Letters to the Editor

Published 27 November 2018

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letters-and-comments-nov-27-501310711.html

Comment Letter 8 December 2018 - see at end.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letters-and-comments-dec-8-502233621.html

Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen, speaking at the Central Canada Mineral Exploration Convention recently, wisely pointed to the development of electric vehicles as an example of the kind of potential that exists in this province. He was referring to the use of nickel and lithium in batteries powering EVs.

The abundance of nickel in Manitoba is well known. But there is less awareness that active exploration for lithium is underway in the Cat Lake-Winnipeg River field near the Ontario border, less than 150 kilometres from Winnipeg. The prolific Cat Lake field has already produced both lithium and tantalum. There is also an undeveloped provincewide band of lithium-bearing deposits just north of the lakes.

Taken along with our proven record as a manufacturer of electric buses, our capacity to generate clean hydroelectricity just waiting to be tapped and the urgent need to reduce our carbon footprint, what are we waiting for? Why don’t we become a hub for the manufacture of lithium batteries? Better still, are we investigating investor interest in the local manufacture of EVs? If we can do it with buses and agricultural equipment, why can’t we do it with EVs?

Garland Laliberte

Manitoba Energy Council

On-line comment:

Garland Laliberte makes a good comment. An aspect to consider: When lithium ion batteries reach end of life, their metals can be mined and nearly all of the metals re-used again – unlike oil. As Alberta splutters around its current oil situation, Manitoba has a future advantage.

Dennis Woodford

Letter to the Editor resonse,

Re: Building our own batteries (Letters, Nov. 27)

Garland Laliberte appears to agree with other writers who support the all-out mining of lithium and tantalum to aid in developing an electrical vehicle industry. However, the large negative effects of large-scale mining are ignored.

The release of mercury and sulphur-based acids into the ground and water, as well as greenhouse gases into the atmosphere during the crushing and refining processes, are not mentioned. In addition, the negative influence on animal and fish populations in an area so large as the Winnipeg River basin would be severe.

Ronald Riehl

Winnipeg