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Toronto Hydro Energy Services Fog of Lies and Irresponsibility Impacts Housing Market

by John Laforet
posted on May 6th, 2009 at 14:46:42 pm

I receive a lot of emails from folks who are looking for information on things on google, end up on my blog and email me their questions. Things have ranged from questions about accessing federal and provincial assistance programs, questions about Toronto’s wind farm, accessing subsidized daycare, tax bills – and of course local issues in the Scarborough area. I do strive to share information with folks who are looking, even if I need to call around or spend sometime looking into an issue for them. 

I got an email last night about Toronto Hydro’s proposed near-shore wind farm. With the sender’s permission I’ve put the text below. Take a read:

John,

I am considering the purchase of a home in the Beach but I am concerned about the proposed wind farm.  It looks to me from a recent document I read that the wind farm could be as close as 1.4 KM from the shore in the Beach community.   All the reading I have done suggests that there can be noise issues at 2KM or greater.

Any advice for me with this issue?  Should I visit a wind farm to see for myself how noisy they can be?   Will sound travel faster over water?  Have you read about nosie issues from off-shore wind farms?

I informed a person who lives in the Beach about this issue not too long ago and he hadn’t even heard about it.  And this fellow is a well-educated, highly-paid professional who lives on one of the best streets in the Beach.  It seems to me that many people don’t even know about it.  Anyhow, when I told him about it he was livid.  In his words, he planned to “mobilize the troops.”

Any help/advice would be appreciated.

Regards,

(Unlike Toronto Hydro, I respect folks privacy and block out names)

My Response:

  • I told him Toronto Hydro has said they would be placed 2-4KM offshore, but they also told us the anemometer would be 1.8KM offshore, until they sought permission without consultation to place it 1.2KM offshore. I also made him aware their lease is considerably closer to shore than 2KM. 
  • On the noise issue, I pointed out much is not known on impact of noise from wind turbines over the water, but we all know from cottages sound travels greater distances over water than land.
  • I advised him that no one can say for certain if folks in the beach or Scarborough would be able to hear the impacts of an offshore farm, and Toronto Hydro has not shown any evidence that residents will not be able to.
  • I did encourage him to buy the home, and not let Toronto Hydro’s irresponsibility prevent him from doing that, because thousands of residents are standing up to oppose Toronto Hydro’s environmentally irresponsible plan and we’re hopeful they can be stopped
I found his reply upsetting. He’s opted not to buy a home in the Beach until we know whether Toronto Hydro’s plans will be put to bed. His real estate agent is hearing lots of concerns, and a friend of his who lives very close to the Beach is considering selling their property before Toronto Hydro digs in. No one should have to make a decision like this because an irresponsible developer lies so frequently no one can actually know what their really up to. 
              
I’m committed to working with Beach residents and all others to fight Toronto Hydro, and hope those who are concerned will get in touch so we can join all of our voices of opposition and defeat this ridiculously irresponsible plan from what may be the most incompetent developer I’ve ever witnessed. The reality is Toronto Hydro’s proposal would be the closest project of it’s size anywhere in the world.
               
It would be built with the weakest environmental protections of any project in the world. No where in Europe would this be acceptable, but in Ontario, anyone who opposes it, is insulted and attacked by members of their bought and paid for Ontario Liberal government and ignored by the most irresponsible public utility I’ve ever seen. 

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One Response to “Toronto Hydro Energy Services Fog of Lies and Irresponsibility Impacts Housing Market”

  1. Carl Bromwich Says:
    May 7th, 2009 at 7:38 pm

    This Ontario Liberal Government claims that Wind Farms cause no harm to any person, property, community, or environment. Though it has been presented with mountains of documented evidence that Wind Turbines cause major health concerns, destruction to wildlife not to mention the landscape, tourism, communities, and now proof that Real Estate will suffer; they ignore and basically insult the very people who they work for. These “mandarins” are OUR Public SERVANTS yet act as if our money is their money, our property is their property and we have no right to even question their actions! I say not only do they answer to us but they must face the reality that their actions now will seal their fate tomorrow and we will not forget the damage they have caused to tens of thousands of hard working honest taxpayers. SHAME!

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