Category Archives: Health

Energy Minister Chiarelli says Ottawa support needed for North Gower wind power project

07 Thursday Nov 2013

Posted by in Health, Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

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In an interview with Ottawa-area radio station CFRA, Ontario Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli stated that it will now be very “difficult” for a wind power proponent to get approval, without “significant” support from the hosting municipality. Ottawa is where a 20-megawatt wind power project has been proposed for over five years, and where residents of the North Gower community have been working on a petition to be recognized as “Not A Willing Host,” as the potential “host” community within the City of Ottawa.

Speaking on CFRA this morning, Ottawa Wind Concerns chair and Wind Concerns Ontario president Jane Wilson said the community needs to see what the new application rules are, in black and white, and determine what “significant” support from a city would look like.

When told by the CFRA host Steve Madely that there is pushback on Council to a motion being put forward by the councillor for the area, she said, “I would hope that Ottawa City Councillors would do the right thing for all citizens of the city.”

The report on the interview with Minister Chiarelli is here.

 Chiarelli: approval not likely for North Gower wind farm without city support
By: Alison Sandor

Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli says without the city’s consent, it’s unlikely Prowind Canada will be able to build a wind farm in North Gower.

   Chiarelli told CFRA they’ve changed the regulations for companies applying to build wind turbines.

“We have set up a process for wind farm applications now that require the proponent, the energy proponent, to actually have an engagement with the municipality and have some level of consent or cooperation with the municipality before they can actually even submit an application for the approval,” said Chiarelli.

   Several city councillors have expressed worry about wind farms being built within city limits.

Opponents of wind farms say the turbines have negative health effects.

To contact Ottawa Wind Concerns, email ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

November 5 update: What YOU can do today

06 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Health, Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

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Our volunteer canvassers are out EVERY NIGHT and we are delivering paper petitions daily to the citizens of the North Gower area who will be affected by the proposed wind power generation project, should it be approved and constructed.

STATUS of the project: all large wind power project applications are on hold until Energy Minister Chiarelli announces the new application process, expected to be January. Prowind has told us they plan to reapply, once they’ve seen the new requirements.

KEY: community ownership and approval will be a factor. That’s why our Not A Willing Host effort has meaning: we will show that this is NOT a “willing host” community for very good reasons. We must speak up and take action: doing nothing results in nothing.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

-attend the last public signing of the petition Saturday November 9, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Alfred Taylor Recreation Centre

-download the petition here NG-PETITION-final

The petition MUST have your signature on an actual paper document, and be witnessed; return it to us at PO Box 3 North Gower ON  K0A 2TO or email us at ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com for pickup

-email us for a petition to be delivered to you

-plan to attend the Not A Willing Host event in Toronto at Queen’s Park later this month, details to follow

-our online poll is still active for another day or two. Please have residents of Ottawa go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LZSDL9N

The petition will be taken IN PERSON to the City Clerk at the City of Ottawa.

 

Ottawa concerned about closeness of proposed wind project in North Gower

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Health, Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

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Here from the Ottawa Sun, a story by Susan Sherring, on the opposition to the proposed North Gower-Richmond wind power generation project.

No to wind turbines in North Gower

2

Susan Sherring

By ,Ottawa Sun

First posted: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 06:03 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 06:19 PM EDT

Wind turbines
Wind turbines at the Erie Shores Wind Farm near Port Burwell generate power. Similar turbines may be popping up near Ottawa. (CRAIG GLOVER/QMI AGENCY)

For years, Gary Thomas has run a successful 50-acre Christmas tree farm in North Gower.

And he does it right, a family event with horse-drawn sleighs, tractor-drawn wagons and a warm fire with hot chocolate and cookies waiting for you upon your return from the bush.

Don’t forget the sweet smells of fresh Scotch Pine and Balsam fir.

Idyllic? Absolutely.

Now picture the same Norman Rockwell scene with a 600-foot high wind turbine less than 1 km away.

Sort of jars the senses, doesn’t it?

