June 14,2015
Honorable Dr. Eric Hoskins
Minister of Health and Long Term Care
10th Floor, Hepburn Block
80 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 2C4

Dear Dr. Eric Hoskins,

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It was with little to no enthusiasm that I read your response dated June 8th 2015, to the package and letter that I provided you with on September 16th, 2014 in Grey Highlands at the announcement of the New Markdakle Hospital. In fact the letter was not even penned by you but by J. Dhamrait in your Correspondence Services. After waiting 9 months for a reply I received a boilerplate letter that does not address any of the concerns of which I presented to you.

Mention of the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health, Arleen King’s report shows just how out of touch your Ministry is when citing a report that is 5 years old while ignoring the growing body of evidence which I included in my first letter to you; “Systematic Review 2013: Association between Wind Turbines and Human Distress” in which it was demonstrated “the presence of reasonable evidence that an association exists between wind turbines and distress in humans” as well as “A summary of some of the peer reviewed articles and conference papers, abstracts and other citations, regarding impairment of health in general and relating to industrial wind turbines. Industrial Wind Turbines and Health: Wind Turbines Can Harm Humans if too close to Residents”

Reference to the Health Canada Study, although positive did not address the Summary of Results of November 6, 2015 determined by objective and subjective measures which states “The following was found to be statistically associated with increasing levels of WTN:

• annoyance towards several wind turbine features (i.e. noise, shadow flicker, blinking lights, vibrations, and visual impacts).”

• A statistically significant increase in annoyance was found when WTN levels exceeded 35 dBA.”

In Ontario, the predicted noise models are 40 dBA but the allowable noise level imposed on people is up to 51 dBA with increased wind speed. As the Minister of Health, the finding of Health Canada at 35 dBA should be of concern to you. Health Canada and WHO acknowledge annoyance is an adverse health effect.

Further no mention was made of the findings dated April 9 2015 of the Council of Canadian Academies that the “Expert Panel finds that annoyance can be caused by wind turbine noise — a clear adverse health effect.”

Your response suggests that I might wish to share my concerns with the MOECC or the Ministry of Energy. It is because of years of doing exactly that with the result of boilerplate responses such as yours that I turned to your Ministry for help. I have filed 68 complaints with the MOECC since April 17, 2012 with no remedy or mitigation provided. Out of sheer frustration and growing cynicism I have now given up filing complaints but continue to document my adverse effects in a journal that has entries dating over 3 years. The Ministries mentioned above only serve to administer the GEA and are mandated to support more IWTs, at any cost, including imposing health risks on the rural population.

Are you aware that when you search the term “health” in association with affects of IWTs, the only hits relate to the impossible test imposed during ERT appeals – causality of serious harm? Most of the rural population and many in urban areas know this test cannot be met.

This is a health issue and I believed that as a Minister of Health and a physician, the principle of “do no harm” would be paramount and respected. My physician conducted a series of tests to get at the root cause of my symptoms. I included in my package to you a copy of a letter from him in which he had determined that “the main factor contributing to her symptoms is her proximity to the wind turbines.” Obviously his findings are not sufficient for invoking any mitigation and had you read the letter you would no doubt have not felt the need to council me to consult him as you would have been aware that I had already done so.

In a subsequent letter written to you on October 17, 2014 I wrote “As a physician I would hope that your political ideology as Minister of Health and Long Term Care would not override your moral conscience. Rural Ontarians deserve the same justice and humanitarian rights as those whom you advocate on behalf of in other parts of the world. The public interest should never take precedence over the human rights of others.”

The response from you to my plight and that of so many other people in rural Ontario has created a loss of trust and credibility especially when the public seems more informed than the Ministry of Health. That you can only respond with dated information when the evidence is clear, then one has to wonder how long this harmful policy will continue to be sustained.

This is an open letter, it will be shared along with your response attached with the very public that has lost all faith in the government of which you hold office.

Sincerely,
Virginia Stewart Love

Cc: Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Rona Ambrose, Federal Minister of Health
Premier Kathleen Wynne
Deputy Premier Deb Mathews

MPP Dr. Eric Hoskins response pdf file

Rafe Mair’s Modest Proposal: Scrap environmental assessments

Do you enjoy being a raw hypocrite?

Well, if you’re a taxpayer in Canada that’s what you are because you support raw hypocrisy every day in the various hearings on environmental matters that take place.

I’ve written in the past, from personal experience, about environmental assessments of independent power projects (IPPs), the environmental disgraces of British Columbia, and how they are so biased in favour of industry that it defies all but spluttering language of anger.

Let’s call the whole thing off

Why don’t we just abolish the National Energy Board and all other boards like it and allow environmental projects to be judged strictly by the industry itself, with the customary pat on the corporate head from the prime minister?

At least this would make honest men and women of us.

The recent resignation of economist Robyn Allan as intervenor in the TransMountain pipeline hearing, coupled with the earlier resignation of former BC Hydro head Marc Eliesen from the same hearing, have made plain that these so-called environmental assessment boards are making mockery of the notion of natural justice and idiots of us who pay for it.

“A rigged game”

Let’s hear first of all from Robyn Allan, economist and a public servant who was a once the president of ICBC

It’s a rigged game … We’re getting the scope that supports Kinder Morgan. It’s a private sector, ‘How do we get to yes?’masquerading as a public interest review.[Emphasis added]

… decisions made by the Board at this hearing are dismissive of Intervenors. They reflect a lack of respect for hearing participants, a deep erosion of the standards and practices of natural justice … and an undemocratic restriction of participation by citizens, communities, professionals and First Nations either by rejecting them outright or failing to provide adequate funding to facilitate meaningful participation.

read more:  Posted May 25, 2015 by Rafe Mair in Energy and Resources

February 13, 2014 we received registered mail from McCarthy Tetrault LLP stating… “our client [NextEra Energy] demands that you promptly execute and return two fully executed copies of such lease by no later than February 21, 2014.

If you fail to deliver such copies of the signed lease, you should be aware that Goshen has requested us to take immediate legal action on its behalf to enforce its rights and remedies for your breach of the Option Agreement, which action may result in you becoming liable for, amongst other things, Court costs, damages (which can extend to substantial amounts on account of delayed construction of the overall project and lost revenues arising from such delays), and interest on such damages at the rates prescribed under the Courts of Justice Act of Ontario. As well, you should be aware that such litigation against you may result in adverse implications for your credit ratings.”

Mayor Hessel, Council members and CAO:
I am attaching a self-explanatory letter from Bev Teeter, a Bluewater resident and turbine lease holder in Nextera’s Goshen Project.  In addition the addressee within the attached, she has also sent it to the London Free Press as an open Letter to the Editor however it is unlikely they will print it.

This brave woman has been a thorn in Nextera’s side for a long time now.  They eventually removed Turbine #13 from being built on her property however the transmission/collection lines do go through their property.

Bev has been a staunch supporter of the anti-wind movement after she realized she was duped by the wind companies.  She is in her 80’s, has a hearing impairment and cares deeply about doing what she can to right a wrong which is what she felt she did by signing the lease.  She was bullied into doing so without a care towards her or her husband of over 50 years.  I cannot express how disgusted I am with Nextera for treating vulnerable people such as Bev and her husband, Irv, so callously.

read more: Posted on 06/14/2015 by windaction

Taller, larger turbines are making the job more dangerous for maintenance crews, a Safety 2015 speaker explained June 8.

The hazards faced by workers performing maintenance work on wind turbines are increasing as the turbines multiply and grow larger, Craig Bierl, an assistant vice president and senior energy risk specialist for the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, explained during his June 8 session at ASSE’s Safety 2015 in Dallas. Many of the hazards are garden variety, he said, but workers encounter almost all of them — falls, confined spaces, fire hazards, lockout/tagout, first aid, electrical hazards, machine guarding, and arc flash safety — 300 feet above the ground, making rescue or descent difficult.

The industry has seen explosive growth since 1999, and so have the turbines, which have increased by about 50 percent in height (they were 60-68 meters high a few years ago but now are 100-110 meters high) and by 96 percent in rotor diameter, he said, and annual installations are predicted to stay high through 2050.

While most turbine manufacturers recommend a minimum of 500 meters of clear space around a turbine, many now are sited close to schools, homes, and other important structures, Bierl explained.

He showed a photo from a nacelle fire and discussed some serious incidents, including a fire in a turbine’s nacelle that resulted in two workers’ deaths, a wind turbine destroyed by spinning too fast, and a worker who fell inside a turbine blade during maintenance work.

Newer turbines have climbing assist equipment or elevators installed — and the latter can satisfy OSHA’s requirement that rescue of an injured worker must occur within four minutes — but climbing a ladder in an older model to its nacelle can take 30 minutes, he said. “Every time you climb, it’s a hazard, no matter how good shape you’re in.”

read more: OH&S, June 9 2015

June 9, 2015  by Barb Ashbee

You were able to move. Now you have to forgive and carry on. Move on with your life and find the path back to happiness you enjoyed before it all happened.

This is what my mind tells my heart. That is what some of my friends are thinking, I can feel it. A gentle sort of ‘get over it’. And some days I feel like that is what I need to do.

But the heart still feels the pain. The heart feels the injustice for an event that wasn’t an accident, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or brought on by our own actions, or a natural disaster or single tragedy that all our families suffer throughout our lives. No, this tragedy has been intense, life changing; trust destroying, personality maiming and spirit crushing because it simply did not have to happen.

Why am I still angry?

