Kokish River Hydroelectric Project

operational

Opportunity The 'Namgis First Nation, who value respect for the environment as a core value, had become aware of numerous power projects being planned for Vancouver’s North Island and wanted to get involved in order to ensure they were being pursued in a way that respected the land. The Kokish River Hydroelectric Project is the first Canadian P3 with a First Nation partner. The project, made possible through a P3 Canada Fund preferential loan of $12.94 million, generated jobs and renewable energy for the environmentally sensitive territory. Challenges This is the Canadian P3 project with a First Nation partner, so it was necessary to collaborate on the creation of an innovative structure that would work for all parties. Innovations The Government of Canada provided a low interest loan through P3 Canada Fund to help the 'Namgis First Nation build equity in the hydroelectric facility. Construction on the facility stopped during periods of time that are critical for fish migrations. 'Namgis have one in four seats on the board of Kwagis Power LP. Results The Kokish Hydroelectric Facility is designed to generate up to 45 megawatts of power—enough to power 13,000 homes. The Community Benefit Fund for the 'Namgis will have 40 cents paid into it for every megawatt of power that is generated. The 'Namgis First Nation owns 25 per cent of the Kokish River Hydroelectric Facility meaning they will be at the board table making decisions about the river on their ancestral land. The 'Namgis are involved in all aspects of planning and operation providing the opportunity to make stable, long-term profits for the Nation and improve employment opportunities. The operation is implementing detailed environmental monitoring and compensation programs and using innovative technology to protect the river’s fish populations. The construction phase created an estimated 250 full-time equivalent jobs over the 2-year span, many of which were given to qualified 'Namgis. “This innovative P3 project will allow the ‘Namgis First Nation to generate both energy and revenue while safeguarding North Vancouver Island’s ecosystem. It also means high-quality jobs will be available for people in the ‘Namgis community over the next 40 years.” - Joe Oliver, former Minister of Finance “In all of the projects and activities that we do, our key goals are respect for the environment, sound management, self-sufficiency, and sustainable prosperity for our members. These are the values that led us to take on the Kokish project. We are quite proud of our efforts together with our partner Brookfield Renewable. Our project won praise for exceeding environmental requirements and great care was taken not only to protect but also to enhance fish habitat and fisheries resources in the Kokish watershed. If all goes according to plan, the project will improve fish populations in the river through stream fertilization.”   -Debra Hanuse, ‘Namgis First Nation Chief

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