Lakeshore Advance, 2012-06-13, Page 5BAT hosts Wind
Concerns' group
Heath
OMI Agency
Stefana Johnston does not want 1 luron
County residents to walk in her shoes.
Indeed, the long Point native was the
first to address the 100 -plus member
crowd at the Bluewater community cen-
tre in Zurich June 10, with regard wind
turbine developments care of the ongo-
ing "ll•uth About'Ilrrbines' tour via Wind
Concerns Ontario, which was invited to
the region by Bluewater Against Turbines
(BAT).
Given she is a resident of one of
Ontario's first communities with a wind
farm, Johnston says the Industrial Wind
Turbine (IWT) project seemed innocu-
ous at first, but in time, and given the
warnings issued by Birds Canada experts,
Johnston soon counted herself among a
small but growing group of concerned
citizens who dubbed themselves the Erie
Shores Migratory Birds Advocates.
She says that group's efforts immedi-
ately hit a brick wall in the form of the
region's municipal council, which
bought into the Province's marketing
campaign for green energy and, as such,
had little time for naysayers who they
called Not In My Backyardists
(N1MBYists).
Johnston, who holds several post sec-
ondary degrees including a Masters of
Education, says the 18 turbines that are
spinning within a three -kilometre radius
of her home have been a source of great
discomfort and grief.
"It's my pleasure to be here because
I'm not In my home, surrounded by 18
turbines," she says, adding that as
a senior citizen, she has found herself
joining the ranks of young coach surfers
in her ongoing effort to find peaceful
places to sleep. When she is at home, she
is plagued by a "stuffed" feeling in her
head, a sore throat and sleeplessness.
Johnston acknowledges her experi-
ence is not the same as the owners of 139
homes in the area. Indeed, she says, not
everyone shares her complaints. John-
ston likens wind turbine sickness to sea-
sickness. She says that while not every-
one suffers from it, those who do can
become quite ill.
"This is not something you should take
lightly. You should fight with every bone
in your body to prevent there from com-
ing," says Johnston.
So far, she says, Queen's Park has been
ignoring the complaints of those living
near or among IWTs. 'that is why it is so
crucial rural areas that are not yet home
to IWTs to speak out now and have their
voices heard at the polls on Oct. 6, Elec-
tion Day.
"We presented a petition to Queen's
Park and there were no Liberals in the
house," says Johnston, who lives in the
Haldimand-Norfolk riding, which is rep-
resented by Toby Barrett, a Progressive
Conservative.
Johnston urged the crowd to continue
to fight the possibility of allowing their
home municipalities to play host to
IWTs.
"One of the strategies of these wind
turbine companies is to keep people in
the dark. That is why I'm on the 'Truth
About Turbines' tour7 she says.
CONTINUED > PAGE 15
Wednez, v, Jung 22, 2011 • Lakeshore Advance 13
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