Ontario promises to add 5 more First Nations to power grid, end reliance on diesel

As the Wataynikaneyap Power Transmission project nears completion, Ontario plans to add five more re‐ mote First Nations to the provincial power grid and end their reliance on diesel fuel.

Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Thursday at a media event in Oliver Paipoonge, a small commu‐ nity just outside Thunder Bay. He was with Energy Min‐ ister Todd Smith and Indige‐ nous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford as well as the chiefs of some of the communities that will be connected to the power grid.

Though he did not have specific details or timelines, the premier pledged to add the five Matawa communities to the grid - in addition to the 16 communities that will be connected through the Wataynikaneyap project when it's completed.

"Our government is work‐ ing with First Nations that wish to partner with us to end their reliance on costly diesel-generated electricity," Ford said. "We're making tremendous progress."

The communities men‐ tioned in Thursday's an‐ nouncement are:

Webequie First Nibinamik First Neskantaga First

Nation. Nation. Nation.

Eabametoong First Nation. Marten Falls First Nation.

Consultation with the First Nations will be integral, said representatives of Webequie, Nibinamik, Eabametoong and Marten Falls First Na‐ tions who were at the an‐ nouncement.

"We are not opposed to any type of development but we need to be thoroughly in‐ volved in these processes, so I look forward to working col‐ laboratively with Mr. Ford and his team," said Nibi‐ namik First Nation Chief Michael Sugarhead.

First Nations urge con‐ sultation

Some of the First Nations want to maintain ownership

of generation and transmis‐ sion assets built on their land, said Solomon Atlookan, chief of Eabametoong First Nation

"EFN was excluded from decisions on our land for too many generations," said At‐ lookan. "We live there and we have to be consulted along the way."

Atlookan said Eabame‐ toong First Nation currently operates an independent power authority and pays some of the highest rates in the province. The community plans to build a small local solar hybrid system to re‐ duce reliance on diesel.

The energy minister said getting these communities off diesel will take time.

"This isn't going to be done tomorrow," Smith said. "This is very much the start of the conversation."

The Wataynikaneyap Power project is expected to be finished by the end of 2024.

The communities cur‐ rently generate power using diesel generators driven by fuel that they fly into the community at tremendous cost, or truck into the com‐ munity over a winter road network that is open for shorter and shorter periods due to climate change.

Ford's visit to northwest‐ ern Ontario is the latest in a provincewide tour over the past week. He recently made appearances in Hamilton and Toronto to promote govern‐ ment spending after the provincial budget was re‐ leased last week.