HUNTS POINT – A large crowd was on hand on Thursday, February 26th at White Point Beach Resort for the announcement of the Mersey River Wind Project, which will see construction and installation of 33 wind turbines with related grid connection infrastructure. The wind farm is expected to supply 148.5 MW of zero-emission electricity, capable of powering more than 50,000 homes.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is providing a $206 million loan to a partnership between Slate Asset Management and funds managed by Hamilton Lane to develop a wind farm at Mersey River. Project partner Renewall Energy Inc. will sell electricity to end customers in Nova Scotia.

The announcement was made by the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, and the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

This large-scale project will help support the province’s energy transition, as Nova Scotia moves from coal-based electricity generation to clean electricity by 2030. The wind farm is expected to avoid approximately 220,000 tonnes of emissions per year, equivalent to 1.5% of Nova Scotia’s carbon output in 2022.

Renewall secured Nova Scotia’s first renewable-to-retail program licence to sell electricity from 100% renewable sources directly to end customers. This licence gives residents, public institutions, commercial and industrial customers the ability to achieve emissions reductions and sustainability objectives. Construction will take place in two phases, with the first phase expected to be completed in 2027. More than 200 workers are expected to be employed at the peak of construction activities.

Dan Roscoe, Renewall

The project is being financed under the CIB’s Clean Power priority sector, which addresses financing gaps in low-carbon emissions projects such as renewables, district energy systems and energy storage.

Minister Hodgson also announced that NRCan will provide nearly $5 million in funding to Net Zero Atlantic for the Data Analysis and Modelling for Atlantic Offshore Wind and Transmission project, to support the next stage of offshore wind planning and the proposed Wind West and Atlantic Energy Strategy.

The Province of Nova Scotia’s contribution is both financial and in-kind support, valued at nearly $700,000.

Jessica Fancy, Member of Parliament for South Shore—St. Margarets, presided over the event, stating “Renewall is bringing greater choice and affordability to Nova Scotia electricity consumers for the very first time. With the support of the Canada Infrastructure Bank and the Government of Canada, the Mersey River Wind project will harness our province’s natural wind power advantage to provide clean renewable power to Nova Scotia families and businesses for decades to come.”

MP Jessica Fancy

Speakers also included Mike Shoen, Director of Investments at Canada Infrastructure Bank The Honourable Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia; Dan Roscoe, President of Renewall Energy Inc; and Scott Christian, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality.

Jane Doucet will be joining five other Nova Scotia authors at White Point Beach Resort this week for ReadTreat. (Niki Davison)

Some of Nova Scotia’s best-selling authors will be in Queens County this weekend for the second ReadTreat event at White Point Beach Resort.

The event starts on Thurs., April 4. It’s four days and three nights of reading books, talking about books and meeting the people who make those books happen.

Acclaimed authors Lesley Crewe, Carol Bruneau, Jane Doucet, Len Wagg, Lorri Neilsen Glenn and Ray Cronin will talk about their recent or new releases. They will be holding various workshops throughout the weekend to help people with their own writing. 

Best-selling author Len Wagg will also be giving a workshop on using photography to tell your own story. 

And there will be chances to talk to authors one-on-one at dinner or in a fireside chat. Each day also starts out with a yoga session for those who want a little extra relaxation.

RELATED: Complete schedule for ReadTreat: Chapter Two

Jane Doucet is the author of three books, two of which are set on the South Shore. Her latest is Lost and Found in Lunenburg.

She will be giving a Sunday workshop on humour writing called Seriously Funny Writing with Jane Doucet.

“It’s an extravaganza for readers who love Atlantic Canadian authors. It should be a lot of fun.

“I’m a humour writer. I have three novels. So I will be sharing some humour writing tips, talking about how I use different types of humour in my novels and some ways to incorporate it. I’ll have a short writing exercise for them as well.”

Organized by Nimbus Publishing and Vagrant Press, this is the first ReadTreat since before the pandemic. The first event happened in March 2020.

Terrilee Bulger is the general manager of Nimbus. She said the first one was such a success that people wanted to do it again. And they hope to make it an annual event.

“Everybody loved it. Everybody thought it was such a unique, inspiring event, they wanted to go back.

“What’s better than spending time at White Point for the weekend reading books and hanging out with authors? I think that just sounds like an amazing weekend away myself. If you like books, if you like reading, if you like writing, there’s nothing like this. It’s really quite amazing. I think it’s a perfect way to spend the weekend.”

Doucet says events like this are as much fun for the authors as they are for readers.

“We all write alone, in isolation in our homes for the most poart. So just to be in community with other authors who you admire yourself and you read yourself , we’re all fans of each other, is just a great time. So I’m really looking forward to it.

“Come with your love of reading. Come to relax and read and chat with authors, because we love to speak to readers and hear what they’re writing as well. … I love encouraging aspiring writers, … so that will be a lot of fun for me.”

There are still tickets available. People can take in the whole weekend, or choose a day pass. Contact White Point Beach Resort for more information.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to Tuesday’s news update below

The poster for Readtreat