By Peter Hendra, Kingston Whig-Standard
KINGSTON - If Amherst Island residents opposed to a planned wind project resort to trying to slow down construction by obstruction, their provincial representative says he will be there to support them. “(Non-violent) civil disobedience is an acceptable means in the right situations,” said Randy Hillier, MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington. “Should those situations arise, absolutely I’ll be there.”
Hillier was among those who attended a public meeting held Wednesday evening in Bath that was hosted by representatives of Windlectric Inc., a company formed by Algonquin Power Co. of Oakville and Gaia Power of Kingston. The developer has been granted a contract by the government, but the project — which would see 36 wind turbines erected on the island just west of Kingston — has yet to be approved.
“I had a number of discussions with the project team at the meeting (Wednesday),” Hillier said over the telephone from his constituency office. “I told them of my opposition to it, so that they’re clear that I stand with the community on this.” Hillier said he didn’t mince words with company representatives, and he believes they were surprised about how adamantly he opposed the project. “I think the phrase that I used was that the Liberal government and themselves should take their wind turbines and put them where the sun doesn’t shine and the wind always blows,” he recalled. Read article
ALL governments should be backing the innocent victims, and helping them to fight the onslaught of these useless machines. Too many are willing to quietly accept hush/blood money, and claim impotence brought about by the Greed Energy Act. I love Hillier’s idea for proper placement of the turbines. Right up the Liberal’s Alley…..
One should ask Hillier why he backs the AIP for the Algonquin Land Claim that will effectively remove 117,000 acres of land from Crown rule and give the First Nations control over water,resources, hunting and fishing rights of Eastern Ontario with his letter to the OPP as follows:
http://www.randyhilliermpp.com/bts02112013
This is just another Government effort to “divide and conquer” Rural Residents by creating a large division between groups of people who otherwise live in relative harmony with each other!
Can’t have it both ways!
I believe that is a valid question, and I would like to hear his answer. He doesn’t mention that in this article…..funny. Sounds like he is rounding up votes wherever he can.
You have a point:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/03/10/memo-to-ontario-liberals-has-style-tips-with-preferred-way-to-talk/
“This is a dangerous phenomenon too in that you have political parties that are totally committed to the electoral aspect of the game who are beginning to pay real attention to who are the people that vote, and then tailoring their communication, their policy agenda to the people who actually vote,” Evans said.
Don’t look for changes anytime soon. Look for all parties to really “hone their game”.
Property Rights
A Petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
WHEREAS at the hallmark of a free society is the right of the individual to the use and enjoyment of property;
AND WHEREAS property rights include the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice;
WE the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows: That the Legislative Assembly pass the property rights motion tabled by MPP Randy Hillier, and take the necessary steps to enshrine property rights in the Constitution for Ontario.
http://www.randyhilliermpp.com/property_rights
“Wolfe Island A Busy Place This Summer”, Aug. 26,2004
Presentations to Frontenac Island’s Council Recently:
Samit Sharma, GAIA Power founder
Ted Haynes, Citizen Energy, run by the Kennedy family > Chicago Climate Exchange
Benoit Fortier, SkyPower Corp.
http://www.wolfeisland.com/mtnews/archives/cat_2004_stories.php
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ZOOMINFO Search Enter: Samit Sharma, GAIA Power
GAIA Power Inc., Kingston, Samit Sharma founder
Afilliations:
V.P. SkyPower Ltd.
Board of CanWEA
Nat. Board of CanWE
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GAIA Power also partnered with Harthmakers for Wolfe Island project.
National Park Foundation Board includes Bill Kurtis, Chicago Climate Exchange.
Bill Kurtis connections include:
Joseph Kennedy ll, Citizens Energy Corp
Michael Polsky, Invenergy
Rajendra Pachauri
Maurice Strong
John C. Cushman, lll
The U.S. Secretary Of The Interior
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/board.asp?privcapId=5920008
Aug.13,2004
Scroll down to:
GAIA Power Meets Business & Tourism
“In consultation with our partner Hearthmakers we entered into a joint venture agreement with Sky Power Corporation along with Citizen Energy a US based company run by the Kennedy Family.”
http://www.wolfeisland.com/mtnews/archives/2004_08.php
This information should have been looked at prior to this time or was it looked at?
Wolfe Island Ontario, Dec.1,2005
Scroll down to: “Wind Power Project Approved For Wolfe Island”
Canadian Renewable Energy Corp./CREC now a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Hydro Developers was awarded the RES contract for wind power at Wolfe Island
Sixty landownwes who had options to lease with GAIA Power Inc. were notified to transfer all their options to CREC.
