Cole Carruthers, Kyle Larkin

Published 24 January 2011

Newly elected Coun. Gary Crawford hopes that the proposed wind turbine project in his ward will amount to nothing but hot air – and his opinion is making him popular with local environmental groups.

The Ward 36 representative’s says the turbines high pricetag far outweigh any benefits.

“I am completely against it, they just don’t make sense at an economic level. The cost is too much,” Crawford said Tuesday.
Local protest group Save the Bluffs state on their website that consumers pay an average of 2.5 times more for power generated from wind turbines than normal system prices.

The group also claims wind turbines erected too close to residential areas can affect the health of nearby residents.
But moving the turbines further out can drive the cost even higher, Crawford said.

“It’s more economically feasible to have them closer to shore,” he said. “The cost increases the farther away you place them, it becomes directly high.”
Toronto Hydro wants to erect the wind turbines on the shores of Ward 36. The ongoing debate is whether enough research has been done into the long-term effects of the turbines.

Local environmental groups worry that there could be negative environmental effects on the land in addition to potential health issues for the community.

John Laforet, president of Wind Concerns Ontario, a coalition of dozens of anti-wind turbine groups from across the province, welcomes Crawford’s take on the matter.

“It’s important that he is against it, it’s a city project and if they’re not happy with it the city can tell Toronto Hydro there is no project,” Laforet said.
Michelle Mears, office manager for Bluffer’s Park Marina hasn’t heard any of the residents complain about the turbine project.

“The people who are against the proposal are the advocates from Guildwood, the residents from the marina are not too concerned to my knowledge,” she said.

We were fighting to participate in a fair and open process when we lost the rights to participate at all. The Green Energy Act also removed the requirement for an environmental assessment for renewable energy projects; in addition to denying local municipalities the right to issue building permits for projects or develop local planning controls of renewable energy projects, the roads, transmission lines and other infrastructure pieces they impact.

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What you will notice is opposition has strengthened since the Premier tried to legislate our rights away, and in Scarborough we’re stronger now than before he tried to have me arrested for planning a protest against his undemocratic, donor written attack on democracy. голова болит секс

There are consequences to denying citizen participation, ending environmental protection, outlawing local planning and gutting oversight. These are topics I have discussed publicly and privately since February and I am honoured to have the opportunity to deliver a guest lecture to an upper year Environmental Science class on these themes, especially on a campus where these views had me threatened with arrest less than two months ago.

The fact that I’ve been invited to deliver a lecture on this demonstrates there is a willingness within the academic community to understand the process failures that exist.

I’ve spoken to high school students about active citizenship, the need to participate in decision making and stand up for the things you believe in. Recently I’ve participated in thesis work by two Masters students exploring the cause of opposition to Toronto Hydro’s proposal, and another who was exploring the impacts of the Green Energy Act on planning, assessments and participation. It is clear this is an issue that isn’t going away, and one that I am proud to be continuing to push along.

Toronto Hydro Electric System employees and trucks already service these lines, but Toronto Hydro Corporation claims safety enhancements can be made by selling something they already own to themselves and continuing to use assets they already own and employees they already employ to continue to service these poles, they too already own.

You may remember these poles from those horrible incidences over the winter where family pets and small children were being electrocuted, and Toronto Hydro Energy Services failed to respond for months, until publicly humiliated into doing so.

Originally the poles were owned by the City of Toronto, for decades in fact, until David Soknacki as David Miller’s first budget chief ran out of money needed to balance the budget and decided to sell the front lawn of the Ontario Science Centre to the Provincial Government and sell the City’s streetlights to Toronto Hydro Energy Services for the remaining $60 million he needed. The best part was then too, even though it was already Toronto Hydro trucks servicing this infrastructure enhanced safety was cited as a benefit. That was before the tragic death of family pets, and the electrocution of small children brought on by poor maintenance, a lack of understanding of the infrastructure and a denial of the problem.

Moving these poles into Toronto Hydro Electric Services and licensing them as part of the distribution system for Toronto (which they are not) would move the liability directly onto the shoulders of rate payers, in addition to allowing the City to cease paying for the upkeep of these poles or their energy usage and instead passing those costs directly onto residential, commercial and industrial customers of Toronto Hydro.

I am looking forward to using the opportunity to be an Intervenor at these hearings to seek evidence from Toronto Hydro Energy Services, Toronto Hydro Electric System, the shell company and Toronto Hydro Corporation to determine the merit behind the enhanced safety claims, the merit of an internal wealth transfer, and the impacts this could have on customer’s bills.

