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OpeningStatement

EstherWrightmanERTCase#13-102to13-104

NextEraAdelaideWindProjectOct152013

Thisisntahearing.

Literally,thewordhearing.Itmeanslistening.IfIwastoldthatmytestimonywasnottobeheard,2monthsago,Iwouldntbestandinghere.

Diligently,Ibroughttogether11witnessesfortheEnvironmentalReviewTribunal

tohear.Thiswasmydutytodemonstratetothepanelhowthewindturbines

wouldaffectthehealthandsafetyofmycommunity.

Overhalfofthewitnesseswereexperts...Doctors,engineers,acousticians,appraisers...fromOntario,Michigan,NewYork,Chicago,Australia....

Essentiallyallbut2ofthe11havebeen,orwillbe,eliminatedorseverelyrestrictedinwhattheyspeakto,bythislegalsystem.

Andsoitisnolongerahearing,fortheobviousreasonthatthereisnownothingtohear.Icantwrapmymindaroundhowthiscanbeagoodthingfordemocracy.

After2andhalfmonthsoforganizingthisappeal,witnesses,schedules,statements,

motionsetc.,Iamhavingtheseexpertschoppedofffrommyappeal,likealeghere

andarmthereremoved,forreasonsnotgiven.OftheremainingmotionsthattheMOEandNextErahaveonme,Idontexpecttobeabletowinthemeither,forthe

sameERTundisclosedreasons.

Fromhereon,Iwontparticipateinthemotionpartofthishearinganymore.Im

donewithit;itsafarce.Iwontforcemyremainingwitnessestobedegradedandhumiliatedinthismanner.Actually,ImhandingoverthisboxofmotionstotheERT.

Idontwanttheminmyhome;Iamshockedbywhattheyrepresent.

Almosttoopersonally,IrealizethatlikeaSLAPPsuit,thisishowtheproponentand

thegovernmentchoosetowinanappeal:withintimidationandoverwhelming

actionsagainsttheappellants.Thatiswhatmostwouldcallbelowthebelt.

Whynotfaceme,itsonlyme,andthecaseIvebroughtforward?Whynotjustsitdownandlisten,ifthereasonistomakesureallinformationisheardsoan

informeddecisioncanbemade?

Ihaventthetime,resourcesorwilltodothesameagainsttheMOEandNextEra.I

couldripaparttheirwitnessesjustthesame,butwhatsolutionwouldthatbetothis

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problemhowwouldthatprotectmycommunityandwildlifeinmyhabitat?My

goalwasnttolimittestimony;itstohavetestimonyHEARD.

WhatthishasshownmeisthatthereisnowayanaverageOntarioresidentcanfileanappealsuccessfully.Eveniftheyjumpthroughthemonthsofobstaclesplaced

beforethem,theywillstillbebroughtdownatthelasthurdle,whichwasformelastFriday.InordertoputallmyenergiesintothisappealIhadtostopworkingforthemonths

needed.Ithoughtthiswouldbedo-able,worthwhile.Imean,thisismyhomeand

myfamily,it'swortheverything.Ithought,Esther,youknowthisprojectinsideoutafterover4years.Youcandothis.Youhavetodothis.

Theburdenofproofwaslaidonme,toshow95%certaintythatthisprojectwill

seriouslyharmsomeoneinthetownshipofAdelaideMetcalfeproofbeforeit

happens.

SoItried,withwhatIbelievewasaverygoodshotatit.Wonderfulprofessionalsrecognizedmylackoffundsandofferedtohelphelpnotjustme,buthelpthecommunityandhelptheERTpanelgraspthesituation.

Butthenmotionswerethrownatme,equallybytheMOEandNextEra.(Amazingly,

nonewerethesame!Howdidyouguysdothat,withoutoverlapping,without

duplicating--withoutcollusion?SurelyyoubothhadthesameissueaboutMr.LansinkandMr.McCann.OraboutDr.Pierpont?OrWilliamPalmerandRick

James!)

TothinkthatthewinddeveloperandtheMinistryofEnvironmentaresoclosely

linked,beddedtogether,soastostrategicallydesignmotionstogether,againstcitizensfilingappeals,begsthequestion:Howlegalisthisforourgovernmenttodo?

Asaresidentbringingforwardthisappeal,itappearedtosomethatmyapproachwaslikesandinthewheelsofjustice.

