Province appoints former B.C. premier to review Hydro megaprojects

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This article was published 17/10/2018 (2010 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province has appointed a former British Columbia premier to conduct a major economic review of two Manitoba Hydro projects over the next year.

Gordon Campbell, the Liberal premier of B.C. from 2001 to 2011, is now the chief executive officer of Hawksmuir International Partners.

He will immediately begin a $2.5-million review of the Keeyask Generating Project and Bipole III Transmission and Converter Stations Project, and is scheduled to complete his review by December 2019.

“In particular, he will review actions taken prior to and during the construction of those projects. We have asked Mr. Campbell to make recommendations to ensure future projects are developed and managed in the best interests of all Manitobans,” Crown Services Minister Colleen Mayer said in a statement.

The Free Press requested an interview with Mayer to discuss the province’s decision to launch the independent review. Her press secretary said she will not be making further comments to media, beyond the four-paragraph news release issued Thursday morning.

“Minister Mayer will have no further comment on this issue because we respect the independence of this investigation. The terms of reference here speak for themselves,” the government spokesperson said by email.

“This is an economic review that builds upon previous reviews by the (Public Utilities Board) and the Auditor General. Once we receive this review we will consider where we stand and take further action.”

In 2017, the PUB paid a Calgary-based firm $2 million to conduct an external review of Hydro’s capital projects. The auditor general of Manitoba also reviewed the Keeyask dam project in 2016.

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @_jessbu

wfppdf:http://wfpquantum.s3.amazonaws.com/pdf/2018/17501_Hydro Project Review.pdf|Hydro project review:wfppdf