Windfarmers field questions

The new improved version shows the turbines originally planned for Red Head re-situated north of Highway 217 on properties owned by Fred and Sharon Ross and Jerry Schofield. The remaining 18 turbines are also north of the highway, as they were on the original version of the map.

People from Scotian Windfields and Skypower handed out the revised layout at an open house—the first in a series of public meetings—at Rossway Community Hall, Nov. 17. Representatives from environmental consultants Jacques Whitford, were also onhand to field questions.

The meeting was attended by dozens of local residents. Landowners who have agreed to lease their properties for the wind farm were there. So were their neighbors who not only refused to lease, but have been objecting to the development since it was announced in May.

Those objectors have been extremely vocal over the past several months—holding public meetings, distributing flyers to the homes of Digby Neck residents, and making presentations at the Muncipality of Digby’s Planning Advisory Committee meetings. (The committee is currently developing a bylaw governing setbacks of wind turbines.)

Fred Ross, who has lived on Digby Neck along with his wife, Sharon, for the past 42 years, is one of the landowners who took his questions to the open house. Ross has also attended a number of PAC meetings where presentations were made, and read the literature distributed by those who object to the development. “I still think wind energy is a good thing,” says Ross. He points out that so does Canada’s pre-eminent environmentalist, David Suzuki. “And that man’s definitely done his homework,” says Ross.

Ross says he expects there will still be some tweaking done to the wind turbine map—which shows ten of the turbines located on properties owned by families with principal residences in the U.S.

Those who lease their land will be paid a sum from $3,000 to $5,000 per year for each turbine built on their property. “I’d really like to see local residents benefiting more from this project,” says Ross. “Money that’s paid to people who live here will be spent here.“

Ross says if there is scientific evidence that suggests some of the turbine locations are too close to residences, then he would like to see those turbines better placed. He doesn’t want the development to infringe on the rights of his neighbors.

Potential noise has been the problem most frequently sited by those who object to the Digby Neck Wind Farm.

Ross points out that the elevation of the towers, and direction of the prevailing winds should minimize the noise produced by the Digby Neck turbines.