December 2, 2013
Ontario

LaSalle wind turbine project axed; Residents delighted with development

Julie Kotsis, The Windsor Star | Published: Saturday, November 30, 2013 | www2.canada.com

The Ministry of the Environment has rejected a plan to install two industrial wind turbines in rural LaSalle according to opponents of the project.

“(Our lawyer) informed us that (property owner Larry) Pajot would not be putting them up,” said Tim Parent, a member of Residents Against Industrial Wind Turbines. “I’m very happy … that it’s been rejected.”

“The reason I bought this place was because of the privacy and the views,” said a relieved Parent.

The controversial wind turbine project was opposed by the group of LaSalle residents who collected over 400 signatures on a petition in opposition to the project.

Parent and others also launched a $10-million lawsuit against wind company River Canard Energy Inc. and Pajot Farms Ltd., the landowner, through Toronto-based lawyer Eric Gillespie.

The residents said they feared their property values would decrease or that they would be unable to sell their properties if the two proposed 500kW turbines were installed on farmland off Disputed Road.

“Our lawyer says our lawsuit has stopped him from going ahead but then we get this other information from the ministry,” Parent said, referring to a notice that the applications had been turned down.

“During our review of the company’s proposals, It was determined that they didn’t meet our ministry requirements,” said MOE spokeswoman Kate Jordan.

When reached Friday, property owner Larry Pajot said he was unaware of the ministry’s decision. “Is that right? I didn’t know anything about that,” Pajot said.

Asked if he would try to go ahead with the projects or address whatever the problems were with the applications, Pajot said “Like I said, I just found out. I don’t know what to say right now.

In Sept. 2012, Micah Jarvis, an energy services manager for Kitchener-based Mindscape Innovations, was the spokesman for the River Canard Energy group but Friday he refused comment saying, “we’re no longer involved with that project. “I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to help you today,” Jarvis said.

MOE’S Jordan said River Canard Energy had submitted separate applications for two wind turbines. One was refused by the ministry in late October and one was deemed incomplete and returned. “Neither of those proposals can move forward,” Jordan said, adding that the company could submit a new proposal but there is no appeal allowed on the two rejected applications.