March 15, 2018
Today is day number 4 that the NRWF project which became operational on November 1, 2016 has been shut down at the request of Hydro One for work at their substation in Hamilton.
This has given me an excellent opportunity to assess the gradual symptoms or lack thereof that I have been experiencing.
I had waded into the pool of depression gradually without identifying it as such. There were frequent days when I did not have to put my P J’s on because I was still in them in the evening. I vaguely recognized the person staring back at me in the mirror. I had no interest in my appearance nor my attire. I no longer wanted to play cards with the seniors and enjoy their camaraderie and competitiveness.
My head ached from internal pressure. I couldn’t focus on simple math. It was too challenging. Some days I abandoned reading articles. I wasn’t able to focus nor concentrate on them where before I relished reading them especially wind turbine related ones since I live in the epicentre of the turbines in our community.
Delayed Perception. Now that is an interesting term. Have you ever driven in the evening at night and seen what appeared to be huge red taillights ahead of you?
I wondered why the red taillights I was seeing were so large only to discover moments later that they were the red traffic lights at the next intersection. This should have been an automatic observation. I am having moments of delayed perception in other instances as well. I found myself making silly mistakes and then wondering why I had done that. I am struggling through the brain fog.
I have a frequent companion named Dizziness. Some days are worse than others. I now always hit the pause button before I take the first step from a rising position and I am especially careful in rising from a prone position. This dizziness I first began to experience last summer.
On day number 3 of the shut down of the project I noticed that my depression had lifted. I felt energetic and did some household chores which had been neglected for quite some time. I did not have the energy nor the motivation to do them before.
I had a feeling of enthusiasm and normalcy that had become a stranger to me in the past months.
The brain fog has lifted and I am able to concentrate at the moment. The dizziness has abated and I do not have to hit the pause button before rising.
Some verbs I’ve used in the past tense knowing full well that all the symptoms will revisit me once again when the project becomes operational again.
It is my wish that relating my experiences will perhaps help someone else identify their symptoms if they are living amidst turbines but not making the connection. Symptoms will vary from person to person and the listing of health impacts is more comprehensive so please do the research if you suspect that your symptoms could be turbine related.
Somewhere in the Niagara Wind project spotted a tell tale sign. July-August- September 2017~Wind turbine electricity Production~ 30 MW/ 230 MW capacity~ 13% = FAILURE
Participants at the Goal Setting Retreat November 4th 2017, Silverdale Hall- West Lincoln, Ontario
A successful goal setting retreat was recently hosted by Mothers Against Wind Turbines (MAWT) and West Lincoln Glanbrook Wind Action Group (WLGWAG). Participants came from wind action groups,area residents and other interested stakeholders. Under the skilled guidance of Facilitator: Georgina Richardson a meeting of the minds occurred. Helping those of us negatively impacted by industrial wind turbine sort through chaos, set mutual goals and put into place action plans on how to move forward and what to leave behind.
Enercon wind turbines of Niagara Wind project towering over trees in Lowbanks, Ontario
WEST LINCOLN — Residents on Elcho Road did not want to go another winter with their road this way.
What was once a paved roadway has been stripped back to gravel after heavy trucks and machinery pummelled the pavement in the building of the Niagara Region Wind Farm.
“It’s brutal living on the road right now,” said Paul Reece, who has lived there for over 20 years. “We need it fixed, ASAP.”
A number of residents came out to council on Monday night to urge those around the horseshoe to fix the road.
Jim Greenwood is a farmer, and he says the dust is so bad when he drives his tractor down the road that he has to stop when he’s around children, because he simply can’t see them.
“When it’s dry, the dust is so bad,” he said, adding what used to be an annual hosing down of his front porch is now almost a weekly occurrence.
“It’s just costing me more money, and it’s unsafe.”
Kathryn Swain says she can’t even hang her laundry on the line to dry because of the dust.
“We had an accident that took out our hay wagon,” she said, because a vehicle slid out on the rocks.
Council took these anecdotes to heart when they voted to reconsider the decision to pass the nearly $6-million roadwork plans that they delayed last meeting.
