Toronto Sun: Dalton’s green dance: Goldstein

by John Laforet
posted on July 4th, 2010 at 21:45:46 pm

Dalton’s green dance: Goldstein
The premier’s making up the rules as he goes along on the energy file
By LORRIE GOLDSTEIN, TORONTO SUN

The more you examine Premier Dalton McGuinty’s “green” energy strategy, the more you come to the conclusion his government is faking it.

Making it up as it goes along, often for the sake of political expediency, complete with blatant double standards for urban versus rural Ontario.

The latest example is Ontario’s proposed minimum 5-km setback for offshore wind farms. That compares to a minimum of 550 metres and a maximum of 1.5 km away from any dwelling for land-based wind farms.

A skeptic might suggest the 5-km minimum offshore setback is intended to calm public concerns in the four urban, Liberal-held ridings, centred around Scarborough Guildwood, most directly impacted by Toronto Hydro’s proposal to build a 60-turbine wind farm in Lake Ontario off the Bluffs.

This by putting the project largely out of sight and out of mind.

In addition, Energy Minister Brad Duguid who oversees the green energy file, represents a fifth Liberal-held riding, Scarborough Centre, adjacent to Scarborough Guildwood. In that context, a comment by Duguid when the environment ministry last month proposed the 5-km minimum offshore setback, was shocking.

He told the Toronto Star: “I think it sets to rest the concerns of some moderate people, who were concerned if they go to the beach, they could be looking up at a huge wind turbine.” Huh?

A spokesman for Duguid said he was explaining opponents of the project have been citing worst case-scenarios in the absence of any setback announced by the province, and this proposal helped bring certainty to the issue.

But that doesn’t change what Duguid said. He clearly said public concerns (at least urban ones) about the aesthetics of wind turbines, specifically how they look, given that they are massive structures, are legitimate. After all, it worries even “moderate people.”

There are two problems with Duguid’s statement.

First, it flies in the face of what McGuinty has said — that the only legitimate opposition to wind farms is for environmental and safety reasons and people who object over anything else — including aesthetics — are “NIMBYS” who just don’t want the things anywhere near them for irrational reasons.

This argument has been constantly leveled at rural residents who, among many other reasons, oppose wind factories towering over their homes for aesthetic reasons and their negative impact on property values.

Funny, I don’t recall McGuinty and the Liberals ever going to war against residential neighbourhoods in Toronto, who constantly fight over the height of proposed apartment buildings for aesthetic reasons, and because of fears tall buildings will lower surrounding residential property values.

Ironically, the Liberals are supported in their selective assault on rural Ontarians by Toronto-based environmentalists and media, all from a city with one industrial wind turbine at Exhibition Place, nowhere near any homes, because wind farms aren’t practical in cities. Thus, urban self-righteousness comes easily.

The second problem with Duguid’s remark is aesthetics isn’t one of the reasons the environment ministry gives for its recommended 5-km offshore setback.

The reasons are to: (a) keep turbines clear of drinking water intakes; (b) protect sensitive ecological areas close to shore; (c) provide a sufficient buffer from noise, since it travels further over water and (d) safeguard boaters and swimmers.

Duguid and the environment ministry say Ontario’s recommended offshore setback is in line with those proposed by several U.S. states.

But objecting to wind turbines over aesthetics is legitimate or it isn’t. You can’t suggest, as the Liberals are, it’s legitimate for “moderate” urban residents, illegitimate for “NIMBY” rural ones.

Toronto Hydro is re-assessing its proposed Lake Ontario project in light of the recommended 5-km setback, which could be modified during an upcoming provincial review process.

John Laforet, president of Wind Concerns Ontario, ironically a former Liberal and acting executive assistant to Duguid, now a municipal candidate in Toronto’s ward 43, says if the Liberals hope community opposition will end with their proposed 5-km offshore setback, they’re dreaming.

Opponents don’t believe it will stop the Toronto Hydro project, and, in any event, the community is opposed to the project, period, because of pollution, noise, safety and other concerns.

In other words, the size of the setback is irrelevant.

Toronto Star: Smitherman’s Words Come Home to Roost

by John Laforet
posted on March 30th, 2010 at 22:13:29 pm

I meant to post this piece from the Toronto Star earlier but I’ve been so busy with the campaign, Wind Concerns and work I just had not had time. It portrays a community sticking to its guns, and a desperate politician clearly regretting the impacts his abusive, dismissive tone will surely have. I said I believed George Smitherman would be chased out of Scarborough, and if the debate last night was any indication, this is in fact the case.

There are many months ahead, and for Guildwood residents the choice is clear. Our community needs someone who isn’t afraid to stand up to this bully and I am the only candidate that has demonstrated that not only am I able to, but I will stand up for our best interests even to George Smitherman.

Here is the link to the piece.

Toronto Star: Smitherman’s Words Come Home to Roost

NATIONAL POST: Wind farm foes have lawn signs stolen

by John Laforet
posted on March 20th, 2010 at 17:10:25 pm

I was disgusted to hear that someone was low enough to steal lawn signs from Guildwood residents who are opposing Toronto Hydro’s proposal. The National Post wrote the following piece on the incident. Guildwood residents have also reported the thefts to the police and are hopeful that through increased evening patrols our freedom of speech will be protected from the intolerant eco-bully vandals that saw fit to steal residents signs.

Wind farm foes have lawn signs stolen

Guildwood Village

Meghan Housley, National Post Published: Saturday, March 20, 2010

Residents of Guildwood Village along the Scarborough Bluffs have no idea who is stealing their signs.

The residents have been using 12-by-24-inch lawn signs reading “Save our Shoreline” to voice their opposition to the planned windmill farm two kilometres off the Bluffs. According to John Laforet, who lives in the Guildwood neighbourhood, at least 40 signs have vanished in the middle of the night. Mr. Laforet said the Toronto Wind Action group has not had any luck in convincing the city, the province and Toronto Hydro that a wind farm would harm the community.

“We’ve been very aggressively fighting the city on it,” he said. “But we have no idea who would actually go to this length to co-ordinate taking down signs going street by street overnight.”

On South Marine Drive, where signs were up in front of a third of all the houses on the street, only a couple are left standing.

Mr. Laforet said Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Green Energy Act was designed to take away the rights of such communities as Guildwood to oppose these projects. “Instead of having an informed discussion about the pros and cons, we have been stripped of our rights to oppose. We have some real concerns about potential environmental damage done through the construction, and real concerns about whether Toronto Hydro’s even in a position to borrow the billion dollars that it’s going to take the build it.”