Belle River Wind

Belle River Wind, located in the Municipality of Lakeshore in southwestern Ontario, is a partnership between Pattern Energy, Samsung Renewable Energy Inc., and Bkejwanong First Nation (Walpole Island First Nation) and reached commercial operation in October, 2017.

The Belle River Wind power facility operates under a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO).

Capacity & Size

The 100 MW facility generates clean energy equal to the electricity needs of 35,000 Ontario homes each year, based on average annual residential energy use in Ontario.

Local investment

More than $10 million over 20 years in property taxes and community benefits to the Lakeshore community

Project Location

Economic Benefits

More than 200 workers were on-site to construct the project, which uses Ontario-made Siemens 2.3 MW wind turbines. The 40 towers were made in Windsor and the 120 blades were manufactured in Tillsonburg. 10 permanent positions were created to support operations and local contractors are used for maintenance activities

In the Community

Belle River Wind established a community benefit agreement with the Town of Lakeshore. It provided an initial payment of $2 million with an annual payment of $200,000 for the next 20 years, which adds up to an additional $6 million. The initial and annual contributions are available to fund projects and initiatives owned and administered by the Town of Lakeshore that benefit town residents. Examples of projects include: roads, airport and municipal servicing infrastructure; land stewardship initiatives, including but not limited to natural habitat creation and improvement, tree planting, and shoreline rehabilitation; public recreational facilities, including but not limited to the construction, renovation or rehabilitation of public arenas, parks and trails; education and job training programs; and other community-related activities sanctioned by the community through approval by the Council of the Town of Lakeshore.

Each of these organizations provides a unique and critical service to the Municipality of Kincardine. Pattern Canada and Samsung Renewable Energy are proud to partner with each beneficiary of the Belle River Wind Sponsorship program and assist them in their missions to improve the lives of all Kincardine area residents.

We Proudly Support

Belle River District Minor Hockey Association

Erie Shores Health Foundation

Greater Essex County District School Board

Kingsville Girls Fastpitch

Lakeshore Cheer Athletics

Lakeshore Discovery School

Lakeshore Education and Arts Development

LaSalle Firefighters Association

Parkinson Society Southwestern Ontario

Randy Atkinson Memorial Fund

Walpole Island Spring Pow-Wow

Windsor-Essex Youth Choir

Environmental Benefits

Compared to coal-fired generation, each year the facility conserves enough water to meet the needs of nearly 9,000 Ontarians and avoids the release of CO2 emissions equal to removing more 60,000 cars from the roads. In 1998, the Ontario Medical Association declared air pollution a public health crisis in Ontario with coal-fired power plants being major contributors to the smog problem. The Province committed to phasing out coal-fired generation in 2002, and the development of wind energy helped Ontario meet that goal in 2014. We are proud to be an ongoing part of the solution.

Generating 100 megawatts of power from Belle River Wind instead of from coal contributes to cleaner air and conserves water resources:

Carbon Dioxide Emissions Offset

312,746 tonnes/year | 61,323 car equivalent

Other Emissions Offset Sulfur Dioxide

1,511 tonnes/year

Project Documents & Resources

Handouts, permit documents, and other resources for Belle River Wind.

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Partners

Pattern Canada

Pattern Canada is dedicated to the production of clean, renewable energy – by Canadians and for Canadians.

As the country’s largest operator of wind power with more than 1,800 MW of installed capacity, our team has brought nine wind facilities to operation across four provinces, including the largest First Nation wind project in the country.

We are proud of our coast-to-coast Canadian roots and the results of our work in the country over the past decade. We look forward to providing lasting benefits to the communities, families, and workers involved in all of our existing and future renewable energy facilities.

Bkejwanong Territory Walpole – Island First Nation

Bkejwanong First Nation (Walpole Island) is located near Wallaceburg, Ontario at the mouth of the St. Clair River. It encompasses six islands that have been occupied by the Ojibwe, Potawatomi and Odawa peoples for thousands of years. Walpole Island has never been set apart as a reserve, giving it the distinction of being unceded territory. The First Nation is committed to a sustainable future within its Traditional Territory, which includes being heavily involved in the renewable energy sector over the past decade. This has culminated in equity participation in four wind energy projects totalling 350 MW.

Samsung Renewable Energy Inc.

Samsung Renewable Energy (Samsung) is creating clean, renewable energy for generations to come. Together with its partners, Samsung is making a $5-billion investment in Ontario. Our investment has created 900 direct renewable energy manufacturing jobs and 9,000 high-skilled jobs in the Province. Built on Samsung C&T’s commercial and technical expertise, and the success of its renewable energy projects in other countries, Samsung is creating real jobs, through real investment, benefiting real people.