Approvals for our Bala Falls small hydro project falls under a number of provincial and federal regulatory and permitting requirements.

Because authorization is required under the Fisheries Act and the Navigable Waters Protection Act, our Bala Falls small hydro project must meet Canadian Environmental Assessment Act requirements.

The project is also subject to provincial authority under Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act (O.Reg. 116/01) that requires an environmental screening in accordance with the Ministry of Environment’s Guide to Environmental Assessment Requirements for Electricity Projects.

Click here to see Environmental Screening Report

Also, as a condition of the Ministry of Natural Resource’s (MNR) release of Crown lands adjacent to Bala’s North Dam, the project’s environmental screening document must also meet the intent of MNR’s Water Management Planning Guidelines and the Muskoka River Water Management Plan that govern allowable water uses for this lake and river system.

In addition to these provincial and federal environmental assessment requirements, Swift River Energy must also obtain a number of other land use licenses and permits.

The following chart provides an overview of the project’s approvals process: