited the premier. One of the 4 proposed lines run
across a portion of the premier's property, putting
him in possible conflict.

But Stelmach suggested that the meeting was set
up by the opposition to be confrontational. He went
on to say that if the get together was indeed an
information session, then the province's regulators
and those behind the project would have been
invited.

"It's a debate that was put together by the Wildrose,
certainly a Wildrose operative," said Stelmach.
Shayne Saskiw, former PC member turned Wildrose
Alliance, did play a role in putting the meeting
together.

Upon hearing the premier was just a few blocks
away, some of those in attendance decided to pay
him a visit. They were invited in for a closed door
meeting and were promised the premier would find
time to meet with them.

Promises aside, landowners were still upset the
premier was a no-show. "I'm still very disappointed
that he is not attending the forum. There is a lot of
people there that have a lot of misinformation that
could be cleared one way or another," said Ken
Farion.

The Premier said he will meet with area residents
after the harvest.

The Vegreville Area Landownwers Association is
fighting four proposed routes for the line, arguing
it will run through people's properties and hurt
landowners economically."

[wilagro]

Why should WE pay to export electricity that belongs to corporate owners. Let them pay for the wires and the towers. What in heck are we?...suckers ripe for the picking?

Honest, this government has got to go when they allow this corrupt system to exist and foster it with more and more legislation to control the whole shebang.

[per]

I had this conversation with a construction superintendent and a land agent for an oil company I have been dealing with just today. At least the oil company made no bones about the need for the pipeline. It was to export oil and make a profit. We negotiated with that in mind. Altalink starts their conversation with "We need all this capacity in Alberta". BS, the above mentioned bills plow the way for a foreign company to build lines that we pay for and I submit to bolster their bottom line with export power. These guys make the oil guys look like ***** cats and the Alberta Government keeps enabling them. At least ATCO (Alberta Trailer Company) was an Alberta company, Altalink is a joint partnership between a European Engineering giant and an Australian Investment giant. The bright side is DC beats AC any day of the week.

[SADIE]

Great Blog:

WWW.CAEPLA--Dave Core's Blog 2010

"Stelmach Government seeking to extinguish property rights".

[coppertop]

I support the Premier in his decision
not to attend the meeting. He stands to
gain financially if the power line
crosses his land, therefore as a
politician he has to opt to declare a
conflict.
I do know that there is concern not only
in that area but in other areas of the
province with the high voltage power
lines. In our area AltaLink plans on
cutting all the trees on the highway
side of a beautiful municipal
campground, thus taking away any buffer
from the highway noise and ruining the
picturesque setting of the campground.
I am sure the local municipality is in
for a fight to prevent this from
happening. In our area there is lots of
crown land close enough to re-route the
line and avoid private land but some
landowners are more than happy to get
the cash !!!

[SW1-32-5-4]

Stelmach was not at the meeting because of the furious landowners that the premier has pissed off. The Alberta government has and is stealing land and property rights by regulation and statute, bill 19,bill36, bill 46 and bill 50. The caucus top dogs will have been rewarded cushie jobs by industry for enabling the destruction and damage to private property. Only a fool would accept the pityful compensation the companies are offering without addressing the land stewardship issues. If affected landowners ask to get help from CAEPLA.org only then will justice be served. Negotiating by one farmer with the big company bullies is like watching a coyote take the yard rooster, a little squawk and its all over. The present electric system has a value of 2 billion dollars and the big bullies want Albertans to pay 16 billion in up grades so they can export power directly to California. Yep honest Eddy had good reason to stay away. My guess is he will be out of politics before the next election. Happy endings Premier Stelmach!!!!!!