Ontario dishonest about power plant location process
On the same day that Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne apologized for mistakes made in moving the gas-fired power plants from Liberal ridings in the Toronto area, which is costing Ontario taxpayers and ratepayers more than $1 billion, and when Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli claimed the government wants to “get this right” by allowing communities “more say,” the government announced approval of another gigantic wind power generation project—the Samsung-Pattern Armow facility.
Yet another 90 turbines are planned now for the Kincardine area, where people are already seeing problems from the environmental noise produced by existing wind power installations.
In just five business days early this October, the Wynne-wind government approved three more huge wind power projects, including Goulais Bay, which will forever affect the iconic landscape and wilderness of Ontario’s famed Algoma Region.
In fact, under Premier Wynne’s “watch” as she calls it, 14 wind power generation projects in total have been approved, many of them in communities that have declared themselves to be “Not a Willing Host.”
Meanwhile, the Ontario government makes a show of asking for “feedback” and “engaging” communities. We will have our “say” but as Minister Chiarelli told delegates at the Association of Ontario Municipalities at their conference in Ottawa in August, there will be no veto—you can’t say “no.”
Subsidy money pours into the coffers of wind power developers and out of Ontario ratepayers’ pockets, with some companies being paid not to produce power as we have a surplus.
Premier Wynne said she is “sorry.” The truth is, the offence against Ontario citizens continues day by day.
Jane Wilson
President
Wind Concerns Ontario
Jane Wilson