Why we are doing the Not A Willing Host campaign

08 Friday Nov 2013

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

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Apparently, there are some people (not many; very few in fact) who question working toward declaring North Gower and the parts of Richmond that would be affected by the proposed wind power project Not A Willing Host.

It is a valid question and here are some points.

Q:Is the Not A Willing Host action simply a symbol? There is nothing in the Green Energy Act that says it will do anything.

A: That’s right BUT if we all simply sit quietly by and do nothing, nothing will happen. The fact is, the 73 Not A Willing Host communities represent a significant portion of the Ontario communities that are vulnerable to wind power development. The changes to the government’s stance on how much “say” communities have is directly related to these actions by municipalities, in their resolutions and motions at Council, their meetings, work through the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and more. The result of doing nothing is to get nothing.

Q: The North Gower project has been on the books for years and has never gotten anywhere; why think it will now?

A: We have written confirmation from Prowind that they fully intend to apply once the subsidy program application process reopens, if they are able to meet the requirements. The new process has not been revealed, but we believe that key components of it will be community support, and community ownership. To demonstrate as best we can the lack of community support can be effective.

To quote the lawyer for the couple in France whose legal action against a wind power project that caused noise and visual pollution,

“Today we are saying no: justice has been done and this shows all those who suffer wind farms with a sense of powerlessness that the fight is not in vain, that one can have one’s life respected–one’s right to peace.”

Democracy doesn’t just happen: we have to make it work.

Email us at ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

 

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.

 

Is Greg Sorbara taking a gamble on wind?

04 Monday Nov 2013

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Ottawa Wind Concerns's avatarWIND CONCERNS ONTARIO: On WordPress

RoyalHotelPicton

Picton: Former Ontario Minister of Finance in the Dalton McGuinty government Greg Sorbara has bought a landmark property in Picton, in Prince Edward County. The Royal Hotel on Picton’s main street was purchased by Sorbara, whose family operates a real estate development firm.

The hotel had been for sale for some time, and was latterly owned by a real estate developer who had hoped to transform the property into luxury condominium apartments, taking advantage of The County’s cachet with Toronto residents. That didn’t work out, however, and the property has changed hands again. (See the real estate listing here.)

The hotel has had a colourful past, with a main floor tavern and rooms upstairs. Now, Picton residents are hopeful the new development will reflect well on the town. One letter writer to The Wellington Times asks an interesting question .

Royal Revival?

I was delighted to read that Greg…

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West Lincoln: positioned against the Green Energy Act

04 Monday Nov 2013

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Ottawa Wind Concerns's avatarWIND CONCERNS ONTARIO: On WordPress

Here from the Welland Tribune, how one council is carrying out its responsibilities to its citizens.

 

West Lincoln’s tough stance on green energy has shut out solar power, claims a furious Niagara green energy developer.

Albert Zappitelli of Umbrella Energy says his $300,000 plan to install 100,000 watts of solar panels on a client’s Moote Rd. barn is dead. He alleges it’s a casualty of the township’s battle against wind energy.

But township staff say aldermen have agreed not to give support to any feed-in tariff project — support Zappitelli said is critical to winning a green contract from the province. And they said Zappitelli’s bid to speak Monday at township council was shot down because he didn’t give 10 days’ notice.

“The message I got was you’re beating up a whole industry to get back at another,” Zappitelli said.

“We’re a victim of a protest that has…

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MPP/energy critic MacLeod on wind power, electricity rates

01 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by in Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

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On this first day of the new electricity rates imposed by Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli on Ontario consumers, it is appropriate to quote PC Energy Critic Lisa MacLeod from yesterday at Queen’s Park:

LisaMacLeod“In the few seconds I have left, let me talk about North Gower. They’re a community that is living this hydro nightmare because they are going to be forced to deal with these wind turbines. They’re not a willing host, and they know that their neighbours down the road in Bells Corners…struggling to stay in business are going to have to pay for high hydro hikes as a result of the government’s disastrous green energy policy. That is, I think, a perfect example of the Green Energy Act assaulting rural communities, and just 15 minutes down the road, businesses going out of business. I couldn’t make that point more clearly.”

