Manitoba Hydro announces controversial transmission line route

Manitoba Hydro has announced it’s preferred route for a massive, proposed new transmission line – making official the massive detour around the west side of the province and cutting across the Red River Valley which critics have decried as an enormous waste of money.

After months of public consultations, Hydro detailed its favourite of three routes down the province’s west side in a news release Thursday morning.

“They’ve picked a design they think will have the least impact on the environment in terms of parks and natural features that need to be protected,” says Premier Greg Selinger.

The Bipole III project has been controversial since Manitoba’s NDP government nixed a plan to run the line from dams in northeastern Manitoba down the east side of Lake Winnipeg – which would be a much shorter and less costly route but risked spoiling some of the pristine Boreal Forest many officials hope will be designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.

Instead, Hydro was directed to run the line around the west side of the lakes – a 1350 km, $2.2 billion project.

That route also cuts across hundreds of kilometers of private land – including farms in Manitoba’s fertile Red River Valley.

“We think we have a pretty good offer for any private land that is required, we’ll be negotiating, discussing it with landowners.” said Hydro Spokesperson Glenn Schneider.

The massive piece of infrastructure will also cross most major highways in southern Manitoba, and pass through an area frequently plagued by spring flooding.

Reeves of several rural municipalities have voiced their objections to the project. Richot Reeve Bob Stefaniuk told Global News he is “astounded by it”. Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative opposition has vowed to scrap it if elected to government.

Tory leader Hugh McFadyen says the project is a burden on taxpayers.

“You’ve got an added cost of seven thousand dollars for every Manitoba family right out of their pockets.”