National Wind Watch: Wind Energy News » Wind opponents mobilizing

One of three public information meetings being organized by a group opposed to industrial wind farms will be held June 14 in Forest.

The session is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion hall on Albert Street.

Companies behind several proposed wind farm projects in the region are expected to hold their own public meetings soon, said Muriel Allingham, a member of the Middlesex Lambton Wind Action Group.

“And, we believe that shortly after that they will be receiving an approval from the government,” Allingham said, “and they will be going ahead with these wind turbines.”

They include the Jericho wind project in Lambton Shores, as well as others that could see a large number of turbines built across the two counties, the group says.

“We’re hoping to have some information meetings for the public so they can see the other side of wind development,” Allingham said.

Speakers scheduled for the Forest meeting include Richard Wakefield, talking about economic viability of wind energy, and real estate broker Doug Pedlar, speaking on the impact on property values. Also scheduled to speak are Barbara Ashbee and Lorrie Gillis, about living next to wind turbines.

“We don’t have much time left to really to get the community on board,” Allingham said. “The only way we’re going to make a difference is if we educate the public and let them know what’s coming.”

Similar meetings are scheduled for June 12, 7 p.m., at Strathroy District Collegiate Institute, and June 13, 7 p.m., at the North Middlesex District Community Centre in Parkhill.

An information meeting the group held in Grand Bend in February attracted about 350 people, Allingham said.

“We are seeing the number of people who are getting on board and realizing that this is not a viable source of energy,” she said.

“And we are not going to rid ourselves of coal-fired generating stations, or nuclear generating stations, by depending on wind.”

She said the turbines proposed are more than 500 feet tall.

“There’s quite a huge impact on the environment and our community when these things are erected.”