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Despite ‘lack of concern’ mayor sends Premier second plea for moratorium on turbines

Mayor Robert Quaiff

Mayor Robert Quaiff

August 5, 2015
Sent by Fax and Email
Honourable Kathleen Wynne
Premier of Ontario
Room 281, Main Legislative Building
Queen’s Park Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1A1
-and-
Honourable Glen Murray
Minister of the Environment and Climate Change 11th Floor, Ferguson Block 77 Wellesley Street West Toronto, Ontario
M7A 2T5

Premier Wynne and Minister Murray,
It is with great regret, but no surprise, I acknowledge the receipt of a telephone call on July 30, 2015 from an aide in the Premier’s office, and the July 31, 2015 letter from Minister Murray, in response to my plea to meet with you directly to discuss the issue of the wpd White Pines Wind Incorporated industrial turbine development.

Following my clear and direct letter of July 23, 2015 to you both, it strains credulity to be informed not by the Premier herself but by her aide that she refuses to meet with the Mayor of an Ontario Municipality, and by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change that he has no intention of further involvement.

Through these actions, it is clearer than ever that neither of you understand nor care about the irreparable damage the White Pines and Gilead wind factories will cause to the landscape, tourism, hospitality industry and general economy of Prince Edward County, the current and acknowledged jewel of Ontario and go-to destination of thousands of urban dwellers and visitors from other Provinces and abroad. Nor, apparently, are you concerned about the looming slaughter of birds, bats, raptors, butterflies, reptiles and endangered species by these two factories, exacerbated by those in place or to come on Wolfe Island, Amherst Island and Ernestown.

I await your explanation as to why protection is permanently afforded to Point Pelee National Park and its migration path, but not to the greater migration volume which visits the sites now threatened by your latest demonstration of irresponsible and ideologically-driven destruction.

Shortly after receipt of your respective telephone call and letter, our famous Sandbanks Provincial Park was filled to capacity this past weekend to the extent that further entrance was impossible and approach roads had to be closed to traffic. Do you really believe that this popularity will continue if wind factories are inflicted on Prince Edward County? I assure you that it will not, for those tourists will be driven away by the industrialization of Ontario’s former crown jewel with the disappearance of these vistas.

I am not impressed by Minister Murray’s suggestion that remedies are available to our Municipality through the Environmental Review Tribunal process. The undemocratic Green Energy Act, and the manner in which it is administered, ensures that success by this route is virtually impossible to achieve.

It is becoming apparent that the legacy of this term of government will be the destruction of and discrimination against rural Ontario, and the waste of literally billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money, both occasioned by the Green Energy Act and the complete lack of cost analysis and informed technical advice which should have preceded its introduction.

I am discouraged by your lack of concern relating to the important, indeed vital matters mentioned in my July 23rd letter, but nevertheless am calling on you one more time to impose a moratorium on all new wind factories, including that of wpd White Pines, until the Green Energy Act is revisited, democracy is restored, and municipalities are again permitted to decide for themselves whether or not to host these devastating projects which so greatly impact our economic health.
Respectfully,
Mayor Robert L. Quaiff

Filed Under: Letters and OpinionNews from Everywhere Else

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  1. sacha says:

    Many years have passed since we discovered the Wind Corporations were moving into the South Shore of Prince Edward. The methodology was simple, draw up contracts with property owners with a lucrative yearly fee and sign them to non disclosure. By the time the rest of the population found out about it, it was too late. We fought hard and every step of the way were ignored and are still being ignored. 22 or a few more people will benefit earning around 10K per turbine, while thousands of us will loose Big Time. Not democatic at all. Our lives are about to be altered. We loose. The Green energy act stripped municipalities of the right to choose what form their communities will take on renewables. The writing is on the wall. Wynnetario could care less, MaGuinty and cronies set the pace and Wynne is determined to make sure Rural Ontario becomes a factory for City financing thus guaranteeing a Wynnefall for the Liberal government. So now we really are at WAR. There is NOTHING Honourable about you Kathleen Wynne, you are TRAITOR TO RURAL ONTARIO!

  2. Angela says:

    There have been so many articles that I’ve noticed lately about the wonders of Prince Edward County and what a tourist haven it is, this being one of them:

    http://www.thestar.com/life/travel/2015/07/31/wine-lovers-escape-prince-edward-county.html

  3. Susan says:

    I thought it was a full moon but no it was last week. For some reason the pro winders who are either profiting or have been hoodwinked into believing it is green are saying some pretty strange stuff! Lol

  4. Sam says:

    Don’t attack the wine makers! They only oppose renewable energy generation and promote alcohol consumption.

    We all know that wind turbines are severely detrimental to human health, while alcohol has been shown to have absolutely no direct negative effects on humans.

    Or is it the other way around?

