Windmill proposal rejected

TIGNISH - It wasn't her place to speak, but Tignish resident Mary Rae Lambert managed a one-word response Tuesday when Tignish Municipal Council voted against allowing wind turbines in the community.
"Hallelujah," Lambert gasped before showering the council with applause. They voted 5-0 against a proposed official plan amendment to allow windmills in Tignish.
It was Lambert who was most vocal against windmills during a public meeting two weeks ago. She made a presentation to council at the start of Tuesday's meeting outlining her opposition, not knowing that the Tignish Planning Board had decided during a meeting last week to recommend that council deny the application.
Coun. Alan Gavin, who made the motion in support of the planning board's recommendation, acknowledged following the meeting that this will not likely be the last time wind development is discussed in Tignish.
"I'm not saying that it's dead, but we've got to make sure that when we go ahead with it everybody is satisfied with it," he said.
Gavin said he got the sense that most people at the public meeting and monthly meeting of Council were against the proposed amendment.
It was a building permit application from the Tignish Sports Association that got the process rolling. That organization was hoping to be take advantage of government funding to put up wind turbines to help power the Tignish Credit Union Arena.
Gavin suggested uncertainty about the regulations prompted the Planning Board to recommend for council to deny the amendment.
"I'm afraid it's going ahead too fast and we're going to have windmills on every single coast," Lambert said in explaining her opposition.

Jo: - June 21st, 2010 at 19:08:17

I don't understand why people in this province are against proposals like this. What is wrong with you, why wouldn't you want it? Anything new that comes to our province we reject, get with the times, stop living in the past, no wonder the province of PEI is the last to get everything.

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Phillip Ontakos: - June 21st, 2010 at 19:07:24

Hey Debbie, I am from PEI wake up.

so if windmills are new around here they have been used in places like Holland for years and the residents of Holland haven't dropped dead because of windmills. So the health risks must be minimal. and she was Quoted as saying she didn't want to see them on every coast. did you even read the article or my comment. And i bet people who visit here would not stop just because we had windmills. if that was the case then good riddance. as for the old lady comment i didn't mean just because she's older, i could tell from the comment she made.

Islander: - June 21st, 2010 at 19:07:08

THEY ARE NOT WINDMILLS!!!!!
A wind turbine is a rotating machine which converts the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used directly by machinery, such as a pump or grinding stones, the machine is usually called a windmill. If the mechanical energy is instead converted to electricity, the machine is called a wind generator, wind turbine, wind power unit (WPU), wind energy converter (WEC), or aerogenerator.

Dave: - June 21st, 2010 at 19:06:54

It is a sad day when progress gets blocked by a councils lack of understanding and short sightedness, energy from wind...
The local rink was just trying to save a dollar, and do their part. I hope an appeal is successful.

Phillip Ontakos: - June 21st, 2010 at 19:06:01

Wow very good Islander, you know how to use Wikipedia. you get a blue star and a cookie after nap time

Debbie: - June 21st, 2010 at 19:04:34

Just wondering if all you critiques did your research on wind energy! I also see in the article that the windmill would only help in the energy use . What is the initial cost output and how long does it take to recoup your cost? When does it actually start paying for itself. What effect will it have on the people living closest to it ? Also will visitors find the Island so appealing when all the beautiful coast line is plastered with windmills, that do indeed change the landscape . I applaude the Council for for their insight in not jumping into an issue that may or may not effect generations to come. Wind energy is new to this area and what do studies say about it s effect on the surrounding areas and health risk to people .

Phillip, just wondering what are the facts ? Being a fifty something woman I wondered
if I was too old to understand. They were talking in the village and not off the coast . Have you ever been to P.E.I ?

George: - June 21st, 2010 at 19:04:22

This council seems to be listening to its people , isnt that how it`s supposed to be, quite unusual in today`s day and age. Here`s my question, will the Tignish Sports Association seek out other forms of energy savings such as solar panels or even smaller versions of wind generators/turbines/power units/aerogenerators for the roof of their arena or will they do nothing because they didnt get their way with the WINDMILLS sorry islander from p.e.i I had to say it LOL

Phillip Ontakos: - June 21st, 2010 at 19:03:55

I like the quote they put in the paper.

(Im afraid its going ahead too fast and were going to have windmills on every single coast, Lambert said in explaining her opposition.)

so I'm going to bet she is an older lady that doesn't understand the facts?
i guess just worrying about what it might look like and not being opposed to any real issue's is enough to stop progress? I think they should put windmills out off the coast to harness the wind energy like they have in European countries.

Fellow: - June 21st, 2010 at 19:03:55

Hey now people, a very smart Buisness man put one up in Borden with much success and the council there has also banned any more from going up, just don't figure? But hey, canned pop and Wind energy all within a ten year time frame, Slow down PEI, people are going to think we are joined at the hip with the rest of the world!!!!!

not: - June 21st, 2010 at 19:02:42

what with wind mills, I think that it's a smart thing to do and the right thing to do. people are all ways saying that we have to do what,s right for the enviroment, but when some one try's to do it they get a slap in the face to doing it. it think it's time for people to live in the now and not the past. we have to move forward. we all so can't depend on N.B to get our power. we have to try and stand on our owne 2 feet.

BOB DOLE: - June 21st, 2010 at 19:02:21

this is so stupid. why would you stop a business from using windmills to save money. what would these people say if a few of the workers at the Tignish Credit Union Arena lost their jobs because they couldn't save money on power costs? I guess people are just behind in the times, get with it.