Winds of protest blow strong

Susan Moland, seated left, presents a petition of more than 200 signatures against wind turbines in the Braeshore area to MLA Pictou West and energy minister Charlie Parker, seated, while Paula Benson and Paul Landry look on and Lyle Pitt signs his name. (Harvie photo)

Braeshore area residents have made their feelings known regarding the future installation of a wind turbine in their back yards.
A drive through the area would tip anyone off with a number of ‘no wind turbine’ signs posted along the route.
On Friday Susan Moland, along with residents of Braeshore, presented Charlie Parker, Pictou West MLA and Energy minister, with a petition comprised of more than 200 signatures against wind turbines in Braeshore.
“We have signatures from 96 per cent of the population we were able to access,” explains Moland. Some of the properties are used as summer homes and those people could not be reached.
“But this is not done. We are going to continue to collect signatures.”
Parker says he became aware of the opposition to the turbines in December.
“I saw the application come in for the area and it surprised me as much as I’m sure it did the residents,” he says. “Since then we have received telephone calls, emails and letters of concern.”
Parker says there is still a lengthy process Wind Prospect must go through before consideration will be given through the COMFIT program.
“Number one, they need community support and community investors,” says Parker.
If the company meets all of the regulations, the proposal would come across the desk of Parker for approval.
“The onus is on the company to meet all of the standards, but there is compelling evidence that they may not have that community support.”
The NDP government has mandated 40 per cent of the province’s energy must come from a renewable source by the year 2020, but opposition to wind turbines may make this mandate a difficult feat.
“Almost everyone is supportive of clean, green energy,” says Parker. “But it’s about having it in the right spot. This petition is part of the deciding factors if the proposal makes it to my desk, among other factors.”
As Parker says, COMFIT is a wonderful idea because it involves the community.
“There is compelling evidence there isn’t much support for it here,” says Parker. “It’s great that people have the chance to participate in the process. COMFIT is the first program in the world to involve the community in the process.”
Parker adds that he is not aware of any other project that has faced this amount of objection that has been approved.
“We have approved 10 projects so far out of 90 but we have just started the project,” he says. “In fact there was an announcement just made in Truro for a wind turbine on the Millbrook First Nation reserve and more are coming.”
Braeshore residents have been fighting the wind turbines in their area for the past month, erecting signs and gathering signatures against the project.