Features Sustainability Water Issues
CGWA looking at receivership

April 2, 2013, QC –
The fallout from the final ruling in the
dispute between the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition (CGC) and the Canadian
Ground Water Association (CGWA) is ongoing while the two parties continue to negotiate
the consequences of the judgment.

The
CGC was awarded $267, 061.77 in damages on March 29, 2012, after a Montreal
tribunal ruled in its favour following a three-year dispute with the CGWA over
a matter related to the development of a national geothermal training course.

Wayne
MacRae, executive director of the CGWA, released the following update in the
winter edition of The Canadian Ground
Water Journal:

“As
you know, approximately 85 per cent of association income is based on
provincial membership dues, which are voluntary and paid at the discretion of
the provinces based on value for service. The provinces have made it clear to
our directors that they are unwilling to pay for their dues until a settlement
is achieved. This leaves the association in a position of only being able to
operate until the end of March based on present budget numbers, which means we
will be forced into receivership after that date.”

At
the heart of the dispute is a question of original content in the comissioned
development of a geothermal program. What was delivered by the CGWA was a 95
per cent cut and paste version of an existing course created for Ontario well
drillers pertaining specifically to Ministry of the Environment (MOE)
regulation 903, said Denis Tanguay, executive director of the CGC. Two
technical schools were listed in the dispute as subcontractors of the CGWA.

The
CGC put forward a repayment proposal in August that included financial and
non-financial options, said Tanguay.

“We
offered three payments of $50,000 over three years and the non-financial
options would be allowing us to come to your show [CanWell], we would have a
booth, a keynote speaker, you [CGWA] will recognize our training, promote our
training, and make sure every province registers at least 20 persons [for
training]. These are direct costs for the industry but they need to get trained
anyway,” Tanguay told Ground Water Canada
in an interview.

MacRae
addressed the CGC’s offer in his editorial statement, noting that the CGWA had
been working on a settlement for several months through Serge Crochetière,
the association’s lawyer.

“However,
despite Mr. Crochetière’s best efforts, the only settlement offered was for
twice as much money as the CGWA ever had in its possession as well as
endoresments for CGC program and guest speakers at future CanWell’s to spread
their message.”

MacRae closed his
statement by writing that the association is continuing to work through their
issues.