With a year to go before the 200-MW Wuskwatim Generating Station generates its first commercial hydroelectricity, the nearby dam under construction is a working model for the planned Keeyask and Conawapa projects.
Wuskwatim has an estimated construction cost of $1.3 billion - plus another $300 million to build the hydro lines and towers and other associated infrastructure to move the power south to - for a total estimated cost of $1.6 billion. It is both on time and on budget.
The planned 695-MW Keeyask Generating Station on the Nelson River, downstream from Split Lake, and 1485-MW Conawapa Generating Station, on the Lower Nelson River, downstream of Gillam, are both much larger than Wuskwatim. Conawapa, if it is built, will be the largest hydroelectric project in Northern Manitoba,
Manitoba Hydro and representatives from the Tataskweyak Cree Nation, War Lake First Nation, Fox Lake Cree Nation, and York Factory First Nation signed the Joint Keeyask Development Agreement at Split Lake for the Keeyask Generating Station last year. Under the agreement Manitoba Hydro will provide administrative and management services for the project and will own at least 75 percent of the equity. The four First nations will collectively have the right to own up to 25 percent of the partnership.
The deal, however, does not automatically guarantee Keeyask will be built. The Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board has yet to approve the construction and both provincial and federal regulatory licences and approvals are still required.
On Feb. 28, 2007 Fox Lake Cree Nation and Manitoba Hydro signed a "process agreement" for the Conawapa Generating Station. The agreement sets out a process and funding mechanism for Fox Lake Cree Nation's participation in planning and consultation on the development of Conawapa, including project description, environmental and regulatory matters, training, employment and business opportunities, and the negotiation of adverse effects arrangements.
While the details will necessarily differ in the planning and implementation processes for Keeyask and Conawapa, as there is no one-size-fits-all solution for hydroelectric development in Northern Manitoba on traditional Cree land, Wuskwatim is a good model for how things can work today and tomorrow as opposed to the adversarial relations in the 1960s and 1970s between Northern Manitoba's Cree First Nations and Manitoba Hydro, a provincial Crown corporation.
Tense because Manitoba Hydro came in and flooded their land to take power in our name to ship south, not to put too fine a point on the historical truth.
In 1976, the Churchill River Diversion Project began. Flow was diverted by a series of channels and control structures into the Nelson River.
In terms of environmental impact, Wuskwatim is being developed as a "low-head" generating station to minimize the amount of flooding and negative environmental impact associated with the project. Total flooding will be limited to one-half square kilometre, as opposed to about 140 square kilometres for a high-head design.
Three of Manitoba s largest dams and hydroelectric generating stations were built earlier in Fox Lake traditional Cree territory near Gillam between 1966 and 1992. Kettle, Long Spruce and Limestone flooded more than 300 square kilometres and displaced many Fox Lake residents.
Change comes when it comes and sometimes it comes slowly. But it does come. In the 1970s, hydro development also brought significant flooding to the Burntwood River, which had a significant impact on Nelson House.
The Northern Flood Agreement of 1977 addressed adverse effects experienced by First Nations signatories in connection with Manitoba Hydro's operation of the Lake Winnipeg Regulation and Nelson River Diversion Project and Churchill River Diversion (LWRCRD) project.
The Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation at Nelson House signed the Northern Flood Agreement in December 1977. It is also a signatory to the March 1996 Comprehensive Implementation Agreement.
In recent years after significant debate and two referendums the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation became a partner in the Wuskwatim hydro development after their participation was approved by its people in a June 2006 referendum.
Wuskwatim marked the first time Manitoba Hydro partnered with a First Nation for hydroelectric development. The Wuskwatim Power Limited Partnership, a legal entity comprised of Manitoba Hydro and the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN), is developing project.
Manitoba Hydro is providing construction and management services to the Wuskwatim Power Limited Partnership, in accordance with the project development agreement signed in June 2006.
A general partner, 5022649 Manitoba Ltd., which is a wholly-owned Manitoba Hydro subsidiary and governed by a board of directors, which consists of four Manitoba Hydro and two Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation representatives, carries out the business affairs of the Wuskwatim Power Limited Partnership.
Joint ventures by Manitoba Hydro with the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation for Wuskwatim have included a $39.4-million contract to the Nisichawayasihk Construction Limited Partnership to build the 48-kilometre access road to the project site; a $46.3-million contract to the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and Sodexho joint venture for provision of catering services to construction camps until 2012 and a $7.2-million contract to the same group for the provision of security services at project sites; and a $2.2-million contract to the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation for the provision of cross-cultural training, counselling and retention services for all project and contract employees.
That's not to say everything has been perfect for either Manitoba Hydro at Wuskwatim. A 48-hour blockade set up a year ago between Provincial Route 391 and the security gate to the dam by some three dozen Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation protesters, who argued not enough aboriginals have been hired to work on the project, and a smaller group again opposed to the dam project itself, only ended when Manitoba Hydro obtained an injunction in the Court of Queen's Bench.
And in 2007, Minnesota passed monitoring legislation requiring Manitoba Hydro to provide an annual accounting of all measures taken, or not taken, to implement the Northern Flood Agreement. Minnesota and Wisconsin have signed term sheet deals for more than $5.5 billion in hydroelectricity exports to Northern States Power of Minneapolis and Wisconsin Public Service from Manitoba Hydro.
