New transmission to Eastman in service

This article was published in August 2021 and may be outdated.

A new transmission line from south Winnipeg to the RM of Hanover (southeast of the city) was put into service late last year and now serves one of the fastest growing areas of Manitoba.

The 41-kilometre, 230 kV transmission line runs from Manitoba Hydro’s St. Vital Station to the new De Salaberry East Station northwest of Kleefeld. The new line and station lessen the loads carried by three other electrical substations and improves reliability of electricity service in nearby communities. The project was completed in December 2020.

Construction on De Salaberry East Station began in September 2018 and work building the transmission line started in January 2020. The project also includes six new 66 kV lines to deliver power from De Salaberry East Station to surrounding communities.

Illustrated map of the transmission line route from the St. Vital Terminal Station to the De Salaberry East Station.

Enlarge image: Illustrated map of the transmission line route from the St. Vital Terminal Station to the De Salaberry East Station.

“Building the transmission line was challenging, as it starts in a residential area in south Winnipeg,” said Manitoba Hydro Project Officer Luc Collet. “We also had to be extremely cautious – not only for public safety, but to not interrupt the lives of people in the community who were working or going to school from home because of the pandemic.”

Demand for power in the province’s southeast, including Steinbach and the surrounding area, has grown at over twice the Manitoba average over the past 10 years. According to the 2016 federal census, population growth in Steinbach was the highest in Manitoba, nearly doubling 1996 to 2016. The 2016 census also found the RM of Hanover was the most populated municipality in Manitoba, trailing Steinbach’s population by approximately 100 people.

“The transmission line and De Salaberry East Station not only supports the energy needs of the residents and businesses in the region – it also supports new growth in these communities,” said Manitoba Hydro Project Engineer Michelle Woo.