(Today’s Northumberland file photo)
By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
The benefits of the Wesleyville nuclear-power project to the community, and the challenges it brings, were the focus of a consultants’ presentation at Wednesday’s meeting of Northumberland County council.
Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. was represented by Managing Partner Jamie Cook and Manager Erik Karvinen in the presentation, which forecasts the county’s population to climb to about 120,000 by 2051 – and to about 150,000 by 2076.
Located on a 540-hectare “mega-site” in the western end of Port Hope, the project will create 1,700 jobs during its construction and 1,600 direct permanent jobs once operations begin.
Karvinen broke this down into direct employment at the facility, indirect employment from connected sectors such as material processing and waste handling, and induced employment further down the line such as the service sector. All together, this represents the potential for about 10,000 jobs across Canada.
Locally, this is expected to drive demand for 2,275 additional housing units, not to mention the temporary housing required for workers during construction.
Another challenge Cook mentioned is that the population aged 75+ is expected to continue to grow by about 1.3% annually, while the population as a whole grows by about 0.9%.
But the job market will look brighter, with some 480 jobs added each year through 2076.
Earlier in the meeting, Director of Planning, Development and Strategic Initiatives Dwayne Campbell had noted that the plans as they currently stand seem unduly focused on the Port Hope area when they should be more wide-ranging.
“The current draft is narrowly focused on the host municipality of Port Hope and does not reflect regional impact within a two-tier system,” Campbell said.
Presenting his report on the feedback the county has presented as part of the project’s consultation efforts, he cited effects on infrastructure capacity, workforce pressures, housing and other long-term municipal impacts.
“This is a generational project. It is critical that its impacts are fully understood,” Campbell stated.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
