Construction of Bolton substation and its supply line
The project team will be at the Hôtel Estrimont in Orford on Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 2 to 8 p.m., to welcome residents of the greater study area. Various specialists will be on hand to answer your questions and take note of your comments, concerns and suggestions.
Hôtel Estrimont
Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 2 to 8 p.m.
44, avenue de l’Auberge, Orford (Québec) J1X 6J3
Project overview
Although Estrie has been well served by the power system for 100 years, the region's high-voltage lines and substations are now operating at full capacity. To continue to meet local electricity needs, the system must be upgraded.
The plan to upgrade the electrical system in Estrie has been underway since 2016. It includes the construction of a new substation in the Saint-Étienne-de-Bolton and Bolton‑Est area, and a supply line.
More specifically, the project involves:
- Building a new 120‑kV substation
- Building a 120‑kV transmission line to supply the new substation
- Connecting the new substation to the distribution system that supplies the region
- Dismantling most of the 49‑kV infrastructure (Bolton‑Centre, Mansonville and Eastman substations and 49‑kV transmission lines)
What will the substation look like?
The gravel area is about 110 m by 150 m. When the drainage ditches, basins, access roads and vegetation screens around the substation are included, the total area is approximately 250 m by 250 m.
Achigan substation in Saint‑Hippolyte, in the Laurentides, is a good example of what the new substation may look like.
How is a substation site chosen?
When choosing the location of a substation, several factors must be taken into consideration, including:
- How the substation will connect to its supply line and the distribution system that delivers electricity to customers
- Local topography
- Space required for the substation equipment and for vegetation screens around it
- How well the substation can be integrated into the local landscape
- Sensitive environmental components to avoid as much as possible (wetlands, protected agricultural land, tapped and untapped sugar bushes, etc.)
Work schedule
- Pre-consultation 2024 and 2025
- Project consultation Winter 2026
- Announcement of the solution selected 2026
- Government approvals 2026 and 2027
- Construction 2027 to 2029
- Commissioning of the substation and new line 2029
Info-Project – Construction of Bolton substation and its supply line
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