Wolfe Island ~ Industrial Wasteland

This letter was published in the Kingston Whig-Standard,

Letters to the Editor

dated July 15, 2009,

written by David R. MacDonald,
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It's a classic summer morning in Kingston -- the typical summer morning with clear blue skies, brilliant sunshine and a tantalizing sparkle off the water in the harbour. As I pen this missive I'm watching the eastern sun reflect off the Wolfe Island wind turbines. Sadly, the island, in appearance, seems more of an industrial wasteland rather than one of nature's more tranquil settings. The presence of these overwhelming techno-energy giants brings to mind asciencefiction novel by H. G. Wells. Seeing the wind turbines conjures up images of invading space creatures from his work War of the Worlds, with the turbines reaching like tentacles upward to the sky.They certainly tower above the natural treeline. It's hard to see anything else. When I look towards the water, I don't see the natural beauty of Kingston's harbour anymore.

I don't see Garden Island, Simcoe Island or even Wolfe Island, as my vision is drawn to these massive propellers waiting in rest or whirling away, depending on the breeze. If the daytime view isn't bad enough, the blinking red warning lights on the towers at night light up the sky like a runway at Pearson International Airport. What got me thinking of our harbour's beauty was not only the view from my window but also two photographs that appeared in the Whig Standard.

Both were of boats plying the waters of Kingston Harbour. The first was our beloved tall ship, St. Lawrence II, and the other was a wee Optimist sailing dinghy.

What struck me was that my eye was not drawn to the beauty of the vessel in each photo but rather to the towering wind turbines in the background. I just found it sad. I am of mixed emotions as to whether these turbines are a source of pride for the local communities. Fair enough that this was a decision for the residents of Wolfe Island, as they own the property where these towering giants sit, but their decision has also affected the lives of those in Kingston and our neighbours to the south in northern New York State.
I've yet to encounter anyone who finds the wind turbines an attractive addition to the already beautiful landscape. In fact, most simply whisper about the project, as saying anything negative is tantamount to heresy. Dissenting opinions are shouted down as anti-progress, anti-change or anti-environment. For the most part, this isn't the case. Everyone's entitled to his or her opinion, and what I'm finding is that for better or worse, the folks I speak with on this side of the harbour don't think the turbines are attractive.
I don't know why the islanders voted to have the wind farm developed on their lands. That was their decision alone.

Perhaps it was visceral in nature -- a longing to facilitate change in the world and reduce our carbine footprint through the development of alternative energy sources. The sacrifice of lands
and natural beauty today could be well worth the protection of future generations.

Alternatively, it's also possible the rise of these massive turbines was the result of a cash grab by those suffering from our flagging economy and seeing a sure bet for income.

Who knows for certain?
I just can't seem to get excited by the wind farm and its whirling turbines.
It's not that I'm against reducing our carbon footprint or searching for alternatives to fossil fuels.

Rather, my concern is that the largest of the islands in the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River, one of creation's most beautiful vistas, has effectively been turned into a 30,000-acre money-producing platform.

Let's not lose sight of the fact that the only reasons the company that built the wind turbines came to Wolfe Island were the consistent winds and the desire for profits.

The equations are quite simple: For the landowners, the more turbines on their property, the more money in their pockets; and for the corporation driving the project, megawatts equal megadollars.
I've heard the term NIMBY (Not in my backyard) used all too often to describe
those folks who oppose this and other wind projects.

Shamefully, even our premier and local MPP have resorted to using this acronym for those whose opinions are differing from their own. I suppose our premier really doesn't need to be concerned, since if you live in Toronto you can't see the view in Kingston. Likewise for Canadian Hydro Developers Inc.'s corporate officers in Calgary.

Hopefully, when all the Wolfe Island whirlygigs are finally spinning freely they will be a welcome addition to the natural beauty for which the eastern end of
Lake Ontario has always been known.

At the moment however, I have my doubts. David R. MacDonald Kingston
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Additionally I have posted the following anonymous comment letter that came in to the Whig Standard in RE: to the Wolfe Island wind development~

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I might add that Wolfe Island residents never "voted" for these turbines. The wind project was negotiated in secret by the Mayor, Jim Vanden Hoek and facilitated by a council of five: two had land lease options receiving thousands of dollars from the company throughout the process. They re-zoned the island to accept intensive industrial development before any environmental assessment was presented to residents: in direct contradiction to the promises they made when
elected and in fear that the company would sue the municipality under the OMB if the proposal was rejected. The By-law to industrialize Wolfe Island passed in 2006 with two votes (Howe Island councillors only voted and the Mayor abstained!).

The development you see wasn't the choice of Wolfe Island residents but was made by a lame duck council with money from the company in the majority of their pockets. All with the blessing and assistance of MPP John Gerretsen. With no environmental assessment and no site plans made public (though the council and landowners knew months before any disclosure), islanders were shocked in March 2007 to discover that the small-scale, community-based development proposed and promoted was in fact an 88 tower (two monitoring towers were added) monstrosity. Landowners signed up with the company were well aware of the number and intensity -- but that was kept secret from the public until March 2007. By then, all the contracts were signed and sealed. Wolfe Islanders never voted for this development. Many, myself among them, promoted a community-based, small scale and environmentally sustainable wind project.

What you see now, is a project that was sought out by a council with personal financial dealings with the company and supported by landowners who signed away their own rights (and I would suggest personal responsibility) to alert their neighbours, some of whom have lost their ability to sever and build on their own land because their neighbour's turbines are too close. Many of the landowners, on the company's behalf if not behest, participated in a quiet yet menacing campaign of intimidation, including letters sent to community members accusing anyone in opposition to the development as being "hypocrites" and "against farmers." Men stood at public meetings in formation, arms crossed, faces red with barely contained rage, en masse by the busload -- paid for by the company -- whenever a controversy was suspected that might be cause for delay or even public reflection.
Now with their bags of 30 silver pieces, they are quick to defend themselves with the tiresome accusations of NIMBYism and the oft heard dismissal: "the pros outweigh the cons." It would be more accurate for them to say; "the pros for me measured in dollars, outweigh the cons for you measured in your health, rights and quality of life". The island's familial and social networks have been re-written by profiteering Calgary carpetbaggers. Sadly too many were taken in. And to respond to those who would suggest that the only alternative to this massive industrial development in the most important bird migration and habitat internationally and globally is a carbon smoke stack -- not one environmental group supporting wind energy development (Sierra Club, Suzuki Foundation, Audubon Society, Nature Canada to name a few) has defended or promoted the imposition of large-scale development on Wolfe Island.

Their silence is deafening! This project is already a posterchild for how not to develop wind energy

Anonymous

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