After a lengthy debate last meeting over whether to amend the motion to fix the roads damaged by the construction of the wind farm, council chose to defer the choice until October.
“The original staff report was a fine report,” said Coun. Dave Bylsma. It was Jason Trombetta’s amendment to move some of the funding to fix roads in his ward that caused tension in the chamber.
This time around, Trombetta brought forward a solution that all of the councillors were content with.
“We came together to try to work something out for all the communities affected by turbines,” said Trombetta.
His amendment takes funding from the town’s capital budget that was slated to fix the roads already being serviced by the wind farm payout, and covers work in Ward 1.
“You’re not going to do the road twice,” said Coun. Mike Rehner. “What we’ve basically got right now is a duplication.”
Council voted unanimously in favour of the motion and the amendment.
Road resurfacing, like on Elcho road, will be prioritized.
Enercon wind turbine construction for Niagara Wind project
Wind company to cover costs of road damages in West Lincoln
Council in conflict over which roads to fix, pass decision over until October
NEWS Jun 27, 2017 by Alexandra Heck Grimsby Lincoln NewsWEST LINCOLN — The deal has yet to close, but town council is already in a quandary over how to spend funds they expect to receive from the Niagara Region Wind Farm for damage it caused to municipal roads during construction.
While it remains unclear what the final sum is that they expect to receive, on Monday night West Lincoln councillors considered roadwork that could total nearly $6.1M.
The recommendation from staff was to spend $5,274,702 on a number of roads in the southeast corner of West Lincoln, nearest to the site of the wind farm.
The recommendation also asked for $150,000 from the wind energy road restoration fund for staffing assistance as well as $585,000 to repair the bridge on South Chippawa Road.
The plans would span nearly 70 kilometres of roadway, over 20 different roads in the municipality.
On June 19, council met for a special meeting in camera to pass a resolution authorizing the agreement with the wind company. The result was that a bylaw be approved to execute a release and settlement with NR Capital General Partnership, the company related to the Niagara Region Wind Farm.
“We will not be releasing the final number based on our solicitor’s recommendation,” said Mayor Doug Joyner. “The Township of West Lincoln is not done negotiations with the wind company.”
Coun. Jason Trombetta says the negotiations are between the town’s solicitor and the wind company. He says that prior to his departure, chief administrative officer Chris Carter was in negotiations with the company alongside the solicitor; no council members were involved in the dealings, he says.
Trombetta put forward an amendment to the motion during the regular council session on Monday, asking for the work on the South Chippawa Road bridge to be removed and in its place, work on roads in his own ward.
“There’s a lot of exterior roads that were damaged by this project,” said Trombetta. “Why are other wards forgotten in all of this?”……
“This is a lot to dump on our plate here at one council meeting,” said Bylsma. “The hair on the back of my neck is getting raised.”
Couns. Joann Chechalk and Dave Bylsma said the decision was far too big to make that evening.
“We’re talking millions of dollars and we’re just doing it willy-nilly, on the fly,” said Bylsma. He stated that council should respect the science and engineering of the staff report and stick to their recommendations.
Hydro poles for high voltage transmission lines installed for Niagara Wind along rural roads
Dear Editor:
I wish to draw your attention to the statement in Alexandra Heck’s article that the 77 turbine project, spanning properties in Lowbanks, Wainfleet, West Lincoln and Haldimand will power all the houses in Port Colborne, Wainfleet, Haldimand, Lincoln, West Lincoln and Grimsby.
The power from this project is being transported via that ugly transmission line to Grimsby Beach where it is carried to Hamilton and beyond. We have been told that it is going to Oakville, where they have a need of the power because, as you will recall they lost their gas powered plants to the last election.
Seeing that all the wind power in Ontario, both up and running projects and those not yet on the grid, will not produce even 6% of all the power produced in Ontario, it seems to me that shipping “all” this power to Oakville and beyond, will not make much of a difference to the demand for power in the GTA.
Believe me, the residents living along the transmission line wish that the power would have stayed in our communities since that would mean that there would be no huge transmission lines, no guard rails, no Road Use Agreement, and at least 7,000 more trees along our road allowances.
