Important! Urge Your Council to Walk Out!

Posted on 02/12/2012 by

Dalton McGuinty will be speaking on February 27th at the Good Roads/ROMA meeting.  Many muncipalities have agreed to walk out on his speech if a moratorium is not in place by that time.  Please send your Council this document and urge them to participate. 

January 23, 2012

Whereas the Ontario Federation of Agriculture which is Ontario’s largest farm organization has asked Premier McGuinty and the provincial government to suspend the building of Industrial Wind Turbines across the province as of January 20, 2012;

And Whereas dozens of municipalities across this province have repeatedly asked for a moratorium on the construction of Industrial Wind Turbines until questions such as health concerns of people living in proximity to the Industrial Wind Turbines, proper setbacks of Industrial Wind Turbines, devaluation of neighbouring properties,  decimation of the rural landscape, and destruction of wildlife habitats are properly studied and addressed;

And Whereas many of these municipalities have asked for the province to hand back the planning authority for Industrial Wind Turbines, but to no avail;

And Whereas the Ontario Auditor General has even tried to explain to this government the serious errors being made under the Green Energy Act with regards to more jobs being lost than created, the consumer and taxpayer subsidizing the Industrial Wind Turbine projects to create huge profits for large off-shore companies while making electricity very expensive for the citizens of this province, or the implications of decommissioning Industrial Wind Turbines twenty years from now;

Thereby Be It Resolved that the Municipality of Arran-Elderslie, along with all other municipalities across this province who share these concerns regarding the damaging and devastating repercussions within our communities, hereby request that the Premier invoke an immediate moratorium of one year, with yearly extensions as required on the construction of Industrial Wind Turbines within the Province of Ontario until the concerns noted above are properly studied and addressed.

Further Be It Resolved that this moratorium be put in place before the ROMA/OGRA 2012 Conference starting February 26, 2012.

Further Be It Resolved that if the moratorium is not announced prior to the start date of the conference, that all municipal officials in attendance at the conference representing municipalities in opposition to the autocratic and dictatorial processes utilized by the government in establishing the Green Energy Act, shall leave the room immediately when the agenda reaches the point that the Premier or his designate addresses the conference, in a show of solidarity to once again demonstrate to our provincial government our frustration, anger and disappointment over their complete and total mishandling of the Green Energy Act and Industrial Wind Turbines in particular.

Further, that this motion shall be forwarded through the AMO to all municipalities in the Province of Ontario, Premier McGuinty, Local Members of Provincial Parliament, the Minister of Energy and the Minister of the Environment.

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51 Responses to Important! Urge Your Council to Walk Out!

  1. thebiggreenlie says:
    02/12/2012 at 18:34

    This is the second time I have directly e mailed this to my Council and have not had a reply…………..just wrote again and am holding them to confirm my e mail and if they don’t I will be inside Council Chambers asking what the hell are they being paid to do other than suck our $$$ out of our pocket and support a corrupt Provincial Government!
    Enough is bloody well enough!

    • Protest voter says:
      02/12/2012 at 21:04

      Stubborn servants ehe? . . Some just do not get the picture of destruction of this ACT and rather see this province go to hell for the peanuts they are getting in return for the few farmers that will benefit from sweat of our backs.

      • 1greenian says:
        02/13/2012 at 09:07

        Actually only a few of those who gain financially are local farmers. Many of theses “wind – bags” are well camouflaged absentee landlords.

  3. p says:
    02/12/2012 at 19:13

    I can’t imagine our council here in Haldimand walking out. Our “mayor” (what a joke) is busy making commercials for Samsung and saying how good all this is good for Haldimand. Nevertheless, I’ll send it. Maybe someone on council has a sense of shame.

  4. Free Thinker says:
    02/12/2012 at 20:26

    Questions:

    So what is really going on in Arran-Elderslie ? Just curious!
    Vision changing?

    Gas? -

    And ‘elimination’ of CAO – 2 significant resignations – 1 long time employee – ‘retirement’ (?) – and new hires in progress

    Eagleson said he is “strongly in favour” of efforts to bring natural gas to the municipality
    saying it is “a huge factor in terms of economic development for our municipality.”

