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Kashechewan looks at renewable energy with Horizon Wind donation

Horizon Wind donates wind testing tower to Kashechewan First Nation to look at potential of wind energy.
Bullfrog

THUNDER BAY - A northern First Nation community will be looking at the potential of wind energy after it receives a donation from a Southern Ontario company.

Horizon Legacy, more commonly known locally as Horizon Wind Inc., is a renewable energy and development company based in Toronto. It will be donating a 60-metre wind testing tower to Kashechewan First Nation.

The tower is owned by Horizon Legacy is located on property owned by the city of Thunder Bay. The tower was used by the company to test the potential for developing a wind park atop the Nor’Wester Mountain Escarpment in 2008.

Nhung Nguyen, vice-president of development with Horizon Legacy, said the company hopes the tower will assist the community in developing their own renewable energy resource.

“The chief of Kashechewan (Leo Friday) said he wants to do testing for wind at the new community location and maybe one day have their own renewable resource by way of wind power,” Nguyen said.

“It allows them to measure the wind energy potential at the new community location. Based on that, they can determine with some calculation whether they can build wind energy at their new community.”

Chief Leo Friday said in a release that the donation is significant for the community, which is in the process of deciding whether or not to relocate due to repeated flooding.

“I wish to thank Horizon Legacy for their generous consideration,” Friday said. “The equipment will help us with our plans to generate our own power once a final location is selected and when the community relocates.”

The tower, as well as equipment, labour, and services for monitoring is valued at about $100,000. Nguyen said it should be in the community and operational in Kashechewan sometime in 2017.

“When we learnt about what happened in their community we were really touched and we wanted to do some small part to help them with the moving of their community,” she said. “This is a great opportunity for us and we are very happy to be contributing a small part.”

Horizon Wind attempted to construct a wind farm in Thunder Bay in 2008. However, after resistance from residents in the area and the provincial government cancelled its contract with the company to purchase the power, the project was shelved.  


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Doug Diaczuk

About the Author: Doug Diaczuk

Doug Diaczuk is a reporter and award-winning author from Thunder Bay. He has a master’s degree in English from Lakehead University
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