Hydro One has selected a preferred route for a major new transmission line through Windsor and Lakeshore, saying the project will help meet growing electricity demand in southwestern Ontario while minimizing impacts on property owners. The route, known as Option 2A, will run from the Lakeshore transformer station on South Middle Road, turn north near Manning Road and continue toward the Lauzon transformer station near County Road 42. Sonny Karunakaran, Hydro One’s vice-president of strategic projects and partnerships, says the preferred route was selected following community engagement and an assessment of environmental, socio-economic, Indigenous and technical considerations. “When we assess the various route options, consideration for making sure that we’re reusing existing corridors to mitigate or minimize creating new corridors and impacting new property owners was a prime focus for us,” Karunakaran said. He says approximately 60 properties will be impacted by the preferred route. Hydro One says some land acquisition will be required through easements or property purchases, but no primary residences are expected to be directly affected by the transmission line right-of-way. Karunakaran says the company will now work directly with property owners to discuss how the project could affect their individual properties and whether minor adjustments can be made. “What we want to do is we want to look at the alignment. What are the other features that that landowner has where the alignment is coming through?” he said. He says discussions could include the placement of individual transmission towers, with Hydro One open to shifting locations where technically feasible to accommodate property owners. The project is intended to address a significant increase in electricity demand across southwestern Ontario. Karunakaran says the Independent Electricity System Operator has projected demand in the region will grow by 73 per cent by 2050. The new double-circuit, 230-kilovolt transmission line is expected to provide 510 megawatts of additional electricity capacity, enough to power a city the size of London, Ontario, according to Hydro One. “As the economy continues to develop and grow and consume more of that electricity, investments like the Windsor Lakeshore Power line will be required to maintain the power that we bring into the region and the reliability that it provides,” Karunakaran told CTV News. The preferred route is welcome news for at least one South Woodslee resident. Luc Michaud, who has lived in the community for 15 years, says he hopes the additional infrastructure will help reduce the power flickering and outages residents sometimes experience. “When you’re concerned every time there is a storm coming in and you’re going to lose power and you don’t know how long it’s going to be out for, just again, you know, the slightest wind can knock us out,” Michaud said. “It gets frustrating and you’re always coming home to your clocks off or, you know, TVs are turned on for whatever reason. It’s nice to have that integrity where it stays on.” Michaud also says he appreciates Hydro One’s efforts to communicate with residents about the project. “They’re sharing the information and making it aware to all of us out here, and no secrecy,” he said. “This is a nice improvement for not just Lakeshore, but as well for Windsor.” Hydro One says construction is expected to begin in late 2028, with the goal of having the transmission line in service by 2032. The project is undergoing a Class Environmental Assessment, with further regulatory applications and property-owner discussions still required. Two public open houses are planned to provide residents with more information about the project. The first is scheduled for Nov. 25 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Libro Community Centre in Lakeshore. A second session will take place Nov. 26 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Forest Glade Community Centre in Windsor.
