Welcome to the website for the Westchester Wind Project. This website has been created to provide information to community members, First Nations, government and other stakeholders about the proposed project. Natural Forces is committed to meeting with stakeholders about our projects. Open houses and other community engagement activities are planned for this project and the website will be updated as information is available.
FEBRUARY 23 2023 UPDATE: As of February 13, 2023, the proposed Westchester Wind Project's environmental assessment has been approved by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change! More information on the EA can be found further down this page, or on the Province's website.

About the project

This project is located in Mi’kmaki, the ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq. Natural Forces acknowledges that working on these lands is a privilege that comes with a great deal of responsibility. We believe that private companies have an important role to play in the decolonization of the energy sector and, ultimately, the path towards reconciliation through partnerships and meaningful engagement. To honour and achieve this, we must look forward for generations and integrate the practices and knowledge of the original land stewards, the Mi’kmaq, into project planning. 

The proposed Westchester Wind Project is being developed by a partnership formed between Natural Forces and Wskijnu'k Mtmo'taqnuow Agency Ltd (the Agency)​, a limited partnership made up of the 13 Mi'kmaw bands in Nova Scotia. Together, the partnership will develop, construct, operate, and own the project. 

The initial plans are for the proposed project to consist of an estimated 10-12 wind turbines that will have an installed capacity of approximately 50 MW, enough electricity to power over 17,000 Nova Scotian homes. The project is located in Cumberland County, on Westchester Mountain near Highway 104, approximately 24 km from the Cobequid Pass Tolls.

Project Updates

As we continue to develop this project, we are committed to providing the public with frequent updates and the results of our environmental studies in this section.

Municipal Permitting Updates: 
Cumberland County amended their wind bylaws during the first half of 2022. Part of this process involved public input and consultation. 
All information on this process and the revised bylaws can be found here.  

To join our mailing list and receive project updates via email, sign up using this link! 

Project Milestone Timeline

March 2021 - Environmental studies began
May 2021 - Wind monitoring campaign began to supplement data collected from 2011 to 2014
July 2021 - Natural Forces held the first open house at the Westchester Fire Hall
February 2022 - Environmental Assessment (EA) was registered with the Province
May 2022 - Project was bid into the Nova Scotia Rate Base Procurement program
December 2022 - The Addendum to the previously submitted EA was submitted following a request for additional information from the Minister
February 2022 - The second and third open houses were held on February 7th and 9th
February 2022 - The EA gained approval from the Minister

Who is proposing this project?

Wskijnu'k Mtmo'taqnuow Agency Limited (The Agency)
The Agency is a limited partnership created by the 13 Mi'kmaw bands in Nova Scotia, which was created to develop partnerships with industry leaders. 

Recognizing the need to build capacity and work with experts to participate in opportunities happening in Mi'kmaki, the 13 bands created the Agency to pursue and manage business opportunities for the Mi'kmaq Nation.

The Agency is overseen by a five member board, that is currently comprised of three Chief nominated members’ board seats and two seats filled by community members. The board’s responsibilities include meeting with companies to evaluate potential partnership opportunities and managing these ongoing relationships. In addition to the Board, the Agency has shareholder seats that are filled by the Chiefs of the 13 bands.

Natural Forces
Natural Forces is an independent power producer that develops, owns, and operates renewable energy projects. Natural Forces was established in 2001 and has its head office in Halifax, NS, as well as regional offices in Chetwynd, British Columbia; Quispamsis, New Brunswick; Dublin, Ireland; and New York State. Collectively, Natural Forces has close to 300 MW of renewable energy projects in operation across Canada, with several ongoing projects at various stages of completion in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Labrador, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Ireland, and New York.

The senior management team at Natural Forces has over 70 years of combined renewable energy experience encompassing all project life cycle activities in a range of international locations including Canada, Ireland, Poland, the UK, and Australia. Natural Forces is an integrated developer and operator of renewable energy assets. The in-house team undertakes all activities from initial site selection, development, financing, construction, operations, and asset management. Our vision is to develop, construct, operate, and own clean renewable energy projects across Canada in partnership with local and Indigenous communities.

Why here?

When developing a wind project, it is crucial to find the most suitable location and community to host it.  To do so, there are four main factors to consider during the site finding phase of development: ​
  • Wind resource
  • Distance to existing electrical and civil infrastructure
  • Environmental sensitivity
  • Socio-economic concerns 
Nova Scotia has excellent wind resources, so generating electricity is feasible in many locations around the province. Factors other than the strength and consistency of the wind must be taken into account when considering a site, such as proximity to the electricity grid, road access, ecology, archaeology, and cultural significance, proximity to residential dwellings, and health concerns.

​The location of the Westchester Wind Project was selected after a thorough review of all of these factors.

Stakeholder Engagement

The development of wind energy in Nova Scotia provides a clean and stable source of energy and positively impacts local communities in a variety of ways. These include economic spinoff through the increase in demand of local goods and services, and job creation mostly notably during the construction phase. Natural Forces is committed to engaging with all stakeholders and stakeholder groups throughout the lifetime of the project, as we value community input greatly. Below are details on the newsletters that have been sent to our stakeholders, as well as summaries of the information that has been shared at our open houses. Interested in receiving our newsletters? Sign up here!

