Six Nations and Hydro One Deal

It is the intention of the Wynne Liberal Government to privatize Hydro One, which supplies electricity to the people of Ontario.  To say the least it is seen as controversial, hypocritical, and a way to pay down the immense debt created by McGinty and his successor Wynne that came into being due to gross incompetence on so many levels.  Just google "gas plant scandal ontario" for some eye opening information. 

Now, it seems to have occurred to some Liberal politician that if some sweet deal can be offered to the poor "victimized" "Natives" of the Province, it will gain political traction and give the appearance of the Liberals being understanding and supportive of the "special status" of those designated as "Native" in this Province.

The following is from Two Row Times, 27 September 2017, in an article entitled, "Hydro One sale to First Nations offers potential" - click here to view entire article.

The deal:  Of the 60% of Hydro One to be privatized, A 2.5% slice of that 60% was opened up collectively to Ontario’s First Nations communities in 2016 when the Chiefs of Ontario announced an agreement-in-principle with Hydro One.

The plan? Liberals promised to open up 15 million shares to Ontario’s First Nations communities at a reduced rate of $18 a share — that’s about three quarters of the standard share rate of just under $24.  Furthermore, "According to stats released by the Chiefs of Ontario the deal has long term potential to increase to $1.2 billion dollar value over 25 years."  Sweet deal, but only for "First Nations" - everyone else gets at best sloppy seconds.

More specifically, First, in order for the deal to go through at all 80% of the First Nations communities in Ontario have to come on board by the end of 2017.

Next, if a base threshold of 80% of First Nations communities in Ontario are in agreement, which Hill says is just 107 of the 133 communities, the deal will be finalized. However, if 106 say yes and 27 refuse – Hill says the deal will not proceed.

If ratified, the First Nations who agree will start a limited partnership, called Sovereignty Wealth LP,  to collectively hold the shares. Ontario will then give that LP a 25 year loan of up to $268 million dollars for the purchase of the shares.

Finally, in addition to the loan the province is offering $45 million dollars for seed capital over the course of three years. You can almost think of it as the “free gift with purchase”. The Chiefs of Ontario have agreed to bank that seed money to collect interest as an investment into the future generations.  That seems rather generous, for some, the "chosen ones".

The Reality at Six Nations:  What is so appalling is that no one is factoring in the way in which Six Nations has "interacted" with Hydro One since 2006.  I will note 3 issues that have never been resolved, nor has any compensation been paid to the aggrieved parties:

1)  The Smoke Shacks:  At this point I don't know how many illegal shacks are situated illegally on Hydro One owned lands selling illegal untaxed cigarettes.  The most obvious one is at the corner of Argyle Street South and the Caledonia bypass (which at one time included a hamburger stand shut down by the Health Department for appalling sanitary reasons).  These squatters are being allowed to stay because no one has the fortitude to enforce the law and remove them.  The hypocrisy is that if a resident of Caledonia were to do the same thing they would be arrested and the operation shut down immediately.  Those shacks have been in place now for 10 years and with no signs of any movement to change the status quo.  At the very least the owners owe Hydro One rental or lease money for this blatant misuse of Hydro One lands.

2)  The Barricade Tower:  During the riots of 2006 when Six Nations members created anarchy in Caledonia and surrounds, "land protectors" (i.e., thieves and vandals) used what must have been a cutting torch to bring down a Hydro One steel tower, which the "protesters" dragged across Argyle Street South as a barricade.  Many of us will recall the militants standing defiantly with Mohawk Warrior flags in hand and masks to cover their faces on this tower stolen from Hydro One.  Most will know that the Ontario Government capitulated to the demands of these criminals and gave them the Douglas Creek Estates (DCE) property, and via negotiations, the much larger Burtch property in Brant County as a condition for the Six Nations militants to remove the barricade.  

Over the years the tower disintegrated to a stub, which as recently as 25 August was lying across Argyle Street South in the most recent event of this nature.  It was removed from its "resting place" immediately behind the gates to the DCE by the Ontario Provincial Police on Sunday 24 September 2017.

Clearly a valuation must be made of the property that was removed, and Hydro One must be compensated for every penny owed.

3)  The Unstrung Hydro One Towers:  The above tower was part of miles of similar towers extending from Niagara Falls to the Toronto grid.  In 2006, after the tower was removed, the Mohawk Warriors or their supporters defied anyone to enter Hydro One property and finish the work to link Niagara Falls and Toronto.  Hence, since the towers were proximal to the DCE site, inertia, fear, timidness and whatever else has ensured that the towers stand there forlorn - extending as far as the eye can see from Argyle Street South, with absolutely no high tension wires, only empty pulleys, as seen in the picture below.

Line of Hydro One Towers from Argyle Street South 29 September 2017

Same Tower as above Showing Pulleys Without High Tension Wires

The amount of money lost by Hydro One thanks to the actions of Six Nations militants must be close to one billion dollars.  Calculations by knowledgeable people need to be made to have a clear sense of what is owed to Hydro One.

The Point:  It seems that any agreement involving Six Nations involving Hydro One MUST take into consideration how much money is owed to the latter by the former.  There is no negotiating this away.  Hydro One and thus the taxpayers of Ontario have lost significant revenue due to the criminal actions of Six Nations.  Hydro One and the Province of Ontario need to DEMAND the money that is legally theirs.  Until this matter is settled, why would the Province even entertain the idea that Six Nations can "get in on the action" with this new arrangement.  It is high time that the actions that lay at the doorstep of Six Nations are fully addressed - otherwise the whole concept of justice and the law are simply meaningless - or is Six Nations immune here?

DY.