TORONTO, Sept. 16 – The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has approved Hydro One’s Leave to Construct application for the Bruce to Milton Transmission Reinforcement Project with conditions.

The project involves the construction a 180-kilometre, double-circuit 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line on a widened existing corridor between the Bruce Power Facility in Kincardine and Hydro One’s switching station in Milton. The line will transfer more than 3,000 megawatts of clean and renewable power from the Bruce area to southern Ontario. This project represents the largest expansion to Ontario’s transmission system in 20 years. In its decision, the OEB found the project to be in the public interest in regard to its impact on price, reliability and quality of electricity service to consumers.

The OEB concluded that the economic benefits of the transmission line exceed its estimated costs of $635 Million, and that it improves system reliability, which benefits all electricity consumers.

‘This decision is an important milestone in our efforts to secure Ontario’s clean and renewable energy future,’ said Laura Formusa, President and CEO, Hydro One. ‘We are also sensitive to the concerns of property owners, First Nations, Métis, local municipalities and stakeholders affected by the project and have been working with them from day one and will continue to do so to ensure their concerns are managed in a way that is fair and responsible.’ The OEB Decision is the first major approval required to build this line and is conditional upon the Project receiving Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (EA) approval. Hydro One plans to release the Bruce to Milton Draft EA Report for a 30-day period for review by interested parties later this month.

After this review period, the document will be revised as appropriate, and a final EA Report is expected to be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment in November 2008. Construction of the Bruce to Milton line is scheduled to begin once approvals are received and the necessary property rights are in place.

The new line is planned to go into service in December 2011. Hydro One delivers electricity safely, reliably and responsibly to homes and businesses across the province of Ontario and owns and operates Ontario’s 29,000 km high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity to large industrial customers and municipal utilities, and a 122,000 kilometer low-voltage distribution system that serves about 1.3 million end-use customers and smaller municipal utilities in the province. Hydro One is wholly owned by the Province of Ontario.

The complete OEB decision is available at http://www.oeb.gov.on.ca and on the Bruce to Milton Project website.
www.HydroOneNetworks.com/BrucetoMilton/

Final Request for Proposals (RES III RFP) has now been posted as of August 22, 2008.

On November 20, 2007, the OPA issued a RES Phase III Request for Expressions of Interest (the “RES III RFEI”). A first step in fulfilling the directive from the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure (the “Directive”) to procure up to 2,000 MW of new renewable energy supply from projects greater than 10 MW in size.
RES III Request for Proposals (RFP)

August 5, 2008 – RESOP Status Update:

As a result of the popularity of the Renewable Energy Standard OfferProgram (RESOP), the OPA is proactively reviewing the program to ensure continued success. The OPA announced proposed Changes to the Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program (RESOP) on May 13th, 2008, and recently completed a series of technical sessions to gather feedback from stakeholders concerning implementation of the proposed new RESOP rules and revised contract.

The OPA has posted information on the RESOP Technical Sessions – I, II, & III on its website. Some of the issues raised by participants during these sessions were significant, and include the following:

- that projects that have applied for and/or obtained a Connection Impact Assessment (CIA) from the local distribution company (LDC) be exempted from any proponent limits that may be imposed on applications;

- the current approach to solar photovoltaic (PV) under the RESOP is seen as unsustainable and the need for a longer-term Provincial strategy on PV procurement was expressed;

- the relationship between the issuance of a RESOP contract, and the Ontario Energy Board’s Codes with respect to how LDCs manage the queue to connect to their distribution systems, is complex, and many observers have requested that OPA and OEB explore options to integrate these processes;

- in developing new requirements (“milestones”) for projects to demonstrate progress, OPA has also been asked to consider the significant project development work required for waterpower projects, particularly in the north

(The above is not an exhaustive list but is meant to be indicative of the scope of the issues under review).

At the last Technical Session, OPA staff indicated their intention to release draft RESOP program rules by August 1, 2008 for stakeholder review and comment. The OPA would like to ensure that thorough consideration is given to all of the issues raised during the technical sessions. Combined with the additional information provided from written comments submitted by interested stakeholders, the release of the draft program rules has been delayed.

At this time, the OPA expects to post draft program rules at the end of August, and will provide periodic updates on the Program Updates section of the RESOP microsite, and via email, as details become available.

The OPA is currently holding a series of technical sessions to gather feedback from stakeholders concerning implementation of the proposed new RESOP rules and revised contract.