Nellie DeHaan Smithville ON
(Published in Niagara This Week on June 27th, 2017)
Andy Koopal looks over the stump where an old growth oak tree once stood, beside his property in Wainfleet. Well over 7 000 trees many old growth, were cut in rural west Niagara for transmission lines to serve wind turbines. PHOTO: Allan Benner/Welland Tribune/Postmedia Network
On Thursday, June 15, 2017 Niagara Wind held an open house to celebrate the inauguration of its 77 industrial (3MW Enercon) wind turbine project located in West Lincoln, Haldimand and Niagara region. The following is a write up from a member of the community who attended with her impressions and opinions.
For sake of anonymity, I will use false names for anyone I speak of in this write up.
It should be noted that the true inauguration celebration happened at approximately 1pm and as noted in Niagara This Week, all the bigwigs in suits were bused in attendance for this champagne shindig.
“Representatives from Boralex, Enercon and the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation all defended wind power and their new farm that straddles Haldimand County and the Niagara Region.”
Michael Weidemann, executive vice president of ENERCON Canada standing outside of the company’s recent project in Lowbanks. The Niagara Region Wind Farm is a joint partnership with ENERCON, Boralex and Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation. – Alexandra Heck/ Metroland – Photo from Niagara This Week.
Here is a local write up from a local media company.
I arrived at the gates of hell, sorry, I mean gates to the property where the event was held on Bird Road, Lowbanks, Ontario shortly after 4pm.
911 signage for multitude of wind turbines in bushes at the roadside
I stopped and talked to Linda from MAWTi for a quick moment before entering the property. Her infant was napping in the stroller and I asked how the 1pm shindig went and we discussed a few things before I carried on. Linda was holding a nice big sign, specific to the design of the Enercon Turbines that infest our rural routes and in many cases, our backyards and as always, she is fierce in her stance against the projects despite the extreme heat, humidity and sun.
So attendees to this event had to drive quite the distance through the agricultural farmed land to the designated parking area by the temporary white tents and out near the turbines. I was greeted by ‘security’ before getting to the parking and tent area. Really? Security? Is this necessary? For some reason, the community attendees were required to purchase a ticket(s) online ($0). Anyways, Mr. Security didn’t ask for my ticket, just told me where to park because ‘its about to get real busy.’
I said ‘Oh ya? Whys that?’
He replied with ‘I just think it’s going to get super busy, people want to come and see these turbines.’ I replied with a bit of a sarcastic tone ‘most of us get to see them every single day, like it or not’ and I put my window up drove to park.
There was one big white tent with tables set up inside, a bar that clearly had the champagne cleared out, but residents were privy to chilled water and pop. Inside the tent situated at one end were the typical large displays with descriptive images of the internal mechanics of the project Enercon E-101 turbines, stats and facts and various pamphlets touting the good of the wind industry. I pretended like I haven’t seen all this before and snapped a picture. Internally I felt like a moron because anyone who is interested in Industrial Wind Turbines for any reason, knows about the guts so I passed on any further photo ops.
I took a pamphlet from CanWea titled, “The Secret Is Out, Wind Is In. Building a stronger, cleaner and affordable energy system.” I grumbled under my breath, ‘Gawd, this shit is thick’ and an elderly man I hadn’t noticed beside me snickered and nodded his head. I winked and quickly scooted away before I felt obligated to engage in conversation.
The pamphlet, if it is to spout the reality of Renewables, should read, The Secret Is Out, Wind Is RAMMED In. Building the most unreliable, intermittent power grid, wiping out ecological systems far and wide, dividing communities, harming humans and creating wide spread energy poverty in Ontario. That is what it should read. The TRUTH.
So then I began my stroll to the other end of the tent. This tent was huge! Obviously there was a need for this large tent to house all the leaseholders, stakeholders and investors and surely it must be challenging to squeeze that much corruption into one tent.
Fred from Boralex noticed me and walked over and we said our courteous hellos. We chatted for a brief few more minutes about this and that, but as usual I was eager to jumped into question mode. There are some mechanics I don’t understand and want to understand better.
I asked ‘are the converters are under the ground?’
Fred replied no they are in the turbines themselves.
Me, not fully understanding how can a converter be INSIDE the turbine did my squinty face and I asked ‘so under the turbine?’
Fred said do you want to go in the turbine I can explain better. Off we went to the turbine. Fred, Roger and myself.
Before I got to the turbine I could hear this high pitch screaming. I knew I was in for it with these triggered ears and head of mine, but in I went because curiosity always gets the better of me. It is so loud with this high pitched frequency that I cannot relate it to anything else I have ever experienced before. It could be like tinnitus in 4D. Anyways, in I went. WOW! Not going to lie, very impressive! (Impressive minus the high pitched screaming that is). We talked for a bit about what was inside and how it all works and fans etc. and guess what. They have an elevator to get to the top. Yup. An elevator.
Don’t quote me on this, but if I understood correctly the high pitched screaming is because they convert from AC to DC then back from DC to AC. It is the switching of something at a very rapid pace that makes the high pitched noise and does the converting inside the converters that really are inside the turbine. So this converting back and forth, as I was told, was the most perfect energy (Hz I believe) wave that is created. Picture a hand moving in a up and down in a perfect wave motion <– as per Fred with Boralex.
This photo is of the computer board inside the Turbine. It is ‘live’ so the numbers are changing accordingly. Interesting to me is they tout the 3.0MW turbines, yet their measurement for live power is in kW. The Electrical energy of 5125.397 MWh is from commencement with the Grid, Nov 2, 2016. Operating hours is the same, since commencement with the Grid.
As we continued to converse with others joining in on the conversation, an eager graduate who proudly just graduated his 4 year program at Mohawk almost bounced over, blonde trendy hair flopping all over as he runs his hands through it, whips his clipboard out from under his arm, fully armed with his resume and credentials from school and boldly interrupted our conversation. He wanted a job in the wind industry. BADLY. I took the opportunity to move on and Fred continued his conversation with this very eager new graduate.
I made my way back to the tent. I wanted to see what was on the computer screens and to see if there was a presentation. I asked the young lady there, very nice young lady, if there was a presentation put on later. Nope. No presentation, just a slide show of photos of during and after construction of the project. Nothing worth sticking around for.
On my way back to my truck I noticed a GAS generator. Ok, best photo OP of the day. A gas generator used to run the computers for the slide show. The irony was not lost on me.
Best Photo Op of the Day: Gas Generator used to power the slide show of wind turbine facility .
When I was leaving I saw the eager graduate at his vehicle. I stopped and asked him about his program at Mohawk. I wanted to know if he was serious about Wind and what he knew. He clearly is in over his head. It was shocking to me that after 4 years he hadn’t a clue about the simplest thing, such as The Grid app on a smartphone or a reasonable ‘educated’ response to any questions I asked him. I asked why the wind industry and he said it fascinated him the most. I slide into our conversation that you will not be a very liked person within the communities and could cause conflicts between friend and family.
He said ‘my dad and his friends have already yelled at me several times for it.’ I responded with ‘it isn’t the yelling that should concern you; it is WHY they are yelling. What are they trying telling you? What aren’t you listening too?’
Then I told him Wind Industry will die one day.
He seriously thought I was crazy, I could tell, meanwhile I KNOW he is. ALL the energy needs of the world? Ok, buddy, refund in your education should be first on your list.
I asked ‘do you have a smart phone?’
‘Yes”
I asked ‘do you follow any of the grid apps?’ He actually responded with ‘what is that.’ If ever there was a time to smack my forehead in disbelief then would of been an appropriate time.
I asked ‘do you have Google?’
He said ‘yes, I use it.’
I responded with ‘Google wind turbines and do some homework before you settle into the wind industry.’
We talked for a few more minutes and it became more and more obvious to me, and apparent to him that he really didn’t know squat. I suggested he talk to rural route residents on both sides of the fence. Talk to people who are slammed with energy poverty. He inquired on what energy poverty was. Spending 4 years in a renewables program and no idea with energy poverty is. Again I encouraged Google, the local news and worldwide news. We discussed other renewable options ‘taught’ in his 4 year program such as hydro, geothermal and solar. He (reluctantly) admitted the majority of his program focused on solar and wind, because Geothermal and Hydro weren’t our future. Boy would I love to get my hands on that program. He is a young kid, 24 yrs old tops and has no idea that there is a grid app and spent 4 years in the renewable energy program and to boot he PAID for that education. I showed him my app and what was being contributed to the grid live.
Snapshot of my grid app on my phone. It was a pretty remarkable day with West Lincoln NRWF pumping it to the grid. Good thing I didn’t depend on this 230MW, $1 Billion wind farm to use my toaster this particular day. (was not a current day photo)
He looked confused and said ‘OK, thanks for sharing that.’
I strongly urged him ‘seriously do yourself a favor and do as most responsible adults would, research your desired field and look into wind and its many complex problems associated with it.’
He said with so much excitement and enthusiasm, ‘look at these,’ both hands held out, one with a water bottle in it and his blonde hair flopping around in the wind. ‘They are huge and incredibly technical and generate so much energy to your home every day.’
I dropped the f-bomb and said tell your dad he has more yelling to do, I have to go.
I left the scene. Yes, scene. I feel like it wasn’t real and entirely staged. There were maybe 2 dozen tops when I was there. People brought their small children and there was a great mix of people of various ages.
Now, it is time for reflection.
Open house. It is slightly interesting but predictable, that the entire community wasn’t invited to the inauguration. There wasn’t even a great attempt at getting the word out that there was an open house with left over, sun exposed heated gooey cheese, bread and non-alcoholic beverages for the left over community.
If the people I communicate with almost daily didn’t share the info, I wouldn’t of been informed of this event. Which also raises an eyebrow, as I am suppose to be on the list of event notifications with Niagara Region Wind Farm.
There wasn’t even a wee bit of an attempt to ooohhh and ahhhh us with a small guided presentation, touting the benefits of the wind farm, the project completion, what this means for the community, how many jobs they (didn’t) create and so forth. No attempt to dazzle us, the left over community, with a show of any sort. We don’t matter. Clearly.
The designation of this champagne shindig was for those who profit financially. Stakeholders. Upper Management. Leaseholders.
Left out of the 1pm champagne inauguration is all the community members who are forced to live with these monstrous jolly green giants. Our choices revoked, our voices silenced and in too many cases, family units shattered. Our health can be adversely impacted, with families forced from their homes, permanently or to seek temporary relief. All the rate payers for electricity who are forced to subsidize an embellished industry, were left out of this celebration that they felt was appropriate to have in our backyards. All of us were left out of the celebrations.
This was not an accident. This is a Wind Industry, excelling with the support of the Liberal government, decimating rural route Ontario on our dime.
My wounds are salted.
I have been working on this write up for a few days. I was rattled by the photo below. It literally stopped me in my tracks. I stared at it and over the last few days, looked at it several times. It took me some time to actually grasp and process this picture. It became apparent that I needed to acknowledge there are people actually celebrating with champagne around the corner from our once treasured home, while my family and my personal life has been inverted.
This is not my photo, this is from Niagara News This Week.
This picture right here. This picture brought it full circle for me and flooded my soul with a wave of raw emotions. These people are truly proud, celebrating the very same project that has devastated lives. Destroyed lives. Causing harm to family members and collapsing family units. Is causing physical harm to people. Is causing harm to the environment. Is forcing families from their homes. This project, this celebration, is also a contributor to the highest rates of electricity in North America. Energy poverty is forefront. A top news chart. These projects are costing ratepayers BILLIONS of extra money.
All of these champagne celebrating guests have hijacked my family of our rights to prosper, to enjoy our home and property, our right to health and protection and have subscribed to the removal of our rights, both under the Charter and in the Constitutional Act. This is no small feat. This is no small crime. This is a methodical conquering of the removal of many rights for everyone. You are not exempt from this wind industry corruption because you have your champagne glass in hand. You just haven’t felt the true wrath of your ill informed decisions. Yet here we have my neighbors celebrating with a corrupt industry, champagne filled glasses held high, in honor of all the mayhem forced into many people’s lives.
