Dear Editor:
Our group, No Turbine in Town (NTT), is extremely disappointed with the decision of the Rocky View Schools trustees and superintendent to push forward with the installation of a 20 metre high, 5.5 metres diameter turbine in the direct vicinity of our homes despite adamant objections from over 130 stakeholders living in the Cochrane heights and Sunterra areas.
The Alberta School Boards Association recommends community engagement as a means of ensuring effective governance, and highlights a need to work and communicate effectively and openly with communities in which schools are located.
The superintendent’s statement that the NTT coalition’s presentation was factually inaccurate, in referring to the location as a residential area when in fact the school is zoned as Public Service, suggests the school board sees Cochrane High School, and by extension the school board’s own mandate, as being removed from the residential community which it serves.
The decision of the board is indicative of a blatant disregard for the community. Members of the community have shown willingness to work with the school to come up with an alternative project and discuss both sides of the argument. It seems however that the school board has on this occasion been unwilling to accept that there is another side to the argument.
The superintendent’s sweeping statement there are no health or safety concerns worthy of consideration is something we strongly disagree with. The fact that testing has taken place on the turbine model does not in itself mean there is nothing we need to consider in terms of health and safety. Especially in light of the fact the turbine in question has never been tested in temperatures below minus 20.
As far as Health Canada is concerned, the jury is still out on whether there are negative effects to be considered, so it is really unclear how the board can make such a judgment.
The superintendent believes that we have a legitimate concern about the aesthetics of the structure and that the value of our property may go down as a consequence of this turbine. Apparently this is not enough of a consideration to put the plan on hold however.
Despite strong evidence stating that the area chosen is not suitable, the superintendent has chosen to trust the information from the engineer who is working closely with the school. The engineer who is selling the turbine and has a stake in getting this installed as he has a new business selling these turbines.
We question the motives of the school and school board for pushing ahead despite such a large local opposition to the project.
The students have already had a great deal of real-life learning through their involvement in the project, and the remaining educational benefits of having a turbine on site to look at have not been convincingly demonstrated, so what is it that is so important to the school and school board that they feel it is appropriate to disregard the views of over 130 local residents?
Beware; if the Rocky View Schools and trustees do this to us, they will do this to you. If they show such disregard to what the public thinks, how accountable are they for anything else they are doing? Doesn’t it make you wonder what else the school division is doing?
No Turbine in Town coalition
