Horizon pleased with council's decision

City council’s approval of  a land lease agreement and the locations of 18 power-generating turbines has left officials from the company looking to build a wind farm on the Nor'wester Mountains very pleased says an official.

While some councillors reversed their original decision, from the time the project first got council approval in 2007, Big Thunder Wind Park project developer Nhung Nguyen said the 7-5 vote recorded during a special session of council on Tuesday night proves the city wants the project to go ahead.

The decision must still be ratified next Monday.

Nguyen said council reaffirmed its approval of the $75-milllion project when they voted in favour of all 18 turbine locations along the Nor’Wester Mountain Range, though she acknowledged not everyone was on board with Horizon’s plan.

But it’s time to move forward, she said.  

"What (councillors not in favour) believe is what they believe, but we also believe that this is a really good project," she said.

While council won’t allow construction to begin until Horizon’s renewable energy approval is give the green light by the province, Nguyen said that’s pretty standard operating procedure and Horizon has no concerns about the provision.

Nguyen also dismissed rumours of potential legal action, which many believed the company had planned to pursue if the project was waylaid at the municipal level.
Nguyen said the rumours aren’t true.

"No, as a business we take stuff like that very seriously. You don’t throw around threats.It’s really a last-resort sort of option," Nguyen said.

Nguyen wouldn’t say what Horizon would have done had the city voted against the locations, but said she’s glad it didn’t come to that.

"I wouldn’t speculate on what ifs. I mean there could have been a lot of different outcomes, but this is the outcome and we’re very pleased," said Nguyen.

With its completed REA in hand since August, Nguyen said Horizon is ready to submit it to the province shortly. After that, timelines will be in the province’s hands, but Nguyen said construction could begin as early as next year.