To the editor,
For a number of years now, the NWMO (Nuclear Waste Management Organization) has funded many grants for South Bruce and other municipalities. South Bruce alone has received at least $4,500,000. I feel South Bruce councils have done a good job dispersing this money for many worthwhile improvement projects in our community. As we all know, property taxes are now at an all-time high, and if we did not have these grants from the NWMO to improve South Bruce, then taxes would be a lot higher – or there would be a serious reduction in services.
I wish to mention a current project, which is the Teeswater Medical Centre. At the last South Bruce council meeting, the Teeswater Medical Centre committee came before council and asked for an advance of up to $600,000 so construction on the clinic could be immediately started. If the clinic is not open on or before Dec. 1, 2023 they will risk losing an Ontario RED Grant of approximately $230,000, putting the project in further jeopardy. The committee stated they are going to continue fundraising and hope to have the full amount by October 2023 so this advance would not be needed. Council voted yes to their request.
My point is that the NWMO, through a grant to the municipality, already gave $500,000 for the renovation of the Teeswater Medical Centre. The committee feels that is can raise the further $600,000 in the following six months. No imagine if the $500,000 from the NWMO had not been available – there would be no Ontario RED Grant of $230,000, and the Teeswater Medical Centre committee would be severely short in the amount of $1,330,000, which I am certain would have already killed the project.
At the last election, it was brought up that we will need small businesses to come to the municipality. With no large investment in the municipality, such as the proposed deep geological repository (DGR), businesses have no reason to start up here. Revenue from small businesses would be great, but it would never come close to the revenue generated by the DGR.
Remember, in a referendum, a vote of “No” for the DGR means a vote of “Yes” to higher taxes and/or serious reductions in services. This is something voters better think about.
Paul Woodcock
Mildmay
