As part of increased efforts to enhance the safety and reliability of the provincial power grid by keeping vegetation away from electrical equipment, Manitoba Hydro is removing 262 trees along Selkirk Avenue between Keewatin and Railway streets in Winnipeg.
The trees have encroached on 22 spans of 24,000-volt power lines that distribute electricity to thousands of customers.
This work will begin next week.
Tree contact along this line has already caused power outages and increased risk to our employees who repair the damage and restore power. The danger to residents and passersby is also significant if trees become energized, start fires or bring down power lines.
As the utility announced earlier this year, more resources are being directed to vegetation management, which includes trimming and removing trees where necessary. Tree contact is the second most common cause of power outages and can also create safety hazards like fires and downed power lines.
Most of the trees being removed are Siberian elms, a tall and fast-growing variety not compatible with overhead power lines. Trimming this type of tree would not achieve the required clearance or avoid regrowth, so they must be removed.
“We trim trees away from power lines where possible, but in situations like this, unfortunately removal is the only option,” said Steven McDonald of Manitoba Hydro’s Forestry Section. “The priority is greater safety for our customers and employees, and fewer power outages.”
Manitoba Hydro has significantly increased the amount of vegetation management it performs, including trimming and removing trees, mechanical brush clearing, and selective application of herbicides.
Learn more about Manitoba Hydro’s vegetation management program.
For more information, please contact:
Peter Chura, Media Relations Officer
431-323-4511
pchura@hydro.mb.ca
