Wynne-lose, Will she?

Is she the real deal? asks Sun columnist Lorrie Goldstein. Will Premier KW have the guts to admit McGuinty’s Green Energy “experiment” is “an unmitigated disaster for Ontario”. The gas plants scandal she apologized for (but not in the legislature) is the direct result of this “unmitigated disaster”.

And yet the reality is that what went on in Oakville and Mississauga — before the Liberals flip-flopped for crass partisan reasons — is nothing compared to what happened in rural communities across Ontario, where the Liberals literally rammed industrial wind turbines down the throats of protesting citizens. If she has rejected the gas plant fraud, will she do the same for the Green Illusion Machine called the GEA of Ontario?

Wynne has already broken with McGuinty on the cancelled gas plants, as well as on McGuinty’s plan for casino gambling in Ontario, for horse racing, and on the operation of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., as evidenced by recent events at Queen’s Park.

Will she cut the green web spun by McGuinty or will she cut and run:
Indeed, what Wynne does on the green energy file will be the acid test of whether she’s a real leader, or a mere follower of a leader who failed.

Samsung IWT’s Close Airport

Samsung has signed a deal to close the Dunnville Airport to put up IWT’s; set to close, May 30. The privately owned airport is probably not the only one to be affected by IWT’s. The owner hopes the income generated from the closure and the operation of IWT’s will generate money enough to make upgrades to the property which contains an RCAF museum. With an airport bristling with Turbines, it is seriously doubtful that any flight paths will ever open up again.

For sure, properties surrounding the airport will be devalued greatly.

See, also, OWR for an aerial shot of the runways.

Pelham Joins the Pack

The Welland Tribune reports (by Sarah Ferguson) that Pelham may be ready to join Wainfleet in opposing Wind Turbines (West Lincoln may yet do so next Council meeting).  While the City of Welland is anticipating a jobs boost from turbine blade manufacturing, the 200 jobs figure is probably exaggerated for political effect.

Rest assured, however, that those jobs are short term and temporary (unless the Province intends cranking out turbines to cover EVERY acre of agricultural land, in which case, they’ll last a little longer?).

“Jobs are great but I really believe it’s going to be short term and produce something people don’t want.”, Mayor April Jeffs of Wainfleet.

OWR 

WATT’s Hidden in Your Electric Bill? – Parker Gallant

Watt’s hidden in your electric bill?

Come learn how wind energy is fleecing everybody and costing us jobs (and hiking up hidden costs)!
Presentation by
Parker Gallant, Retired Banker
& Financial Post Guest Commentator
free admission.
Monday 7:30pm May 13, 2013
Smithville Christian District High School
6488 Smithville Road
Smithville, Ontario
(click on image for larger view)

Watts In Your Elec Bill Event 1 May 13Watt’s In Your Elec Bill Event 1 May 13

 

Burnt By The Sun…

Burnt by Solar, that is, in a MicroFiT:
Dunnville homeowner does a slow burn over solar shortcomings.

Pay your money and take your chances, it seems, with Ontario’s Alternate Energy scheme (scam); Caveat Emptor:
Haldimand Hydro warns homeowners not to spend significant dollars on projects until they have received an “offer to connect.” The offer to connect is given after an assessment is completed and any technical issues can be addressed. The property owner would be paid the amount stipulated in the OPA microFIT contract. At present, prices range from $0.802 cents per kWh to $0.549 per kWh. (writes the Reporter, Al MacRury)… Haldimand Hydro has been able to accommodate more than 200 such solar projects within its district.

 

Superior Court Ontario Ruling

Superior Court of Ontario RULING: April 22/13:

…residents of Clearview Township cannot bring claims for a proposed industrial wind project at this time, the ruling is “without prejudice to the plaintiffs’ rights to commence an action for identical or similar relief when and if the Fairview Wind Project receives the necessary approvals to be constructed.” [Para. 6]

…lawyer Eric Gillespie, whose firm acts for the plaintiffs in the actions: “It now seems clear that as soon as a project is approved residents can start a claim. This appears to be a major step forward for people with concerns about industrial wind projects across Ontario.”
AND
After reviewing the evidence of appraiser Ben Lansink, the court states: “(i)n summary, the plaintiffs’ evidence shows that they have already suffered harm through a loss in property values and the corresponding interference with the use and enjoyment of their properties.” [Para. 9] “The plaintiffs have filed expert appraisal evidence indicating that their properties are likely presently devalued by between 22 to 50 per cent or more, based upon the Proposal as presented.” [Para. 31] “… (I)n this case the court accepts that the plaintiffs have suffered, and are currently suffering, losses culminating in diminished property values …” [Para. 34, emphasis added]

The Court also accepted expert testimony on adverse health effects: sleep disturbance, annoyance, headache, tinnitus, ear pressure, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, visual blurring, tachycardia, irritability, problems with concentration and memory, and/or panic episodes. (evidence given by Robt. McMurtry). Expert evidence was also given on the certainty of the project exceeded the 40dB noise limit.
But the Court concluded that the project could undergo major changes so that there is no way to know these adverse effects will occur.

