September 15, 2010
Ontario

Agency to probe turbine impact

By PAUL SCHLIESMANN, THE WHIG-STANDARD, thewhig.com

A Wolfe Island couple’s upcoming property assessment hearing could jeopardize the future of wind turbine projects across Ontario.

Gail and Ed Kenney have been granted a potentially precedent-setting date with the Ontario Assessment Review Board in November to argue that their property has been devalued by nearby wind turbines.

“It’s about the industrialization of the area,” said Gail Kenney. “We’re living in an industrial wind plant, with the noise and lighting – all those issues and many more.”

If they win their appeal, it could eventually make it difficult for wind generation companies to find new locations to set up their projects.

At the very least, a victory could mean a loss of tax assessment for municipalities where wind farms are located.

“There are 86 wind turbines on Wolfe Island,” said John Andrew, a commercial real estate specialist in the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’s University.

“Any turbine might potentially affect a dozen properties.”