On Monday city council will be seeking legal advice on its next move in the continuing saga of wind turbines on the Nor’Wester Mountain Range.
Could this be the beginning of the end for Horizon Wind Inc. in Thunder Bay?
One of the questions that’s got to be on the minds of council is if it’s possible to get out of the deal without costing the city millions in damage payments to the Toronto-based company.
Lawyer Sam Buchinski, a top dog with the opposition Nor’Wester Mountain Escarpment Protection Committee, says yes, citing what he feels to be an improperly signed option to lease agreement.
The city downplays his concerns.
But in reality, maybe it’s the easy way out.
The city is clearly in a dilemma. Residents in the area have clearly stated they don’t want the turbines erected on the mountains, worrying about everything from health and safety to property values.
The city signed what the company believes to be an ironclad deal, and with the province pushing for environmentally friendly power under the Green Energy Act, they’ve got little say in preventing it.
They do have final say in the location of the turbines on the Nor’Wester land, but delaying the process could find the city in court, facing the wrong end of a major lawsuit.
Taking a step back on Tuesday was probably the best thing they could do at this stage of the game.
