Power position: first generating station of hydroelectric project complete.

• Author: Kelly, Lindsay

The Lower Mattagami hydroelectric redevelopment project has reached a milestone, completing the 67 megawatt (MW) Little Long generating station, the first of four station upgrades in the multi-year, $2.6-billion project. After going online in mid-January, its total output is now 205 MW.

The project is a partnership between Moose Cree First Nation and Ontario Power Generation (OPG), which gives the Moose Cree a 25 per cent stake in the project. Job creation, employment and the involvement of local businesses are all additional benefits of the project.

"The Lower Mattagami project is an historic project which is the result of a solid partnership between the Moose Cree First Nation and Ontario Power Generation," Moose Cree Chief Norm Hardisty Jr. said in a news release.

"This project has changed the economic landscape of the Moose Cree First Nation and the surrounding area. It is environmentally sustainable and has created many economic opportunities, including hundreds of jobs for our citizens, as well as other Ontarians. This project has enabled our First Nation to establish a strong economic foundation to build on in the years ahead."

During its peak, the project employed 1,600 people, including more than 250 of First Nations and Metis descent. With the peak of construction now passed, employment has dropped off, but skills gained through construction of the project are transferrable to other areas.

Neal Kelly, the OPG's director of media, issues and information management, said many of the province's stations are approaching their centenaries. With regular upgrades and the application of new technologies, many can operate for decades, serving local communities as a significant economic driver for decades.

"If you think about what the Moose Cree First Nation has ahead of them, they'll have an equity stream for decades and decades to come, so that can really benefit their community" he said.

Many infrastructure projects around the North are on traditional First Nations land, Kelly added. By giving communities a stake in the project, infrastructure necessary to the province gets built, while First Nations benefit through jobs...