The Innu Nation will participate in an Expert Technical Panel related to the expiry of the Churchill Fall agreement in 2041.
The Upper Churchill Project is located within the Innu Nation’s recognized treaty claim area and the Innu Nation says it is the only recognized aboriginal right holder in the area where the Churchill Falls Project is located.
The Innu Nation signed the Upper Churchill Redress Agreement with Nalcor and the province in 2011 as part of the Tshash Petapen agreement, affirming the Innu Nation’s right to compensation as a result of impacts to Innu from the Upper Churchill Project. That treaty has still not been concluded.
The third part of the Tshash Petapen agreement involves the impacts and benefits agreement and discussions are underway to address how the rate mitigation deal to address Muskrat Falls cost overruns has affected payment to the Innu under the IBA.
The Upper Churchill Redress Agreement provides compensation for harm to Innu consisting of annual payments to be made until 2041 and a 3 per cent share of the province’s future Upper Churchill project revenues when the power purchase contract with Hydro Quebec expires in 2041.
The Smallwood Reservoir, the largest lake in the province, was created by the Upper Churchill project, flooding a huge area of traditional Innu land. A $4 billion dollar lawsuit against Hydro Quebec has been launched by Innu Nation for damages caused by the illegal destruction of land to build the project. That matter is still before the courts.
