A vocal opponent of the Big Thunder Wind Park was once sub contracted to do work for the very project he's now fighting to stop.
Ward Bond, owner of Loch Lomond Ski Resort, received nearly $9,000 for sub-contracted work from Horizon Wind Inc., said a company official. Big Thunder Wind Park project co-ordinator Nhung Nguyen said in email sent to Dougall Media that Bond offered to step in and help the company clear trees and co-ordinate site preparations for a test tower installation.
Horizon also believed they had support from John Beals, area resident and owner of the Neebing Roadhouse. Beals never worked for the company, but did take Nguyen on an ATV tour of the project study area and offered to provide her with maps of the area. The company considered him to be a helpful individual.
About a year later both Beals and Bond became members of the Nor’Wester Mountain Escarpment Protection Committee, a group against Horizon’s current plans. During the group’s first meeting Beals was introduced as the Protection Committee’s interim chairman.
"Up until several months ago, both John (Beals) and Ward (Bond) had not expressed any concerns over our project proposal and their actions had indicated nothing but support for the project," Nguyen writes in her email.
The Big Thunder Wind Park is a proposed $75-million project that would see about 18 wind turbines dot the Neebing skyline along some of the Nor’Wester Mountains. The Protection Committee has numerous issues with the company’s plans, including its proximity to people.
Before becoming part of the opposition, Bond asked in 2008 if Horizon would be interested in placing a wind turbine on his Loch Lomond property or taking the power produced from the windmills for the ski hill.
He also inquired about setting up a test tower on his Candy Mountain property, Nguyen said.
Bond said those inquiries were made before he learned about the consequences of wind-energy production.
"The most important part is that I didn’t know a thing about windmills," Bond said. "I didn’t think they were that bad. All you have to do is a little bit of research and you will … learn about the destruction of these things.
"I even offered Loch Lomond at first. I said ‘why don’t you come to my place. can I use the power at Loch Lomond?’ I just paid my hydro bill, $32,000 for a month, so I could use some free power. But that was in ’08 when I didn’t know anything about windmills."
Bond said had he known in 2008 what he knows now, he would never have let the company use his property to access the test site, nor would he have accepted work from Horizon.
"I couldn’t care less about making $8,000, I could lose an $8 million piece of property because of what they are doing," said Bond.
Beals said he was aware of the project after Horizon’s first open house in 2007. From that moment he said he was skeptical about the project because of its location on the Loch Lomond watershed.
The Neebing resident and area businessman admits that he did offer help to a company official. That help, however, was not a vote of support for the project.
"There’s an old saying to keep your friends close and your opponents closer," he said. "I thought that it behooved me and was in the interest of the public that I befriend them and see what they were all about.
"Did that mean that I was keenly interested in the project? Absolutely not. I wanted to know what they were doing and learn the destruction that could take place on the mountain," said Beals.
The Protection Committee is planning to make a deputation to council and hold more public meetings in the future. There are no specific dates set for the group’s next meeting or when they expect to approach council with a deputation.
