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and Internet, and a full-service kitchen and dining room that
prepare fresh meals onsite daily.
A recreation centre, which will include fitness facilities and
a full-size basketball court, is currently being constructed.
“If people are working in isolated conditions, we want
them to have the best services and the best food,” said Owen.
Any project of this size presents unique challenges, and
for Keewatinohk, the cold weather is on the list.
“We’re working in the north and in the winter and almost
around the clock,” said Owen. “That cold rush of arctic air
that folks and machinery are dealing with on a daily basis can
create some challenges,” adding that contractors and Manitoba
Hydro employees are used to working in winter conditions.
The remote location does come with some positives, however.
Frost says Keetwinohk’s location allows construction to
continue into the evening hours, unlike some urban projects.
“Lights can go on and people can work into the evening
as construction noise is not generally as big of an issue,” said
Frost. “Work at Keewantinohk is proceeding as planned.”
Below ground
Frost says a second challenge is the ground Keewatinohk is
being built upon. That ground includes discontinuous permafrost,
which offers a challenging base for the foundations
and within the station.
“When you’re setting these piles for the foundations,
you’ve got to account for the fact that the long-term settling
will be uneven,” said Frost. “Although this settling will take
place over a number of years, you’ve got to account for it,
because Keewatinohk is expected to be in operation for more
than 50 years.”
Environmental impact
Frost says Keetwinohk’s location allows construction to continue
into the evening hours, unlike some urban projects.
“Lights can go on and people can work into the evening
as construction noise is not generally as big of an issue,” said
Frost. “Work at Keewantinohk is proceeding as planned.”
The entire Bipole III project was subject to a detailed
environmental impact review by the Manitoba Clean
Environment Commission.
During construction, contractors are required to follow
a Heritage Resource Protection Plan in case ancient human
remains are found. To date, none have been located. Should
crews make such a discovery, work would be stopped until
the remains could be recovered and removed for interred at a
site approved by Fox Lake Cree Nation.
Another consideration is preservation of permafrost.
Manitoba Hydro will avoid burning slash on permafrost soils
adjacent to the Keewatinohk Converter Station and northern
ground electrode sites, and during construction, workers
will avoid stripping through organic layers on permafrostaffected
soils.
The logistical considerations and planning that have gone
into Keewatinohk and the rest of the Bipole III project are
staggering in scale and scope. However, the effort is small
compared to the impact of a power line that will travel hundreds
of kilometres and last for a human lifetime. No doubt
the Romans would have approved.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Ten Years of Piling Canada 35
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