Protect Our Community-Safest Sites Industrialized Areas

The Alliance to Protect West Carleton agrees with Councillor Clarke Kelly and the other 4 rural Councillors. These 5 Councillors are the members of ARAc - The Agricultural and Rural Affairs Standing Committee that meets most months to discuss their common concerns. ARAc believes that the safest site for BESS is in an area that is already industrialized. ARAc and the Alliance to Protect West Carleton believe that each potential BESS site must be evaluated individually to determine if it is safe enough to have a BESS installation. We believe the risks of Fitzroy BESS far outweigh the benefits.

The Ontario government demands that support from local communities in the form of an MSR is vital and compulsory to new-build energy projects. IESO has made municipal support mandatory for projects in all procurements.

Community support is needed for proponents to be granted a Municipal Support Resolution. It simply is not there for Fitzroy BESS.  Our petition, asking the city to deny a MSR to Evolugen, has 629 signees, clearly demonstrating the lack of community support. 

Are either of these 2 sites safe enough for a BESS installation?

(a) This site is close to a 4 lane highway, a huge landfill, a large quarry, some gravel pits, and a cement producing plant. It has very few residents who live within 2 or 3 km. At an information meeting hosted by the proponent in November, there was very little if any opposition to this BESS proposal.

(b) This site has about 1,600 people who live within 3 km of the proposed BESS project site. There are 3 rivers (1 large, 2 small) within 3 km. There is no industrialized area here. There is a lot of agricultural land, forested areas, and wetlands. The Morris Island Conservation Area is nearby. A Provincial Park is in the vicinity.There is an elemetary school in a nearby village. Unlike site (a) there has been a huge amount of community opposition to the proposed BESS project since the information meeting hosted by the proponent in November. At this point, six hundred and thirty-one residents have signed a pen and paper petition since May 28, 2024 asking the city to deny a Municipal Support Resolution to the proponent.

Site (a) is the Trail Road BESS proposal. On December 6, 2023, the Ottawa City Council agreed with ARAc's recommendation to grant the Trail Road BESS proposal a Municipal Support Resolution.

Site (b) is the Fitzroy BESS proposal. On December 6, 2023, the Ottawa City Council agreed with ARAc's recommendation to deny the Fitzroy BESS proposal a Municipal Support Resolution. 

This decision must be upheld. To protect our community and to protect our environment, we must stop Fitzroy BESS.