Bipole III anger boils over at Manitoba Hydro protest

Dozens of farmers and landowners rallied at the Manitoba Hydro offices in downtown Winnipeg on Monday to protest the controversial Bipole III Project.

• Bipole III becomes high-voltage issue
• Bipole III gets licence from Manitoba government

The group accuses Manitoba Hydro of refusing to meetwith farmers and land ownersto discuss their concerns about thehigh-voltage transmission line.

Bipole III, which will span 1,400 kilometres and run along the west side of Lake Manitoba, has raised the ire of farmers, aboriginal leaders and others who say the project is too expensive and needlessly intrudes on their lives.

They say their rights are being ignored and their land, including crops, will be put at risk with the construction of the massive project.

"These landowners are the most respectful people like, rural people are respectful people and yet they're being bullied by Manitoba Hydro," said David Core, CEO of the Canadian Association of Energy and Pipeline Landowner Associations.

Manitoba Hydro says it has offered the landowners a fair deal, and its officials are willing to sit down and negotiate with affected farmers.

The protesters later went to the provinciallegislature, where they sat in the public gallery during question period.