    In 2011, there were a number of staff changes at the ArranElderslie municipal office,
    including the elimination of the CAO position,
    the resignations of chief building official Stephen Walmsley and deputy treasurer Karmen Krueger
    for positions in other municipalities;
    the retirement of long-time accounting clerk/receptionist Bob Murphy,
    along with the hiring of a new recreation director Ann McArthur and new chief building official Josh Planz.

    The search continues for a new deputy treasurer.

    http://www.shorelinebeacon.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3447053

    p.s. ‘elimination’ I think means ‘you’re fired’ – ah huh!

  5. helen kszan says:
    02/12/2012 at 22:34

    Fortunately ,all councils are not of the same calibre as that of Haldimand and where –thebiggreenlie—-hails from. Our neighbouring council is implementing on Feb 14 a first and second reading for the enactment of a draft By-Law requiring a 2km setback for Wind Turbine construction. The By-Law ,when it comes into force, will require any new turbine to be sited 2km from any residence or occupied structure from the nearest property line.
    Our council has on its’ agenda tomorrow evening a similar By-Law enactment . Councils have bought into this program that ” Their Hands Are Tied ” . It has taken some private citizens here not willing to be total victims in this turbine fiasco to firmly remind council that they have a legal responsibility to protect the health ,safety, quality of life and well being of their citizens and their properties.
    With no legal background ,I do not know whether a Regional Gov has the authority to supersede municipal law.
    For “P” in Haldimand and others with ineffective councils , I could only hope that other forces will come into play to restore some sanity to this turmoil in our lives.

    • barbara says:
      02/12/2012 at 23:43

      2kms setback could mean that the wind developers will just install larger IWTs to make up for the loss in allowed turbines as things stand now. 2 kms won’t be much help if this happens. 600 ft tall turbines can produce lots of noise not including the infrasound.

      • Frances says:
        02/13/2012 at 11:13

        2 km setback also does not address the issue that at ANY setback, turbines are not good sources of power. We must be careful not to get sucked into the argument of “What distance of setback would you be happy with?” The answer is “NONE”. I cannot believe how many times I have been asked some version of this question in the past few months.

        On the other hand, perhaps it shows that more people are becoming aware of some of the issues of turbines.

        International turbines are infefficient, ineffective, intermittent and useless sources of power at the present time – regardless of setback distance.

  6. helen kszan says:
    02/13/2012 at 06:53

    You are perfectly correct on that point ,Barbara. The turbines slated here are the 3mw ,600 ft ones . I shall be pointing that out at council this evening . When the petition sheets were drafted the setback was copied from other countries {Australia ,etc} where the turbines were smaller. Dr. Pierpont recommends 2km setbacks ,perhaps not knowing the HUGE turbine size the developers are planning to construct in some areas.

    • barbara says:
      02/13/2012 at 11:44

      Has anyone looked at the concession plots to see if there are any odd size land plots large enough to sneak in turbines? There were some land plots larger than 200 acres due to rivers & creeks as an example.Also some smaller than 200 acres.

  7. Sick of this crap says:
    02/13/2012 at 19:21

    I agree , no windmills period.
    There is no usable storage system for excess energy produced,
    When will they stop ptssing away OUR tax dollars ?
    Don’t get sucked into the ” what distance set back would work ”
    It is just a stupid , stupid idea.

  8. thebiggreenlie says:
    02/13/2012 at 19:49

    As long as people are arguing about setback distances then the real issue gets buried……………..NO WIN TURBINES ANYWHERE!!!
    This debate has been going on for over 4 years now……………………why is it still being discussed???

  9. Melodie Burkett says:
    02/14/2012 at 08:07

    There will be many coward Mayors that will not walk out. They will hide behind the Green Energy Act and thereby be complicit and facilitate the hostile corporate take over of our once beautiful rural lands. Make sure to publish their names in every small town newspaper so that future generatons can see how easy is was for corporate interests to walk in and seduce the gullible, throw some money at some desperate farmers, add to the coffers of the rich ones and pay some absentee rural landowners and “‘have their way with us” Slam bang,… thank you mame..

    And our municipal representatives quivered in their boots, afraid of losing provincial grants if they spoke out against tyranny. I am so glad my father and his father are not alive to bare witness to this soleful repeat of history. Shame on us all for not taking to the streets!

