To the editor,
We have been reading with great interest of the plight of homeowners residing in the area of the proposed wind farm in Bailey's Brook. We have stood at the base of one of those turbines and listened to the incessant whomp-whomp it emitted. Our sympathies go out to you, and we wish you much success in your attempt to protect your homes from such an intrusion. We purchase or build our home as a place of refuge, and it is our right to defend it against any outside intrusion, physical or otherwise. Our Canadian Bill of Rights entitles us to the enjoyment of property, and the right not to be deprived thereof except by due process of law.
We write from experience, having been exposed for the last 16 years to the intrusion into our lives imposed by the Pictou County Trap and Skeet Club, located on a property in Riverton. Our long Labour Day weekend was totally ruined by a competition. Between Friday morning and Monday afternoon, tens of thousands of blasts were fired. The heavy rain on Sunday, and darkness, provided the only reprieves. After one day of grace, the noise was back again on Wednesday, by suppertime, and again the following Sunday afternoon. No quiet after-work nap or pleasant dinner on those days! It is useless to plan a gathering of friends or family on a Wednesday or a Sunday!
We are amazed that the administrators of both the Adult Residential Centre and Valley View Villa have not spoken out in defence of their residents. It is a known fact that the elderly and mentally handicapped are those most affected by shotgun blasts.
We do acknowledge the fact that this competition brought a lot of participants from far-away places, thus affecting the county economy, with money put into our hotels, restaurants and stores, but we contend that it is time for the club to consider a move to a non-populated area of the county. Surely there is a tract of land that could be donated for the purpose, perhaps by the local paper mill, for example. We surmise that not one member of the club actually resides in the area they are so affecting, and suggest that perhaps one of them has a property large enough to meet their needs.
In the meantime, we respectfully urge the members of the club to adhere to an earlier promise made, that would restrict shooting activity to Wednesday evenings, until the clocks change, and Sunday afternoons thereafter, and not on BOTH days, as has been the recent practice.
We would like to encourage other residents of the Stellarton, Riverton and Plymouth areas to express their concerns, as well, especially to those who are interested in representing us on town and municipal councils.
Don and Trudy Grant
Plymouth
Residents should have the basic right of peace and quiet
- Published on September 24th, 2008
- Published on January 7th, 2010
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Letters to the Editor (The News)
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Comments
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- Angela
- - January 18th, 2010 at 13:32:24
The Jubilee happens once a year how could you ever compare that to something thats allegedly noisy 365 days a year?? The Berlin Wall your comments are exaggerated almost 100% of the time. Its your choice to live in town, live with it or move. My sympathies to those that have a highway move into their backyard, but a wind farm? I'm sure they can't be that loud. I barely hear a car come in my yard, and yes my hearing is good! I'm sure the companies have made plans to place them far enough away from homes that they shouldn't be a issue. But around here everything is a issue. They can go ahead and place one in my yard if they want to, they are excellent renewable sources of energy and I welcome the idea. I hope we see more of them.
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- Someone
- - January 18th, 2010 at 13:26:59
I live by a highway, it's way too loud.
IT SHOULD BE MOVED! -
- Angela
- - January 18th, 2010 at 13:15:26
Al if the wind farms are located far enough away from the homes I'm sure the birds are louder! Instead of the community protesting against it why don't they work together and determine a reasonable distance and or number of windmills.
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- pictou county
- - January 18th, 2010 at 13:01:18
I sympathise with the people that are affected but we all have to take a moment and think logically. We need certain things to make a society work. Would it be better to place a few windfarms across the province or have a power plant that produceses more emissions if we said ok we cannot put the windfarms up but have to burn more coal would that make people happy? probably not and there would be more people complaining. What about trains and trucks or road work or airplanes flying over head where do we say that noise is necessary? I say if you don't want noise get a cabin in the middle of no where and go to that for the weekends or heck live there. I am soo tired of hearing people complain about stupid things, the same people would complain about something else if given the oportunity. There are always complainers not everyone is always happy that is the way of reality. I say start complaining about things that really make a difference like the price of oil and gas, or the state the canadian economy is in or the senceless death of our soldiers and forget about the stupid things like a little noise from a windfarm, if it bothers you that much move or get a cottage away from all of that.
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- Al
- - January 18th, 2010 at 12:34:44
Angela --- I suggest that you actually go to a large scale windfarm, and listen to the noise they put forth.
Personally I am very much for wind-power, and many other forms of alternate energy --- but surely existing home owners whose biggest investment is the home they live in, should have strong consideration when the noise impinges on their peace and quiet.
We have lots of open spaces in Nova Scotia --- surely this need not be a problem. -
- Rebecca
- - January 18th, 2010 at 11:54:39
Trenton had the noise from the car works since it opened, and until it closed, and has had to deal with the smell and the fly ash from NSP. What's so different about Bailey's Brook having noise from a wind farm? At least it's a sustainable form of energy, unlike coal or oil. Get over it.
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- The Berlin Wall
- - January 18th, 2010 at 11:53:57
Sympathies to the people living by the proposed windfarm . It could be worse you could have a Riverfront Jubilee in the center of a town of 9400 blasting music to 1 am in the morning for 4 days of the year. Then there are the drunken fights of concert goers . Condoms and beer bottles in Peoples back yards around the Kirk Church . At least the noise of the turbines is for a redeeming cause of creating energy that is without carbon Admissions. The Jubilee must have enough admission from the byproduct of Drinking beer
