This Indigenous History Month, WaterPower Canada celebrates the Indigenous communities, leaders, and businesses that are helping to reshape Canada’s clean electricity landscape. They are not only stewards of the land but also co-owners, project leaders, and infrastructure builders.
Across the country, First Nations are entering into meaningful, long-term partnerships with hydroelectric utilities. These relationships are not symbolic. They are transformative, creating jobs, building local businesses, generating clean power, and supporting a more just and inclusive energy future.
The stories below highlight just a few of the Indigenous-led and co-led projects that exemplify what reconciliation can look like in action. These are partnerships where equity, environmental stewardship, and economic development are truly shared.
Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke and Hydro-Québec: A Milestone in Joint Ownership
In a groundbreaking move, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke and Hydro-Québec signed a historic agreement in April 2024 to become joint owners of the Hertel–New York Interconnection Line. This 58-kilometre underground transmission line will deliver 1,250 megawatts of renewable electricity to New York City. That’s enough to power one million homes and help cut fossil fuel dependence.
Through a 40-year partnership, the Mohawk Council will benefit from long-term revenue via the Horizon Kahnawà:ke Hydro-Québec Limited Partnership. This is more than a financial stake. It’s a recognition of sovereignty, a seat at the table, and a new model for Indigenous involvement in major infrastructure.
Hydro-Québec has also committed $10 million toward the future Kahnawà:ke Cultural Arts Center. This reinforces its dedication to long-term cultural and community development beyond the transmission line itself.
As Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer remarked,
“We are ensuring Indigenous people have a seat at the table as business partners and have a voice in the overall economy moving forward.”
This project redefines what partnership can mean. It blends clean energy export, Indigenous equity, and cultural investment in a way that sets a precedent for future collaborations.
Coral Rapids Power and Ontario Power Generation: 50/50 Equity and Shared Stewardship
The Peter Sutherland Sr. Generating Station, commissioned in 2017, stands as a lasting example of what can be achieved through equity-based collaboration. Built on the Abitibi River in northeastern Ontario, this 28-megawatt hydroelectric station is co-owned by Coral Rapids Power, a wholly owned company of Taykwa Tagamou Nation (TTN), and Ontario Power Generation.
TTN’s role wasn’t peripheral. From the earliest planning phases, community leaders worked hand in hand with OPG to ensure that cultural values, land stewardship, and environmental protections were integral to the project. The Nation helped identify sensitive sites, contributed to mitigation planning, and embedded traditional knowledge into every stage of development.
Under a true 50-50 equity model, both partners share in decision-making, governance, and revenues. TTN community members were involved in construction, operations, and maintenance. They built not only clean electricity, but long-term workforce capacity.
As Coral Rapids Power President Wayne Ross put it,
“Our community members have gained a long-term revenue stream and transferable skills that our members will use on other infrastructure projects.”
This partnership exemplifies clean energy leadership rooted in community priorities and self-determination.
Squamish Nation and BC Hydro: Building Infrastructure Through Indigenous Business
When BC Hydro committed to replacing the aging Capilano Substation in North Vancouver, the project became an opportunity to do things differently. Located on the traditional territory of the Squamish Nation, this rebuild was approached through genuine collaboration, cultural respect, and Indigenous economic participation.
Nearly every aspect of the work, from site preparation to civil and electrical construction, was led by Squamish-designated businesses and their partners. This created jobs, built business capacity, and ensured that the project generated lasting local value.
Even the trees removed to make way for access roads were repurposed into canoes and carved art pieces. Blessing ceremonies honoured their cultural and ecological role.
As Squamish Hereditary Chief Ray Natraoro said,
“Like forests with many trees, every tree has life and purpose… That’s what we’re trying to do with our relationship: using what is there to transform our environment and people, and create a legacy piece with meaningful stories and engagement behind it.”
This collaboration represents reconciliation through infrastructure. It shows how clean energy investment can become a platform for cultural healing, capacity building, and generational wealth.
Birdtail Sioux First Nation and Manitoba Hydro: From Contractor to Co-Creator
For the Birdtail Sioux First Nation, involvement in Manitoba Hydro’s Birtle Transmission Project wasn’t about jobs alone. It was about agency. Instead of being consulted after decisions were made, the Nation co-developed a business plan, bid on the contract, and formed a joint venture with Forbes Bros. Ltd. to secure the work.
This 46-kilometre transmission line, completed in 2021, connected Manitoba’s grid to Saskatchewan while creating deep value for Birdtail Sioux. The venture self-performed nearly all aspects of construction, with an average of 50 percent Indigenous employment. The team installed 125 towers, with many local workers trained on the job.
Since then, the Birdtail Sioux–Forbes Bros. partnership has gone on to win multiple new contracts, including the De Salaberry–Letellier line, where Indigenous employment has reached nearly 70 percent. It’s long-term capacity building and business development rooted in community leadership.
Lac La Ronge Indian Band and SaskPower: Building Climate Resilience and Capacity
The Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB), through its business arm Kitsaki Management LP, has worked closely with SaskPower for over a decade to provide vegetation management services across northern Saskatchewan. Their company, Kitsaki Vegetation Services (KVSLP), employs an 80 percent Indigenous workforce and plays a vital role in wildfire prevention and climate adaptation.
KVSLP helps maintain critical rights-of-way for transmission and distribution lines. This is essential to reliable power delivery and public safety. Their partnership with SaskPower has been recognized with awards for service excellence, while creating jobs, certifications, and long-term careers for LLRIB members.
Looking Ahead: Honouring the Past, Empowering the Future
Indigenous Nations have long been stewards of the land and water. Today, they are also owners, contractors, operators, and visionaries in Canada’s renewable energy transformation.
As these stories show, meaningful partnership is more than a line item in a project plan. It is a commitment to shared outcomes, cultural respect, and long-term prosperity.
WaterPower Canada is committed to supporting and celebrating Indigenous leadership in clean energy production. From co-developed hydro projects to Indigenous-owned service providers, our members are demonstrating that reconciliation and economic opportunity go hand in hand.
This month – and every month – we encourage reflection, learning, and dialogue. Reconciliation is not a single act or statement, but a continuous process. We remain committed to listening, engaging, and working together with Indigenous Peoples as we move forward on the path to a sustainable and inclusive economic future.