Proposed: 60 Wind Turbines from Ajax to Scarborough

[Schwa.]

Proposed Wind Turbine Draws Ire, Praise Of Scarborough Residents

Tuesday November 25, 2008

CityNews.ca Staff

It was a heated discussion that often seemed to follow the well-drawn battle lines of young versus old, the new versus the tried-and-true.

No, it wasn't the American Music Awards - it was a proposal to put a test wind turbine in Lake Ontario.

Hundreds of Scarborough residents, Toronto Hydro employees and members of the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) came out to a community meeting Monday night to respond to the plan.

Eventually, the proposal would see 60 similar structures about two kilometres out from the shore from Ajax to the Leslie Split (seen above in an artist's rendering).

Though the meeting at Sir Wilfred Laurier Collegiate was well-behaved, emotions ran high.

"We have waited long enough for this project to happen. We have an opportunity here to start finally taking action...Consider the future of my generation!" a young woman pleaded.

She was met with loud applause.

"We need to act quickly to curb global warming and reduce smog," pointed out Franz Hartmann Executive Director, TEA.

"That's why Toronto Hydro must have the right to install an anemometer to determine whether the right conditions exist in Lake Ontario."

However, opponents say it will be an eyesore, hurt migratory birds and contribute to the erosion of the bluffs.

Dave Fair, a Scarborough resident, illustrated another concern.

"I don't mind having it here as far as property taxes go," he noted. But others might.

"The energy situation is a big problem, so anything to solve that," Fair added.

In an email to CityNews, another resident said the meeting was anything but neighbourhood-based.

"Special-interest groups from all over [and] a hundred-plus Toronto Hydro employees, were bussed in to stone-wall the "community" meeting," wrote Joe Trentadue.

"All in all, it was not a "community event" and a disgrace to Toronto Hydro for manipulating what started out to be an information event for the community. Many community members, I for one, left early with disgust, at the brow-beating antics of the over-staged Toronto Hydro personnel and their obvious supporters," he concluded.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

Bob McDonald's viewpoint

[Cully]

I can't believe that people are fighting this....so disgusting. Canada is so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to wind harvesting. The residents are so worried about their lake-front view, boo fucking urns. Deal with it.

[Freak By Night]

If any of those opponents use electricity, they don't have a leg to stand on.

[Birdy]

Come on down to Chatham-Kent where localists are lobbying councilors with the argument:

"Your mandate is to protect the citizens of Chatham-Kent, not save the world!"

Fuck me. People in this town are f'ing idiots.

[Schwa.]

Come on down to Chatham-Kent where localists are lobbying councilors with the argument:

"Your mandate is to protect the citizens of Chatham-Kent, not save the world!"

Fuck me. People in this town are f'ing idiots.

Rednecks abound in good old Chat-abama.

[larry_llama]

wind turbines may be ugly to some people - but i guess they'd prefer their property backing on to a fucking coal fired plant. wake up you idiots.

[Birdy]

I can't speak for what happens elsewhere, but I heard CK residents get $10,000/year for having a wind turbine on their property.

It's the Sunday drivers who idle down the road at 40-50km below the speed limit, gawking about and causing accidents, that get all riled up when their view of flat land (at least here in CK) is obstructed by a wind turbine. I for one think they look pretty cool.

Their insightful solution (if they have a solution, which 9 x out of 10 they don't) is 'why can't you build them up near Goderich, why do you have to build them here?'

So when you couple their argument - that they're ugly or they kill birds, with their solution of build them elsewhere, they're actually saying 'go ruin someone else's day'.

[backbacon]

I'm surpirsed we don't hear about more car accidents caused by people trying to look up at the spinny parts when driving by a wind farm.

they looked really cool last Friday on the way home driving down the 401. It was all grey out except for some bright orange sun shining through onto the wind mills fifteen km away.

[timouse]

Bob McDonald's viewpoint

nice one. i've been up near shelburne and walked through the windfarm up there, hardly heard a thing. i would be happy to have wind turbines in my view, like larry llama says, better than looking at a coal plant (or a nuke plant).

[questcequecest?]

'why can't you build them up near Goderich, why do you have to build them here?'

the Authority says so... transmission constraints!

[phishtaper]

a couple of years ago, we used to see regular morning convoys carrying the massive parts on special trucks up hwy 6 on their way over towards the lake huron area.

these are not your grandparents' farm windmills, these are immense structures. at their peak, they measure almost 120m (380 ft) with each blade being over 40 meters (125 ft) long - that's fucking huge!!

noise is a big issue with these things. up close, they are on par with jet engines. and they are said to only last for about 20 years. imagine the disaster if one of these things isn't maintained properly then.

as energy-productive as they are, they are not without serious problems.

[Large Marge]

noise is a big issue with these things. up close, they are on par with jet engines.

Is this first hand evidence? I have explored at least 5 of these bad boys and have never heard any more than a faint swooshing sound... nothing I'd even have to raise my voice to be heard over. Certainly no jet engines.

[Freak By Night]

they are said to only last for about 20 years.

by whom?

[Jaimoe]

. and they are said to only last for about 20 years. imagine the disaster if one of these things isn't maintained properly then.

as energy-productive as they are, they are not without serious problems.