The RESOP Technical Session I was held in-person and via teleconference on June 2, 2008. The agenda, presentation, and minutes from the session are available at the bottom of the page.

The RESOP Technical Session II will be held on June 19th, 2008. Key industry association representatives will be invited to this in-person session and are encouraged to provide input on behalf of their membership. The OPA will continue to ensure that outcomes from the technical sessions are available publicly via this website.

A tentative date of July 17th, 2008 has been set for the RESOP Technical Session III. Please visit this site for more information, to be posted as it becomes available.

Agendas and specific details regarding the subsequent sessions will be posted at least a week before the date. The presentation slides will be available for download here the day of each Technical Session.

Related Downloadable Files

The OPA has published the Draft Rules for the Northern Hydroelectric Initiative (NHI), which applies to waterpower electricity generation projects with a capacity of no greater than 10,000 kW that can be connected to an electricity transmission system in northern Ontario.

The OPA has released the NHI Draft Rules in order to prompt comments and feedback from those with an interest in the Initiative: NHI Read the Draft Rules and submit comments.

This is part of the OPA’s commitment to transparency and stakeholder consultation in all its activities.
We encourage interested parties to use the contact information and process provided, to submit any specific comments, concerns, omissions or ambiguities.

Interested parties are requested to provide their comments no later than the close of business on Tuesday, June 17, 2008.

In general, the OPA can only accept comments which are provided through the Standard Offer Program e-mail account at standardoffer@powerauthority.on.ca.

It is important that each comment provided gives a reference to the relevant Section number of the Draft Initiative Rules. Please submit separate e-mails for every Section which you wish to comment on.

While the OPA will be unable to respond directly to comments, we are committed to using them to shape the final Initiative Rules.

The Draft Contract will be posted early the week of June 9, 2008 for comment.

The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) released its “Renewable and Clean Energy Supply Procurement Update” on May 8, 2008.

Agenda

• Renewable Energy Supply in Ontario
• Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program
• Coordinating Efficient Deliverability of Supply
• Stakeholder Consultation

Read the full Update. (pdf-734kb)

PETERBOROUGH, Ontario, March 21, 2008–On behalf of Canada’s Environment Minister John Baird, Member of Parliament for Peterborough Dean Del Mastro is pleased to announce that the Government will issue an interim license to the Trent Rapids Power Corporation to begin construction of a new eight-megawatt hydroelectric power generating station along the Trent-Severn Waterway.

“After significant consultation with our community, and residents all along the Trent-Severn Waterway, I am pleased to announce this interim license for the Trent Rapids Power Corporation,” said Mr. Del Mastro. “This project strikes the right balance between our economy and environment. It will contribute to the generation of green energy while still keeping with the historic uses of this important cultural corridor which has supported hydropower for the past 99 years.”

The Trent Rapids Power Corporation will be developed between Locks 22 and 23 and will capitalize on waterpower potential while respecting operational, cultural and environmental concerns. The development proposal has gone through a rigorous environmental assessment process, as required by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, and meets both the federal and provincial government green energy policies.

“Canadians can be confident that their environmental concerns are the priority of this Government, and they are at the core of federal decisions supporting sustainable development,” added Mr. Del Mastro. “This hydroelectric project will bring real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by increasing Ontario’s supply of clean and renewable electricity.”

To maintain the ecological integrity of the shore along Trent-Severn Waterway the Trent Rapids Power Corporation will plant two trees for every tree removed by development. A 10-year monitoring plan will also be conducted to ensure the replanting is successful. Trails with interpretive signage will be constructed for public enjoyment.

Constructed between 1833 and 1920, the Trent-Severn Waterway was declared a national historic site in 1929. It commemorates Canada’s history of canal construction and the importance of the canal system throughout this country’s history and has included power generation since 1909. Today, this 386 km long heritage corridor is enjoyed by more than 1.5 million land and water based visitors every year.

Information:
Peter Frood
Superintendent, Central Ontario Field Unit
Parks Canada 705-750-4900

On November 8, 2007 the final agreements were executed with Gemini Power Corp. to establish Gemini Power Corp. as an equity partner on the Namakan River Hydro Development Project. A ceremony was conducted on November 11th in the Lac La Croix Community roundhouse to bring life to the agreements.

Cultural Advisor and Elder, Kalvin Ottertail conducted the spiritual ceremony on behalf of the Council and Chief Leon Jourdain, that formally established the High Falls Development Partnership.

