Essex council is making it clear it doesn't want to see any more wind turbines in the town, rejecting a community benefit agreement for the Blue Sky Wind Project.
"We are not interested in any more windmills in our municipality," says Ward 3 Councillor Bill Caixeiro to loud and long applause in council chambers Monday night.
Councillors even charged the company behind the project, GDF Suez, had paid for letters of support to be sent to council.
"There was no payment made for any letters of support," says Bonnie Hiltz, government relations for GDF Suez. "They, I believe, were referring to letters of support for landowners who have voluntarily come forward to participate in the project."
Hiltz is disappointed in council's strong negativity towards the project.
"This is the very, very early stage of the project and so we've heard from residents that they want to be engaged and help inform the project as it evolves. That's what we're doing here, that's what we're doing with our public meetings," says Hiltz.
Public meetings are scheduled for Tecumseh and Essex this week.
Essex residents like Anna Markett feel the company is trying to bully people into backing the project, "We've been hounded for the last three or four months."
The Blue Sky Wind Project would have turbines mostly in Essex and into Tecumseh Township as well.
