Windmill components to arrive mid-June
By Joan Janzen
Approximately 25 Oyen area residents attended an open house held at the Oyen Seniors Recreation Centre, Thursday evening, May 19. Special Areas & Oyen Development Corp. joined with the Oyen Regional Rail Corp. to answer any questions regarding the upcoming windmill project. A video clip was also shown regarding railroad projects and expansion.
The Special Areas & Oyen Development Corporation submitted a development application regarding a lay down yard on the SW-03-28-04-W4 for the current Windmill projects in the area. Windmill companies, Vestas and Enercon, will be unloading windmill parts off the rail, and hauling them to the appropriate sites. An individual, who will be unloading the windmill components, was present at the open house. The components will arrive mid-June on the rail cars.
The Oyen West Lay Down Yard will employ approximately four people. A 40-car train will be delivered with windmill parts every ten days. Signage will be posted on Hwy. 895 to indicate “trucks crossing”, with assurances that there will be no disturbance of traffic.
Mayor Doug Jones said lots of questions were asked, and answered throughout the meeting. “The rail cars will be here for three days during the unloading. It will take a week or so to get all the pieces out in the field. The first delivery will be 55 cars, which will bring all the hubs. The longest train will be 70 cars and they will bring the 3-piece towers. They’re bringing 91 windmills, but approximately 33 are for Vermilion,” he explained.
They’re hoping to have the project completed by October 15, however there was a two week delay because of floods in Manitoba. The windmills will be located at two different locations in Oyen, and another at Sedalia - New Brigden area. “We’re also unloading 12 or 15 towers for the Jenner - Buffalo area site,” Jones said.
Any land disturbed during this project that has no future use, will be finished with topsoil and seeded back to grass.
Oyen Rail Yard
Photo by Kate Winquist
