New 120/25-kV substation in Gracef ield and 120-kV transmission line

GENERAL INFORMATION • January 2014

Project description Hydro-Québec is planning to build a 120-kV line on steel towers and to replace the current 69/25-kV substation in Gracefield by a new 120/25-kV substation to meet growing demand in the MRC of La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau and reinforce the 120-kV power system.

The planned 120-kV line will be approximately 70-km long and will connect Maniwaki substation to Paugan substation in Low. A short tap line will be required to connect the future substation—whose name has not yet been determined—to the power system. In addition, integration work will have to be carried out at Maniwaki and Paugan substations.

Most of the planned line will be built along the existing 120-kV line, which will then be completely dismantled, as will the current Gracefield substation. Project justification Study area For the past decade, electricity demand in the region The study area covers approximately 172-km2 and between the municipalities of Low and Egan-Sud has crosses the territories of 10 municipalities of the been growing steadily. MRC of La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau, namely, from north to south, Egan-Sud, Maniwaki, Déléage, Messines, This sector is currently supplied by a 69-kV power Sainte-Thérèse-de-la-Gatineau, Bouchette, Gracefield, system that transits through Messines, Gracefield Lac-Sainte-Marie, Kazabazua and Low. and Kazabazua substations. These three substations have now reached their capacity, yet energy demands Generally, the study area covers 500 m on either side continue to grow. of the existing line. However, in Gracefield, the study area was expanded to determine a possible location In addition, the 120-kV line between Maniwaki for the new substation and a route for the tap line and Paugan substations, which is mainly carried that will supply it. on wooded H-frames, is reaching the end of its useful life. Also, in the municipalities of Kazabazua and Lac-Sainte-Marie, the boundaries of the study area This project will allow us to meet the evolving take into account technical and environmental electricity needs of the region while increasing constraints related to the crossing of the Kazabazua the reliability of the 120-kV grid. and Gatineau rivers.

Technical and environmental considerations In light of current knowledge, the following main technical and environmental considerations will be taken into account during the construction of the 120-kV Paugan-Maniwaki line, the planned substation and its tap line: • sensitive elements such as the built environment, wetlands, cultivated land, maple stands, wildlife habitats and spaces used for vacationing activities • protected agricultural land • visual integration of the new facilities • lakes and rivers • flood zones

2 105 Lac  Lac Green David Bois-Franc, M

76°20' Lac à 76°10' Montcerf-Lytton, M 76°0' 75°50' 75°40' la Tortue Egan-Sud, M 107 Mont-Laurier, V 700

 Aumond, CT !

Maniwaki, V Maniwaki  #substation

Saint-Aimé-du-

Lac-des-Îles, M

1359-1359(P) ! Lac

Kensington Lac-Pythonga, NO Lac-Pythonga, Maniwaki, V l'Aigle

Kitigan Zibi, R Zibi, Kitigan Lac Kichi-gàngwenindam Lac Lac de Pitòbìg Bois Franc 46°20' 46°20'

701 Kitigan Cayamant, M ! Déléage, M Lac du Zibi, R Camp Rivière Sainte-Thérèse-de- Notre-Dame-de- Petit lac Maniwaki, V la-Gatineau, M Pontmain, M des Cèdres Antoine-Labelle Grand lac  (MRC) des Cèdres

1125 Lac 105 Petit lac Lac des Trente  Dudley Rond et Un Milles  Gatineau Lac de la Messines, M du Lièvre Mer Bleue Blue Sea, M Messines # Bouchette, M Lac substation Grand lac Blue Sea Rond

Rivière Lac Cameron La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau (MRC) 309

46°10' 

Lac Réservoir 46°10' 654 des Îles aux Sables

Gracefield Lac substation # Cayamant Poste de (to be dismantled) # Notre-Dame-du-Laus

Lac Pemichangan

120 kV 1123 Lac 655 Heney Lac O'Hara

Picanoc Lac-Nilgaut, NO Cayamant, M Gracefield, V Alleyn-et-Cawood, M Lac-Sainte-Marie, M Lac du Petit lac Poisson Blanc Cayamant Rivière Pontiac (MRC) Rivière

46°0' Lac Lac des OtterLake, M Vert 46°0' Bagnoles R0700 Project components Notre-Dame- 1100 du-Laus, M Study area Lac Bowman, M Danford (to be dismantled) 301 Papineau Boundaries  Kazabazua # (MRC) Regional county substation municipality (MRC)

Municipality Kazabazua, M Low, CT Infrastructure 105 Notre-Dame-de- Ruisseau la-Salette, M 105 Provincial highway  Réservoir 307 656 Lac l'Escalier 301 Secondary road Rond  Venosta Lac Tertiary road Sainte-Marie High Falls # Substations and transmission lines substation 45°50' 45°50' # Denholm, M 69 kV Paugan Val-des-Monts, M 0 3 6 km 303 # # substation  120 kV 1108-1377 UTM, Zone 18, NAD83 # 230 kV 7339_bu_tet_003_situa_131216a.mxd 76°20' 76°10' 76°0' 75°50' 75°40'

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Information for publics concerned by the project. For any other use, contact Géomatique, Hydro-Québec Équipement et services partagés. La Pêche, M Studies Project schedule In the coming months, Hydro-Québec will General information Winter 2013–2014 carry out environmental inventories and technical surveys in the study area to better Information and consultation Summer 2014 understand the host environment. Information on solution selected Fall 2014

Once these studies are completed, the project Filing of environmental assessment Fall 2014 team will propose possible routes for the Permitting Fall 2015 line and locations for the substation. These variants will be subject to comparative Construction Summer 2016 – fall 2018 analyses based on environmental, technical and economic criteria, as well as community Commissioning: concerns. This detailed comparison will be • substation Fall 2017 used to determine the solution with the • line – southern portion Fall 2017 least impact. • line – northern portion Fall 2018

Public participation Dismantling 2019 Favorable reception from local communities is an essential condition for Hydro-Québec projects. As a result, the company will implement a public participation and consultation process to ensure that project studies are carried out in collaboration with the host communities. The company will thus be able to take into account the concerns and expectations expressed by the public and by key stakeholders so as For more information to best adapt the project to local realities. For more information on the project, contact: Julie Léonard Advisor – Community Relations – Laurentides Direction – Affaires régionales et collectivités E-mail: [email protected]

Info-project line 1 800 465-1521, ext. 6022

hydroquebec.com

Ce document est également publié en français. This is a translation of the original French text. Printed on paper made in Québec from 2013E1617-A 100% postconsumer recycled fibre.