  10. concernedresident says:
    02/14/2012 at 12:37

    Melodie,
    i couldn’t agree with you more on how and all you say.
    cowards whos interest is their own protected pockets

  11. Crazy train says:
    02/15/2012 at 17:26

    Not holding my breath expecting support of councillors of Norfolk County. Last evening, the Mayor of Norfolk County, Dennis Travale rudely interrupted a deputation presented by a victim of industrial wind turbines. Travale stated he is not interested in hearing anything more from these people; there is nothing he can do.
    There is nothing he “chooses” to do; in the end, Norfolk County will be held accountable.Truth, disclosure and justice will prevail in the courts. tick, tick, tick…

  12. Crazy train says:
    02/15/2012 at 17:58

    People have become aware of the industrial wind turbine boon doggle; four years on the table and counting while at the same time, Liberals are laughing their heads off while they continue to stick it to us. Nothing will be done nor will anything change, until we stop it; yes Melodie, “we take it to the streets”. What’s up rural Ontario? What kind of society have we become? We know what is going on and we do nothing?! We haven’t seen the end of it by far. As long as the people of Ontario will allow it; this crap will continue, and it will get much worse. Believe it people. This is serious, devastating business. McGuinty and his Liberals have brain washed Ontario. He has failed the citizens of Ontario. We can get Ontario back on the right track. We can do anything we want, just like McGuinty. We can prevail. Get off your a**es; use your brains. Protect the future of our province and of our future generations…our kids. It is OUR duty. To trust in your government is no longer an option.

  13. Melodie Burkett says:
    02/15/2012 at 20:13

    Thank you Crazy Train..Sir!, Well said.
    What is that famous saying? Evil can only exist when a few good men do nothing.
    We have all read the broken hearts poured out on this blog for 4 years now. All good people, stunned and disallusioned by the betrayal of our elected officials. To Quote Crazy Train; ” To trust in your government is no longer an option.” Time for all good men to stand up and take our province back. A McGuinty intervention you might say. You are all my hero’s , you know who you are and I am damn proud to know you. I’ll see you on the front or in jail… my children and future grandchildren are worth it. The only way forward is forward!
    For the record, I have never been an activist, I was not a hippy in the 60′s. Just a country lady that believes democracy needs to be defended at all cost. Our ancesters paid dearly for it.

    Yours truly,
    Melodie Burkett

    • ScepticalGord says:
      02/16/2012 at 00:49

      Ditto for myself, no flower power or Peter, Paul and Mary for me in the 60s.
      I’ve never been an activist, never picketed, protested, boycotted, marched, occupied, attended town halls or open houses until the advent of IWTs, a monumental boondoggle and environmental disaster infesting Ontario and much of the world.

      As mad as I may be, my home is not under any immediate threat from IWTs, but I can only imagine how upset so many other people are and should be.

    • madasabat says:
      02/16/2012 at 09:04

      Yes Melodie, it is time for a
      McGuinty intervention.

  14. Melodie Burkett says:
    02/16/2012 at 10:36

    Hey there madasabat…How you doing? Where is Quiote lately. Sure do need him. I have a wee plan at the Royal York for Good Roads/ROMA. Feb 27th. I will be asking all rural Mayors to support a walk out….AND a NON CONFIDENCE request,….especially with the Drummond Report coming out yesterday. McGuinty speaks at 7:30 am the first morning. ( unless he changes his schedule) Can’t give details here. That info is classified. You ALL can find ME

    • ScepticalGord says:
      02/16/2012 at 11:07

      Check out the list of Good Roads / ROMA Sponsors at this link. Scary!

      http://www.combinedconference.org/

      How many municipal councils and their reps are going to wither under the pressure and lay down their swords? Following reasonable decorum is one thing … folding like a cheap suitcase is another.

      Melodie: FYI: Q=BGL

      • thebiggreenlie says:
        02/16/2012 at 11:42

        This is the main reason for Good Roads. To take Rural Mayors out of their safe rural settings and plop them down inside the bowels of the Big City and then bombard them with glossy brochures, false promises and lots of “suits” all trying to show the “country bumpkins” ( their view of Rural Politicians) how they SHOULD be acting when they get back home!
        CANWEA is there.that should sum it all up very nicely! What the hell do they have to do with good roads?……………..oh yeah they need good roads for their big trucks full of wind turbines. I wonder what would happen if some Mayor disguised himself as a “needy” town official and approached the CANWEA group and asked how they could make his township rich if he sold it out to the “windies”? A good tape recorder inside his suit pocket would be brilliant wouldn’t it?
        signed……….Quixote

