Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Manvers will be on the hook for turbines- Graham Hawkridge Comments


"Hidden within that budget was another piece of legislature called Bill 55, which basically dismantles much of the Environmental Protection Act, giving wind turbine farms all the protection "they need" to invade bird species, at-risk habitat, osprey, swans and any other species of wild animal life."



"Sumac Ridge Wind project, will turn more than 11 thousand acres of the Oak Ridges Moraine into the largest industrial area ever seen in City of Kawartha Lakes "


Manvers will be on the hook for turbines


The words "renewable and green" seem to give politicians the right of approval anywhere around the globe these days.

These magical words if you hear them mentioned in your neighbourhood mean little else but destruction of animal habitat, desecration of water rights, or the taking and using of your land in the name of renewable energy.

Take industrial wind turbines, for example. Many of these 550-foot monsters are proposed for the Oak Ridges Moraine, a stretch of hilly terrain north of Toronto that runs east and west for more than 160 kilometres and measures up to 11 kilometres wide at various points and is the remnants of several ice-age events.

Many of the creatures here have multiplied and have bred to the extent that we are lucky enough not to have to travel to the near north to see this wonderful collection of wildlife.

Many of us have the opportunity of living on the Oak Ridges Moraine and are indeed thankful that it has been a protected area for many, many years. That is until Dalton McGuinty said Ontario was open for industrial wind turbines.

Since he Okayed this madness, there has been a massive uprising by more than 80 municipalities, fighting back against his "Green Energy Act" that took away our municipal rights to say, "No," to foreign wind corporations, doing whatever they wanted to do in our backyard.

Since that time many, many people have had no choice but to move away from wind turbines, as the health effects were too serious to put up with.

Since then we have had a budget proposal that would only pass if the NDP approved it by two votes, which they agreed to do and it took place last week.

Hidden within that budget was another piece of legislature called Bill 55, which basically dismantles much of the Environmental Protection Act, giving wind turbine farms all the protection "they need" to invade bird species, at-risk habitat, osprey, swans and any other species of wild animal life.

It also gives them (government) the right not to allow you, a private landowner, the right to have your land declared a protected site for any wild life.

This bill was tucked into the budget, but Andrea Horwath knew about it. Then, after signing it, the NDP environment critic jumped up and made the usual noises to try and cover this appalling sell-out of Ontario's rural people, for just a few million tax dollars, most of which, ironically, will be used to support Dalton's dream of even more turbines.

The proposed site just north of Pontypool, known as Sumac Ridge Wind project, will turn more than 11 thousand acres of the Oak Ridges Moraine into the largest industrial area ever seen in City of Kawartha Lakes, never mind Manvers Township, and will remain there for more than 20 years at which time, we, the citizens of Manvers will be asked to bear the brunt of millions of dollars to dismantle each and every one of these scrap iron, slice and dice machines.

G. Hawkridge

City of Kawartha Lakes