J.D. Irving presents wind farm plans to rowdy public meeting

Residents had their first chance to speak face to face with J.D. Irving project leads about the Brighton Wind Farm in a meeting that devolved into a disorderly spectacle with audience members shouting over and heckling company experts trying to answer their questions.

The $550-million project, financed solely by JDI, would be the largest in the province,with 58 wind turbines, slightly larger than the Kent Hills Wind Farm outside Moncton.

JDI plans to break ground next year, and power would be sold to N.B. Power to help decarbonize the province's energy grid, according to the company website set up for the project. The property is already owned by the company and is the site of active forestry.

About 30 company officials and experts gathered to show off poster boards to explain different aspects of the project in a community hall followed by a Q&A session.

WATCH | What citizens had to say about the Irving wind farm:

Tension and shouting at first public meeting for Irving wind farm

2 months ago

Duration 3:11

Residents had their first chance to speak with J.D. Irving project leads about the $550-million Brighton Wind Farm the company plans to break ground on next year.

Concerns, some not scientifically proven, about how the project will affect the water supply, residents and wildlife, accusations of biased environmental studies, and allegations of poor communication from the company were all brought up by people in the crowd of about 100.

A spokesperson for Hatch, the company hired by JDI for the environmental consultation, told the crowd that studies to date have shown no significant impacts on animals or humans from the proposed project.

"From this session, I think the most important thing is just making sure that we answer all of the questions that the community has, and address any information they may have heard elsewhere," Dion Hanrahan, JDI's vice-president of energy, said in an interview before the meeting.

He said residents would be welcome to follow up via an email address that the company set up for the project.

Lone supporter speaks out at meeting

Only one member of the crowd, David Hunter of Florenceville-Bristol, attempted to speak in favour of the project before being interrupted by others, leading him to shout back.

"The world is in a climate crisis, and here people are doing this not-in-my-backyard syndrome stuff. This project is the way forward to decarbonize our electrical grid," Hunter shouted as he turned his back on the JDI panel to address the crowd.

In an interview after the Q&A session, Hunter apologized for raising his voice but said he viewed many of the concerns raised as "very subtle," and called for people to look at the bigger picture.

"I was like a snowball in hell. There was an incredible amount of negativity and cynicism and sarcasm about this project," Hunter said.

He called some people'sconcerns about noise from the wind farm "laughable," questioning why they took issue with that but not the constant loud noises from ATVs he constantly hears in the area.

"As a citizen of the planet, I'm in favour of more green energy, especially here in New Brunswick."

Residents say emails not answered, JDI says they were

Many residents audibly groaned and began shouting anytime the email address was mentioned as a way to get answers that the panel could not immediately provide.

People shouted that they only received automated responses, and others disputed JDI's claim that the company distributed flyers about the project and Thursday's meeting to hundreds of people in the area.

"What I can say about the emails, there are a number of us on this team who read every single one," said Rene Morais, JDI's director of environmental affairs.

She said "dozens" of emails have been responded to, and that only three currently needed responses.

When asked what it would take to stop the project, Morais said following the environmental impact assessment submitted in April, the project is now being reviewed by regulators at all three levels of government. The EIA is available publicly on the project website.

If approved, "JDI had full intention to proceed with this project," Morais said.

Several residents posted protest signs outside the community hall with messages like, "Stop the war on nature" and referred to the wind turbines as the "58 monsters."

Leslie Noel Butler, who lives on South Ridge Road, near Brighton Mountain, spoke out against Hunter's claim that people voicing concern were NIMBYs. Many of those in attendanceare part of the South Knowlesville Land Trust Project, an off-grid commune.

"Now the land that they live in and love so much is going to be changed unalterably without them having any say," Noel Butler said.

"So I think the accusation of NIMBYism is a little unfair, considering they don't use any of the resources that Irving is seeking to harvest from their world."

She also expressed concern about JDI clear cutting, which she said has already caused negative effectsin the region.

JDI officials said only 447 hectares would need to be cleared to build bases for the turbines and new roads.

Aiyana Rahhali is involved with the off-grid communeand was one of the younger attendees to speak out during the meeting.

"This is my home, this is my future, and I care about my land and the land that I grew up on," Rahhali said, adding that she was pleasantly surprised by how many people showed up Thursday.

"I'm not against windmills per se, I'm against where they're putting it on that mountain behind my house," she said, questioning why the wind farm couldn't go in a field or land already clear cut.

No bird migratory paths over mountain, company says

When asked why this location was chosen Hanrahan told the crowd that studies had found the mountain to have high wind levels, and existing logging roads would minimize the need for any additional clear cutting for the project.

The company also has trained staff who visit areas being clear cut to make sure no endangered animals or vegetation are harmed and no dens are in the area, Morais said in an interview.

Concerns about birds are valid, Morais added.

"I think if a bird were to encounter a wind turbine blade, I'm not going to lie, it may not end well for that bird," she said.

JDI has been conducting bird flight pattern studies on Brighton Mountain for a year and a half, she said.

"What we are seeing based on some of the preliminary informationis that we're thankful that we're not on a major migratory path," she said.

An adaptive bird and bat management plan would also be approved by government regulators and followed for the project, she said.