I am angry that our perfectly healthy bodies were pummeled into illness by infrasound and relentless noise. That we were no longer allowed the right to get sleep in our home. That with thumping noise on too many nights over 60 decibels at times and a house that vibrated almost every day we were unable to thrive. Headaches, heart palpitations, chest pressure, sleep deprivation, and eventually hyper- thyroidism, nosebleeds requiring treatment, anxiety in pets with some crying and vomiting at the same time we felt the worst effects. I am angry that our government leaders knew all this from our very first letter asking for help and they lied to us, let us continue on for months and months until we just couldn’t take it anymore and hired a lawyer with money we really didn’t have to spare. And I am really angry that our awful experience was not enough, piled on top of all of the others we found out about, not enough to make it stop.

Instead new projects forged ahead and more families are sick.

And what of the non- physical impacts?

My husband fretted because there was one last piece of board that needed to go on to finish the inside of the dream shop he had just built and he didn’t have the energy or desire to do it. The perfect shop to house his classic car, with the fully insulated walls, painted floor and housing his collection of car memorabilia was barely used when he had to give it up.

He stressed over our future.

We lived in uncertainty, wondering how we were going to be able to stay there yet knowing we could never sell and if we did we could never pass this on to some innocent family. I thank the stars that we had even bought the house so that the previous family who had 6 children didn’t have this set upon them. What would they have done?

While most friends and family are sympathetic others ask why we are complaining so much when obviously, according to government research, there are no ties between the turbines and what has happened to us. How do we explain these erroneous and deceitful government statements on a complicated issue in a sentence or two without sounding nuts?

I want people to be angry; I want them to write letters to our leaders asking how they can treat people so bad but would I do that if I were on the periphery? I’m not so sure. In fact, when I first heard about the earliest families in phase one having problems, I felt sure they would be resolved. After all, is that not the role of government? To put the citizens foremost, to protect our health and home and look after people in harm? That’s what I thought.

People not connected to this issue are not sure. It’s hard to explain the impacts when you don’t have anything more to show but exhausted faces that can be caused by anything. The rest is hidden. The headaches are hidden, the sleep deprivation is debilitating but you can’t see it. The heart palpitations, head and chest pressure, incredible frustration trying to sleep in a vibrating home is hidden.

What do you do when you do get up the courage to speak with your doctor about it and they stare stone faced with no comment, so unworthy are you that they don’t even bother to note the symptoms in your records. Or when they do finally speak they offer a condescending comment that leaves you in tears? Nobody sees that either.

I could go on and on about the injustice and the long term effects but until this government takes a stand to stop this industry and turns their help to those suffering instead of funding the perpetrators then I am severely overpowered. If only people knew the real story.

There are

those who are involved in perpetrating and covering up the harm;

those who know and are fighting with every breath, some loudly, some quietly;

those who know but don’t know what to do;

those who know but don’t care;

and thanks to an impressive 5 star cover-up,

those who don’t know and will never know.

Unfortunately for all, the last two hold the majority of the population.

And so it continues….

Boralex acquires an option for a 25% interest in a wind power project in Ontario

MONTRÉAL, June 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ – Boralex Inc. (“Boralex” or the “Corporation”) (TSX: BLX) announced the signature of a conditional buy/sell option for a 25% economic interest in the 230 MW Niagara Region Wind Farm project in which Enercon is the majority owner (the “Option”). The total investment planned for this major undertaking is between $900 million and $950 million and Boralex will immediately begin coordination of the project construction phase in partnership with Enercon.

Extending across the Regional Municipality of Niagara, the Township of West Lincoln, the Town of Wainfleet and Haldimand County inOntario, the Niagara Region Wind Farm project will comprise 77 3 MW Enercon turbines and construction will begin in June.

Boralex will have the obligation to exercise the Option if certain financial conditions are met at the time of signature of a project financing agreement. If unexercised at that time, Boralex will be entitled to exercise the Option at its discretion following commercial commissioning of the project. The Corporation expects that $60 million in equity will be needed to exercise the Option. Boralex will be the project operator following exercise of the Option. The initial consideration paid by Boralex in connection with the acquisition of this Option will be approximately $5 million, which will primarily consist of a deposit payable to Enercon.

Haldimand county states it is an unwilling host but like a bad and unwanted smell even more wind projects keep blowing back in.  The current project- Townsend Wind, failed as a co -operative venture but is back as a new proposal and seeking endorsement.  The public “we tell you” meeting is scheduled for June 23, 2015 7-9 pm at the Jarvis Lions Club, 118 James St, in Jarvis.

Haldimand County states it is a non-willing host but has 205 industrial wind turbines and counting located within its boundaries.

“NOW THEREFORE be it resolved that Haldimand County Council will not be providing local municipal support to any application that will construct industrial wind turbines in Haldimand County.”

