ManitobaNearly 200 people packed Pipestone Community Hall Wednesday night to discuss a project proposed by the company Deep Sky, which could see a carbon capture and storage facility built somewhere in the region. Pipestone area residents pack town hall to hear details about proposed Deep Sky carbon capture planChelsea Kemp · CBC News · Posted: Nov 13, 2025 6:10 PM EST | Last Updated: 9 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Nearly 200 people packed Pipestone Community Hall Wednesday night to discuss a proposed carbon capture storage facility project in southwestern Manitoba. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)Residents in southwest Manitoba say they need more information before they can support a carbon capture facility proposed by a Montreal-based company.Nearly 200 people packed the Pipestone Community Hall Wednesday night to discuss the project proposed by the company Deep Sky, which could see a carbon capture and storage facility built somewhere in the region. The meeting, organized by a local group calling itself Grounded in Truth — The Deep Sky Awareness Committee, aimed to collect residents’ questions and concerns to share with municipal councils and the company.Organizer Keely Woods says they just want answers.”I think there’s power in the people,” she said. “If it doesn’t feel right, ask questions. Be critical thinkers. Your opinion does matter.”During the meeting, people raised concerns about the project’s potential effects on hydro, water, noise and the local environment. Others questioned whether such a large industrial project would fit in the agricultural community, about 80 kilometres southwest of Brandon.Woods said residents want to understand the project, but have concerns about whether it’s the right fit for the area.Pipestone area resident Keely Woods says people in the region need more information on the planned Deep Sky carbon capture plant. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)In October, Deep Sky announced plans to begin construction next year on a project in the province that it says will initially remove 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide directly from the air every year, and eventually extract 500,000 tonnes a year once it’s fully built out.Under its business model, the Deep Sky facility would remove carbon and the company would then sell carbon credits, which companies can purchase to hit certain environmental goals.Deep Sky CEO Alex Petre told CBC the company’s goal is to help fight climate change.She emphasized that the project will undergo a full environmental assessment and meet all provincial standards before moving ahead.”I think a lot of people are thinking about super-large infrastructure — oil and gas refinery infrastructure and things like that,” Petre said. “This is not what we are talking about here.”Deep Sky CEO Alex Petre, pictured here at the company’s facility in Innisfail, Alta., said the company has not yet decided on a location for the proposed $200-million Manitoba project. (Tiphanie Roquette/CBC)Petre says the project would have to follow the same regulations as any other project in the province, and the company will ensure there’s no impact on the local aquifer.Deep Sky, which operates a carbon removal plant in Alberta, has yet to choose a location for the Manitoba project, though it is planned for somewhere in traditional Dakota territory. Petre said Deep Sky hopes to select a site based on geological studies and a pending Manitoba Hydro assessment, with construction possibly starting next year. She estimates the project could create up to 1,000 construction jobs and between 100 to 250 long-term positions.Deep Sky, which previously held a town hall in the area in early September, will be back in the community and plans to share as much information as possible, she said.The company tried to start community engagement early in the process, but that meant starting before a location had been chosen, said Petre.She’s not surprised to see some community pushback, which she doesn’t see as stemming from a “rural versus urban culture clash,” but rather from a lack of information and awareness about what the project entails and what the company is trying to do.”We would be very passionate to figure out how to bridge that gap in understanding,” said Petre.”I’m not sure this is yet a two-way conversation, so we would love to make it a two-way conversation.”Doubts remainBut critics urge caution, including members of the Climate Action Team Manitoba, a coalition of environmental organizations.At Wednesday’s meeting, James Wilt, the group’s policy development manager, told the audience direct air carbon capture remains unproven at a large scale and is extremely energy-intensive.”There’s really no real proof of concept,” Wilt told CBC. Climate Action Team Manitoba’s James Wilt spoke at a town hall meeting on Wednesday. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)A major concern is how much energy the facility would require, at a time when Manitoba Hydro has already said it may need new sources of power in the next few years.”We’re here to support what a lot of the community has already said, which is that this is not sort of the place for a direct air capture facility,” Wilt said.Rural Municipality of Two Borders reeve Sandra Clark told CBC her council is still waiting to find out more about the project. Councillors were invited to attend the meeting but were unable to because of prior commitments. The RM of Pipestone posted a public notice on its website affirming its commitment to sustainable development, environmental protection and economic growth. It noted no agreement or partnership has been established between the municipality and Deep Sky.Local farmer Kim MacKenzie said residents don’t feel they’ve been given the information they need about the project. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)Local farmer Kim MacKenzie said residents feel left in the dark about the proposed facility.”We haven’t been given the information we need,” she said. “We’re in a nice rural area. We like our lifestyle. How could it change? We don’t live in an industrial area because we like living here.”Town hall organizer Woods says the turnout shows people want their voices heard.”I’m proud of our community for coming together,” she said. “We want to make informed decisions about our future.”WATCH | Town hall hears about proposed carbon capture facility:Deep Sky carbon capture gets pushback in PipestoneNearly 200 people packed Pipestone Community Hall Wednesday to discuss a proposed carbon capture facility that could be coming to southwestern Manitoba. Residents say they worry about potential effects on hydro, water, noise, culture and the local environment.ABOUT THE AUTHORChelsea Kemp is a multimedia journalist with CBC Manitoba. She is based in CBC’s bureau in Brandon, covering stories focused on rural Manitoba. Share your story ideas, tips and feedback with chelsea.kemp@cbc.ca.
More questions than answers about proposed southwestern Manitoba carbon capture facility, residents say
