Doug Chorney, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, says farmers will suffer the effects of the Bipole III power line.
Farmers will be directly affected by the construction of the Bipole III power transmission line and Keystone Agricultural Producers continues to lobby the government of Manitoba to abandon the plan to develop the west side route.
KAP is opposed to the west side route because it is not the right way to proceed for farmers and other ratepayers.
Our members have passed resolutions opposing the route and we want all farmers and Manitobans to know that we will not let this issue die or be ignored.
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KAP has been working on Bipole III lobby efforts for 3 1/2 years. We have made our message clear during discussions with premier Greg Selinger and agriculture minister Stan Struthers.
KAP officially opposes the west side route because it will cost every Manitoba Hydro customer extra money for capital costs. Whether someone has the transmission line running across their field or not, they will pay for this project through their hydro bill.
Manitoba Hydro recently confirmed that the cost of the project is now pegged at $3.28 billion. This is up from the previous estimate of $2.24 billion. It is a bad business decision for the utility to incur excessive costs for the wrong reasons.
Our members have come to us with concerns about how the transmission line will affect the way they live and work. One of the major issues farmers will be faced with is the ability to access land for crop production, which includes the impact on irrigation systems, aerial spraying and being forced to manoeuvre farm equipment around towers. Weed control around the towers is also a concern.
In addition, the hazard of hitting towers with equipment looms over every farmer affected by the west side Bipole III route.
Safety and liability are major concerns and farmers are left wondering what will happen to their insurance coverage and the related costs if they ever have a claim due to contacting a tower. The potential for electromagnetic radiation to affect electronics is also on the minds of farmers.
Manitoba Hydro’s approach to compensation is yet another concern. Our members have been telling us they are not happy with the compensation that has been offered to them and they have also pointed out the unfair approach Manitoba Hydro is taking by dealing with individuals on a one-on-one basis.
Furthermore, other utility providers deliver ongoing compensation throughout the life of the related infrastructure, while Manitoba Hydro has only offered a one-time compensation package.
KAP questions why Manitoba Hydro is failing to provide landowners with compensation that takes into account the years ahead in which farmers will be forced to work around the transmission line and the long-term financial impact.
We believe Bipole III will have a negative effect on future real estate values. People who may want to expand their farmyards or residences will not feel that it is a safe and wise investment. This leaves landowners in a no-win situation.
KAP stresses that Bipole III should not be constructed on prime agricultural land and that an east side route is preferable because it would have less of an impact on farmers’ livelihoods.
KAP will continue to be vocal on the issue of Bipole III because the current policy does not benefit farmers.
We have been told numerous times that there is no possibility that the government will change the route of Bipole III to the east side of Lake Winnipeg, but we do not accept that as being the final word and we will continue to advocate for the west side route to be abandoned.
