Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 5, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba B6 City / District Winnipeg free press monday july 5, 2004 Happy Landing Deidre Forsythe gets a pre flight Bon voyage from her father Jerry and Mother Sandra Jenkins above before a Quick trip and a giggly Landing on the Field at Mulvey school on Wolseley Street yesterday. photos by Marc Gallant / Winnipeg free press Manitoba Hydro singing in the rain Utility projects $37-m profit this year by Dan Lett s o much precipitation has fallen this year that even if there want a single drop of rain from now until the freeze up in the fall Manitoba Hydro will meet its financial targets said Hydro president and ceo Bob Brennan. Although the heavy rain and snowfall has deprived Manitoban of a proper Spring and Early summer it has raised spirits at Manitoba Hydro which is predicting a full return to profitability this year. The heavy snowfall last Winter Fol Lowed by even heavier Spring Rains has improved the forecast for Manitoba Hydro so much that the Crown Utility is already predicting higher than expected revenues for the current year. After a two year drought Cycle Low ered water Levels and slowed generating stations Hydro reported earlier this year it expected to rebound from a $359?million loss in the 2003-2004 fiscal year to a $37-million profit in the current Fis Cal year a turnaround of nearly $400?million. With additional rain a virtual certainty Brennan said it looks like the current fiscal year could end up even better than he originally expected. I think its fair to say that at this Point we re going to reach our forecasts even if there in to any More rain Brennan said. And the Odds Are that Well get some More rain so that will help us even Nightmare the previous two years were a night Mare for Hydro. After the better part of a decade of record profits the Utility was hammered by a Prairie wide drought that drained lakes and Rivers to 50-year lows. The Lack of water slowed output from Hydro a generating stations and turned the Utility into a net importer of electricity to meet obligations for both Domestic and Export customers. The losses also prompted Hydro to appear before the Public utilities Board this Spring to ask for the first residential rate increase in seven years. The three per cent rate hike will earn Hydro an additional $27 million. Chaos the Lack of Revenue threw provincial government finances into chaos driving a nearly $500-million summary budget deficit. The summary budget captures All government operations including programs delivered directly by govern ment and All Crown corporations and agencies. The province also earns Money from water rental rates a surcharge on the water that flows through Hydro a generating stations. Water rental rates Are expected to provide at least $25 million this year for the provincial Treasury. The cold wet weather that tormented Manitoba and much of the Central continent this Spring has left Hydro a main reservoirs teaming. May rainfall in Winnipeg was recorded As 133 my More than twice the average precipitation level of 59 my. Both Lake of the Woods and Lake Winnipeg two important reservoirs that feed Hydro a network of generating stations Are nearly at capacity Brennan said. Reservoirs fed from Saskatchewan Are still lower thanks to continuing dry weather West of Manitoba he added. The return to profitability could not have come at a More important time for Hydro which is about to embark on a huge capital program to add generating stations. The first slated for construction is the $80-million wus Khatim dam on the Burntwood River Southwest of Thompson. The project is now under consideration by the clean environment com Mission. A recommendation on whether to Issue an environmental License for the project is expected by september. Sunrise 5 27 . Moonrise 12 01 . Sunset 9 39 . Moonset 9 15 . Today s weather a 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 -5 -10 -15 -20 -25 -30 -35 -40 -45 Whitehorse Yellowknife by weather Tec services 22 / 8 24 / 13 map valid for noon Iqaluit july 5, 2004. 