By Ruby Pratka

Local Journalism Initiative

The mayors of Sutton, Brome Lake and Cowansville are asking Hydro-Québec to reconsider the location planned for the new Brome substation.

The substation, which is expected to be built in 2027, will replace the existing Sutton and Knowlton substations and provide electricity to Sutton, Brome Lake and Cowansville. While its exact location has not been determined, Hydro-Québec has narrowed down the area under study to a swath of rural land near the boundaries of Brome Lake, Brome village and Sutton.

Brome Lake Mayor Richard Burcombe, Sutton Mayor Robert Benoit and Cowansville Mayor Sylvie Beauregard have been openly sceptical of the proposed location.

“The three municipalities agree that Hydro-Québec’s current proposed site targets a particularly bucolic area where the presence of this substation, much larger than the previous ones, and new towers up to 45 m high, risk disfiguring a landscape that makes our region so attractive,” according to a statement released by the town of Sutton.

Benoit and his counterparts are asking Hydro-Québec to consider another location. “The Pearson sandpit site along Route 104, between Cowansville and Brome Lake, ticks all the boxes in terms of the project’s social and political acceptability,” Benoit said. “It would eliminate the need to build the transmission line to Sutton Junction; It would use an already disturbed site; It would benefit from access to a major roadway [and] it would preserve the environment and landscapes,” Benoit said. Brome Mayor William Miller also said he was “looking for answers as to why the site along Route 104 would not be adequate.”

The Pearson sandpit site is north of the current area of study, and would involve an additional transmission line being built through Brigham and East Farnham, according to Brigham mayor Steven Neil. Neil said he has been “blindsided” by his counterparts’ insistence on the Pearson sandpit site. He said it would involve building pylons and transmission lines through agricultural zones in Brigham.

Neil said that at a Jan. 30 meeting with Hydro-Québec, representatives from the utility explained why the Pearson sandpit site wasn’t viable. The three mayors “know why it’s not a usable site,” he said. “Brome Lake, Sutton and Cowansville are the three places that need the electricity, but none of them believe it should have any impact on their municipality. No one wants this substation in their backyard, but [they] need it, not us. If you want electricity, you have to put on your big-person pants and accept responsibility for it.”

Hydro-Québec regional affairs advisor Ève-Marie Jodoin referred the BCN to a Feb. 13 statement, which said Hydro-Québec was “currently conducting detailed analysis” on the sandpit site.

“This analysis will clarify whether the installation of the future substation at this location is technically viable and, if so, to what extent,” Jodoin said in the statement. “To date, Hydro-Québec has evaluated a dozen sites inside and outside the target reception area for the location of the future substation. The sandpit site is located a few kilometres north of the reception area. This perimeter is determined based on several variables to allow the future network to ensure quality of service and meet the long-term electricity needs of the population.”

“Hydro-Québec has said they are ready to go back to work and seriously consider the sandpit,” Benoit said. “If that site doesn’t work, I’m convinced we can find another site that will have less of an impact on our landscapes. Everyone agrees that we need this line, but we can’t put it just anywhere.”

Jodoin said the results of the analysis would be shared with local elected officials “in the coming days.” She said local residents were invited to an online information session about the project on Feb. 26.

Neil said he is confident that the utility “will do their job, look at the options and choose the one with the least impact, in a non-partisan way.” He encouraged landowners potentially affected by the project to attend the webinar and make sure Hydro-Québec was aware of any ecologically sensitive areas on their property. “There’s nothing else you can do, except wait.”