Steinbach MLA, Kelvin Goertzen, says he is concerned by a growing feeling among local residents and others in the province that the decision by the NDP government to build a new hydro transmission line down the west side of the province instead of the shorter route on the east side of Lake Winnipeg, is a done-deal that can’t be changed.
“Each of the arguments the NDP government has put forward for directing Manitoba Hydro to build the line on the west side of the province have proven to be either wrong or without merit. Now the NDP strategy is to just tell people that it can’t be changed and to stop talking about it,” said Goertzen. “That is completely false. There is both the time to change the decision and the willingness by many people to do so.”
The proposed route of the new transmission line (known as Bi-Pole III) cuts partially through the R.M. of Hanover and Tache.
“There are a number or residents asking me whether its true that it’s too late to change the route to the east side of Lake Winnipeg, which is where Manitoba Hydro wanted the line to go all along before the NDP directed it go on the west side,” said Goertzen. “My message to these residents is that it’s not too late to change the route. It’s not a done-deal.”
Goertzen notes that Hydro itself has stated that it will take at least 2 or 3 years before construction on the line can begin. In fact, nothing can happen with the line until a federal and provincial environmental review are completed and that review will not start until at least the middle of next year.
There will be a provincial election long before construction of the line and the outcome of that election could certainly impact the route.
Goertzen went on to repeat that running the Bi-Pole line on the east side of Lake Winnipeg would be shorter, cheaper, more environmentally friendly and is the route favoured by Manitoba Hydro.