Ontario Wind Energy Partners/OWEP were GAIA Power, SkyPower and Citizens Energy. GAIA signed over their options to CREC.
The project, under the contract signed by GAIA, was to be designed, financed and constructed and fully owned by CREC/Canadian Hydro Developers.
What financial interests were retained by SkyPower and Citizens Energy?
What financial interests were retained by GAIA?
No mention of any Hearthmakers Cooperative financial interests in the project were mentioned in this article.
http://www.wolfeisland.com/mtnews/archives/cat_2005_stories.php
The Wolfe Island project turned out to be worth millions of dollars.
PR Newswire, Aug.,2006
An old news article so Google: “HSH Nordbank Aquires Stake in SkyPower Corp …”
“Skypower is a stakeholder in the Wolfe Island Wind Park a 197MW Project, which commences construction in early 2007 and when completed will be Ontario’s largest wind park.”
Source SkyPower Corp.
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US Chapter 15 Bankruptcy protects a foreign company from U.S. lawsuits while the company restructures in its home country. SkyPower Corp. did a Chapter 15 filing in the US Delaware Federal Court Aug.19,2009.
Correction: the correct name is Ted.Hynes, Citizen Energy
Citizens Energy Corp., Citizens Wind
Our Projects include: Wlofe Island, Ont.
Working with Canadian partners the Wolfe Island wind project,198MW, development completed 2008 and went into commercial operation in 2009.
http://www.citizensenergy.com/english/pages/26/our-projects
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Marathon Capital, Bannockburn, IL, Aug.29,2009
Scroll down to Outcome:
Closed Solar Business & Wolfe Island Royality Sale to CIM Group
Closed 134 GE XLE turbines to Invenergy
http://www.marathon-cap.com/SkyPower_Corp_Case_Study.html
SkyPower was split into two groups in late 2009. CIM Group aquired the solar part and appointed Kerry Adler Pres. & CEO. Also aquired the Wolfe Island royalty.
SkyPower Global
Kerry Adler, Pres. & CEO
Richard Ressler, Principal & Founder of CIM
Jennifer Gardin, Principal at CIM
Kelly Eppich, Principal at CIM
http://www.cimgroup.com/ourFirm/team.aspx
ZOOMINFO;
Enter: Kerry Adler, for more information
http://www.zoominfo.com
Lehman Brothers aquired SkyPower Corp. in 2007 and in 2009 Lehman took down SkyPower when it went bankrupt.
GAIA Power, Nov.5,2005
“Gaia Power Inc. and their partners are pleased to announce that their joint bid with Canadian Hydro Developers was successful in the Ontario government’s request for proposals for Green Power Projects.”
GAIA Power had “partners”, Aug.,2004, Hearthmakers, SkyPower and Citizens Energy which then had a joint bid along with Canadian Hydro Developers for Wolfe Island project.
Lehman Brothers aquired SkyPower in 2007.
CIM Group aquired the Wolfe Island royality in late 2009 in the breakup of SkyPower.
http://www.gaiapower.com
.
Environmental Law and Litigation, Nov.24,2009
“Another wind energy lawsuit”
Hearthmakers alleged that Gaia signed up wind energy land options in Hearthmaker’s name without their knowledge and then sold these options to Canadian Hydro Developers Inc. Canadian Hydro used these options to build its wind farm.
http://envirolaw.com/wind-energy-lawsuit
CBC News/Business, Aug.14,2009
“Expenses blow away Q 2 profit at Canadian Hydro Developers”
Canadian Hydro at that time was the target of a hostile takeover bid by TransAlta Corp. which offered to pay $654M or $4.55/shr.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2009/08/14/canadian-hydro-developers-earnings.html
Canadian Renewable Energy Corp. got an ecoEnergy grant for the Wolfe Island Wind Project June,29,2009. Registration number is: 5911-C2-3
The Globe And Mail, Original story c.Oct.5,2009
“TransAlta wins Canadian Hydro”
Deal worth $1.6 billion
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/transalta-wins-canadian-hydro/article1203155/?service=mobile
Lexpert .ca, Closed June 11,2007
Lehman Brothers Private Equity aquired a 50% stake in SkyPower Corp.
http://www.lexpert.ca/deal.php?id=3819
Isn’t it fraud when a party obtains land options pretending to be another/different party?
And then sells these options to another party which in turn gets a government contract using these options?
Expenses blow away Q2 profit at Canadian Hydro Developers
August 14, 2009
The company said earnings were affected by an increased interest expense at its Melancthon II wind farm northwest of Toronto. The company also faced increased amortization expenses at Melancthon II, as well as at another wind farm on Wolfe Island, near Kingston, Ont. ?
