Farmers protest Bipole III after negotiations with Manitoba Hydro fail - Action News
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Manitoba

Farmers protest Bipole III after negotiations with Manitoba Hydro fail

Landowners in southern Manitoba are protesting proposed Bipole III construction plans, saying Manitoba Hydro has failed to listen to their concerns and work out a deal.

'Hydro has just been bullying their way through and just going on the land,' Manitoba farmer says

A group of about 30 farmers and landowners held a demonstration east of Highway 206 over the weekend. They say Manitoba Hydro has failed to negotiate terms with property owners over construction of the Bipole III transmission line. (Cliff Simpson/CBC)

Landowners in southern Manitoba are protesting proposed BipoleIII construction plans, saying Manitoba Hydro has failed to listen to their concerns and work out a deal.

"Hydro has just been bullying their way through and just going on the land," farmer JurgenKohler said.

Agroup of farmers and landownersset up at a transmission site about 2kilometres east of Highway 206 in the rural municipality of Hanover on Saturday morning. They camped out overnight and about 30remained at the spot all day Sunday.

The proposed multibillion-dollar transmission line has sparked concerns amongproperty owners in the surrounding area.

"The standoff is about protecting our property rights, standing up for our property rights, because it seems we have no property rights," Kohler said.

Bert Paquet of theManitobaRCMPsaid officers have been monitoring the protest since Saturday.

"We recognize the right to peaceful and lawful protest," he said."At this point our involvement is only to ensure the safety of the parties involved."

While tensions are high, Kohlersaid farmers like him don't necessarily objectto the construction of BipoleIIIoutright. He feels the source of the conflict comes down to Manitoba Hydro's unwillingnessto sit down at the bargaining table with farmers and landowners over the past two years.

"I understand there should be collective bargaining that other people enjoy in this province, and we should be no different."

Hydro has refused to negotiate with theCanadian Association of Energy and Pipeline Landowner Associationsand the Manitoba BipoleIII Landowners Committee, Kohler said.

Hydro has run an easement agreement by affected property owners, but Kohlerand other holdouts have refused to get on board because they say it is "fundamentally flawed."

"What they're doing is bullying landowners....They're holding our land hostage and saying 'If you sign this easement agreement, then you're going to get your land back and all this money,'" he said.

"We have huge concerns on liability, the rights that you sign away and would give up.They're holding that over landowners' heads."

Some who have signed the easement have potentially done so under stress, Jurgen alleged.

"You don't know if they signed the easement because they're OK with it, or if they signed under duress, and that's just not acceptable, so we're standing up for our property rights."

Manitoba Hydro said it hasfull legal access to the land where construction is active.

"We experience good co-operation from most landowners we have easement deals with more than 80 per cent of landowners and we're confident in our ability to deal with these blockades, albeit frustrating and time-consuming for all involved," Hydro said in a written statement.