Tag Archives: noise

Ottawa Wind Concerns supports West Carleton residents

24 Monday Feb 2025

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Concerns for environment, water supply with proposal for 250-megawatt battery storage system

Source: Stop West Carleton BESS

February 23, 2025

Ottawa Wind Concerns released a statement yesterday expressing support for the residents of West Carleton who are concerned about the potential negative impacts on the environment from a proposed large battery energy storage system or BESS, currently planned for the Marchurst Road area near Dunrobin. The power developer is Evolugen, a division of Brookfield Renewables.

“We share resident concerns about the proposal for a large Battery Energy Storage System on farmland in West Carleton,” said Ottawa Wind Concerns Chair Jane Wilson, in a letter sent to community group Stop West Carleton BESS, one of several opposing the project.

“Like large-scale industrial wind power sites that were forced on rural Ontario communities, the BESS raises concerns about negative impacts on the environment such as the risk of fire, and noise pollution.  

“We echo the concerns of the local OFA in that even classes 4-6 of agricultural land have a role to play in food production and food security for the people of Ontario. 

“The process for the BESS is the same as for wind and solar power installations which features limited public engagement, and the need for communities to approve this significant industrial land use with minimal details provided. “

The West Carleton residents are concerned about the potential for fire, due to multiple battery storage system fires around the world, including several in the U.S. A fire at the three-year-old Moss Landing battery facility in California, which resulted in toxic smoke and the evacuation of residents. The fire has reignited several times. There have been calls for more stringent safety rules for such installations.

In West Carleton, residents are concerned that in the event of a fire, the site would be far from City of Ottawa fire services, and first responders would be volunteer fire fighters, as is the case for most Ottawa rural communities. The chemicals used to fight a lithium battery fire could contaminate the aquifer, which would affect neighbouring farm properties.

Noise from the 250+ containers housing the batteries is another environmental concern.

Residents say they are not opposed necessarily to the battery storage technology, but are asking whether an industrial location close to services like fire would not be more appropriate for this industrial land use. They also note proximity of the site to area wetlands, some of which have been proposed for protection. (See illustration, above.)

The BESS is to be located on farmland currently used for hay, which is part of the food production cycle, says the local chapter of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, which also supports the West Carleton resident concerns.

In a story presented by CTV News Ottawa today, https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/proposed-battery-storage-site-in-ottawas-west-end-raises-safety-concerns-from-residents/ Stop West Carleton BESS representative and local farm owner Courtney Argue said, if there was a fire event and the groundwater was contaminated, “there is no remediation.”

Argue also said Evolugen surveyors were on her farm last month without permission.

Kanata North councillor Cathy Curry told CTV News that there was already a battery storage facility in her ward and that it was operating without problems; however, there are no grid-scale BESS installations in Ottawa. Evolugen proposed another BESS near the Trail Road landfill on land zoned industrial with did get CIty of Ottawa support. The West Carleton project however, has a contract from the Independent Electricity System Operator or IESO to sell power, but it does not have the municipal support resolution which is mandatory for the project to proceed. (See IESO, Section 11 at https://www.ieso.ca/Sector-Participants/Resource-Acquisition-and-Contracts/Long-Term-2-RFP )

The battery storage operators (many of whom also operate wind and solar generation projects and are paid for their power, whether it is needed or not) buy power in times of surplus, store it, then sell it back to the grid operator. In theory, they sell the power at one price, buy it back at a lower price, then sell it again at a higher price when power is needed.

Does battery storage work?

One U.K. analyst says battery storage units don’t do what the promoters say they will. In a video titled “Exposing the battery storage con,” released recently, Paul Burgess says that batteries will provide only minutes of power when needed, as they can only use 60 percent of the power stored. In times of “wind drought” which can last more than a week, he says, the battery power stored will have run out immediately. “It is one hair on a camel’s back relative to what’s required,” he says. Battery storage would not be adequate and will cost billions.

Stop West Carleton BESS currently has the support of the Carleton Landowners, and the Ontario federation of Agriculture, and is one of at least four community groups. A petition to the CIty of Ottawa is available and is approaching 1,000 signatures.

For more information email stopwestcarletonBESS@gmail.com

Former Ward 5 Councillor Eli El Chantiry signs the Stop West Carleton BESS petition at a community “pop up” signing opportunity

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/proposed-battery-storage-site-in-ottawas-west-end-raises-safety-concerns-from-residents/

What does wind ‘farm’ construction really look like?

