The Ontario government has successfully completed and commissioned the East-West Tie, a 450-kilometer transmission line stretching from Wawa to Thunder Bay. The project, initiated in 2019 after the Ontario Energy Board awarded NextBridge Leave to Construct, was finalized on schedule and became operational on March 31, 2022.

Constructed at a cost of $777 million, this double circuit 230-kilovolt line boasts a transfer capability of 450 megawatts. The line is expected to bolster northern economic development and support Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy. NextBridge Infrastructure, a consortium comprising NextEra Energy Inc., Enbridge Inc., and OMERS Infrastructure Management Inc., led the construction. Hydro One Networks Inc. completed the transmission station work.

Significantly, the project was developed in partnership with Bamkushwada LP, owned by six First Nation communities along Lake Superior’s north shore. Indigenous workers made up to 60 percent of the construction workforce, with over 200 receiving training.

Minister of Energy Todd Smith highlighted the line's role in powering growth across northwest Ontario, ensuring the delivery of affordable, reliable electricity. He emphasized the project’s importance in fostering the development of other northern industries, including the critical mineral sector and the evolving EV and EV battery manufacturing industries in Ontario.