A Submission from the West Lincoln Glanbrook Wind Action Group
Members of the West Lincoln Glanbrook Wind Action Group and concerned citizens will be massing outside the Niagara Region Wind Corporation’s public open house this coming Thursday September 20th at 7:00pm to protest the forced industrialization and degradation of West Lincoln with the construction of forty-four industrial wind turbines in this rural agricultural community.
The WLGWAG will also be conducting their “Look-Up, Wake-Up” campaign where they float a tethered weather balloon to the same 572’ height of the turbines or equal to a 57 story skyscraper (higher than even the tallest building in the neighbouring City of Hamilton) in order to alert the citizen’s of Smithville and surrounding area of the size and scale of these massive industrial machines.
Neil Switzer, Chairman of the WLGWAG said that for many of the residents of Smithville and for most of the 5700+ West Lincoln residents who will be living within 2km of a turbine, the balloon campaign is to make people realize that if they can see it, they’re often going to hear it, feel it’s infrasound vibrations and unfortunately will be at risk for numerous ill health impacts as widely reported worldwide.
The group will also be urging people to sign a petition calling on all local politicians, social groups, organizations and citizens at large to lobby the Provincial Government to implement an immediate moratorium on all planned and approved industrial wind turbine projects until the Federal Government’s industrial wind health study is completed in 2014 and duly acted upon.
The NRWC Public Open House will take place from 5:00-8:00pm at the Smithville Christian High School located at 6488 Smithville Townline Road in Smithville. Unfortunately this school is also located within a 2km turbine impact zone as shown on NRWC maps which for the sake of the students further strengthens the community’s resolve for the implementation of an immediate moratorium until a proper health study can be completed.
For further information on industrial wind turbines, activities or group information go to our website at http://www.wlwag.com/.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post, remembering that NAL only posts comments by individuals who are also share their first and last names.)
Niagara At Large 
If I were a farmer, I would certainly enjoy the cash crop for each turbine.
What’s all the fuss about anyway ??
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Well Paul, obviously you know absolutely nothing about the situation.. I propose that we put a 57 storey industrial wind turbine on your front yard..lets see how happy you are with your cash crop then. That extra cash would come in handy when you have extra medical bills to pay for your family’s ill health due to the effects of the turbines, or moving expenses when you are forced out of your home, or to offset the 40-50% loss in value to your property….Oh by the way..your hydro bill will be going up 63.39% from 12 to 20 cents per kwH once the turbines are installed. So Paul, that’s what the fuss is about.. MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET INFORMED BEFORE YOU MAKE COMMENTS!
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Good grief, thanks for letting us know. Jane Hanlon, Executive Director CLIMATE ACTION NIAGARA 111 Church St, St Catharines, L2R 3C9 289-434-0474 info@climateactionniagara.ca http://www.climateactionniagara.ca http://www.climateactionniagara.wordpress.com
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Where can I go to see an educated informed discussion on the pro’s and con’s of wind energy, and to have discussion on the alternatives such as Nuclear power, the beau of the current government?
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I would tell like to know the true facts about wind power. It seems there is a lot of hysteria about them, perhaps unwarranted. Much of the complaining seems to be nimbyism in my opinion but I would like to know more. I personally would not object to one near me if they are safe. How about all the turbines in Europe and along Lake Erie and Lake Huron? Have there been any definite reported health issues in those areas? I really think the complaints ate largely bogus.
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Maybe you should speak with members of the 9 families in Clear Creek (along Lake Erie) who had to abandon their homes because of the turbines…I suspect they would find the word “bogus” somewhat inappropriate. There are 598 different organizations in Europe fighting against turbines; I doubt they would like the word “bogus” either. As far as reported health issues are concerned, our provincial government refuses to do any “real” studies, all they do is ridicule people who do complain of health issues. And how do these people know their issues are caused by proximity to the turbines….it isn’t rocket science, Linda…they leave their homes…the symptoms disappear…they come back, the symptoms reappear…they leave – “they” are back…they go….”they” disappear…it doesn’t take a PHd to figure out what is causing them. But according to the wind industry, they are lying…”they just don’t like the look of them”….so I guess we have residents who abandon their homes just because they don’t like the look of something…wow! It would be nice to be that financially secure.
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As a resident of West Lincoln, according the the “proposed’ project map, my home is labeled “Noise Receptor 446” and it is located a direct line between 4 turbines and on the north side of the Transmission line which will be following the main roads from Wellandport to Beamsville. I can not but wonder how the proponents of these monsters would feel if they woke up one morning, (like I did) and found that they are living in the worst possible location in a (proposed) Wind Project, and there is no way out because my home is not sellable now simply because of a “Draft Map” of the project.
Democrary in Ontario is dead! Killed by the Green Energy Act.
I wonder how Ms McKellar would feel if she happened to live in a proposed wind project. Yes, the facts of health problems are real, only the wind proponents who stand to make a lot of subsidized money on this project will tell you that its not real. Do you homework – ordinary folks to do lie about these things, its the wind proponents who lie – they have to, its their livelyhood.
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Good idea Linda…you should know more before you make unwarranted comments. There is nothing nimbyistic about this issue..it is real..and it is affecting hundreds of people in Ontario already. Get informed..read. and who knows..maybe there’s a 57 storey industrial wind turbine coming to a front yard near you!
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Interesting article but it really made me wonder. Is anyone really expecting the Federal Government’s study to come out and have real impact on this situation? This fight has become personal and any study will just become a political tool for what every side thinks it serves their interest.
