Route selected for St. Thomas Line minimizes impact on landowners, environment

Nov 05, 2024

Hydro One has selected Route 3 as the preferred option for the St. Thomas Line project as it impacts fewer environmentally sensitive features, at-risk species and residential properties than any of the other options.

Routes were evaluated based on data from environmental field studies and feedback from local communities to understand the advantages and challenges of each option based on four criteria categories, explained Kathleen McCorriston, vice-president of portfolio management in a media briefing. The categories are natural environment; socio-economic environment; Indigenous culture, values and land use; and technical and cost elements.

“Route 3 scored the highest in all four categories and in feedback we received,” said McCorriston.

“There are still several steps before we arrive at our target construction date in late 2025 and our target in service date of 2027. Following our open houses in November, our next milestone is expected when we develop and release the draft environmental study report to the public for review and comment.”

The approximately 18-kilometre, 230-kilovolt double-circuit St. Thomas Line will power the electric vehicle (EV) battery cell plant owned by PowerCo Canada, a subsidiary of Volkswagen. The plant is expected to create up to 3,000 jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs.

“Ontario is undergoing a profound and rapid transformation as we electrify our economy,” McCorriston explained. “Once built, the line will power a key link in that supply chain. When complete, PowerCo Canada’s EV power plant will be the biggest EV plant in north America and the biggest manufacturing facility of any kind in Canada.”

Route 3 starts at Innovation Park in London, crosses Highway 401 approximately 500 metres west of the Veterans Memorial Parkway and travels south beside Old Victoria Road. It connects into the proposed Yarmouth Yards Industrial Park in St. Thomas into the planned Centennial Transformer Station.

In January Hydro One commenced a Class Environmental Assessment (EA).

The study area for the routes considered existing features such as creeks, built up or developed areas, highways, railway tracks and other transmission lines to provide a range of potential route options.

“We then used an approach rooted in data and feedback to identify the route that would best protect the natural environment and reduce or minimize disruptions to residents and business owners,” said McCorriston.

“Route 3 minimizes the need for vegetation removal, has the lowest impact on species at risk, has the lowest impact on significant wildlife habitat and has the lowest impact on designated natural areas such as significant woodlands and wetlands.

“In particular it avoids the Westminster Wetland Complex and the Tennants Pond environmentally sensitive area. Both of these would have been impacted by Route 1.”

Socio economic factors were also considered.

“Route 3 was chosen because it has the fewest effects on residential properties. It has no buildings in the right-of-way and it has fewest effects on source water protection areas,” said McCorriston. “It also has the fewest effects on built heritage resources and cultural heritage landscapes…It also crosses fewer private wells than other alternatives.”

The preferred route also scored the highest in technical feasibility and cost.

“It had the fewest pipeline crossings and the fewest impacted properties,” McCorriston noted. “Route 3 avoids conflicts with major water infrastructure including the Huron and Lake Erie primary water supply system pipeline. It also provided the best location for crossing Kettle Creek, the most challenging crossing for this project and the location of an existing 500 KV transmission line. The design for Route 3 also parallels a section of an existing transmission line but we expect no outages to customers will be required during the construction of this line.”

With the preferred route selected detailed design can begin.

“Our engineers and planners will further refine our plans and take into consideration effects on residences and businesses, location, height and clearance of our transmission towers, rights of way, width, environmental constraints, typography and soil conditions and construction activities,” said McCorriston.

Engagement will be ongoing throughout the lifecycle of the project, she added.

“We’ll continue working with Indigenous communities, local residents, impacted property owners and stakeholders to refine the route and minimize the impacts.”

Open houses will be held Nov. 13 at Belmont Arena and Community Centre in Belmont and Nov. 14 at St. Anne’s Parish Centre in St. Thomas from 3 to 8 p.m.