|
|
ConCerv also commisioned Darryl Howry, a noted Edmonton consultant, to study the impact of RD11 on the local property values. Howry comments that nearly 5000 properties would be negatively affected and it is not known if the loss in property taxes would be offset for the city by any revenues from RD11.
Outlined below also is a discussion of some of the hidden costs of the Rossdale expansion.
Hildebrand Report
Please choose from one of the following formats
Howry Report
Please choose from one of the following formats
The Cost to Edmonton of the Rossdale Expansion - a Discussion
If Epcor and City Council do expand the Rossdale power plant Edmonton will
lose substantially in many ways, not just economically:
1) If the expansion proceeds, Edmonton, the owner of Epcor will forfeit
(a) the $30 million for depreciation and restoration costs collected by
Epcor from Edmontonians since 1989 for the purpose of decommissioning and
restoration of the site, as well as
(b) Provincial balancing pool coverage for any extra cost exceeding the $30 million.
References:
(a) Refer to: Coopers and Lybrand Depreciation Study, dated December 31,
1988, and Arrow Demolition Inc. Demolition Cost Estimates for Rossdale
Power Station, dated September, 1989. (Available from the EUB and/or
EPCOR)
(b) Refer to Section 42(1) on page 15 of (Adobe Acrobat format), which is also available from the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board website, www.eub.gov.ab.ca.
This states:
Where
(a) a regulated generating unit is not sold and becomes unregulated in accordance with this Regulation before January 1, 2019, and
(b) the owner of the generating unit applies to the Board within one year after the unit becomes unregulated to decommission the unit, the owner of the generating unit
(c) is entitled to receive from the balancing pool the amount by which the costs of decommissioning the unit exceed the amount the owner has colleted from customers, or through a power purchase arrangement, for the purpose of decommissioning the unit, or
(d) where the amount the owner has collected from customers, or through a power purchase arrangement, for the purpose of decommissioning the unit exceeds the costs of decommissioning the unit, must pay the excess to the balancing pool.
PLEASE NOTE: If RD11 (Epcor's planned first stage of a three fold expansion) goes ahead, Section 42(1) will NOT apply, because this is 'new' generation under deregulation and will be subject to a whole new set of rules and regulations. The province will no longer be responsible for restoring the Rossdale site. That will become the responsibility of the owner, presently the City of Edmonton. Edmontonians do not deserve to be burdened with this extra cost. Our Central River Valley has paid the price for long enough.
2) Edmonton's beautiful central river valley at the front gate to the heart of the capital city of Alberta will continue to have an industrial eyesore welcoming our visitors, local and international. After all Edmonton is the Capital City of Alberta and should be showcased as such.
3) The majestic Legislature Building, seat of Alberta's government will continue to have this industrial mess in its front yard.
4) Edmontonians, Albertans and Canadians will lose all grasp of the 8,000 years of history that is known to exist on the Rossdale site.
Archaeological and anthropological analysis reveals that this place is the most significant historical site west of the Red River Settlement of Winnipeg.
Legends told in oral history by First Nations people, that the Rossdale Flats have been a Gathering Place for People for millennia, are now verified by the recent archaeological finds dating back to 6,000 BC. The Rossdale site was referred to as the "Big House" by Blackfoot people. It was "Fort des Prairies" to the early French Canadian and Metis freemen. When occupied by the Hudson's Bay Company it was called "Edmonton House" and, It was known as "Fort Augustus" by the North West Company.
The Fort's story and the lives of its first residents intertwine with western Canadian history in a manner that makes the Rossdale site an ideal location for a world class gallery / museum / interpretative centre of national significance.
Sir Wilfred Laurier pronounced Alberta a Province in 1905 on this site.
The first European family, Jean Baptiste Lagimodiere and his wife Marie Anne Gaboury along with James Bird,
Joseph House and Colin Robertson, were the first to venture west of Winnipeg and settled on the Rossdale site.
The first European baby was born on this site. (Louis Riel was descended from this family.
Donald Ross (after whom Rossdale is named) built the first hotel west of Winnipeg on the Rossdale Flats after returning from the California goldfields where he had met and befriended Luther Burbank. Burbank visited Ross and noticed a profusion of Alberta's pretty wild wood lily. He asked the Ross children to gather some bulbs for him to take back to California. Luther Burbank domesticated this Alberta wild wood lily and named it the Tiger Lily. Every Tiger Lily comes from the genus of those found growing wild on the Rossdale Flats so long ago.
5) Edmontonians will lose forever, the chance to celebrate this history in situ.
6) Edmonton will lose forever the opportunity to present itself as a City of the 21st century. Epcor and this City Council will shackle Edmonton to the 19th Century if this expansion proceeds.
7) Edmonton will lose the window of opportunity to fulfill the vision of far-sighted City Planners who recommended de-industrializing the river valley as long ago as 1912.
To quote:
"Owing to the convenient location for industries in the early beginning of Edmonton along the river banks, especially the lumber industries, which took advantage of the practical location for such purpose, quite a large stretch of the river front is covered now by these industries, which, with their unsightly appearance are disfiguring the natural beauty.
These industries are there and this fact must be recognized, but as the City in its rapid development will gradually change its present appearance, and as the various elements governing their progress will be against the continuation of these present industries along the river, they will be compelled gradually to abandon their present location and move to more suitable ones.
The city power plant and the pumping station located on the city property north of the river, between Fourth Street and First Street, when outgrown the possible limits of covering the needs of a large city, will eventually be removed to another location, for which purpose the City has already acquired a large site next to the river, east of Big Island, and after this is accomplished the river will be free from this somewhat unattractive appearance of the existing power plant and waterworks. The possibility of improving the river front along its entire length could then be realized."
To see examples of possible economically, socially and culturally more appropriate use of the site that would not destroy its historic significance, please go to the links under 'Alternative Visions' on this website.
EDMONTON'S CENTRAL RIVER VALLEY IS BEING SACRIFICED FOR THE MERCENARY GAIN OF A FEW.
revision information
$Id: economics.php,v 1.2 2004/01/18 23:30:46 tim Exp $