Wainfleet turbines

The tiny township of Wainfleet has lost another battle in the war to stop the construction of five wind turbines near Lake Erie. As Lauran Sabourin reports, the Ontario Ministry of Environment has now given the green light to the company Wainfleet Wind Energy to start building.

David and Katherine Pilon moved to Wainfleet 23-years ago because they wanted more green space. But just down the street, two 95-metre high wind turbines will be built on this farmland. Katherine: It’s going to de-value the area. It’s going to give it an industrial feel. And we didn’t come to live near industry.”

Wainfleet Wind Energy will build three other turbines near the lakeshore. Mayor April Jeffs is upset about this decision. She’s concerned about health and property values: “Because they are going to be so close to the lakeshore. That’s where our highest tax base is.”

There are only about six thousand people living in Wainfleet.

Jeffs: “I have had people say to me if these go up. We’re out of here. We’re selling. And that’s a grave concern for the municipality.”

Wainfleet Wind Energy says five turbines will power about 14-hundred homes with electricity. President John Andrews says work will begin immediately. Even though the township can appeal, he says the company will take that risk.

A much larger wind tower project is planned for an area stretching from Vineland, through West Lincoln, Haldimand and Wainfleet. Seventy seven towers in all. Those people living in the path of that wind turbine project are watching what happens in Wainfleet closely.

Further west in Lowbanks, there are six wind turbines near the lakeshore. Turbines that are shorter than 95 metres. Cody Wardell can see them from his backyard.

Terry Lynes lives across the street. She says the turbines don’t bother her at all and she can’t understand what all the fuss is about: “Doesn’t bother me too much. I’ve gotten used to it. They’re very quiet. They don’t cause a problem. No traffic. No noise.”

There might be a lot of noise at the Wainfleet city council meeting Tuesday night about these wind turbines. Councillors are meeting with a lawyer to find out what their options are for an appeal.