Image

October 6, 2013

Expect a lot of traffic slowdowns on Highway 21 as wind turbines wind their way through the countryside to Huron County.

NextEra Energy will begin construction on the 37 industrial wind turbines for the Bluewater Energy Centre south east of Bayfield in late November according to NextEra spokesperson Josie Hernandez. And it will have an impact on Petrolia and Central Lambton County.

The transportation route for the 80-meter towers with winds its way from Windsor, along Oil Heritage Road, turning east on Petrolia Line. Recently, a transport with one piece of a tower stopped traffic at that corner for five minutes as it attempted to make the turn without damaging the traffic light standards.

Hernandez says the components of the 500,000 pound towers are brought to the site in pieces. In all, nine trucks are needed to carry one tower, including three for the 120-meter long blades.

With 37 towers being erected in the countryside around Bayfield, Hensall and Zurich, that means there will be 333 transports traveling from Windsor, through Lambton County to Huron over the next six to eight months.

“Generally construction lasts 4 to 6 months,” says Hernandez. “We anticipate the project to be fully operational by July 2014.”

 

Share This

Image
Front Page

Killer Bees’ Feasey to coach Maroons

July 12, 2025

Barry Wright/The Independent Alvinston Killer Bees star Brennan Feasey is the new head coach of the Sutherland Cup champion Chatham Maroons of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The new job came about after Richard Santos left the Maroons this week to become the new head coach of the U16 boys prep team with Biosteel Sports Academy in Windsor and

Read More

Image
Front Page

Still standing (with some help) after 200 years

July 12, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent When Abraham Smith and his wife, Anna Hoy, arrived on the shores of the St. Clair River, there was nothing but trees which blocked out the sun. The couple landed around what we now know as the St. Clair Parkway and Smith Line in 1820, along with two children and another family, and settled in the area.

Read More

Image
Front Page

Remembering Croton

July 12, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Harold Snary stands under a tree in the postal village of Croton. Those standing with him see a new, siding-clad school and church, a few homes and the traffic whizzing down Oakdale Road. At the corner of Oakdale and Croton Road, they might notice the building which used to be the general store. For most, this 39-person

Read More

Image
Front Page

Lambton lands part of 30×30 project

July 11, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Almost 700 acres of land along the Sydenham River, including some in Petrolia and Wawrick, will be recognized as conservation lands in Ontario. It’s part of an international plan to protect 30 per cent of the earth’s land and sea by 2030. Tim Payne, manager of forests for the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority, was contacted by

Read More