Bearskin Lake First Nation connects to Ontario power grid - Action News
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Bearskin Lake First Nation connects to Ontario power grid

The lights are on. But the generators are off. Bearskin Lake First Nation has become the fourth remote First Nation in northwestern Ontario to connect to the province's electricity grid.

It's the 4th community in northwestern Ontario to connect to the new Wataynikaneyap Power line

A large group of people standing in front of a chain-link fence, behind which is a field of gray electrical infrastructure.
Bearskin Lake leaders, elders, and other community members pose with invited guests in front of the Bearskin Lake substation. (Chondon Photography)

The lights are on.

But the generators are off.

Bearskin Lake First Nation has become the fourth remote First Nation in northwestern Ontario to connect to the province's electricity grid.

In July, crews energized the section of the Wataynikaneyap Power line connecting the community to the Watay substation in Dinorwic.

'The beginning for our community'

Bearskin held a celebration in the community on Wednesday.

"I think this is the beginning for our community to aggressively pursue new projects in the future," Chief Lefty Kamenawatamin told CBC.

"So I think it's a very big ... positive for us."

The Wataynikaneyap Power project is a partnership between the utility company Fortis and 24 First Nations. It's slated to connect a total of 17 remote First Nations to the grid by the endof 2024.

The communities currently generate power using diesel generators powered by fuel that they fly into the community at tremendous cost, or truck into the community over a winter road network that is open for shorter and shorter periodsdue to climate change.

Their limited capacity to generate power has, in turn, limited their ability to grow their economies by building more facilities, and address overcrowding by building more homes.

Margaret stands in what appears to be an almost empty school lunch room with bright woodland art painted in a mural across one wall.  A few kids are at tables in the back near the wall.  Margaret has a huge small on her face.
Margaret Kenequanash, CEO of Wataynikaneyap Power, says it's exciting each time a new community connects to the Ontario power grid. (Jeff Walters/CBC)

Kamenawatamin is both excited and relieved to be able to hook up several buildings that are ready to be connected right away, he said.

"In our immediate plans, we do have more buildings, like a water plant, garage, and other public buildings office buildings that need to be constructed in the near future," he said.

"So it's a positive for us."

Wataynikaneyap CEO Margaret Kenequanash called the Bearskin connection "a major milestone" 15 years in the making, and said although Bearskin is the fourth community connected to the grid, such connections have yet to feel routine.

18 people stand in a row.  Most are in hi-viz vests and hard hats.  Margaret, Patty Hajdu and Alvin Fiddler are near the middle of the group.
Students of the Wataynikaneyap transmission project training program pose with Margaret Kenequanash, Nishnawe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, and Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu in 2017. Kenequanash says more than 600 people have completed training to work on the line. (Heather Kitching/CBC)

"It's exciting for every event that we will be doing connecting First Nations," she said.

Wataynikaneyap has been training workers from First Nations to work on the construction of the power line, and so far, it's graduated more than 600 people, Kenequanash said.

Around 200 have worked on the line, a spokesperson for the company added.

Kamenawatamin said the program has been great forBearskin Lake.

"We have a heavy equipment operator course," he said."So we had one lady here that finished that course. She's really busy. I see a positive. She's really into it."

Kenequanash said the Wataynikaneyap project is an example of the major milestones that can be achieved when governments and industries work respectfully in partnership with First Nations.