The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) said it's time for their northern communities to be connected to Ontario's power grid.
In a Feb. 2 statement, NAN chiefs said their communities' continued reliance on diesel generation and inadequate transmission is “neither acceptable nor sustainable” for their people.
First Nation leaders from the NAN territory huddled in Thunder Bay in early February to map out an energy strategy for the Far North.
Chiefs are frustrated by what has become an annual crisis in supplying diesel fuel to many of the 49 communities in the Far North.
“We have serious issues regarding sustainable and affordable electrical energy in our communities,” said NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy in a release. “While we are making strides in planning for the future of generation and transmission, we must deal on a daily basis with our current needs and challenges.”
NAN said the communities use about 8 million litres of diesel fuel annually at a cost of $9 million, a price that's costly for many communities prohibitive to power homes and schools. Poor winter roads make the cost of flying fuel in only worse.
The chiefs are forming a task force with the expectation of connecting all NAN communities to the provincial grid by 2015.
They want planning, construction and future ownership to be in the hands of the First Nations, along with development of renewable power generation.
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