The Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project has a couple in the Rural Municipality of Ste. Anne feeling like their hands are tied.

Conrad and Fran Thiessen, with the potential future site of Manitoba Hydro's transmission line in the background.Fran Thiessen explains they bought the property in July after looking at several other properties but not being satisfied because they had hydro lines running through them.  She adds when they first drove onto the property she noticed the dead-end road, huge acreage of swamp, and felt this was their dream home.

"When I saw the useless swamp there ... 'useless swamp'," notes Fran's husband Conrad Thiessen.  "The first thing I thought is, I already know for a fact that nobody's ever going to push to develop that, at least no where in the near future because you can't build there.  I don't have to worry about the road going through, I don't have to worry about traffic driving by, I don't have to worry about anything because there's a swamp and realistically nobody should want to go there.  Only to see that Manitoba Hydro wants to go there."

Property in July when Thiessen's moved in. (Photo by Fran Thiessen)Thiessen explains when they received an informational package in January about the transmission line he wasn't worried because he thought during their one-on-one consultation he would tell them he didn't want the line to run through their property and Manitoba Hydro would have to find an alternate route.  However, after their one-on-one consultation with a Manitoba Hydro representative he felt it was made abundantly clear they could either accept the first offer of 150% land value compensation or their land would be expropriated and they would be given 'fair market value' for the strip of land needed for Manitoba Hydro to place the towers.

Thiessen says it's not the line or the tower per se that's their largest concern.  He notes being more concerned about the added traffic of four-wheelers, dirt bikes, snowmobiles and hunters.  Adding his biggest concern is the fact that Manitoba Hydro doesn't need his permission and whether or not he likes it, it's coming.

Deer on the Thiessen's property (Photo by Fran Thiessen)"All the tracks in here (pointing to his front yard) are deer tracks.  On a daily basis I have six spots where I put deer feed everyday.  I put some also on the hill right in front of the house so I can have a better view when they come to eat.  Virtually all of their entry and exit points are through that area where they're going to be putting up the line.  It just seems a little bit too easy to me if somebody is having access to that line and they can go up and down.  I'm going to be feeding deer and they're going to be shooting fish in a barrel, which is also going to be in the direction of my house.  So I'm certainly not looking forward to that."

Thiessen points to a tree line not far away and explains those trees, which are taller than their barn, are about 35 feet high.  The Manitoba Hydro tower is as high as 200 feet, approximately six times higher than those trees.  He explains an average story is ten feet high, so it's like having a twenty story building in your backyard. 

He adds when they moved to their dream home they never thought there would be a hydro tower built in their backyard.  He says he wants to create awareness about their situation to those who may not have to deal with this now, because there's no guarantee they may not have to in the future.

Portion of Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Line that will affect Conrad and Fran Thiessen.