Though clearly a provincial matter, each of the Perth-Wellington federal candidates shared their beliefs on the impact energy production could have on agricultural lands.
Because of the community divisions being created by solar and wind projects, candidates were asked at a meeting in Arthur on April 14 for their opinions regarding energy projects on farms.
Liberal candidate Bob McTavish said there are other means of harvesting energy from farmland, citing the production of corn-based ethanol.
“As we continue into the future, I think we will have the ability to grow green and transfer that into energy,” McTavish said. “I could be enticed into saying something about solar, but I value my life,” he quipped to the crowd gathered that night.
Christian Heritage Party candidate Irma DeVries believes “the setbacks for wind turbines should be a little farther away from family farms. But if you have a big area that’s far away from your neighbours – go for it.”
She did not, however, support corn-based ethanol production. “That’s food,” she said. “It will increase the price of corn in a way that is detrimental to our farmers.”
DeVries said she is a green power producer. The development on their farm produces enough energy for over 40 residences. That production began in 1999, long before it was fashionable to be green, DeVries said.
“I think that we as farmers, are involved, because we are an inventive lot.”
Green Party candidate John Cowling said that while he is not a particularly big fan of wind turbines, “We do need to make energy generation much, much more sustainable. Ultimately, we have to be 100% sustainable.”
He said coal, oil, and gas are not going to last forever.
Cowling added that if one believed additional emissions into the atmosphere are a bad thing, “then we have to stop eventually.”
He suspected energy generation will end up a mixture of things.
“There have to be rules of course, which dictate where large wind turbines can be located.”
As for the location on agricultural lands, Cowling said – as he had when he ran provincially in 2003 – “There is another thing farmers can be paid for; the wind that passes over their land. I still believe that.”
Conservative candidate Gary Schellenberger noted that some time ago he served on municipal council and there was a regulation known as the MDS (minimum distance separation), which is the minimum distance a barn building could be from a residential building or lot.
His understanding was that remains a municipal responsibility.
Schellenberger added he has talked to numerous delegations concerned with the power generators.
“I’m told the municipalities don’t have any say. It’s been taken away from them.”
He said that all people are looking for is a guarantee that nothing will happen to them or their animals but, “They can’t get it.
“I think there should be a moratorium. I think things have to be worked out, and I think the municipalities need to be involved.”
NDP candidate Ellen Papenburg said there are wind turbines on farms and on buildings.
“Evidently cows are producing less milk [if they’re near turbines]; it is not somebody’s imagination,” she said.
She believed that is something that should be investigated to find out what is going on, and she, too, advocated larger setbacks.
Papenburg agreed the NDP is looking for alternate energy, which in turn creates jobs. She said there are a number of ways of producing energy – “from the earth, the sun, and wind and even animal manure.”