9 / 4 of 95 86 77 68 59 50 41 32 23 14 5 -4 -13 -22 -31 -40 -49 Churchill St. John s Winnipeg area forecast 26 / 9 11 / 8 h variable weather conditions will continue across Southern Manitoba with a mix of Sun and Cloud expected today and tomorrow. Skies will Thompso Edmonton 25 / 8 Saskatoon 21 / 13 l Clear by mid week but a new disturbance will bring showers on 19 / 8 Quebe thursday. Temperatures will be in the Cool to near Normal Range. Victoria Vancouver City Fredericton Thunder today. A mix of Sun and Cloud. Calgary 23 / 14 22 / 16 Winnipeg bay23 / 13 23 / 12 Halifax 21 / 9 High 20. Low tonight 12. Regina 18 / 7 Montreal 22 / 11 Seattle 18 / 7 27 / 16 tuesday. A mix of Sun and Cloud. High 21. 24 / 15 20 / 12 Ottawa Portland h Minneapolis great Falls 25 / 16 28 / 15 Boston 20 / 14 precipitation Milwaukee 19 / 8 for the record ? july 5 Toronto 26 / 19 20 / 14 april 1 to july 4 Max min mean 22 / 16 Boise 211.4 my last year.26.8 11.4 19.1 30 / 15 112% of Normal. Windsor new York City Normal.25.7 13.3 19.5 l 25 / 19 28 / 21 july 4 to 6 . Chicago highest on record .35.6 in 1936 24 / 18 san Francisco 1.2 my lowest on record.3.3 in 1915 Salt Lake City Washington 22 / 15 Reno 31 / 21 28 / 15 St. Louis 33 / 15 Denver Manitoba conditions yesterday Kansas City 32 / 24 Las 27 / 11 vegas 30 / 20 39 / 26 Orlando los Angeles Miami Memphis 34 / 24 33 / 23 h maximum to 4 . Minimum 24-hour precipitation to 6 . Winnipeg.17 .10.1.2 34 / 2425 / 16 21 / 15 Albuquerque Atlanta Phoenix 35 / 15 san Diego Thompson.19 .-1.nil 42 / 2624 / 18 Thunder today s ultraviolet Index the Pas .17 .9.0.6 new Orleans l 25 / 12 h highest Index 5.0 at 1 30 . Dallas gimli.17 .9 nil fort Worth Low High valid for Sunshine or thin Clouds. Dauphin .16 .9.4.5 sunny Cloudy Thunder pressure 26 / 15 rain pressure Index above 3.0 11 . To 4 . Storm brandon.16 .9.trace Portage .15 .9 nil rain category Index time to sunburn Orlando Miami Honolulu Snow Low 0 3.9 More than 1 or. 23 / 11 25 / 16 moderate 4.0 6.9 about 30 min. 32 / 23 kenora.12 .9.0.4 partly cold warm Thunder Shower Snow High 7.0 8.9 about 20 min. Cloudy front front storm extreme Over 9 less than 15 min. Hot spot Thompson 19 cold spot Thompson -1 National International temperatures extended forecast Max. Min. Canadian victoria.23 14 vancouver.22 16 yellowknife.24 13 Whitehorse .22 8 Edmonton .21 13 Calgary .21 9 Saskatoon .19 8 Regina .18 7 Thunder bay.18 7 Toronto .22 16 Ottawa .25 16 Montreal .27 Fredericton .23 Halifax .22 St. John s .11 . Atlanta .33 Boston .26 Chicago .24 Dallas .34 denver.27 detroit.27 los angeles.25 Minneapolis .20 16 12 11 8 23 19 18 24 11 16 16 14 new orleans.33 new York .28 san Francisco .22 Seattle .24 world Amsterdam .16 Athens .32 beijing.32 Dublin .14 Hong Kong .31 jerusalem.33 kyiv.20 lisbon.25 25 21 15 15 10 22 23 4 26 19 11 16 London .18 manila.32 Mexico City.26 Moscow .16 munich.23 new Delhi .40 Paris .20 Riyadh .42 rome.32 stockholm.19 Sydney .18 Tokyo .28 warsaw.23 11 23 11 7 9 31 9 26 21 9 6 24 12 resorts Honolulu .32 Las vegas.39 Miami.21 Orlando.34 Phoenix .42 Tampa .33 acapulco.33 Barbados .31 Havana .31 Montero Bay .31 mazatlan.32 Nassau .32 23 26 15 24 26 25 26 21 23 23 26 25 Southern Manitoba sunny skies wednesday. 60% Chance of showers thursday. Lows 11 to 14. Highs 25 to 26. Normals 13, 26. Northern Manitoba sunny skies wednesday. 70% Chance of showers thursday. Lows near 10. Highs 22 to 24. Normals 8, 22. Northwestern Ontario a mix of Sun and Cloud wednesday. Sunny skies thursday. Lows 11 to 14. Highs near 24. Normals 12, 24. Information source environment Canada buy one Power Smoothie at regular Price and receive a free shot of wheat grass please present this Coupon before ordering. Not valid with any other offer. No Cash value. Limit one Coupon per customer per visit. Valid at participating Booster juice locations. Expiry Date july18, 2004 ;