10 Friday Jan 2025

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

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Destruction of woodlands, loss of farmland, disruption of rural community life for an unsupportable, intermittent source of power

View of trucks and oversize turbine parts from Green Madness

A documentary film made in Upper New York State provides much needed insight into what really happens during construction of an industrial wind power site.

Green Madness: the waste and destruction of one wind turbine project follows the two-year period during which 37 gigantic industrial-scale or grid-scale wind turbines were erected at the Cassadaga wind power project.

It’s one thing to read about the environmental destruction that results from the construction of these industrial sites, but it’s another to actually see see the horrific damage day by day, as filmed by the crew.

A well written voice over details the reality of wind power: it is supported by subsidies, it is intermittent and out of phase with demand in New York as in Ontario (in fact, Ontario energy economist Edgardo Sepulveda says Ontario is bad for unreliable wind power—New York is worse), and it is simply a tool to make money for investors.

“Wind power is a charade sponsored by investment banks,” is one comment. “Somebody’s making money but it’s not the little guy.”

Promises of jobs are also false, as the film makers demonstrate by filming the license plates on cars and trucks owned by workers on the project: Texas, Arizona, California…anywhere but upper New York State.

Likewise, promises of increased revenues for the municipality are not accurate—expenses incurred outweigh any pittance revenues from the huge multi-national wind power developers.

It’s important for the people of Ottawa to see this film and to understand the reality of wind power construction and development.

Local “environmental” or “climate” groups promote tree planting and wildflower gardens while also hypocritically pushing for industrial wind power in rural Ottawa. The loss of good farmland and woodlands, plus the danger to wildlife and the environment will be horrendous.

The IESO will be launching its Long Term 2 Request For Proposals early in 2025. Wind power is included in the RFP.

If wind power proposals come forward, everyone needs to know what is really involved: it’s not “clean” “green” innocent “windmills,” it’s industrialization of our rural communities and farmland.

To join our mailing list, email ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com and be sure to subscribe to this page.

A documentary film follows the construction of a 37-turbine industrial wind power project in upper New York State, and is a chilling portrayal of the destruction that comes with these industrial power projects.

Unwilling Host communities surround Ottawa

10 Tuesday Dec 2024

Posted by in Ottawa, Renewable energy, Rural issues, Wind power

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Experience with existing industrial wind power sites and community opposition to expensive, unreliable power generation leads rural municipalities to say NO

December 10, 2024

One of the many effects of the Green Energy and Green Economy Act passed in 2009 by the McGuinty government to give wind and solar power developers an advantage was the removal of local land use planning powers from municipalities.

Today, that authority has been restored by the repeal of the Act (which altered 20 other pieces of legislation), and now, a Municipal Support Resolution is required by the Independent Electricity System Operator or IESO before any power generation contract can be awarded. 

In 2013, in protest against the carpeting of rural Ontario with industrial wind turbines against community wishes, municipalities across the province began passing resolutions declaring themselves to be “Unwilling Hosts” to new industrial wind power sites. The first was Wainfleet, spearheaded by then Mayor April Jeffs, and others quickly followed.

Today, there are 157 Unwilling Host municipalities.

What’s interesting is the fact that most already have operating wind power sites, or they are neighbours to active projects, so they are well aware of the negative impacts.

In Eastern Ontario, several municipalities are now Unwilling Hosts following the 2016 approval of the “Nation Rise” industrial wind power project in North Stormont, and in Renfrew County after there was a spate of wind power proposals. To the south east, Prince Edward County is an Unwilling Host after fighting off at least three wind power projects, and where residents spent more than $1.5 million on appeals and court challenges.

Wind Concerns Ontario recently developed a map of Unwilling Host communities that is a graphic demonstration of the dissatisfaction of municipalities with wind power development, and the fact that after 16 years, the Ontario government has not updated noise or setback regulations. Environmental noise pollution has been a problem for a number of industrial wind power sites.

The IESO is planning a new Request For Proposals, probably coming in January (more details will be revealed in an IESO event this Thursday) but municipalities remain unhappy, as indicated in communications to the IESO during “engagement.” Part of the process is an Agricultural Impact Assessment that must be reviewed and approved by any municipality dealing with proposals for new wind power.

