Fort William First Nation publicizes it opposes OPG’s redevelopment of the Kakabeka Falls Producing Station due to lack of session and disrespect for the archaeological significance of the location.
FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION — A $200 million undertaking to modernize the Kakabeka Falls Producing Station has drawn opposition from Fort William First Nation.
Chief Michele Solomon stated Ontario Energy Technology (OPG) has not accomplished any archaeological fieldwork on the Kakabeka Falls Producing Station website.
Based on the primary nation, there is a non-Indigenous cemetery on the property. They’re involved concerning the potential for artifacts and different potential finds on the website, which has cultural and historic significance.
Solomon instructed Dougall Media thats the “refurbishment” of the producing station is a misnomer as a result of “it’s really a completely new project.”
“They are leaving a building standing as a heritage site,” Solomon stated.
“By that action, that allows for them to go around certain responsibilities they would have if they didn’t leave this building standing. If they didn’t leave part of this site standing, it creates a bit of a loophole for them, specifically a loophole to complete a class environmental assessment,” she continued.
The 118-year-old hydroelectric plant lately introduced development will begin in spring 2025; nevertheless, some website preparation has already began.
Solomon stated Fort William First Nation is just not against the redevelopment undertaking, however they’re against OPG’s lack of group engagement and session, significantly, OPG bypassing the environmental evaluation.
In an OPG media launch in April, the hydro firm acknowledged that “the project is expected to generate economic benefits for local Indigenous communities” and “OPG has been working closely with the Fort William First Nation to ensure the community’s consultation and input are considered from the onset, starting with the preliminary planning stages of the project.”
Nonetheless, Solomon stated their assertion got here as a shock.
“I felt it was a little misleading in that Fort William First Nation has not supported this project,” Solomon stated.
“We’ve been very clear with OPG on our position. We’ve met with them and we have not been able to come to any agreement on moving forward,” she added.
The positioning of the producing station has deep historic, cultural, and religious significance to Fort William First Nation. It was a historic journey route and cultural website for the group.
Nonetheless, the event of the plant 120 years in the past resulted in flooding, modifications to waterways, and irreparable injury to the cultural heritage and Fort William First Nation’s lifestyle.
The group is elevating additional considerations about environmental impacts on fisheries, species in danger, and website contamination.
“The First Nation has been trying to work with them to have a mutually beneficial partnership and that has fallen on deaf ears,” Solomon stated.
“It’s misleadingly being identified as a revamp or an update to the project. It doesn’t require them to the same standards for partnership development as it would if they were starting from scratch. In my mind, it really is going around and going through a loophole that wouldn’t otherwise exist,” she continued.
Solomon stated she wish to the see “the relevant ministries of Ontario” cease the redevelopment of the producing station and OPG to “come to the table” with a significant session.
“We don’t need a repeat of what occurred with Parks Canada in Nipigon the place a flawed course of led to the unearthing of 600-year-old Indigenous ancestral stays,” stated Solomon within the launch.
In response to a request for remark an OPG spokesperson wrote, “OPG is engaged in ongoing discussion with Fort William First Nation. We continue to engage respectfully as we prepare to redevelop the Kakabeka Falls Generating Station.”
Correction: An earlier model of this story incorrectly acknowledged that the a registered burial website on the property was Anishnaabe.
