The Prairie View Township has a tough decision to make in the coming months as its council must decide whether to approve a proposed new cryptocurrency mine in Birtle, Man.
Skychain Technologies, a Vancouver-based company, bought two pieces of land in the city in hopes of installing 12 containers in the area to store computers for mining bitcoins. Birtle, a town of about 600 people about 300 miles west of Winnipeg, is part of Prairie View Township.
"They say five people will probably be hired, so for our area, that means possibly five new families with homes and the ability to buy within our community," said Prairie View Reeve Linda Clark.
The council heard from a company representative last Tuesday about the project's potential impacts, Clark said.
The project could generate economic activity, new industry and tax benefits for the rural area, but several residents are concerned about noise pollution, he said.
"Birtle is a valley town and it's serene and beautiful. It already has tourism development, so we really have to weigh very carefully if this is the right thing to do for the community," Clark said.
CBC contacted Skychain Technologies and the company declined to comment for this story.
'Loud fans humming 24/7'
Roberta Hutchison, a 16-year-old resident who lives within a mile of the proposed site, said she went to the public meeting last Tuesday, which was attended by about 40 people, to raise her concerns.
"It uses a lot of hydroelectricity," he said. "These people want to generate bitcoins, but it doesn't really benefit the community in any way or it doesn't offer us a service."
CBC asked Manitoba Hydro how much electricity this project would use. In a statement, it says that "each capacity query is site specific and depends on the amount of power requested."
"Any new business, crypto or otherwise, we work with clients to review their requirements and compare them with the available capacity in the power line that feeds the property and the substation," the statement said.
Hutchison says hydroelectric poles were recently installed at the site, and she is concerned that the noise from the fans will scare away local wildlife and disrupt the peaceful environment.
"Once I'm here, I mean, that's it. We're screwed. You know, we'll be sitting on our platform listening to these loud fans humming 24/7," he said.
Hutchison, 72, said she is also concerned that the development will devalue her home, which she hopes to sell in a few years.
"We are getting older and it is difficult for me to manage the yard," he said. "But who is going to buy, who is going to want to buy this house or all the houses within a mile of this operation with those fans making that horrible noise?"
Clark says the council is conducting research and noise control studies should be done before making a decision.
"This is all very initial," he said. "We are in the early stages of any decision."