IlaughedwhenIheardthis.Maybe,Ithought.Myun-lawyerlyconductcouldseem

likethegritofsandinsuchasmoothlyfunctioningsystem.

WakinguponSundaymorningitoccurredtomethat,no,thisisntsoatall.Justiceis

definedasthequalityofbeingfairandreasonable.

ThisisntjusticethatIdisturbed!Notatall!Actually,itstheopposite!Iwasasking

forjusticewishingthattheERTwouldhonorandrespectthequalityofbeingfairandreasonable.

Myobjectionswhatwasperceivedtobemygritweredirectedatthemotionsandordersthatwereunjust.

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Ifalawisunjust,wroteThomasJefferson,amanisnotonlyrighttodisobey;heis

obligatedtodoso.

Itwasntonlymewhofeltthestingfromthesemotions.Theexpertwitnesseswereappalled;theyhadneverknowngovernmentandlegislatorstoactinthisway.

IquotefromChicagoAppraiserMr.MikeMcCann:Thisisafirstforme.Ihavetestifiedatwellover100hearings,trials,depositions,committees,etc.,andhave

neverbeenbarred(orfailedtoqualify)...noteven1time.Denialoftherightto

presentexperttestimonyisimproperanddisturbingonmanylevels,notleastofwhichisthedeviationfromfundamentalprinciplesofdemocracy.

Mikewastospeaktohumanhabitatdestructionsomethinghecouldquantifyby

thestudiesheandBenLansinkhaveundertakeninWindprojectareas.

ButtheERTcontinuedtorefertothistestimonyaslossofpropertyvalue.Idont

evenOWNproperty!SohowcouldIbeappealingonpropertyvalueloss?IwasspeakingtohumanhabitatlossIdontbelievethisisacomplicatedconceptthathumanbeings,Homosapiens,haveahabitat.Thatpeoplearebeingforcedfrom

theirhomestheirhabitat.HowisthisanydifferentfromTURTLEhabitatloss?TheERTacceptsthatasareasontohaltaproject,buttheywontevenlistentoitfor

humans?

Mr.McGuintyseemedtounderstandthiswhenitcametogasplants,admitting,"In

OakvilleandMississauga,wewerefacedwithacircumstancewheregasplantsweresitedrightnexttoschools,condominiumtowers,familyhomesandahospital.That

wasn'tright."

Wow!LetmerewordthisandseeifKathleenWynnecouldsayitthisway:"In

Adelaide-Metcalfe,wearefacedwithacircumstancewherewindturbinesaretobe

sitedrightnexttoschools,farms,familyhomesandworkplaces.Thatisntright."

Itsthesamehabitatdestruction.Infacttherewillbe11windturbineswithin2kmofmykidsschool.Doesanyonewanttohearaboutthat?Icantbelievethenumber

ofbacksIhaveseenwhenaskingforhelpinprotectingthissensitiveenvironment

whereourchildrenspendahugeportionoftheirdevelopingyears.

IllreadanexcerptfromaletterfromBillTucker,waybackin2009.Inmyposition

asDirectorofEducationfortheThamesValleyDistrictSchoolBoardmymainresponsibilityisthesafetyofourstudents.TheproximityofAdelaideW.G.

MacDonaldSchooltothisproposedprojectmakesitverymuchmyconcern.AndsoitshouldbetheMOEs,NextErasandtheERTsconcernaswell.

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AlsostruckwerethetestimoniesofBenLansink,aqualifiedappraiser.Entirely.WilliamPalmer,anengineerwhoisboundbyhisprofessiontoalertpublic

authoritiesifheknowsorsuspectsthatthepublicmaybeatriskofharm.Not

allowedtospeaktothat,either.

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LarrySwart,aresidentaffectedbytheturbinesnearForestinLambtonCounty.He

didntwishtoreleasehispersonalhealthrecords:includingeverydoctorsnote,everyprescriptiontakenetc.Andheisbarredfromspeakingbecauseofthis.

Seriously?Cantevenbeheardwithoutdisclosingthisextremelyconfidentialinformationtoahordeoflawyerstopickthroughandcrossexaminehim?Itisnot

evenfilteredthroughadoctorfirstjuststraighttothelawyers?Butthistacticisgoodforthegovernment;itdecimatesthenumberofpeoplewillingtospeakabouthowtheywereaffectedbythewindturbines.Limitstestimony.

