Garden River First Nation has been awarded a 50 per cent stake in what’s poised to be Ontario’s largest solar farm project.
The Indigenous community neighbouring Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., will be equal partners and co-owners with Neoen — an international renewable energy company — in the development of a large grid of solar panels.
Dunns Valley was selected to be the location for the project, a remote area roughly 45 minutes east of the Sault and within Garden River’s treaty reserve area.
With a price tag of $1 billion, the project is expected to generate roughly $50 million in annual revenue for Garden River once it's operational.
It’s one of two 20-year solar farm contracts that Neoen was awarded by Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator.
The company is also teaming up with Matachewan First Nation to oversee a smaller solar farm project near Paradis Bay.
“The two projects will support Ontario’s growing electricity demand by supplying a significant volume of clean, reliable and competitively priced renewable energy to the provincial grid,” according to a release from Neoen.
Construction on the solar farm in Dunns Valley is slated to begin in 2028 while operations are targeted for 2030.
It’s expected to generate the amount of energy that’s equivalent to powering 40,000 Ontario homes.
“It’s not so much about the money, it’s making sure Garden River’s voices are heard in these spaces,” said Karen Bell, Chief of Garden River First Nation.
Garden River Chief wants 'to keep up' with evolving world
Chief Bell told reporters on Monday the magnitude of this project for her members ranks similarly to the settlement agreement under the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850.
She noted the solar farm will bring long-term economic benefits, job opportunities and clean energy positions to Garden River.
“It means an increase in housing, infrastructure and ensuring all our members who want to get post-secondary education are going to get it,” she said. “We want to make sure [their futures] are protected.”
“We understand the world is moving at a very fast pace, and we want to keep up with it and be a part of it.”
Through the Indigenous Energy Support program, up to 50 members of Garden River First Nation will receive hands-on training in solar design, installation and maintenance beginning in August.
The construction of the solar farm itself will create around 200 jobs.
Matthias Nunnon, the head of the Lands and Resources Department in Garden River, said there are several hundred hectares of plantation at the Dunns Valley site that make for a suitable building zone.
He noted there are no homeowners close enough to the site that would be within earshot of the construction or the solar farm itself.
“It's on existing infrastructure corridors,” Nunnon said. “It's located off to the side, but there are the connections that are necessary to make the project viable.”
Open houses and public feedback opportunities will be made available in the coming months, according to project officials.
Chief Bell said community engagement couldn’t happen before the solar farm deal was struck this week as Garden River First Nation had to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prevented them from sharing any information prior to the announcement.
She noted the project will move forward with careful consideration of the land as several environmental and archaeological studies are underway.
"We have a responsibility to be stewards and protect [the land] for generations to come," she said. "We’ll ensure any concerns are identified early and addressed appropriately.”
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