If there was ever a saying that goes “you can’t see the world by standing in one place” then this may be a good example. First, let me ask you this: Has there been a time where you drove by the Eastmain River, the Opinica, the Sakami or gone to see the any of the La Grande dams and reservoirs and asked yourself, did it have to be this way?
I have been driving since the mid ’90s and it has torn me apart to drive by areas where there is clear-cutting and mining. Nothing destroys me more to see the damming of rivers and the flooding of lands. I have driven by Eastmain for years and from time to time, I wondered how beautiful and how clean the river might have been, and almost every time asked myself the question, did it have to be this way?
Since the announcement of the Paix Des Braves, it has been difficult to accept that consent was given to divert the mighty Rupert River.
It is also difficult to watch the HQ helicopters hovering along the Rupert to study how to minimize the impacts of its diversion. HQ plans to create a series of “aquariums” along the Rupert River to the point of diversion. Would you rather see a series of aquariums or windmills?
I have come to wonder why we haven’t taken the opportunity to study alternatives and propose a new start in development, but this time limited to sustainable development. How about proposing alternatives for Rupert?
Did you know that the technology to produce wind energy has existed for about 20 years? Today, it is the world’s fastest growing energy source. We should be asking ourselves why Hydro-Quebec haven’t explored and proposed alternative sources of power.
A group of us were introduced to a new world last week. The CanWEA (Canadian Wind Energy Association) conference was held in Montreal October 16-20. Cree representatives from the Whapmagoostui, Nemaska and Waskaganish attended. We were all there to gather information on the industry of alternative sources of power. The information we received from various wind energy producers, experts and consultants brought us all new hope and new dreams. Why not? JFK once said “some people see things as they are and say why, I dream of things that never were and say why not.”
Why not?