Iseeapatternemerging.

Imembarrassed.ThisisOntario,notsomeThirdWorldcountry.Wethinkwehave

democracy.Thishearingdemonstrateswedont.

ItshowstheERTcannotaccommodatetheneedsofordinarycitizensinrural

Ontario,whoaretrickedintobelievingtheyactuallyhaveanopportunitytoappealawindturbineapprovalbyourprovincialgovernment.

Asfortheideaoftransparencyofthesehearings,andtheabsolutefuryIraisedwhenIaskedthatthehearingbevideotapedtoaccommodateapersonwitha

learningdisability.Notonlywasthisrequestthrownoutintothepublicforum,itwasactuallygoingtobeforcedtobeDEBATEDwiththeopposingparties.

Sincewhendoesarequestforaccommodationforadisabilitygoupfordebate?AndwhenIrefusedtofollowthedisrespectfulprocessoftheERT,ofbeggingthe

MOEandNexteratoallowforvideotapingforthosewithdisabilities,theretaliationbyNextEraslawyerswasastonishing.

Mr.Mahoneysaidthatifthehearingweretoberecorded,wemayhavetomakeacourtapplicationagainsttheERT.Anotherthreat.Morebullying.Icanactuallyfeel

fortheERThere;thisiseerilysimilartotheSLAPPsuitandthepileofbogus

motions.

Iamfedupwithallthelegalthreatsfromthesewindcompanies.ImatthepointthatIlljusttellthemtogetinline,andyoucanquarreloverthepenniesIhave.

Therealissueisthefactthatthishearingisgoingahead,voidofaccommodatingthe

public.

LateronFridayIreceivedaletterfromNextEraslawyersaddressedtotheERTs

AccessibilityCoordinator,tryingtoinfluenceherdecisiononwhethertoallowvideotaping.

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Partoftheirargument:

Aretheyserious?Iaskforvideotapingforaccommodationofapersonsdisability,andpartoftheobjectionisthatitwillcreateathreateningenvironmentfor

NextEraandtheMOE?ThethreatofTRUTH?

Thiswholeprocesshasbeenbarrierafterbarrierformetotryandgetover.Endless,callousbarrierstojustice.

AlongthewayyouhaveallwitnessedsomethingsIjustcantdo:Icantafford

courierstobringdocumentstoyourdoorstepinonedaystime.NorcanIaffordto

printthousandsofdollarsworthofwitnessstatementsforeachoftheparties.Orevenfathomthepriceofrealvideoconferencing.Really,ifitwasntforthe

generosityofthewitnesses,Iwouldnthavehadtheopportunitytobringthem

forwardeither.

Accesstojusticeshouldbeabasicright.Justlikehealthcareandeducation.

SincethisisthegovernmentsdecisionImappealing,Iironicallycantevenapply

forlegalaide.

Wespedalongthisappealprocess,barelyabletokeepupwiththearbitrarydeadlines.deadlinesforwho?Theaffectedresidents?Nope.Deadlinestosatisfy

thewinddevelopersneedtoquicklyconstructtheirturbines.Onceagainthesystem

issetuptorunfortheneedsofcorporations,andtheirlawyers,nobodyelse.

Sowhenaresidentcantaffordthetensofthousandsofdollarsneededtoappealaproject,or2or3,shouldtheyjustquit?Walkawayfromtheirrights?

IfIcantorganizeanappeal,andfightaheapofmotionSLAPPsatthesametime,inseveraldays,shouldIbedisqualified?

Orshouldtherebeaseriouslookhadatthisprocessthatisfailingtheresidentsitssupposedtogivetheopportunitytoappealto?

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Isupposewhatupsetsmethemostisthatitisourlivesyouareplayingwith.

Notjustmine,itsmykidslives.Itsmyhusbands,andparentslives.

Itsmynextdoorneighbours,andthekidsthatgotoAdelaideW.GMacDonaldschool.Itsourland,itsourwildlife.Itstheeaglesnestandthebats.ItclearlyisnotNextEra,orKathleenWynneslifehanginginthisappeal.

Withthestrokeofapen,somanyliveswerealtered.Ivetriedinvaintoinformthegovernmentabouttheriskthatthisprojectwillposeonusandourenvironment,

butIamunabletobreakthroughyetonemorebarrier.theEnvironmentalReviewTribunalitself.