Emergent Resolution: Request to Conduct a Cost Benefit Review of all Critical Transmission Infrastructure

Dear Residents,

Below is a copy of the emergent resolution which will be presented by Strathcona County asking to conduct a cost benefit review of all critical transmission infrastructure:

Conduct a Cost Benefit Review of all Critical Transmission Infrastructure 

Whereas  critical transmission projects are identified in Section 2 of the Critical Transmission Infrastructure Schedule of the Electric Utilities Act, RSA 2000, c.E-5.1 (which schedule was formerly part of the proposed Electric Statutes Amendment Act, 2009 known as Bill 50); and

Whereas the Government Alberta has indicated that the critical transmission projects will cost Albertans approximately $5.6 Billion; and

Whereas increases in transmission costs without sufficient benefit in the short and medium term will have negative economic impact on residents, institutional, commercial and industrial stakeholders; and

Whereas Bill 50 was based on the provincial Energy Strategy; and

Whereas a major economic adjustment has occurred subsequent to the development of the Provincial Energy Strategy; and

Whereas the provincial government has already placed two of the critical transmission infrastructure projects on hold;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties request the provincial government put all critical transmission projects on hold until a comprehensive cost benefit review is completed.

Background: 

Strathcona County and other surrounding municipalities were involved with a process with the AUC (Alberta Utilities Commission) over the last 10 months  We were and still are concerned about the overbuild of the overhead 500kv infrastructure and the potential economic impact associated with the overbuild.

Emergent reasons:

1.  AUC Decision 2001-436 was released November 1, 2011; just 3 weeks ago. Construction of the first critical transmission infrastructure project could begin as early as December of this year.

2.  This issue has presented itself since the Spring Convention 2011 and needs to be dealt with
before the next year’s 2012 Convention.

Alberta's Industrial Heartland Letter to Premier Redford

To the Residents of Strathcona County and the Alberta Heartland,

You will find below a copy of the letter that I, as chair of the Alberta Industrial Heartland Association (AIHA), have sent on behalf of the AIHA to Premier Redford and Minister Morton on October 26, 2011.

Dear Premier Redford and Minister Morton,

Re: Heartland Transmission Line Decision

The member municipalities of the Alberta Industrial Heartland Association are deeply concerned with your government's decision to instruct the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to move forward with the Heartland Transmission Line project. This contradicts the logic and reasoning displayed in suspending the AUC hearings on the other two north-south transmission line projects. It is absolutely critical to reassess the need for all three projects, including the Heartland Transmission Line.

In discussion with the Government of Alberta over the past year, we demonstrated that major shifts in the economic outlook for Alberta's Industrial Heartland resulted a flawed "Needs Identification Document" for the Heartland Transmission Line. Notably, a much slower pace of industrial development in the region combined with major power users exploring co-generation options on site created a paradigm shift in electrical power transmission needs. This new reality appears to have been overlooked in the decision making process for the transmission lines.

While the Heartland Transmission Line would deliver electrical support to our region, its major purpose is providing the east-west connection to reinforce Alberta's electrical grid. The decision to suspend hearings of the other two grids of the grid system makes it illogical to continue with the Heartland Transmission Line project. Proceeding with only the Heartland portion of the system could result in incompatible design and installation with the remaining and future grid network.

We share your goals and visions of a reliable and cost effective electrical system supporting Alberta now and into the future. It is essential we take the necessary time to make the most appropriate decisions for the continued success of our province.

We request a meeting with you and your Minister of Energy, Honourable Ted Morton, to discuss this matter further. Please have your office contact us directly to arrange this meeting.

Sincerely,

Linda Osinchuk
Chair, Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association 

Reaction to Premier's Announcement Reversal

Once again Strathcona County residents are getting the short end of  stick.

I am angry and demand answers to the following questions from Premier Redford:

 

·          Why did the Premier intervene and change Minister Mortons' Transmission Line message hours after it was released Friday morning? "Miscommunication" is a negligible excuse for a provincial government, especially when this was not some last minute decision on the government’s part.