The ill placement of Industrial Wind Turbines has stolen our future.
Excuse me while I fill a glass with champagne to celebrate.
**Some photos compliments of Niagara News This Week
My project is the Niagara Region Wind, which consists of 77, 3.0 MW 124m height, plus the blade length which is 101m tip to tip. These turbines exceeds the span of a Boeing 747. In my backyard. I live in Haldimand County.
It is very hard to post everything about the projects, from noise, visual pollution, a community driven apart and divided, to human health, environmental health, the corruption uncovered, the rights you no longer have and the push backs from every single level of government there is. Not one single level of government will converse with you, they have a standard response they give to everyone.
I have one IWT 680m from my home, 417m to my property line. I have one 1022m from my home, another 1322m from my home and a transfer station is 900m to my home. Within 3km’s of my home there is at least 20+ turbines.
I live remotely, dead end street with 23 beautiful acres.
It’s a very different life. There is no more quiet space. There isn’t any quiet time anywhere. They are enormous, unsightly. Visually distracting, Visually disturbing, night and day. At night I have blinking red lights that penetrate our home.
I am on a prescription for vertigo, cabin pressure and motion sickness. This is a way of life I have never dreamed of living, nor thought would ever happen. This is MY new life, not chosen by me, but rammed down my throat by the incompetent greedy corrupt liberals. Yes, the prescription helps to lessen the symptoms and at times debilitating pain, but I am on a DRUG to remain in my home most days (forced out some days).
Let me explain something. I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. Both of which I do not medicate or take any scribe for. I manage with a healthy lifestyle and staying active. Now, in order to not be hospitalized for violent episodes of vertigo, balance loss and vomiting, I MUST remain on a prescription.
I can not convey my anger at this situation correctly. I can not convey to those who do not have turbines exactly what it is like to live with them. It is an experience that goes beyond ones ability to express correctly.
How do you tell people, the turbines haunt you 24/7. How do you explain to people the turbines and the IFS and LFS keep you awake all night.
I continue to battle for my rights. The same rights given to every Canadian and the same rights laid out in the constitution. But when you learn the GEA 2009 has over ridden rights, over ridden by-laws, abolished the MOECC, MNR rights and so on, you know you don’t live in Kansas anymore.
I am more than willing to discuss this on an ongoing basis.
Later I will post videos of the noise, the view from my living room and explain that as a mother how your FIGHT mode is triggered when a minor in your home is adversely affected. How you quietly retreat to your room to cry in overwhelming shame; Shame you can not provide a safe home for your family and yourself.
I truly am a different person than I was 7 months ago.
With each write to the government and agencies, I remind them I did not give up my rights, I did not consent to be a human trial project and their blatant disregard for human health will have consequences.
Lastly, I’d like to mention I have a fantastic Doctor. Most GP’s think its all in your head. My doctor understands LF’s and IFS. Due to the immense cabin pressure in my ears he acknowledges it’s time to start tracking nerve damage seeing as we are at the early stages, nerve damage which will cause hearing loss. I will be going for extensive hearing tests until further notice.
There is so much more to write….
Tuesday February 7th, 2017 | 6pm
Wellandport Community Centre
5042 Canborough Road
Wellandport, ON L0R 2J0
The purpose of the CLC is to facilitate two-way communication between NRWF and CLC members with respect to issues relating to the construction, installation, use, operation, maintenance and retirement of the facility. All CLC meetings are open to the general public for observation.
Questions can be submitted in advance up until January 31st to Karla Kolli, CLC Chair and Facilitator at kkolli@dillon.ca or 416-229-4647 ext. 2354.
March 15, 2018
My project is the Niagara Region Wind, which consists of 77, 3.0 MW 124m height, plus the blade length which is 101m tip to tip. These turbines exceeds the span of a Boeing 747. In my backyard. I live in Haldimand County.
Mothers Against Wind Turbines Inc. 