Why? They already have wind turbines and they’re not happy.

One of the hallmarks of the list of Unwilling Host communities in Ontario is the fact that all of these municipalities already have wind turbines, or they are adjacent or neighbouring to areas that do.

In short, they KNOW.

They know what the problems are: noise pollution, no jobs, industrialized landscapes, dead birds, potential for damage to the aquifer, no prosperity for the community and…no cheap power for them. All the power generated goes to the electricity grid, and is used elsewhere.

Back in 2009, the promises were glittering: lots of jobs, prosperity for all citizens, lower power bills (boy, did THAT turn out to be not true—electricity bills went up 250 percent for everyone), and support for local farmers.

The reality was that the jobs were short-term construction jobs. Once the specialized crews left town, that was it: the money left too.

And then there was the noise. A steady whomp whomp whomp noise that was not predicted by the city-based developer reps. Noise that many describe as a jet plane going over but never leaves.

When the Kawartha Lakes wind power projects were first approved, citizens filed an appeal, and lost.

Since then, there were reports that the community was divided over the issue. In 2019, a Peterborough Examiner story said that some people have just got used to the turbines, while others moved away, selling their homes at a loss.

Councillor Tracy Richardson said then, “From speaking to many local people over time, we are a community that is trying to heal from this aggressive fight we lost. Many of us live with the effects that turbines create on a daily basis … they are here and we are trying to move on and live our lives.”

Attempt to reverse Unwilling Host resolution

So this past week, when one councillor in the municipality of Kawartha Lakes put forward a motion to make the community a “willing” host to new industrial wind power sites, the truth came out.

From her fellow councillors themselves.

Tracy Richardson, who is still on council today, said her family is affected by the noise and sleep disturbance. As a result, she said there was no way she could support any new turbines in the area.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t pipe in based on my own personal impact that I have experienced in the last ten years.” said Richardson “Right now I’ve got the hair standing up on the back of my neck because Manvers has the infrastructure when it comes to turbines but I can tell you right now we don’t want any more turbines in our area”

Read the news story here: Councillors Reject Motion To Consider Becoming A “Willing Host” For Wind And Solar Projects | Kawartha 411

List of Unwilling Host municipalities in Ontario

Kawartha Lakes is on the list of 159 Unwilling Host communities:

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