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It surprises me to read some of the comments that people have to the current issue at hand. First of all, it’s not about money to the farmers, it’s about the greed the government and the turbine companies are displaying. The most important thing in life is your LIFE.. not to be messed with by bureaucrats. People should get informed about a topic before they make uneducated comments, and also very irresponsible comments. THINK about this IF YOU CAN — WHY IS MOST OF EUROPE getting rid of their turbines, WHY ARE 1400+ TURBINES being dismanted in the state of NEW YORK? WHY are there already law suits against this project due to peoples’ HEALTH? Are you willing to gamble with your health? OK then..go ahead — BUT DON’T YOU DARE GAMBLE WITH MINE or my family’s, be it immediate or extended;. IT is amasing how many poeple are fence sitters until they become affected financially, emotionally or physically . As the article stated “WAKE UP”!!
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I’m going to be affected by the proposed wind turbines and what bothers me most is people disregarding my health, savings and rights. These are people with nothing at risk and for the most part uninformed. I can’t understand how these projects can go ahead with-out completing health studies. If I lose property value I wouldn’t be happy but could deal with it. I don’t want to look at them but would if it was for the greater good but I can’t understand how my health can be disregarded. We don;t disregard stress, mental illness, neck or back pain to name a few. We listen to peoples complaints and work with those affected but in this case no one will talk to them. The federal government said no turbines around Ottawa with-out further health studies so how can any others continue. If my rights as a Canadian citizen are being taken away and this stuffed down my throat at least make sure it’s not going to take away my health.Why is that so much to ask.
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I am one who does not want the turbines in my back yard. I have not yet seen or been given any solid evidence that they do not create health problems. And if they are so good, why are friends who are trying to sell their homes are unable to…or if they do, at a great discount. If Europe is stated as having them and the people love them, why when we did we do the research and found a petition against them, dated of April this year. They do not want them in Europe any more then we want them here…but they are stuck with them, we have the opportunity to stop them. I think we all need to do our research before we make our decisions…on both sides of the issue…and if you are for them, put one on your property…but only if it does not effect your neighbours.
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I can clearly see by the comments that this issue is becoming deeply polarizing. I went on Thursday, had a vocal disagreement with some of the protestors, because even as a resident of Niagara, my views were discounted because I don’t live in West Niagara. The protestors were short on facts an heavy on aggressive action. I went with every intention of hearing a balances argument and my humble observation is that inside of the school you had a team of technical engineers dressed up by slick marketing folks, and outside you had people who are scared by big developers trying to change their neighbourhood and having their concerns co-opted by the anti-wind hype machine.
I just want an end to coal, natural gas and nuclear, with some prospect of good jobs for the youth of Niagara and I had hoped that Niagara would join the counties that are taking leadership in innovation but with this water being so muddied by politicians, developers and opportunists how can you discover the truth?
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Well Karl you will never say goodbye to natural gas because wind cannot operate without natural gas plants as backup generation capacity because of the intermitant nature of wind . There might be health effects from wind but there is definately cost effects and pollution effects. Cost effects because the many gas plants that are being built to accomadate wind are approx 1 billion a copy. Pollution effects because of the increased need to use these plants ( that produce greenhouse gases) and because they are peaking plants are not as efficient as a gas fired plant that was designed to operate 24/7!
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Wind can power reservoirs to store back up pockets of pressurized air, or can be used for water reservoirs, again to store energy. There is an upside to wind development, and all green energy, as we advance the technology. Fossil fuel has a very limited upside, if any. As soon as we start accepting the notion that there is nothing we can do about fossil fuel and nuclear we are copping out on the future generations.
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As I understand these ways of storing power are proving ineffectual but I have thought there is great potential in using the power from wind to create hydrogen gas which can be stored or transported in existing pipelines to market . It then can be used to generate power on smoggy days thus since it creates no pollution we get the added bonus to our airsheds —cooling without the pollution . Greater savings would be realized if these wind mills were not hooked up to the existing grid but used solely in willing jurisdictions to create hydrogen gas . If this were so we would not need these expensive gas peaking plants.
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As I understand the ways we have of transporting power over great distances are proving inneffectual. Who will be building these hydrogen transport lines, Enbridge? That would get me out protesting!
With Ontario’s aging energy infrastructure the key to energy supply will be the ability to create energy with as little need for transportation as possible. The opposition to wind in Wainfleet is a select group, Niagara is my home too, which was one of my initial points, and I am proud of Big Becky, Decew Falls, Sir Adam Beck I and II and that we get to play host to a technologically innovative wind farm technology.
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Karl The transportation of Hydrogen Gas can be facilitated in Existing pipeline structure if produced in bulk . Plus on a smaller scale this gas can be transported with existing modes such as rail and truck transport. You say that you would protest the transportation of power over great distances –is not the building of new and upgradedpower corridors causing more duress on rural and some urban land owners (not to mention the cost for again intermitant power generation. Please do not get me wrong I am not against wind as long as it is not hooked up to the grid and is operated independantly for personal use or industrial use as in the case of either storing power through air or water or in the use of making hydrogen or what ever! The cost to turn our old and inflexable system to a system flexible enough to handle the fickled nature of wind is just to great . We could have used that money in Ontario to build new industry to supply the Tar Sands in Alberta. With a proper ENERGY STRATEGY we in Ontario should be one of the sole suppliers to this massive construction project on CANDIAN SOIL. We in Niagara used to manufacture pipe and other material that could and should have been used there. But it does not take long to build a new pipe making plant and with a National Energy Strategy that could come true . Then both yours and my dream of good paying jobs for the young of Niagara will come true. —Take Care —John–
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