Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 16, 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A4 A 4 SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2012 MANITOBA winnipegfreepress. com Mention this ad and receive $ 500 off a LaserCap T hair treatment system. 204.956.7709 Equipment Auction Tuesday June 19 10am 7130 Roblin Blvd Instructed by Canadian National Railway, City of Winnipeg and other corporate consignors we will offer for auction the following. Trucks/ Tractors: 98 Ford Platform, 2- 48 Ford Tractors, 06 EZ hauler, 98 GMC 1500, 99 Int 4900, 00 INT 4900, 04 New Holland tractor, 95 INT 9200 Tandom Containers/ Chassis: 2- 24' Containers, 2- 48' Containers, 2- 48' Reefer vans, 5- Chassis, 48' Alum high flatdeck Tools: Jack Hammers, Clay Spaders, Drills, Table saw, Planer, Band saw, Sander Tires: 50- B305/ 85 R22.5, 17" steal wheels with air sensors, plus other assorted tires Fencing: Over 300 rolls of fencing inserts, 1000' chain link fence Attachments/ Utility: Skid Steer Bucket, Large Snow Bucket, Golf Carts, Kubota Utility, 4 Post Alignment Rack Landscaping: Roto Tiller, Reel Mower, Jd Sidewinder Trim Mower, Scorpion W/ Cultivator And Rake, Ditch Witch Trencher Ladders: 6', 8', 12' & 20' Misc: Hydraulic hoses, trailer jack, wiper rubber, computers, air compressor, alarm kit, boxes of tie rod ends, scaffolding, metal ramp, light bar, rotary motor Plus SO MUCH more. Viewing- Monday June 18- 8 A. m. Till 6pm & June 19 8am til Sale time 300.00 Cash Deposit Required at Time of Purchase. Listing at www. associatedautoauction. com or by Fax Sale conducted by Associated Auto Auction Ltd. 7130 Roblin Blvd. 895- 9790 Toll Free 1- 866- 737- 0944 Only at Auction WAREHOUSE LOCATED AT CORNER OF GERTRUDE & SCOTT ( 3- 201 SCOTT) Sat 10- 5 . Sun 12- 4: 30 PARKING AT FRONT & BACK OF WAREHOUSE SOFAS . SECTIONALS . LIGHTING BEDROOM & DINING FURNITURE . ARTWORK EXC E SS ST OC K . CANCELLATIONS . SCRATCH & D EN T WAREHOUSE BLOWOUT 80 % UP TO OFF SAT 10 - 5 . S UN 12 - 4: 30 M ANITOBA Hydro is coming back to Manitobans to ask for a second rate increase this year - an increase that will help offset sluggish electricity sales to U. S. customers. In its general rate application filed with the Public Utilities Board on Friday, the province's biggest Crown corporation said it's facing a $ 79- million shortfall in revenue, compared to the $ 139 million in net income it earned last year. It wants the PUB to approve a rate hike of 2.5 per cent effective Sept. 1 and a 3.5 per cent rate hike effective April 1 to offset that shortfall. If the PUB doesn't approve the increases, Hydro warns its financial integrity and future rate stability could be threatened - despite net income of $ 60 million projected for 2011- 12 increasing Hydro's retained earnings to $ 2.4 billion, the highest level in the Crown corporation's history. " Manitoba Hydro does not believe that it is acceptable to allow net income to slip into a loss position and risk credit- rating implications together with the need for larger rate increases at a later date," it said in its filing to the PUB. Over at Manitoba Public Insurance, it's a completely different story. It filed its 2013- 14 insurance rate application to the PUB on Friday, too, asking for nothing. " Overall, we're not looking for a rate increase or a rate decrease," MPI president and CEO Marilyn McLaren said Friday. " We're looking for a lot of stability, once again." McLaren said based on current trends, it appears rate stability will continue into the future. The only worry for MPI is the number of hail claims made over the past week in connection to last weekend's storm. It's anticipated 2,500 damage claims will be made. " Hail is just a really big concern for us these days," she said. " We have more hail claims on a regular basis than we ever had a decade ago. Changing weather patterns are having a significant impact. Years ago, we used to estimate about $ 5 million of hail costs in an ordinary year. Now it's over $ 20 million. Last year, we had $ 30 million in hail losses and not one big major storm." At Hydro, besides declining power sales to the U. S., there is plenty of blame directed at the PUB for the need to go to Manitobans, cap in hand. Hydro spokesman Glenn Schneider said PUB's decision last January to roll back an interim 2.9 per cent rate increase to 1.9 per cent hurt the corporation. " The decision by the PUB left us in a not- great situation, financially," Schneider said. The other domino at play is the growing costs of keeping the lights on - maintaining some of Hydro's older generating stations and power distribution networks. What's also hurt Hydro's exports, according to the PUB, is the abundance of cheap natural gas that's being extracted in the U. S. Midwest. However, Schneider said Hydro's current financial