By Scott Blyth
It is time to draw the line – our health is at stake! Let me explain. Adrian Sala, our Minister of Finance, and the minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro and Centra Gas, has proposed building three new gas turbines in Brandon. This will be accompanied by the building of a new pipeline to bring the natural gas to Brandon. The new project will be at the existing natural gas plant.
We need to tell him that the continued use of natural gas (methane) threatens our physical and financial health! Mr. Sala will have us believe that we can’t cut back on our existing natural gas use, and therefore plans to build a new gas turbine for power requirements. This is apparently because natural gas is “more affordable.” Now, this may have been true in the past, but at this time, renewables (wind, solar, and battery storage) are less expensive than fossil fuels. Fossil fuels cause climate change, and climate change is affecting Manitoba Hydro’s bottom line! Climate change related drought leads to a lowering of the water table, resulting in less Hydro power produced.
We are to understand that natural gas will be more accessible. What we are not made aware of is that there will be a 7-year waiting period for a new gas turbine. Contrast that with it only taking, on average, 2-3 years to build a major renewable project. It is very puzzling that there is such a lack of even considering potential major renewable projects. Does Mr. Sala not know that world-wide, renewables are taking over as the “go-to” for power supply?! Once again, they are cheaper!
What’s most concerning is the lack of mention of how the burning of methane can affect our health. It does so in two ways. From a climate change perspective, natural gas, which is 80% methane, is a super-pollutant. Methane is 80x more potent than CO2 in its greenhouse gas effects, and is responsible for 1/3 of the Earth’s warming. There are also health concerns related to extreme weather events, such as drought, floods, heat domes, increases in wildfires and the smoke that comes with them. Plus, there has been an increase in vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease. Climate change has taken a huge toll on our mental health. 80% of our youth (studies have looked at 5-7 and 11-16 year olds) have concerns about climate change.
Secondly, the use — extraction, production and burning — of fossil fuels also has direct effects on human health. It causes and worsens respiratory problems, it worsens cardio- vascular disease leading to more heart attacks, it worsens cerebrovascular disease leading to more strokes, and there are increased risks to pregnancy such as low birth weight and pre-term delivery. In Canada, there are an estimated 15,000 deaths annually caused by the pollution from burning fossil fuels.
Now, Mr. Sala is also the Minister of Finance. Shouldn’t he be aware of the hidden costs related to the use of methane? What is shocking, is that the affordability in using natural gas (methane) pales in comparison to these health costs. For example: in the summer of 2025, over a five-day period in an area of northern Ontario, the healthcare costs resulting from wildfires was $1.6 billion. Air pollution from fossil fuels prematurely kills 6,600 Ontarians annually, at a cost of $50 billion. A U.S.-wide study estimated that by avoiding gas plant costs, they could prevent $23–$74 billion in healthcare costs over a 20-year period.
So, especially with the Manitoba government’s Road Map to Net-Zero in mind, Manitoba Hydro should consider the positive effects of eliminating the use of methane. Please, and I speak for the vast majority, DO NOT build another gas plant turbine and the pipeline to supply it!! Instead, use the proposed $3 billion to build major renewable energy projects: solar, wind, and battery storage. That will help to meet and surpass our energy needs long-term. And it will be cheaper!!