April 17, 2008
Prince Edward Island

Tranquil trail no place for power line, says group

Prince Edward Island Trails Inc. is upset with Maritime Electric’s plan to build a high voltage line along a section of the Confederation Trail.

The 64-kilometre line will run from O’Leary to Sherbrooke, just outside Summerside, and is being built to accommodate a major expansion to the wind farm at West Cape. The plan calls for some of the lines to run along a section of the Confederation Trail near Summerside.

“When we initially turned the rails to trails … the vision was to take this section of land and trails, and people can utilize it to get away from the busy highways and roads, and the gas fumes and everything else that’s created, and allow them a setting that’s tranquil,” P.E.I. Trails president Denis Dunne told CBC News on Wednesday.

Maritime Electric said using the trail as part of the route is the most feasible location, and it will do everything it can not to damage the trail.

The company has also been receiving complaints from residents along the route of the new power line who are concerned about the possible detrimental health effects of living near a high-voltage line.

Maritime Electric maintains there is no proof that electromagnetic fields can cause health problems.