Municipalities say they don’t have the time or the resources to deal with these assessments. And, the timing is not appropriate: a proponent can file a cursory Agricultural Impact Assessment or AIA at the time of proposal and request for a Municipal Support Resolution but a full assessment does not really have to be done until 18 months after the company gets a contract.

That’s still not enough time, said a planner from Oxford County in the IESO November 21 event: there are just too many pieces of these assessments to be looked at. The process may not “align” with reality, she said.

We’ll do our best to keep you informed.

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

 

 

Ottawa Valley towns on list of 155 Ontario “unwilling hosts” to new wind power sites

14 Tuesday May 2024

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Nothing has changed, says Tom Allwood, Grey Highlands Councillor and Chair of Ontario’s Multi Municipal Energy Working Groups. Noise limits and setbacks are the same–unacceptable, say municipalities

May 14, 2024

CTV News London published a story last week on the 155 Ontario municipalities that have now passed formal resolutions designating themselves as “unwilling hosts” to new industrial wind power sites.

The list of Unwilling Hosts was compiled by Wind Concerns Ontario, a community group coalition concerned about the impacts of industrial wind turbines.

There are several Unwilling Hosts in the Ottawa area including Merrickville-Wolford, Champlain, The Nation in Prescott-Russell, Bonnechere Valley, East Hawkesbury, Greater Madawaska, and North Grenville (Kemptville).

CTV News published the news story featuring interviews with Tom Allwood, councillor for Grey Highlands and chair of the Multi Municipal Energy Working Group, and Jane Wilson, president of Wind Concerns Ontario and chair of Ottawa Wind Concerns.

See the news story link for a video report.

CTV News London

Scott MIller

Ontario is looking to add more renewable energy to its electricity supply, which will likely mean more wind turbines going up across the province.

However, that might be prove difficult with so many municipalities no longer interested in wind.

“I like to say it’s not 2009 anymore. We know a lot more about wind power than we did in 2009. It was supposed to bring lots of jobs. That turned out not to be true. It was going to be a reliable source of power. That turned out not to be true. It was supposed to be cheap power. Not true. Our electricity bills went up 250 per cent after the turbines went up,” said Jane Wilson, founder of Wind Concerns Ontario.

There are 155 Ontario municipalities that have said they are not willing to host wind turbine projects, now or in the future.

Among them, many municipalities in Huron, Bruce, and Grey Counties, where many of the province’s 2,600 turbines are currently spinning.

“The first iteration of wind turbines through the Green Energy Act just took away many siting decisions from municipalities, so that upset a lot of people,” said Grey Highland Coun. and Chair of the Multi Municipal Energy Working Group Tom Allwood.

Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has plans to add roughly 5,000 MW of wind, hydro, solar, and biomass energy by 2030. There’s currently 5,500 MW of wind turbines built in Ontario today.

“The federal government is certainly looking towards thousands of new wind turbines. Where are they going to go? The spots that have good wind have been taken,” said Allwood.

But not everyone is sour about the IESO’s renewable renewal. Wind energy is just what Ontario needs, said Jack Gibbons from Ontario’s Clean Air Alliance.

“If we integrate our wind and solar with Quebec’s storage option, then we can convert wind and solar into a firm 24/7 source of baseload electricity for Ontario,” he said.

However, Wilson believes wind energy, as it’s currently implemented, should not be of Ontario’s future energy mix.

“It’s intermittent. It comes in the fall and spring when we don’t really need it. It comes in the night, when we really don’t need it. There are some better choices and cleaner choices. Wind energy is not as clean and green as we were told it was,” said Wilson.

“They haven’t done anything with the setbacks for this round of procurement. They’ve gone out and arranged contracts for battery energy storage, and there’s real concerns about these systems as part of wind generation,” said Allwood.

IESO is seeking proposals for new renewable energy projects this fall.

#UnwillingHost

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

Ottawa energy economist on battery storage: we need to know how much it costs

14 Tuesday Nov 2023

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And whether it will work. The Ottawa area has four active Battery Energy Storage proposals. But nobody knows whether BESS will do what the proponents say it will

November 14, 2023

The idea of Battery Energy Storage Systems or BESS has hit so fast, people don’t know what to make of it…and that’s the problem for proponents. (Most of whom are current and former wind power developers.)

