Lunenburg County debates province's largest wind farm

People who live near a proposed wind farm development in Lunenburg County remain divided after another public meeting on what will be largest wind farm in Nova Scotia if it goes on the grid in 2015.

Close to 150 residents gathered on Monday night for the second public meeting in the past three weeks about the $200-million South Canoe wind power project.

New Ross resident Mary Lou Jollymore went to Forest Heights Community School in Chester Basin.

She said she'd neither for nor against the project, but says the community should get something if Nova Scotia Power, Oxford Frozen Foods and Minas Basin Pulp and Power build a wind farm in the area.

"New Ross has been trying to have a family medical practice and the health board has declined that New Ross is an appropriate site. With all the power of the partners with the wind project, I feel that that is a possibility," she said.

Kerry Keddy of Chester Basin said the project would be a boost to the area.

"There are probably five or six long-term jobs when this is completed. During construction there's probably as many as 100 to 150 jobs involving locals. That's going to bring money being spent in the local area," he said.

Thirty-four turbines will provide 102 megawatts of electricity in the area, enough for about 32,000 homes.

But not everyone is on board.

"It's health and it’s property devaluation," said Susan Deal, who lives near the proposed site.

"This is an industrial facility put in the middle of rural Nova Scotia. It does not belong there."

The Municipality of the District of Chester says it will vote on the South Canoe proposal, but it hasn't set a date yet.

The South Canoe project has already received environmental approval. The province plans to have 40 per cent of power generated from renewable sources by 2020.