Hydro-Québec Line 2 dismantlement project about to begin

11/05/2020

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke wishes to inform the community that work to dismantle Hydro-Québec Line 2 is expected to begin in the coming weeks. Preparatory work will take place next week. There are 64 transmission towers, 256 tower bases, and 9 km of line to be removed between now and spring 2021.

Hydro-Québec will be retaining Mohawk contractors for much of the dismantlement work, including site preparation, dismantlement of towers, removal of tower bases, and removal of any contaminated soil. More specifically, the Mohawk contractors will be responsible for the dismantlement of 60 towers and removal of 240 tower bases. Construction Valard, Inc., a specialized firm, has been retained to remove the four largest towers on the North Wall, remove 16 tower bases, as well as remove the actual transmission line. This firm will hire Kahnawà:ke workers for a portion of the work.

Electric pole installation will take place along Rte. 207 at Towerline Road. Work will also begin to clear access roads along Line 2. The actual dismantlement of the towers is scheduled to begin during the week of November 16, 2020, and the works will continue throughout the upcoming winter to avoid adverse impact to the wetlands.

The MCK and Hydro-Québec signed a dismantlement agreement on October 15, 2018 that included the complete dismantlement of Line 2, which runs from the St. Lawrence Seaway straight across the Territory through the Caughnawaga Golf Club and on to Chateauguay. Hydro-Québec is assuming the full cost of the dismantlement and removal of Line 2. It will also release its interest on all private and common lands within the footprint of Line 2B and extinguish the ‘perpetual servitudes’ on those lots.

“The net result of this project will be the complete return of the land to the owners,” said Ratsénhaienhs Lindsay Leborgne, the lead on the Infrastructure, Transport & Operations portfolio. “For many years Hydro-Québec and its predecessors had the legal right to use the land. I’m sure those who own the lots along Line 2 will be pleased.”

More details on the works will be announced on an on-going basis.