Global Wind Day is an annual international campaign that promotes awareness about wind energy.

On June 15, 2010, the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) hosted a tour of MPT's Erie Shores Wind Farm to demonstrate how wind turbines work and the economic opportunities they create for the communities that host them.

Located near Port Burwell, Ontario, Erie Shores Wind Farm stretches across the north shore of Lake Erie between Copenhagen and Clear Creek. In operation since the summer of 2006, Erie Shores generates enough clean electricity every year to power approximately 25,000 households.

The tour included journalists, local businesspeople and municipal officials, a landowner who hosts seven of Erie Shores' turbines, and representatives from CanWEA. Site manager Dennis Haggerty led the group on a tour of the facility, including a glimpse inside a turbine.

Wind power is viewed by governments as a way to meet increasing energy demand while reducing greenhouse gases. At the same time, wind power facilities can help to stimulate rural and industrial economic development by providing a new source of income for landowners where there is a good wind resource and a new source of tax revenue for municipalities, which supports the provision of vital community services.

Lynn Acre, mayor of Bayham, talked about what her municipality had gained from Erie Shores Wind Farm.

"We sought this opportunity to bring positive change to our region, and have benefited from job creation and increased tax revenues, new tourism, and our local farmers now have another source of income," she said.

Landowner Ken Wall, who owns Sandy Shores Farm, told the London Free Press that "...wind power has been nothing but positive, we are thrilled to be part of this."

CanWEA President Robert Hornung said that with its unparalleled wind resource, large hydroelectric capacity, strong manufacturing base and linkages to the U.S. market, Canada "has an incredible opportunity to maximize the economic, industrial development and environmental benefits associated with wind energy."

"There is much to celebrate on Global Wind Day," said Mr. Hornung. "Wind energy is now being produced in every province and we expect wind energy's rapid growth in Canada to continue with production quadrupling in the next five years."

Did you know?

According to CanWEA, there is currently 3,426 MW of electricity is generated by wind in Canada, which is enough to power more than one million homes.

Return to home