Does anyone know how large the parcel of land is that Ford is selling to TransCanada?

The reason why I ask is that $50 million seems way above fair market value for a piece of industrial property in Oakville. This leads me to believe that the selection of the Oakville site is a quasi-automotive bailout in disguise.

I do not own a Ford. I have never owned a Ford. And at this rate, I will never own a Ford. If these highly paid executives can't make a car that sells, then please move along!

Our mayor says that Ford is the biggest employer in Oakville, but how many resident of Oakville actually work there? I hear a significant number of Ford employees are from Mississauga.

And Ford is supposed to be our biggest taxpayer in Oakville. But what is the point in collecting taxes from them, only to give it back to them in a $50 million payout and then build a power plant on it?

The last TransCanada open house stated that the plant would be on a 15 acre site.

15 acres? Looks substantially smaller to me, both by looking at the site and seeing it on the map. More like 5 acres or less, I thought.

In any event, even if we assume it is 15 acres ... with a $50 million price tag, that's over $3.33 million per acre. There is no way that industrial land in Oakville is worth that much.

Think about it ... the Edgemere is 13 acres of prime residential estate property on the waterfront. And it would not sell for $35 million.

So why are we paying $50 million for industrial wasteland?

I can think of so many other things that $50 million could go towards ... like building the necessary infrastructure so that Nanticoke can be a viable option.

It is a mistake to think that we, as taxpayers, as ratepayers and as energy consumers, are not paying for this overpriced piece of land. TransCanada may be cutting the cheque, but they will feed those costs right back to us as energy consumers and our elected officials are standing right behind them.