October 13, 2012
Letters, Ontario

Critics challenge Horizon to public wind farm debate

The Chronicle Journal | October 13, 2012 | www.chroniclejournal.com

Open letter to Kathleen MacKenzie, Director of Community Affairs and Anthony Zwig, President, Horizon Wind Inc.

The front-page article, Wind Park Battle Heats Up (Chronicle-Journal, Oct. 11) acknowledged the efforts of the Nor’Wester Mountain Escarpment Protection Committee (NMEPC) to respond to your postcard publicity campaign. This campaign seeks to elicit support for your industrial wind turbine project in the Loch Lomond watershed on the Nor’Wester Mountain Escarpment. You stated that we are misinformed.

Our committee has been tirelessly informing and bringing information to city council and the community for over three years.

We have held open houses at the libraries, held monthly community meetings, and provided hundreds of comments on the two versions of draft REA reports.

Our committee has never opposed green energy projects that are appropriately located.

It is time to stop talking through third parties and the media and take the facts directly to the public.

We challenge you – Anthony Zwig and Kathleen MacKenzie – to a public debate on all aspects of your proposed project.

In addition, we respectfully suggest that Colin Bruce, publisher of this newspaper or other public officials such as the president of the college or university moderate this debate in a location large enough to accommodate citizens from Thunder Bay, Municipality of Neebing and the Fort William First Nation.

This public debate will be your opportunity to invite all of your recently recruited supporters from your postcard campaign.

The venue for such an event must be appropriate in size – e.g., Community Auditorium where full live Shaw Cable television coverage can be arranged.

Furthermore, the NMEPC will pay half the cost to rent the facility.

This free event will be an opportunity for the public to be truly informed, and for all information to be presented in an open forum.

Irene Bond, Past-president

John Beals, President

Nor’Wester Mountain Escarpment Protection Committee

Thunder Bay


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/10/13/critics-challenge-horizon-to-public-wind-farm-debate/