Grand Chief Simon Pokue says the MOU between this province and Quebec regarding hydro-electric development is a good deal for everyone, especially the Innu Nation.

Premier Andrew Furey ripped up the old Upper Churchill agreement in front of a packed crowd at The Rooms in St. John’s yesterday, as both provinces announced a new deal that looks much different.

While ink has not been put to paper as of yet to make the new agreement binding, what is being proposed will inject billions of dollars into the province through a new payment structure for power from the Upper Churchill. It also paves the way for several new mega projects to be developed, including the highly sought after Gull Island.

That project is one the Innu Nation had previously said they would block if outstanding issues with rate mitigation were not addressed.

Pokue says at a meeting with the province in September those issues were rectified.

He didn’t get into much detail, only to say that they “struck a deal with the province, and it’s a good deal…and now we have a good relationship with the province.”