And then picture the massive turbine casting a shadow over the scene every few seconds.

Thomas says he can barely believe the possibility.

But indeed, there continues to be a looming threat of a wind turbine project as his next-door-neighbour.

A company called Prowind has applied more than once to the province for permission to build the wind turbine project in North Gower.

And when the province opens up for bids again, there’s every expectation Prowind will submit a proposal again.

“We’re not very pleased with it for a number of reasons. Health, there’s the psychological aspect, and the flicker effect, with every few second have a shadow come in front of our house, this is crazy,

“I’m not sure customers having the old fashioned experience will like the shadow,” he said.

Agreed.

Thomas doesn’t just worry about the immediate effects of the turbines, but he and his wife have counted on the farm for their retirement — and if the giant wind turbines are erected, doesn’t know how that will effect the resale value of their home.

“We’re hopeful Watson and council won’t put them in the municipality,” he says, in an interview with the Sun on Wednesday.

The threat of a giant wind turbine farm in their community has galvanized residents of North Gower in opposition of the project.

“We really don’t need these wind power projects,” said Jane Wilson, the chair of Ottawa Wind Concerns.

The group is circulating a petition — which now has about 400 names on it — advising the province North Gower doesn’t want to be home to a wind turbine project.

“It’s a pretty big power plant, I’m not sure people understand that. It’s huge, these are really large machines, they make noise and the vibrations can be upsetting,” she said.

The group has the support of their ward councillor Scott Moffatt, who’s working with them and city staff to craft a motion asking the province to give municipalities a say in where the wind power projects can and can’t be located.

“The majority are against it,” he added.

……………..

Read more at the Ottawa Sun website and take the poll!

Online poll for Ottawa available now

29 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Health, Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

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Thanks to talented and dedicated volunteers we now have an online poll which will gather opinions from voters in the City of Ottawa, which we can take to Council along with our petition.

The link to the survey is HERE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LZSDL9N

Please go to the survey, and send it to Ottawa friends, relatives and co-workers!

Email us at ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

Donations welcome at PO Box 3 North Gower ON  K0A 2T0

Petitions due November 12; return by mail to the address above

North Gower rally vs proposed wind power project

27 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by in Health, Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

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(Dear Tom Spears: they are NOT ‘farms’)

From the Ottawa Citizen

North Gower rally opposes possible wind farm

  By Tom Spears, OTTAWA CITIZEN October 26, 2013
North Gower rally opposes possible wind farm

Nearly 300 people came to the recreation centre in North Gower Saturday morning to oppose construction of eight to 10 wind turbines north and west of the village.

NORTH GOWER — Nearly 300 people came to the recreation centre in North Gower Saturday morning to oppose construction of eight to 10 wind turbines north and west of the village.

“They’re too noisy. They are really way to close to people for an industrial power plant,” said organizer Jane Wilson, of Ottawa Wind Concerns. “Far too close to too many people.”

She estimates that 1,100 homes would be within 3.5 kilometres of the turbines.

“A number of the homes are within two kilometres, which is … where you see most of the health effects,” she said.

Her group circulated a map of where it says the turbines would be sited, “and when people start looking at the map and see how close it is, it really makes a difference to them.”

Opponents of wind farms say sound waves that are at too low a frequency for the human ear to hear can cause insomnia, dizziness, headaches and other health problems. The industry says there is no health impact.

Construction could begin in the fall of 2014, she believes.

The proposal by Prowind Canada is on hold for now, but residents expect the company to go ahead eventually. The Prowind website estimates the size of what it calls the Marlborough wind farm at eight turbines, producing up to 20 megawatts.

Nepean-Carleton MPP Lisa MacLeod, who is also the Conservative energy critic, attended the event to support the protest.

“Rural communities are going to be assaulted by these wind turbine developments,” she said.

She said the Conservatives want a moratorium on new wind developments, and an end to subsidies “so that we can put them put of business.”

She also accused the turbines of being costly and inefficient.

