MMF appeals Bipole III license

The Manitoba Métis Federation has appealed the recently issued environmental license for the proposed Bipole III Transmission Line. The formal appeal was filed with the minister of conservation and water stewardship on Sept. 11. Bipole III is a proposed 1,300 km transmission line that starts in northern Manitoba near Gillam and terminates in Winnipeg. The project will have a significant impact on Métis in northern and southern Manitoba, as well as add a new and significant disturbance throughout the western regions of the province, an area already under significant environmental stress, the MMF asserts. This region in particular is extensively relied upon by the Manitoba Métis community for cultural and traditional resource purposes. The first stage in the appeal of a license is with the government. However, MMF has indicated that it intends to challenge the license in the Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench if Metis rights, interests and concerns are not meaningfully addressed.