Georgian Bay cottagers lobby to halt power line construction

As a fire blazes near Parry Sound, U.S.-based Pattern Energysays they are continuing construction work of a power line in the community despite the concerns of a cottage group coalition along Georgian Bay.

Pattern Energy and its subsidiary, Pattern Development, are 50 per cent owners and are developing the project along withNigig Power Corporation, a subsidiary of Henvey Inlet First Nation. PowerTel Utilities Contractor Limited was hired to construct the transmission line.

The company told CBC News that it's following the rules, and being careful.

The company, along with Henvey Inlet First Nation, hired the service of a contractor to run transmission lines all the way from the eastern border of the reserve down to Parry Sound.

The Georgian Bay Association said that it has written to Ontario's premier Doug Ford and Natural Resources Minister Jeff Yurek, calling for a stop to any potentially dangerous construction activity in the area, fearing another fire could be started.

Parry Sound 33 has already burned close to 6,000 hectares of forest in the area, prompting the evacuation of Key Harbour and Henvey Inlet.

In a statement to CBC, Pattern Energy said they halted work on the transmission line last week as a precaution, but resumed on Tuesday. The work is being done well outside areas restricted by the MNRF, the company said.

The company added that it is following and exceeding Industrial Operation protocols, and that work at the wind farm itself is stopped for now. No workers will be permitted on the site until the MNRF deems it safe, the company said.

In a CBC News exclusive, some of the workers at the wind farm site allege that construction work and machinery operating in the bush sparked the massive forest fire that began a week ago.

Those allegations have not been proven.