Hydro gets feedback at open house

Manitoba Hydro hosted an open house on its proposed natural gas transmission pipeline project tied to a new combustion turbine facility near Brandon.

The event at the Legion building was attended by dozens of residents, landowners and municipal representatives on Tuesday evening.

The session is part of the utility’s environmental assessment and public engagement process, with officials seeking feedback on potential pipeline routes before selecting a preferred option later this spring, the organization’s media relations officer, Peter Chura, told the Sun at the event.

Chura said the project could directly affect 72 landowners, as well as three municipalities, including Elton, Cornwallis and the City of Brandon, and other stakeholders like local First Nations and the Manitoba Métis Federation.

“We understand that this is potentially a major project for this area, and so we want to engage with the public,” Chura said in an interview. “We lay out what some of the potential routes are, and then we get feedback from landowners and other stakeholders about what concerns they might have.”

The project, announced by Premier Wab Kinew in November and expected to cost up to $3 billion, would see three combustion turbine units built at the Brandon Generating Station to help power the province during peak usage times.

Natural gas pipelines would need to be installed in the rural municipalities of Elton and Cornwallis to connect to a main line.

Maps posted around the hall showed several possible route options; each marked with letters and numbers to help residents reference specific sections.

Chura said feedback gathered during the open house will be reviewed before Manitoba Hydro returns in May with a preferred route.

“Based on all the feedback from landowners, we’ll arrive at a preferred route and come back to the community to discuss it further,” he said. “Potentially, we could still make further adjustments.”

The proposed facility, which would include three combustion turbines capable of adding 750 megawatts of capacity, is part of Manitoba Hydro’s Integrated Resource Plan. Chura said the province could face capacity shortfalls during peak demand periods by 2029–30.

“This facility would be used intermittently, primarily during peak times — those very cold days in January when it’s minus-30 and electricity demand is at its highest,” he said. “In a regular year, we estimate it would be used about 100 hours.”

He said the turbines would serve as backup for renewable energy projects, including a planned Indigenous wind initiative that could supply up to 600 megawatts of wind power.

“Wind energy is intermittent,” Chura said. “If the wind stops blowing, you can’t benefit from it. Having this kind of facility enables wind energy by backing it up when it’s not available.”

For some residents, however, the focus is closer to home.

Robert King, who lives just north of Brandon, told the Sun one of the potential routes runs near his property.

“It’s coming in on either side, either west or east, fairly close to the house,” he said in an interview. “They said these are just options right now, and they’re taking feedback. I suggested maybe moving it not as close to my house.”

Despite his concerns, King said he understands the broader need for the project.

“Brandon is growing, so it does need more power,” he said. “Since they took out the coal, they’ve got to have something to get the power back up, especially when we get 40 below zero in the winter.”

Alex Campbell, who farms about three and a half miles outside Brandon, said one of the proposed routes runs through the middle of his property.

“It’s a little confusing,” Campbell told the Sun. “The maps they sent out were a Google Earth view, and it wasn’t exactly clear where things are going.”

His concerns are whether a proposed 10-inch and 24-inch pipeline would share the same trench and how deep the line would be buried.

“A natural-gas pipeline isn’t exactly something people want in their backyard,” he said. “How deep is it? Will it interfere with what we’re doing? Is there potential for accidentally hitting it?”

Chura acknowledged that if the final route crosses private land, Manitoba Hydro would apply for easements, allowing the infrastructure to be installed while the land remains under private ownership. Compensation would be negotiated based on fair-market value for the affected strip of land, he said.

Chura said he was encouraged by the turnout, estimating at least “a couple dozen people” had attended early in the evening.

“It’s great to see the level of interest,” he said. “The most important thing is being able to share information and hear concerns.”

Manitoba Hydro plans to continue consultations this spring before submitting final environmental assessment documentation and moving toward construction, pending approvals.

Construction timelines on the Hydro’s website indicate licensing decision in late 2027, combustion turbine unit construction to start (if notice of alteration is approved) in early 2028, with a target in-service date of summer 2030.

The pipeline would be developed alongside the turbine project, Chura said.

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