To complete the brief online poll about expensive wind power in the Ottawa area, please go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LZSDL9N

Ottawa concerned about closeness of proposed wind project in North Gower

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

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Ottawa Wind Concerns's avatarOttawa Wind Concerns

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 Susan Sherring ,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…

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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

Prowind UK: project proposal a misleading shambles

28 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by in Wind power

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Here is a news story about Prowind’s UK division, which actually held job fairs for jobs that didn’t exist in the hopes of getting approval for a contentious wind power project. Now whining that they were misrepresented, they are looking to do a solar installation instead. Changing the company name to Prowind-ooops-solar?

Here is the story.

Wind farm plan ditched as firm is accused of raising false hopes

Prowind's Keith Brooks speaks to residents and Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK at Jurby Parish Hall

Prowind’s Keith Brooks speaks to residents and Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK at Jurby Parish Hall

  • by Adrian Darbyshire

Nearly 100 villagers voted unanimously at a packed public meeting to oppose on-shore wind turbines.

But the move came after it emerged that the company behind a proposed wind farm and wind turbine manufacturing plant in Jurby had now abandoned its plans for five 150m high turbines at the airfield site and was now exploring options for solar power instead.

In a letter to Tynald members, Prowind managing director Keith Brooks said that following ‘vastly incorrect representation’ of his company in the House of Keys this week, he had no option but to seek an alternative location in the UK for the venture.

And as a ‘gesture towards repairing the damage caused’ to the company’s reputation he suggested that Prowind should receive compensation – a refund of its £120,000 investment costs plus an offer to set the planning fees for both the solar park and industrial unit at £1 each which he said would give ‘sufficient confidence to resume a situation here’.

Michael MHK Alfred Cannan, who called the public meeting at Jurby parish hall, described the situation as ‘a shambles and a joke’.

But he added: ‘It is actually very serious. There is a lot of anger at the way this has been handled. It was presented as a fait accompli and raised temperatures among landowners and residents. I took a vote which was a unanimous “No to wind turbines”.’

In the House of Keys, Economic Development Minister John Shimmin accused Prowind UK of raising false expectations among job seekers who attended a three-day jobs fair organised by the company on behalf of US wind turbine manufacturer Xseres.

Some 70 applicants each day had been due to attend interviews at the Job Centre in Douglas for jobs ranging from office admin and packaging to manufacturing and delivery drivers. They were told the unit would be opened in March or April next year and successful applicants would be offered a start date at the end of November.

Mr Shimmin told MHKs that at a meeting on Friday, Prowind had been told wind turbines could not be erected at Jurby airfield as the site was safeguarded for emergency landings and future aviation use.

He said no formal agreement had been reached with government and the company would need full planning consent before going ahead.

The Minister said: ‘I believe the company made a mistake by approaching the Job Centre and advertising 100 jobs which indicated they were further progressed than this actual business plan is.

‘I would like to make it clear that I’m very interested in talking to Prowind UK. However, the airfield at Jurby will not have the turbines that have been proposed. Prowind may walk away from that area.’

Prowind managing director Keith Brooks, who outlined the firm’s plans at Jurby parish hall on Saturday, claimed the public were ‘extremely supportive’ of both wind and solar power.

Speaking at the jobs fair, he told the Manx Independent that three of the five planned turbines would have been in the way of airfield operations. He said: ‘My current thinking is we don’t need to have turbines on the site. It was always an option to go solely solar. After a second viewing in my opinion a revision to solely solar would be more suitable.’

Mr Brooks said Prowind UK has asked for Andreas Racing Association’s assistance in designing a layout that would allow the safe operation of its activities.

He said: ‘As a company we strive to create local benefit. In the case of Jurby this would be assisting Xseres with all preliminary work which has included initial staff evaluation to determine the existing skills set.’

In the Keys, the Economic Development Minister accused Mr Cannan of undermining the island’s message that it was open for business after the Michael MHK claimed Prowind UK had assets of only £7,000, made a loss of £96,000 and has creditors of more than £165,000.

Questioned about the figures, Mr Brooks told the Independent that the £96,000 was a ‘declared loss for accountancy’.

He added: ‘I’m in charge of the finances of the company and to the best of my knowledge there are no outstanding creditors. There is nothing to hide. Prowind UK is the UK arm of a multi-national company. We are funded directly by the parent company.’

In the Keys, Chief Minister Allan Bell accused MHKs of ‘jumping the gun’ on Prowind’s proposals as no firm proposition had been put forward.’

…..

Email us at ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com