NAN supports Ontario’s long-term energy plan

Ontario has committed to a new power transmission line from the Dryden area to Pickle Lake under its Long-term Energy Plan.
The new transmission supply to Pickle Lake is a crucial first step to enable the connection of remote First Nation communities in northwestern Ontario, according to the ministries of Energy and Infrastructure.
“A new transmission line to Pickle Lake – one of this plan’s five priority projects – will help to service the new mining load and help future connections north of Pickle Lake,” according to the plan, which was updated Nov. 23.
“Subject to cost contributions from benefiting parties, Ontario will focus on supplying Pickle Lake from the Ignace/Dryden area immediately. A line to serve the Nipigon area specifically will continue to be considered as the need for it evolves.”
Nishnawbe Aski Nation supports the transmission line.
“Investment in infrastructure in the Far North is essential to the growth and development of our First Nations and to the recovery of the financial health of Ontario in general,” Grand Chief Stan Beardy said. “We welcome the commitment by Ontario to immediately establish a new transmission line to Pickle Lake.”
Beardy said NAN First Nations in the surrounding area and beyond will have greater economic opportunities because of increased energy and ultimately this project will enable distributed generation and regional transmission owned and operated by First Nations.
“We will continue to lobby for a power supply that meets the needs of the North and look forward to having further discussions with the province to ensure electrical generation and transmission initiatives in NAN territory becomes a reality,” Beardy said.
The ministry is working to make the transmission lines – whose construction dates are pending consultation – as First Nation friendly as possible.
“Where new transmission lines are proposed, Ontario is committed to meeting its duty to consult First Nation and Métis communities in respect of their Aboriginal and treaty rights and accommodate where those rights have the potential to be adversely impacted,” according to the plan. “Ontario also recognizes that Aboriginal communities have an interest in economic benefits from future transmission projects crossing through their traditional territories and that the nature of this interest may vary between communities.”
The province said there are a number of ways First Nations can participate in the project. Where a new transmission line crosses the traditional territories of Aboriginal communities, Ontario will expect explored opportunities to:
• provide job training and skills upgrading to encourage employment on the transmission project development and construction;
• further Aboriginal employment on the project; and
• enable Aboriginal participation in the procurement of supplies and contractor services.
The province will also encourage transmission companies to enter into partnerships with Aboriginal communities.
The transmission line could bring First Nations one step closer to ending reliance on diesel generation for power.
“Ontario’s remote First Nation communities currently rely on diesel generation for their electricity supply – but diesel fuel is expensive, difficult to transport, and poses environmental and health risks,” states the plan.
“According to analysis done so far, transmission connection would be less expensive over the long-term than continued diesel use for many remote communities.”
The plan calls for the closure of all coal units by 2014, creating 50,000 jobs in Ontario’s growing clean energy economy; increasing Ontario’s power supply coming from renewable sources like wind, solar and bio-energy to 13 per cent by 2018, up from three per cent today; and building the largest expansion in hydroelectric power in almost 40 years with projects to get more power from Niagara Falls and the Lower Mattagami River.
Moose Cree First Nation will have up to a 25 per cent ownership stake in the Lower Mattagami hydroelectric project.