June 17, 2008
British Columbia

Grouse Mountain wants wind tubine at peak

Grouse Mountain wants to install the Lower Mainland’s first commercial wind turbine.

“On the one hand we would remove 25 per cent of Grouse Mountain’s hydro needs,” mountain spokesman Chris Dagenais said yesterday.

“But on the second, we have a public-education component. There are no other [commercial] wind turbine’s in the Lower Mainland.”

Dagenais said the mountain has already hired wind-power experts to gather data on wind speeds, wind direction and impact on wildlife. Mountain managers have been working on the project for the past four years.

The data will be presented to the District of North Vancouver in the fall as part of the mountain’s request for a turbine construction permit.

The tower would be 65 metre tall and located atop a 180-square-metre concrete platform close to the top of the resort’s Olympic Express chair.

The District of North Vancouver council was presented with a report on Monday night asking permission to start the process by building the concrete platform.

A district development permit officer recommended in favour of the platform proposal, but permission to build it does not guarantee permission to erect the turbine. Permission was granted.

Dagenais said that if the district rejects its turbine application then the platform would be used as the site of an interpretive centre.

If Grouse wins approval, the turbine would be operational by next summer.

David Carrigg

The Province

17 June 2008


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/06/17/grouse-mountain-wants-wind-tubine-at-peak/