GEAR UP, folks, the wind industry is going to hit back hard because the courts are ruling against them in significant ways: in Wainfleet, Council can pass by-laws to control IWT’s; and now, Property values are affected; once appproval is given a project, complainants can start court actions for adverse effects.

Plympton-Wyoming May Make By-law Changes

Plympton-Wyoming may make changes to its Setback By-law as a result of the Wainfleet court decision (OWR).

When the province passed the Green Energy Act, it over-ruled every other type of legislation including local municipalities planning authority, but Napper and other municipal politicians believe the Municipal Act doesn’t fall under the Green Energy Act.
Suncor disagrees and is taking Plympton-Wyoming to court to challenge the two kilometer limit and two other bylaws which impose high fees for development and a $200,000 deposit per turbine to deal with the cost of removing the towers in the future.
 (Sarniathisweek.com)

The P-W by-law is similar to the Wainfleet By-law; the local Council is considering an amendment to reflect the input from the Wainfleet Decision, namely, a clear definition of the distance limit of the 2km setback from any “property” or noise receptor.

Mayor Napper believes the issue will end up in court. “We have three bylaws that they (Suncor) are challenging and in light of the two kilometer setback in Quebec and other places…I feel quite confident that we can defend what we have with scientific evidence.”

Folly Green Giant

A clever pun by Christina Blizzard of the Toronto Sun Newspaper; and, also, a very appropriate one! She says the giant is “smothering the voice of rural Ontario”:
That’s the only way to explain the complacency urban residents have for the desecration of rural Ontario.
Politicians from small towns across the province came to Queen’s Park Thursday demanding the Kathleen Wynne government return decision-making to the local councils.
The Green Energy Act stripped local politicians of any say in the siting of wind and solar farms in their communities.

So, if urbanites are complacent about the destruction of rural Ontario, what’s happened to all the Greenies who usually live in the cities? Why aren’t they out protesting this destruction?! Why? Because the saint of tainted causes, David Suzuki, hasn’t raised the rallying cry for them. In fact, his organization has done the opposite by joining the forces of the nutbar failed scientists who are proclaiming the deleterious effects of turbine power is “all in your head” (Quixotes has a great picture of the saint with outstretched arms delivering his sermon from the lectern – the man has abandoned science).

Voila the horrible cost of Green Energy and the huge rises in the cost of power to the consumer. And worse yet, Ontario Liberals and the NDPee have defeated MPP Lisa Thompson’s Bill 39 to restore affordable energy by curtailing wind power and restoring local democracy. This, of course and unfortunately, was a foreseeable result. The real hypocrites here are the NDPee (whose CAW turbine continues to blow an ill wind).

The Folly Green Giant is marching on, as Blizzard writes, aided and abbetted by the Minister Of Agriculture, Ms Wynne-lose:
Here’s the truth of what’s happening: It’s not Alberta and the price of oil that’s killing jobs here and hollowing out the economy. It’s our own home-grown government that has bungled the electricity file at every turn.
They spent $275 million to scrap a gas plant to save a couple of seats in Mississauga.
Rural Ontario, meanwhile, bears the brunt of their folly green giant.

High power rates are killing jobs and industry in Ontario, as reported by the writer:
A chemical company was about to expand rubber production in a neighbouring municipality, but decided it can’t justify the cost of electricity compared to the U.S. (Enniskillen)
In the legislature, PC Leader Tim Hudak talked about a Niagara food packaging company that compared electricity costs here with their plant in Texas. It’s 69% more here.

Ironically, the home of the Bruce Power Plant (Kincardine, Tiverton), is slated to receive 100 more Turbines in addition to the 118 that already bristle in the region, where the drop in coal power generation corresponds to the output of the refurbished Bruce Generating station and has absolutely nothing to do with wind and solar power generation – now, there’s Irony for you!!!

Invalid but Legal

The ruling has come down on the Wainfleet Setback By-law Case. The Judge has ruled the By-law to be Invalid and without Force and Effect. The reasoning for the Decision hangs primarily on the “Vaguenness” of the definition of “Property” as found in the By-law. Nevertheless, the ruling sets a precedent for other Councils.Read the Setback By-law where there is a link to Decision.Invalid does not mean, illegal. The argument that the by-law was illegal, would be illegal, and so on, is the one put forth to various Councils by Wind company lawyers. They were and are wrong. As the Decision states, the Wainfleet Council acted within its legal rights in passing the By-law; but because of vagueness, the by-law is unclear and therefore is invalid (defective). This means that any Council ready to enact a setback by-law should do so with a clear definition of, Property.

Finally, the court also found the Council did not act in bad faith (Councillors, therefore, cannot be sued for damages), and it would not consider the Charter argument because there was no need to, given the decision.

Please donate to Wainfleet Legal Fund – the Township needs your tangible support!
(I hope I smell an Appeal coming …)

[Report by Don Johnson, Welland Tribune, and OWR]