White Water or Whitewash?

This is what the White Water Committee says on its FAQ page:( http://saskwhitewater.wordpress.com/saskatoon-whitewater-park/ )

"Public consultations conducted by the City of Saskatoon on the original waterpark proposal indicated there was strong public support for the proposal. Will the public support this new joint proposal? we are confident that the public will fully endorse this new proposal. Combining an economically viable “green power” facility with a whitewater recreational park will creat a one-of-its-kind facility in the world that will showcase Saskatoon’s commitment to the environment and to the health and recreation of its population."

Pelican Watch would like to point out that the City has conducted no public consultations. The White Water Committee set a tent up down by the weir about a year and a half ago and did an informal, unscientific poll of passersby. Could it be that White Water supporters knew about this event ahead of time and were on hand to add their opinions to this poll? The "new idea" for both a water park and a hydro dam conveniently combines a highly questionable, environmentally invasive aquatic playground with a very expensive set of underwater turbines. Is this an attempt to give the white-water idea "green credibility"?

Who can tell what machinations have gone on behind the scenes? But we're pretty convinced that many people in Saskatoon aren't going to support either idea.