Hydro One Orléans Area Reinforcement

Notice of Intent 

Hydro One Orléans Area Reinforcement, Ottawa – Public Comments Invited

July 31, 2026 – The National Capital Commission must determine whether the proposed project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects in compliance with sections 81-91 of the Impact Assessment Act and the National Capital Act.

To help inform this determination, the National Capital Commission is inviting comments from the public respecting the determination. It is important to note that all comments received will be considered public. For more information, individual should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.

Written comments for this project must be submitted within 30 days of the date of this posting, referencing project name and registry number:

By email: IA-EI@ncc-ccn.ca

By mail: Environmental Officer, Federal Approvals and Conservation Programs 

100-12 York Street 

Ottawa, ON, Canada

K1N 5S6

The National Capital Commission thanks you for your comments, which will be considered in the project determination. Please note that responses may not be provided.

For National Capital Commission general inquiries, please contact:

Email: info@ncc-ccn.ca

Telephone: 613-239-5000 or 1-800-465-1867 (toll-free)

TTY: 613-239-5090 or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free)

www.ncc-ccn.ca

 

The Proposed Project - Hydro One Orléans Area Reinforcement, Ottawa

Project Objective

Growing electricity needs in the Orléans area identified in 2022 by the Greater Ottawa Regional Planning Working Group mean that a new 230 kilovolt (kV) electricity transmission supply is required. To meet the current and future needs of the community, Hydro One Networks Inc. (Hydro One) plans to convert an existing 115 kV circuit to 230 kV and install a new 115 kV circuit within an existing transmission corridor between Hydro One's Hawthorne Transformer Station (TS) and Orléans TS in Ottawa, Ontario. 

 

Federal and Provincial Involvement

The project crosses approximately 12 kilometres in Ottawa, about 6.4 kilometres of which is property owned by the National Capital Commission (NCC) within the National Capital Greenbelt. The portion of the project on NCC property is subject to a Federal Land Use, Design, and Transaction Approval and an Environmental Effects Evaluation under Section 82 of the Impact Assessment Act.

 

The overall project is also subject to the provincial Class Environmental Assessment for Transmission Facilities, under which Hydro One has undertaken engagement with Indigenous communities, government agencies, stakeholders, and the public, including through Community Open Houses.  Additionally, the project must receive Leave to Construct approval from the Ontario Energy Board.

 

Scope of Work

To replace the 115 kV circuit, a new approximately 12-kilometre 115 kV pole transmission line (wood, composite, or steel) is planned to be constructed in the middle of an existing hydro corridor, between two existing transmission lines. Most of the new line will consist of wood or composite poles in an "H-Frame" configuration. Monopole and lattice steel structures will be required at the Highway 417 crossing, and for station egress and entrances.

 

The existing circuit already has the appropriate conductor and insulators to operate at 230 kV along its length

 

Permanent infrastructure on NCC lands will include one steel monopole occupying approximately 11 m², three lattice structures occupying approximately 12 m² each, one three-pole structure occupying approximately 80 m² including guy-wire anchors, and 38 H-frame structures occupying a combined area of approximately 76 m². The project will also require replacement of one culvert and installation of one new watercourse crossing.

 

Environmental Setting 

The project crosses wetlands, including the Mer Bleue Bog, watercourses, grasslands, agricultural fields, and small portions of wooded areas and is within an existing transmission corridor.

 

Locating the project within an existing transmission corridor substantially reduces potential environmental and socio-economic impacts, including vegetation removal, habitat fragmentation, property acquisition requirements, and associated project costs.

 

Hydro One has worked collaboratively with the project's design engineer and the NCC to minimize the footprint of the project in environmentally sensitive areas including Mer Bleue.

 

Construction Timing and Activities

Construction is planned to start in early 2027 and will be complete by the end of 2029.

 

The construction area will be accessed with small bulldozers, tri-axle dump trucks, and excavators to install access routes and work pads.  Specialized machinery designed to augur holes, erect structures, and string conductors will be used to install the transmission line.

 

Existing access routes will be used as much as possible to reach each structure location.  New access routes consisting of gravel overlaying geotextile membrane will be required in some areas. Work pads about 18 m x 18 m square for pole structures and about 30 m x 30 m square for lattice structures will be required, along with about six approximately 30 m x 60 m stringing pads. Work pads and access routes in agricultural areas will be removed following construction. 

 

Temporary trail closures within and near the corridor may be required during construction.

 

Approximately 1.1 ha of trees would need to be removed from NCC property to ensure the project meets line clearance requirements. Areas requiring tree removal will have stumps removed and will be seeded with a pollinator-friendly seed mix. Tree removals will be compensated for as per NCC's advice in accordance with the NCC's Forest Strategy. 

 

More Information

For more information, please consult Hydro One's public website for the project: https://www.hydroone.com/about/corporate-information/major-projects/hawthorne-to-orleans