Monte McNaughton met with residents in a Wallaceburg coffee shop on Monday to discuss the recently approved Otter Creek Wind project.
The Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP told the Sydenham Current, following his meeting at Country Style, that the governing Liberals are “completely out of touch” and “unaccountable” to the people of Ontario.
“I keep hearing concerns that I have heard for five years as an MPP…. hydro bills are going up, the debt in Ontario is unsustainable and we have a Liberal Government in Toronto that continues to announce projects for new wind turbines, further driving up the price of electricity,” McNaughton said.
“So the concerns today are around accountability of the Government and transparency of the government. Clearly the majority of people are opposed to wind turbines in our communities locally. The government needs to listen to them.”
Local concerns
With this week being constituency week, McNaughton, who represents the Progressive Conservative Party, said he makes a point of spending every morning in a coffee shop in a different community.
He planned on meeting in Wallaceburg on Monday anyway, but when news about the Otter Creek Wind project and others receiving provincial approval last week, he decided to make this the focus of his meeting.
“Two main concerns I heard today… one is the price of electricity. We now have the most expensive energy in the country and in North America. My view is when the hole is this deep, stop digging instead of building more turbines,” he said.
“Secondly, the Otter Creek project specifically, there were a number of environmental concerns raised today and I think that is something that the province and the local Municipality really needs to understand, that it’s a sensitive area. Of course the Province keeps building turbines in Chatham-Kent and we have arguably the best farmland in the country and as some said today, in North America.”
McNaughton added: “To me it doesn’t make sense economic sense, it doesn’t make environmental sense and it doesn’t make sense from an agricultural perspective to be building these wind turbines on the best land in the country.”
Contacting municipal, provincial and Federal government representatives is something McNaughton recommends.
“So this latest round of wind projects, the government committed in 2013 to listen to local communities before they announce projects,” he said. “In Dutton/Dunwich there was a referendum held. 84% of people were opposed to wind projects, yet the Liberals still announced a wind turbine project for that area.”
McNaughton added: “I always tell people opposed to wind turbines to contact local municipal politicians, provincial politicians (including the Premier) and Federal MPs. We need a full concerted effort to stop the Wynne Liberals from building turbines in our communities.”
Some short term jobs
McNaughton said he understand wind projects do bring jobs to communities.
“There is definitely some short term, temporary jobs but the fact is, the only reason Ontario is building wind and solar today is because it is heavily subsidized by taxpayers,” he said.
“So taxpayers and ratepayers are picking up the tab and that’s why energy bills are set to go up by 42% by 2018. That’s according to the government’s long term energy plan. It’s not a political spin, it’s going up by 42%.”
McNaughton added: “We have lost 350,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000. Wallaceburg in particular has been hard hit. If we want to create more jobs in our province we have got to get energy bills under control. We need to make energy more affordable whether it is seniors on a fixed income, local grocery stores, to farm businesses, to manufacturing. Hydro bills are going through the roof and we certainly cannot afford the bills. For the province to continue on this one track plan to build more turbines, it doesn’t make any economic sense to the province.”
MPP bringing concerns forward
McNaughton said he is going to continually bring this issue to Queens Park.
“I have been on the record since I was elected in 2011 opposing wind turbines,” he said. “The government needs to stop building them. I encourage everyone here to contact local municipalities, local municipal councillors, MPPs, MPs across the province and really have their voices heard.”
He added: “Unfortunately, as I said, we have a Liberal government that is completely out of touch. They are making the decisions out of Queens Park and they are not realizing the impact that their decisions on everyday people in the province. I encourage everyone to contact all their municipal politicians and all politicians at all levels to let their views be known.”
Project gets approved
Renewable Energy Systems Canada Inc. (RES) and its partner Boralex Inc. announced on Thursday they have been selected by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and awarded a contract for the 50 MW project.
The project is to be located all within Chatham-Kent, just north of Wallaceburg.
The project would generally be bounded by Stewart Line and McCreary Line to the south, Whitebread Line and Kent Line west of Mandaumin Road to the north, Mandaumin Road to the east, and Payne Road to the west
The companies stated they have obtained the support of Walpole Island First Nation as well.
The First Nation reserve is slated to have a 10.5% ownership stake in the project. RES will own 51%, while Boralex will own 38.5%.
RES and Boralex say Chatham-Kent has been granted an option to participate in the project up to 15% of the limited partnership interests following commercial operation.
Both companies said public meetings will be scheduled in the area shortly, to further engage with the communities, describe the community benefits and present the latest evolutions of the project.
The libtards need to go.