There simply are not enough details about these projects from the technology used, to the risk of fire and other environmental hazards, noise, and impact on communities. That’s what proponents are hearing at the mandatory “community engagement” meetings held in rural Ottawa.

A big question is the cost, and whether these multi-million-dollar projects will be worth the price to Ontario’s electricity consumers. Proponents are currently vying for contracts with the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator or IESO. Submissions are due December 12.

When wind and solar were being marketed as the solution to climate change, two Ontario Auditors General recommended to the McGuinty-Wynne governments that cost-benefit analyses should be done.

But it never was.

And now, here we go again.

Ottawa energy economist Robert Lyman says figures from the U.S. show that battery storage will be expensive, no question.

How much?

And at the moment, batteries can only provide power for a few hours at most. So, do they even work?

Here’s his comment:

Any plan to power an electrical grid with wind and solar generation and to eliminate the backup security of supply provided by fossil fuels like coal and natural gas must address the cost and feasibility of the battery storage needed. 

The only battery storage technology that is widely available for grid scale storage is lithium-ion. The US federal government’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory produces periodic reports on the current and projected costs of utility-scale batteries of the lithium-ion type. The most recent edition, from June 2021, gives the current average cost as approximately US $350 per kilowatt-hour. It projects declining costs over time, but those projections are speculative and do not recognize the actual trends in recent battery costs. For example, in 2020-2021, the average costs for lithium ion battery installations in New York state was US$464/kwh and in 2022, the price for contracts actually awarded increased to US$567/kwh.

Storage is extremely expensive and if generally used will drive up electricity costs significantly. They are by far the largest part of the costs of an electricity system that relies upon wind and solar generation for essential supplies. They also give rise to the need for much more transmission facilities, which also adds to the costs, although these costs are rarely if ever made public in advance. 

Lithium-ion batteries provide backup capacity for relatively short periods, usually measured in hours. However, variations in the demand for and supply of electricity due to weather or other events can occur over periods of days, weeks or even whole seasons. Lithium-ion batteries are incapable of providing such service yet, “long duration” battery technologies do not yet exist and are still at the research or pilot project stage.  

The system-wide addition of lithium-ion batteries could increase electricity bills by up to 20 times depending on how much storage is needed. Research on possible long-duration batteries is at the earliest stages, and nobody has any idea what, if any, technology might work or how much it might cost. 

 Before the province of Ontario starts building several battery-storage plants, it might be a good idea to build one pilot to find out if the darn thing works and is affordable.

–Robert Lyman, Ottawa

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

The City of Ottawa thinks you don’t care

21 Thursday Sep 2023

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City “engagement page” has low sign-up rate for updates on new zoning bylaws for renewable energy projects, despite important issues involved

New regulations will determine setback distances between power generation and homes, for example. [Turbines at Nation Rise project, south of Ottawa.]

September 21, 2023

The City of Ottawa decided to allow for the construction of new power projects to provide “renewable energy” in its new Official Plan. And the next step, is to create new zoning bylaws for that kind of development. The bylaws will provide regulations for things like noise, for example, or setbacks between power projects and homes for safety and health.

The City has an “engagement” page where people can follow along with information and activities on a variety of projects. For the renewable energy file however, as of this morning, there were only SEVEN people subscribed to get email updates.

Seven.

7.

That is strange considering “renewable energy” could mean grid-scale wind turbines which do produce environmental noise, and do present risks such as ice throw from the giant blades, and killing of wildlife such as birds and bats. Construction/operation has been known to disturb aquifers or the groundwater, affecting the water supply for people on wells.

All that is really important and you’d think more people would be interested.

By this afternoon, more than 50 people had subscribed once we emailed people on our list, but still, more people should sign up.

The new bylaws are due out any moment now: staff told the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee back in June that draft bylaws might be ready by August or September. August is gone and September is almost gone too.

Why not sign up today, and keep informed on the City’s work on these bylaws. They will affect everyone, especially rural residents where such power generation projects are likely to be located.

Sign up HERE.

Want join our email list? ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

Alberta’s wind power moratorium: halting the “Gold Rush”

09 Wednesday Aug 2023

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Turbine blades at Johnstown, destined for Nation Rise power project: land use conflicts a concern (The little white thing in the left corner is a truck, for scale)

August 9, 2023

The Province of Alberta announced a moratorium on approvals for wind and solar power generation facilities recently, citing concerns about the environment and land use conflicts.

