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Construction of the province’s largest Indigenous-led grid connection project is complete.
The Watay Power Transmission Project saw roughly 1,800 kilometres of new transmission lines built connecting more than 18,000 people in 16 remote First Nations communities to the provincial grid.
“Reliable power is essential for the health, safety, and growth of First Nations communities,” explained the federal Minister of Indigenous Services, Patty Hadju. “For too long, these communities faced significant challenges due to reliance on diesel generation, which strained their quality of life and limited opportunities for housing, infrastructure, and development. Connecting to the power grid will transform these communities, enabling sustainable growth and improving overall well-being.”
The completion of this line has connected the following communities to the provincial grid:
- Wawakapewin First Nation
- Kasabonika Lake First Nation
- Wunnumin Lake First Nation
- Sandy Lake First Nation
- Sachigo Lake First Nation
- Deer Lake First Nation
- Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation
- Wapekeka First Nation
- Pikangikum First Nation
- North Caribou Lake First Nation
- Kingfisher Lake First Nation
- Bearskin Lake First Nation
“Expanding power lines to the North is more than just connecting homes; it’s about lighting the path to progress, ensuring every community has green energy to thrive and reach its full potential,” said Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP, Kevin Holland. Our government is working hard to support communities across Ontario and make green energy accessible.”
Next year the plan is for the following communities to be connected to the grid:
- Muskrat Dam First Nation
- Poplar Hill First Nation
- North Spirit Lake First Nation
- Keewaywin First Nation
The communities that were connected to the grid this year were heavily reliant on diesel for electricity generation.
The province is estimating that the project will help remove roughly 6.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to taking almost 35,000 cars off the road.
Wataynikaneyap Power is a First Nations-led company made up of 24 First Nation communities.
“The completion of this project marks the achievement of First Nations working together tirelessly for 35 years to connect communities to the transmission grid,” said the CEO of Wataynikaneyap Power, Margaret Kenequanash. “Well before this project started in 2008, the First Nations in the area agreed to work on energy as a regional issue. To own infrastructure in our Homelands and build a solid foundation for our future generations, this work has been a success and it must continue.”
The province supplied the company with a loan of $1.34 billion to help support construction.
