GUYSBOROUGH — The community liaison committee (CLC) established as an information pipeline between wind energy developer EverWind Fuels and the public regarding one of three planned wind farms in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) has not yet “discussed disclosing the names” of its members, says the company’s director of communications and public affairs.
According to Rudee Gaudet in an email to The Journal last week, the 11-member CLC for Wind Farm 1 met for the first time at EverWind’s Guysborough office on Nov. 12, and spent time touring its green hydrogen production site in Point Tupper, Richmond County.
However, she added: “We have not yet discussed disclosing the names of the volunteers... as we are in the very early stages of the CLC process [and] are focused on establishing regular meetings and getting to know each other.”
The roles, responsibilities and authority of community liaison councils – as articulated in a Department of Environment and Renewables guide, include providing comment and insight to the proponent and additional input to provincial regulatory bodies when requested, she explained in an email in October. “Both roles serve a crucial component of the project development process, enabling us to have an ongoing, constructive dialogue with community members and understand the full scope of impacts, benefits and solutions available to all involved.”
She added, at the time: “We have a finalized list of 11 local community members representing a range of stakeholders. We are anticipating kicking off the CLC in November. At this point, we do not have consent from the interested members to release their identities.”
One exception, Tori Evans – an active member of the citizens group Protect Guysborough, which has been critical of the size and scope of EverWind’s planned wind farms in the area – told The Journal in an email in October that she agreed to join the CLC to “facilitate communication” between the wind developer and the local community.
“As a member of Protect Guysborough and the provincial group Green Nova Scotia First, I am aware of the various concerns many residents have been sharing,” she wrote. “My focus has been about keeping residents updated about wind projects and advocating for transparency and equality for Guysborough residents.... All members of the CLC will play a crucial part in facilitating communication between EverWind and the local community, and I look forward to being part of that process.”
When contacted by The Journal last week, she stated in an email, “My viewpoint has not changed since my last statement [October]. We had a Point Tupper site tour last week. Last night [Nov. 12], we had our first CLC meeting. Both had a welcoming atmosphere where all CLC members were able to ask questions, raise concerns and provide input. I’m looking forward to being part of the CLC and the important role it will play in the community.”
Regarding her impressions of the Point Tupper site, she said, “I’ve never been to an industrial facility like this before, so I have nothing to compare it to – but I did find the site tour both interesting and informative.”
EverWind remains on track to develop three wind farms within the MODG and the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s – featuring up to 400 turbines across approximately 64,000 hectares – slated to begin operations between 2027 and 2028. The generated renewable energy will supply the company’s Point Tupper facility, supporting its planned $6 billion initiative to produce green hydrogen for export to European markets.
