It's a Matter of Respect

The following is being posted with the consent of the original author ...
One can't help but notice the difference in the process of how the studies regarding the current big issues in Millbrook's future were undertaken.


The Ogilvie, Ogilvie & Company's study to determine the fate of Needler's Mill and the Millbrook Dam was done in collaboration with the community, and it valued and encouraged input from the public. The "open, transparent and engaging approach" involved the community in opportunities for discussion before recommendations were made, and the result, thus far, has been promising.

The Fraserville "project", on the other hand, seems to have slipped under the radar for years until the Open House in October disclosed that the original plan of obtaining water from well sites in that area had been eliminated and amendments were now being proposed to obtain the water from Millbrook. At that meeting, there were to be no questions or concerns from the floor, and people were directed to have one-on-one conversations with the experts whose data lined the walls. It was presented to the constituents as a seemingly "done deal". We hadn't even been informed about the many thousands of our tax dollars being spent on these experts' studies to divert the water.

The tremendous outcry and opposition to this project resulted in the township commissioning a Peer Review with the hopes that it would look again at the wells around Fraserville which were originally up for consideration. Apparently though, the Terms of Reference for this was somehow changed and this was not done, resulting in even more dissatisfaction. For your information, five hydro geologists (some top experts in the country) have now been informed about the water diversion plan and have expressed concern.

Perhaps our council feels that we are in the "Slots' pocket" and wants to keep them happy. After all, haven't we already received 32 million dollars from them? Yet, aside from the disclosed money spent (with some investigating) on the Fraserville project, the question keeps being asked:

Where has all the money gone? Where's the "openness and transparency" here?

Our township could clearly use a community center with a new arena, swimming pool, fitness rooms and rental space, which seems to be at a premium in Millbrook. What a beautiful spot the old jail property would be for this. And, there's obviously water there, as this has been sited as one of the reasons we have enough to give to Fraserville. Our township could also use a daily bus service to Peterborough. Wouldn't our money be better spent on something that would benefit everyone in our township, rather than being siphoned off to "Casino Town".

I want to thank all the people who are working diligently through SOCM as well as the many letter writers who are helping to make the public and politicians aware of what’s going on here. I'm hoping that our efforts are going to snowball and gather enough momentum and volume to knock the Fraserville plan flat. If only we could recoup all the money spent on those studies. Imagine what we could have done with that?!

Nancy Robinson