situation and the soft U. S. export market will not delay its plans for the new $ 3.28- billion Bipole III transmission line and the construction of the $ 5.6- billion Keeyask and $ 5- billion Conawapa generating stations. " When we're looking at the big projects, we're looking 10 to 15 years down the road," he said. " You can't judge them by the current conditions." bruce. owen@ freepress. mb. ca Hydro and MPI: two sides of the Crown's coin By Bruce Owen Reasoning behind the rate What Manitoba Hydro wants from you: 1) An across- the- board 2.5 per cent rate increase on current rates, effective Sept. 1, sufficient to generate additional revenue to Hydro of $ 20 million in 2012- 13. ( If approved, the electricity bill for a typical residential customer using an average of 1,000 kilowatt- hours per month will increase by $ 1.80 per month); 2) A further 3.5 per cent increase in overall revenue effective April 1, 2013, sufficient to generate additional revenue of $ 48 million in 2013- 14. Why? An earlier Public Utilities Board order that denied Hydro a full 2.9 per cent increase this year has taken money out of Hydro's pocket, Hydro says. That's compounded by the fragile state of the U. S. economy and less demand for Hydro's surplus power. What Manitoba Public Insurance wants from you: Not much. It wants the Public Utilities Board to sign off on its request for no overall rate increase for 2013- 14. How much you will pay in insurance is based on your driving record, the kind of vehicle you drive, what the vehicle is used for and where you live. If approved by the PUB, 430,531 vehicles ( 42.2 per cent) receive reductions in their basic compulsory coverage next year, while 23,154 vehicles ( 2.3 per cent) will remain the same. A total of 556,522 policies ( 55.5 per cent) will be increased - most increases will be less than $ 50. Why? Costs are stable. Fewer Manitobans are injured in collisions and car repair bills are kept inline with the use of after- market parts. I T'S been a comeback in the making. Almost three years to be exact. Come Sunday - when 19- year- old Carolyn Wonneck steps up to the starting line to begin the 10- kilometre race in this year's Manitoba Marathon - there will be two words running through her mind. " I'm back," Wonneck said in a recent interview at her Fort Richmond home, which she shares with parents Beth and Ron and her older brother, Paul. " By running this race, it says I'm recovered, I'm better now and that nothing's changed." In July 2009, just three weeks after completing the half marathon, Wonneck suffered a fall while on a climbing wall at a summer camp where she worked as a counsellor. The safety harness, which was not properly attached, gave way, sending Wonneck nine metres to the ground. The result was two broken legs and a fractured right wrist. A circulation problem in her right leg eventually led to infection. Doctors decided the safest thing to do was to amputate from the knee down. " The accident made me realize how valuable life can be," said Wonneck, who just completed her second year of sciences at the University of Manitoba. " I mean, not many people can say they fell three storeys and survived with just an amputation. " Through my accident, I've seen a lot of hope. I've seen the pain and I've felt the pain, but I know there's ways to get through it." After the accident, Wonneck was given the difficult task of learning how to walk again. The muscles in her leg were badly damaged and had to go through rigorous physiotherapy. She also knew the getting her old strength back was not guaranteed. " I think a lot of people do give up when something like this happens to them," she said. " But there's always hope and I just thought, ' There's lots of people that go through this, so don't give up, there's always a way.'" That way came in part from a carbon- fibre artificial leg she received from her doctor last winter. The other part: Wonneck's motivation and strong desire to prove she was back. Her hard work paid off when she was able to run again. " I've learned I can do anything I put my mind to and I have put my mind to this," she said. "" I'm going to be really excited [ come race time]. " Just being able to show myself and other people that I've got a sweet leg and it doesn't make me any better or any different than anyone else." When asked if she plans to run in the race again after completing the comeback, Wonneck smiled, " Oh yeah, I want to see if I can do that half again." jeff. hamilton@ freepress. mb. ca MORE MARATHON COVERAGE / C2 Marathon marks final mile in journey toward recovery By Jeff Hamilton JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Carolyn Wonneck will be running 10 kilometres at the Manitoba Marathon with a racing prosthetic. A_ 04_ Jun- 16- 12_ FP_ 01. indd A4 6/ 15/ 12 10: 21: 28 PM ;