Wind farms are common in many parts of Ontario, especially along the Great Lakes, but are not yet common in Eastern Ontario. In some rural communities they have pitted neighbours against each other, with some welcoming the revenue and some saying their health and property values are at stake.

“There are obviously some health issues that need to be explored and Health Canada is doing that right now,” MacLeod said.

Wilson said the Saturday rally collected 282 signatures declaring that North Gower is “not a willing host” to a wind farm.

Nepean-Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre announced on Twitter that the social costs of wind farms are too high and added, “I will continue to stand with you.”

Click here for the map by Ottawa Wind Concerns.

tspears@ottawacitizen.com

Online poll coming soon!

23 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Health, Ottawa, Wind power

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There has been so much interest in what we are doing with our petition, and so much support from Greater Ottawa—Kanata especially!—we are going to do an online poll for Ottawa residents to comment on the proposed wind power project.

With the help of a wonderful volunteer, it should be ready tomorrow.

If you can’t come to either of our signing dates, please download the petition here, and return it to us at PO Box 3, North Gower ON  K0A 2T0

ING-PETITION-final

 

5 days til our petition event!

21 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by in Health, Renewable energy, Wind power

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North Gower launches our Not a Willing Host legal petition on Saturday October 26th at the Alfred Taylor Centre on Community Way.

Can’t make it on the 26th?

email us at ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com and we will get a petition to you, RIGHT NOW if you wish

OR

come to the Alfred Taylor Centre on November 9 between 11 and 1, to “vote” and sign the petition.

Your friends and neighbours are signing already—let’s get the message out to Ottawa and the provincial government:

North Gower is NOT A WILLING HOST to a huge wind power project!

Print

 

North Gower plans to be “Not a Willing Host”

16 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Health, Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

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When Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne held her first interviews after being elected the Ontario Liberal Party leader, and thus, Premier, she was asked about the controversy over wind power projects in Ontario. She said, her government would not be forcing the power projects on communities that were not “willing hosts.”

Today, 72 Ontario municipalities have declared themselves to be “Not a Willing Host” ( see windconcernsontario.ca Not a Willing Host tab for the list of communities).

North Gower is not a legal municipality since amalgamation with the City of Ottawa, but residents plan to be declared Not a Willing Host by using a legal petition to the City of Ottawa.

“This petition is a legal document, signed and witnessed by members of our community,” says Ottawa Wind Concerns chair Jane Wilson. “We will take this petition to the City of Ottawa and make sure the City overall knows that there is no support here for a wind power generation utility so close to homes, and our school.”

Wilson notes that Ontario often has a surplus of power and has sold excess for a loss to neighbouring jurisdictions such as Michigan or New York State, and that the Ontario government recently announced it is paying wind power companies NOT to add power to the grid. “So why build another one?” she asks. “Why subject yet another Ontario community to the dramatic impact of a wind power project it it’s not even needed?”

The proposed 20-megawatt wind power project will be within 3.5 km of more than 1,000 homes, Wilson explained. A conservative estimate of the average property value loss is over $130 million.

MPP Lisa MacLeod, now energy critic for the opposition has often spoken against the wind power project; MP Pierre Poilievre has said it makes no sense financially, and commissioned a Library of Parliament study to show that subsidies for the project from Ontario taxpayers would be about $4.8 million per year.

The petition-signing debut for North Gower residents is Saturday October 26th at 10 a.m. at the Alfred Taylor Centre on Community Way. Special guest Parker Gallant, frequent contributor to the Financial Post series “Ontario’s Power Trip,” will deliver a presentation “What’s in your electricity bill?” by videolink at the event.

Residents who are unable to attend will be able to sign the petition when volunteer canvassers come to their door, or on a special “voting day” at the Alfred Taylor Centre on Saturday November 9 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

For more information, email Ottawa Wind Concerns at ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

New map shows potential impact of North Gower wind power project

13 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by in Health, Renewable energy, Wind power

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turbine and houseCloseWith new research on both health impacts and property value loss surfacing, we decided to update our maps on the sphere of influence of the proposed wind power generation project in North Gower and Richmond.

