Hydro, hotels on table at AMM meeting

Manitoba municipal leaders will discuss hydro lines and hotels when they gather later this month in Winnipeg.

There are 40 resolutions up for debate at the annual convention of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM).

One, put forward by the Rural Municipality of Shoal Lake, calls for a tax on hydro lines that would be similar to municipal levies on natural gas pipelines.

Another resolution calls on the Manitoba government to abandon its plan for the controversial Bipole III hydro line down the west side of the province in favour of a shorter and less expensive east-side route.

There will also be a lengthy debate over the association's plan to stop alternating its annual meetings between Winnipeg and Brandon, and instead hold every convention in Winnipeg.

Association officials say Brandon does not have enough hotel rooms, but Brandon City Hall is fighting the move.

Bipole III anger

The high-voltage transmission line, known as Bipole III, has drawn a lot of criticism and anger since the province announced theproposed route in July.

The line, which will run 1,400 kilometres and cost $2 billion to build, was chosen over a shorter route along the east side of Lake Winnipeg.

The NDP government in 2007 overruled Hydro's original plan for theeast route. A major factor was the protection of a proposed UNESCO World Heritage site in that area.

The site, which the province is still seeking to have declared, contains 40,000 square kilometres of vast boreal forest, rivers, lakes and wetlands spread across the Canadian shield and straddling the Manitoba-Ontario border.

Critics, including the Opposition Conservatives, have said Manitoba Hydro's decision to build the line down the west side of the province's big lakes will cost at least $1 billion more because that route is 50 per cent longer than the eastern route.

However, the province has said the preferredroute avoids National and Provincial Parks, as well asFirst Nation reserve lands, and has the least impact on agricultural land.

Anumber of public open houses to present information concerning the preferred route and to obtain public feedback have been hosted by Hydroaround the province since September.

Packed meeting

There was a large crowd and some tense moments at one of those open houses, held Monday night ina meeting room at the Holiday Inn South.

About 200 crowded into the room, and manybelonged to theBipoleIII Coalition, a group opposedto the west side route. The coalition, which includes former Hydro employees as well as the Canadian Taxpayers Federation,echoed the Tories concerns about the longer, more costly route.

"It's absolutely wrong. It's madness what's going on here. The money that's being passed on to the customers of Manitoba Hyrdo is ridiculous just to save one tree in 2,000," said retired engineer Will Tishinski, whoworked for Manitoba Hydro for 36 years.

The next open houseis scheduledfor Tuesday eveningin Portage La Prairie at the Army Navy and Air Force Hall.

Once the public meetings are completed, the plan must be submitted for regulatory approval. It is expected the line would come into service in 2017.

The project is required to back up the current system and improve reliability. It will alsoprovide additional opportunity for power exports, according to Manitoba Hydro president and CEO Bob Brennan.