Members of Save the Toronto Bluffs will be seeking to represent the interests of all Torontonian ratepayers at the Ontario Energy Board hearing and will be fighting to keep unnecessary increases to your bills from happening in addition to forcing transparency on a corporation in desperate need of an airing out.

Members of Save the Toronto Bluffs will actively participate in Sue-Ann Levy’s election as MPP in St. Paul’s in hopes of sending the Ontario Liberals a message, and finding a voice at Queen’s Park that will stand up for the City, where the Ontario Liberal’s Toronto caucus has so badly failed.

I anticipate criticism from Ontario Liberals for this move, but my response is simple – we were participating in a bureaucratic process for months before the Premier and Minister Smitherman decided to come to the public aid of a law breaking, irresponsible developer (Toronto Hydro Energy Services). The Premier and Deputy Premier chose on their own to attack residents, resorting to name calling and distorting our arguments and we’ve stood up and will continue to, until they are defeated or back down. Considering John Gerretsen personally signed off on Toronto Hydro’s illegal application, it’s clear the Ontario Liberals still aren’t listening, so residents will once again turn up the heat and continue to, until Scarborough’s waterfront MPPs find their spines, stand up for residents, or are defeated.

Members of Save the Toronto Bluffs frustrated at the lack of representation Toronto’s timid Ontario Liberal MPPs have provided, are calling on St. Pauls voters to heed their warning and elect someone who will stand up for their community and our City at Queen’s Park.

‘We’ve seen first hand how poorly Liberal MPPs respond to community concerns that don’t line up with the ‘party line’. Toronto doesn’t need an 18^th Liberal MPP who won’t stand up for their constituents or our City. Said John Laforet. ‘Sue-Ann Levy has a proven track record of being outspoken, and her election can only help Torontonian’s voices to be heard at Queen’s Park.’ Laforet continued.

On August 11th, members of Save the Toronto Bluffs staged a protest of Premier McGuinty’s visit first visit to Scarborough since he and Minister Smitherman attacked Scarborough Bluffs residents for opposing Toronto Hydro’s Lake Ontario wind proposal. Last week, the government, ignoring all community concerns, accepted Toronto Hydro’s application.

‘Members of Save the Toronto Bluffs have tried for a year to convince the Provincial government a project like this does not belong in our drinking water, so close to a sensitive natural shoreline and especially without an environmental assessment.’ Said Barry Matthews, Vice President of Save the Toronto Bluffs, a group representing thousands of Scarborough residents who oppose Toronto Hydro Energy Services proposal to install a wind farm 2km off the Scarborough Bluffs. ‘Our pleas have fallen on deaf ears, have been met with indifference from local MPPs and have seen members of Cabinet resort to name-calling while passing legislation specifically intended to deny residents a voice.’ Matthews continued.

The Progressive Conservative Party is the only party that stood up for Scarborough Residents during the debate on the Green Energy Act, a law that stripped environmental assessments, community participation and city planning legislation from renewable energy projects.

Save the Toronto Bluffs is endorsing Sue-Ann Levy in hopes of sending a clear message to Dalton McGuinty ‘listen, or be defeated.’

Members of Save the Toronto Bluffs are planning to go canvassing in support of Sue-Ann Levy in hopes that an upset win for her could see all Torontonians with a voice a Queen’s Park.

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When Dalton McGuinty came to Scarborough six months after he and his Deputy Premier launched an unprecedented attack on Guildwood residents, residents stood up and made good on that pledge. With just a weekend to plan, we were able to get as many protesters as the Premier had guests at an Ontario Liberal Party BBQ intended to get Scarborough Provincial Liberals excited about the next election.

While the Ontario Liberal Party BBQ was organized by staff from taxpayer funded government offices at Queen’s Park, the food was provided by Enbridge – a wind farm developer, and the Premier tried to use his bodyguards to intimidate us into leaving – resident’s stood strong and sent their message loud and clear.

I am proud to have worked with so many Guildwood residents to organize this event. It was great to be joined by members of the community, members of the sailing community and to see folks whose lives have been personally affected by the wind installation at Ripley come out to tell Dalton McGuinty that all is not well for him and Ontario Liberals.

We were so clear with that message that CityTV led with tonight for the 11pm news. Below is that footage and some pictures taken by Jessica Laforet. If the video doesn’t work click on this link to CityTV News and watch the clip on their website.

Slide show of pictures:

For Immediate Release: Dalton McGuinty to be met by protesters from Save the Toronto Bluffs at Liberal BBQ in Scarborough this evening.

