NextBridge, now operating as East-West Tie Limited Partnership, received our license and rate order from the Ontario Energy Board and the new form of license for the new Upper Canada Transmission 2, Inc., in its capacity as general partner of East-West Tie Limited Partnership.
The Ontario Energy Board issued a Decision and Order on NextBridge’s Application for electricity transmission revenue requirement to be effective January 1, 2023.
The East-West Tie Transmission Line Project is now in service, providing reliable, long-term electricity to Ontario’s Northwest. NextBridge celebrated the completion of the Project with partners and supporters at an event in Wawa, Ontario on April 11, 2022. Read more here.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry revoked the remaining Implementation Orders limiting construction activities due to forest fire risk and construction has now resumed across the entire right of way.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry revoked one of the Implementation Orders implemented on July 21, 2021 and construction has now resumed in the area from the Township of Nipigon to the Town of Marathon (workfronts 3 through 6).
Due to extreme fire hazard and ongoing forest fires in the area, NextBridge has temporarily suspended construction from Thunder Bay to Pic Mobert First Nation (workfronts 1 through 7). An Implementation Order, made under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Emergency Area Order for the Northwest Region of Ontario, prohibits construction activity associated with the East-West Tie because of these extreme fire events. The Ministry will lift the Implementation Order when the fires are under control, at which time construction will resume in this area.
Winter 2020 Project Newsletter was mailed to the project mailing list.
Rate Application and Supporting Evidence has been submitted to the Ontario Energy Board. Details on the review process are included in this notice (version français). The application can be found here.
Burn Notices have been issued for burning to take place from November 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. Notices are available here.
The NextBridge office has moved. Our new location and mailing address is 2200 Yonge Street, Suite 1712, Toronto, ON, M4S 2C6.
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks approved the 2019 Compliance Report for the project.
NextBridge celebrated the start of construction with project partners and supporters at a groundbreaking ceremony on a beautiful sunny day in Shuniah, Ontario. Read more here.
On April 17, 2019, NextBridge submitted an application for expropriation to the Ontario Energy Board and on May 28, 2019 the Ontario Energy Board issued a Notice of Application (Version francais ). The full application is available for download and viewing here . It is also available on the OEB website.
Information that was made available at the Pre-Construction Open Houses is available for download and viewing here
NextBridge posts the Notice of Pre-Construction Open Houses. Click here to find out more. (Version francais)
On March 21, 2019 the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks approved the amended Environmental Assessment subject to conditions in the Notice of Approval.
The Ontario Energy Board issued a Decision and Order granting Leave to Construct for the East-West Tie Project to NextBridge. The Decision and Order can be viewed here.
The Government of Ontario announced that it has issued an Order in Council and Directive that provides exclusive right of NextBridge Infrastructure to proceed to construct the East-West Tie Transmission Line. The Government’s directive puts to rest recent uncertainty regarding who would construct this project. The Government’s statement can be viewed here. Click here to view the NextBridge response to this important decision.
The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) prepared a review of the amended Environmental Assessment (EA) for public and agency comment. Comments on the amended EA, the undertaking and the ministry review were accepted by the MECP during the five-week review period from October 12 to November 16, 2018. More information is available on the MECP website as follows:
Thunder Bay City Committee of the Whole passed a motion supporting the NextBridge East West Tie Leave to Construct application. The council motion supports the position of the Common Voice Northwest Energy Task Force which was documented in their March 5, 2018 letter to Hydro One Networks Inc.
TB News Watch article, Council backs NextBridge transmission line proposal (external link).
Magic 99.9 website article, City backs NextBridge power line proposal (external link).
Northwest Newsweek interview (external link) with NextBridge Project Director. Starts at 4:37 of the video.
CBC Radio Thunder Bay – Superior Morning interview (external link) with NextBridge Project Director
TB News Watch interview (external link) with NextBridge Project Director. Starts at 7:24 of the video.
TB News Watch article, NextBridge '100 per cent' committed to East-West Tie (external link).
Globe and Mail article, Hydro One makes pitch to replace consortium building Northern Ontario transmission project (external link and Paywall).
The Chronicle-Journal editorial, NextBridge Plan worth the price (external link).
NextBridge issues Notice of Errata indicating items that were excluded from initial electronic and hard copies of the amended Environmental Assessment. The Notice of Errata and missing elements will be made available in hard copy at public review locations and are available for download from the project website here.
