A small group of University of Winnipeg students took their studies to the streets Friday, protesting against Manitoba Hydro in front of the Crown corporation's downtown headquarters.

"I think Manitoba Hydro definitely presents themselves as a clean energy and there is a hidden truth behind that, which is the devastation of the communities," said Carly Thomas, one of the protest organizers.

Thomas said her classmates from the the non-violent social change class at the U of W chose to focus on what Manitoba Hydro's destruction of northern communities as their semester project.

"It's affecting the environment in our northern communities, but it's affecting our entire ecosystem, which really does affect all of us," she said.

A May 2018 report from the Clean Energy Commission, an arm's-length provincial agency, detailed environmental and social damage going back decades.

Environmental impacts listed in the report ranged from declining fish and wildlife populations to difficulty travelling as higher water levels create slush ice in winter and increased floating debris for boating in summer.

Thomas said they're hoping to raise awareness of "the things the impact on the ecosystem, the impact on the people in northern communities, and what Manitoba Hydro can do to look into the lasting effects of these projects and how they can be more sustainable."

A sign at the protest says 'Power Smarten Up.' (Travis Golby/CBC)

The group wants the Crown corporation to share water rental payments to communities affected by development, the province to conduct an independent review of Manitoba Hydro, for the company to follow the original Churchill River Diversion Licence and to review their operations and reduce impact on the land.

In a statement, Crown Services Minister Colleen Mayer said Hydro has been following all the necessary requirements regarding the Churchill River Diversion Project.

"Manitoba Hydro's relationships with Indigenous communities/groups are based on respect, recognition of indigenous rights and interests, and a willingness to address past impacts," Mayer wrote. "Our government is undertaking a full economic review of planning and decision making processes associated with both the Bipole III transmission project and the Keeyask generating project."

A spokesperson for Manitoba Hydro declined to comment.