(Montreal) An Innu community is suing Hydro-Quebec for 2.2 billion, claiming that the Churchill Falls hydroelectric plant destroyed a significant part of its traditional territory.
The lawsuit filed Friday in the Superior Court of Quebec by the Innus of Uashat mak Mani-utenam alleges that the reservoirs of the megaproject and more than 1,000 kilometers of transmission lines have “flooded and destroyed” part of their traditional territory and disrupted traditional activities. from the community.
The band council says the construction of the 5,428 megawatt Labrador station and its transmission facilities in the 1960s and early 1970s was done without the consent of the community located near Sept-Îles.
The 1969 agreement that allows Hydro-Québec to buy the majority of the electricity produced at the plant and to derive most of the profits from it ends in 2041.
The community is asking the court to recognize their Aboriginal title to the affected territory and are seeking an injunction prohibiting the Crown corporation from entering into any new agreement without the participation and consent of the band council.
The lawsuit also names Churchill Falls (Labrador) Corporation, which operates the power plant and transmission facilities, as a defendant.
In an emailed statement, Hydro-Quebec says it believes that through ongoing dialogue, it will be able to establish a relationship of trust with the community.
This article was produced with the financial support of the Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for News.