Water well protesters will find out Monday if turbine blockades can continue

Water well advocates in Chatham-Kent are expected to learn whether they'll be able to continue blockading wind turbine sites when a judge rules on a temporary injunction against them Monday.

• 'I believe that Chatham-Kent is in a water war': wind turbine experts hear at public meeting

• Turbine company seeks injunction against water well activists citing 'safety risk'

A Chatham courtroom was packed Thursday morning as Pattern Development and Samsung, the two companies behind the North Kent Wind project, faced off against Water Wells First, a group that occupied one of their construction sites for 11 days.

Companies says protest is a 'safety risk'

The companies are seeking an injunction that would stop the protests they describe as a "serious safety risk."

Court first heard from Cindy Soney, a First Nations woman who stated she was the only person who shut down machinery during the demonstration. She added the land where the turbine project is taking place is owned by Canada's Indigenous people.

Pattern Development lawyer Jim Bunting argued other protesters trespassed on the company's construction site several times prior to August. He also told the judge that the protesters yelled at workers and vandalized company equipment. 

More than a dozen people in Chatham-Kent claim the construction of the 34 turbines is contaminating their well water.

Pattern and Samsung are both denying those allegations. 

The companies are using the injunction to ask the court to order the protesters to stay away from the construction sites.

Judge Kirk Munroe is expected to give his decision Monday at 2 p.m.