Why Community Wind for Georgina Island?

Answers provided by Chief Donna Big Canoe and Councillor William McCue of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation

1. What motivated your community to develop a community owned wind park as opposed to leasing your land to outside wind developers?

The decision was based on the fact that the First Nation wanted some control in the actual decision making process regarding the windmill operation. We saw the opportunity to get community input into the development size and operational procedures.

2. What do you hope to achieve for your community through the development of this wind park?

An economic development project that will create some employment and eventually generate own source revenue, plus ensuring that we limit the impact on the environment to our natural resources.

3. How would you describe your experiences with the process of developing the wind park so far?

Very educational, having no basic knowledge of wind energy it has been very eye opening to see what other sources of power that we can rely on that is safe to the environment.

4. Has this process yielded any unexpected benefits or created any unexpected problems so far?

It has created a new awareness in the alternative energy sources, it also raised our communities interest beyond the normal expectations of nuclear power. It has also opened our eyes to the OPA (Ontario Power Authority) and how they control the amount of watts that can make or break a community project of this size.