Backyard wind turbine rejected by Ontario Municipal Board
Last Updated: Friday, July 3, 2009 | 5:05 PM ET
CBC News
An Ottawa resident who has been lobbying to put a wind turbine in his backyard in the city's Westboro neighbourhood has been told that his project is grinding to a halt.
Graham Findlay had applied for a variance to install what's known as an "energy ball" on his property near Island Park Drive.
Findlay is a commercial wind arm developer with Ottawa-based 3G Energy Corporation and has said that he wants to mount that "energy ball" on a pole in his backyard to make it 10 metres high so he can produce his own energy at home.
In October, the city refused to approve his application to mount the turbine in his backyard, so he appealed through the Ontario Municipal Board.
His neighbours, however, testified at the OMB hearings that they felt the turbine would be invasive and could be dangerous if the tall pole with a turbine on top fell over.
Even though the turbine has been designed specifically for residential areas, the OMB said in its June ruling that it supported Findlay's neighbour's concerns.
Findlay said his neighbourhood simply isn't ready for his energy plans, but that someday soon, people might welcome the backyard art of wind turbines.
"I guess {I feel] a certain amount of sorrow, because a lot of work went into this," Findlay said in reaction to the board's ruling.
"We have an opportunity to become independent power producers … and I felt that it's time to explore that idea."
His neighbours, however, aren't quite ready for Findlay's powerful ideas, he said.
"Citizens should imagine themselves as generators in the future. I think we should start integrating power generating equipment into our living spaces, which would include houses."
Findlay said that at least one positive effect of bringing his cause all the way to the OMB is that he's helped raise awareness about wind farms.
