WINNIPEG—The PC Party's promise to bulldoze a hydro transmission corridor through the Heart of the Boreal remains the gravest threat to one of the largest intact forests left on the planet—the Heart of the Boreal east of Lake Winnipeg.

"At last week's Provincial Environment Forum, the Green Party, the Liberal Party, and the NDP all agreed they do not want Bipole III going through the East Side," said Eric Reder, Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee. "The PC Party, however, insisted they would push the line through the Heart of the Boreal."

"Anyone examining this issue would see the irreversible damage any more linear disturbances will have on this forest," said Reder. "In a warming world with ecosystems around the globe deteriorating from development effects, Manitobans need to stand firm and preserve our healthy contribution to the planet."

At the Environment Forum, PC Party representative Heather Stefanson reiterated her party's promise to build Bipole III down the East Side. In her response to a pre-submitted question, Ms. Stefanson erroneously explained that the hydro line could be built alongside an East Side community access road with little difficulty. She went on to incorrectly explain that there are only two woodland "caribou herds" on the east side, compared to eight on other routes, so the impact of Bipole III would be lessened.

"Even if you ignored the fact that a hydro line can't be built along the same route as a community access road because all 16 communities aren't situated in a straight line, there is a major problem with this short-sighted stance," said Reder. "Damages from developing multiple linear disturbances in wilderness and healthy ecosystems are not just cumulative, but are exponential. In addition, the intact East Side is recognized as the best place to ensure the survival of the threatened woodland caribou, which range across most of this area, and are extremely sensitive to any new clearings."

Earlier this year, PC Party leader Hugh McFadyen, in response to an open letter sent to him by the Wilderness Committee, could not provide any of the requested research which would indicate that Bipole III built through the East Side forest would have less ecological impact than routing it anywhere else.

"Bulldozing Bipole III through the Heart of the Boreal remains the gravest threat to Manitoba's world-class wilderness—and one of our planet's greatest life support systems," said Reder.

For more information, please contact Eric Reder, (204) 997–8584