John and Sylvia Wiggins no longer stand alone in their legal battle against wpd Canada and members of the Beattie family who are under contract to host wpd’s industrial wind turbines should the Fairview Wind Farm, proposed in the vicinity of County Road 91 and Fairgrounds Road, be approved.
An announcement was made late last week that, after multiple meetings with Eric Gillespie, the lawyer for the Wiggins in their inital lawsuit filed in January, 20 additional neighbours of the project have now become participants in two seperate actions.
The first group, comprised of 15 landowners, are now also plaintiffs in the Wiggins action, brought against wpd Canada and Beattie Bros. Ltd., who intend to host six turbines on lands north of County Road 91.
In addition, a second action has now been started to the south of County Road 91, where five landowners have brought action against wpd Canada and another Beattie family, Ed Beattie & Son Ltd., who intend to host two turbines on their property.
Both claims are for alleged property devaluation and loss of use and enjoyment of the plaintiffs’ lands.
“All of these landowners near the proposed wind turbine development are clearly upset that 50-storey turbines are being foisted on them arbitrarily,” said John Wiggins in a press release issued at the time of the announcement. “These groups are establishing a model that other groups across Ontario will now be able to follow – a snowball effect that wind companies, landowners and the Ontario government should take note of.”
The total value of the two claims now exceeds $17 million.