Costing more than $2 billion and spanning 1,364 kilometres, the proposed corridor will run down the west side of the province connecting the Keewatinoow Converter Station (northeast of the town of Gillam) to the Riel Converter Station (east of Winnipeg in the Rural Municipality (R.M.) of Springfield).

"We believe that we have selected the route with the least impact on the environment and on the communities and residents along the proposed path of the transmission line," said Manitoba Hydro president and CEO Bob Brennan, "It takes out ... 37 acres of agricultural land. In that whole route, we thought that was excellent - 37 acres is not very much in building a line this size."

Manitoba Hydro will begin a series of meetings with municipalities and aboriginal communities and stakeholders in the fall. Hydro is promising to provide fair and equitable compensation packages for landowners affected by the preferred right-of-way. Information centres will provide an opportunity for landowners to discuss the project with Hydro staff and obtain more details.

Construction is expected to start in 2012 with an in-service date for the project of 2017.