Wind Power News: Canada
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted.
Wind farm neighbours say they had to move
Two Ripley families say they’ve moved out of their homes because of what they say is the negative health effects of living too close to wind turbines.
“We can’t live in our house anymore. We bought a house and moved to Kincardine. My son and daughter-in-law and two-year-old who live on a different farm . . . the wind company is paying for them to stay in Kincardine,” said Glen Wild, one of a half-dozen speakers at a public information session . . .
Huron agricultural group seeks moratorium on wind power projects
The Huron County Federation of Agriculture will be visiting municipalities throughout Huron County asking them to follow Huron East’s lead by passing interim control bylaws on commercial wind energy projects within their borders.
The federation’s directors discussed the current debate around wind turbine developments at their June meeting and passed two resolutions.
One was to request lower-tier municipalities in Huron to enact a moratorium on commercial wind energy projects pending results of an epidemiological study conducted into the health impacts of the . . .
Towers on horizon for windfarm
DALHOUSIE MOUNTAIN – If all things go according to plan, and they are so far, towers for the wind farm project here should start peeking over the horizon in a couple of weeks.
Reuben Burge, president of RMS Energy which is developing the project, said about 100 truckloads of equipment have been delivered so far to the site with approximately another 300 still to come.
“We hope to start assembling in two weeks, around July 15. We should be assembling one per . . .
Backyard wind turbine rejected by Ontario Municipal Board
An Ottawa resident who has been lobbying to put a wind turbine in his backyard in the city’s Westboro neighbourhood has been told that his project is grinding to a halt.
Graham Findlay had applied for a variance to install what’s known as an “energy ball” on his property near Island Park Drive.
Findlay is a commercial wind arm developer with Ottawa-based 3G Energy Corporation and has said that he wants to mount that “energy ball” on a pole in his backyard . . .
Helicopter lift of blades to Grouse Mountain windmill delayed
Construction work on a windmill as tall as a 20-storey building on the peak of Grouse Mountain was halted Friday because of safety concerns about lifting the massive blades.
A Skycrane helicopter was expected to lift the three 37-metre-long blades up to the mountain ski resort from a barge in Indian Arm on Friday morning, but the lift was postponed after the pilot asked more time to work out some technical details.
The plan now is to fly the blades up at . . .
Installation of wind turbine delayed
The installation of a massive wind turbine atop Grouse Mountain has been delayed after the lifting device intended to carry the blades — a kind of giant sling — did not perform well in tests on Thursday. The turbine consists of three 37-metre-long blades, which must be transported from a barge in Indian Arm by helicopter to the top of the mountain. The transport was scheduled for today, but will be postponed until sometime next week after crews can improve . . .
Turbine strategy delayed; Wind farm calls Digby council’s draft bylaw ambiguous
DIGBY — Municipal councillors decided Monday to delay the passing of a municipal planning strategy to regulate wind turbines in the Municipality of the District of Digby.
Some senior executives of the proponent of a Digby Neck wind farm spoke out Monday at a public planning hearing in council chambers, urging councillors to kill a draft of the bylaw because they didn’t think it was council’s best work.
Corey Basel, vice-president of SkyPower Corp., said his company did not support passing the . . .
Province says no to backyard wind turbine
OTTAWA — The city’s first application to put up a small wind turbine in a residential area has been denied by the Ontario Municipal Board, and the Ottawa man behind the proposal says he is giving up the fight for his backyard power generator.
“It’s an opportunity lost to try something new,” said Graham Findlay. “I guess people ran away from that opportunity out of fear — fear of the unknown.”
Findlay, a 55-year-old commercial wind-farm developer who lives near Island Park . . .
Are wind turbines truly safe?
Amidst accolades surrounding the completion of the Wolfe Island wind turbines, a friend and I just took our first trip of the season to my small property on Simcoe Island.
About 5 km west of Marysville, at the turnoff to the Simcoe Island ferry, stand about 15 or more turbines, quite evident on the boat trip across. We drove west another 4 or 5 km to the property, which faces south.
It’s a lovely spot, though noticeably different this year. We did . . .
Digby council delays decision on wind turbine
DIGBY — Municipal councillors decided Monday to delay the passing of a municipal planning strategy to regulate wind turbines in the Municipality of the District of Digby.
Some senior executives of the proponent of a Digby Neck wind farm spoke out Monday at a public planning hearing in council chambers, urging councillors to kill a draft of the bylaw because they didn’t think it was council’s best work.
Corey Basel, vice-president of SkyPower Corp., said his company did not support passing the . . .