      • Tom Blacksmith says:
        02/16/2012 at 11:54

        Sponsors
        Ontario Medical Association
        Hydro One
        Northland Power
        EXP Services
        Canadian Wind Energy Association
        Altus Group
        Inversa
        Cement Association of Canada
        Cement Association of Canada – Advertisement
        Infrastructure Ontario
        ASi Technologies
        Nuclear Waste Management Organization
        ReNew Canada
        Ready Mix Concrete Accociation of Ontario (RMCAO)
        Roto-Mill Incorporated
        Ontario Municipal Knowledge Network (OMKN)
        Cowan Insurance
        Union Gas
        Utility Solutions
        ERTH Corporation
        Morrison Hershfield Limited
        Ontario Road Builders Association (ORBA)
        Municipal World
        Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA)

        Bentley and Bradley are also speaking.

    • madasabat says:
      02/16/2012 at 11:13

      Melodie – give ‘em hell.

      - as SG says Quiote a.k.a thebiggreenlie

  15. Melodie Burkett says:
    02/16/2012 at 12:28

    WELL Quixote..you ol bloodhound you ! I should have known. I might just happen to know a needy Mayor. Thanks guy’s …you know I really did miss that crabby ol bugger :)

    • thebiggreenlie says:
      02/16/2012 at 13:21

      Who me?…….Ha!…….I just use this website to vent on and then I’m good for an hour or two of laughs!!!!
      Just wish I was at that meeting but then I didn’t quite get the votes back in October to get in……but if I did, I would be inside CANWEA’s suite on Friday night trying to get them “hooked up” to make sure my township got a slice of the Wind Pie………..a really small tape recorder works real well when inside the lapel pocket of a suit jacket………….I might even ask for special services to be delivered to MY room………..of course I wouldn’t accept the invite when the knock came to my door, but one must think like a rat in order to trap a rat!!!!

  16. Crazy Train says:
    02/16/2012 at 13:25

    Yes Melodie,
    “Our ancestors paid for it, dearly”. That says it all.

  17. Melodie Burkett says:
    02/16/2012 at 18:13

    Yes that’s our Quixote. You would have had my vote. Yeah sure you would turn the Canwea girl away..Would that be before or after the Champagne! HA! Just kidding.
    Meanwhile, I am thinking of how to get my husband to wear a tape recorder and take the time between meetings to pull this off. Very tricky…I mean me talking him into this. Why don’t you do it Quixote..? Just wear a suit, put a ribbon with a name tag around your neck and tell em your the Mayor of Makeitup Ontario. If I can find out what room they are in I will email moe who can email you. I think you you can pull this off!

    • thebiggreenlie says:
      02/17/2012 at 20:23

      Actually I am trying to get our Mayor involved and informed enough that he will see what has happened to our once great Democracy……………

  18. Melodie Burkett says:
    02/16/2012 at 18:18

    CrazyTrain,
    My dad was 80 lbs when he was liberated out of a Polish concentration camp. As an officer he had burned his uniform in the takeover and went underground in Warsaw to help people escape. Took a lot of gut’s. He was only 24 years old. His parents were in the middle east and he had just gone to Poland to go to university when the war started. How about your family, sounds like you understand the price paid as well ?

  19. Crazy Train says:
    02/16/2012 at 19:32

    Melodie,
    Grandpa, aunts and uncles served in the air force. I had an uncle who never made it home. He was 19. My Grandmother never spoke a harsh word but I knew she felt tremendous sorrow in her heart. My mother has a small case of mementos and letters sent from overseas written during his last days.
    My home which I abandoned two years ago because of the turbines was originally a government air traffic communications base built during the war. It is known as “the old radio house”; cedar construction, original hardwood, nice view of the lake. My grandfather had a hand in building it. He passed away when I was a baby. The little country church I attended as a child can be seen across the way.
    While I’m at it, the general store also built by my grandfather and managed by my grandmother while he was in the Air Force; stands square and solid; abandoned and for sale. How I would love to have this! The solid brownstone block was made by my grandfather, from clay hauled by horse from a local clay pit. Within a year of the turbine development; the store closed it’s doors. The owner developed dementia and was moved to a nursing home.
    A kilometer down the road; a young woman in her mid forties committed suicide. I think you know the rest of the story :-(
    Now, shall we talk about the Drummond report and Ontario’s multi billion dollar deficit? There is NO place suitable for industrial wind turbines. However, there is a place suitable for Dalton and his cronies and it isn’t the big pink building at Queen’s Park.

