The residents of Kitcisakik, who have been calling for access to electricity for decades, have finally been heard. Their village, located on the 117 in the Parc de la Vérendrye, will be connected to the Hydro-Québec network by 2025. The Animik Ickote project, which means “electricity” (a contraction of the words lightning and fire) in Anishnabe, was officially announced in Val-d’Or on Monday morning by the CEO of Hydro-Québec, Sophie Brochu, and the head of the Anicinapek council of Kitcisakik, Régis Penosway.
Starting this summer, Hydro-Québec will carry out technical and environmental studies. The technical details are not yet determined: a technical committee will be responsible for “determining the optimal solutions to ensure the success of the project”. However, the plan is to build a 25 kV power line from Louvicourt substation, near Val-d’Or, to the village located about 70 km to the south. The route studied could run along Route 117.
The state-owned company will bear “the costs of designing and building the equipment, which will be known later”. For its part, the Quebec Native Affairs Secretariat “will support the members of the Kitcisakik community in adapting their residences to the new electrical network. Minister Ian Lafrenière, who was there Monday morning, said he was “proud” to participate in this project. “I hope that eventually, thanks to our efforts, daily life will become easier and more pleasant for the Anicinapek who live in Kitcisakik,” he said in a press release released Monday morning.
The CEO of Hydro-Québec, Sophie Brochu, spoke for her part of a “historic” announcement.
“Access to a reliable electricity network is essential to the development of remote Aboriginal communities, and to the achievement of a satisfactory level of comfort for all,” indicated Chief Régis Penosway, who says he works ” in concert” with the Crown corporation.
The fear of cold
In Kitcisakik, where The duty visited Sunday on the eve of the announcement, the director of natural resources Jimmy Papatie did not hide his joy and his pride. ” At last ! It will change the way we live, especially for single mothers and seniors. When everyone is going to be connected, it will give a sense of security to people in the community. »
Jimmy Papatie, who sat on the band council for 30 years and served as chief for two terms, talks about his neighbours, those who are always cold in winter, despite the many cords of wood piling up in front of the houses. He talks about those who are dependent on the community to stay warm. “I think of my 76-year-old mother, he illustrates. She’s gotten to the point where she can’t always make herself a fire. In the evening, someone will light a fire in her slow-burning stove, she goes under the covers and she is good for the night. But that’s going to be over, the fear of the cold. We’re going to install a heater, the night lamp will stay on all night if necessary. It’s a whole feeling of security that these people will have. »
In order for the village to be functional, public facilities such as the health centre, daycare centre, primary school, council hall and sanitary block are connected by electric wires to a huge generator.
And in their homes, the vast majority of people in the village also have access to a refrigerator, fans, light and television thanks to personal generators. But this system is noisy and polluting: in the heart of the forest, we hear the incessant purring of the engine. “There are models that make less noise than others,” explains Mr. Papatie. But it’s a noise that’s still there, even if I don’t hear it anymore. And in the summer, you can smell the carbon monoxide in the air”.
Above all, it is a system that is extremely expensive, he explains. “People in the village pay between $4,000 and $6,000 in gas a year to run their personal generator. An estimate validated by his colleague, Augustin Penosway, who says he pays between $400 and $500 in gas per month for his generator.
Skepticism
However, some residents are skeptical about the arrival of electricity, notes the director of natural resources. They fear in particular that it will cost them too much. “I tell them: if you are able to pay for the generator, you will be able to pay $50 a month for electricity! “says Mr. Papatie, who specifies that liaison officers will help low-income families find suitable programs.
But he himself seems to have doubts about the reliability of the service, repeating on many occasions that the inhabitants will keep their generator to remedy any power outages. “Remember the ice storm! “, he launches to any wind.
If all goes as planned, all 88 homes in Kitcisakik should be powered by 2025. Maybe even sooner. Jimmy Papatie hopes so, as he begins to find it difficult to lift the 5-gallon gas boilers to power the generator, to the point where he has organized a small pumping system. “I am 58 years old, I am diabetic. I am beginning to develop the strength of a chicken, I no longer have that of an ox. It will be reassuring for me to know that at 61, I will be able to sleep with the heating at 18 degrees. »
water stories
But if the inhabitants of Kitcisakik now have the assurance of having electricity in their homes, they still do not have running water. This is the other problem of the village.
To meet the needs of its inhabitants, the band council has equipped itself with an expensive reverse osmosis system that supplies public facilities. Residents have to go to the toilet block to fill up gallons of water that they carry home. This is also where they take their shower and do their washing.
“Was the shower good?” “Launches the former chef to Marie-Hélène Papatie, who just comes out of the toilet block, her hair wet, her cell phone spitting out an old tube of Kylie Minogue. The lady is happy. “I love life today! “, she exclaims, dodging a few small dance steps. For her, the arrival of electricity is clearly good news. “We’re going to learn how to pay for electricity,” she replies, laughing. But we’ve been like this for years, it’s time we had electricity here. It will do good, especially in the winter. In my house it is very cold. We may huddle close to the fire, but it will help to warm us up. »
For Jimmy Papatie, access to running water is another fight he has no intention of giving up. “We have the electric messiah, it’s going to take the holy water astheure!” “, he summarizes in his colorful language.