Otterburne-area dairy farmer Hans Gorter now has a new 175-kilowatt, solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed on the farm to provide all the farm’s electrical energy needs.

Otterburne dairy is Manitoba’s largest solar-powered farm

The off-grid option has upfront costs but locks in energy costs for the foreseeable future


A southern Manitoba dairy is just days away from flipping the switch on the largest solar-powered farm in Manitoba. Optimist Holsteins Ltd. near Otterburne is in final stages of setting up a newly installed 175-kilowatt, solar photovoltaic (PV) system. When operational it will begin producing enough power to meet all the farm’s electrical needs while

Manitoba Hydro building in downtown Winnipeg.

Manitoba Hydro awarded 3.36 per cent rate increase by PUB

Alternatives to rising cost of electricity need serious thought, says RM official

Municipal leaders say the 3.36 per cent interim rate increase granted Manitoba Hydro this month offers only temporary relief from higher energy costs and longer-term solutions are needed. “It’s certainly better than 7.9 per cent but it’s still an increase everyone is going to have to deal with,” said Randy Henuset, deputy reeve of the


Municipalities unimpressed with Hydro hikes

Municipalities unimpressed with Hydro hikes

Manitoba Hydro hopes to increase rates 7.9 per cent annually for the next five years, 
a total 46.3 per cent jump over current rates

Local governments aren’t happy with word Manitoba Hydro is hoping to increase rates by nearly eight per cent a year for the next half-decade. Delegates from the Municipality of Pipestone raised the issue at the recent Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) western membership meeting and found plenty of support for their position. After the western

About 40 economic development officers from rural communities listen to economist John Harper speak on what’s to come in 2017.

Economist cites layoffs as fuel for economic slowdown

John Harper, senior economist with Western Diversification Canada, says there are a lot of job cuts coming to Manitoba

Manitoba may be staring an economic slowdown in the face as a number of major companies prepare to cut their workforces. That was the less-than-bright economic outlook delivered by John Harper, senior economist with Western Diversification Canada to a gathering of rural economic development officers. Speaking June 1 at the Economic Development Association of Manitoba’s


AMM’s Joe Masi says Power Smart helps with things like keeping recreation centres economical and their members want to know it will continue.

AMM looks for clarity on Power Smart

With the province looking to create a separate energy efficiency agency, municipalities look to the 
potential impact on recreational facilities and Power Smart programs

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities wants to make sure the Power Smart program will continue, even if it won’t be part of Manitoba Hydro. The creation of a separate energy efficiency agency was part of Progressive Conservative campaign promises in 2015, drawn from a 2014 recommendation by the Public Utilities Board. In the November 2016

A farmers’ organization affected by the route of Bipole III on their land say they haven’t heard from MLA Blaine Pedersen since his election last spring.

Frustrated farmers declare MLA MIA in ad

The Manitoba Bipole III Landowners Committee bought the ad, 
saying it is frustrated by the government’s total silence

Provincial infrastructure minister Blaine Pedersen has gone missing. At least that’s according to a full-page advertisement running this week on the cover of the Carman-based Valley Leader newspaper. Local landowners affected by Bipole III paid for it, saying they’re frustrated the Progressive Conservative government has been unresponsive since their election last spring. The ad states


Province’s water needs action not rhetoric

Province’s water needs action not rhetoric

Current water management practices disrespectful and disruptive to rural Manitobans

Deferral of essential water management infrastructure and management in recent years, combined with serious problems of climate change, is frustrating Manitoba’s economic growth and environmental health. Both objectives resonate with the public. Rhetoric about “fixing Lake Manitoba’s water levels,” and cleaning up Lake Winnipeg in terms of algae, sedimentation and erosion, highlights the problems but

Desperate Hydro expropriation tactics

The publicly owned utility appears bent on completing expropriations prior to the April 19 election

Recent expropriation tactics by Manitoba Hydro toward farmers show how desperate the current government is to complete Bipole III and prevent any reconsideration of alternatives after the election. In reality, there is no urgent need for the immediate expropriation. The use of RCMP teams as backup to access land yet to be negotiated is a


Portable generators: a lifesaver or a real killer?

Portable generators: a lifesaver or a real killer?

Improper hookup or use can be hazardous

When a power failure occurs, due to a storm, equipment failure or accident, a properly sized and well-maintained standby generator can be a lifesaver when used properly. But many people turn to a portable generator as a temporary solution to a power outage without knowing the risks. Know how to use a generator safely: Only

Energy strategy could help rural Manitoba

Energy strategy could help rural Manitoba

Rather than being a solution to provide lower costs and prices, the Hydro monopoly has become a barrier to innovation

Manitoba’s energy strategy is inconsistent with current and future sustainable and renewable energy priorities. Overreliance on hydro-electric power from the Nelson River is no longer competitive, and is steadily increasing huge debts to be borne by future taxpayers/hydro customers. In particular, provincial policy and existing legislation does not encourage local rural solutions. A fresh review