Western Expresso

[1ajs]

this ones being backed by first nations

is there a proper map of this planned route kinda might affect me personaly

[VANRIDERFAN]

Premier of Manitoba is pushing hard for Churchill

• Video Link

[bomberjet]

Lots of interesting things being said. Let's hope that it starts the building process.

A bit repetitive haha

[drew]

It is amazing that we have a premier that seems to be a bit of a dreamer and looking towards big ticket infrastructure projects. This is the time. Let's get off our butts and finally get Manitoba a fully functional port and infrastructure to get materials to it.

[bodaggin]

Excellent work. A sales mission is exactly what this needs. Unlike this forum ( which is 10 steps ahead) the normie outside world doesn't know about Hudson Bay yet. The majority of AB still thinks they only place they can get eastern tidewater is in QC. So HudBay publicity is a very important step. Keep putting Wab's smile to work.

[Winnipegger]

Not to be a doomer, but everyone loves big infrastructure project speculation and announcements, but no one loves big infrastructure project timelines or costs.

Timelines could be trimmed down which would give costs a haircut as well, but it would require the general population, including Indigenous communities, to forgo a lot of consultation and involvement in the interest of expediency.

Lots of talk about corridors, roads, rail lines, and pipelines - especially to the north to take advantage of shipping via Hudson Bay, but the sheer amount of environmental studies, government stakeholder engagement, building consensus, and getting the blessing of dozens of independent Indigenous/First Nations groups in the north means many of these projects will be bogged down in regulatory red tape and due process, and come to a stand still. I doubt any of these "proposals" would have serious designs by the time either Trump's soul descends deep to where it belongs or American voters somehow get him out in 2028.

I'm not saying it can't be done. I believe it was someone on this very forum that pointed out that the 800-mile Trans-Alaska pipeline system was constructed in 3 years (1974 to 1977). 3 years! But the 1970s were a different time, both in terms of oil price forecasts, construction costs, and regulatory hurdles.

If we are actually serious about "diversification of trade with Europe/Asia" in the short term, and the necessary infrastructure required to accommodate it (including its eye-watering price tag), we're going to have to skip past the environmental assessment, public engagement/consultation, and business case phase and get straight to engineering and design. I just don't see that happening in the 21st century in a western democracy. This isn't China, we can't just ram through infrastructure, especially in ecologically sensitive areas, and suppress dissenting opinions through threats, social credit, and "re-education" systems.

We've evolved to a point where installing a bike line on a road or building a community center that benefits entire neighborhoods requires years of consultation, open houses, and stakeholder consultation with dozens of special interest groups before the project can even be tendered. I just don't see any nation building projects get past the "political rhetoric to win an election" phase.

[bodaggin]

Originally Posted by Winnipegger

Not to be a doomer, but the sheer amount of environmental studies, government stakeholder engagement, building consensus, and getting the blessing of dozens of independent Indigenous/First Nations groups in the north means many of these projects will be bogged down in regulatory red tape and due process, and come to a stand still.

If we are actually serious about "diversification of trade with Europe/Asia" in the short term, and the necessary infrastructure required to accommodate it (including its eye-watering price tag), we're going to have to skip past the environmental assessment, public engagement/consultation, and business case phase and get straight to engineering and design.

Not a doomer man. You're spot on. Keep saying the quiet part out loud. Many of us are sick of the exact BS you list. But the Trump dynamic finally gives political license to push past this regulatory, virtue signaling, nonsense.

When 78% of Quebec supports a pipeline, you know the country is corridor supportive.

But politicians are reactionary laggards. They don't pivot well. Even Legault, after that pipeline poll, said QC won't support a pipe. Well he better start, or he won't get re-elected. Same goes for Carney. Stop being wishy washy on corridors (Bill C69, Tanker ban, etc). Give AB what they want, open up the taps, and stop pandering to the tree-huggers. They are the minority now, at long last.

So keep pressing the politicians to reverberate that message up the chain. They listen to the citizens once every 4yrs, and that window closes April 28. So far, Pierre is at 6 month approvals with pre-approved corridors and zones (very good policy). Carney is 2yr approvals and wishy washy on specifics.

I want to see 2 month approval times and pre-approved zones. I'll keep pushing both parties towards that goal.

[bomberjet]

First thing, build a road to the coast, maybe two (Churchill and Port Nelson). The environmental skipping part will be a hard sell.

Next. Re-build railway to Port Nelson. And continue upgrades on the rest of rail network.

Next hard thing, the money. Needs federal support 100%.,

The way to do it fast is to design-build it. And give financial incentive to meet tough timelines by building multiple pieces at the same time.

And at the same time, design and build a generic port in Port Nelson that can be expanded and modified to suit. Ie: a big ass pier into the bay. Dredge out the shipping lane and use it for the pier.

[bodaggin]

Bomberjet, good points on the phases to get Port Nelson running. Right now there's 90km of road to build. If you announce a 90km road to nowhere for ~$200m, you'd get politically crucified, near-term. Especially when Northern Reserves still have no roads.

This is juicy HudBay talk so I'm going to post my theory in the Port of Churchill thread for easier logging.

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=258151&page=9

[bodaggin]

If Canada is truly going to do an interconnected grid, I'd like to see us get into the Ultra-High-Voltage Transmission game (800kV to 1100kV+). China dominates this. USA still has no UHV lines that I'm aware. This would be a great place for Canada to leapfrog America in prowess.

