Manitoba Hydro, local emergency services and other partner agencies will practice responding to a natural gas pipeline emergency in St. Lazare on May 13, 2026.
The training exercise ensures Manitoba Hydro, first responders and other emergency services are ready to restore service and keep the public safe in the event of an incident involving the Minell Pipeline.
“Safety is paramount and simulated emergencies like this help us fine tune our responses and coordination,” said Brad Hay, Manitoba Hydro’s Enterprise Emergency Response Coordinator.
Members of the public may notice increased activity including Manitoba Hydro equipment, emergency vehicles and personnel near Highway 41. This is a simulation only and there is no danger to the public, but members of the public are asked not to approach vehicles or crews.
Hay said the exercise will help all services be better prepared. By practicing together now, they can better understand each other’s needs in an actual event.
“The goal here is to ensure Manitoba Hydro and our partners know what to expect in emergencies like this,” said Hay. “Familiarization is key to rapid emergency response and a safe restoration of service.”
While this is a training exercise, real-life emergencies on the line have happened. In 2021, farm machinery punctured the line near MacAulay, and in 2019 a vehicle collision damaged a natural gas station near Tyndall.
The 70-kilometre Minell Pipeline starts near Moosomin, Saskatchewan, crosses the Saskatchewan–Manitoba border, and then north to Russell, Manitoba. It serves approximately 5,000 customers in Russell, Inglis, Roblin, Riding Mountain West, Grandview, Gilbert Plains and Dauphin.
For more information, please contact:
Peter Chura, Media Relations Officer
431-323-4511
pchura@hydro.mb.ca