Can’t know what the exact financial arrangements were for the parties involved in the Wolfe Island wind project without the financial arrangements documents.
Known information is that GAIA, Hearthmakers, Skypower and Citizens Energy formed one party and the other party was Canadian Hydro Developers who joined to obtain the ok for the project.
One report on the internet was that TransAlta did not get 100% of Canadian Hydro Developers. But Canadian Hydro Developers can be a subsidiary of TransAlta without 100% ownership. This could have changed by now.
By Nov.4,2009 TransAlta owned all the shares of Canadian Hydro Developers.
http://finance.boston.com/boston/action/getedgarwindow?accesscode=1047469090009787
Correction:
http://finance.boston.com/boston/action/getedgarwindow?accesscode=104746909009787
Confidence and Negligent Mispresentation
from http://finance.boston.com/boston/action/getedgarwindow?accesscode=104746909009787
TRANSALTA CORPORATION
US$1,000,000,000
Common Shares
First Preferred Shares
Debt Securities
Warrants
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Factors that may adversely impact the Corporation’s forward looking statements include risks relating to: (i) fluctuations in market prices and availability of fuel supplies required to generate electricity and in the price of electricity; (ii) the regulatory and political environments in the jurisdictions in which the Corporation operates; (iii) environmental requirements and changes in, or liabilities under, these requirements; (iv) changes in general economic conditions including interest rates; (v) operational risks involving the Corporation’s facilities, including unplanned outages at such facilities;
…
The rules and regulations in the various markets in which the Corporation operates are subject to change, which may materially adversely affect the Corporation.
Certain of the markets in which the Corporation operates and intends to operate are subject to significant regulatory oversight and control. The Corporation is not able to predict whether there will be any further changes in the regulatory environment, including potential regulation of the rates allowed to be charged and the capital structure of wholesale generating companies such as the Corporation, or what the ultimate effect of a changing regulatory environment will have on its business. Existing market rules and regulations may be revised or reinterpreted and new laws and regulations may be adopted or become applicable to the Corporation or its facilities which could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation. The Corporation cannot guarantee that it will be able to adapt its business in a timely manner in response to any changes in the regulatory regimes in which it operates, and such failure to adapt could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation.
…
Many of the Corporation’s activities and properties are subject to environmental requirements and changes in, or liabilities under, these requirements may materially adversely affect the Corporation.
…
The Corporation’s operations are subject to extensive Canadian, U.S. and other federal, provincial, state and local environmental laws, regulations and guidelines, relating to the generation and transmission of electrical and thermal energy and surface mining, pertaining to pollution and protection of the environment, health and safety and governing among other things, air emissions, water usage and discharges, storage, treatment and disposal of waste and other materials and remediation of contaminated sites and land use responsibility (collectively, “environmental regulation”). These laws can impose liability for costs to investigate and remediate contamination without regard to fault and under certain circumstances liability may be joint and several resulting in one responsible party being held responsible for the entire obligation.
…
To comply with environmental regulation, the Corporation must incur material capital and operating expenditures relating to environmental monitoring, emissions and effluent control equipment and processes, emissions measurement, verification and reporting, emissions fees and other compliance activities or obligations. The Corporation expects to continue to have environmental expenditures in the future. Stricter standards, new or greater regulation, increased enforcement by regulatory authorities,
…
To the extent these expenditures cannot be passed through to our customers under our power purchase agreements, including Alberta PPAs (as defined herein) or otherwise, the costs to the Corporation could be material. In addition, compliance with environmental regulation might result in restrictions on some of the Corporation’s operations. If the Corporation does not comply with environmental regulation, regulatory agencies could seek to impose statutory, administrative and/or criminal liabilities on the Corporation or to curtail its operations and significant expenditures on compliance, new equipment or technology, reporting obligations and research and development. In addition to environmental regulation, the Corporation could also face civil liability in the event that private parties seek to impose liability on the Corporation for property damage, personal injury or other costs and losses. The Corporation cannot guarantee that lawsuits or administrative or investigative actions will not be commenced against it otherwise affect its operations and assets. If an action is filed against the Corporation or which may otherwise affect its operations and assets, the Corporation could be required to make substantial expenditures to defend or evidence its activities or to bring the Corporation, its operations and assets into compliance, which could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation.
…
The Corporation may be unsuccessful in the defence of legal actions.
The Corporation is occasionally named as a defendant in various claims and legal actions. There can be no assurance that the Corporation will be successful in the defence of each of these claims and legal actions or that any claim or legal action that is decided adverse to the Corporation will not materially adversely affect the Corporation.