·          Why is the Heartland line deemed critical? The Heartland industry did not ask for it.  Actually, it will create a huge electrical cost to them. The future of huge feedstocks of natural gas could be an alternative energy source. 

·          To where and to what are these lines connecting to if the other two are now on hold and under review?

If it is going to Fort McMurray,  then south to the US for electrical export, it will mean more revenue to the province and huge companies like Altalink and Epcor, at residents’ cost!

If this is so critical who is going to pay the cost for such a gigantic, never before seen in Alberta or Canada infrastructure? I certainly hope not only the residents of Strathcona County!

Strathcona County residents need answers now! Injustice has once again occurred! It is time the people of our County are show some respect!

As Mayor, I will continue to fight for a formal impact assessment study on the Heartland Project and I will fight to bury the lines if they do come through our schools, daycares and densely populated areas.

We deserve answers now not after the fact!

Mayor Linda Osinchuk

Women! Politics! Challenges! Opportunities!

My journey as a woman to become the Mayor of
Strathcona County in 2010 was a journey of winning

a personal battle. First, let me say I am extremely

honoured and very happy in my new role as Mayor.

Let me share my story. During my second term

as Councillor, I began to think about my future

and what I wanted to do following my sixth year

as a municipal elected official. During this time,

I became very involved in mentoring women in

leadership roles and in elected positions. The

Federation of Canadian Municipalities initiated

a program calling for a 30% increase of women

participating in municipalities by 2015. In Canada,

only 23% of the municipal leaders are women - less

percentage on provincial and federal levels. That

places our country in thirty-eighth position in the

world for having a balanced representation from the

female population. This is not a gender issue but a

democratic issue. When 52% of Canada's population

is female and the numbers at the decision -making

table are only 23%, there is an inequity.

Policies and laws are debated and then created

to represent the people who politicians are

representing. This is why I became so involved in

the political process. There are too many injustices

when too much power is used without considering

the rights of the people. As women, we need to

encourage, mentor, fight and educate others

on the importance of ethical and just processes,

while ensuring that bottom-line fiscal responsible

budgeting is done.

Strategic, Passionate, Accessible, Respectful,

integrity, hard working, business savvy and caring are

characteristics I believe are a woman's best assets as

a leader - politically or in business and community. I

decided to visually place myself in the role as mayor so

that I can lead with these characteristics. I was not sure

if I had what it took. I was with my husband Jim when

I stated to him that I wanted to be the next Mayor of

Strathcona County. He thought I lost it. I would be

going against an incumbent - a difficult and challenging

position to be in - and the incumbent was also a woman.

I told him that two women going after the position

of  Mayor speaks volumes. So with an amazing team,

God's blessings and the belief of positive messaging,

hard work and great campaign strategy, I became the

new Mayor of Strathcona County.

I am dedicated to listening to all residents' issues and

embracing their stories, positive or negative. I govern

with a strong knowledge of parliamentary law. I stand

up for issues when many would hesitate to. I truly

believe I was placed on this earth to champion the good

and the right. Does that take a lot of balls and positive

attitude? You bet! Politics is not for the faint of heart.

But it does take heart and a spirit of hope to know you

are there for the right reason.

So look inside yourself and ask yourself what

challenges are in t he way for you to make your

dream come t rue. It is the internal battle that you

have to win. The rest will come, if you say, "I will, I

can, I am!" I am a woman who will not give up until

I am truly happy with who I am and what I am to

do!

Every day is a blessing. Live it like it is your last!

When you wake up, ask for God's blessings and

guidance. Put a smile on your face and say to

yourself, "I will do my best today, mindful of

others and with a positive attitude." If you make

a decision that hurts someone, then it was the

wrong decision. At the end of the day say thank

you for all that you experienced that day. Even if

it is a difficult day, think about what you learned

from that experience. Hug people close to you and

pass on the best gift- a smile and a hello. You can

make a difference just by your attitude and how

people respond to you.