Newsletters

Natural Forces has engaged with, and continues to engage with, stakeholders through a number of avenues, including newsletters. Each of the newsletters circulated to date are linked below:
​
November 2021
​February 2022
March 2023

Open Houses

Natural Forces has held three open house to provide an opportunity for the community to engage with Natural Forces staff. All three open houses were held at the Westchester Fire Hall. The first open house was held in July 2021, and the second and third open houses were held on February 7th and 9th, 2023. All of the information that was presented at these open houses can be seen at the links below:

​July 2021
February 2023 (the February 7 and 9 open houses presented the same information)

Natural Forces will continue to host open houses throughout the development of the project.

What is the process?

1 - Development: Current Stage
2 - Construction
3 - Operation
4 - Decommission or Retrofit
​
  • Assess the wind resource
  • Survey for environmentally sensitive features 
  • Optimize turbine location to capture the wind efficiently and minimize impact on sensitive features
  • Begin consultation with regulators and the public
  • Conduct and present the Environmental Impact Assessment for environmental approval
  • Apply for road, work and construction permits​
  • Clear trees for roads and turbine pads
  • Build access roads and pad areas
  • Pour the turbine foundation
  • Assemble the wind turbine
  • Connect to NS Power's electrical grid
  • Commission the wind turbines to start producing power
  • Conduct post-construction wildlife monitoring
  • Monitor remotely for real time alerts when additional maintenance is needed
  • Operate for 30 years​
  • Assess wind turbine after 30 years
  • Decommission wind turbines in 3-6 months
  • Reclaim the site to its former state OR
  • Receive approvals and permits to retrofit the turbine to continue harnessing energy​

Environmental Impact Assessment

In Nova Scotia, any wind projects that exceed 2 MW in size are required to complete a provincial environmental impact assessment (EIA). During this process, an entire committee made of provincial and federal agencies evaluate the location and overall impact of the project on the surrounding environment and the public. As the Westchester Wind Project will produce up to 50 MW of electricity, it is subject to an EIA.
​
​To fully assess the potential environmental impacts of the project, the following comprehensive studies have been conducted:
  • Wind Resource Assessment
  • Wetlands and Watercourses Surveys
  • Bird and Bat Surveys
  • Mainland Moose Surveys
  • Vegetation and Habitat Surveys
  • Noise and Visual Assessments
  • Radiocommunication Impact Assessments
  • Archaeological Assessments
​
​The results from these studies were compiled in the EIA document that was registered with the province on February 23, 2022. The full EIA document and the associated studies are available for download below. As is common with projects of this kind, the Minister of the Department of Environment and Climate Change requested additional information to provide a final decision on the project. As such, the environmental studies at the project site were continued in 2022, the results of which were compiled and reported on in the addendum to the initial registration document. . As of February 13, 2023, this environmental assessment has been approved by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. More information on the approval can be found on the Province's website. Both the initial document and its associated appendices, and the addendum and its associated appendices, can be found below

Frequently Asked Questions

Question
Answer
​Will there be an impact to the environment?
Natural Forces undertakes rigorous environmental impact assessments ahead of construction to determine existing environmental sensitivities and potential impacts on the project to the environment. This information will be reviewed by provincial government officials and will be open for public comment.
​How close are the turbines to residences?
The proposed turbines will be set back at least 1.0 km from all cabins and houses.
​Are wind turbines bad for my health?
​​No. A study done by Health Canada in 2014 investigated the health effects of wind turbine noise. This study found that wind turbine noise was not associated with negative health impacts. The summary of these results can be reviewed on the Health Canada Environmental and Workplace Health page and links to additional studies can be found in the following section.
How did Natural Forces get the land for this project?
​For this project, Natural Forces leases land from private landowners. Over the course of several years, we have developed trusted relationships with the landowners and in all instances the land remains in the ownership of the landowner and is leased for the duration of the project. No land has been leased from unwilling landowners.
​Can local companies take part during construction?
During construction, Natural Forces makes every attempt to hire local contractors, using our in-house construction management company, Natural Forces Construction, to ensure smaller contractors are able to participate. ​
Are wind turbines noisy?
Wind turbines have moving parts and therefore some sound can be expected. However, well-designed wind turbines are generally quiet in operation, and compared to the noise of road traffic, trains, aircraft, and construction activities, to name but a few, the sound from wind turbines is very low. As wind turbine technology has evolved, the sounds emitted have decreased. The further away you are from a project, the less sound it will make. This site will likely have trees and other barriers that would break a lot of the sound before it reaches homes. A typical wind project would have a noise level of between 35-45 decibels. For reference, the compressor of a refrigerator produces 40-45 decibels. (Check out the Energy Nova Scotia Wind Page for more information). Stories of excessive noise often come from areas where the turbines are very close to homes. Natural Forces follows the minimum standards for distance from residences laid out by local regulations, or a typical minimum of 1KM.

Get in touch with us

Natural Forces - Halifax Office
1801 Hollis Street, Suite 1205
Halifax, NS
B3J 3N4

​902-483-9592 | info[at]naturalforces.ca
Copyright © 2021