Proponents of a $1.2-billion hydro-electric transmission project touted the benefits of clean energy and First Nation-led business partnerships on Friday, while negotiations with some landowners being impacted by the line remained a work-in-progress.
The Waasigan Transmission Line was officially launched at a groundbreaking ceremony in Shuniah with Indigenous, municipal and Hydro One officials taking part in a sod-turning ceremony.
Waasigan, to be built in two phases, is to transmit 350 megawatts of electricity mostly in areas west of Thunder Bay — “enough to power Thunder Bay, twice,” Hydro One claims.
The first phase, a double-circuit 230-kilovolt line between Shuniah and Atikokan, will be in service by the end of 2025.
Phase two, which will be completed two years later, involves a single-circuit 230-kilovolt line between Atikokan and Dryden.
“Waasigan changed the way we build new large-scale transmission line projects with the launch of our industry-leading 50-50 equity partnership model,” Hydro One president David Lebeter said in a news release following Friday’s ceremony.
Under the arrangement, nine First Nations, including Fort William First Nation, “have agreements in place to invest a 50 per cent equity stake in the transmission line component of the Waasigan . . . project,” the company said.
“We will continue to work with our partners to develop the project in a good way, and look forward to seeing our communities and people benefit as the project advances,” Gwayakocchigewin Limited Partnership president Daniel Morriseau said in the same news release.
Though agreements have yet to be reached with all landowners to be impacted by the Waasigan line, a Hydro One spokeswoman said “there are a variety of construction activities that will begin while this engagement (with landowners) continues.”
The first of three construction stages is to include preparations for access roads, construction camp setups and corridor work.
Volunteer agreements have been reached with a majority of landowners along the line’s route, the Hydro One spokeswoman said.
“We remain hopeful we can reach voluntary agreements with the remaining landowners through ongoing engagement,” she added.
She didn’t say how many landowners have yet to reach agreements with Hydro One.
The Ontario Energy Board has deemed the Waasigan Line to be in the public interest. The province could expropriate properties to make for the line, but Hydro One indicated earlier it didn’t think a hard-line approach would be necessary.
Brant Muir is among a small group of people who have camps at Shebandowan Lake and would like to see the Waasigan route slightly adjusted to protect one of the lake’s wetlands.
Muir said Friday’s ground-breaking event won’t prevent him from pursuing that aim.
“There are several approvals that Hydro One must (still) obtain to construct the transmission line,” Muir contended.
One thing the company will have to do is seek a variance from an existing provincial conservation plan for Shebandowan Lake, a move that Muir and other campers feel would set a bad precedent.
Approval for the variance would have to be made by Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources.
