A way forward on Skyway 124?
Last Monday’s public meeting for the Skyway 124 wind energy proposal illustrates what happens when a public consultation process is designed simply to give the appearance of public input, rather than truly seeking to engage local citizens in the decision-making process. The poster boards arranged around the Creemore arena hall gave absolutely no information on the specifics of the proposal for five industrial-scale wind turbines in the Blind Line/Singhampton/Maple Valley area. There was no map of proposed turbine locations, no information on who exactly is behind the project, and no suggestion that there would be any benefit to our community. To their credit, some representatives of Skyway 124 actually showed up, rather than just sending their consultants. There were no police, no one was videotaping the crowd, and when a local resident stood up to read an angry speech, no one tried to stop her. This is an improvement over previous public meetings in our area, but in the end, Skyway 124 didn’t even follow the minimum requirements of a public meeting under the Green Energy Act, requirements that are already woefully inadequate. Why is it that not a single representative of the company or one of their many consultants has bothered to contact anyone in our community or our local government before now, when they are well into the process of planning a multi-million dollar project that will impact our landscape and community for decades to come? When I asked this question to the Skyway representatives at the meeting, they looked as if it had never crossed their minds.
The conversations I had with company representatives and consultants during the meeting were cordial and polite. They didn’t seem like bad people or as if they had anything to hide, but it was clear that they had not thought through the many ramifications of the proposal for our community. We were told that Skyway 124 doesn’t really have any employees – the company is just a consortium of investors set up to construct this one project. Everyone at the meeting was either a contractor or a consultant, other than Ken Zuckerman, who was described alternatively as an investor and a company representative. Mr. Zuckerman and John Nicholson, the lead consultant on the project, pledged to keep in touch with the Clearview councillors who were at the meeting, and said they would be willing to sit down with local residents to discuss their concerns. They promised to share information and to keep our local government informed. These pledges are admirable and appreciated, and it is our responsibility as a community to be as active and engaged as possible.
However, the proponents also made it clear that their primary motivation is to make money, which should come as no surprise. When a small group of wealthy investors with no connection to our community wants to build a large industrial project in our midst, and doesn’t even attempt to make the argument that there will be any local economic benefit, we must be skeptical of their motivations. We must ask if they will really take local interests into consideration. We must wonder if they will be around in 20 years when it comes time to dismantle the turbines and restore our landscape. We must question if colossal windmills are compatible with our rural environment and economy. These questions would normally be answered through the municipal zoning process, with its public hearings, opportunities for local input and right to appeal, but the provincial government has effectively erased any municipal role in the approvals process. So it is up to us, as landowners and community members, to do whatever we can to ensure that the decision makers at the Ministry of the Environment and other provincial agencies listen to our concerns. Residents in our community are educating themselves, organizing and getting involved. We need others to join us so that public participation becomes more than just a box to tick on Skyway’s application form.
If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, I can be reached at bpreston@clearview.ca.
