HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-03-22, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012.
Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa
Thompson and Perth-Wellington
MPP Randy Pettapiece hosted a
town hall meeting on wind energy in
Atwood on March 14 and were
joined by Nipissing MPP and
Deputy PC Energy Critic Vic
torFedeli as well as several other
panel members.
Thompson felt that the meeting, as
well as a similar meeting that
preceeded it in Strathroy on March
13, were well received.
“We had over 300 people from all
across Huron, Bruce, Perth and
Wellington attend,” she said in an
interview after the meeting. “We had
people from Goderich, Exeter,
Seaforth, St. Columban and
Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh”
Thompson stated that there is a
shift in how people were reacting to
the wind turbines.
“There is still some moaning and
groaning but people are coming up
with solutions and suggestions more
and more and complaining less,” she
said. “The majority of voices from
St. Columban, for example, say that
the process needs to be tweaked.
They aren’t complaining about the
turbines, they are saying things need
to be changed. They said, ‘This is
how you can help us.’”
Thompson said she believes these
people need to be heard.
“They want to be heard, they want
to tell those in charge how they think
it can be done better,” she said.
“They have ideas that need to be
heard.”
Thompson said that her defeated
private member’s bill, which sought
to put a moratorium on wind
turbines pending the results ofimpact studies, on March 6encouraged people to open a
dialogue with her and other
members of government.
“It’s showed people that there are
those of us who want to make the
government wake up and start
listening,” she said. “I have to thank
everyone who supported it because it
made meetings like this more
approachable.”
The timing of her bill could not
have been better according to some
participants at the meeting including
one first-generation Canadian who
recently emigrated from Europe.
“There was a gentleman from
Perth who is a German Canadian,”
she said. “He showed us an article
from Germany where members of
their government responsible for the
switch to wind energy are saying it’s
the biggest mistake they ever made,”
she said. “The article states that it’s
putting a huge amount of stress on
the country and its economy.”
Pair that with the fact that Ontario
is currently paying the United States
to take its surplus generated power
and Thompson believes a change
needs to be made.
“Two weeks ago, in one hour on a
Sunday, we paid the United States
$215,000 to take our excess energy,”
she said. “We’re making more
energy than we need and it’s being
wasted.”
Thompson stated that there are
energy-generating hydro-electric
stations that are not running because
there is no need for the electricity,
yet new wind generators are being
built or planned across the area.
She said there is a need for a
renewable energy mix and that
Ontario is in a great situation to take
advantage of it.“We do need to have renewableenergy and we’re fortunate that we
can pair it with the energy generated
by the Bruce nuclear facility,” she
said. “We need to start looking at
other options while we have time.”
According to Thompson’s reports,
Ontario will have surplus energy foranother 14 years.“Reports state that since 2006 our
energy consumption has been in
decline,” she said. “Estimates state
that we won’t need additional energy
until 2026. We need to take that
time, hit the pause button and get it
right. We need to look into otheroptions.”Also on the panel at the March 14
meeting was Perth County
Federation of Agriculture President
Brent Royce and Municipality of
North Perth Councillor Warren
Howard.
Thompson calls turbine meeting solutions-oriented
Now with posable joints!
Some of the members of the Grounded Yoga program, offered for the first time in Ontario at
East Side Dance Studio during March Break and run by Londesborough-area instructor
Shannon Scott as part of the Yoga Theatrics program, took some time out from stretching,
twisting and bending to pose for a quick picture. Shown are, from left: Brinna Bremner doing
the Over the Rainbow position, Logan Chalmers and Kayla Gauthier doing the Double Down
Dog Dare manoeuvre and Grace Hallahan assuming the We Will Rock You pose. (Denny Scott
photo)
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By Denny ScottThe Citizen