With trucks and tractors lined across the road and residents chained to the tires, Water Wells First is now in their second day of a blockade set up outside of a North Kent Wind Farm construction site.
Meanwhile, the Chatham-Kent Police Service is maintaining a presence at the Bush Line site.
“The blockade at Highway 40 and Bush Line continues into day two with the expectation that Samsung, joint owner in North Kent Wind, will realize that Canadians now recognize Samsung’s brand is associated with the destruction of family farm water wells,” Water Wells First posted on social media.
“Water Wells First will hold Samsung accountable by calling once again a boycott of all Samsung products sold in Canada.”
Water Wells First supporters Rick Ball, Lee Montgomery and Yvonne Laevens chained themselves together in a show of solidarity on Tuesday.
The group is asking for continued support from the community.
“For food and water to keep the protesters going throughout the day,” Water Wells First said on social media.
Police on site
Const. Kelly Helbin, public information officer for the Chatham-Kent Police Service told the Sydenham Current three officers are at the scene to “keep the peace.
“There are police officers there within the vicinity of where the protesting is going on. They have been seen and some of the questions I’ve been getting,’are they escorting different companies passed the protesters’, they are not. A lot of the time the officers are walking some of the bigger companies up to the protesters, just in order for them to talk among themselves and hopefully agree on a few things,” Helbin said.
“Nobody is crossing the line of the protesters. We’re really only there as police officers just to stand by, keep the peace and make sure nothing gets physical and that there are no threats or anything.”
Helbin said the Chatham-Kent Police Service are handling the protest on a situational basis.
“Police will act if it crosses the line of a peaceful demonstration or a peaceful protest to where it is not so peaceful,” she said.
“I don’t know how long that is going to go on for. I know the protesters are blocking certain individuals from going onto the site, but again they are stopping at the protesters and nobody is going forward passed those protesters at this point. It has remained somewhat peaceful.
Helbin added there were three officers, who were brought in on overtime, at the site on Wednesday.
C-K moving forward with water testing plan
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is moving forward with a water testing plan, after a motion by Wallaceburg Coun. Jeff Wesley was approved by council on August 21.
Municipal officials say residents near project, whose wells have experienced water quality issues, will be contacted by Chatham-Kent officials this week to allow them to select a firm to test their well water at no cost.
Chatham-Kent CAO Don Shropshire said the municipality, working with public health officials, have identified 17 labs in Ontario that are both licensed and accredited by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation to test drinking water for microbiological agents, organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, and other particulate matter.
Chatham-Kent officials say part of council’s motion on August 21 was that: “The (Municipality) will cover the cost of inspections on five wells currently experiencing problems. Inspectors will be selected jointly by the well owner and the municipality.”
Shropshire said residents will have the option to choose any of the accredited labs.
“We want to ensure there are no concerns about who does the testing,” Shropshire stated in a press release.
“We’ve provided the list but the choice will be up to the residents.”
At a meeting last week between Chatham-Kent officials and representatives of the provincial Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Municipal officials say the province also committed to contact owners of wells which have experienced issues and reviewing those concerns with Samsung Renewable Energy and Pattern Energy, developers of the project.
Part of council’s resolution asked the provincial government to halt wind turbine construction in the municipality until the issue of water well quality is fully investigated.
That request is still before the premier’s office, Chatham-Kent officials said.
Despite the motion by council, Water Wells First says he Municipality of Chatham-Kent is “running scared” when it comes to the wind turbine and water well issue in the community. Read more about this story, here.
Here are some photos from day one of the protest on Monday:
– Photo credit: Water Wells First