Imagine the disaster if one of the growing number of nuclear-waste silos leaked or if the aging Darlington plant went through a meltdown or why the cancer rates in Port Hope are higher than any in Ontario or why the folks in Port Hope still remember having lovely pink snow.

The risks of solar and wind power are minimal. Coal, hydro-electric and nuclear all can or will cause major environmental problems and health risks.

Killing migratory birds? Fuck that. The proliferation of suburbia in the Greenbelt does far more damage, and not to just birds and animal eithers.

[questcequecest?]

they are said to only last for about 20 years.

by whom?

the manufacturers. in many cases they generously estimate 25 years.

[Irie Guy]

And they are in my backyard so to speak. They dot the horizon up here on the coast. Anyone who has travelled up through the Shelburne area is well aware of therm as well. Do they bother me, not in the least.

It's a classic NIMBY situation.

a couple of years ago, we used to see regular morning convoys carrying the massive parts on special trucks up hwy 6 on their way over towards the lake huron area.

these are not your grandparents' farm windmills, these are immense structures. at their peak, they measure almost 120m (380 ft) with each blade being over 40 meters (125 ft) long - that's fucking huge!!

noise is a big issue with these things. up close, they are on par with jet engines. and they are said to only last for about 20 years. imagine the disaster if one of these things isn't maintained properly then.

as energy-productive as they are, they are not without serious problems.

[Birdy]

* phishtaper Said:

noise is a big issue with these things. up close, they are on par with jet engines.

Is this first hand evidence? I have explored at least 5 of these bad boys and have never heard any more than a faint swooshing sound... nothing I'd even have to raise my voice to be heard over. Certainly no jet engines.

I can attest to the faint swooshing sound... i've toured about 7 of them myself... and while I agree, they're MAMMOTH (someone said that the little nose bit in the centre of the blades is the size of a city bus), they don't in the slightest sound like a jet engine.

Wind turbines are not noisy. The evolution of wind farm technology over the past decade has rendered mechanical noise from turbines almost undetectable with the main sound being the aerodynamic swoosh of the blades passing the tower. There are strict guidelines on wind turbines and noise emissions to ensure the protection of residential amenity. It is possible to stand underneath a turbine and hold a conversation without having to raise your voice. As wind speed rises, the noise of the wind masks the noise made by wind turbines. For more information, read the facts about noise from wind turbines or why not visit a wind farm and experience it for yourself.

Edited November 25, 2008 by Guest

[c-towns]

$10,000 a year is way more than I heard and to me that sounds way to high, I guess I could find out for myself though.

My buddy was building the ones down in CK and we toured the building site, pretty cool shit and they are massive, I got to look up the barrel of one. I've always thought they look really creepy but they are definately a good thing.

[phishtaper]

Is this first hand evidence? I have explored at least 5 of these bad boys and have never heard any more than a faint swooshing sound... nothing I'd even have to raise my voice to be heard over. Certainly no jet engines.

EU and US studies suggest that at tolerable, peak rpm, these turbines can created upwards of 110 dB in aerodynamic noise. yes Marge, normal operation noises are said to be on par with conversational noise levels. and of course, the further one is from the turbine, the less noisy it is.

imagine the disaster if one of these things isn't maintained properly then.

Imagine the disaster if one of the growing number of nuclear-waste silos leaked or if the aging Darlington plant went through a meltdown or why the cancer rates in Port Hope are higher than any in Ontario or why the folks in Port Hope still remember having lovely pink snow.

imagine if we were invaded by aliens and they ate all of our baby's heads. yes' date=' we all know the obvious dangers associated with nuclear power, J. Im simply stating that it would be very problematic if a wind turbine fell apart due to metal fatigue and/or poor maintenance. most people dont think of this. also, see below.

they are said to only last for about 20 years.

by whom?

the manufacturers. in many cases they generously estimate 25 years.

and by the farms themselves. see Huron Wind FAQ , p.2.

and just because I point out problems with these things doesn't mean that I am against them. im just noting that they are not necessarily the energy panacea some claim.

[Jaimoe]

I wonder if these same folks in Scarborough complained when jet service to the Toronto Island Airport resumed with little fanfare - halting the overuse of the airport was a big part of why Miller got re-elected. Having jets regularly flying over Toronto - and I presume sometimes the beloved Scarborough Bluffs - is "kinda" noisey?

Wouldn't it be nice if Toronto decided to stick wind turbines along Toronto's Golden Mile or how about erecting some along the acres of empty parking lots and abandoned stripmalls continually blighting North Scarborough?

Edited November 25, 2008 by Guest

[Freak By Night]

they are said to only last for about 20 years.

by whom?

the manufacturers. in many cases they generously estimate 25 years.

and by the farms themselves. see Huron Wind FAQ ' date=' p.2.

[/quote']

Thanks for the info.

It would have been nice if you had indicated the source of your claim in your original post, instead of using the passive voice.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

meow!

[phishtaper]

It would have been nice if you had indicated the source of your claim in your original post, instead of using the passive voice.

[color:purple]yes, but then you wouldn't have had this opportunity to have a little pissy fit.

[Freak By Night]

Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as abrasive, but when you wrote "they are said to only last for about 20 years", it could have been anyone saying that - oil industry lobbyists, for example. I just wanted some more information.