Haldimand- February 14, 2013

Time will tell if the tidal wave of invasive turbines has ebbed.

Townsend Wind Farm:

http://www.swebdevelopment.ca/

The Listening Room Experience

PORT RYERSE – Port Ryerse residents fighting against wind turbines slated to go up beside their village are protesting because of the certainty the project will harm them, an environmental tribunal hearing heard.

Sleeplessness, sickness, loss of birds, and falling real estate values have hit every community that has ever hosted turbines, Port Ryerse resident Heather Walters testified.

“These are not guesses,” she said. “It is 100% predictable.”

Walters said she is not normally an outspoken advocate for causes and only took up the case against wind power once she heard about the project and started researching it.

“We are not activists,” she said. “I’ve never been involved in anything like this.”

Wednesday’s hearing was held in the council chambers at town hall in Simcoe in front of lawyers representing residents and the project.

The two-person panel hearing the case has the right to put a halt to the project. Last fall, construction was pushed back after a barn owl, an endangered species, was spotted next to the site.

The hearing also heard from Cayuga resident Grant Church, who cited a number of international studies that suggested wind turbines cause illnesses in people, even well beyond the 550 metre setback the Ontario government has set.

A tool and die maker by trade, Church said there are numerous examples of people being made sick by infrasound created by turbines, sometimes from as far away as 2.2 kilometres.

read more: Daniel R. Pearce, Simcoe Reformer Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Credit:  photos courtesy of Larry Monczka

Port Ryerse, Ontario

Boralex Wind Project http://www.boralex.com/projects/portryerse

 A Funny thing happen this morning at the Environmental Tribunal Hearing. Biddle v. Ontario, 14-063 (Environmental Appeal)

It was another town and was supposed to be just another hearing against a wind  turbine project in southern Ontario.  The day was cool and the sun shone bright. The sky was clear blue and shimmered as the first blush of summer touched the landscape.  Port Ryerse  is a beautiful small village located on the shores of Lake Erie.  The peace and tranquility of  village life is threatened by a wind project that would see industrial wind turbines installed and not all of the people are welcoming the development.  It is land use that they have no planning veto over.   There are to be two appeals filed against the project.  The health and environmental hearings are planned to be held at separated  times and today’s hearing was the in person start to the health section of the legal wrangling.

Wednesday June 3, 2015 the task for the morning was a site visit.  All were to meet in the municipal Council Chambers of Norfolk in the town of Simcoe and start the  frantic speed style administrative steps, filings, counter motions and move on to what is now a predetermined outcome.   Wind takes and those who oppose lose.  This particular project has hit some speed bumps on its way as this is the wind project that has been halted by the presence of  a pair of rare nesting barn owls. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is now  scrambling to come up with a way  to be consistent and not to say no to this  particular renewable energy development.  It needs to create a new exemption that does not favour habitat or individuals from a species at risk.  Inconvenient for a wind developer and MNRF as that those darn those barn owls do exist and these birds are a nesting pair of less than 20 known adult individuals in the wild in Ontario.  The exemption  permit is necessary in order to side step species at risk legislation and to allow the wind project to proceed unimpeded.  Renewable energy is Ontario’s unflinching policy of the day.   That said on this day things didn’t go as it was supposed to.  On that day a funny thing happened at the Tribunal.  The citizens  didn’t play their expected roles.  That day as the hearing got under way it was a thumb down to Ontario and was about the residents taking back control of a process that guarantees they lose.   It was a small thing but it was the whisper of the people who have been shouting to be heard.

Early in the schedule of the day things went as expected as the Tribunal panel  members arrived and  lawyers began to gather for and against the project. After settling in, papers shuffled, microphones checked and the court reporter plugged in and  all was ready to proceed it was  becoming apparent something expected was missing.    Where were the people?

Not a single member of the public was present. Not a single witness present to hear the matters of the Tribunal.  Not a single member of the residents who had filed the appeal.  No one, not one person.  Lawyers, Tribunal panel members were confused and perplexed, even the appellant lawyer did not have knowledge or an explanation.  Despite the lack of an apparent audience things needed to get under way and a lack of members of the public must not slow down the process and the site visit was to occur.  Everyone headed out to the project site to meet up as prearranged for the tour.  This is the place where the barn owls live and the known nest of the local Bald Eagles is near. The Eagles had successfully fledged their eaglets in the previous season.

Unknown to all of the  lawyers  the people of Port Ryerse had other plans and had met each other on the shoulders of the dead end road that leads to where the turbines are supposed to be built.   Visiting and bird watching on such a beautiful day.  The people chose to speak by not sitting in a dry,  bland judicial process and used action as a protest to signal a way to bear witness to the invasion of their homes and community by unwanted industrial structures powered by the wind.  Today the voice of the people spoke well.

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