They were there in cruisers, on ATVs, in boats and in helicopters as well as on foot. They were there to prevent Greenpeace from sabotaging the Nanticoke Generating Station that is located on the shores of Lake Erie.

The Greenpeace group did in fact try to starve this coal-eating leviathan by boarding the coal ship "Algomarine," hoping to delay its arrival at Nanticoke. Otherwise, they were ineffective until Friday largely due to the police protection of the station.

It is a curious irony that the current Ontario government promised the closure of coal-fuelled power stations, including Nanticoke, by this year but are instead protecting every last kilowatt the plant can burn into power at considerable expense.

What does it prove?

It proves actions speak louder than words and the reality is no matter what the government says about coal-fuelled power stations, Ontario is in desperate need of the power they produce.

The truth is, a huge power producer cannot be replaced by things like wind turbines even if they were installed downwind of Queen's Park.