Power push creating new breed of engineer.

• Author: Louiseize, Kelly

Wind power may be the future attraction for engineers relocating in the North.

The Ontario Wind Power Task Force Industrial Report states there is a shortage of Canadians educated in the area of wind power. To achieve the goal of 10,000 megawatts by 2010, Canada will need to utilize the services of approximately 2,000 engineers, technicians, and management staff, according to the report. As it is now, technical resources are coming from Alberta to fill work in Ontario, but Ontario's existing wind power installation amounts to seven or eight megawatts, a far cry from the 100 megawatts of installed capacity in Alberta, the report notes.

Samit Sharma, professional engineer with an MBA from Queen's University and also director of projects for Gaia Power Inc., says Northern Ontario is full of possibilities for wind energy, however it will be linked to the policies brought forth by the government.

Northern Ontario holds approximately 80 per cent of Crown land. Recently the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources instituted a policy to open up government-owned land for wind-power development, Sharma says.

"People can make an application to scope out these lands for wind power development," Sharma explains.

"That is the one thing that has certainly increased the interest."

As a board director of Canadian Wind Energy Association (CANWEA), Sharma, along with experienced and educated professionals, set out with venture capitalists on a Lake Superior Wind Tour last summer, and the response from some of the communities was outstanding, he says.

"They were enthusiastic, curious and wanted to know more about it and more importantly they wanted something to be done about it," Sharma recalls.

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The economy in some of the communities is hurting, he says. Sawmills and pulp and paper mills have scaled back their workforce, and the towns are looking for ways to diversify their economy and maybe increase tourism potential.

In some areas, wind power could be used as an industry, but the problem lies with the policies of the government, Sharma adds. The former government had legislation in place to deal with renewable energies. Now there is a new government and policies are continually changing.

"When you do not have a long-term outlook on policies, people are always shy to make investments on a large scale. This is one of the larger issues we are facing in the electricity market. No one is making any investment because there is no long-term policy outlook."

Already there are students asking about wind programs at Ontario colleges and universities. Alberta and Quebec's post-secondary institutions are turning out graduates in the field simply because both provinces have long-term policies, Sharma says.

Recent announcements from the provincial government indicate they are seeking experts in the field of energy and renewable resources to enhance Ontario's supply of electricity. This has some investors setting up meetings with a few northern communities, says Bob Hancherow, community development manager for Superior North. Although he is reluctant to disclose the...