by John Budinsky

One might come to suspect that Ontarians simply hate electricity, in all its forms. The ongoing scandal following the Province’s 2011 cancellation of the planned Mississauga gas power plant is a fine example of the immense public outcry that inevitably blights any Provincial attempts to increase energy production. Led by a vanguard of enfranchised middle-class activists, the groundswell of organised protest groups never fail to make their mark. In the case of Mississauga, the conflict boiled over and put an end to the proposal, at great financial and political cost.

A simultaneous struggle has been simmering in rural Ontario for the past decade, where community organisers from across the province are virulently resisting the growth of wind farms. Unlike their suburban counterparts, this immense network of individuals and groups opposed to wind power seem to be fighting a losing battle. Backed by generous provincial incentives, every new turbine signifies another minor defeat. But new projects continue to recharge the movement’s base while galvanizing its long-time members.

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