The Mayor for Ritchot has questioned how much longer Manitoba Hydro will fund municipalities impacted by Bipole III.

Municipalities in the vicinity of this transmission line are provided annual funding by Manitoba Hydro through the Community Development Initiative (CDI). In Ritchot, Mayor Chris Ewen says it has worked out to between $100,000 and $150,000 annually.

2019 marks the 7th year for this program. Ewen says this year's payment will be used towards construction of the daycare facility in St. Adolphe. CDI is a 10 year program and Ewen says the remaining years are supposed to fund projects in Ile des Chenes, Ste. Agathe, Grande Pointe and Howden.

Council has yet to announce which projects will be funded in years 8, 9 and 10. But, now Ewen is questioning whether the program will even be around that long. That is because Manitoba Hydro is ending a similar fund called Community Enhancement Program. That program provides funding for municipalities impacted by the Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project.

"They are losing that opportunity to finish off their contract," says Ewen. "Quite bluntly I don't think that's fair at all."

A Manitoba Hydro spokesperson has stated that no formal agreements were ever signed and so it is in Hydro's right to discontinue it.

Ewen says he is now concerned that Manitoba Hydro will choose to end CDI in the same way.

"It's a bit of a stressful situation," he admits.

If, for example, Manitoba Hydro chooses to end CDI after year 7, then Ewen says most of the communities in Ritchot will not get the same opportunity as what St. Adolphe is getting this year.

"We're just going to continue on the way we are and hope that the province and Manitoba Hydro stays true to their word and allows us to continue doing good things with the money they've promised us," says Ewen.

Ewen notes he has heard that Manitoba Hydro can end this agreement at any time.

"I can't stress enough it's so important for the province and Hydro to stay true to their word and follow out with this contract for the remaining four years," says Ewen.

He notes there are some very exciting projects planned for Ile des Chenes, Grande Pointe, Howden and Ste. Agathe that could use this funding.

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