While Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak invited members of Arthur’s business community recently to have a say on green energy – it may not have been the answer he expected.
Like many communities, throughout Ontario, the issue of wind energy has caused considerable concern.
For Arthur residents, it’s an issue many can see from their own backyards with the recent construction of five windturbines immediately north east of the community.
As Hudak brought up the issue of skyrocketting hydro bills and the matter of wind turbines, he said his party is looking for direction.
Arthur & District Chamber of Commerce president Wayne Baker commented “we still need to have our lights on.”
He said the main choices right now are nuclear, coal or hydroelectric power.
Yet, Baker considered there to be a currently untapped potential in not only Wellington County, but throughout the province.
He told Hudak he’d like to see incentives directed more to smaller scale projects – such as projects where the rooftops of local buildings could be converted to generate solar energy.
“We need to transfer the incentives from large projects to home generation.”
He pointed to the effect wind turbines is having on the local community.
“Our five windmills have divided our community.”
He added that producing more energy is not the only solution.
“We need to be more encouraging to conserve energy.”
Arthur resident Mary Schmidt also had concerns regarding wind turbines.
She believed approvals should come from the local level – not legislated in place by the province.
Schmidt contended that if something affects the local community, then it should be able to have the say.
Having the decision regarding turbines being made provincially, “is creating a problem where there does not have to be.”
She said if it is something affecting the health of the community “we have be able to make a decision locally.”
And, she added, facts are still coming in regarding the impacts.
At the same time, Schmidt did not exclude having input or guidance from the province.
Others at the gathering cited more effects of the underground currents and wanted to see a moratorium until more answers were available.
Hudak said questions have been raised in the Ontario Legislature.
“Municipalities can decide whether to bring in a 7-11 or Tim Hortons to town, but Dalton [McGuinty] is making the decision when it comes to industrial wind farms.”
Wellington-Halton MPP Ted Arnott said that while he doubted anyone would argue against the need for green energy, but he agreed there needs to be more focus on adequate setbacks. His own belief was that setbacks should be at least one or two kilometres from residences.
Arnott said he’d just recently met with four property owners in the Belwood area.
Sitting at the kitchen table hearing about the impact to their children and to property values, “you get a value of the impact to people,” he said.
With the health concerns that are out there, Arnott said it was prudent to wait for the results of current studies underway – or to work to expedite those results.
