Hydro board wiped clean

Photo: The Canadian Press

Manitoba has appointed five new people to the Manitoba Hydro board after all but one member quit en masse earlier this week.

Crown Services Minister Cliff Cullen says three women and two men will join backbencher Cliff Graydon on the Crown corporation's board.

He says Marina James, chief executive officer of a Winnipeg real-estate association, will be the chair.

Michael Moore, who was recently head of the province's home builders association, has been appointed vice-chair.

The chairman and eight other board members quit on Wednesday, saying they had been unable to secure a meeting with Premier Brian Pallister for more than a year to discuss key issues.

Pallister said the dispute stemmed from the board's plan to pay the Manitoba Metis Federation $67 million over several decades so the organization would not oppose current projects — as well as some future domestic transmission lines — for up to 50 years.

Former chair Sanford Riley said the settlement made sense in light of recent court rulings that have supported Metis rights. He also argued the payment could be lower than the cost of legal challenges and compensation for upcoming Manitoba Hydro projects.

The government quashed the deal calling the settlement "persuasion money." Pallister argued the next generation of Metis might want the right to seek regulatory reviews or question future projects.

David Chartrand, president of Metis federation, accused Pallister of using "race card" tactics and said the money was partly to compensate for land cleared for hydro poles.