The protest will take place at Miller Lash House 130 Old Kingston Road at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus – Tuesday August 11th 2009 at 6pm at an Ontario Liberal BBQ to be attended by the Premier.

Dalton McGuinty is making his first visit to Scarborough, ON since he and Deputy Premier George Smitherman unleashed an unprecedented attack on Scarborough Bluffs residents who oppose Toronto Hydro’s proposed wind farm installation in Lake Ontario.

“Dalton McGuinty can’t expect Scarborough residents to pretend all is forgiven when he decides to come to Scarborough after attacking residents in a speech delivered hundreds of kilometres away. We’re here to let him know we heard what he had to say, and will not let him forget it.” said John Laforet

On February 11th 2009 in London, ON Premier McGuinty cited Scarborough Bluffs residents who oppose Toronto Hydro’s proposal stating that the Green Energy Act would limit citizen’s right to participate in local decision making, and remove municipal planning control over renewable energy projects.

Deputy Premier Smitherman called Guildwood residents ‘absurd’ and accused them of working themselves into an ‘artificial lather’.

Residents have been engaged with Toronto Hydro Energy Services to prevent the installation of a one million dollar wind test facility off the Scarborough Bluffs where modeling data already shows there is not sufficient wind for an offshore wind farm.

Residents are not satisfied Toronto Hydro has done any of the necessary environmental studies to ensure no harm is done to water quality or aquatic life during the unnecessary million dollar study.

“The Premier has abused his power to purposefully deny residents the right to participate in their democracy through the Green Energy Act. We’re not going to let him forget his words, or his attack on our community.” Said John Laforet

“When Dalton McGuinty comes to Scarborough this evening for a love-in with his Liberal partisans, it will be citizens of this province exercising their democratic rights to warn the Premier that this is far from over.” John Laforet

What a remarkable display of democracy in action. Residents came together to talk about an issue important to their community, share knowledge, concerns and solutions to what has become a serious problem. Our elected officials may not listen, Toronto Hydro may continue to ignore it’s legal obligations and the Government of Ontario may be fixing to limit our right to participate in decision making – as Ontarians have been allowed to for generations, but Guildwood residents are holding strong.

The cafeteria at the local high school was turned into a meeting place where residents could drop in, go to different stations and talk to others who’d been researching specific issues for some time. What was most interesting was to see the number of residents who came out to talk to members of Save the Toronto Bluffs, and then speak with each other in the middle of the room to evaluate the information they had received and to share their concerns with others. It turned into an excellent opportunity for neighbours to see friends they may not have seen during all the snow, to talk about our community, to connect with others, but most of all – to strengthen their resolve to keep fighting this proposal.

I was thrilled to meet so many of the people I’ve been emailing back and forth with, and have the opportunity to share some of the more candid tales of this whole process, including commentary of how the actions of our opponents both created and fed a movement that would have otherwise been difficult to get off the ground.

It was a great event, one that saw everyone treated with respect, honest words spoken, and a robust conversation had. Even for a community with such vast variety of concerns what became clear is that engaging in dialogue is the only way issues like this can be understood and addressed.

And finally – on a more personal note, I was thankful to see so many members of the Guildwood community I’ve grown up knowing, meeting the individuals who’ve written me and shared their stories, concerns and kind words. Meetings like this are great for reminding those who devote their time to causes, what the stakes really are, and who it really impacts. I will take the positive energy from Sunday’s meeting and use it as my personal ‘renewable energy source’ to keep up my efforts, along with the thousands of Guildwood residents whose position I share, and together we will stop Toronto Hydro and can only hope Minister Smitherman recognizes how wrong this project was from the start.

The Ministry of Natural Resources now holds all the information they need to decline Toronto Hydro’s application. It was clear to everyone it failed to meet the legal requirements for such an application, but as we’ve seen, the truth, decency and law don’t appear to matter to these folks. – I know these values are shared by the members of the Ontario Public Service, and it is my hope they will find the courage to tell Toronto Hydro that they cannot choose not to comply with environmental laws (as they are attempting to do).

Members of Save the Toronto Bluffs are stepping up to do what Toronto Hydro was legally obligated to and failed to do as part of the Class B Environmental Assessment. We will be providing honest and accurate information to members of a community legally defined as ‘affected public’ under Environmental Assessment legislation. The fact that Joyce McLean – a former NDP partisan and political staffer at the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, in addition to being the former Greenpeace Great Lakes Campaigner, either couldn’t or chose not to find her way through the legal requirements of an environmental assessment process is alarming to say the least. Especially considering she had the help of Anne Mometer at AECOM to help her out.

