Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
Since photography, videography and audio recording was out the wind, a quick sketch is the best one can get from the event. Sketch by Brian Zinchuk
WEYBURN – Over a half billion dollar wind project is on the line just outside of Weyburn, and at this point it comes down to one simple thing – a bylaw on the books of the RM of Weyburn that was never really intended to be there in the first place needs to be changed to allow taller wind turbines, or the project will die.
That was the key point brought by Enbridge officials to the public hearing for a bylaw amendment currently before the RM of Weyburn council.
The bylaw amendment is scheduled to be considered May 7. This was a public hearing into the amendment.
The project in question is the Seven Stars Energy Project, a 200 megawatt wind farm to be built in the RM of Weyburn and RM of Griffin. Enbridge, the pipeline giant, is the proponent, along with six other Indigenous bands and organizations. Enbridge took over the lead interest in the project last June for EDF.
“The intent of Bylaw 2-2025 is to eliminate the height restrictions for domestic wind turbines and clarify that the height of domestic and commercial wind turbines shall be included as part of the Development Permit Application,” read the pamphlets distributed by the RM in McKenna Hall the evening of Tuesday, April 29.
At the conclusion of the relatively short meeting Dean Patry, senior vice president with Enbridge, told Pipeline Online, “My simple message tonight was, even though the scope of the hearing is talking about the by law and the amendment, … the reality is that the height that we’re seeking is the one that you need to basically install today’s technology, right? It’s just, it is what we need. And so if, if the community decides not to amend the bylaw, it is the turning point , for us and the community.”
Pipeline Online asked, “That means you can’t go ahead?”
“That’s exactly right, and we will respect that, if that’s the decision.”
Asked if that means they will walk, Patry said, “That means we cannot build this project without that bylaw being amended. We cannot.”
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The existing 2013 bylaw which currently limits the height of commercial wind turbines to 45 metres. The turbines Enbridge is proposing to build are almost exactly four times that height, approximately 180 metres tall.
At the April 4 RM meeting, the previous reeve told Pipeline Online that the RM of Weyburn had adopted some bylaws from the RM of Corman Park. Apparently there was a reference to wind turbines that no one had really paid much attention to, so now it would need to be dealt with via a bylaw amendment.
It is commonplace for municipalities across Canada to amend bylaws and zoning to accommodate developers and developments.
Yes, that was indeed a paddy wagon parked outside the hall, the venue for a bylaw amendment public hearing. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
Paddy wagon parked outside
The parking lot was full at McKenna Hall, one of the larger venues in town and much larger than the council chambers. Prominently parked outside was a large SUV from the Weyburn Police Service. A singular uniformed officer stood inside the hall, a sight rarely seen at bylaw amendment hearings.
Numerous signs were posted forbidding photography, video or recording of the “public hearing.”
After Enbridge’s Patry made the company’s case, the floor was opened up to members of public to speak.
Each speaker noted their land locations as ratepayers in the RM. Organizers kept discussion strictly to the bylaw amendment at hand, generally cutting off any broader discussions.
Rose McInnes was up first, saying, “If these turbines are going to be pushed through, then the height of the turbine should be proportionate to the distance from residents’ homes. These are our homes.”
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She expressed concern that the turbines, at 56 stories tall, would be double the height of the tallest building in Saskatoon, which has 29 floors.
“We’re not ‘receptors’ with homes. Not a building but a machine, which will run constantly, even without the
Dale Mainil said he’d worked in the oil industry his whole life, and that the bylaw amendment would accommodate “another great company investing in Weyburn like we’ve seen so many over the years.”
“We’ve gone through 10 tough years, we’re going to go through another four,” he said, alluding to the re-election of the federal Liberal government the previous night.
“We need a great company like Enbridge to come in and make our lives worthy of getting up every morning, doing a hard day’s work and earning a paycheck.
“We need all forms of energy. I’m an oil and gas guy, but energy is energy.”
He said the revenue from the project could work to the betterment of the community, including replacing the now defunct pool.
“It’s no different than when the oil industry started 70,80, years ago. If we had a protest to stop drilling, where would we be today without that unit south of Weyburn? Where would Estevan be without that coal mine south of its community?” Mainil asked.
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Monica Osborn of the Weyburn Regional Economic Development said her family has been in the RM for over 100 years. She said the bylaw is not just about one project, but landowners’ rights. She took issue with restrictions limiting what ratepayers can do on their own land.
“This amendment is about providing choice. It’s about creating new opportunities for landowners to diversify their operations, protect themselves against future economic pressures and contribute to broader energy innovation.”
Another woman said her uncle had been reeve for many years, but “he would be turning in his grave now. “
She started asking about environmental considerations before being cut off. One man yelled “Sit down!” and she did. It was the only outburst of the otherwise tame evening.
Don Bourassa said if the bylaw is outdated, maybe so are the setbacks. If the height should triple, maybe the setback should triple, too, he said.
(Nova Scotia recently introduced legislation that is of a similar nature to what Bourassa suggested. That legislation calls for a setback four times the height of the turbine. If applied to Seven Stars, the 180 metre height would generate a 720 metre setback. Enbridge is applying a 1,500 metre, just under a mile, setback from all residences whose owners do not participate in the project).
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Bourassa also said the turbines, presumably the tips of the blades, would be turning at close to 200 miles per hour. He also raised concerns about potential oil leaks and how long it would take to repair them.
He said he did not live in his place for 30 years “to see these things come in my backyard.”
Jeff Farr said he runs a commercial air service out of the airport. He expressed concern over the ability of STARS and fixed wing air ambulance to come into the airport, especially with low cloud cover, otherwise he did not have issue with the project.
At a previous open house, Enbridge officials had said they had discussed this with STARS and STARS did not have issues with the project.
Faith McDonald asked how many letters had been sent to the RM in opposition to the bylaw being changed.
Another woman said she had a heart condition where here heart will start racing. She implied the height of turbines would impact her health and that her “health was not worth this.”
“This is terrifying to me,” she said.
Patry concluded, “We know the community has a discussion to have. We respect that and we’ll leave you to it and look forward to your answer.”
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