It is staggering. With health problems due to the environmental noise being reported as far away as 5 km in other jurisdictions (10 km reported in Australia) and property value loss substantial within 2 miles (US study from Clarkson University), our map depicts the influence on residents living within 3.5 km.

See the map HERE NG wind turbines – 3500m- 20131012

Where is YOUR home?

And what can you do? Tell the City of Ottawa that the residents of the North Gower area are NOT a “willing host” to this wind power project.

Come sign the legal petition Saturday October 26th at 10 AM at the Alfred Taylor Centre, and help get the word out to your North Gower friends and neighbours.

Alternate signing day will be Saturday November 9th from 11 AM to 1 PM. Volunteers will also be going door-to-door in the weeks after the petition launch; you may also email us at ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com to have a copy brought to you.

Each signature will be witnessed: this is a LEGAL DOCUMENT that will go to Ottawa City Council.

Donations welcome: PO Box 3, North Gower ON  K0A 2T0

Ottawa Wind Concerns

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

Algoma residents consider action on wind power plant approval

13 Sunday Oct 2013

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The Goulais Bay wind power generation plant was approved October 4th, despite objections from all over Canada about placing an industrial power generation project in the landscape celebrated by Canada’s Group of Seven painters.

From SooToday:

Goulais wind farm approved, opponents consider next steps

Saturday, October 12, 2013   by: Darren Taylor

 

The Save Ontario’s Algoma Region (SOAR) group is clearly disappointed with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) October 4, 2013 decision to approve construction of the Goulais Wind Farm project.

A Renewable Energy Approval (REA) has been given to SP Development Limited Partnership to build, install, operate and eventually retire a renewable energy facility, consisting of 11 wind turbines , with a total capacity of 25 MW, in the unorganized Townships of Pennefather and Aweres.

The wind facility will be connected to Great Lakes Power’s distribution system.

The REA comes with a long list of conditions, which include requiring SP Development Limited to construct and install the facility within three years of the date of approval, compliance with the MOE’s noise emission limits,  keep an eye on storm water management, sediment and erosion during and after construction, the effect of the project on wildlife (such as birds and bats), establish a community liaison committee with members of the public, and properly decommissioning of the facility upon its retirement.

SOAR’s Executive Member and spokesperson Gillan Richards, in an e-mail to SooToday.com, stated: “SOAR and Wind Concerns Ontario (WCO) will now consider what action to take in response to the Goulais Project Approval.”

The group, if it decides to file an application to appeal the MOE’s Goulais Wind Farm project approval, must do so within 15 days.

SOAR has long been opposed to the project, and has maintained that the whirring of wind turbines, for example, is detrimental to human health, and that the presence of more wind farms in Algoma would be an all-round disruption to the environment and wildlife in the area.

Also ranking high among the group’s concerns is that, in its view, the project will create an eyesore on the area’s famous Group of Seven landscape, disturbing “the natural beauty of Algoma from industrial intrusion.”

SOAR states the public in general has never been keen on wind turbine developments, claiming  “Algoma residents and visitors are already annoyed and dismayed by the intrusion of the Prince Wind Farm turbines.”

SOAR has also long insisted not enough public input has been gathered from the province and the developer regarding the Goulais Wind Farm project (along with other wind projects, proposed by other developers, for the Algoma region).

The group agrees with criticism from The Fraser Institute (a Canadian think tank based in Vancouver) that forecasts Ontario’s energy prices will increase dramatically (40 to 50 percent) in coming years, putting the blame for that on the use of wind and solar farms, and insisting that wind turbines are simply inefficient in producing electricity.

SOAR agrees with critics who state Ontario could have gone with cheaper alternatives, such as natural gas or nuclear power, when it sought to move away from coal-fired plants and brought in the Green Energy Act in 2009.

The Ontario government has said the Green Energy Act, despite higher costs for electricity, will ensure “cleaner” electricity for future generations.