The High Falls Development Partnership has been formed between Gemini Power Corp. and Neguaquon Lake Hydro Development Projects LP (NLHDPLP). The Partnership will carry on the business of developing, constructing, commissioning and operating the hydroelectric site known as High Falls, and potentially that of sister sites known as Hay Rapids and Myrtle Falls.

NLSDPLP, is a partnership between the Lac La Croix First Nation and Chafam Premiere Inc. (a shareholder of Chant Construction Limited). Chant Construction is the managing entity within Ojibway Power and Energy Group (OPEG), the General Partner (management arm) of NLHDPLP.

OPEG was awarded the “Applicant of Record” for the Namakan River Competitive Release Package (CRP-03-05), effective December 22, 2005 by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for the three sites on the Namakan River south-west of Atikokan, Ontario.

Under the arrangement with Gemini Power Corp., the Lac La Croix First Nation can reach 90% ownership of the development as early as Year 12 of operations. The Lac La Croix First Nation Community through OPEG also will be involved in the physical operation of the project once commissioned.

Dr. Michael Dan, President of Gemini Power Corp., said

“(GPC’s) participation in the High Falls Development Partnership is truly the culmination of a vision for GPC and a life long dream for myself of becoming a true partner with a First Nation Community in the development of clean, renewable energy. The legacy of this project for the Community will be nothing short of economic prosperity for generations to come. We are extremely pleased to be participating with the Lac La Croix First Nation, Chafam Premiere Inc. and Chant Construction Limited in this remarkable project.”

(Tim Saville, President, OPEG; Chief Leon Jourdain, Lac La Croix First Nation; Dr. Michael Dan, President of Gemini Power Corp.)

By Duane Hicks
FORT FRANCES—The Namakan River hydro development project being proposed by the Ojibway Power and Energy Group(OPEG) will be vital to Lac La Croix First Nation in the future, Chief Leon Jourdain said during an open house here last Thursday night.

Dozens of people came out for the session at La Place Rendez-Vous, including many residents of Lac La Croix First Nation, whichwill benefit greatly from the project, which proposes “run-of-river” hydroelectric facilities on the Namakan River at High Falls andHay Rapids (and at Myrtle Falls further down the road).

“Our community is no different from any other reservation in Treaty 3 or in Canada,” Chief Jourdain said in a speech at Thursday’s open house. “We are asserting, and will continue to assert, our place in the economic world.

“For far too long our people have been denied our place in the economy,” he charged. “We’ve always watched as our resources disappeared in front of us without any economic gain for our people.

“It’s always at the expense of our people that developments happen around us, and that has to be a thing of the past,” he stressed. “We take the position that the richness of this land that we all share must be equally shared by our people.”

OPEG is a partnership between Lac La Croix First Nation and Chant Construction Ltd. to develop hydroelectric generating stations within the territory of the Lac La Croix First Nation.

The primary purpose of these projects is to provide electrical generation capacity to the province in a manner that is environmentally-sustainable, responsible, and ultimately will provide a long-term sustainable benefit to the Lac La Croix First Nation community.

“We will no longer allow false economies and false employment by way of programs from the government to try and maintain some kind of an economy in our communities,” remarked Chief Jourdain. “It is inhumane to do that to a people. That chapter must be a thing of the past. “We will not allow ourselves and our children to be taken for a ride by way of tokenism,” he argued. “For far too long that has been a way of life for aboriginal people.

“There is no dignity, no pride with that manner of relationship; there is no dignity or pride when we come to beg for the government to feed our people. There is no dignity or pride when we have to rely on programs and handouts,” he added.“We’re stepping out of that trend, that mindset,” Chief Jourdain said. “It did nothing but divide us, and did everything to rob ourpeople from its rightful place in the economic world. “We’re stepping out of that box and this project is an example of how we’re going to do that, so we can sustain ourselves and our children in the future.”

Chief Jourdain said “forest is not a place to visit, it’s a place to live,” and while aboriginal peoples will be the first to step up if the environment is harmed, the elders always have taught them to live off the wealth of the land.

In a separate interview Thursday, Chief Jourdain further explained the benefit of the proposed hydroelectric projects. “It’s outside of the reserve area, it’s on Crown land,” he noted. ‘“So the key here, the challenge here, the excitement for us economically, is that over a period of time, we will own the project, we will own the generating stations, and at that time, all the revenue generated will be a total benefit to our First Nation.

