Subject:
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TR: Pickering Nuclear's Vestas-80
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto
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Date:
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Mon, 3 Dec 2001 00:51:36 GMT
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Viewed:
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415 times
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I've always had an interest in wind turbines. I think the first time I knew
I was interested in them was the first time I saw the movie ET. There's a
scene or two in that with the giant feild in California.
In November of 2001, my friend Calum and I went to Montreal for the
weekend. Hwy. 401 passes by the Pickering Nuclear power generation station,
just the other side of Toronto. On our way to Montreal, we spotted something
off to the side of the highway, near the nuclear station. A little flash of
white, about every second or so, caught the corner of my eye.
"Did you see that?" I asked Calum. He did too. We went around another
corner, and it came into sight. A giant, beautiful, wind turbine was slowly
whirling over near the waterfront. I covered my mouth. It was so beautiful.
I didn't know anything like this existed near me.
As soon as we got home, I looked it up. In October of 2001, Pickering
installed a Vestas 80, one of the largest wind turbines out there. It's a
1.8 MW turbine, with an 80 metre rotor diamater, and 117 metre total height
from ground to highest wingtip. I knew I must go see it.
I read more and more pages, finding everything out I could about the
various turbines around the world. Would you believe there are actually
groups of people who hate them? They say the constant, gentle, rhythmic,
"whump... whump... whump..." as the blades slice through the air is slowly
modifying their heartbeats. Freaks.
Zoom ahead to December 2, 2001. I finished everything up I had to do over
the weekend for work and for myself, and decided that the weather was nice
enough out that I'd go ahead over to Pickering Nuclear and see if I could
get close enough to the turbine to at least hear it, and maybe take some
photographs.
I got more excited the closer and closer I got to the station. On the
detailed map I had, I found a hiking trail that appeared to go right past
the waterfront and very close to the nuclear station, if not right through
it. I was approaching the exit I decided would be closest to the turbine,
when I looked over and saw it.
I had to cover my mouth. I started screaming. I took my hand away from my
mouth, and held the wheel with my knees. I started clapping so violently
that my hands hurt. I was clapping like a 1 year old would, when he or she
discovers that the square peg goes in the square hole, and the round peg
goes in the round hole.
The turbine was rotating.
I drove up and found the parking lot at the park which was alarmingly close
to the Nuclear station. It was about 16h30, and it was already geting dark!
The sun was below the horizon, turning the sky a dramatic rich blue to
orange, crossing through any other shades in between. I got out of my car
and gasped. There it stood, North America's largest turbine, rotating gently
in the breeze, about a kilometre from me.
I grabbed my camera bag (and Jake) and SHOT across the feild toward the
hill that was between me and the turbine. The grass was moist and
ocassionally I'd step in a giant puddle hidden by the grass, but it didn't
matter. I kept running, and running, and running. I got up over the hill and
found the path that lead down past the turbine. From the top of the
embankment, I saw the turbine and the waterfront, poised against the
gradient sky. I couldn't hear it yet. I was still about 250 metres away from
the base. I was surprised that I couldn't hear it - most of these people
complaining about the noise over in the UK were saying that the turbines
they had over there could be heard for over 500 metres.
I stopped for a few pictures and started running again. I ran down the side
of the embankment toward the lower path. I tripped and landed on my shouler,
and rolled a few times. I got back up and started running again. There was
no one around.
I got right up to the base of the turbine. I stood right under it. I heard
the blades. Woosh. Woosh. Woosh. It's the most relaxing sound in the world.
I could see the blades gently deflecting in the wind. I took all the
pictures I could with my digital camera, and some video, and some pictures
on film with my Elph.
I had taken off my headphones as soon as I aproached the turbine. I didn't
need my music; the turbine made it's own for me. I always hate walking away
from things that are so beautiful, though. I always want to walk away
backward, so I can still see them fading off into the distance. It's that
way with anything like this for me.
I can't wait to go back.
Iain
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: TR: Pickering Nuclear's Vestas-80
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| Wow, Iain. I felt like I was there. I want to go see that wind generator some time. What is it that you find so beautiful? The size? The clean energy? The sound? Or maybe all of the above :) I had no idea we have the biggest wind turbine in North (...) (23 years ago, 5-Dec-01, to lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto)
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