On February 15, 2018, Hydro One Networks Inc. submitted an alternate Leave to Construct application for the EWT Line Project to the Ontario Energy Board. Hydro One’s proposal is called the Lake Superior Link. NextBridge is committed to construction and operation of the East-West Tie project and continues to work toward a 2020 in-service date.
NextBridge submits the amended Environmental Assessment to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. The amended EA Report is now available for review and comment from February 16 to until March 29, 2018. The amended EA can be downloaded from the Project Information page (click here) or can be viewed at the review locations listed on the Notice of Submission of the amended EA English and French versions of the notice can be viewed here (version français).
NextBridge posts Notice of Submission of the amended Environmental Assessment (EA). English and French versions of the notice can be viewed here (version français). Commencing February 16, 2018 the amended EA will be available at the locations indicated on the Notice of Submission and on this web site. The Notice of Submission was also circulated to the stakeholder mailing list.
NextBridge filed responses to interrogatories to the Ontario Energy Board as part of the Leave to Construct Proceedings. The interrogatories and responses can be viewed here.
Article in Northern Ontario Business, East-West Tie could groom a generation of Indigenous skilled workers (external link).
NextBridge has issued a Notice of Intent to Amend the Environmental Assessment. The notice and additional information is available here
The Ontario Energy Board issued the Notice of Application and Letter of Direction for the Leave to Construct Application proceeding for the Project. The Notice, application and evidence submitted by NextBridge is available here.
NextBridge submitted the Leave to Construct application to the Ontario Energy Board. The submission can be viewed here.
NextBridge posts the Environmental Assessment Report for the Project. The Environmental Assessment Report can be viewed here. As part of the submission process, interested stakeholders and communities are encouraged to review the Environmental Assessment Report and submit comments to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change by September 12, 2017. Comments submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change will be forwarded to NextBridge for consideration.
NextBridge posts Notice of Submission of the Environmental Assessment (EA). The notice can be viewed here.(Version francais). Commencing July 25, 2017 the EA will be available at the locations indicated on the Notice of Submission and on this project web site. A letter and the Notice of Submission were also circulated to the stakeholder mailing list. The letter can be found here. Please note, The phone number for the MOECC Project Officer has changed from the one that was on the Notices of Submission that were mailed and published in some newspapers. The correct phone number is on the Notice of Submission on this website (link provided above).
The materials which will be presented at the fourth round of public Open Houses from February 6-9, 2017 can be found here
NextBridge mailed a Newsletter to the Project contact list providing an update on the Project. NextBridge's Newsletter can be viewed here.
NextBridge posts Notice of Open Houses. Click here to read more. (Version francais).
The Draft Environmental Assessment is available for review and comment here. As part of the submission process, interested community members, elected officials and municipal staff, agencies, property owners, interest holders, other stakeholders, and First Nations and Métis communities are encouraged to review the Draft EA Report and submit comments to NextBridge by February 28, 2017.
NextBridge posts Notice of Submission of the Draft Environmental Assessment. Click here to read more. (Version francais). A Project update letter was also circulated to the stakeholder mailing list. The update letter can be found here. Commencing December 19, 2016, the Draft EA Report will be available for review and comment on the Project website and at locations listed in the Notice. As part of the submission process, interested community members, elected officials and municipal staff, agencies, property owners, interest holders, other stakeholders, and First Nations and Métis communities are encouraged to review the Draft EA Report and submit comments to NextBridge by February 28, 2017.
The NextBridge Compensation Principles for the Project have been updated. The updated version can be found here.
The third round of public Open Houses were held April 18-22, 2016. More information can be found here.
A Request for Proposal (RFP) for Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) has been issued to the companies who were pre-selected in 2014 following the Request for Expression of Interest posted on MERX.com.
NextBridge mailed a Newsletter to the Project contact list providing an update on the Project. NextBridge's Newsletter can be viewed here.
NextBridge posts Notice of Open Houses. Click here to read more. (Version francais)
Minister of Energy wrote to the Chair of the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) with regard to Order in Council 326/2016 issued by the Lieutenant Governor in Council declaring the East-West Tie Line a priority project. In his letter, the Minister noted that the Project had been identified as a priority project in the Province’s 2013 Long-Term Energy Plan and said that the project “is a cornerstone of the government’s policy to support expansion of transmission infrastructure in northwestern Ontario”. The letter can be viewed here.
