TIMMINS – The Ontario government is working in partnership with Taykwa Tagamou Nation (TTN) and Moose Cree First Nation (MCFN) to expand hydroelectric generation to meet growing energy demand and support greater economic self-determination and prosperity.
“For more than a century, nearly a quarter of Ontario’s power has come from clean hydroelectric energy,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. “As energy demand rises in Ontario, especially in the North, our government is taking action by supporting early development work for the provinces first expansion of large-scale hydroelectricity in decades. By working together in the face of unjustified attacks from President Trump, Ontario will generate all the affordable electricity we need within our own borders, now and well into the future. We are proud to work with Taykwa Tagamou Nation and Moose Cree First Nation to invest in new hydropower, while creating good jobs and affordable 24/7 power for families and businesses.”
TTN and MCFN will lead co-planning, working alongside the government and Ontario Power Generation (OPG), to explore and advance opportunities for two new hydroelectric generation stations which, if approved, could produce up to 430 megawatts (MW) of affordable, reliable, and clean electricity – enough to power 430,000 homes. This includes the proposed Nine Mile Rapids Generating Station, which could generate about 256 MW of electricity, and the proposed Grand Rapids Generating Station, which could generate about 174 MW of electricity. This work, which would represent the first net-new hydroelectric station(s) in Ontario in 10 years, is an important part of Ontario’s plan to meet the growing demand for electricity in Northern Ontario, which according to Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), is forecasted to increase by 81 per cent by 2050.
“This co-planning process represents a new approach—one that puts First Nations in the driver’s seat from the beginning,” said Chief Bruce Archibald of Taykwa Tagamou Nation. “True economic reconciliation means that we are not just participating in development. We’re shaping it, on our terms, for the benefit of our communities while supporting the province’s work to meet rising demand for electricity.”
To support early exploration and development, TTN and MCFN have signed Letters of Intent with OPG as all parties work together on preliminary planning activities, including field studies, to inform a community-led decision-making process on hydroelectric development.
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