GUYSBOROUGH/CANSO — Residents gathered at two public meetings in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) last week; not just to hear, but to discuss, how offshore wind could soon affect the way they live and work.
Following on the heels of a vigorous and well-attend town hall on major onshore wind-farm plans for Guysborough County in St. Francis Harbour earlier this month, Halifax research firm Net Zero’s information sessions in Guysborough (Sept. 24) and Canso (Sept. 25) drew, respectively, approximately 15 and 25 people, all of whom were in the mood to talk.
“What we heard was an appetite for more information and an appetite [for people] to contribute their own opinions,” said Sven Scholtysik, Net Zero’s director of research. “People wanted to make their voices heard.”
Indeed, said Ginny Boudreau, executive director of the Guysborough County Inshore Fisherman’s Association (GCIFA), who attended the Canso session, a growing sense that these developments are no longer remote possibilities seems to be inspiring a new level of interest and robust participation among local members of the public. “There were, I think, eight or nine fishermen there [in Canso]. And there were community people. There were some young people there. There were retired individuals.”
Hired under contract by Natural Resources Canada last year to provide information about and gauge community reaction to plans for this new industry across the province, this was the firm’s first foray into Guysborough County, Scholtysik confirmed. “With six different potential offshore wind areas, some of them proximate to Guysborough County, and a lot of discussion around hydrogen, we wanted to make sure that we had the first two sessions in our second round of outreach in Guysborough and Canso.”
Attendees first received a primer on renewable energy in Nova Scotia and an overview of offshore wind. “So, that was about the technology itself. How big are the turbines? How much space do they take up? The other part was why people are interested in offshore wind in Nova Scotia. We talked about wind speed and the subsurface geology. Also, why do we see this international interest in our jurisdiction here in Nova Scotia?”
Just as importantly, he noted, was whether any of this “resonated with Canso and Guysborough, or to Guysborough County, in general.”
According to Boudreau, there was not shortage of questions. “There were a lot of really good questions about a lot of things,” she said. “Who’s paying for these developments? Am I getting cheaper power from this green energy? There were questions about hydrogen. People were concerned about increased vessel traffic. They were also concerned that Guysborough County is going to absorb a lot of land-based turbines.”
Noting that Net Zero provided few answers, she said the firm’s role was to provide a forum. “Federal and provincial governments have made major commitments. They’ve signed agreements. This is the conversation that people now want to have...This is part of the education process.”
Said Scholtysik: “It was really interesting to listen to the people, how they express their concerns around the topic. It’s really important that they have the opportunity.”
Net Zero plans to hold more public information sessions about offshore wind in communities elsewhere in mainland Nova Scotia and Cape Breton over the next few weeks.