  20. shocked and disgusted says:
    02/16/2012 at 22:03

    http://www.simcoereformer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3473901

    Check it out.

    Norfolk Councillor Peter Black accuses Stephana Johnston, a Victim of Industrial Wind Turbines, of “bullying” Norfolk Council.

    !!!

    Here’s the Councillors email addresses. Tell them what you think.
    http://www.norfolkcounty.ca/government/mayor-and-council/county-councillors/

  21. Melodie Burkett says:
    02/16/2012 at 23:31

    Crazy Trai,
    I am so touched by your history. I will pray thet this little general store comes back to you as your destiny. If Margaret Attwood heard of this she would write a best seller! PLEASE DO NOT LOSE HEART. We will win this. I promise you.

  22. Melodie Burkett says:
    02/17/2012 at 23:38

    shocked and disgusted,

    I read your link late last night, sent off a nasty letter to one of the councilors. When I woke up, his response was wating for me. I believe they are really embarrassed…they should be.

  23. Karen says:
    02/19/2012 at 19:47

    This is my letter to council with the pdf attachment:

    The Rural Ontario Municipal Association
    (ROMA) is Ontario’s rural municipalvoice, ensuring that matters affecting
    rural communities are brought to the
    attention of the provincial and federal
    governments.

    Together OGRA and ROMA host the
    Combined Conference, one of the
    largest annual gatherings of municipal
    leaders in Canada. Its aim is to reinvigorate public debate about how
    municipalities will respond to emergent challenges and opportunities.

    If indeed this is an opportunity to the Municipal voice to be heard, this year the voters that elected you to represent them will be listening to your voices and watching your actions. It certainly has not been the case of the Provincial Government to listen to the Municipalities. The Province certainly has not shown any consideration of your wishes or concerns in stripping you, the Municipalities, of your ability to have a say in how your communities are planned, yet left you facing angry constituents with problems you were unable to solve. At the same time it did not diminish your responsibility assigned under the Municipal Act for your constituents’ health and well-being.

    The imposition of the Green Energy Act and its result upon our communities and the refusal of Premier McGuinty to address these issues or any attempt to seriously resolve any of the issues presented to him is an act of sheer arrogance. Rural Ontario has spoken at the ballot box. Rural constituents have also carefully questioned local representatives and many were elected on the basis of dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. At least at the Municipal level, voters will increase their advocacy to ensure elected officials will govern at voters’ behest and not the other way around.

    Premier McGuinty has clearly shown his disrespect for our local communities. It is now time to once again remind the Premier that Rural Ontario is displeased with his governance. His governance has resulted in one scandal after another. Premier McGuinty in his arrogance dismissed the Auditor General’s report. Instead he spent our tax dollars to pay for the Drummond report which lets him off the hook and instead of getting rid of government agencies no longer needed, the austerity will again reflect upon the taxpayer.

    This Premier does not deserve our respect. Our displeasure needs to be shown in a public display and in unity in the only avenue that is left open to us. As the whole general assembly walked out on Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, so should you do no less than join Arran-Elderslie and support this call for unity.

  24. thebiggreenlie says:
    02/19/2012 at 21:36

    Ditto!……………how has this happened? ……..We lect Politicians to represent US and manage OUR money for the good of US!
    The Municipal Councils ask for OUR votes just like the Provincial politicians. WE respond and allow them into a seat of power to represent US and OUR wishes!
    BUT along the way things have gone completely 180 degrees. Politicians assume once the election is over and they have been “elected” into their seat of power then they become totally “disconnected” from the people who put them there, pay their wages and demand actions for the good of the whole. Then the Province starts to tell the municipalities what to do as if they are more important than the people.This happens through the AMO and now through ROMA……………these organizations are nothing more than another arm of the Provincial Government which DICTATES from the top down and has nothing to do with the power of the Municipalities. Municipal Councils have been literally “neutered” and must do everything in their power to get back to what they were originally created for. A small step that may get this started would be damn good “walk-out”!

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