Ottawa council votes to support new battery facility
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A motion on Wednesday from Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry called for proponents of the South March BESS facility to 'provide proof of municipal support to the IESO prior to Jan. 26, 2026 in order for the project proponents to meet their contractual obligations with the IESO and for the project to proceed… given the long history of this project it is appropriate for council to provide certainty to the proponents of the South March BESS facility now as to whether they will meet their contractual requirements with the IESO.'
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Curry's motion said key economic sectors rely on 'predictable and consistent access to energy,' and a rejection of the MSR for the South March BESS 'could result in a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars of direct and indirect investment in Ottawa.'
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The province, the IESO and local hydro utilities have 'recognized and affirmed the critical role that battery energy storage systems will play in ensuring energy certainty and reliability as electricity demands in the Ottawa region will continue to exponentially grow over the next 20 years,' Curry said.
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BESS systems 'are essential to meeting the growing electricity demands of both the city of Ottawa and the province as new infrastructure is built and transition to a more resilient low-carbon energy future,' the motion stated.
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If the project moves ahead, the South March BESS would reside in the West Carleton ward, and Kelly said council rejected a similar proposal for Fitzroy Harbour over the 'same concerns I'm hearing today.'
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'The community most impacted by this installation has reached out in overwhelming numbers to demonstrate they remain uncomfortable with what is being proposed and where it is being proposed, and not one single other municipality in Ontario has been put in this position we find ourselves in today,' Kelly said.
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'My community is not a bunch of NIMBYs or rural residents who are resistant to change. We understand that for a multitude of reasons we must diversify our sources of energy and strengthen our grid with technologies such as battery energy storage.'
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Kelly cited the concerns raised at last week's committee meeting over 'fire and emergency response location, well water contamination and some deep disappointment in the consultation process.'
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Kelly said many of his constituents feel 'like their voice doesn't matter and that the consultation process is meaningless.'
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Mayor Mark Sutcliffe acknowledged the provincial initiative puts the city in an 'uncomfortable' position.
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'This is a provincial jurisdiction, the provincial government provides the opportunity for a municipal support resolution, but the provincial government also makes it clear that it wants to see these kinds of projects go ahead,' Sutcliffe said. 'So it puts us in an uncomfortable position of having to be a part of a process over which we don't have the ultimate jurisdiction.'
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CONTACT: USA NEWS GROUP [email protected] (604) 265-2873 DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a paid advertisement and is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. USA News Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market IQ Media Group, Inc. ("MIQ"). MIQ has been paid a fee for Oncolytics Biotech Inc. advertising and digital media from the company directly. There may be 3rd parties who may have shares of Oncolytics Biotech Inc., and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. This compensation constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. The owner/operator of MIQ own shares of Oncolytics Biotech Inc. which were purchased in the open market, and reserve the right to buy and sell, and will buy and sell shares of Oncolytics Biotech Inc. at any time without any further notice commencing immediately and ongoing. We also expect further compensation as an ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company, no further notice will be given, but let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material, including this article, which is disseminated by MIQ has been approved by Oncolytics Biotech Inc.; this is a paid advertisement, we currently own shares of Oncolytics Biotech Inc. and will buy and sell shares of the company in the open market, or through private placements, and/or other investment vehicles. While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between the any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.
Ottawa Citizen
12-06-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa council votes to support new battery facility
Article content A motion on Wednesday from Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry called for proponents of the South March BESS facility to 'provide proof of municipal support to the IESO prior to Jan. 26, 2026 in order for the project proponents to meet their contractual obligations with the IESO and for the project to proceed… given the long history of this project it is appropriate for council to provide certainty to the proponents of the South March BESS facility now as to whether they will meet their contractual requirements with the IESO.' Article content Curry's motion said key economic sectors rely on 'predictable and consistent access to energy,' and a rejection of the MSR for the South March BESS 'could result in a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars of direct and indirect investment in Ottawa.' Article content The province, the IESO and local hydro utilities have 'recognized and affirmed the critical role that battery energy storage systems will play in ensuring energy certainty and reliability as electricity demands in the Ottawa region will continue to exponentially grow over the next 20 years,' Curry said. Article content Article content BESS systems 'are essential to meeting the growing electricity demands of both the city of Ottawa and the province as new infrastructure is built and transition to a more resilient low-carbon energy future,' the motion stated. Article content If the project moves ahead, the South March BESS would reside in the West Carleton ward, and Kelly said council rejected a similar proposal for Fitzroy Harbour over the 'same concerns I'm hearing today.' Article content 'The community most impacted by this installation has reached out in overwhelming numbers to demonstrate they remain uncomfortable with what is being proposed and where it is being proposed, and not one single other municipality in Ontario has been put in this position we find ourselves in today,' Kelly said. Article content 'My community is not a bunch of NIMBYs or rural residents who are resistant to change. We understand that for a multitude of reasons we must diversify our sources of energy and strengthen our grid with technologies such as battery energy storage.' Article content Article content Kelly cited the concerns raised at last week's committee meeting over 'fire and emergency response location, well water contamination and some deep disappointment in the consultation process.' Article content Kelly said many of his constituents feel 'like their voice doesn't matter and that the consultation process is meaningless.' Article content Mayor Mark Sutcliffe acknowledged the provincial initiative puts the city in an 'uncomfortable' position. Article content 'This is a provincial jurisdiction, the provincial government provides the opportunity for a municipal support resolution, but the provincial government also makes it clear that it wants to see these kinds of projects go ahead,' Sutcliffe said. 'So it puts us in an uncomfortable position of having to be a part of a process over which we don't have the ultimate jurisdiction.'
