(Quebec) The Innu community of Pessamit on the North Shore, the Legault government and Hydro-Québec are taking a first step towards possible energy development partnerships. The rapprochement remains fragile while the mistrust of the Innu persists.
Members of the community demonstrated Thursday at the entrance to the community, blocking access to the Prime Minister in Pessamit, located west of Baie-Comeau. François Legault was finally able to access the territory shortly before the signing ceremony.
The Legault government, Hydro-Québec and the Innu community have concluded a “historic” framework agreement which ensures a two-year truce between the parties to negotiate possible energy development agreements.
The big boss of Hydro-Québec, Michael Sabia, the minister responsible for First Nations and Inuit, Ian Lafrenière and the minister responsible for the North Shore, Kateri Champagne Jourdain, were alongside members of the Pessamit band council, and their chef, Marielle Vachon.
“We must be proud to be Innu, we have the skills to be able to negotiate with governments and make ourselves heard, listened to,” underlined Chief Vachon, adding that the work had been “very difficult”.
The fruit of the framework agreement must be presented Thursday evening to members of the community.
As a sign of good faith, Pessamit suspended its legal proceedings against Hydro-Québec, which it accuses of exploiting Nitassinan (ancestral lands) without their agreement for 65 years. Quebec and the state corporation agree in return to suspend work to raise the water level of the Manicouagan reservoir.
Quebec also pays Pessamit an amount of 45 million upon signature. These sums will be used for community development of some 2,400 souls, in particular for the construction of housing.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
François Legault
“The objective is to improve the quality of life of members of the community, and I want to be very clear, this is not a resolution of old conflicts with Hydro-Québec and it is not a contribution to possible partnerships that we could have in projects,” explained Mr. Legault.
The latter was very careful in his remarks, refusing even to mention the development projects in the sights of Hydro-Québec in the Pessamit territory.
The framework agreement “proposes, among other things, solutions concerning the management of the Manicouagan reservoir and commitments concerning wind power development,” we can read in the press release.
“It will depend on the projects on which we agree, I do not want to go into the details of negotiations or discussions of projects possibly,” repeated the Prime Minister.
In January, Hydro-Québec selected the Innergex wind project north of Baie-Comeau, which is to be carried out with the Innu of Pessamit, as part of its latest call for tenders for wind energy production. Mr. Legault affirmed that the framework agreement targeted “other projects”.
Huge challenges for Hydro
The state corporation faces enormous challenges. It must respond to a sharp increase in electricity demand which will double by 2050 with decarbonization and growth of the economy. It must therefore add up to 200 TWh of energy, including 60 TWh by 2035.
It is certain that Quebec will need the agreement of the First Nations to develop energy projects on their ancestral lands.
“Concretely, we want communities, if they want, to be part of projects from the start and to benefit from independent income that they can use as they wish,” argued Mr. Sabia on Friday.
Hydroelectric dams remain in the eyes of François Legault “the best option” to meet enormous energy needs, he argued last fall during the inauguration of the Romaine megacomplex.
For the moment, Hydro-Québec is only studying a new structure on the Petit Mécatina river, also on the North Shore. The social acceptability of the Innu of Unamen Shipu is far from being achieved.
“It’s not easy,” Mr. Legault agreed on Friday. “Look for example in Pessamit, there had not been the start of a negotiation for ten years and before that, it had failed,” he said.
François Legault affirmed Thursday that he wanted to increase the number of agreements “real financial partnerships” with the First Nations. This is also the mandate he gave to Mr. Lafrenière at the start of his second term.