A leaked document indicating a proposed transmission line in Manitoba will cost $4.1 billion instead of $2.2 billion is not a big surprise, says a farmer from Niverville, Man.
Karen Friesen, who operates a grain, hog and poultry farm south of Winnipeg, said she suspected Manitoba Hydro was significantly underestimating the true cost of the Bipole III project, a high voltage transmission line from generating stations in northern Manitoba to Winnipeg.
“It was just a matter of time before a more realistic and up-to-date cost of the project was released,” she said.
The Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation released a Manitoba Hydro document yesterday dated Oct. 5, 2010, which estimated the construction cost of Bipole III at $4.1 billion.
The crown utility and the Manitoba government have told the public for months that the chosen route for the power line on the west side of the province would cost approximately $2.2 billion.
“Given the true cost figure, it’s shocking that (finance) minister Rosann Wowchuk is still out telling people the project might come in under $2.2 billion,” said Canadian Taxpayers Federation prairie chair Colin Craig.
Friesen founded the Bipole III Coalition after learning last summer that the line would cross her farm. It is a group of citizens, engineers and former Manitoba Hydro executives opposed to the west side route.
The Coalition and many Manitoba landowners believe the east side of Lake Winnipeg is a better route because it’s $1 billion cheaper and would cross a minimal amount of agricultural land.
The west side route would directly affect hundreds of agricultural producers, Friesen said, but the larger story is the financial implication for the province.
“Every Manitoba person needs to be concerned, not just landowners.”