“It goes beyond the usual ‘employment only.’ Our partners, we’re going to be buying them out over a period of time. “It is extremely critical that we succeed in this,” Chief Jourdain stressed. “If we succeed, then government succeeds, industry succeeds, everybody succeeds. “If we can continue down that road with other projects, then the wealth of the land will benefit not only aboriginal people but non aboriginals,as well,” he added.

Chief Jourdain noted what’s different about this project is how the issue of jurisdiction comes into play. “It comes into play in a big way because, as you may or may not know, the Province of Ontario is a very difficult place in terms of aboriginal treaty rights by way of duty to consult. “This is only one piece of how we can lead up to answering that question,” he said.

“In the bigger picture, when it comes to all of Treaty 3, which is 55,000 sq. miles, I’m also the chief responsible for lands and resources for the nation of Treaty 3, and we have a resource law that provides a legal framework for Treaty 3. “We took our project and took it to the nation, and our law protects our project,” continued Chief Jourdain. “If we’re all going to be successful, if we’re going to start a new chapter on how we do business with indigenous peoples, then we’re taking the lead on how that can be done.”

What’s proposed?
OPEG is investigating the development of two “run-of-river” hydroelectric generating facilities on the Namakan River. These two plants, located at High Falls (4.9 megawatts) and Hay Rapids (4.7 MW), have a combined gross head of approximately 10 metres. The two facilities will be developed in a cascade arrangement with the tail water of High Falls becoming the head pond for Hay Rapids.

OPEG is considering the joint development of the High Falls and Hay Rapids sites to take advantage of the arrangement to reduce construction overhead costs. The High Falls “run-of-river” facility will include an intake-powerhouse located at the edge of Bill Lake. The preliminary conceptual design includes a small 1.3 m high rock-faced concrete weir roughly 40 m upstream of the crest of High Falls, as well as a similarly-sized concrete weir across the inlet to the back channel. The objective of the weirs is to maintain the elevation of Bill Lake at a more consistent water level, which remains within the range between historic low and high water levels.

The control weir in the inlet of the back channel at Bill Lake would represent an obstacle for the free passage of sturgeon if modifications are not made to facilitate migratory patterns. Although it is not currently thought possible for fish to move upstream into Bill Lake over High Falls, OPEG is awaiting results from the telemetry studies to confirm. During times of sturgeon migration, fish passage concerns can be mitigated by including a fish bypass at the concrete weir to maintain free passage should it be determined that free passage conditions currently exist.

This would enable the sturgeon to continue their pre-development migration patterns in the post-development environment. Telemetry studies are being performed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) with the assistance of the Lac LaCroix First Nation and OPEG to determine if sturgeon can, indeed, move all the way upstream into Bill Lake. For the High Falls site, roughly 2.4 km of temporary access trails have been constructed. The access trails will be expanded into access roads on essentially the same alignment to accommodate construction and future operations. Included in the trail upgrade is an all-weather access bridge across the back channel. The bridge and control weir in the back channel may utilize the same alignment.

Upon confirmation of the actual sturgeon migration patterns and agreement with authorities on the desired allowances for these patterns, the design of the control weir will be made to accommodate the desired migratory patterns. A 44 kilovolt (kV) transmission line will run from the powerhouse to Flanders Road and interconnect with the existing line. The transmission line will follow the alignment of the access road. The Hay Rapids “run-of-river” facility will include an intake-powerhouse located at the southwest end of the beaver pond immediately south of the river. Preliminary conceptual designs include connecting the existing beaver pond to Little Eva Lake and utilizing it as an intake channel to the powerhouse.

Water will exit the Hay Rapids powerhouse utilizing a naturally-occurring depression alignment as a tailrace channel leading back to the Namakan River downstream of the last rapids. Proposed designs include the use of two small concrete or inflatable rubber weirs, roughly 1.3 m high, across the top of Hay Rapids. The control weirs will stabilize the elevation of Little Eva Lake within the range between the historic low and high water elevations.

Similar to the High Falls development, upon confirmation by telemetry studies of the actual sturgeon migration patterns and agreement with authorities on the desired allowances for these patterns, the design of the control weirs of Hay Rapids will be made to accommodate the desired migratory patterns. OPEG’s preliminary field investigations have discovered a natural barrier to fish migration at the downstream end of the back channel during low water levels.

The post-development result of adding control weirs at the outlet of Little Eva Lake may result in the removal of this barrier and result in a net benefit to the fisheries. The post-development stabilization of the elevation of Little Eva Lake would result in a consistently-increased wetted perimeter in some reaches of the back channel, which is expected to result in the creation of additional fish habitat.