With two more years as Mayor in this term, I plan

to continue to be accessible, transparent, caring,

and open for business; to fight for our hospital,

buried transmission lines, overpasses, represent

industry and build relationships.

I would like to have a legacy of being the 'People's

Mayor; a Mayor who is not afraid to fight hard

issues; a Mayor who helps the young and old; a

Mayor who represents industry and business; a

Mayor who cares!

Strathcona County is the energy capital of Canada!

Energy from our resources! Energy from the sky

and sun above! But most of all the energy of the

wonderful people, who work, live and play in our

great community!

My door is open! Coffee is on! God Bless!

Linda

Questions for the 3 PC Leadership Candidates

This morning I sent out a personal letter to each of the leadership candidates. This letter contains 3 questions that relate to very important issues to the residents of Strathcona County. A large number of residents have approached me with these concerns and I have a responsibility to residents to find out from these three candidates what their stand on these issues are. I had spoken to them prior to the first ballot and wanted  once more to state these concerns. I look forward to soon be reading their replies. 

Here is an excerpt from the letter:

Good job and congrats on arriving to this point on your bid to being the next leader of the PC party and the next Premier of Alberta.

I am personally asking all three remaining candidates three very important questions before I give my support to them. I would like to hear from you to get back to me with your position in a very timely matter. These are crucial issues that effect the Municipality and the residents of Strathcona County. Your opinion on these items may have been stated before but this a new opportunity to revisit or explain any changes that you may have.

1. Will you, if you become Premier, ask the AUC (Alberta Utility Commission) to await their final decision on the placement and the work needed on the Heartland Transmission lines until Bill 50 (especially the electrical transmission area) is revoked and a formal impact assessment study is done?  This assessment would include revisiting the real need for such a huge electrical line, true costs other than Altalink's and Epcor's stated costs for burying and above ground lines, and finally but most importantly commit to burying the lines where there is high density population and schools (This also means the 200 meter extra setback that is also proposed).

 2. Will you commit, as Premier, that the Strathcona Community Hospital be built and be operating in a timely matter as a full treatment active hospital including obstetrics and medical surgical suites? This hospital would be a solution for you and the residents of Alberta north and south by relieving pressure off emergency rooms, be a center of excellence for diagnostics for Medivacs to fly into our Strathcona County airports (Josephburg or South Cooking Lake), also a center for possible clinics that residents are using in BC or USA. We are number 1 for live births in the Capital Region and we are in the center of the Industrial Heartland where a sealed emergency room is needed to be in place in case of an industrial incident occurring. We need it commitment to this hospital and NOT a "shelled-in" commitment.

3. Will you commit to supporting the BRIK 2 program and value added for the industry we have in the Heartland? We need to keep our jobs and refined oil in our Province! This includes Alberta Transportation reassessing the roads where heavy loads and traffic volumes for industry are effected.

These topics are crucial to this Municipality and impact thousands of people here and in our wonderful Province.

God Bless. I look forward to your answers.

Linda Osinchuk

Hospital BBQ?

Council and I have been invited to a BBQ on September 27th by Ellis Don and the Minister of Infrastructure on the site of our future hospital. Council is in Chambers that day and will not be able to attend until after 6pm at the earliest. I am curious as to the reason behind this invitation. I am anxiously awaiting for any kind of official update from the Alberta Government.

The residents of Strathcona County deserve this. We deserve some show of respect!

Linda

Hearthland Transmission Study Update

I am working, as chair of the Alberta Industrial Heartland Association board, to highlight the importance of transportation corridors, overpasses, road upgrades, and park and ride busing to the industrial facilities. Traffic flow, heavy loads and prevention of congestion are issues we are proactively working on to find solutions to.

Along with working with the Capital Region Board, these initiatives are important to communicate to Alberta Transportation and our new Premier.

Industry is an economic engine for the future of our province!

Linda