Finance Minister Craig Pardy is offering the strongest indication yet that an MOU with Quebec on the Upper Churchill is near.

Until recently, Premier Tony Wakeham has kept his cards close to his chest, but Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette has long said she hoped it could be finalized by the end of July.

Pardy told reporters yesterday that he expects the deal to come “soon” – but stopped short of providing a timeline.

“Do I expect that it would be soon? Yes, and I’m not only listening to Premier Fréchette, I’m saying that I think that, yes, I would hope that we would have an outcome soon,” he told reporters from Confederation Building. “I think that’s the premier’s hope; it’s everyone’s hope to make sure that we’ve got a good deal for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”