farmers decry plan to put transmission towers in fields

8 The Manitoba Co-operator | November 29, 2012
briefs
Feds say no link
in Viterra, Nexen
approvals
By Rod Nickel
winnipeg /reuters
The Chinese government is
treating its role in potential
takeovers of two Canadian
companies separately,
and is not linking them in
order to pressure Ottawa
to approve a deal between
China’s CnOOC Ltd. and
Canadian oil producer
nexen Inc., Canada’s agriculture
minister said nov.
13.
Approval from China’s
Ministry of Commerce
(MOfCOM) under Chinese
anti-monopoly law is the
final regulatory hurdle for
Glencore International
PLC’s $6.1-billion takeover
of Canadian grain handler
Viterra Inc. The deal’s closing
date has been extended
until Dec. 10.
The only significant asset
Viterra owns in China is a
canola-crushing plant joint
venture. Some investors
have speculated that China
is holding off on its Viterra
decision until it finds out if
the Canadian government
will approve the nexen deal.
The extended review
has also delayed side deals
Glencore has made to
transfer some Viterra assets
to Agrium Inc., Richardson
International Limited and
Cf Industries Ltd.
SMALLTOWNFRIENDLY
BIGTOWNFUN
Whether you’re in town shopping, visiting
family & friends or checking out a fabulous
restaurant, be sure to take in these great
upcoming events in Winnipeg!
CHECK OUT THESE HOT DEALS!
STAY + PLAY
REDEEM ONE OF THESE COUPONS WITH YOUR NEXT NIGHT-STAY IN WINNIPEG AND MENTION THE CODE NAME TOURISM WINNIPEG
TO BE AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED TO WIN TWO TICKETS TO A WINNIPEG NHL GAME AND ONE-NIGHT HOTEL STAY!
CARS EAT FREE
guests booking this package receive
a $25 gas card for every night they
stay until end of December.
1.866.565.6505
fairfieldwinnipeg.com
STAYING IS BELIEVING ®
Valid through: December 31, 2012
Promotional Code: TRS
BED & BREAKFAST
20% OFF
Quote promo code: Stay+Play
Coupons must be presented to receive discount.
Valid through March 30, 2012. Some restrictions apply.
Book today at:
1-800-665-8088 www.fortgarryhotel.com
Province admits to flooding
from Shellmouth operations
Assiniboine Valley farmers say Shellmouth Dam never intended for controlling water flows
By Daniel Winters
co-operator staff
The Manitoba government
now admits there
w a s s o m e “a r t i f i c i a l
flooding” downstream from
the Shellmouth Dam this
summer and has promised
compensation.
But the chair of the Assiniboine
Valley Producers Association
is war y and fears
farmers won’t be fully compensated
because of the narrow
definition of artificial
flooding in the Shellmouth
Dam Act.
“They say if you’ve already
got a foot of water on your
land, and then we artificially
flood you by putting six
inches more water on your
land, there’s actually no damage
because you were already
flooded,” said Stan Cochrane.
But a provincial government
spokesman said the
province would be looking
at the damage caused by the
flooding.
“Analysis indicates that
the nature of flooding was
delayed drainage of Assiniboine
Valley lands and potentially
delaying reseeding of
crops by up to two weeks,” he
wrote in an email.
“A compensation program
Receive
10%OFF
YOUR GIFT SHOP PURCHASE
with regular admission to the museum
www.manitobamuseum.ca
Offer not valid on sale items. Expires April 6, 2013
will be developed in the coming
months, and affected producers
will be contacted on
the details.”
Many farmers in the Assiniboine
Valley say provincial
officials anticipated a drought
this spring and so held back
more water than necessary
to ensure adequate supplies
for downstream users and
cottagers on Lake of the Prairies.
But when heavy rains
hit and water began rushing
towards the dam, they had little
choice but to let it go over
the spillway and flood farms,
causing millions in crop
losses.
The dam was built in the
early 1970s to prevent flooding
on the Assiniboine, not to
store water, said Cochrane.
“The people who have cottages
on the lake want it just
right all the time,” he said,
adding that requires lake levels
of 1,402 feet above sea
level — just six feet below the
level of the spillway.
