The 13-km transmission line, held up by 60- or 80-foot poles, will run along Helmer Road (through wetlands) and up Maypul Layn Road (mature trees to be cut down) to the substation at Johnson Road and County Road 10.  Construction of the line will commence within the next ten days.

Hydro One is a law unto itself, requiring no permissions or permits from the County.  In fact, it has not even notified the County of its plans.

Why now?  It’s anyone’s guess.  Gilead has previously stated that it doesn’t intend to begin construction of turbines until October, 2012 or commence commercial operations until April, 2013.  So why is Hydro One starting construction now? Could it be that “the fix is in”, and the REA approval process is just a sham?  Enquiring minds want to know.

The question: Wind turbines in Prince Edward County?  Here’s how the 1501 votes were distributed:

• 76% (1136 votes) said NO — wind turbines should NOT be part of PEC.
• 16% (247) said YES — wind turbines should BE part of PEC.
• 8% (118) said MAYBE — with research on health, location and long term issues.

These results clearly show strong opposition to wind turbines in PEC.  And NO means no: very few respondents wanted more research before deciding.  Of the decided respondents (i.e. excluding MAYBEs), 82% voted NO.

Why NO?  Over many months, residents have expressed concerns about adverse effects of wind turbines and the Green Energy Act on human health, the natural environment, property values, the local economy, local planning control and natural justice.

The CountyLive poll was open for about a week; the sponsor is non-partisan; the question and choices were clear; responses were confidential; everyone with Internet access had the same opportunity to vote. In summary, the process was fair.

The CountyLive results are generally consistent with those of the recent OFA poll, which found that 70% of respondents support a moratorium on wind projects pending resolution of several major issues.

Now that the results are in, it’s time to move forward. County residents and County government need to find ways to ensure the continued wellbeing of families, birds, bats and endangered species and the preservation of our appeal to tourists, new businesses and potential home buyers.

We have set up a form to make it easy for you to comment at www.savetheblandingsturtle.com .  Thanks for your help.

Cumulative impact of wind turbines -- Prince Edward County to Wolfe Island

Point to Point PEC Foundation made a short but intriguing presentation on extending the St. Lawrence Islands National Park to include the South Shore and adjacent marine area.  Nipissing MP and PC Energy Critic Vic Fedeli spoke on the implications of the McGuinty government’s renewable energy policy.

There was a one-hour period for questions and comments from attendees and many people took the opportunity to speak.  Visitors from Wolfe Island (86 turbines in operation) and Amherst Island (37 turbines proposed) spoke of their experiences and their fears, respectively.

Attendance and participation at the meeting demonstrated the solidarity of County residents in their opposition to large-scale, uncontrolled wind energy development in the County.  Todd Smith’s initiative in proposing the meeting, and Mitch Heimpel’s work to organize it are much appreciated.

For a more complete account by CountyLive, see http://countylive.ca/blog/?p=22184 .  There will be video available at a later date.

As of Jan 31, 11 pm there had been 818 votes recorded, all within one day:

• 80% voted NO – wind turbines should not be part of PEC.
• 13% voted YES – wind turbines should be part of PEC.
• 7% voted MAYBE – with research on health, location and long term issues.

Six NO votes for every YES vote.  Six Pro-County votes for every pro-wind vote.

Of decided voters (i.e. excluding maybes), 86% voted NO.

There can be no doubt about the position of County residents:  No wind turbines in Prince Edward County.

The poll remains open — please add your vote at www.countylive.ca .

The poll was open to OFA members and non-members alike for  9 or 10 days, during which time more than 1700 votes were recorded.

The result: 70% in favour of a moratorium, 30% opposed.

As reported earlier, there is another poll asking about wind turbines for PEC at http://www.countylive.ca.

A local news website is conducting a poll on the question “Wind Turbines in Prince Edward County?” There are three choices:

• NO, wind turbines should NOT be part of PEC
• MAYBE, with research on health, location and long-term issues.
• YES, wind turbines should BE part of PEC.

Please cast your vote at http://www.countylive.ca.  The poll is located on the right-hand side of the webpage.

Note: Only one vote is allowed per Internet connection.  Please encourage friends and neighbours to vote as well.

The author, Maurice Newman, is former chairman of Deutsche Bank, the Australian Securities Exchange and, most recently, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.  One of the few people at the top of the corporate food chain worldwide who tells the truth about wind energy.

Guelph, ON [January 20, 2012] – Escalating concerns about industrial wind turbines have prompted the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) to urge the province of Ontario to suspend further development until farm families and rural residents are assured that their interests are adequately protected. The OFA unveiled its strong stance in a new position statement on industrial wind turbines, released today, that will be presented to government later this month.

Since 2007, when the development of industrial wind turbines began in Ontario, the OFA has worked with government on regulations, cautioned farmer members on the pitfalls of wind leases and expressed concerns about pricing. Many of these issues have not been addressed, causing tremendous tension among rural residents and community neighbours.

“We are hearing very clearly from our members that the wind turbine situation is coming to a head – seriously dividing rural communities and even jeopardizing farm succession planning,” says OFA President Mark Wales. “The onus is on our provincial government to ensure the interests of rural Ontarians are protected. OFA is speaking up to clearly outline the issues that must be addressed right now.”

The OFA’s new position statement on industrial wind turbine development addresses a number of concerns of rural Ontarians, including:

• Price paid for wind power
• Inefficiency of wind power – it can’t be stored for use during peak demand periods
• Setback issues and induced currents
• Health and nuisance issues
• Removal of municipal input from industrial wind turbine projects

OFA has always supported Ontario’s need for a reliable, affordable source of renewable energy for our future. “We must all work together to ensure green energy projects respect concerns for noise, community involvement and price, balanced with the effective provision of energy,” says Wales.

Read the full OFA position statement on industrial wind turbines here.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is the largest general farm organization in Ontario, representing 37,000 farm families across the province. As a dynamic farmer-led organization based in Guelph, the OFA works to represent and champion the interests of Ontario farmers through government relations, farm policy recommendations, lobby efforts, community representation, media relations and more. OFA is the leading advocate for Ontario’s farmers and is Ontario’s voice of the farmer.

Mark Wales, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, 519-773-6706

Neil Currie, General Manager, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, 519-821-8883