TOl/vNSHIP OF NAIRN AND HYMAN

64 Mclntyre Street O Nairn Cenre, Ontario a PoM 2L0 a (705) 869-4232 o Fax: (705) 869-5248Established: March 7, 1896 Oflice of the Clerk Treasurer, CAO E-mail: nairncentre@personainrernet.com

web page: www.nairncentre.ca

June 5,2012

Xeneca Power Development lnc.c/o Stephanie Hodsoll6255 Yonge Street, Suite QAAToronto, OntarioM2N 6P4

Re: Waterpower Projects For the Proposed Wabagishik RapidsDevelopment

Dear Ms Hodsoll:

Please be advised that our Council adopted the following motion at their meeting ofJune 4,2012:

RESOLUTTON #201 2-9-1 17MOVED BY: R. MacDonaldSECONDED BY: L. FalldienWHEREAS: Xeneca Power Development lnc. is proposing three modified run-of-

river hydroelectric dams for the Vermillion River, to be located atCascade Falls, Soo Crossing and Wabagishik Rapids; and

WHEREAS: the Township of Nairn and Hyman is in favour of responsible andsustainable green energy projects that have had the input, consensusand blessing of the municipalities affected; and

WHEREAS: the modified run-of-river operating strategy would involve holding themajority of river water back from downstream flow for up to 24 hoursto fill several kilometers of head ponds, and expose stored river waterto solar warming for up to 16 hours during the hot low flow summerand fall seasons; and

WHEREAS: the nine waste water treatment facilities, releasing treated,undertreated and untreated effluent into the Vermillion RiverWatershed, along with heavy metals resulting from over 100 years ofmining effluent and emissions that may have accumulated in theVermillion riverbed sediment and that these cumulative negativeeffects could result in an increased incidence of toxic algae blooms

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and an unnecessary additional risk to the public health and safety ofmore than 13,000 citizens receiving their drinking water from theVermillion River; and

WHEREAS: the modified peaking operating strategy could create extreme andfrequent river flow velocity and water level changes on the VermillionRiver system throughout the majority of the year, this could have anunacceptable negative impact on ice stability and year-roundrecreational activities such as swimming, boating, snowmobiling,skiing, ice and summer fishing, and create a public safety hazardand/or economic loss in tourism dollars; and

WHEREAS: the impacts of these proposed hydroelectric dams, cumulatively,could reach as far as the confluence of the Vermitlion River with theSpanish River, and possibly all the way out to the Domtar Dam inEspanola, and considering this large potential zone of influence, theecological, environmental, economic and social costs of these damswould be unacceptable; and

WHEREAS: the demand for power in Ontario has been significantly reduced inrecent years, and there is much more that can be achieved throughenergy conservation and efficiencies before resorting to thesemeasures; and

WHEREAS: the entire length of Wabagishik Rapids is unarguably an abundantWalleye spawning area, the loss of any part of this valuable naturalresource would be unacceptable; and

WHEREAS: the presence of Lake Sturgeon, an endangered species, was recentlyconfirmed downstream of Wabagishik Rapids, any additional pressureon this population would be unacceptable; and

WHEREAS: these proposals are within the Vermilion River corridor which drainsthe entire Vermilion River Watershed, and is a key connector formany other green spaces throughout the District of Sudbury, that thepotential degradation and fragmentation of such a beautiful andimportant natural heritage feature would be unacceptable; and

WHEREAS: it has come to our attention that no dam decommissioning provisionsare being made for any proposed hydroelectric dams in Ontario, andwith scientists' predictions of climate change to bring increasingdrought conditions, there is a possibility that these dams will no longerbe environmentally. ecologically, economically or socially feasible inthe near future, and in that case, removal of these dams would be leftto the taxpayers, and this would be unacceptable,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:that due to the numerous negative impacts affecting water quality,water quantity, public health and safety, destruction of fish habitat andspawning areas, and the overall environmental, ecological social andeconomic costs that could result from these three proposed modifiedrun-of-river hydroelectric dams, the Corporation of the Township ofNairn and Hyman resolves to strongly oppose these proposals forCascade Falls, Soo Crossing and Wabagishik Rapids, on theVermilion River, and

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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:that communication of this decision will be made to Xeneca PowerDevelopment lnc., the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Energy, theMinister of Environment, the Minister of Natural Resources, the localMember of Provincial Parliament, in the local newspapers, the localmunicipalities of the LaCloche Foothils Area, City of Greater Sudburyand the Whitefish First Nations.

CARRIED

Robert DeschenecAo/jh

cc: The Hon. Dalton McGuinty, Premier of OntarioThe Hon. Chris Bentley, Minister of EnergyThe Hon. Jim Bradley, Minister of EnvironmentThe Hon. Michael Gravelle, Minister of Natural ResourcesMichael Mantha, MPP, Algoma-ManitoulinVermilion River Stewardship, Linda Heron, ChairCity of Greater SudburyWhitefish First NationTownship of BaldwinTown of EspanolaTownship of Sables-Spanish RiversMid North Monitor, EspanolaAround and About, EspanolaSudbury Star

Sincerely Yours

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