Another remote First Nation has been connected to the Ontario power grid.
Poplar Hill First Nation is the 13th community to be connected to the grid through the Wataynikaneyap Transmission Project.
The project has seen roughly 1,800 kilometres of new transmission lines built connecting more than 18,000 people to the provincial grid.
“For too long, Poplar Hill has been reliant on diesel generators, which did not meet the needs of our growing community. Thanks to the connection to the grid, Poplar Hill First Nation has reliable power to all members of our community,” said Chief Alvin Owen. “In the past, power outages were common in the winter. We want to thank our former Chiefs that started this big project – Jacob Strang and Howard Comber. We look forward to further opportunities that reliable power will bring for our new housing and future projects.”
The formerly diesel-powered community was struggling to build more infrastructure due to many of their generators being at capacity.
Moving forward the generators will only be relied on as a fail-safe.
“I sometimes I have to shake my head because it’s been such a long time that our communities have been pursuing energy,” Said Watay CEO, Margaret Kenequanash. “Wataynikaneyap along with other projects, it’s about 34 years in total (working towards grid electricity) and finally reaching that milestone and accomplishment to bring reliable energy into the north.”
“It’s a major milestone for our people and not only that, because of ownership and the vision that they’ve set out and the expectations in terms of how we do how we conduct ourselves in their homeland, in our homeland is, so important and it’s a huge, huge accomplishment.”
The community’s transfer station was initially energized on March 12, 2024, but it was not connected to the grid until mid-December.
They were held up as they went through their Independent Power Authority processes before they could be connected.
Poplar Hill First Nation is located roughly 570km northwest of Thunder Bay.
During the winter, it is only accessible by air and ice roads.
They were connected to the grid through roughly 190km of transmission lines from a substation in Red Lake.
The community is being served by Hydro One Remote Communities Inc.
In total, the province is estimating that the project will help remove roughly 6.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to taking almost 35,000 cars off the road.
Wataynikaneyap Power is a First Nations-led company made up of 24 First Nation communities.
Later this year Muskrat Dam First Nation, North Spirit Lake, and Keewaywin First Nations will also be connected to the grid.
Wataynikaneyap is also working with McDowell Lake First Nation on becoming connected to the grid in the future.