Order in Council 326/2016 issued by the Lieutenant Governor in Council took effect declaring that the East-West Tie Line Project is needed as a priority project. The Order in Council can be viewed here.
The Independent Electricity System Operator submitted their third update report on the Assessment of the Rationale for the East-West Tie (E-W Tie) Expansion. The IESO report can be found here.
On May 15th, 2015, NextBridge submitted a revised schedule and Project development costs budget to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB or Board) for the development of the East-West Tie line consistent with a new in-service date of 2020. In their Decision and Order dated November 19, 2015, the OEB determined that the updated development schedule was acceptable, but denied the request for approval of the guarantee of recovery of additional development costs. Development costs incremental to the original approved budget are to be recorded for future review of the prudence and reasonableness of those costs. The OEB Decision and Order can be found here.
On July 9, 2015, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) invited the Independent Electricity System Operator, AltaLink Ontario LP, and OEB Staff to comment on the May 15 and June 24, 2015 filings. Each of those parties, as well as two other entities (School Energy Coalition and Algoma Coalition), filed submissions in response. The letter that sets out NextBridge's reply to those submissions can be viewed here.
On May 15, 2015, Upper Canada Transmission, Inc. ("UCT" or "NextBridge") responded to the January 22, 2015 decision from the Ontario Energy Board (the "Board") with an updated development schedule for the East-West Tie expansion project ("EWT Project"). In addition to the development schedule, NextBridge also provided details on additional development costs for which it seeks recovery. In the May 15, 2015 letter, NextBridge advised the Board that if access to study Pukaskwa National Park (the "Park") is not granted by Parks Canada within 30 days, NextBridge will no longer pursue authorization to study in the Park. This letter is an update to the Board on this matter. The NextBridge response can be viewed here.
Route evaluation is progressing; however, we are not in a position at this time to provide certainty with respect to a preferred route. The evaluation of alternatives still requires further study and input from Aboriginal communities, regulators and other interested parties. The current route maps showing the preliminary preferred and alternative routes can be viewed here and here.
NextBridge filed a further response with the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) on May 15, 2015, which included an updated extended development schedule, a breakdown of incremental extended development period activities and corresponding costs, and confirmation from the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) that the 2020 in-service date reflects the IESO's most current information regarding the need for the EWT Project. The NextBridge response can be viewed here.
NextBridge sent a letter to the Project contact list providing an update on the Project. NextBridge's letter to stakeholders can be viewed here.
NextBridge sent a letter to the Project contact list informing them of approval of the Terms of Reference and the September 30, 2014 letter from the Ontario Power Authority to the Ontario Energy Board. NextBridge's letter to stakeholders can be viewed here.
The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) sent a letter to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) proposing that the development schedule for the East-West Tie Project be extended to work toward a 2020 in-service date. The OEB recommended that NextBridge and the OPA work together to produce a revised development schedule for the Project. The revised schedule may include flexibility to allow the Project to come into service quickly should the pace of demand growth change and require an in-service date prior to 2020.
The OPA letter to the OEB can be viewed here.
The OEB letter regarding the Project development schedule can be viewed here.
Open Houses originally planned for late September 2014 will be held at a later date. Notification will be provided once the new dates are established.
The Terms of Reference for the Project has been approved by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.
Click here to view the Ministry's web site for the project and to access the Notice of Approval.
Click here to access the approved Terms of Reference.
Notification for the Commencement of Environmental Assessment and Second Round of Open Houses distributed.
Click here to download the notice which appeared in the newspaper (version française).
Proposed Terms of Reference, Supporting Documentation, and Record of Consultation available for review until March 31, 2014 as part of the Terms of Reference submission process.
Draft Terms of Reference and Supporting Documentation available for review and comment until February 10, 2014.
Click here to download the presentation panels from the first round of Open Houses.
Additional Open House dates added.
Click here to read more (version française)
NextBridge posts the Notice of Commencement of Terms of Reference and Open Houses
Click here to read more
Ontario Energy Board selects transmitter for East-West Tie Line development work
Click here to read more
NextBridge Infrastructure Application for Designation to Develop the East-West Tie Line
Click here to view a PDF document of the application
Enbridge and Borealis (now OMERS) Infrastructure join NextEra Energy Canada to bid for the opportunity to develop new power transmission in Northern Ontario.
Click here to view news release