“That doesn’t do much for
flood prevention,” he said.
The province should buy
out farmers in the narrow,
flood-prone stretch of the
Assiniboine from Shellmouth
to St. Lazare so it can have
more flexibility in dam operations,
he said.
November & December
THE BIG BOOM
THEORY
Celebrations Dinner
Theatre
November 21-25
WINNIPEG
ABORIGINAL FILM
FESTIVAL
Garrick Centre
November 21-15
DREAMWORKS HOW TO
TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
LIVE SPECTACULAR
MTS Centre
November 26
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
MTS Centre
November 28
WYNONNA & THE BIG
NOISE
McPhillips Station Casino
LEAVE YOUR COAT IN YOUR ROOM
AND TAKE THE SKYWALK HOME
Rates starting @ $104.00
valid Thursday to Sunday
www.deltawinnipeg.com
Subject to availability
WINNIPEG’S DESTINATION HOTEL
NEXT DOOR TO POLO PARK MALL
Rates starting @ $109.99
valid Sunday to Thursday
“They’ve gone out there whole hog
and gone absolutely crazy.”
CLIff TRInDeR
Cliff Trinder, who farms a
long stretch of the river near
Millwood, just downstream
from Shellmouth, has long
argued for a buyout after
years of constant flooding has
made it virtually impossible
to farm on the most vulnerable
parts of his property.
He and others along the
stretch, some of whom are suing
the province, have been flooded
14 times since 2005, he said.
“With these extra flows,
I don’t think that Manitoba
has got another option,” said
Trinder, who estimates the
cost at “tens of millions” for
the buyout and compensation
for past damages.
Rampant illegal drainage in
eastern Saskatchewan is making
the situation worse, and
the increased flows are reaching
the point where the Portage
Diversion won’t be able
to handle any more water,
area producers say.
1-800-4-CHOICE
www.clarionhotelwinnipeg.com
Subject to availability
November 29
CHILLIWACK
McPhillips Station Casino
November 30 -
January 5, 2013
CANAD INNS WINTER
WONDERLAND
Red River Exhibition
December 9
DISNEY’S PHINEAS
AND FERB LIVE
MTS Centre
SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP RATE
Hard to believe the holiday season
is already upon us...
Book your luxurious Fairmont room including
parking for only $139 per night
Take advantage of this exclusive offer until January 31
Rates valid on weekend stays until January 31, 2013 and are subject to applicable taxes
BOOK NOW &
SAVE UP TO
20%
at these
Holiday Inn® hotels!
www.ihg.com/prov
Ask for the
Visitor’s Guide Rate.
Some restrictions apply.
Ru m o u r s t h a t t h e Sa s -
katchewan government is
planning to clamp down on
illegal drains has led to a kind
of “gold rush” of ditching in
hopes it will be grandfathered
in when the provincial drainage
policy there is due for reexamination
in 2014.
“They’ve gone out there
whole hog and gone absolutely
crazy,” said Trinder,
adding that he’s seen fresh
12-foot ditches, two miles
long along municipal roads
that drain parcels as large as
12 square miles.
All the additional drainage
upstream on the Souris,
Qu’Appelle, and Assiniboine,
he added, may mean that
Manitoba won’t be able to
avert a future disaster as it did
in 2011 on Hoop and Holler
bend near the Portage Diversion.
daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com
December 15
HANDEL: MESSIAH
Centennial Concert Hall
December 16
BRET MICHAELS
McPhillips Station Casino
December 20-23
THE ROYAL WINNIPEG
BALLET PRESENTS
NUTCRACKER
Centennial Concert Hall
TO MAKE YOUR
RESERVATION CALL
1-800-530-9292
Ask for the Shop Until You Drop Rate
WINNIPEG SOUTH
1330 PEMBINA HWY.
1-800-423-1337
WINNIPEG AIRPORT WEST
2520 PORTAGE AVE.
1-800-665-0352
1.855.PEG.CITY (734.2389) VisitWinnipeg TourismWPG
00318.Leisure_Flight3-2_MB_Coop.indd 1 12-11-10 9:47 AM