Almost immediately, the wind and solar lobbyist, the Canadian Renewable Energy Association, came out with a comment that the move was a “mistake.“

Of course it is… for the wind and solar developers. It is curious indeed that while the main marketing ploy for the purveyors of expensive, intermittent and unreliable power is to help tackle climate change and save the environment, when people say they have concerns about industrialization by wind power on the environment, the lobbyist denies concerns.

Well, OK, they didn’t exactly: what they said instead was, the moratorium would undermine “investor confidence.” In other words, the whole wind power gambit could be revealed for what it is: a money-making strategy that will have little or no effect on climate change or the environment.

And citizens in Alberta are not buying the hype.

In an article today in the Edmonton Journal, Alberta residents are describing the fast pace to wind power development as a “Gold Rush”, and they are concerned about the impact of industrial wind power projects on the environment, and electricity bills.

Unlike the wind power rush in Ontario in 2009, when nobody knew anything about the potential impact of sky-high noisy wind turbines, the people in Alberta know exactly what’s coming. “Rural residents have been down this polluted path before,” said one.

“It’s no surprise that country folks are buzzing just now with anxiety, anger and unanswered questions about the boom in solar and wind farms near their homes,” says the Edmonton Journal.

A particular concern for rural Albertans is, what happens when nobody has any use for the power generation structures? Who will take the things down and return the land to its former state?

That’s an issue that has yet to be resolved in Ontario, too.

So while the lobbyist and the developers and the faux environmentalist organizations cry about the fact a government is slowing things down, once again, it’s the people who know the truth: nobody wants to live near a wind turbine.

And they don’t want to pay through the nose for the intermittent power, either.

Ottawa’s rural residents should watch this closely, as we wait for the City to come up with new zoning bylaws for renewable power projects, which may be released in draft form this month or next. It’s important that governments acknowledge all the facts about wind power in particular, and do proper analysis of all the benefits and impacts.

Nobody needs another wind power Gold Rush.

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

Renewable energy amendment passed by Ottawa City Council

12 Wednesday Jul 2023

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

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Renewable energy projects are an industrial land use, and people must be protected from noise and other impacts, says Ottawa Wind Concerns [Photo: D. Larsen for Wind Concerns Ontario]
July 12, 2023

Ottawa City Council today passed an amendment to the Official Plan, that will not allow for new renewable energy projects to get municipal approval until after the City has new zoning bylaws appropriate to that land use.

Municipal approval is now mandatory for successful proposals to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). The IESO is launching another Request for Proposals in a few months, and will begin another RFP in 2025, as Ontario plans to double its power supply with “clean” emissions–free sources of generation.

“This is a step forward,” says Ottawa Wind Concerns Chair Jane Wilson. “We were concerned that proposals might come forward in the 2023 RFPs and there would be no protection for rural residents from noise emissions and other impacts of wind and solar power projects, which are an industrial land use. The City of Ottawa has clearly shown that they are aware of the need to protect health and safety as they move forward with new zoning bylaws.”

Municipal approval is mandatory and with the repeal of the Green Energy Act in 2018, planning powers removed by the McGuinty government were returned to municipalities—that means they can determine setback distances, noise limits, and other regulations to control development. A key concern for Ottawa is the protection of valuable agricultural land.

As regards the risk of noise pollution and other impacts such as danger from fires, turbine collapse and ice throw, City staff have said they want to “do the right thing.”

Following approval of the proposed amendment at last week’s meeting of the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee, a spokesperson for a local group spoke out against it, saying there was no reason to slow down renewable energy proposals. Angela Keller-Herzog of Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability was quoted by the CBC as saying we need battery energy storage systems for example during power outages so “our kids” can do their homework.

According the hydro authorities, the major cause of power outages is damage to transmission lines, which prevents power from any source reaching homes.

“It is interesting when ‘environmental’ groups appear not to actually care about protecting the environment,” says Ottawa Wind Concerns’ Wilson, who is a Registered Nurse.

“Our concern is to ensure that health and safety are protected so that families can live in peace and safety in Ottawa’s rural communities.”

