The Township of North Huron says a committee of council being set up to examine the Howson Dam in Wingham will only consist of North Huron residents, but members of other municipalities are invited to share their own concerns.
Last week, Morris-Turnberry Mayor Jamie Heffer told CKNX he feels his municipality should have some involvement with the new committee.
In response, a press release from North Huron CAO Dwayne Evans said, "Morris-Turnberry is encouraged to share their views and opinion with the committee or by speaking with council directly."
Evans said "the committee will be given one year to complete their task", which will be "providing advice and recommendations to council on any decision to be made".
As far back as the 2018 municipal election campaign, North Huron Reeve Bernie Bailey has shown interest in generating hydro from the Howson Dam.
However, Maitland Valley Conservation Authority Flood and Erosion Safety Services Coordinator told BlackburnNews.com that, "If the decision is made to maintain the dam as it is, the municipality will need to demonstrate to the Conservation Authority that the work isn't going to increase flooding beyond what the structure is currently doing."
As well, North Huron may have trouble finding a buyer for any hydro-electricity produced, as the provincial government is poised to scrap the Ontario Green Energy Act, which provided incentives for landowners to generate wind, solar, hydroelectric or other clean energy to sell to the electrical grid. The future of this program is currently unclear.