Getting new projects built on time is an issue in Winnipeg, and a number of people in the construction industry are pointing the finger at Manitoba Hydro.
Rick Marshall with Bird Construction told 680 CJOB that dealing with Manitoba Hydro is one of the biggest issues businesses face in the process of getting a project completed.
“It used to take about three months to get service into a building from point of application,” said Marshall. “It’s now stretching out in excess of eight months, and that’s becoming a major problem.”
It’s easier to get work done faster outside the city of Winnipeg, he said, but Hydro is still the biggest issue to completing projects on time – regardless of location.
Lanny McInnis with the Manitoba HomeBuilders’ Association said there are similar concerns being experienced on the residential side.
“It is a frustration for many of our members,” McInnis told 680 CJOB.
“It is something we continue to work with Manitoba Hydro on, in trying to hope that we can improve the service times and get the services out to new homes being built quicker than we’re experiencing.”
Hydro’s Scott Powell, however, said the Crown corporation’s website is pretty clear that major construction projects can take from six months to a year on Hydro’s end.
That may seem like a long time, but Powell says it’s necessary to do a good, thorough job.
“When you look at the level of reliability, it’s higher than the Canadian average and that comes from proper engineering and making sure that when we do add load, the system is able to accommodate it safely and that the reliability is not impacted,” said Powell.
“We’re absolutely open to looking at ways to improve that workflow. We want to make sure our customers are satisfied when they leave, and we want to ensure we’re providing service that helps drive the economy of Manitoba and that meets our customers’ needs.”
In a follow-up email to 680 CJOB, Powell said timelines can vary drastically, depending on the project, and while there are ‘outliers’, the majority of projects are handled in a timely fashion.
“Some of the commercial projects referenced… are what we call major work orders,” he said in the email, “often involving a significant amount of infrastructure to be installed.
“There could be kilometers of new distribution line required to service the customer, for example.
For these types of projects, we advise our customers that the typical timeline is six months, but could be longer depending on the size and complexity of the installation.”
Smaller projects, such as a residential panel upgrade, are typically completed within a couple of weeks or less, he said.
The province’s Crown services minister says Hydro needs to do better when it comes to the lengthy process for getting permits approved.
Jeff Wharton told 680 CJOB waiting for up to 12 months is unacceptable, and it’s been a problem for a while.
“We’ve identified these issues. We’re working to ensure that we implement them in a timely manner for the benefit of all Manitobans,” said Wharton.
The province, he said, is undergoing reviews of all departments to improve efficiency and limit economic damage caused by the lengthy permit process.
“In the private sector, you need to be real-time, and I think we need to adopt the real-time attitude.
“Those are areas that we’re really looking at building on. Customers first: that’s the mindset that we need to have.”
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