Ontario: Plant closure report alarms Nanticoke

HALDIMAND COUNTY - - There's no shortage of distress in the home county of the Nanticoke Generating Station over its possible closure in three years. With no word of a replacement for the coal-fired plant on the shores of Lake Erie after it is to close in 2007, the county is staring at the loss of 600 jobs and $3 million in tax revenue.

That will leave a big hole in Haldimand and also neighbouring Norfolk County, say residents.

"It will have quite an impact," says Debbie Bigelow, co-owner of Len's Auto Sales in downtown Jarvis, located just west of the landmark plant.

"It would go around in circles," adds the 48-year-old, who's run the car lot with her husband for 21 years. "No jobs would mean people wouldn't buy any new furniture and wouldn't buy a car. It's going to hurt this area."

Leith Stetson, owner of Stetson Jewellers in Port Dover, also believes the plant's loss would have a social impact.

"Don't just think about the money part of it," said the 73-year-old, who opened his business in downtown Port Dover in 1968. "Think about the effect on arenas, libraries, schools and stuff like that. The life of every community is young people. With no jobs to keep families here, they'd be replaced by senior citizens and once I'm dead, I'm gone."

Ontario Power Generation announced earlier this week it's closing all of its coal-fired plants by 2007 because of financial troubles. This will slash its generating capacity by 25 per cent. The 2007 target falls in line with a campaign promise by Premier Dalton McGuinty to close the coal plants because of longstanding pollution concerns, especially in regards to Nanticoke. It was deemed the worst air polluter in the Golden Horseshoe in 2001 - Nanticoke supplies 20 per cent of Ontario's energy - and is said to be one of the worst polluters in North America.

The Liberals promised in 2002 to replace Nanticoke with a natural gas plant. Energy Minister Dwight Duncan said recently the government planned to fill the gap caused by the loss of the coal plants, but offered no specifics other than to say it will spend $40 billion to refurbish the troubled nuclear power program.

While distress greeted the announcement over Nanticoke's future, it was also met with skepticism. At Brian's Hair Cutting and Styling in Jarvis, owner Brian Craddock and customer Wayne Fleming doubted it will come to pass because of the need for the energy.

"Let's face it, the country needs power," said Fleming, 45, a Fisherville resident who works as a millwright at the Canadian Gypsum plant in Hagersville. "To say you'll do something with no alternative ... is sucking canal water."

Alfred Tsang, 67, owner of The Golden Cactus Restaurant in Jarvis, agreed.

"We have nuclear power plants that don't work," he noted. "If the government does not have a backup plan, what's the point? That's wrong. I don't agree with anybody who wants to do that."

The pollution concern is a big issue for people outside of the county, but it doesn't appear to attract much attention in Haldimand. Local MPP Toby Barrett has pointed out the Nanticoke station has spent $250 million to reduce nitrogen oxide and now uses low sulphur coal.

"It's nothing that's bothered us," said Bigelow. "It's something we've learned to live with. I can't think of it ever being a discussion in this town. It's like moving beside a hog farm - you know the smell is going to be there."

Fleming believes Nanticoke can't be worse than other areas that experience pollution. "What the hell is downtown Toronto when you've got all of those cars operating? What's the lesser of two evils?" he adds.