The irresponsibility of Toronto Hydro’s actions has caused great concern in the community and left residents without answers to very legitimate questions that should have been answer, had Toronto Hydro Energy Services properly completed the legal requirements of the Class B Environmental Assessment, which they failed to. 

Once again, I’d like to invite all Guildwood residents to come out to our drop in meeting, share your concerns and ask any questions you may have about what is going on. I know everyone involved in this meeting is hopeful that we’ll be able to educate each other about the valid concerns and process issues. 

Below is the text from the article:

Wind power information meeting slated

Save the Toronto Bluffs group to host event at Scarborough high school

By DANIELLE MILLEY

Fed up after two information meetings where they were able to “find out nothing,” concerned Guildwood residents are holding their own information meeting about wind power.Jacques Lupien is one of the organizers of the meeting, which takes place Sunday, March 29 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute on Guildwood Parkway.

He said the two information meetings held by Toronto Hydro regarding the installation of a wind testing device, called an anemometer, off the coast of the Scarborough Bluffs at Guildwood have not answered residents’ questions or addressed their concerns.

“They had a meeting at which we’d been able to find out nothing,” Lupien said.

After the Jan. 20 meeting, the Save the Toronto Bluffs group began planning for its own meeting.

Toronto Hydro attempted to hold its first information meeting Oct. 27, but it underestimated the community interest and had to reschedule as the room wouldn’t accommodate all those in attendance. The second meeting took place Nov. 24 with more than 1,000 people attending, including a lot of supporters of the project from other areas of the city.

Local residents complained the meeting was hijacked so a third meeting was held for local residents in January.

But residents still weren’t satisfied as questions around the economic impact and specifics of a wind farm remained unanswered.

So Lupien and others, including John Laforet, began planning their own community meeting.

“A lot of Guildwood residents are frustrated at the lack of information Toronto Hydro is providing,” Laforet said. “We’re in a position to share legitimate information with those who have questions.

“It’s members of the community taking a leadership role to share information with other members of the community.”

He said they’ve gathered information from government and industry sources around the world, such as the European Wind Energy Association and Greenpeace, about health and environmental impacts, for example.

At its meetings, Toronto Hydro officials pointed out they couldn’t answer some questions as they are still at the investigation stage to see if this is a viable site and it would do further environmental and economic studies depending on the results of the anemometer. If Toronto Hydro’s application to the Ministry of Natural Resources to conduct wind testing is approved, the anemometer would be installed this summer at a cost of $1 million. The research phase would take two years.

If a wind farm is erected there would be up to 60 turbines installed two to four kilometres offshore from Ajax to the Leslie Street Spit. This has many Guildwood residents concerned.

“It’s a huge threat to our lives. Those of us who live near Lake Ontario will be affected by this,” Lupien said.

“It’s a huge threat to health and environment.”

Lupien said members of the group, including doctors and engineers, have been doing extensive research about wind farms in other areas in order to provide those who attend Sunday’s meeting with information.

Lupien said the format will be different than the Toronto Hydro meetings as it will take place in the cafeteria with different stations set up where people can find information on specific topics such as the Green Energy Act or the anemometer.

While much of the information has been gleaned from the Internet, which Lupien admits isn’t always the most reliable source, much of the research has come from independent researchers and studies.

“We’ve gone deep into this,” he said.

Laforet said if there is something they don’t know, they’ll say so.

“If someone stumps us we’ll take their questions and go back and research the answer,” he said.

Lupien said this is also an opportunity for the Save the Toronto Bluffs group, which has 1,000 member, to recruit more concerned individuals. “

The link to the Scarborough Mirror Article ‘Wind Power Information Meeting Slated‘ can be found here.

Below is the text which I have translated using Google’s translation tool. Please take a look. Note how unrelated Hartmann’s response is to my concerns. It’s a typical response folks with legitimate concerns can expect to receive from a man whose employment requires him to support wind power projects in Ontario.

 Original Text Follows:

Green energy Citizens left in doubt 

The next filing of the draft law on renewable energy because of the concern. But Premier Dalton McGuinty says that to stop the wind farm projects in development in his province will require arguments hinged solely on the basis of safety and environmental protection. The Premier wants to end what he calls the “syndrome of not-in-my-backyard”. 

Scarborough citizens who campaign against the construction of wind turbines on Lake Ontario have been bitten by the keen he said. This is the case of John Laforet who believes that the current environmental assessment is inadequate, because it leaves little room for citizens. 

The province will soon introduce his bill on renewable energy. It will then compromise chosen to simplify the environmental impact studies, while considering the concerns of communities.

Source: Radio Canada