A local advocacy group is raising alarms over a proposed $7-billion pumped storage project at the Meaford Tank Range, arguing the plan conflicts with federal environmental and operational standards previously applied by the Department of National Defence (DND).
Save Georgian Bay is calling on federal decision-makers to explain why Meaford was ruled unsuitable for critical defence infrastructure, yet is still being considered for TC Energy’s massive hydro project. The DND eliminated the site early in its Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar (A‑OTHR) selection process due to environmental sensitivity, complex terrain, and the area’s critical role as a high‑tempo military training facility.
"The radar system is a military project, so it belongs on a military base. Here we are looking at a commercial project that wants to come in on the base, that will offend the environmental sensitivities to an even greater degree," said Tom Buck, director of Save Georgian Bay. He explained the pumped storage project would require years of blasting and excavation, including the creation of a 400-acre reservoir. "During that construction, they’re going to turn over the earth that has toxic contaminants that have built up over eight decades of active fire training. That’s going to flow into the air and into the watershed and out into Georgian Bay."
Buck emphasized the potential risks to both wildlife and human health. "There are 35 species at risk, about 15 of them live on the base where TC Energy wants to put the reservoir. Those habitats will be destroyed," he said. He also highlighted the dangers posed by the project’s intake system in Georgian Bay, which would operate in an open-loop design and could result in significant fish mortality.
Federal documents support some of these concerns. According to DND’s site selection criteria for the radar project, Meaford could not support Stage 1 radar installations due to its environmental constraints, topography, and ongoing military operations. Yet the same criteria are not being applied to TC Energy’s pumped storage proposal.
The project, spearheaded by TC Energy in partnership with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, aims to store water from Georgian Bay in an upper reservoir overnight and release it during peak electricity demand to generate clean energy. The Ministry of Energy has committed up to $285 million for pre-development, including environmental assessments and cost analyses. TC Energy projects the facility could produce 1,000 megawatts (enough to power about one million homes over eight hours) and provide stability for Ontario’s growing renewable energy grid.
Despite these potential benefits, Buck and Save Georgian Bay argue the project poses excessive risks. "Anything that has been fired out of a Canadian military weapon over the last eight decades has likely been fired on these ranges. The project will disturb these soils," he said, noting that local military contaminants could be released into the environment. He also stressed that provincial and federal leadership appear to be prioritizing energy development over environmental protection in the region.
Seven municipal councils around Georgian Bay have passed resolutions opposing the project or demanding rigorous impact assessments before any work begins. Even Meaford and Owen Sound, communities that could see economic benefits, have requested proof that the project will not cause environmental harm, Buck said.
The federal government’s approach to major infrastructure projects has come under scrutiny, particularly as TC Energy CEO François Poirier has urged quicker permitting timelines for energy projects amid rising global demand. While the Canadian government has capped federal environmental assessments at two years, Poirier and industry leaders have pushed for even shorter timelines, citing competition from other countries.
Buck urged officials to consider alternatives to the massive pumped storage project. "There are more efficient energy storage solutions that are less costly, quicker to build, and about 90 percent efficient compared to this project, which will be roughly 67 percent efficient. The province ought to be looking at on-the-grid storage solutions," he said, pointing to emerging battery technologies and other renewable energy storage innovations.
Save Georgian Bay is also pressing for transparency. "Meaford deserves federal consistency," the group said in its release. The advocacy organization is calling on DND and federal agencies to apply environmental and operational criteria uniformly across all proposals, and on local councils to demand clarity on why one project was deemed incompatible with the base while another, significantly larger, continues to move forward.
For Buck and Save Georgian Bay, the stakes extend beyond a single project. "Georgian Bay is the largest freshwater source wholly within Ontario, but it’s also connected to Lake Huron. If contaminants start going into the Bay, they’re going to spread. We’re very concerned about that," he said.
The group has been monitoring the site for seven years, and Buck said volunteers are actively engaging communities across the Bay to communicate potential risks. "This project is particularly offensive; it’s interfering with the military mission, it’s harming Georgian Bay, and it’s a costly approach when better alternatives exist," he added.