  5. Marnie says:

    Expressing an opinion which is contradictory to your stand on wind turbines hardly constitutes a personal attack. I am not calling you names. I simply do not agree with your point of view. I do not recall referring to you as a “whiner” or a “crier”. You can belittle your fellow posters all you like. It adds no strength to your argument.

  6. baysider says:

    Marnie you are attacking the people who are in favour of wind turbines so what is good for the goose is good for the gander

  7. Marnie says:

    baysider, why are you “attacking” anyone? Surely it’s a discussion and if the opinions expressed are diverse there is no need to go into attack mode. Those who have views different from your own are entitled to their opinions. Name calling serves no purpose.

  8. baysider says:

    Susan I am not attacking people that own wineries. I am attacking the cryers on here.sorry for the misunderstanding.

  9. Susan says:

    Why do you continue to attack folks on here that happen to own wineries? Is it because the wineries do not believe Turbine Factories are Green? They realize the carbon foot print?

  10. baysider says:

    I am sick and tired of listening to the winers and cries on here.Why don,t you guys accept the fact that green energy is coming which in the long run wilbe cheaper than a new nuclear plant. No overpaid hydro one eployees involved at all in the generation

  11. Mark says:

    Good one Marnie.

    On another note I have often wondered if the Green Energy Act (what a rdiculous name) could be challenged under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Seems clear that our rights are being removed.

  12. Marnie says:

    baysider, I hope when you refer to catching all the winers you are not referring to our local vintners. What is your complaint with them?

  13. Angela says:

    Well said Mayor Quaiff, I believe that we should keep fighting this idiocy.

    From the research that I’ve done it looks like wind turbines are fast becoming old technology. To me it would be like going to the store and asking to purchase a 2000 laptop computer. There are much better and more low profile options on the horizon, so why not wait to see what’s around the corner?

    Ms. Wynne used as an election platform the fact that she would listen to the those who lived in the country and take into consideration their desires when it comes to wind turbines, another election promise that has gone the way of the dodo.

    She certainly isn’t listening to all of the people of Prince Edward County and seems hell bent on bullying us into submission, which to me reeks of being a dictator.

  14. County Steve says:

    Well said, Mr. Mayor.
    Keep in mind, Judy et al, this issue has never been about wind turbines. It is about wind turbines in the worst possible locations. You can defend wind all you want, but why you support the government’s blind-sighted determination to destroy wildlife and habitat, instead of admitting it was a bad decision, just puzzles me.
    If you love having your rights taken away, and your land destroyed, there are indeed many places in the world outside the County that operate in this way. It horrifies me that Ontario has joined this league, and that you’re happy with a government-sanctioned loss of choice in an issue vital to our future. We have fought wars to preserve the democracy that you blithely give away.
    In reply to a previous reference about replacing coal-fired generators, for God’s sake read something less than 20 years old. The last coal plant in Ontario was closed in April 2014. Not because of wind, but because it was politically correct.

  15. baysider says:

    If you supply the worms maybe we could catch all the winers and we wouldn’t be throwing them back

  16. old local says:

    @Baysider…

    You and Judy should go fishing this afternoon, lovely weather, and you both love trolling !

  17. Susan says:

    WPD has appealed the approval of their own project. Not satisfied with 27 Industrial Wind Turbines or Wind Factories, they want all 29. Can’t have a slight decline in that profit margin.

  18. baysider says:

    Sounds like Judy Kennedy is the only one that understands. Too bad there aren’t more Judys on this site

  19. Bill Roberts says:

    Good letter.
    The Mayor’s message is direct and to the point.
    Municipalities like The County must have a meaningful say with regard to green energy deployment.
    Well done!

  20. Susan says:

    Come on Judy, what offends you about a “wind factory” ? Visit “thewindfactory.com”. Seems pretty clear what that monstrosity is. lol

  21. Marnie says:

    Bravo, Mayor Quaiff. You’ve stepped up to the plate and spoken for a lot of us who truly love the county and do not want to see its beauty desecrated or its wildlife destroyed by wind turbines. Whatever the outcome we can be proud that our mayor left no stone unturned in trying to stop this incredible display of government arrogance.

  22. Sue3 says:

    Judy, the problem is that the government’s intent seems to be to cover rural Ontario with energy projects to provide Toronto with energy. A few more years of this and there will not be any more ‘beautiful places in Ontario’ left. The destruction of Prince Edward County is just one of their many personal money-making schemes.

  23. judy kennedy says:

    There is no such thing as a wind factory, outside of laboratory conditions. Furthermore, if the wind turbines managed to keep a few tourists away, which I doubt, many of us would be a lot happier. As to ‘crown jewel’, well it’s nice here, but spare us the hyperbole. There are lots of beautiful places in Ontario. Some of us have actually seen them.

  24. Marie says:

    Maybe Greg Sorbara could try a little harder to contact Glen Murray?

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