October 6, 2010
Ontario

Wind project public meeting criticized for tactics

By Suzanne Atkinson, www.ontariofarmer.com 6 October 2010

Millbrook – The community here was upset at perceived intimidation tactics – videotaping proceedings, requiring participants to sign in and a large police presence – were employed by a wind farm company at a recent public meeting.

“How horrible was that,” Speak Out Cavan Monaghan’s Oct. 1 update asked.

The update says Energy Farming Ontario which held the public meeting here on its proposed Whispering Woods wind farm, instructed police that everyone was to wear a name tag. A poster stated that the proceedings would be taped.

“While there was an intense effort by EFO to obtain the names of citizens, it was difficult to obtain the full name of EFO representatives,” the newsletter says.

Speak Out Cavan Monaghan was encouraging attendees to send letters of complaint to the environment minister Brad Duguid, MPP Rick Johnson, Premier Dalton McGuinty and the company, Energy Farming Ontario.

Company representative Gordon Wambach estimated the Whispering Woods project will cost $20 million to construct and $1 million to complete the connection to the grid. Each turbine is expect to generate $250,000 annually for the company thanks to provincial subsidies and will cost $200,000 to dismantle for refurbishing at the end of 20 years.

A spokesman who helped guide Speak Out Cavan Monaghan’s successful opposition to the building of a water pipeline to Fraserville, will speak when a rally is held at Queen’s Park Oct. 12. Organizers plan to spotlight the success of the SOCM’s It’s About Water campaign and are sending a free bus here “to take us to the rally and back,” says an Oct. 1 campaign update.

The event is billed as a “coming together of people across the Oak Ridges Moraine and beyond… to draw attention to the need to protect and treasure our water supplies, and the inadequacies of government rules and legislation on the provincial, federal and municipal level,” says an Oct. 1 newsletter from the 2,000 member strong group.

Maude Barlow will be the keynote speaker.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/10/06/wind-project-public-meeting-criticized-for-tactics/