New substation.

FortisBC held an open house last Thursday at the Elks Hall in Osoyoos.
FortisBC's Planning Engineer Edgar Frank and Senior Project Manager Keith Sones were on hand to explain and answer questions about the new proposed Osoyoos 63kV tie-in and Nk'Mip substation.
What was intended to be a two-hour open house format bordered on a public hearing as many in attendance voiced their concerns.
Costs and impacts to residential neighbourhoods were the two concerns many brought forward.
Sones explained that the reason for the Osoyoos 63 kilovolt (kV) transmission line tie-in and Nk'Mip substation projects was to answer the short- and long-term growth in Osoyoos and the Okanagan region.
According to a FortisBC project overview hand-out, Fortis is planning now for future capacity and reliability needs.
We need to start improving the system to meet the growth, Sones explained.
Fortis is proposing an upgrade to the existing line along Kingfisher Drive and the Osoyoos causeway from 13kV to 63kV and to construct a new substation approximately 2.5 kilometres northwest of Anarchist Mountain in east Osoyoos.
Construction of the Osoyoos 63kV tie-in and Nk'Mip substation is proposed to begin in spring of 2006, with completion by fall of 2006.
The cost of the project is estimated at approximately $8.97 million, which translates into an increase of approximately 43 cents per month for an average residential customer by 2007.
Sones pointed out some building permit figures for Osoyoos, beginning with 1988, at under $10 million. By 2003, building permits totalled $30 million and by the end of August 2005 had soared to $39 million. Sones remarked that Osoyoos is probably seeing more active development than Kelowna, and by 2007 would likely meet the current load capacity.
Sones explained that FortisBC has looked at the whole project and realizes there will obviously be an impact.
But we want to limit the impact as much as possible. The line dates back to the 1960s, and needs to be updated with something more robust, Sones said.
He added that FortisBC places paramount importance on public and crew safety. They also intend to try to reduce the impact to traffic flow and pedestrians as much as possible and will provide plenty of public notice during construction times.
Kingfisher Drive resident Patricia Hull read an impassioned statement of objection to the project, written by her husband Denis.
In the letter, Hull stated that an alternate route, away from Kingfisher Drive, should be considered as it would impact fewer residences than the route proposed.
The alternate route would see the existing line continue up 89th Street to the south lane behind Main Street and then east to Highway 3 beside and behind Shoppers Drug Mart.
Other residents raised the health and line pollution issues, and questioned why Fortis was not considering an option to bury the line, instead of running it overhead.
Sones explained that the cost difference between burying the line and going overhead was the main reason for choosing the overhead option.
It would cost approximately $1.5 million to go overhead as opposed to $4.5 million to bury the line, Sones explained.
Others in the audience suggested that since the rapid growth rate in east Osoyoos is a contributing factor in the need to upgrade, that the extra costs should be absorbed by the developers.
They are the ones who are responsible for the greater demand on the service, so why shouldn't they pay for the upgrade? asked Jackpine Lane resident Robert Johnson.
Osoyoos resident Jackie Gee suggested a combination of overhead and underground should be considered to minimize the impacts in residential neighbourhoods. Still others suggested that the current substation, located near the elementary school, be moved to a more remote area, such as the Industrial Park, or behind the Husky gas station.
BC Utilities Senior Electrical Engineer Bob Rerie said that FortisBC will hold a written hearing and people with concerns are welcome to present them.
It will be an extended process of going back and forth. BC Utilities will then grant approval or approval with conditions, Greary said.
That process would likely happen in the next few weeks, he added.
Keith Sones, along with moderator Frances Maika, of Vox Communications, thanked the audience for their participation and for raising their concerns.
For more information about the project, check out the FortisBC website at www.fortisbc.com Senior Project Manager Keith Sones may be reached via email at [email][email protected][/email]rn