Bruce Power siting of reactor, attempts to buy options on land in “Big Bend“ of the North Sask River
1. Early 2009. I received an anonymous call. The person, a man, did not want to say anything that could be used to identify him. He is from the area north of Lloydminster. He was seeking information and assistance. He found my name by googling.
The former MLA had approached him. The former MLA was well-liked in the area, a friendly guy, (not well-liked after this. Residents felt betrayed.) and was acting on behalf of Bruce Power. The former MLA wanted to buy options on this man`s land for the building of a nuclear reactor. He impressed on this man that the conversation was confidential, by law.
The man had not said anything to his neighbours for fear of getting into trouble with the law. I offered as much assistance as I could, referred him to Clean Green for more, and told him he should feel comfortable about discussing this with his neighbours.
He had not entered into a contract, there was no exchange of money, there is no case at law, the former MLA was using the threat of a lawsuit as an intimidation tactic to keep people from talking with each other about BP`s plans to assemble land upon which to build a reactor.
I gave the man my email address. And received email from him after the veil of secrecy and fear was lifted.
2. That was the first call. I remember it best. It wasn`t long before other people from the Paradise Hill – Hillmond area got in touch with CleanGreen and anti-nukers in Alberta.
3. In another phone call and through conversations at the subsequent Community Information Meeting in Paradise Hill, the story was the same. This former MLA approaching people to try and buy options on their land, stressing that the conversation was confidential, they were not to talk about it to anyone else, they could get into trouble with the law if they did. (The Public Meeting in Paradise Hill drew between 400 and 500 people, of all backgrounds, some from Onion Lake First Nations, some Hutterites, people came from Alberta along with local townspeople, farm and ranch families (Saskatchewan).)
The former MLA responded to a question by one rancher with the information that they wanted land in the `Big Bend` because the reactor would then have water flowing by on more than one side.
4. We went to people in the area of the River north of Saskatoon where there is another `big bend`. A local person looked up the landowners.
All the landowners were contacted with an alert about Bruce Power`s attempts to buy land for a reactor.