Amendment to pause wind turbine development rejected by Colchester council 

Protesters gathered outside the Municipality of Colchester offices on Queen Street on Nov. 16. Their signs read “Stop the turbines” and “Don’t destroy our forests.”

Inside, council heard remarks from proponents for and against an amendment which would have seen wind turbine development halted until December 2024, when the county would’ve had their municipal planning strategy and land-use bylaw in place.

Protesters stand outside the Municipality of Colchester offices on Queen Street while council decides whether to move ahead with a bylaw pausing wind turbine development until December 2024. Council ultimately rejected the motion. – Brendyn Creamer

When it came to a vote during the second reading, only four voted affirmatively: Marie Benoit, Laurie Sandeson, Victoria Lomond and Karen MacKenzie. The others, some of whom voted affirmatively during the first reading of the amendment, voted against it (besides Michael Gregory, who had to sit out of the discussion due to a conflict of interest).

At the heart of the issue is the Windy Ridge Power Project, a wind turbine site and hydrogen production plant north of Debert. The company, EverWind Fuels, is looking to develop up to 58 turbines on industrially logged private land. Backing them are Bayside Corporate of Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation and Potlotek First Nation.

The same company has partnered with Membertou company Wind Strength to buy energy from their proposed Kmtnuk wind project, adjacent to Windy Ridge, consisting of another 20 turbines. Both are slated for construction between 2024 and 2026.

To Mayor Christine Blair, who voted to strike down the amendment, it was for Colchester to get more involved with renewable energy.

“The main thing is, whatever happens will help us get off fossil fuels,” said Blair. “Getting off that isn’t going to happen overnight.”

Municipal planning strategy

The province requires all municipalities to have a municipal planning strategy and land-use bylaw, which allows them to have better control over how their land is managed and developed.

Without a municipal planning strategy, EverWind does not need a development agreement with the Municipality of Colchester to construct either of its projects. However, they have to submit an environmental assessment to the province.

Instead, the county has a standalone wind turbine bylaw, which, according to Blair, is “a little more flexible” than a municipal planning strategy. This bylaw was last updated in February 2023, when amendments were added to increase setback distances, strengthen decommissioning requirements and introduce height restrictions for turbines in the county.

Prior to this, a wind turbine moratorium had been in place since February 2022.

The vote

Discussing what made councillors vote affirmatively during the first reading of the amendment on Oct. 26, Blair said it all came down to the density of turbines.

However, after hearing a presentation from EverWind on Nov. 14, Blair believed their questions to have been answered. EverWind’s website states density will be approximately one turbine per 436 acres on average.

“Once we got more information, our council did their homework, talked to people, had presentations, had information sessions and everything we could possibly do to get as much information as we could get before we made a decision,” said Blair.

While Blair admits she’s unsure of the particulars of the development of hydrogen through wind turbines, she voiced her commitment to getting off fossil fuels.