03/31/2026
Save The Spring
Located in Sables-Spanish Rivers Township, a proposed 600-acre, 150-megawatt utility-scale solar project by Potentia Renewables Inc. is now moving into its next phase.
On Wednesday evening last week, I joined Jeff and Dariya Koncz, along with their daughter of , to visit a spring Jeff has been collecting water from for the past 15 years.
He shared how he first came to know the spring, and how it has evolved—from water rising naturally from the ground to the functional tap it is today. Over the years, it has provided for him and many others in the community. In return, those who rely on it have taken care of it—protecting the space and maintaining access so it can continue to serve.
I wanted to document the spring as it exists today—and the people who depend on it—with the understanding that it may not remain unchanged if this project proceeds.
Today, the spring is vulnerable.
After Jeff and Dariya filled their jugs with a month’s supply of water, we attended a Sables-Spanish Rivers Township Council meeting. Alongside them were many others who rely on this spring as a source of clean water, as well as concerned residents.
A local landowner has submitted a proposal to develop the solar project in the area surrounding the spring. For months, community members have met with council, voicing concerns about environmental impact—on the water, the surrounding land, wildlife, and the use of pesticides.
On the table was a vote to rescind the previous decision that allowed a formal proposal for the project to move forward. It was a powerful reminder of what it means to be part of a community that stands up for what it believes in.
We listened as each councillor explained their position. Ultimately, they chose not to rescind their vote and instead allowed the project to proceed to the proposal stage.
Councillor Mike Mercieca—elected in 2022 with the highest number of votes among his peers—was the only councillor to speak in opposition to the project. While speaking, he was asked to keep his remarks brief by Mayor Burke, yet received two rounds of applause from the room.
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