Since SkyPower Corp. was 50% owned by Lehman Brothers Private Equity did they also own 50% of the SkyPower Wolfe Island royality? If so who owns this royalty now as Lehmans went bankrupt. Royalties are assets that can be worth money.
Did TransAlta aquire any or all of the Wolfe Island royalties?
Maybe it’s time to look for the U.S. SEC filings of any of the companies involved in the Wolfe Island project?
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
US SEC Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Nov.30,2007
Part 1, Page 6
Aquired 56.5% of SkyPower, a Toronto-based early stage wind and solar generation development company. This is a controlling interest.
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/806085/000110465908005476/a08-3530_110k.htm
Lehman Brothers Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sept.15,2008 at the US Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York.
Case No. 08-13555 with Judge James M. Peck presiding over at least some parts of the case.
Lehman Brothers will sell off their assets which could take a considerable amount of time.
http://www.nysb.uscourts.gov
SkyPower Corp. filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy, Aug.19,2009 at the US Bankruptcy Court For The District Of Delaware.
Case No.09-12914
Judge Peter Walsh
Resolved Sept.15,2009
Need password to get records
In bankruptcy cases all of the assets owned must be revealed and a value is assigned to each asset.
Update!
Barclays acquires Lehman Brothers, North America
http://www.lehmanbrothers.com/
Barclays has lesson for Canada
A consortium of Canadian banks and institutional investors on Wednesday won regulators’ approval to take over ownership of the Toronto Stock Exchange, which conducts most of the securities trading in the country. The dozen participants in the Maple Group Acquisition Corp. will become the masters of Canadian stock trading in an environment where no one will effectively regulate their activity to protect market integrity.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/barclays-has-lesson-for-canada-161538315.html#comments
Northern Ontario Business, March 1,2007
“Scoping the North for solar potential” by Ian Ross
SkyPower, “It is also a well-connected firm with financial ties to RBC Capital, National Bank Financial and Citizens Energy Corporation.”
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Scoping+the+North+for+solar+potential.-a0161014569
100 solar projects?
Sat, 14 Jul, 2012
Solar company sues Ontario for $100M
In the latest blow against the Ontario Liberal’s green energy plan, Canada’s biggest solar energy firm is suing the province for $100 million.
The SkyPower Group is launching the lawsuit over changes Premier Dalton McGuinty’s government made to the energy program, including cutting the price it will pay for solar energy.
SkyPower had applied to build more than 100 solar projects in Ontario by this past April when the province announced the price changes and new criteria for approving projects.
“The government changed the rules of the game,” Toronto lawyer Tim Gilbert said. “We say simply that’s unfair. Most people would agree it’s not fair to change the rules of a process after you’ve relied upon it.”
SkyPower says the changes are unreasonable and would kill many of its projects.
The company wants the courts to strike down the changes and wants its projects re-considered under the old rules.
Without that, it’s looking for $100 million in damages.
Energy Minister Chris Bentley said in a statement that the government will vigorously defend the lawsuit.
Bentley points out the green-energy rules had been under review.
The government was already being sued for putting a moratorium last year on offshore wind power projects.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/solar-company-sues-ontario-100m-210306177.html
South Bay Law Firm
Scroll down to:
Chapter 15 Round-Up: July-September 2009
SkyPower filed for bankruptcy/receivership Aug.12, 2009, Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
http://www.southbaylawfirm.com/blog/?tag=bankruptcy-and-insolvency-act
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http://ns1758.ca/electric/electric.html#emera-inc
Emera Inc. has a 25% stake in Algonquin Power.
Emera Inc. bought the SkyPower Digby,NS wind project in Nov.,2009 when SkyPower was in receivership.
There are Ontario court records of the SkyPower Corp. receivership which should contain records for all of the company’s assets.
SkyPower, Ltd. is a Toronto, Canada-based utility scale solar development company that is one of North America’s premiere renewable energy providers. SkyPower has over 1GW of solar projects under construction or at various stages of development in its pipeline.
Investment Highlights
SkyPower owns Canada’s first utility-scale fully operating solar park, First Light I
Pipeline of solar projects includes installed projects as well as projects under construction (38.3 MW) and at advanced stages representing over 1500 MW of potential nameplate capacity across North America
http://www.cimgroup.com/investments/byGeographyInvestmentDetails.aspx?id=15
NOVA NEWS . COM, Nov.18,2009
17 landowners had liens put on them because SkyPower owed Terrain Group Inc, Dartmouth, $42,950
http://www.novanewsnow.com/section/2009-11-18/article-610581/Wind-turbine-progress-liens-a-bit/1