For the Hay Rapids site, about 2.3 km of temporary access trails have been constructed. The access trails will be expanded into access roads on essentially the same alignment to accommodate construction and future operations. A 44 kV transmission line would run from the powerhouse to Flanders Road and interconnect with the existing line there. The transmission line will follow the alignment of the access road. Preliminary designs are based on each facility using a maximum flow between 120 and 135 cubic metres per second. This will be optimized prior to the detailed design. Both generating stations will operate as “run-of-river” facilities, meaning that neither site will have reservoir capabilities beyond that which currently exists within Bill and Little Eva lakes. “Run-of-river” facilities produce “clean energy that is produced from a naturally-replenished water source with minimal harm to the environment,” according to OPEG.

The proposed operating range of head pond elevations will be more restricted than the natural zone of fluctuation of the current river system. No new flooding will occur within the developed areas. The design of the facilities will dictate that no storage capability will exist. There will be no alteration to the natural river flow characteristics outside of the immediate limits of each facility. The existing fishery is “vibrant and diverse,” said OPEG. At present, downstream movement and recruitment of resident fish populations are unimpeded. The existing condition for upstream movement of fish is undetermined at this time.

There are some important issues regarding the potential impacts of the development to the existing fishery. The major concern is the effect of the development on free passage. Depending on results from the telemetry and tagging studies, the development of the hydroelectric facilities can be design-built to:

1. Deny passage;
2. Allow unfettered passage with seasonal flows; or
3. Allow free passage, with the ability to deny at any time.

If studies show that unobstructed fish passage exists, the facilities will be designed to maintain that capability. If there is no existing fish passage, no new passage will be created.

Impacts of the development are “mitigable.”
An assessment of values to be protected and/or enhanced is the main objective of the field studies. The purpose of the public consultation here last Thursday was to gather input as part of the environment assessment process for the project. Similar open houses were held in Atikokan last Wednesday and in Lac La Croix FN back in December.

An environmental assessment (EA) is a systematic process designed to identify whether or not a propose project is likely to cause a significant adverse environmental effects, taking into account the appropriate mitigation measures. This is conducted in accordance with the Canadian EA Act and the Ontario EA Act. “What we’re trying to do today is help you get an opportunity to see what we have found, some of the thoughts we have, some of our designs, what our fish studies have shown,” Tim Saville, OPEG project manager, said last Thursday. “I want you to recognize there’s a little bit of study still to be done,” he added. “We are doing some further telemetry studies on the sturgeon that might take us probably close to summer. “Then there will be another opportunity for another set of public sessions.” These sessions likely will be held again in Lac La Croix, Atikokan, and Fort Frances.

The timelines for the High Falls and Hay Rapids hydro developments are as follows:

• Notice of commencement—completed;
• Complete field studies—July, 2008;
• Notice of public review—September, 2008;
• Notice of completion—December, 2008;
• Submit application for location approval—December, 2008; and
• Initiate construction—before December, 2009. Further down the road, OPEG will be looking at the Myrtle Falls hydro development. The timeline for that is as follows:
• Notice of commencement—completed;
• Complete field studies—November, 2009
• Notice of public review—December, 2009;
• Notice of completion—March, 2010;
• Submit application for location approval—March, 2010; and
• Initiate construction—before March, 2011.

(Fort Frances Times)

…to the Lac Lacroix First Nation Community at the Lac La Croix First Nation Roundhouse November 22, 2007

The world around us is changing in ways that most non-aboriginal people cannot easily grasp. The reason for this is that the western view of the world prevents westerners from seeing the full extent of the problems that we have created. Quite simply put, the industrial revolution that began around 1830, and which was based on the fantasy that there would always be an endless supply of coal, oil, and natural gas, is itself ‘running out of gas’. Take, for example, the case of the United States.

There was once a time when the US was the world’s number one oil producer. Yet today, in spite of all the sophisticated technology that is available to it, oil production in the lower 48 States has never been higher than it was in 1970. So we now have a situation where instead of being a net exporter of oil, the U.S. imports 67% of its oil—and most people don’t know this—the number one exporter of oil to the US is not Saudi Arabia, but Canada. In fact, Canada exports half of the oil and natural gas it produces to our friends to the south, and even more ironically, Canada now uses a significant amount of its own natural gas to make oil to sell to Americans. I am referring here to the tar sands in Alberta, which are an ecological disaster in every possible way.

