Prince Edward County council backs local naturalists in protecting Ostranders Point
By Linda Horn
Naturalists trying to protect wildlife from proposed wind turbines now have the support of Prince Edward County council.
Myrna Wood and Cheryl Anderson of the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists presented to Prince Edward County City Council at the council’s May 24 meeting. The field naturalists want to stop wind turbines from being built at Ostranders Point to protect wildlife in the area.
Council voted 13-3 in support of the naturalists.
Once approved, Gilead Power plans to build wind turbines along Prince Edward County’s south shore which includes Ostranders Point.
“There are so many opportunities to put up wind turbines it does not have to be in the way of the birds. We have the largest migratory path of Eastern Ontario,” said Peter Mertens, mayor of Prince Edward County.
Ostranders Point is crucial to migrating birds wanting to move around the lake. It is a landing site where they can rest and feed, said Wood.
“When the birds are coming over Lake Ontario into Ostranders Point, they are coming down at the height of the blades and are terribly vulnerable because they are tired,” said Anderson.
Naturalists are also worried about the amount of damage that will be done when the wind turbines are developed.
There will be a road built. Turbines are huge and require large amounts of cement in their bases. Important habitat for many species considered at risk will be destroyed, said Wood.
Wood and Anderson both agree that climate change is having an affect on the same wildlife they are trying to protect from the turbines and that renewable energy in is important.
“The Prince Edward County field naturalists endorse the Green Energy Act in its philosophy but not the implementation of it. Being able to just put wind turbines anywhere removes its affectedness,” said Anderson.
“The Green Energy Act opened all Crown land for renewable energy sources but they did not set any criteria for what land should not be developed. Wind turbine companies targeted crown land the lakes. Where the turbine companies and the birds have the same interest, the wind,” said Wood.
The field naturalists and council would like to see the turbines on land that will not have a huge impact on the natural world.
“Legally we have no control over what happens with wind turbines in Prince Edward County under the Green Energy Act,” said Mertens. “I feel a disconnect at the provincial level between the environment and their (the government) desire to have green energy. So all we can do is continue to do is press the province and express our concern.”
“The Ontario government cancelled a 900 megawatt power station in Oakville because apparently we did not need the power. And now they want to put up nine turbines, which will produce only 22.5 megawatts of power. Enough for roughly 5,000-6,000 homes. It is not a huge amount of energy, but it is a huge amount of destruction,” said Anderson.