In laymans, Manitoba's BiPole HVDC lines (500kV) carry about 2GW of power each. Stepping up to 800-1100kV boosts capacity to 8GW to 12GW. (Quadratic)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-high-voltage_electricity_transmission_in_China

[WildCake]

Originally Posted by bodaggin

If Canada is truly going to do an interconnected grid, I'd like to see us get into the Ultra-High-Voltage Transmission game (800kV to 1100kV+). China dominates this. USA still has no UHV lines that I'm aware. This would be a great place for Canada to leapfrog America in prowess.

In laymans, Manitoba's BiPole HVDC lines (500kV) carry about 2GW of power each. Stepping up to 800-1100kV boosts capacity to 8GW to 12GW. (Quadratic)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-high-voltage_electricity_transmission_in_China

ELI5 - what's the advantage of UHV transmission over the existing system we have. I can only assume increasing transmission capacity in a single line costs a fortune if it's something China has that the US doesn't even have yet.

[bodaggin]

Originally Posted by WildCake

ELI5 - what's the advantage of UHV transmission over the existing system we have.

Capacity.

Voltage increases add quadratic capacity increases. So even though a 500kV line does 2MW, an 800kV can do 8MW. Double the voltage, but quadruple the capacity. This is handy for long distance, cross country lines, like a Pan Canadian grid would be. There's also a potential EV charging angle. Maybe.

Honestly, it's international peacocking too.

Canada needs to stop living off the glory days of the Canada-Arm and Avro Arrow and create some new "things" that we are world-best at. Why not in infrastructure? Reinvigorate national pride, identity, and put Canada on the map.

[1ajs]

hydro international is heavly invovled in designign building allot of those UHV lines u speak of so its not like we dont have the experts to do it in this province

[bomberjet]

I went and did the early voting thing today. And it was the busiest I've seen from any election I've voted in. Typically there is zero to 5 min wait. Was about 20 mins to get through today. Which is still good. But it was really busy.

I heard over 2 million people have voted already. Edit: Just read that was on the first day.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I went and did the early voting thing today. And it was the busiest I've seen from any election I've voted in. Typically there is zero to 5 min wait. Was about 20 mins to get through today. Which is still good. But it was really busy.

I heard over 2 million people have voted already. Edit: Just read that was on the first day.

I voted yesterday afternoon and there was 5 minute wait but i heard on Friday there was 45-60 minute. Advance voting has really become popular, great to see so many doing it. Now let's hope our party of choice gets in, but no matter what happens the sun will rise and the sun will set!

[cllew]

I went to a church hall in EK on Friday around 10am and it was about 45 minutes wait. The layout at Holy Eucharist I think did not help as there were 4 polling stations but only 2 lines in the hallway to get in, and no signs and nobody from Elections Canada at first saying that polls xx1 xx2 should line up on the left and xx3 and xx4 on the right.

When I went by there Sunday and today it looked less busy in the parking lot and they were using a different way into the building as well.

I miss the days when the school divisions allowed the gymnasiums to be used. The Manitoba education act now requires an in-service day if a school is used due to the fear of voters coming into a school when students are there.

[pspeid]

PP has finally trotted out his Economic platform:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/livesto...ferendums-on-new-federal-taxes-9.6731129

I can only assume he's trying to prove himself a bigger financial imbecile than his mentor Trump. There's no other way to account for this weird demonstration of smoke and mirrors.

A couple of things that make me shake my head in disbelief;

"He is pledging to cut Canada’s deficit by 70 per cent, a promise that relies on billions in new revenues from presumed economic growth"

The world economy is racing towards Trump-induced recession, and PP is counting on grand economic growth from...somewhere? Oil & Gas, which he won't tax but will somehow provide billions to the government?

Referendums on new federal taxes: easily the most dumb-assed idea ever floated. Who wants new taxes, let's vote! No-one? Oh well, guess we'll cut social services!! Winnipeg tried this for years, and we've just begun to dig ourselves out of a hole. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I read another article that said he plans to cut things like the national dental plan, but those already in the plan will keep their coverage? Talk about a two-tier health system!

Carney's plans may not be ideal, but at least he has some idea of how economies work. PP seems to be living in an alt-right wonderland, where revenging himself against anything the Liberals have done in the past decade is enough to make himself Prime Ministerial material.

Thus guy's a joke.

[bomberjet]

^ I voted at Holy Eucharist. They had election workers out in the lobby bringing people into the hall area when there was availability at certain polls. They should've had it in the large hall right off the front lobby instead. Maybe they underestimated the popularity.

[bodaggin]

.

[Winnipegger]

Originally Posted by bodaggin

The converging of Canada's current issues point to a need to occupy our north.

Imagine starting 5 new northern cities, planned entirely from scratch around current technology. Instead of 100yr old ways of life.

Basically: Designate five new ~30km by ~30km zones for new city planning.

From a national security standpoint, too much of Canada's population sits on the US border. Making us more vulnerable and centralized. Also, major Canadian cities are congested. Mass transit systems cost exponentially more to build when band-aiding over prior lack of design planning.

New northern cities solve this:

-They recess Canada's population off the US border, farther from threats.
-They assert our sovereignty by actually occupying the land we claim to own.
-They displace the current population congestion in major metros, driving down prices and infrastructure strain.
-They use vastly cheaper land, and properly plan infrastructure for future expansion. Costing less.

*Note, this would be a population displacement plan. I'm not advocating for mass immigration. Just opening a new urban market for Canadian people and business.

Permafrost causes construction challenges, hence why I overlayed it in this sketch. Permafrost should be avoided. However Canada should also excel at permafrost construction techniques, so I tossed a couple potential permafrost experiment cities in yellow. Thoughts? Where would you start new cities?