The amendment states in part:

This report is an interim step towards regulating renewable energy generation facilities in accordance with policies in the Official Plan which direct renewable energy generation facilities that require provincial approval to certain rural designations. Once the amendments proposed in this report come into effect, renewable energy generation facilities will not be permitted in any zone until such time as a subsequent report is approved with appropriate provisions to regulate such facilities.

Ottawa Wind Concerns’ input was noted in the report, with the statement that we will be kept informed of any developments.

Also on the Agenda at Ottawa City Council was the submission of the petitions sponsored by Ottawa Wind Concerns, asking for a minimum 2-km setback between any wind turbines proposed, and homes, as well as other land uses where people might be affected.

City staff noted that there are no proposals known for power development (but a battery storage project is in development  https://evolugen.com/facilities/rabbit-battery/   in Cumberland) but with a series of Requests for Proposal coming from the IESO, anything is possible.

Ontario’s Energy Minister Todd Smith recently made several announcements, namely new nuclear at Bruce and Darlington, and a new plan called Powering Ontario’s Growth. (Read the news release and see links here: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1003253/province-launches-plan-to-power-ontarios-growth)

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com

Ottawa Wind Concerns is an incorporated, not-for-profit group, with a membership list of several hundred residents of rural Ottawa communities and other stakeholders. We are a community group member of the Wind Concerns Ontario coalition.Our goal: a safe environment…for everyone

Sign our online petition for 2 km turbine setbacks, now

09 Friday Jun 2023

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

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June 9,2023

We’ve added an online petition to our campaign to ask the City of Ottawa to create safe, protective setbacks between industrial wind turbines and homes in Ottawa’s “rural countryside.”

Sign today.

Share the link with friends, neighbours and family!

The petition is available here: https://chng.it/YnSQrWJW

Crowd turns out to sign petition in Kinburn!

28 Friday Apr 2023

Posted by in Ottawa, Renewable energy, Wind power

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Dozens of people turned out Wednesday at the Kinburn CC to view the Official Plan map, sign a petition for better setbacks from wind turbines, and help butter tarts vanish! [Photo: Ottawa Wind Concerns]

April 28, 2023

Dozens of people from West Carleton-March and beyond turned out to an drop-in information event held in Kinburn by Ottawa Wind Concerns. The goal of the event was to help people understand the new Ottawa Official Plan and its designated areas for renewable energy projects, as the city is now working on zoning bylaws.

Ottawa Wind Concerns is promoting safe setback distances between industrial-scale wind turbines and homes, and has a petition requesting a 2-km setback, minimum, to property lines.

Information kits were available, plus large copies of the Official Plan maps for viewing.

The new Official Plan allows renewable energy projects on “Rural Countryside,” “Greenbelt,” and “environmental lands.”

Both West Carleton and Rideau-Jock wards have significant land areas branded “rural countryside” as well as prime agricultural land.

People attending were concerned about the environmental impacts should wind power projects be built and many recalled a proposal made 14 years ago that was extremely unpopular. It did not proceed but a large solar power project was built near Galetta. Questions were asked about the success and usefulness of that power project today.

“People are very well informed on the issue of environmental impacts of large-scale wind and solar power projects,” says Ottawa Wind Concerns president Jane Wilson, “and they’re asking questions about battery storage systems, too. It’s great to see people come out like this to get more information, and to participate the City’s engagement process on the new zoning bylaws.”

The trend is for greater setback distances now between wind turbines and homes, Wilson says. “Former energy minister Glenn Thibeault in the Wynne government admitted that mistakes were made in siting wind turbines years ago. We’re saying, we know a lot more about wind turbines now—let’s not make those mistakes again.”

Wind turbines are an industrial use of the land, Wilson adds.

Residents attending also spoke of concerns about wind turbines and effectiveness as a power source. “Ontario is just not a windy place,” said one. “Why are we doing this?”

Councillor Clarke Kelly dropped in and spoke with residents, and West Carleton Online editor/publisher Jake Davies spoke with people as they viewed the maps.

Other organizations with a pro-wind power view sent representatives to the event, including CAFES and the Ottawa Renewable Energy Cooperative (OREC), a group that invests in wind and solar power projects.

Free butter tarts were on offer from Sweet & Sassy Bakery in nearby Arnprior.

The petition is available petition-1

Signed copies may be mailed to Wind Concerns PO BOX 91047  RPO SIGNATURE CTR KANATA ON  K2T 0A3

ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com