Opposition forms to First Nation’s bid for wind farm

A group of residents in southwestern Manitoba is concerned a proposed wind farm could impact their way of life.

RM of Lorne resident Bill Harrison said the Swan Lake First Nation proposal to build 30 to 35 wind turbines would disturb day-to-day life and have adverse environmental and economical impacts.

“Agriculture is a major consideration in Manitoba, it’s a major provider of food. The wind towers, they take up two to three acres a piece just to install. And then the service roads and the actual spot where the towers are planted is more too,” Harrison said Thursday.

The RM of Lorne, located 145 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, has a wind farm in the St. Leon area that was built in 2006 and expanded in 2011. The 200 square kilometre wind farm has 73 turbines that generate the energy needs of more than 40,000 homes, according to the province.

Swan Lake First Nation’s proposed project would be located near the town of Swan Lake, to the west of Somerset, and would have the capacity to power more than 70,000 homes annually.

While Harrison is in favour of renewable energy sources, he said the project should be located elsewhere.

“Put it on Crown land or somewhere north of Lake Manitoba, we have enough going on here,” he said.

Manitoba Hydro spokesperson Peter Chura said the proposed project is part of the province’s Affordable Energy Plan, which calls for Hydro to purchase up to 600 megawatts of wind energy from majority Indigenous-owned organizations. Currently, the project is in the request for proposals stage.

Hydro issued a formal search in 2025 for companies qualified to build wind farms.

Swan Lake First Nation Chief Jason Daniels declined to comment on the specifics of the project, saying a company has not been awarded a contract yet and he doesn’t want to jeopardize the selection process. He said a winner should be announced in July.

Harrison has started a petition opposing the project and formed a group, Rural Environment Watch Manitoba, to oppose the wind farm.

Harrison claimed there has been little consultation about it and only large agricultural producers in the area have been advised about details of the project.

“These open houses always seem to be held after the decision is made,” he said.

Innergex Renewable Energy, a Quebec-based electricity generation company, is involved in the project. A statement from Adeline Thames, senior associate of development at Innergex, said in an emailed statement a public open house was held in Somerset on June 3.

“Innergex has been continuously engaging with local landowners and the municipality of Lorne since early 2025. Should the project be awarded a contract with Manitoba Hydro, there would be further opportunities for public engagement and community input, as building strong relationships is an important part of Innergex and Swan Lake First Nation’s development philosophy,” the statement said.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca