We learned this week that Ontario Federation of Agriculture Executive Member Debra Pretty-Straathof made remarks that our community is “split” over the proposed wind power development.

Really.

So, Ottawa Wind Concerns wrote to Ms Straathof to correct her. Here is an excerpt of that letter.

It is possible you have not seen the news stories about this particular project, and in specific, the fact that the majority of voting age residents last year signed a legal petition which was then presented to and accepted by the City of Ottawa at Council; Council then went on to pass a resolution of support, and to demand that local land-use planning powers be returned to Ontario municipalities.

The petition was the result of a three-week long campaign, which began with a public meeting attended by 300 communities members; in the weeks that followed, dozens of community members gathered signatures on the legal document, and we held a final public event which again, attracted hundreds more residents. The signatures on the petition numbered more than 1,230—this was equal to the TOTAL NUMBER of residents [in North Gower] voting in the municipal election in 2010, according to our Councillor.

The event was reported on by the Ottawa Citizen, the CBC and CFRA, among other media outlets such as the local community papers.

It will also interest you to know that our MP Pierre Poilievre prepared his own petition back in 2012, gathered hundreds of signatures from North Gower residents, and then rose in the House of Commons to present it, and demand that the North Gower wind power project not be approved, or at least wait until the results of the Health Canada study are known.

Our community has been involved in the fight against this inappropriate wind power project for more than four years. Here’s why:

• Ontario has a surplus of power generation and does not need this wind power project.
• The project as proposed before the pause in procurement of large scale power projects, was to be a 20-megawatt facility with 8 wind turbines; the turbines would have been within 3 km of more than 1,000 homes—this is completely inappropriate siting.
• According to property value research done in Ontario, the projected property value loss for the North Gower area would be $134 million. This would pose a hardship for residents, particularly young families and seniors, for whom their home is their prime investment.
• Reports of health effects due to the environmental noise produced by these machines are mounting throughout Ontario, as you must know; if only 10 percent of North Gower residents were affected, that would still be hundreds of people, many of them children. As proposed, this project would have meant that some children would be exposed to the noise 24 hours a day.

Again, the message this community has given is clear and without argument: a wind power project so close to the village and area residents is not appropriate, not necessary, and not wanted.

Any opinions to the contrary are uninformed.

We have not had the courtesy of a response from the OFA rep as yet. OFA members may wish to write to her themselves and express concern at her lack of awareness on this important issue.

Email us at ottawawindconcerns@gmail.com