Council opposes Hydro One transmission line through Hiawatha

Article content Two city councillors are taking Sault Ste. Marie’s Naturally Gifted mantra to heart. Ward 5 Coun.

Matthew Scott and Ward 3 Coun. Angela Caputo don’t want to see Hydro One’s new transmission line cut through Hiawatha. And they have the backing of their colleagues, who unanimously supported the motion to “exclusively support the Route 3C” option (the green option) for the new transmission line that is to bring more power to Sault Ste.



Marie. The Route 3C option wouldn’t see the transmission line pass over Hiawatha Highlands, thus protecting the natural beauty of the parkland area, which supports walking, hiking, biking and cross-country skiing, among other things. Scott said the City of Sault Ste.

Marie has committed a lot of time and effort to build up the natural resource and bring tourism to the area and he fears that if it is “torn up (it) would be an absolute travesty.” Caputo agreed, adding she enjoys spending time at Hiawatha, as many families do, and she doesn’t want to see it ruined. Hydro One’s plan is to build a transmission line to connect its Mississagi transformer station to Sault Ste.

Marie’s Third Line transformer station. It’s exploring three possible routes to Sault Ste. Marie and is engaging in consultation as part of its process.

A final route isn’t expected to be chosen until next spring. City council is not the only body who doesn’t want to see the transmission line through Hiawatha. The Saulteaux Voyageur Trail Club and the Sault Cycling Club have also raised red flags to its members about the proposed route and the potential to impact area trails.

Caputo is also hoping that First Nation communities will also have an opportunity to weigh in on the transmission line options. The line is part of three lines deemed priorities by Ontario’s Energy Ministry in October 2023. Two of the lines are in Northeastern Ontario and are vital to the electrification of Algoma Steel’s steelmaking production.

One transmission line, with 500 kilovolts (kV) of power, will run from Sudbury’s Hanmer, to Mississagi. The second line of 230 kV will run from Mississagi to Sault Ste. Marie’s Third Line Transformer station.

The Ontario government has promised the new transmission lines have been prioritized and they will be operational by 2029, with the fast tracking of approval processes. The power Sault Ste. Marie receives at the Third Line transmission station still needs to make its way closer to Algoma Steel.

PUC received approval last week from the Ontario Energy Board to construct a new 230kV transformer line and transformer station in the city’s west end. The line will help Algoma Steel get the power it needs to operate its electric arc furnaces simultaneously. Currently, the entire City of Sault Ste.

Marie has a load of 120 MW. Once EAFs are operational, Algoma Steel will require 300 MW of power to run both their furnaces simultaneously. That means the additional power required could create a bottleneck in the existing system to get power to the west end.

This transmission line will alleviate that issue, officials say. Share this Story : Council opposes Hydro One transmission line through Hiawatha Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr.