WEYBURN — During their regular council meeting on April 28, the City of Weyburn council formally supported the $500 million Seven Stars Energy Wind Project.
The project, proposed by Enbridge, aims to develop a 200-megawatt wind facility, including 46 turbines, in the Rural Municipalities (RM) of Weyburn and Griffin. The motion to provide a letter of support for the project was made by Coun. Ryan Janke, who highlighted the potential benefits for the local community.
“This project is a one-time, once in a generation half a billion-dollar investment in southeast Saskatchewan and at a time when every infrastructure dollar matters, we can’t afford to turn away any investment,” said Janke. “Projects like this create opportunities for our local economies.”
Coun. Larry Heggs said the project has broader importance for the area.
“It’s business opportunities. It’s jobs.”
Heggs said past councils faced criticism for not supporting a similar project, adding, “We certainly don’t want to do that.”
Coun. John Corrigan said council’s decision wasn’t just about supporting a single wind project but about signaling to potential investors that Weyburn is open for business.
“This is about economic development within our region and letting investors out there know we are open for business and we are willing to listen to every type of project to be brought into our community that can bring investment and jobs, and grow our community.”
Coun. Laura Morrissette addressed concerns raised by some community members about the safety of wind energy projects. She said that council had conducted thorough research before making their decision and expressed confidence in the project's safety.
“There has been some disagreement about how safe something like this is coming to our community. This isn’t a decision we take lightly. We have done our research, and myself, I’m very comfortable with all the information provided. Just because you don’t agree with what we are doing doesn’t mean we are not listening. It’s just we done our research and the research is sound.”
Coun. Kellie Sidloski added that she had reached out to three other communities with existing wind projects to learn about their experiences. She spoke with mayors from Assiniboia, Kipling, and Moosomin, all of whom expressed strong support for their respective wind projects.
“All three communities were met with a little resistance prior to the projects being built,” said Sidloski, adding that they continue to see benefits to their communities and RM's from the projects.
Mayor Jeff Richards said he believes the Seven Stars Energy Wind Project holds potential for Weyburn.
"I think this project has merit, and I’m proud of our city council for standing behind it," he said.