Canada has the second largest oil reserves in the world (some 1.79 trillion barrels), 97% of which is mixed with Alberta sand and spread out over an area the size of Florida. To produce one barrel of synthetic crude oil from tar sands, you need to process 4 metric tonnes of earth (which includes pristine and irreplaceable boreal forest and wetland), 5 barrels of fresh water from the Athabasca River (which ends up as toxic waste that’s so poisonous it must be stored in giant tailings ponds that are big enough to be seen from space), and 1500 cu ft of natural gas. Since the tar sands mining operations first began, not a single acre of land has been certified as reclaimed, and it is doubtful that any mined land can ever be returned to the pristine freshwater delta that it once was. This is the price that Canadians are willing to pay so that they can wait in line at Tim Horton’s in their SUVs with the engine idling.

Today, we are starting to hear a lot about the Green Movement and sustainable living. Al Gore’s movie and Nobel Prize did quite a bit to raise public awareness about climate change, but amazingly, the media hasn’t yet made the connection between energy use and global warming. Everyone seems to think that technology will miraculously rescue us from our own stupidity, and that the whole world can embrace a western standard of living AND cut back on energy consumption at the same time. I find this absolutely fantastic. If I were a psychiatrist, I would say that westerners are in frank denial of the dangers that we pose to ourselves and the rest of the world, and I would prescribe a prolonged stay in a rehab centre so that we can all break our addiction to energy and environmental destruction.

The truth about sustainable living is that nobody in the west has a clue what it really means to live comfortably and sustainably at the same time. Right now, there are some 6.5 billion people on this planet, and the amount of sustainable energy that we use today—which is only about 11% of the total energy consumed—is about the same per person as it was in 1850. What I find utterly amazing is how the west seems to have completely forgotten that the aboriginal peoples of the world already possess the vision and culture of sustainable living, and that in Canada in particular, First Nations have been living sustainably on the land for the past 10,000 years. To the young people here today, I want you to know that your elders are the coolest people you will ever meet. They are a living treasure; a link not only to the past, but also the future. Their view of the world traces its roots back to the last ice age, and they know how to live on the land for generations without ever taking more than the land can give. I wish I could say the same for my own ancestors.

The fit between First Nations and sustainable energy is a completely natural one, and I am honored to be with this community today to talk about our common future. By the time the next generation reaches adulthood, any person or group that has access to a source of abundant, sustainable energy (and I might also add, fresh water) will be truly blessed. This community is fortunate because you have an excellent hydro site on your lands, which we would like to develop with you as a partnership.

Partnership for us means sharing a vision and helping one another to be the best we can be. We believe in complete openness and in responsibility to the community. We want to work with the community to build something that we will both be extremely proud of for years to come.

Gemini Power Corporation, together with Chant Construction Company, will work with Ojibway Power and Energy Group to oversee the financing and construction of a hydroelectric plant at High Falls. Assuming we receive a favorable Environmental Assessment, construction of the plant should begin in the fall of 2008 and should be completed by the end of 2009 or early 2010. Once the plant is built, it can generate power for at least a century. For a westerner, that’s an extremely long time.
We want to be part of this community for the next 100 years, but not as owners or landlords. The hydro plant is actually a business, and the deal we agreed on is that once the business is up and running and generating income, we will get our money back plus a fair profit, then hand over the keys to the community. This could happen in as little as 11 or 12 years from now, if things go well and conditions are favorable.

In the meantime, the project will provide scholarships so that the children of this reserve can train to be the engineers, technicians, lawyers, and businessmen and woman of the future, so that when we depart, this community will have a hydro business that is 100% First Nations owned, 100% First Nations operated, and able to produce power for another 90 years. We feel that our approach preserves the dignity and spirituality of the community, gives the young people something to reach for, and secures an economic future for generations to come.

I want to take a moment to talk about the gift that I brought. It is a small statuette entitled “Partnership”. It is forged from steel, so it is very strong. It consists of two figurines, identical in height, in fact identical in every way, but fitting together to form a whole. I am giving your chief, Leon Jourdain, permission to whack me over the head with this statuette if I ever forget what partnership means, and I will do the same to him if he forgets.
So let us all work in partnership together, to preserve the dignity and spirituality of this community, to build a sustainable energy business that will also help to sustain this community economically, and to care for the land the way that our First Nations ancestors taught us.