Re: No Regrets - AH Reeve Henry Hogg

Larry Trenwith | Sep 16, 2015

I suppose it should come as no surprise that Reeve Hogg would have “no regrets” over the decision to support industrial wind turbines (No Regrets Over Wind turbines - AH Reeve Henry Hogg, Sep 10/15) - after all, it was his call that was the deciding vote.

It seems, however, that Reeve Hogg needs reminding of the facts. He is quoted as stating “…we have only heard from 50 to 100 people against this”. At best this is a clear distortion of the facts, one might even be forgiven if they took it as an outright lie. In a statistically sound survey conducted of AH residents here are the facts — facts of which Reeve Hogg and the AH councillors are ALL aware of as this survey was conducted on their behalf and the analysis and report of the results provided to each of them:

Fact 1 — there were 518 valid responses to this survey

Fact 2 — 418 responses “opposed” the IWT

Fact 3 — 88 responses “supported” the IWT

Fact 4 — 12 responses were “undecided"

Perhaps Reeve Hogg was merely confused when he stated only 50 to 100 are against, he may have been thinking of the people that expressed “support”, rather than the other 418, or 81% who expressed their opposition.

Regarding his remark that “we don’t have pristine wilderness” because the area was logged 200 years ago. I am dumbfounded by such a statement. Algonquin Park was also logged 100 - 200 years ago; does anyone think that it is not pristine wilderness? Do Canadians, Americans, Asians and Europeans not flock to Algonquin Park to see a piece of Canada’s “wilderness”. Perhaps AH has not been “untouched” for all time, but relative to most of the province, and certainly those parts of it that have had the misfortune of IWT installations, no one can reasonably argue the area designated for these IWTs is not pristine wilderness in most people’s minds.

Finally, what can anyone say to the kind of thinking that says “we don’t have tourism”, so let's not try and do anything about it? A pretty comprehensive proposal for a project that would kick-start a stronger tourism based economy for AH was presented publicly and once again Reeve Hogg and AH councillors are all aware of this initiative but it, like the facts on the community’s view of IWTs, was simply dismissed by the Reeve.

Reeve Hogg states it’s his view this “is good for the township”. He fails convincingly to put forward any valid or reasonable arguments to support this view. This process, over which he presided, has been divisive, as it has in every one of these IWT projects in every community they’ve come in to.

So Reeve Hogg, you wanted IWTs so just say you personally wanted IWTs but do not distort the truth about the facts to which you were fully aware.