Throwing caution to the Wind – CTV W5
Thunder Bay Joins the Fight against Wind Farm/Turbine By Jamie Smith
A group of concerned citizens is blown away by the city’s plan to lease land near Big Thunder to make a wind farm. Around 50 people were at the Neebing Roadhouse Tuesday evening to form the first Nor’Wester Mountains Escarpment Citizens Coalition meeting. The group discussed environmental, social and health concerns about the proposed Big Thunder Wind Park; a 27 megawatt farm that would place 18 turbines across the Neebing skyline.
Coalition interim chair John Beals said he first heard about the project two years ago when he received a letter in the mail from Horizon Wind. He said the deal between Thunder Bay and Horizon Wind was done behind closed doors in March 2007 because the city corporation owns 17,000 acres of land that the project would be built on. According to the coalition, each turbine would require four acres of clear-cut land. The Toronto company has since held two public meetings about the project. Beals said it would be a shame to lose the land before any other discussions could take place.
“What’s overtop of that escarpment very few people have seen in their lifetime,” Beals said adding the land includes two-thirds of the Loch Lomond Lake shoreline. “It’s as though nobody sees it and nobody cares about it.”
Loch Lomond Ski Area owner Ward Bond said he’s in favour of green energy but the project could be devastating for his ski hill. He said he has no idea why the city wouldn’t consult him. Bond said he called the city Monday but hasn’t heard back from them yet.
“I think that was so bad of the city to just go ahead and do this behind closed doors. I didn’t even read about it in the newspaper. It’s not public knowledge. I’d like to know what the city’s getting out of it,” said Bond. “It’s not green energy it’s green money.”
The project would place 400 foot turbines on top of the Nor’Wester Mountains between Copin Road and Hacquoil Road. Residents at the meeting voiced concerns from internet research they have done on wind farms. They said endangered wildlife, noise pollution and moving shadows from the blades of the turbines known as “flickering” could jeopardize their neighbourhoods.
“Why are you ruining our way of life and the things we hold dear?” asked Beals who also owns the Neebing Roadhouse. “No one knows what took place (in meetings between the city and Horizon Wind). We just know something is wrong.”
Horizon Wind issued a letter to residents Monday stating that the project is on hold until it undergoes an environmental assessment under the new provincial Renewable Energy Approval regulation.
Queens Park Resolution for Moratorium on Wind Turbine Projects – October 29th, 2009
MPP BILL MURDOCH LISTENING TO HIS CONSTITUENTS – WILL THE CITY COUNCIL OF THUNDER BAY LISTEN TO THEIRS?
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2090297
Court Challenges to Ontario’s Green Energy Act – October 19, 2009
Federation of Canadian Municipalities Calls (FCM) for Health Study & New Regulations – 71 Municipalities Sign On
WHY DOES THUNDER BAY NOT SIGN ON?
Arran-Elderslie Council expected to pass Interim Control By-law October 26th, 2009 for one-year moratorium on construction of large wind turbines – Against McGuinty’s New Green Energy Plan
WILL THUNDER BAY DO THE SAME TO PROTECT IT’S NATURAL ASSET AND IT’S CITIZENS?
http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2009/10/20/council-tries-to-slow-turbines/
Great start to the site. The Nor’Wester Mountains do not need to be a part of a scheme that will result in higher electricity prices and no benefits in electricity production. No coal generation stations have been closed anywhere in the world by industrial wind. Industrial wind is not the answer to provide much more than higher energy costs to the consumer. These structures are not green and a lot more than just an annoyance.
Northern Ontario For No Wind (NOFNWind)
By: Zen2then on October 20, 2009
at 1:24 am
Congratulations on your new site! Good job.
By: WCO on October 26, 2009
at 10:50 pm
The video link on this site states that the home is located just 1000 feet from the wind turbine. What is the closest home to the new proposed site. Nor’ Wester View School will not be affected by this flickering as they are 2 km from the closest turbine, and much of the research related to sound is done from a distance of only 300 m.
By: Stephanie on December 7, 2009
at 5:28 pm
You are referring to audible noise. There is also sub-audible low frequency noise that is more damaging. It also travels for miles not metres.
By: norwesterescarpment on December 10, 2009
at 6:40 pm
Show me the scientific proof
By: WaYnE on June 19, 2010
at 7:27 am
There’s plenty of credible reports out there. Do some reading.
By: norwesterescarpment on June 21, 2010
at 3:58 pm
McGuinty has stated that when all of wind and solar power projects are complete, it will account for 5% of all of the power generated in Ontario. That represents the equivalent of removing 265,000 cars off the highways of Ontario. In the GTA, this may be the case but in Northern Ontario, this doesn’t make sense. We don’t have the same pollution and congestion issues of the south. Therefore, we have no need for these costly projects and shouldn’t have to pay for them. These ugly “green energy” projects do nothing more than pollute the landscape with solar panels and wind turbines. Green energy companies are tripping over each other to take advantage of the huge incentives that the government is offering and the money they will make selling the power back to us. We can’t afford this type of energy, we don’t need it in the north and we shouldn’t have to pay for the problems of those living in the south. Heating, rather than cooling our homes is a bigger issue. We can breathe the air here; driving for most of us usually takes only 20 minutes to most destinations; we have an abundance of natural beauty we don’t want spoiled and could live quite well without interference from Torontonians!
By: Rick on September 30, 2011
at 4:24 pm