The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
East or West? Why is the Manitoba Hydro power line controversy still raging? Most observers agree that the power line is needed to provide more clean energy exports, as coal fired-power plants are a no no today and expensive nuclear plants are still not totally acceptable. Hydro power is "Mr. Clean" and political leaders are salivating at the thought of making millions on exports to the U.S. and provinces such as Ontario. Manitoba Hydro needs more export revenue to pay off its huge debt and keep electric bills cheap for Manitobans, as their political masters will not allow them to charge the real costs of electric power. Gary Doer's stand on where to put the line is at odds with most economists and Hydro itself, who more or less agree that the shorter eastern side route is the way to go, as it will be much cheaper and greatly save on power loss, maintenance costs. This route would also bring real economic benefits to isolated and impoverished communities east of Lake Winnipeg. Critics say that as much of Manitoba is Boreal Forest, a single transmission line will hardly damage the pristine forest, and environmental concerns should not be as major a factor as economic concerns. The cost will be a half-billion dollars more for the west side route, a $400 debt for each Manitoban. Power line experts such as Andy Staudzs, who spent 30 years with Manitoba Hydro, claim the west side route is a huge mistake, partly because of the cost but also due to the 50 per cent more power losses of the longer line. Staudzs insists that the cleared right of way will have very little impact on the environment. Others claim that the economic benefits to east side residents, including a chance at real jobs, are more important than the so-called pristine forest. Doer's defenders claim the premier is not a fanatical environmentalist but a realist who believes the west side route has a real chance of success and will not be hung up by environmental hearings. They also mention times from the past when groups such as the Sierra Club tried to get Manitoba Hydro's U.S. customers to renege on their purchases. Some even fear that conflicts with east side native reserves will break out and prevent development. This is a bit of a stretch, as the economic benefits will be a huge incentive for these groups to sign on. This issue, like the Crocus mess, just won't go away for the NDP. In any event, don't expect the line to be started any time soon. * * * It happened on the east side, at least east of Manitoba. This year has seen two provincial elections in the East, with another in the West. The one in Newfoundland was no surprise as Danny Williams and the PCs won a huge majority. Williams is quite a guy. He is in a never-ending fight with Stephen Harper over mineral rights and, of course, not wanting it to count in revenue sharing. Like ousted Saskatchewan premier Lorne Calvert, Williams can't stand Newfoundland being a "have province" after years of getting money from Ontario, Alberta and B.C. Too bad! Neither province wants to share its wealth with "have not" provinces like Manitoba. The Ontario election saw Premier Dalton McGuinty's Liberals win another majority. He was handed the victory on a platter by the foolishness of new PC leader John Tory, who came out with a plan to fund faith-based schools. The idea would not have cost much but was unacceptable to voters and became the only election issue. McGuinty piously defended the current financing and did not have to answer to the real issues - the loss of manufacturing jobs, health care problems and his broken promises. The Liberals have a comfortable 17-seat majority, while the PCs gained one seat and the NDP stayed the same (thanks to a surge by the Green Party). Best bet is that both opposition leaders will soon be gone. Roger's Right Corner runs Wednesdays.
